The Upstairs Tea House in the West Gate of the Imperial Palace.
Two elders disguised as commoners, one tall and solemn, the other wrinkled and cunning.
"I wonder if Jiu Xiao will succeed."
"Rest assured, with Jiu Xiao's skills, even the imperial guards of the previous dynasty couldn't stop him."
"Alas, all these years, we've trained nearly a hundred children, but only Jiu Xiao qualified. The rest perished. This time, we must succeed!"
"No problem. Ten days ago, I gave Jiu Xiao final instructions on how to proceed. Tonight, we wait for the news."
The two elders flashed worried looks, but soon became determined and resolute.
Recalling the inhumane training process, many children couldn't endure until the end. Only Jiu Xiao persisted.
Jiu Xiao could endure what ordinary people couldn't.
He was the chosen assassin!
"Yes, we wait. Tonight, we'll surely receive news of the death of Xiao Yunzhou, the Emperor of Jing Country."
The elders clinked their teacups filled with tea.
The Earth and Moon Sect, no, their imperial clan would soon rise again.
Just wait...
Wait until the moon rises above the willow branches, wait until the tea house customers leave, wait until the curfew bell echoes in the streets...
The two elders had drained three pots of tea!
Glancing at each other, they were getting anxious, yet there was no news of chaos in the palace, the city gates opening, or soldiers surrounding the palace walls as expected!
"What's going on? Hasn't the Lantern Festival banquet ended yet?"
"It shouldn't be."
"Perhaps the deed is done, but the news is suppressed."
"Makes sense, let's keep waiting! It must be soon!"
Wait some more...
The two elders took turns visiting the outhouse and drank the fourth pot of tea.
Even the tea house was about to close—
Finally, they saw armored soldiers rushing out from the palace, and they were surrounded.
"Drinking tea and whispering late at night, you two come with us."
"???"
*
"Please reconsider, Your Majesty."
The Lantern Festival banquet had ended inside the palace.
The Minister of War, the Commander of the Imperial Guards, the Minister of Justice, and the Minister of Justice were all in Xiao Yunzhou's study.
"Arresting people without evidence, and the targets were just two elderly tea drinkers. Isn't that unfair?" Zhang Wei, the Minister of Justice, always acted by the law and disapproved of the Ministry of War's actions today, mobilizing troops to arrest two civilians at a tea house without reason.
"Your Majesty, do you have any evidence of their crimes?" Zhang Wei glared at the Minister of War.
Ever since the Emperor introduced down jackets and instant noodles, following the advice of the Minister of War, who was close like wearing the same pants as the Duke of Dingguo, Zhang Wei felt the Emperor was being unreasonable.
"Does the Ministry of Justice expect me to hand this case over for you to interrogate them? Where would you even begin?" Zhang Wei refused.
Xiao Yunzhou raised his hand, signaling Zhang Wei to stop. "Minister Zhang, I know you're in a hurry, but don't rush."
Zhang Wei: "?"
"This isn't urgent? This is a case of injustice on a festival day for family reunion. The Emperor dispatches troops to arrest the wrong people, and the Ministry of Justice interrogates them blindly. How will the people view the laws of Jing Country after this?"
As the representative of the Ministry of Justice, Zhang Wei did not approve of the Emperor's rash actions.
As he spoke, the Minister of Justice also stepped back, clearly refusing as well.
Anyway, the two elders were arrested, but the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice dared not detain or interrogate them!
Xiao Yunzhou's brow twitched.
"Your Majesty, if you don't let this minister speak, do you have anything to say?" Zhang Wei, being an experienced judge, never let go when he was right. "If you don't want the Imperial Guards to continue being infamous for stealing chickens and feeling for fish, and arbitrarily detaining and slaughtering civilians, hand these two over to them."
"In any case, the Ministry of Justice will not detain, interrogate or torture them!"
"The Ministry of Justice... ahem..." The Minister of Justice also lowered his head. "The same goes for us."
Xiao Yunzhou inhaled deeply.
He opened his mouth, then closed it, picked up his tea but put it down again, pinching the bridge of his nose before standing up.
"This Emperor... seems to have heard the Third Princess crying. I'll go check on the little princess first and return shortly."
"?"
"???"
"!"
Xiao Yunzhou didn't wait for them to respond and left the study.
It was past midnight, the dead of night.
The sky was still pitch black, with only the full moon hanging in the sky.
