Ye Jingyu pursed his lips and remained silent, as if in thought.
Ye Yao Di said no more, waiting for his silence.
The atmosphere in the room gradually grew cold.
Just as Ye Yao Di thought he would ask something else,
Ye Jingyu cupped his hands and said, "Your Majesty should rest. This son will take his leave."
Ye Yao Di's gaze towards him became increasingly complex. After a long moment, he closed his eyes, "Go."
Ye Jingyu then bowed and left.
As he reached the study door, Ye Jingcheng was entering from outside.
The two met, neither greeting the other, but their eyes met like flashing swords.
Ye Jingyu walked out of the study, and the door closed behind him.
The curses from within were also shut out.
Ying Xiao was waiting for Ye Jingyu outside. Seeing him emerge, he knelt down, "Thank you, Master!"
When Master first found him and promised to avenge his father, he had thought it was wishful thinking.
Yet, in less than half a year, he had transformed from a prince imprisoned by the Empress into a true prince, establishing himself in the court and trampling his enemies underfoot.
Ye Jingyu, with one hand behind his back, exuded an imposing aura at this moment.
"I have fulfilled my end of the bargain with you. Our master-servant relationship ends here. From today onwards, you are to leave the prince's mansion and find your own way."
Ying Xiao gave a wry smile and shook his head, "I have nowhere else to go. If Master does not mind, please take me in."
He had long considered the prince's mansion his home for the past half year.
Although His Majesty would surely order the Duke of Ying's mansion to be rebuilt after his father's grievances were cleared, that home held no meaning for him now.
Without family, the Duke of Ying's mansion was merely an empty shell.
Ye Jingyu looked at him for a moment, then turned to leave the palace, "Prepare the carriage. We're going to the Ministry of Justice prison."
Lin Ze Qu was imprisoned, and the little one would surely seize this opportunity to visit him.
Ying Xiao's heart leaped with joy, knowing that Ye Jingyu had accepted him. He responded in a deep voice, "Yes."
Inside the prison, Lin Ze Qu sat in a corner, leaning against the wall.
He wore prison attire, his hair disheveled, and shackles on his feet.
When Su Yun Mo arrived, he was staring blankly at the southeast corner of the wall.
"It seems Marquis has been living quite well here."
A childish yet somewhat mocking voice was heard.
Lin Ze Qu snapped back to reality, looked up at her, and narrowed his eyes, "I didn't expect you to be the first to visit this Marquis in prison."
Su Yun Mo signaled the jailer to open the cell door and then stepped inside herself.
Lin Lang also wanted to follow.
Su Yun Mo waved her hand, "You wait for me outside first."
Lin Lang pursed her lips, not moving, and cast a worried glance at Lin Ze Qu in the corner.
Lin Ze Qu let out a cold laugh, sarcastically remarking, "It seems my abilities are not small. Even in this state, I can still make people wary."
Lin Lang's expression darkened. She wanted to curse him, but ultimately restrained herself, bowed, and retreated.
Only the two of them remained in the cell.
Su Yun Mo entered the cell and stood not far from Lin Ze Qu.
"It's not exactly wariness, but people tend to become irritable when facing death. It's understandable for others to fear you might lash out in desperation."
Lin Ze Qu's face immediately turned grim.
Su Yun Mo clicked her tongue, leaned against the wall, and crossed her arms. "Marquis just said he didn't expect me to be the first to visit him. Then, who else did Marquis think would dare to visit him in this situation?"
As soon as he was imprisoned, the ministers who had been friendly with him avoided him like the plague.
When the Emperor had expressed his anger in court, they dared not even plead for him.
He was likely truly alone now.
Lin Ze Qu narrowed his eyes at her and scoffed, "Outsiders naturally wouldn't dare approach this Marquis to court trouble. However, my own family, remembering the ties of blood, should still come."
He sized up Su Yun Mo with immense sarcasm, "In my life, I had two daughters and one son. Now, with my lineage cut short, only two daughters remain. You've come before Lin Yu Ning, truly filial."
Su Yun Mo, hearing his sarcasm, paid it no mind. Instead, she lowered her brows, smiled, and spoke with hidden meaning.
"That's not necessarily true. The person who promoted Marquis was very fond of you. Perhaps he will find an opportunity to visit Marquis."
"If he doesn't come, it would seem he's discarding you after using you. After all, for your collaboration, Marquis not only married the Southern Border princess but also killed her once she was no longer useful!"
Lin Ze Qu was suddenly startled, his pupils contracting, "What did you say?"
Su Yun Mo straightened up, her expression gradually darkening, a sharp glint flashing in her eyes, "What? Does Marquis need me to be clearer?"
Lin Ze Qu nervously clenched his fists, "You already know?"
"Know what? Know that you are actually from the Southern Border? Know that you killed my mother's parents? Know that you married my mother for the Glazed Lock? Or know that you took my mother away from me when I was just a few years old?!"
The last sentence was a fierce roar.
Su Yun Mo, unable to contain her hatred, raised her hand and slammed it down from a distance.
Lin Ze Qu immediately felt a crushing force descend upon him.
He grunted, falling to the ground.
He coughed up blood and struggled to stand, but the force was too immense for him to rise. He could only struggle desperately.
The chains clinked and clanged with his struggles.
The cold iron in the dim cell sent a chill down one's spine.
Su Yun Mo, seeing him still trying to maintain that last shred of pathetic dignity, a mocking glint flashed in her eyes.
Her fingers tightened further.
Lin Ze Qu felt his breath being suppressed, as if something were constricting his neck.
His face turned ashen with pain, and his eyes began to roll back.
He struggled to look up at the little figure before him.
Su Yun Mo stood there, her small body exuding an authority over life and death, like a deity.
Lin Ze Qu finally felt a hint of fear. He opened his mouth and, with his last ounce of strength, spoke, "I admit... I did kill your mother..."
Su Yun Mo's face remained cold and silent, her fingers still tightening.
Seeing that she did not stop, Lin Ze Qu knew this was not what she wanted to know, "What do you want to know? Just say it."
Su Yun Mo raised her eyebrows and released her hand, "I'm quite satisfied with your cooperation. If you don't want to be tortured to death, Marquis had best cooperate with me. After all, I have as little patience as those at the Ministry of Justice."
Lin Ze Qu lay on the ground, clutching his chest and gasping for breath. However, his rapid breathing caused him to choke and cough.
After a while, he recovered.
He crawled up and sat with difficulty, speaking between gasps, "Do you still intend to kill your father here?"
Although this girl now had no filial affection for him and didn't mind killing her father, this was still the Ministry of Justice prison.
If he, the dignified first-rank Marquis, were to be strangled to death just days after being imprisoned, not only would others investigate, but even His Majesty would order a thorough inquiry.
At that time, this girl's secret would be exposed.