SFL Chapter 4

The Interrogation of Prisoners is also a branch under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Justice.

The so-called interrogation process is naturally not about sitting face-to-face with the prisoners and discussing concepts of “benevolence, righteousness, courtesy, wisdom, and trust.” Instead, it involves the use of torture.

There are various methods of torture, and consideration must be given to the physical condition of the person being tortured and what kind of torture they can endure. It’s quite a science.

Otherwise, if you start, the prisoner might die, and the executioner would be held responsible.

As soon as Mu Yunfeng entered the prison cell, he smelled a strong smell of blood. Apart from the basic smell of blood, there was also a mixture of the odor of excrement and urine, making one feel nauseous.

The prison cells in the capital were no more luxurious than those in other places.

Each cell was extremely narrow, with only a pile of straw, no beds or bedding. The prisoners could only curl up on the pile of straw, and their painful groans were heard one after another.

Mu Yunfeng raised an eyebrow and asked, “Are these all prisoners?”

“Replying to the Third Prince, some of them are prisoners, while others are not confirmed. Those with evidence have already been subjected to execution, and those who haven’t are those without evidence,” replied the Ministry of Justice’ personnel.

Of course, whether they had been punished or not, life was not easy for any of them, as the prison was not a place for them to enjoy comfort.

“Mobilize more Personnel to handle these minor cases first. If they’ve arrested the wrong person or used the wrong torture method, make sure to provide adequate compensation. If they haven’t arrested the wrong person and can’t get them to talk, remember to send them to me.” Mu Yunfeng said.

What are minor cases? They are not trivial matters like minor disputes but rather cases that the Minister and his personnel can interrogate and judge.

For example, the matter of seizing a household with irrefutable evidence, although it has broad implications, falls within the scope that the Minister can handle.

Major cases are not earth-shattering events that involve wiping out entire families but rather cases involving Imperial relatives and aristocrats that Mu Yunfeng, as the Legitimate prince, can deal with.

The Ministry of Justice and Mu Yunfeng were both committed to cooperation, expediting the process of case trials. At the same time, personnel were dispatched to gather more evidence, and everyone was busy without pause.

While Mu Yunfeng was in charge of the Ministry of Justice, the palace received many invitations from the noblewomen.

Inside the Palace, the Empress was in conversation with Su Qianluo. Upon hearing this, she asked,”What brings them into the palace?”

“Reporting to Your Majesty, it seems they have all come for the Third Prince,” the palace attendant replied.

This statement caught the attention of both the Empress and Su Qianluo. “What’s wrong with the Third Prince?” Su Qianluo asked anxiously. The Empress couldn’t help but glance at her daughter-in-law, feeling somewhat satisfied.

“In that case, let these noblewomen state their business,” the Empress instructed Su Qianluo to sit beside her and then summoned the noblewomen from outside the palace.

Before they even entered the Empress’s palace, there were uncontrollable sobbing sounds, “Your Majesty, please let the Third Prince spare us.” The noblewomen cried, all dressed in plain attire.

Most of the noblewomen who had lost their family members didn’t come, as there was no mercy to beg for. Those who came were mostly noblewomen whose family members’ fates were uncertain. Leading them was the Emperor’s eldest sister, the current Eldest Princess.

Given her status, the Eldest Princess was furious and no longer courteous to the Empress. “Empress, please quickly summon His Majesty to come forward and ensure justice for us,” she demanded.

“Eldest Princess, your words are a bit excessive. Even if you are the Current Eldest Princess, you shouldn’t dictate terms to the Mother of the Empire like this,” Su Qianluo stepped forward and spoke.

“And who are you?” the Eldest Princess sneered, impatient to meet the true person in charge of this Empire.

“She is this Palace’s daughter-in-law, the Third Prince’s consort. May I ask, Eldest Princess, for what purpose would you like me to summon His Majesty?” the Empress asked with a steady voice.

Concerning the Third Prince, she certainly wanted to get a clear picture. Otherwise, when the Emperor arrived later, as the Mother of the Empire, she wouldn’t know what had happened, and that would create quite a mess.

However, the Empress’s words fell on the Eldest Princess’s ears like a spark, igniting the anger in her heart completely. She couldn’t lash out at the Empress due to her status, but could she not lash out at a junior like the Third Prince’s consort?

If Su Qianluo had a different identity, the Eldest Princess might not have minded so much. However, her son was taken to the Ministry of Justice, and she couldn’t get him out. The person in charge of the Ministry is the Third Prince, Mu Yunfeng. Just the thought that her son might suffer physical injuries there made the Eldest Princess’s eyes turn red. The way she looked at Su Qianluo was as if she could devour her.

“Impudent! I’m talking to the Empress. How dare a junior like you interrupt! Guards, give her a slap!” The Eldest Princess said sternly.

Her words shocked the maidservants behind her, who were already in tears. They knew she was the Third Prince’s wife, not an ordinary palace servant. The fact that the Eldest Princess would say something that damaged the royal family’s reputation showed just how desperate and irrational she was.

“From what I see, it’s the Eldest Princess who is being impudent,” the Empress said, her eyes filled with anger. If the Eldest Princess caused trouble today, she wouldn’t remain the Empress anymore.

Now, not to mention that the Eldest Princess was in a hurry to find the Emperor, the Empress directly took Su Qianluo’s hand, raised her foot, and went straight to the front court.

