Chapter 225

Xiaolu was panicked to hear the chant and his face also became pale at once.

Zhou Manyun took Lian’er into the main hall. When she saw Xuanyuan Lie who was sitting on the seat of honor, she ambled toward Xuanyuan Lie and curtsied, “Greetings, Your Majesty.”

Lian’er behind Zhou Manyun also curtsied.

Xuanyuan Lie glanced at Zhou Manyun and said with a frown, “What brought you here?”

Feeling Xuanyuan Lie’s disgruntlement, Zhou Manyun said softly with a tender look, “I heard that Hui’er had been assassinated. I’m worried so I came here to visit her.”

Staring at Zhou Manyun’s gentle face, Xuanyuan Lie loosened his brows.

Seeing that Xuanyuan Lie became relieved, Zhou Manyun was relieved and said softly, “I heard that the assassinator had been caught?”

Xuanyuan Lie took another glance at Zhou Manyun and saw Zhou Manyun’s look of concern. A shimmer of fierceness flashed across Xuanyuan Lie’s eyes, “Since you’re here, just sit down and listen to what he’ll say!” It was hard to tell from his deep voice whether he was happy or angry.

“Yes.” Zhou Manyun curtsied to Xuanyuan Lie and then sat on a seat aside.

During the whole process, Zhou Manyun didn’t take a glance at Xiaolu at all. However, even though she said nothing or did nothing, she still exerted great pressure on Xiaolu.

Xiaolu didn’t dare to look at Zhou Manyun or Xuanyuan Lie. At that moment, he was immersed in fear.

“Tell me. Who asked you to do that?” Maybe due to Zhou Manyun, Xuanyuan Lie’s voice was a lot calmer than before.

“It’s… It’s…” Xiaolu peeked at Zhou Manyun aside only to see that she was pouring tea for herself unhurriedly.

Zhou Manyun’s composure made Xiaolu out of ideas at once. He was at a loss for now. Suddenly, he felt a chill running down his spine and then looked behind Zhou Manyun. He happened to meet Lian’er’s grim gaze and his heart skipped a beat abruptly. He blurted out, “It’s His Highness Crown Prince…”

Zhou Manyun’s hand holding the teapot paused. She curled her lips subtly.

Xuanyuan Lie put on a cold look and stared at Xiaolu on the ground. He felt like slashing Xiaolu into pieces so badly. This damned eunuch dared to sling mud at Mo.

All the palace maids and eunuchs in the main hall were dumbstruck to hear about the ringleader. Eunuch Hu also widened his eyes in disbelief. For the moment, the atmosphere in the main hall was somewhat tense.

“Here arrives His Highness Crown Prince…” While they could hardly breathe, a eunuch chanted outside the hall.

Upon hearing the chant, everyone looked at the door.

Zhou Manyun’s hand also shivered and his eyes flashed.

Xiaolu’s face was pale as death. He sat on his legs in dejection. He was done for good this time.

Stared at by all, Xuanyuan Mo slowly walked to Xiaolu.

“You’re the one who accused me wrongly.” His voice was cold and gloomy.

Xuanyuan Mo’s cold voice, just like the snowstorm in the darkness, made Xiaolu tremble subconsciously, “No… I… didn’t.” Xiaolu’s voice was trembling. He couldn’t utter a complete sentence.

Xuanyuan Mo glimpsed Xiaolu who was trembling on the ground and then drew out Yu Feng’s broadsword to lift Xiaolu’s chin, “You said I sent you to assassinate the empress?”

His voice was cold yet calm. It contained no anger or killing intent. Even so, Xiaolu was still shivering in fear.

Staring at Xiaolu who couldn’t say anything out of fear, Xuanyuan Mo patted Xiaolu’s pale face with the broadsword’s back, his eyes filled with disdain, “If I wanted to kill her, how could I ask you to do it?”

His words struck the others dumb. Yu Feng wiped the sweat off his forehead. His Highness was so arrogant.

However, Xuanyuan Mo’s arrogant words also dispelled his doubts. Indeed, given His Highness Crown Prince’s cultivation base and power, if he really wanted to kill the empress, he didn’t need to send an incompetent eunuch who couldn’t do martial arts at all to do it. A random secret guard would be a hundred times stronger than this eunuch. Besides, considering the empress and the crown prince’s positions in His Majesty’s heart, His Highness Crown Prince didn’t have to assassinate the empress stealthily at all. He could have let His Majesty kill her for a righteous reason.

Xuanyuan Lie stared at Xuanyuan Mo’s poker face and slightly curled his lips. He tended to like Mo more and more. It seemed that he could abdicate and live a peaceful life soon.

“Your Highness… Crown Prince… Mercy…” Xiaolu looked at the broadsword in Xuanyuan Mo’s hand and felt extremely nervous. He had heard that General Guo’s head was cut off His Highness Crown Prince.

“Mercy? I’ll consider it.” Seeing that Xiaolu was staring at the broadsword in his hand, Xuanyuan Mo curled his lips.

“Here is your last chance. Who sent you here? Who is the one behind your back?” His voice became cold again and his amber eyes also turned grim.

Xiaolu swallowed nervously, his forehead sweating nonstop. He couldn’t help looking at Zhou Manyun again, “It’s…”

Suddenly, Xuanyuan Mo’s eyes flashed fiercely. He raised his broadsword and slashed at Xiaolu.

