Her guards

Chapter 272 Interrogation
The deep cells of the Embroidered Robe Bureau isolated them from the hustle and bustle of the outside world.

Perhaps because it is built underground, it is warmer here than the early autumn chill in the mountains of the National Academy.

However, the cell was far from warm; it was filled with a deathly atmosphere and the constant groans and cries that could be heard and seen from all directions.

“It truly is like a ghostly, underworld-like place,” Ling Yu said.

Wang Zaitian's voice came from next door: "What time is it? Still commenting on the venue? Hurry up and read your book."

A kerosene lamp was stuck in the wall. Ling Yu turned her head and could see Wang Zaitian sitting on the ground next door, reading a book by the light.

"...You weren't so flustered when you were arrested that you forgot your books, were you?" Wang Zaitian said, looking at Ling Yu and clicking his tongue twice.

Before he finished speaking, Ling Yu took a scroll out of his boot.

“They knocked the one out of my hand,” Ling Yu said. “Luckily, I always carry another book with me as a backup.”

Wang Zaitian laughed heartily: "Not bad, not bad."

Voices came from all around: "Sir, I brought mine too." "I didn't bring a book, but I did bring a pen." "The walls of this cell are perfect for writing."

These are Wang Zaitian's other two disciples at the National Academy.

As the group was chatting and laughing, footsteps sounded, and women in embroidered robes entered.

"Take them in for questioning," they said.

The smile on Wang Zaitian's face faded. He put down his book and said in a deep voice, "I am their teacher. Ask me first."

The woman in the embroidered robes at the head of the group, her face flickering in the torchlight, spoke in a sinister voice: "Chancellor, we respect you, so you only need to watch from the sidelines."

After saying that, he waved his hand, and the cell door opened. Several men in embroidered robes pushed Ling Yu and the other two out.

Suddenly, several more torches appeared, brightening the field of vision.

Ling Yu then noticed that the dark wall opposite was covered with torture instruments. He observed them with curiosity, while the voice of the leader of the Embroidered Robe continued to come.

“We always handle things quickly. The interrogations are all done in the same cell. If they can talk, they talk. If they can't, we beat them to death on the spot. It saves us from dragging things out.”

"Now it's your turn to identify it."

With these words, the leader of the embroidered-clothes waved his hand and unfolded a portrait.

Ling Yu looked over, her eyes flashing slightly.

"Let's look at them one by one." The leader of the embroidered-robed men had already walked up to one of his disciples, holding up a portrait. "Dr. Qi, have you seen this person before?"

The disciple surnamed Qi glanced at it and was about to speak when he was interrupted by Xiu Yi.

The woman in embroidered robes looked at him and said, "Dr. Qi, you are skilled in calligraphy and painting. His Majesty has also praised your painting skills."

Dr. Qi frowned: "I am skilled in calligraphy and painting, but I don't recognize the person in your portrait."

“Take another look, think it over carefully,” Xiuyi said again.

Dr. Qi was somewhat annoyed: "If I don't know you, I don't know you—"

Before he could finish speaking, the woman in embroidered clothes raised her hand and waved it away.

A woman in embroidery standing to the side took a whip from the wall and lashed it sharply across Dr. Qi's right hand.

Caught off guard, Dr. Qi let out a scream and fell backward, clutching his arms.

"you--"

Ling Yu and another disciple shouted angrily and rushed to help, but were held down by the embroidered-robed men.

"I told you, you need to think this through. If you can't figure it out, then answer me, or I'll break your hand," the embroidered-robed leader said coldly, looking at Dr. Qi, who was lying on the ground clutching his arms.

Dr. Qi stopped crying out in pain, but his pale face and clenched teeth showed the agony he was in.

"Is this an interrogation?" Wang Zaitian said in a deep voice, sitting in the cell. "This is torture!"

The woman in embroidered robes looked at him and said, "Chancellor, this really isn't considered punishment." She then gave a sinister smile and added, "Chancellor, I hope you don't really want to try out the punishments of our Embroidered Robe Division."

Having said that, he stepped in front of Lingyu and held up the painting.

"Dr. Ling," he said with a smile, "I've heard you're a voracious reader..."

He looked into Ling Yu's eyes, his expression somewhat nostalgic.

“I remember when we were the captain, we cursed you for having such dead fish eyes more than once, and even said we would gouge your eyes out.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Zaitian stood up: "You dare! He is—"

“I know he is a descendant of the Ling family, a prominent clan.” The woman in embroidered robes looked past Ling Yu at Wang Zaitian and smiled slightly. “Don’t worry, Grand Master, I won’t really gouge out his eyes. Wouldn’t that ruin his handsome appearance? It would be disgraceful for a scion of a noble family.”

He waved his hand to the side.

A woman in embroidered clothes came over carrying an oil lamp.

“Dr. Ling,” the leader of the Embroidered Robes said, “I will use this to light your way so that you can see the portrait more clearly and recognize it to see if you recognize it.”

His smile faded, and he looked at Ling Yu, enunciating each word clearly.

"You'd better remember this soon, there's something mixed in this lamp oil, if you keep it on for too long you'll go blind."

As they spoke, two women in embroidered robes suddenly pressed Ling Yu down and simultaneously held the oil lamp up to her eyes—

"Stop!" another disciple shouted, and was about to pounce. The disciple with the injured hand on the ground also struggled to get up, and the embroidered men around them stepped forward and held the two of them down.

