Bai Yuji Goes Berserk (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

Qin Muye was somewhat prone to carriage sickness, retching several times along the way.

Only by looking at the commoners on both sides of the road, their expressions filled with either indignation or sorrow, did his mood improve slightly.

Although he had not yet thought of a foolproof strategy.

Since he had determined that Qin Yanying being imprisoned was unacceptable, he had to blow this matter out of proportion.

Only when public sentiment reached a certain level would there be any possibility of completely exonerating Qin Yanying.

If they really closed the doors and let those powerful officials divide the interests, there would be no chance of resistance at all; even if Qin Kaijiang arrived in person, he would likely choose the compromise of letting Qin Yanying serve time.

Let's make a scene!

But before they had even traveled a third of the way down Xuanwu Street, a large group of bailiffs appeared from nowhere.

"Disperse!"

"Scatter! Get out!"

"The court is handling a case, disperse immediately! Those who refuse will be executed on the spot!"

With the sound of blades being drawn, the onlookers on both sides of the road scattered in a panic.

Even the merchants with stalls along the road scrambled to retreat into their shops, leaving only a mess behind.

Subsequently.

A tall, upright young man walked up to Chen Sui: "Many thanks to Commander Chen for detaining the prisoner on our behalf. This case falls under the jurisdiction of the Court of State Ceremonial; there is no need to trouble Commander Chen further!"

Seeing this scene.

Chen Sui's expression sank instantly. The man before him was right; because Great Gan had a large number of foreign ministers who were Demon Official, the authority of the Court of State Ceremonial was far beyond that of any previous dynasty.

When the victim of a case was a Demon Official, it was automatically transferred to the Court of State Ceremonial.

The man before him was Zheng Wang, the Left Junior Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, who oversaw the prison affairs of the Court of State Ceremonial. His father was from the Xingyang Zheng Clan, and his mother was a fox demon from Green Hill. Regardless of which side he was on, he held a prestigious status, which was why he had reached the fourth rank at only twenty-two years old.

Chen Sui had been well-prepared.

But he still hadn't expected the Court of State Ceremonial to act so quickly. They hadn't even covered a third of Xuanwu Street before these people arrived to take over.

If his guess was correct, the next step would be to silence the commoners.

There had been many onlookers when they entered the city, but the duration had been too short to attract a truly large crowd.

As long as the Court of State Ceremonial wanted to silence them, they could ensure this incident was treated as if it had never happened.

He knew exactly what these people were planning.

Chen Sui frowned: "Although this case is the responsibility of the Court of State Ceremonial, the transfer of a case requires following procedure. Lord Zheng need not be in such a hurry; allow me to enter the palace and report to His Majesty!"

Zheng Wang interrupted him without ceremony: "If I recall correctly, for the Brocade Guard to participate in a case, it requires His Majesty's approval, or it must be a minor case involved in the investigation process. This case happened suddenly and was certainly not pre-approved, and since Lord Chen is on leave today, it is not a temporary involvement either.

We are naturally grateful for Lord Chen's assistance in handling the case, and when we see His Majesty later, we will certainly not forget to claim credit for you.

But if you insist on interfering further, one might have to suspect that Lord Chen is trying to engage in favoritism!"

"You!"

Chen Sui was furious. If this were in the past, some mere Junior Minister—even if Shen Kui encountered him, he would have to walk around him.

Yet, in the blink of an eye, he had fallen into a passive position, and a mere Zheng Wang dared to challenge him to his face!

"Chen Sui, this has nothing to do with you. Go!"

Qin Yanying stopped him, then looked at Zheng Wang: "Lord Zheng, let's go!"

Chen Sui was anxious: "Yanying..."

"Protect yourself!"

Qin Yanying whispered, then strode into the ranks of the Court of State Ceremonial.

She turned her head and swept a glance at the Imperial Guard she had brought: "All of you, go back and train! Remember, do not cause trouble!"

"Instructor!"

The Imperial Guard looked at one another, their eyes reddening.

It wasn't that they didn't have the urge to draw their swords, but Qin Yanying had told them in advance that if a conflict arose, it would only make her situation worse, so they could only grit their teeth and endure it.

Hu Huan saw this scene, his expression becoming increasingly ferocious as he said viciously: "Lord Zheng, Qin Yanying broke into my home and killed my pregnant wife. Under the feet of the Son of Heaven, she is so arrogant and domineering, treating the kin of a Demon Official like grass. I beg Lord Zheng to seek justice for me!"

Zheng Wang immediately changed his face, comforting him with a sorrowful expression: "Rest assured, Lord Hu Huan, I will certainly get you justice for this matter. Let's go!"

With that, he led the people from the Court of State Ceremonial away.

The petty official escorting Qin Yanying wanted to grab her shoulder and arm, but after a glare from her, he shrank back.

Watching the Court of State Ceremonial march away with the suspect in custody.

Chen Sui's face was ugly to the extreme; he clenched his fists and prepared to leave.

But after taking only two steps, he was stopped by Qin Muye: "Uncle-in-law, where are you going?"

"I'm going to the palace to plead with His Majesty!"

"If you do that, you will only sink yourself into the mire without achieving anything. Have you forgotten what my aunt told you?"

