NFBE Chapter 349 Imperial Interrogation
Chapter 349 Imperial Interrogation
At the beginning of the hour of Mao (5-7 AM), the faint morning light enveloped the earth, and the road ahead became much clearer.
Lu Jiangnian stood silently outside the Vermilion Bird Gate with three bodyguards bound by iron chains.
The morning dew dampened the hem of his clothes, and the undried bloodstains on his body congealed into dark purple patches on his black brocade robe, emitting a faint smell of rust.
"Lord Lu, His Majesty summons you to the inner palace for an audience immediately."
The imperial eunuch carrying the palace lantern hurried over, the dim light shining on Lu Jiangnian's angular face, revealing a pair of bloodshot eyes.
Inside the hall, the scent of ambergris wafted slowly through the air.
The Emperor got up early today and hadn't even had breakfast yet when he heard that Lu Jiangnian was already waiting outside the door.
Lu Jiangnian is a very sensible person and wouldn't make such a move rashly; something serious must have happened.
The Emperor, without even having time to prepare a meal, summoned Lu Jiangnian to the palace.
"My dear minister, where have you come from?"
The Emperor's gaze swept over Lu Jiangnian, finally settling on the bloodstains on his body. Although no wounds were visible on Lu Jiangnian's body, his clothing revealed that he had been through a fierce battle.
Lu Jiangnian knelt on one knee and said, "Your Majesty, I am guilty of disturbing Your Majesty's presence."
His voice was hoarse but powerful as he recounted the harrowing assassination attempt that took place in the early hours of the morning.
"As soon as I think about it, I realize how audacious these thieves are, daring to assassinate a high-ranking official of the court in the heart of the capital..."
Lu Jiangnian's Adam's apple bobbed, and a sharp, cold light flashed in his eyes. "It felt like I had thorns in my back, making it impossible for me to eat or sleep. Therefore, without even changing my clothes, I presumptuously entered the palace to meet the Emperor."
He glanced down at the blackened bloodstains on his body; the stains looked particularly glaring in the bright candlelight of the hall.
"Your Majesty, I have acted improperly before the Emperor and beg for your punishment."
"Bang!" The Emperor suddenly slammed his hand on the table, making the teacups on it clatter.
The bright yellow dragon robe swept across the memorials, knocking several booklets to the ground.
"Outrageous! This is utterly lawless!"
The emperor's roar echoed in the hall, frightening the eunuchs who were standing by, causing them to kneel down in unison.
The emperor's forehead veins bulged, and his fingers gripped a jade pendant with a blue dragon tightly, his knuckles turning bluish-white.
Lu Jiangnian remained kneeling, yet he could feel the Emperor's gaze pressing down on his back as if it were a physical force.
The coolness of the gold bricks on the ground seeped into his knees through his summer clothes, but he remained motionless, silently counting the time in his mind. The three assassins should be waking up soon.
The Emperor's emotions calmed down slightly. "Jiang Nian, do you know who was responsible?"
"I do not know, but I was fortunate enough to capture three survivors. I drugged them last night, and they should be waking up soon."
"Should I hand these people over to the Ministry of Justice for interrogation?"
The Emperor waved his hand, "No need, I want to interrogate him myself."
When Lu Jiangnian was assassinated on his way back to the capital, the emperor was not this angry.
After all, the emperor was far away and the people behind him only dared to act outside the capital, which might be a sign of their fear of the emperor.
Who would have thought that they would cause trouble right under the Emperor's nose so quickly?
Three assassins were brought in, and Lu Jiangnian suggested waking them up with daggers.
The Emperor granted permission, instructing Lu Jiangnian to conduct the interrogation without restraint.
Lu Jiangnian took the daggers from the eunuchs and gave one to each of them. The three assassins gradually regained consciousness.
Upon seeing Lu Jiangnian, their first reaction was to look on with rage and curse him as despicable.
"What despicable behavior! They actually used sleeping pills!"
Lu Jiangnian scoffed: "Didn't you use any medicine?"
“Your swords were poisoned. If it weren’t for the timely antidote, most of my men would be dead.”
After saying this, he pressed a dagger against the Adam's apple of one of them: "Now that we are before the Emperor, tell me the truth, who ordered you to assassinate me?"
The assassins then realized that they were no longer in Lu Jiangnian's villa.
The surroundings were resplendent with gold, with a large golden pillar carved with dragons standing in the center. At the head of the pillar sat a man dressed in a dragon robe. Although he did not utter a word, he exuded a thunderous aura that made people tremble at the mere sight of him.
However, what did Lu Jiangnian mean by that?
Didn't he say it himself last night? He knew perfectly well that they were people sent by the Second Prince.
Presumably, they wanted them to identify the Second Prince in front of the Emperor.
What a joke! They were loyal men; they would rather die than betray their master.
"You deserve to die. We want to kill you, that's all."
Lu Jiangnian was overjoyed; it seemed he had chosen the right person.
When these few woke up, he noticed that the younger assassins had the most alert eyes, and such people tend to be talkative.
The other two seemed lifeless and dull; it would be difficult to get them to talk.
Sure enough, the young man couldn't help but retort.
"Oh, I never thought I, Lu, would be such a failure that I would actually have to be attacked by six experts."
As he spoke, he inadvertently stabbed the assassin again and punched him twice at the same time. The young assassin fell to the ground, and Lu Jiangnian squatted down to talk to him, his purse hanging not far from the assassin.
Are you really not going to tell me?
“Speak out, and you might be able to save your life. I see you're not that old, why risk your life for someone else?”
"Tell me, what benefits has your master given you that are worth risking your life for? Perhaps I can give you something even better!"
That's a very insightful statement.
The young assassin's pupils were somewhat unfocused. He opened his mouth to refute, but at the last moment he quickly shut his mouth.
Lu Jiangnian could tell that the time had come to a critical moment.
He pressed on, saying, "I have always treated my men very well. I would never let them die in vain. From this point of view, your master is not a kind person. You have followed the wrong person."
The young assassin's consciousness was somewhat scattered.
All he heard was someone saying that his master was bad, and he loudly retorted, "Nonsense, you're talking nonsense! My master is the best person in the world!"
“When my mother was sick, he gave me money to treat her. He is the best person in the world.”
The other two immediately sensed something was wrong and shouted, "Shut up!"
Lu Jiangnian reacted quickly, striking the two men's speech acupoints to silence them, and continued to provoke the assassin who had been hit.
“Small favors are not worth your concern. A cowardly person is nothing but a rat in the gutter and is not worthy of being my opponent, Lu Jiangnian.”
The rumors about the Second Prince's impotence have spread like wildfire.
Apart from the Emperor and Consort Liang in the inner palace, everyone else had heard about it.
Including these suicide squad members.
Thinking of the humiliation the Second Prince suffered because of Lu Jiangnian's slander, the young man finally couldn't hold back anymore.
"Shut up, Lu Jiangnian! The Second Prince is like the bright moon in the sky, with noble blood flowing through his veins. What gives you the right to look down on him!"
"You're nothing but a dog of the Murong family, you're nothing but the Crown Prince's lackey!"
"I am going to kill you!"
Lu Jiangnian was extremely satisfied, but he immediately pretended to be deeply shocked, muttering in disbelief, "Second Prince, it's impossible..."
"Your Majesty, this person is definitely trying to sow discord!"
The Emperor, however, closed his eyes tightly.
All the evidence points to the fact that Consort Liang and her son truly harbor treacherous ambitions!