As soon as the oil lamp got close, Lingyu felt as if smoke was rising, and her vision suddenly blurred.

However, the boy in the blurry portrait seemed to come to life.

The boy who came back to life was smaller and had a more childlike face.

"Why do you keep reading?" He squatted down and looked up at him. "Do you also need to worry about not being able to study tomorrow?"

He didn't really understand why a child would think he wouldn't be able to go to school tomorrow.

He thought the child was poor and had to be called away to do chores at any time.

He naturally didn't have such worries. He didn't even need to think about why he needed to study.

Because it's possible, because I like it, that's why.

Now he knew why she asked that question: because she could indeed die at any moment, and he suddenly knew how to answer.

Because he kept reading, even when he went blind and could no longer read, all the books he had read would still be in his mind. So even if he couldn't see anymore, he could continue to read in his heart and mind.

Ling Yu couldn't help but laugh, her expression joyful.

To find answers to my questions, to find answers to my questions—is there anything more joyful in this world than to hear the truth and find answers to my questions?

"Dr. Ling!" The leader of the embroidered-robed men's voice rang in my ears, "Did you see clearly! Do you recognize him! Who exactly is he!"

"I don't know him," Ling Yu said with a smile.

The leader of the embroidered-clothed men sneered, "Then let's keep watching!"

As he spoke, the oil lamp moved closer to Lingyu's eyes...

With a bang, a figure suddenly crashed into them.

The two women holding Lingyu were caught off guard and stumbled, dropping the oil lamp from their hands to the ground.

"...The Chief Priest!"

"catch him!"

The leader of the embroidered-clothes, seeing Wang Zaitian suddenly rush over, shouted in embarrassment and anger. Before he could finish speaking, Wang Zaitian, holding the book in his hand, slammed it down on him.

Despite his age, Wang Zaitian was still very fast. The embroidered leader couldn't dodge and was hit in the face.

He cried out in pain and raised his foot to kick Wang Zaitian, but Wang Zaitian did not chase after him. Instead, he jumped back to strike the embroidered clothes that were grabbing Ling Yu.

The disciple lying on the ground with his injured hand, along with another disciple, also began to fight with the embroidered-robed men.

Chaos reigned in the prison cell.

The leader of the embroidered-robed men was furious, his face turning ashen. These damned scholars hadn't even bothered with words, they'd just attacked!
"Get them!"

At the command, more people in embroidered robes rushed in and pinned them down.

"Wang Zaitian!"

The leader of the embroidered-clothes wiped the blood from his forehead and gritted his teeth again. This old geezer is so strong; he can break a person's head with a tattered book!

"I know you even dared to hit His Majesty, but His Majesty has the magnanimity of an emperor and won't hold it against you, but I don't!"

He looked at the four of them, drew his knife from his waist, and gave a fierce laugh.

"Our Embroidered Uniform Guard is showing the greatest mercy by not taking your lives!"

He then waved his hand.

"Hit me!"

As the embroidered women rushed forward, a commotion erupted outside, filled with sounds of impact, blows, and screams.

The leader of the embroidered-robed guards was taken aback, then saw several of the guards stationed outside the cell stumble in, lying on the ground unable to get up, clearly seriously injured.
what happened?

Someone actually dared to attack the Embroidered Uniform Guard?

The thought flashed through my mind, and I saw seven or eight people rush in, their movements swift, with tokens hanging from their waists...

The leader of the embroidered-robed guards recognized them at a glance; they were the emperor's secret guards.

"What exactly is being investigated? Why is it so lively?"

A woman's voice followed, and a girl dressed in plain clothes strode in.

Although dressed simply, he had an arrogant expression and cold, menacing eyes.

Upon seeing her, the leader of the embroidered-clothed group bowed in respect.

"your Highness."

Yang Luo glanced inside and scoffed, "So it's torture."

Others might be afraid of this Miss Yang, but the leader of the Embroidered Robe was not so afraid.

“Princess, you should know that we are acting on His Majesty’s secret orders,” he said. “You cannot interfere.”

Yang Luo said, "I know, I won't interfere with your arrests, but..."

She looked at Wang Zaitian and the others who were being held by the women in embroidered robes.

“I once studied at the National Academy, and the Chancellor was my teacher. Heaven, Earth, Ruler, Parents, and Teacher—I cannot ignore them; otherwise, wouldn't I be worse than an animal?”

She looked at the embroidered leader and smiled gently.

"I am now a princess, so I must be careful about my reputation."

"Miss Yang, do you have a reputation?" the leader of the embroidered-clothes thought to himself, as Yang Luo's voice continued to come from his ears.

"I won't make things difficult for you, but don't make things difficult for me either."

The leader of the embroidered-robed officials frowned and asked, "What does the princess intend to do?"

“They can keep the chief priest in jail, but you can’t interrogate him anymore,” Yang Luo said.

"That's impossible!" the embroidered-robed leader said resolutely. "I was ordered—"

"Then I'll kill you first!"

Miss Yang, who was originally concerned about her reputation, suddenly raised her voice, took a step forward, looked at him, and smiled with raised eyebrows.

"You should know very well that if you killed me, His Majesty would not forgive you, but I killed you instead."

"It was just killing."

(End of this chapter)