Hua Ming Zi put away the long whip and calmed her breathing.  She forced herself not to be soft-hearted and said with a dead-pan expression. 

“If you are afraid of pain, why do you still commit so many atrocities?  Do others not feel the pain as well?!  Speak!  Why did Concubine Xu give you all the royal gifts bestowed by the Emperor?  What are you holding against her?  Today, if you don’t admit you have committed adultery with her, I will kill you.........”

Once again, she held up the whip in a striking posture.

“Hua Dangjia, have mercy!   It was a moment of emotional confusion after a bout of drinking that I broke into Concubine Xu’s bedchamber!   It was all because of my debts!  I was unable to find a way to settle the debts, so I used this plan and begged her to give me something to sell!”  Luo Ji Cai knelt on the ground and desperately kowtowed.

“After getting drunk, you could still manage to find your way to Concubine Xu’s bedchamber and coincidentally, there was also nobody around.  How coincidental could that be?  I think you and Concubine Xu have long colluded........”

Hua Ming Zi paused and looked steadily into Luo Ji Cai’s eyes.

“Actually, you can’t totally be blamed for this matter.  After all, a father who is plotting a rebellion will not be able to bring up a good son.”

In the ‘Kun’ Chamber, Ying Yang Long was dumbstruck when he heard her.  He broke out in cold sweat and immediately glanced at the Emperor.  Hei Xing Jian did not speak and his ashen face was facing the mirror wall.  Initially, it was thought that her investigation was only able to dig up the information of Luo Ji Cai secretly selling off royal gifts from the Emperor and the adulterous affair between Luo Ji Cai and Concubine Xu.  Unexpectedly, the investigation had actually exposed a plot for rebellion!

“As to the matter of Concubine Xu’s willingness to cooperate with you to falsely accuse Ying Yan Long, I actually can’t understand why she did it as this matter definitely did not give her any benefits.  While she was a child she entered the palace to serve the Emperor as it was her own wish.  If someone had taken advantage of her, she would have swallowed the matter and kept quiet about it but why did she publicize it?”  Hua Ming Zi folded her arms across her chest and she stared at Luo Ji Cai for a moment.

“This........how would I know?......”  Luo Ji Cai turned his eyes away.

“I asked around and finally I found a little information.  It is because the Emperor is without an heir and Imperial Consort Luo is not pregnant, so your Father, Luo Ren had long made his move to be close Ninth Wang-ye.  You told Concubine Xu that in future if Ninth Wang-ye ascended the throne, you can guarantee she would be blessed with wealth and honor for the rest of her life, isn’t that right?”  Hua Ming Zi repeated what Concubine Xu’s personal palace maid had confessed.

Luo Ji Cai stared at her.  He was so scared that he was not able to utter a word and could only shake his head.

She looked at him blankly and knew that her bold guess was actually close to the truth.  When she found out that Luo Ren and Ninth Wang-ye had a close relationship, the first thought that came to her mind was a rebellion.

“Speak!  Is the Luo Family plotting a rebellion?!”  She gave a loud shout.

“No......all......of this....... you are.......talking........nonsense.......”  Luo Ji Cai’s voice was already shaking and his words could not be heard clearly.

“Who is talking nonsense?”  Hua Ming Zi picked up the long whip and waved it in front of Luo Ji Cai’s face.  When he screamed, she gave him a lash.  “If you don’t tell the truth, I just want to let you know that I will give you lashes one by one which can also kill you.”

Luo Ji Cai was so severely beaten that he cradled his head and shouted.  “I confess!  I confess!  Everything is planned by Concubine Xu!  She said that the Emperor is obsessed with Mei Yi Wen and will never be able to have a prince in his life.  She doesn’t want to grow old and die in the palace, so she told us to seek out Ninth Wang-ye......”

“Are you pushing all the blame on someone else?  You are truly capable.”  Hua Ming Zi put down the whip and leaned against the wall to regain her strength.

“Our Luo Family is being accused unjustly and everything is Concubine Xu’s.........”

“Is that right?  Then let’s hear what Concubine Xu has to say.”

Luo Ji Cai was stunned as he watched Hua Ming Zi walked slowly to the bed.  She put a pill into Concubine Xu’s mouth and after a while, Concubine Xu who had all the while been motionless actually woke up.

Hua Ming Zi told Concubine Xu what Luo Ji Cai had said just now and Concubine Xu responded by widening her eyes and she roared at Luo Ji Cai.

“If I was not tarnished and threatened by you, do you think I would take the risk to do this for you?  When I attended the Flower Appreciation gathering held by Imperial Consort Luo, I just drank a cup of wine that you toasted me and I became muddle-headed thinking you were the Emperor.  You spiked my drink!  You are worse than a beast!........”  Concubine Xu walked up to Luo Ji Cai and glared at him.

“You are talking nonsense!  I will strangle you to death!”  Luo Ji Cai used all his strength to seize Concubine Xu and clasped his hands around her neck as the chains on his arms emitted clinging sounds.

“Let go!”  Hua Ming Zi lashed Luo Ji Cai on his body with the whip.

Luo Ji Cai did not release his hold and wanted to strangle Concubine Xu to death........once dead, the dead cannot testify!