Xiao Yunzhou walked to the side room at the back, feeling the cold wind on his face, dissipating the frustration and rashness from his mind.
Yes, he had been rash.
During the Lantern Festival banquet, upon hearing his daughter's inner voice about the elders of the Earth and Moon Sect, the instigators plotting to assassinate him, drinking tea at a tea house, Xiao Yunzhou couldn't help but send people to arrest these remnants of the previous dynasty!
Heaven knows, he was just a step away from death.
If he had let those two Earth and Moon Sect elders go today, they might cultivate another assassin to kill him next time... Then he wouldn't have time for anything else, constantly watching his back!
"Is the little princess asleep? Don't wake her up."
Xiao Yunzhou entered the side room and saw Concubine Liu and the wet nurse guarding Xiao Chuchu.
These past few days, he had been restraining himself from seeing his daughter too much. Now that everything was over, he could finally be with her.
Xiao Yunzhou missed his daughter dearly, so he had Concubine Liu keep her by his side for the night.
Xiao Yunzhou was vexed by Zhang Wei from the Ministry of Justice and only wanted to be close to his daughter, the reincarnation of a fairy.
Xiao Yunzhou approached the cradle and warmed his hands before gently caressing his daughter's little face.
In his rashness, he had the Earth and Moon Sect members arrested.
Without excuses, reasons or evidence, interrogation and torture were inappropriate.
Alas.
Xiao Yunzhou regretted it a little but didn't want to release them, or else it would be like letting a tiger out of its cage!
[Mmm...]
Xiao Chuchu felt something tickling her face and sleepily opened a slit of her eyes. Seeing a familiar face, she struggled to close them again and blew a small bubble.
Xiao Yunzhou was utterly charmed by his daughter's adorable attempt to open her eyes but failing, and stopped the wet nurse from moving. He took a handkerchief and wiped his daughter's little mouth himself.
[I must be dreaming, meow, why am I dreaming about the Emperor father...]
Xiao Chuchu thought she was dreaming.
She closed her eyes to continue sleeping, mumbling in her heart.
[Speaking of dreams, I almost forgot, the Earth and Moon Sect brainwashed their followers by claiming the sect leader dreamed of a stone statue inscribed with 'Restore the Imperial Rule.' Since then, the core followers carved the word 'Restore' on their backs.]
Xiao Yunzhou: "!"
[Meow... That stone statue is still there... It's near the East Gate, I think.]
[They originally planned that if they received good news at the tea house today, they would immediately dig it out and carry out their grand scheme of 'Restoring the Imperial Rule.']
[Meow, they have people in the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice... Some of them even hold high ranks...]
"!"
Xiao Yunzhou's eyes widened, and he stood up abruptly.
What?
The Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Justice, both have traitors!?
*
In the Imperial Study.
"Preposterous! The Emperor cannot win an argument against this old minister, so he goes to appease his daughter?" said Zhang Wei, the Minister of Justice, fuming. He turned and strode out without waiting for the Emperor.
"This old minister will not wait for Your Majesty any longer. I'm going home."
Outside the Imperial Study, a few young ministers were standing.
Among them was a tall and handsome young man who held the sixth-rank position of Assistant Minister of the Right at the Ministry of Justice.
Seeing Zhang Wei emerge, he hurried to greet him, "Minister Zhang, did His Majesty agree to release them?"
Zhang Wei shook his head in silence.
The handsome Assistant Minister of the Right frowned in distress.
"Minister Zhang, if those two elders are not released tonight, what are we to do tomorrow when their families come demanding their release?"
Zhang Wei furrowed his brow. "Don't worry. His Majesty has been thinking a lot about the people lately. His outburst today was momentary. Perhaps he will come around and agree to release them tomorrow."
"If not, I will petition again tomorrow."
"Surely His Majesty would not order them to be tortured for interrogation?"
"Of course not. Even the Emperor must maintain face! Just as the Imperial Guards must act according to the law, so must the Ministry of Justice!"
The handsome young man's eyes brightened with relief.
But they had only taken three or four steps when an eunuch's voice rang out from behind them!
"The Emperor is here! His Majesty wishes to go to the Ministry of Justice prison himself to interrogate the teahouse elders in person!"
"And...no one from the Ministry of Justice or the Ministry of Justice is permitted to leave!"
The handsome young Assistant Minister of the Right looked momentarily flustered.
