Chapter 127: A Relentless Enemy

Two days later, Su Liya and Wu Yao arrived at the capital. They came in at night just an hour before the city gate is closed. They had exchanged the caravan they used at Duanyue for a carriage with the Wu family's crest. The Wu family was a notable merchant family, old master Wu and Wu Yao usually frequented the capital that the guards at the gates were familiar with them. 

The carriage was waved down by a guard in black armour, who walked forward to the driver's seat and asked "what is with all the extra guards A'Zi? old master Wu doesn't usually come with this much".

The Carriage Driver, a slim man in his forties chuckled and replied. "Commander Bo is quite observant. This time it isn't the old master in the carriage but our young Miss. She is coming here to visit her aunt".

"Ah, she must be a beauty, that explains all the guards. It is quite tge distance from Ningzhuo to the capital, she must be tired. I won't make things difficult for you/ you may go" he waved them forward and gave a signal for the guards at the gate to let them in. 

Twenty minutes later they arrived at Wu Yao's aunt's mansion, in the commercial district. Su Liya got down from the carriage together with Wu Yao. She was dressed in a plain white gown and veil, she curtsied to Madam Zhang, Wu Yao's aunt a said a few words. 

Madam Zhang didn't know who this young lady that had arrived with her niece was but since she was well behaved. She dismissed her earlier suspicions. She trusted her niece's judgement, Wu Yao won't bring someone troublesome to her house. Wu Yao introduced her as a sickly young miss from Ningzhuo. She had introduced the young lady as Xu Yafei, she had followed her to the capital to seek medical help. 

Madam Zhang instructed the maids to lead her guests to the guest room before turning in for the night. The maids led her to a small single courtyard a short distance from the main room. Everything she would need for the night was already set so after leading her to the courtyard, they retreated.

Su Liya was left with her two maids, Su Liya watch the maids leave before going in. Su Liya saw a female silhouette by the window as she walked in. She stopped by the door and held on tightly to Rong Rong's arm. The stranger turned around and they came face to face with a familiar face.

Su Liya and her maids quickly bowed and chorused, "Your Highness!" 

Empress Lu walked to the tea table, "You and A'Zhu have a lot of nerve to keep something as serious as this from me".

"I apologise, your Highness. It was not our intention to keep it from you".

"You know how to talk" she sat on the top seat and gestured for Su Liya to take the seat next to her. "I know that we just met and you might not be comfortable with this consort but surely you know that you can trust me with these kinds of information. Especially since it concerns our Lu family, instead I had to hear it from someone else" 

Su Liya looked at Baozhai, eyebrow raised. She was asking who the informant the Empress mentioned was but Baozhai didn't respond and just shook her head. 

Empress Lu saw the exchange and laughed softly, "Don't bother thinking so hard about who it was, You don't know who that was. I have been the Empress of northern Wei for over two decades, no much can slip past me".

Su Liya nodded, she felt that Empress Lu was right. They were being cocky when they thought they could keep it from her.

"I can not stay long, give me the evidence. I will handle the rest" Empress Lu said.

While she felt that giving the Empress the evidence was a good idea, Su Liya couldn't help but worry. The Emperor might dismiss the evidence if it was submitted by the officials in the Empress camp. The best solution might be to use different channels but since she wasn't very close to the Empress. She didn't know how to say that without making it sound like an insult.

Empress Lu noticed her uncertainty and said "I am as much a member of the Lu family as you are. You can trust me, I have their best interest at heart".

"That is not why_ I. Your Highness, let me be honest. I don't doubt that you are genuine, I know that you can be trusted. I just don't think... That is, It may not be a good idea for any known associate of the Lu family and yourself to bring this up in court. If not it would be seen as a way of exonerating the Lu family".

Empress Lu suddenly felt that this adopted daughter of hers was smart. She was initially worried that Lu Yaozhu hadn't made a good choice of a wife but not anymore.

Empress Lu's prolonged silence made Su Liya feel like she had said something wrong. "I_please don't take my word. Your high_" 

"I thought I told you not to call me that?

"Oh, sorry your_imperial mother"

"Don't be so formal with me, Liya. We are family after all. About the evidence, You raised a reasonable point. will take it to heart, don't worry" Empress Lu replied

"Thank you, Imperial mother" Su Liya turned to Baozhai and instructed her to bring in the box of evidence handed to her by Wu Yao. She passed the box to the masked guard that came out of the shadows.

************

3 DAYS LATER, AT THE ICE PRISON.

Prime Minister Shi was relentless in his search for the "truth" every day he sent soldiers to bring Lu Yaozhu for questioning. four soldiers walked in silently and took Lu Yaozhu out. They always brought him back hours later bloody, they wanted to keep him alive as long as possible so some days they dragged Lu Yingjie in place of him.

Madam Lu's heart broke every time her sons were taken away but in the end, there was nothing she could do to stop it. Prime Minister Shi didn't care one bit and neither did the guards, her tears just fell to dead ears. Madam Lu could barely sleep for fear that she might lose a son and just at close to the door.

Today, as usual, the guards came in to bring Lu Yaozhu in. Madam Lu's hand shook as she held on to the cold wall beside her and pushed herself up. Her complexion was dull and her eyes puffy because of all the crying. At this point, she had lost all sense of pride, she didn't feel self-conscious. Madam Lu rushed forward but was held back by Lu Yiling. 

As much as it hurt her to do this, she had no other choice. The guard from the previous day was among the four guards that came in. Lu Yong supported his elder brother up as the guards unlocked the door. He tried to help Lu Yaozhu to the door but Lu Yaozhu slapped his hands away and walked calmly to the door. He was careful not to make his limp show.

The Guards walked in, took hold of his hands and dragged him out. They dragged him back to the interrogation room from yesterday and trapped him in the chair. Prime Minister Shi was seated on a comfortable seat facing him, with both arms folded on his shoulders. 

"You look worse than before, General Lu. Good, this is how I want you to always look. Did you have a pleasant night, General? Are you now ready to talk?"

He did not respond and just looked away. He knew what this sycophant was up to, Chief investigator Mu Yitze must have discredited the evidence submitted by Deputy Sun on grounds of the report being submitted by a criminal under investigation. Since the only evidence, they had on him was discredited.

They wanted to get a confession out of him through any means necessary. Lu Yaozhu didn't want to give them that satisfaction, he decided to prey on Prime Minister Shi's short temper and buy more time for Su Liya to arrive in the capital with the evidence.

Prime Minister Shi didn't mind torturing Lu Yaozhu again, he was all for making him surfer after the amount of money he lost thanks to Lu Yaozhu's actions earlier. He nodded to the guards standing behind Lu Yaozhu, they were under his pay. He had paid them enough to handle this as harshly as possible.

The two guards raised the plank and began to hit Lu Yaozhu, Prime Minister Shi just sat back and watched them silently. He was looking forward to hearing Lu Yaozhu's cries. The door opened with a bang shocking both the Prime Minister and the two guards. They all turned to the door, Chief Investigation Mu walked in with some guards.

"How dare you badge in Chief Investigator Mu when I am carrying out a questioning?" Prime Minister Shi shouted, he stood from the seat and walked to Mu Yitze