“He said........Ninth Wang-ye’s residence.......the plan drawn up for the rebellion.......they also want to capture Mei Yi Wen to threaten the Emperor......”  Concubine Xu was strangled until her eyes were bulging and the words squeezed out of her mouth.

In the ‘Kun’ Chamber, Hei Xing Jian suddenly stood up and a spark of violence flashed across his face with killing intent. 

“Strike!”

As his voice sounded, immediately, two guards appeared behind Hua Ming Zi.  They stepped forward to pull Luo Ji Cai away and Concubine Xu fell into unconsciousness. 

“Who are you?!  I want to appeal to the Emperor!”  Luo Ji Cai shouted loudly and struggled desperately.

“Appeal?”  Hei Xing Jian walked through a secret passage and appeared at the door.

Luo Ji Cai looked at the Emperor and was too scared to say a word. 

“Put him in the ice prison.  Zhen wants to interrogate him personally.”

When Luo Ji Cai heard it was the ice prison, he was so scared that his eyes turned white and he passed out.

The coldness in the ice prison would make punishments even more painful.  In the coldness of the ice prison, the wounds would become worse and also the wounds would not heal easily.  Earlier, a traitor was kept in the ice prison and it was heard that he was tortured for nearly half a year before he finally died.  When he came out, no one could make out it was actually a human........

Hua Ming Zi watched as Luo Ji Cai wet his pants with fright.  After he was finally dragged out of the chamber, she looked at the Emperor and got down on her knees. 

“Your Highness, thank you for allowing this woman to interrogate Luo Ji Cai.”

“How did you know about the matter of Concubine Xu, Luo Ren, and Mei Yi Wen?”

Hua Ming Zi told the Emperor everything about how she investigated the matter starting from the background and the life of Concubine Xu.

Initially, when Ying Yan Long investigated the matter, he had found out about the close relationship between Luo Ren and Ninth Wang-ye.  When she investigated Concubine Xu’s background, she accidentally found out that the Xu Family and Ninth Wang-ye were very close and materials were frequently sent into Wang-ye’s residence.  The materials were traced and found to be metals needed for refining weapons.  Although the Luo Family was extremely friendly with the Xu Family for the past six months, no matter how friendly they were, Concubine Xu would not go so far as to ruin her reputation and falsely accuse another person.  Inevitably, this matter must have a reason behind it.  So, she found Concubine Xu’s personal maid and forced her to reveal the matter of Concubine Xu being invited by Imperial Consort to a Flower Appreciation gathering where Luo Ji Cai drugged and raped her.

When Hei Xing Jian heard the last part, he had already turned livid and green veins were throbbing on his forehead.

”Zhen was totally immersed in mourning the death of Mei Yi Wen and actually did not notice these happenings right before my eyes.”  Hei Xing Jian said in a deep voice filled with anger.

Hua Ming Zi bit her lip and did not dare to speak.

If the Emperor had not shown intentional pampering and in addition, he had also neglected to question Concubine Xu’s control..........how would Imperial Consort Luo have the bravery to instruct the palace prison guards to execute punishment?  Would Ying Yan Long still be in the palace prison and still suffering today?

At this time, after making a lot of effort to walk Ying Yan Long had finally reached the door of the ‘Gan’ Chamber and when he saw the expression on her face, his heart tightened.  Under the present circumstances, he was afraid she might say something inappropriate due to her anger so he shouted hastily. 

“Ming Er!........”

The moment Hua Ming Zi heard his voice, immediately she turned her head around and saw Ying Yan Long standing at the door.  Instantly, tears rushed to her eyes.

Only a few days had passed and his body was now covered with bruises.  When he walked, he could not even straighten up his body.  His face was only left with a layer of skin and he seemed to have aged more than ten years.

Hua Ming Zi flew to his side to support him and hugged him to prevent him from toppling over.

Ying Yan Long was panting breathlessly.  He could not speak and his eyes had turned red.

Although he did not know whether the Emperor would listen to her and did not know if he and Hua Ming Zi, who already knew so much inside information, could continue to live but at least they could see each other.

Ying Yan Long held Hua Ming Zi’s hand tightly and his eyes stared fixedly at her. 

“You look fine.........”

Hua Ming Zi caressed his face and tried very hard to blink away her tears so she can have a clear look at him.

Initially, she was worried and thought he would blame her for Luo Ji Cai’s evil retaliation on him because of her.  But when she saw he was seriously hurt and he was still worried whether she was doing well........what more should she be worried about?

Now as she studied him, her tears began to stream down uncontrollably.  There were no major visible injuries on his body but his haggard appearance had a withered look like a person on the brink of death.  In the past, she had heard the palace prison meted out punishment which resulted in internal injuries.  These punishments were even more painful than external injuries and the pain would drive one to madness and at the same time made one wish for death.  Originally, he was also brought up living a pampered life, so how could he endure such tortures?..........

“I’m fine.  It’s just that I miss home and have grown a little thinner.......”  Ying Yan Long caressed her face and smiled at her.

Hua Ming Zi held his hand tightly and could not speak.  She only buried herself deep in his arms.

“Your Highness, please forgive her for her discourtesy since she is in poor health and her days are numbered. “  Ying Yan Long begged.

Hei Xing Jian threw a glance at her and did not speak.