Watching Xuanyuan Mo raise the broadsword, Xiaolu stopped talking. His heart almost stopped and his face instantly became ghastly pale. Some eunuchs and palace maids who were timid directly closed their eyes.

With a clang, Xuanyuan Mo didn’t cut off Xiaolu’s head but hit back a tiny needle.

Xiaolu got relaxed and directly slumped to the ground, his legs trembling nonstop.

“Umm…” Lian’er covered her right shoulder and grunted. Instantly, blood trickled down the corner of her lips. She looked at Xuanyuan Mo and knitted her eyebrows. She was surprised that she had been caught.

Hearing a moan, everyone looked at Lian’er.

Zhou Manyun clenched the tea bowl, her coquettish eyes full of fury. Lian’er was such a loser. Now that she acted at the moment, she had given herself away. Zhou Manyun really wanted to stand up and slap Lian’er in the face at the moment.

Xuanyuan Mo glanced at Zhou Manyun’s gloomy face and Lian’er behind Zhou Manyun. He sneered, “Did you just want to kill him off?”

Xiaolu didn’t tremble now. He stared at Zhou Manyun in disbelief. He thought it was His Highness Crown Prince who wanted to kill him. It turned out that Her Highness Consort Hui was the one who wanted to kill him.

Rather than stare at Xiaolu’s angry eyes, Zhou Manyun looked at Xuanyuan Mo and arched her brows, “What do you mean, Your Highness?”

Xuanyuan Mo arched his brows, “Why bother to ask? Everyone can understand what I mean unless he is an idiot.”

The others lowered their heads and suppressed laughing upon hearing Xuanyuan Mo’s words.

Yu Feng almost burst into laughter. He didn’t expect that His Highness should be so mean!

Zhou Manyun’s face instantly darkened, his eyes glistening fiercely. How dared Xuanyuan Mo insinuate that she was an idiot!

She only remained gloomy for an instant and then put on a graceful look again. She stared at Xuanyuan Mo and curled her lips, “I didn’t know you would be so tart-tongued.” Her voice was coquettish but it was not hard to tell that she was disgruntled.

Xuanyuan Mo curled his lips noncommittally, “It has nothing to do with you whether I’m tart-tongued or not. It’s just that you should think about how to prove your innocence with your glib tongue.”

Xuanyuan Mo directly sat on the chair opposite Zhou Manyun. He looked really leisurely.

Xuanyuan Lie, sitting on the seat of honor, saw Xuanyuan Mo’s leisurely face and then glanced at Zhou Manyun’s gloomy face. He subconsciously curled his lips.

Zhou Manyun couldn’t maintain her grace anymore. Her face darkened again and her coquettish eyes narrowed maliciously, “I didn’t do it. Of course, I’m innocent. Neither do I need to explain anything.” She wasn’t afraid at all. After all, she didn’t ask that fool to assassinate the empress.

Xuanyuan Mo curled his lips and took a leisurely look at Xiaolu sitting on the ground dully, “What do you think? You still don’t wanna tell the truth? Do you want to get yourself killed again?”

Hearing the words “getting killed”, Xiaolu instantly came to his senses and stared at Xuanyuan Mo, saying anxiously, “I’ll tell the truth. Her Highness Consort Hui asked me to come to Her Majesty Empress.”

He wanted to live. He didn’t want to be killed. He knew that the only one who could save him was His Highness Crown Prince.

Everyone looked at Zhou Manyun again. It turned out that he was told by Her Highness Consort Hui to do that. No wonder the palace maid wanted to kill him just now.

Faced with Xiaolu’s accusation, Zhou Manyun was not flustered. She remained calm as if Xiaolu weren’t accusing her.

Seeing that Zhou Manyun looked so composed, Xuanyuan Mo cracked a quirky smile.

Lian’er wasn’t as composed as Zhou Manyun. Hearing Xiaolu’s accusation against Zhou Manyun, Lian’er immediately stepped forward, “Nonsense…” Lian’er was stopped by Zhou Manyun before she finished refuting.

Lian’er stared at Zhou Manyun with a confused look. Zhou Manyun just said unhurriedly, “I did ask him to come to the empress, but I…”

“Father, Consort Hui not only sent the eunuch to stab the empress but also directed someone to assassinate Xuanyuan She.” Zhou Manyun was directly interrupted by Xuanyuan Mo before she finished speaking.

Everyone was stunned to hear that. Didn’t Eldest Prince commit suicide? How could it be that Consort Hui sent someone to kill him?

Zhou Manyun heard Xuanyuan Mo’s words, her eyes flashing. The calmness on her face was instantly replaced by a fluster.

Xuanyuan Lie was shocked to hear that too. A shimmer of agony flashed across his face. He darted a fierce glance at Zhou Manyun, “Consort Hui, how dare you kill my son?”

Zhou Manyun immediately knelt and looked at Xuanyuan Lie, her coquettish eyes full of tears, “Your Majesty, I didn’t do that. You can’t convict me just because of Crown Prince’s side of the story!”

Staring at Zhou Manyun’s aggrieved face, Xuanyuan Mo sneered and stood up to say coldly to her, “I have evidence!”