Xie Jingzhou carefully pondered Ji Zizhao's words, his face still maintaining a subservient expression.
Ji Zizhao was utterly fed up with this insincere demeanor. She pointed towards the palace gate. "I don't mind continuing this pretense with His Highness the Fifth Prince. However, the Ren family has already brought Ren Jun to stand outside the palace. If His Highness the Fifth Prince truly intends to speak to me in this manner, I fear it will be His Highness the Fifth Prince who suffers in the end."
As Ji Zizhao gestured, a faint, delicate fragrance wafted towards Xie Jingzhou.
The name Ren Jun struck Xie Jingzhou's heart like two thorns.
By now, Sa Meng should have succeeded. Even the Dali Temple Minister was inside the palace. Who could possibly protect Ren Jun at the Dali Temple?
Was Ren Jun's entire family and household truly so useless!
Xie Jingzhou trusted Sa Meng's capabilities.
Furthermore, at the palace gate, he had arranged for his people, through Luo Hong, to be present. It was impossible for the Ren family to be the ones who had sounded the Wenden Drum.
Ji Zizhao seemed to see through Xie Jingzhou's thoughts, a slight smile playing on her lips. "The Ren family indeed lacks the ability to stop His Highness the Fifth Prince's men, but I have them. Have you heard the name Qing Zhu, Your Highness the Fifth Prince?"
Qing Zhu...
Xie Jingzhou had naturally heard this name.
It was precisely because this eldest daughter of the Ji family was so incompetent that the old General Ji had been forced to transfer a death warrior and a dark guard from his side to be placed beside the eldest daughters of several families. Su Dan Novel Network.
Back then, both the citizens within the imperial city and Xie Jingzhou had privately scoffed at this.
As a result, Xie Jingzhou was now as filled with trepidation as he had been with mockery then!
"Zizhao, I don't understand why you would say such a thing. Have you perhaps heard some rumors? I truly hold a pure heart towards you..."
Without concrete evidence, Xie Jingzhou would stubbornly feign innocence to the very end.
However, before he could even finish speaking, he saw Ji Zizhao pull something out of her sleeve.
It was a half-torn sleeve stained with blood!
Xie Jingzhou trembled all over, his face paling considerably.
The delicate fragrance emanating from Ji Zizhao seemed to intensify.
He was not afraid of blood, but what was now held between Ji Zizhao's fingertips was something he had to fear.
This was because that item belonged to Sa Meng!
Thus, it seemed...
Had Ji Zizhao's people truly apprehended Sa Meng at Dali Temple?
Regardless of whether Xie Jingzhou believed it or not, the half-sleeve in Ji Zizhao's hand was undeniable.
It was at this precise moment that Xie Jingzhou recalled Luo Hong's reminders from the past few days.
But it was too late to say anything now.
Xie Jingzhou's expression gradually turned grim.
He knew very well that continuing to pretend was now meaningless.
"Ji Zizhao, what exactly do you want?" His usually timid eyes were now filled with sharpness, subtly revealing the bloodthirsty beast within him quietly extending its cold, sharp fangs.
This Xie Jingzhou sent a shiver down one's spine.
Even the eunuch kneeling on the ground trembled uncontrollably from fear.
Ji Zizhao, however, smiled faintly. As expected, there was nothing to be surprised about.
"His Highness the Fifth Prince colluded with the Second Prince to slander my Ji family's men, causing the tragic deaths of all the male members of my Ji family in Luoyi. Now, you are still plotting against me deeply. His Highness the Fifth Prince now asks what I want to do; don't you find it rather amusing?"
Even at this point, you still want to question me as an innocent party?
You're really pushing your luck!
Xie Jingzhou's heart sank heavily upon hearing these words.
It seemed Ji Zizhao already knew everything.
"Eldest daughter of the Ji family, please do not speak carelessly. I do not understand what you mean by what you just said. I also hope the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family does not speak so irresponsibly, lest if this matter spreads, the crime of slandering a prince is not something the Eldest Daughter of the Ji family can bear."
Cunning as a wolf, Xie Jingzhou would naturally not admit anything.
Sa Meng was his death warrior. Even if he were captured by the Ji family, he would have committed suicide by now.
And he could concoct a thousand reasons to explain the fact that Sa Meng had gone to kill Ren Jun.
Ji Zizhao, having anticipated Xie Jingzhou's difficulty, said with an unruffled expression, "Your Highness the Fifth Prince doesn't naively believe that the military handscroll I deliberately let the common people discover that day was the entirety of what grandfather recorded before his death in Luoyi, does he?"
Xie Jingzhou was greatly shocked, feeling as though he could barely remain kneeling.
The Ji family had already been cleared. If Ji Zizhao still held the old General Ji's handscrolls, and if she presented them to the Emperor, the Emperor would undoubtedly believe her completely.
But if the old General Ji had truly discovered his collusion with the Second Prince in Luoyi, why had Ji Zizhao delayed in producing the so-called evidence for so long?
Could it be...
She was bluffing him?
The hands hidden in Ji Zizhao's sleeves clenched tightly.
Cold sweat trickled down her spine, and her heart beat rapidly.
She was, of course, bluffing him.
If she truly possessed such direct evidence in her hands now, why would she be wasting time here?
She would have rushed straight to the Emperor and had him tear this scoundrel apart and feed him to the dogs!
"Your Highness the Fifth Prince can choose not to believe me. When the Emperor returns later, everything will be revealed." Ji Zizhao remained exceedingly calm, her expression revealing no flaws.
When dealing with such hypocritical individuals, it was a contest of who could maintain composure longer.
And who was not afraid of death.
Xie Jingzhou's heart tightened into a straight line as he looked at Ji Zizhao's composed demeanor.
It was clear that Ji Zizhao had come prepared today.
Or rather, Ji Zizhao had been playing a game of subtle evasion with him all this time.
Otherwise, how could Yong Mei have ended up in such a state?
And why was he now in such a sorry predicament!
But if he truly admitted defeat, he would be led by the nose by Ji Zizhao.
Xie Jingzhou was accustomed to feigning weakness and pretending to be timid, but now, to be stepped on by a woman, how could he be willing!
Ji Zizhao seemed to lose her patience and looked away from Xie Jingzhou.
Following this, the delicate fragrance that had been clinging to Xie Jingzhou's nostrils also began to dissipate.
For some inexplicable reason, Xie Jingzhou, who had already become restless, felt even more agitated and uneasy.
He had treaded carefully step by step to reach this point; only he knew the hardships involved. Now that the Emperor was already suspicious of him because of the Yong Mei incident, if Ji Zizhao were to produce any further evidence...
"Ji Zizhao, tell me what you want." Xie Jingzhou finally broke through his last line of defense, and as soon as the words left his mouth, even he was surprised by his own lack of composure.