Chapter 123: Treason 4 (2/2)

”Brother Yawen!” He called out softly.

Minister Zhu pulsed his lips and stopped walking. He held both of his hands below his ack and turned around. ”How may I help you, Prime Minister Shi?”

”Brother Yawen shouldn't be so serious all the time, we have known each other for decades now. You are also my senior, there is no need to be serious. About the young general's case, I would like to question him today. That is if you are okay with that?”

Minister Zhu nodded, ”okay, you can make the first move, all we want is results. If that is all then, I will take my leave”

”Goodbye, big brother Zhu”

Zhu Yawen replied an mmm and walked away. Prime Minister Shi's lips curved up as he watched the senior minister leave.

Minister Sheng rushed forward after Zhu Yawen left. He has stepped back to give them some privacy, after getting the feeling that Prime Minister Shi didn't want him close to them. He knew that the Prime Minister looked down on him but pretended otherwise since he didn't have a very stable footing.

”Eh, Prime Minister Shi. About the evidence submitted by Deputy Sun, why are we not making use of it? It is so detailed, isn't it?”

The smile fell off his face and his lips turned down as Minister Sheng's voice got closer. He regretted working with Minister Sheng because he was always explaining things to this idiot. it was like irritating at best,

”Minister Sheng, his Majesty is only trying to ensure that no ins questions his judgement down the line. Mu Yitze was right when he pointed out that Deputy Sun's evidence couldn't be used because it was submitted by a man suspected of fraud. If his Majesty should make a judgment just based on that evidence, his judgement can be challenged because the evidence was submitted by a suspected felon. We need a signed confession from Lu Yaozhu himself and if we leave it to Mu Yitze we may not get it”.

”Oh, that is true. I didn't think of that”

”How could you, now if you excuse me. I need to go get a confession out of the young General,” he shock Minister Sheng's hands away from his and walked away.

********

The Ice Prison deep under the palace.

Zhu Fengyin had lost track of how long they had been locked in the ice prison, it was difficult to keep track of time when there wasn't a single window in the prison. Based on how often the guards were rotated, it could be close to a week already.

Lu Yaozhu and Lu Yingjie were dragged away a few times for questioning. Her heart stopped beating every time they were brought out in chains and every time they were dragged back into the prison they looked worse to wear.

The women were safe from the questioning since it was assumed that they had nothing to do with the crime. Apart from the next morning after the arrest, the women haven't been brought out of the prison.

Zhu Fengyin woke up a few minutes earlier and after stretching, walked to stand by the iron bars of the prison cell and looked out. She caught Lu Yingjie's eye from the opposite cell and smiled. She was about mouthing the question 'are you okay?”

When the door was pushed open and a group of unfamiliar group of soldiers marched in led by Prime Minister Shi.

********

At a small room at the royal guard's command centre in the palace, Mu Yitze stood by the window overlooking the training grounds when there was a knock on the door.

”Come in,” he said without looking away from the training ground.

An average hieghted Imperial guard in dark soft armour walked in and fell to his knee, ”teacher, Prime Minister Shi just badged into the prison with some guards and took the general out for questioning”.

Mu Yitze kept quiet for some time before finally replying, ”there is nothing that can be done, just let it be. Our master already predicted that I fear that our peacefully days are no more”