Chen Sui gritted his teeth, the muscles in his jaw bulging like knotted tree roots.

How could he not know?

The only reason he had earned the Emperor's favor was that he never feared offending anyone while handling cases, nor had he ever shown favoritism; whatever the Emperor commanded, he executed without a shred of personal agenda.

If he were to plead for mercy now, the Emperor's trust in him would crumble into dust in an instant.

But...

Chen Sui took a deep breath. "But in the Capital City, I am the only one who can help your aunt!"

"Not necessarily!"

"Who else is there?"

"The Ten Thousand Races Imperial Examination is coming up soon, and our Qin Family will be arriving!"

Qin Muye naturally wouldn't reveal that the variable lay with Li Xingluo, so he could only use the Qin Family as a pretense to stall.

Chen Sui gave a bitter laugh. "The Qin Family stepping in would naturally be effective, but at best, it would only lead to a compromise. Do you truly believe..."

Qin Muye interrupted in a low, firm voice, "It is still better than cutting off one's own arm! Uncle-in-law, if even you lose His Majesty's trust, wouldn't we then be unworthy of even knowing the progress of the case?"

Chen Sui fell silent for a long while before nodding with great difficulty, his expression bitter. "You are right! Go home first; I will find a way to handle this. There may yet be room for a turnaround!"

"Understood!"

Qin Muye nodded and climbed into the carriage.

Seeing this, the Imperial Guard corporal hurried to jump onto the driver's seat. "Young General, let me drive for you!"

"Many thanks!"

Qin Muye offered a word of thanks, then looked toward Bai Yuji. "Get in!"

This was the first time he had spoken to Bai Yuji in an hour.

Bai Yuji felt a sense of relief, though she reasoned he likely just didn't want to make matters more chaotic, and it had nothing to do with his attitude toward her.

Exhaling softly, she climbed into the carriage.

Throughout the journey, the two did not exchange a single word.

Bai Yuji's mood was incredibly complex, a tangle of guilt and anger, yet she couldn't tell which emotion was the correct one.

She was an avenger; no matter what base methods she used, they were justified.

The goal of her mission had been achieved almost perfectly.

Yet, the process had been completely different from what she had imagined.

Qin Yanying hadn't needed her guidance; she had found Hu Huan purely on instinct.

And there had been no need for her to sow discord; the strike had been delivered without the slightest hesitation.

A series of accidents.

It left her feeling utterly dazed.

She glanced at Qin Muye, only to see him with his eyes half-closed, showing no intention of paying her any mind.

In the past, he would have been like any ordinary youth experiencing first love, never wasting a single moment of their time together.

Bai Yuji knew.

This was how things should be between enemies.

Yet, for some reason, she still felt an indescribable sadness.

Before long.

The carriage stopped.

Qin Muye walked straight to his room and slammed the door shut with a bang, showing no intention of further communication.

Bai Yuji lingered before his door for a moment, the scene from that night suddenly flashing through her mind.

"You are responsible for the acting!"

"I am responsible for the believing!"

But now, he no longer believed.

And she could no longer keep up the act.

Bai Yuji desperately wanted to tell him, "I am a survivor of a clan wiped out by the Qin Family; I am not wrong for doing this."

Yet, reflecting on it, he seemed to have never spoken a harsh word to her.

She could vent her hatred toward anyone in the Qin Family, but in front of him, she could not find the justification to do so.

Perhaps.

Qin Yanying could be considered half an exception.

Bai Yuji felt a chaotic mess in her heart, wishing only to bury her head under the covers and sleep it all away.

She simply entered the room.

She pulled back the bed curtains.

She happened to see He Xifeng looking at her anxiously: "Princess! Have you found out the identity of that person in the bamboo hat? Is it someone from the Qin Family?"

Upon hearing this question.

Bai Yuji felt even more irritable. When they saw the corpse of Luo Qing, everyone from Nanzhao was filled with grief and indignation.

She was no exception. Although the character Luo Qing had displayed was a great disappointment to her, he was, after all, a companion with whom she had grown up and fled alongside. Moreover, with the Puppet Refining Technique in his possession, he was destined to be a pillar of Nanzhao's future.

How could she not be heartbroken?

Therefore, they had to find the killer.

According to He Xifeng's recollection, when they were retreating, she had seen that person in the bamboo hat rush into the courtyard.

Being so anxious about the Qin Family's affairs, it must be someone from the Qin Family. Once this conclusion was reached, everyone from Nanzhao was filled with righteous indignation, one after another declaring that since the Qin Family was in trouble, they must beat them while they were down and avenge Luo Qing.

However...

Bai Yuji rubbed her temples: "I have already asked, and Qin Yanying has absolutely no idea who that person in the bamboo hat is!"

He Xifeng's brows knitted together: "How can that be? Princess, they must be pretending not to know each other. The Qin Family members are brutal and cunning; we must not be deceived by them..."

Bai Yuji interrupted her with a self-deprecating laugh: "Great Elder! The brutal and cunning Qin Family can strike at a Demon Official without regard for the consequences, all for the sake of children and pregnant women. Yet we, who claim to be pure and noble, are capable of using children and pregnant women as bait to provoke Qin Yanying. Don't you find that absurd?"

He Xifeng: "..."