The Empress knew that Mu Yunfeng must have done a lot of things, or else so many maidservants wouldn’t have entered the palace to complain. Thinking of this, she pinched Su Qianluo’s hand hard and whispered, “Cry.”

Su Qianluo understood instantly. By the time she met the Emperor, her eyes were already brimming with tears. Although the Empress didn’t shed tears, there was a sense of sorrow wrapped around her.

“What’s going on with all of you?” The Emperor summoned them.

“Your Majesty, when the Eldest Princess entered the palace just now, she clamored to see you and was disrespectful to me. The Third Prince’s wife only said a few words in my defense, and the Eldest Princess wanted to slap her in front of me. Your Majesty, please make a decision on this matter for the two of us, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law,” the Empress said with a cold expression.

The Emperor’s face darkened momentarily. He knew exactly why the Eldest Princess and those maid servants had come to the palace and why they were in such a bad mood. However, he hadn’t expected the Eldest Princess to be so arrogant. But then again, if the roof was not straight, the pillars would not stand straight either.

The Eldest Princess wasn’t interested in slapping Su Qianluo’s face; she wanted to slap Mu Yunfeng’s face.

Mu Yunfeng is his Imperial son. If his son’s face is slapped, can he, as the father, maintain his dignity?

Just as a mother like the Eldest Princess would vent her anger on others, a father like him would do the same.

The Emperor comforted the Empress for a while and then allowed the Eldest Princess and the others to enter.

Following the lead of the Eldest Princess, the maidservants began to cry and complain one by one.

When they heard that Mu Yunfeng had killed nearly five people in a single day and had their bodies sent back to their families, the Empress, sitting on the side, couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow.

“Your Majesty, please save your nephew quickly. If you delay any longer, he might not come back!” The Eldest Princess tearfully pleaded, fearing that she might lose her son.

The Emperor, seated at the head, remained unmoved. “Sister, you should explain how your son ended up there. I sent Yunfeng to the Ministry of Justice. If there’s no evidence, he wouldn’t dare to arbitrarily arrest and kill people.”

The Eldest Princess’s face turned pale upon hearing this, and her body swayed unsteadily.

Seeing the Emperor’s attitude, the Empress knew that her son hadn’t been caught red-handed. Even though the number of deceased relatives was shocking, it couldn’t shake Mu Yunfeng.

With this in mind, the Empress felt relieved and patted Su Qianluo’s back to comfort her.

“…Your Majesty, your nephew has always been obedient and sensible since he was a child. How could he possibly act out of line? It must be Third Prince who arrested the wrong person,” the Eldest Princess vehemently argued for her son.

“Oh, is my dear sister suggesting that I, as a father, have raised a son who can’t distinguish right from wrong?” the Emperor said coldly.

The Eldest Princess finally realized the Emperor’s stern expression, which felt like a cold shower pouring over her head, instantly extinguishing the anger that had consumed her. Her rationality, dominated by anger, began to return slightly.

After reflecting on what she had just said, beads of sweat appeared on her forehead. She humbly knelt on the ground and submitted, “Your Majesty… I dare not.”

“What about the rest of you? Do you also want to accuse me?” The Emperor’s gaze passed over the Eldest Princess and fell on the maidservants behind her.

At this moment, the maidservants had already stopped crying, and they fell silent.

The Emperor didn’t even give face to his own sister, let alone them.

“You may withdraw for now. We will thoroughly investigate this matter and handle it justly,” the Emperor ordered.

Upon hearing this, including the Eldest Princess, all the kneeling women were stunned.

They had some sense of their relatives’ character and knew they had spoken falsely with their own eyes open.

Now, with the Emperor’s solemn words, the charges against their relatives were far from being settled.

Not only did they fail to rescue them, but they also pushed them further into a desperate situation.

Realizing this, they left the palace in a daze.

After the maidservants had left, the Empress gave Su Qianluo several sets of headwear and accessories to calm her nerves. After Su Qianluo had left, the Queen turned to the Emperor and asked directly, “Your Majesty, what is the truth behind all of this?”

Knowing that her son was innocent, the Empress stood tall.

The Emperor didn’t hide anything and sighed, “The Ministry of Justice handed over those they couldn’t deal with to Yunfeng.”

The Ministry could handle most of the criminals in the realm, but there was that remaining fraction they couldn’t touch.

The Empress, upon hearing this, became furious. “They are using my son as a scapegoat. When has it ever been the case that those at the top blame those below?”

“Yunfeng is the Third Prince. If those below want to use him as a scapegoat, they need Yunfeng’s approval.”

“From what I have learned, Yunfeng has approved all of these matters,” the Emperor said, furrowing his brow.

After he chose his son to work in the Ministry of Justice, he knew there would be trouble, but he didn’t expect it to escalate so much.

“Your Majesty, Yunfeng is doing this for your own good. Those people harmed your subjects. You and I, as the Emperor and Empress, usually reflect on our own actions. It’s those members of the Royal family who have been wielding their power in the commoners’ world for far too long and should have been dealt with a long time ago,” the Empress quickly changed her stance.

Knowing that her son hadn’t wronged anyone out of his own will, she naturally supported him.

“You, aren’t you afraid that your own family members might incur Yunfeng’s wrath?” There were many shady dealings among the in-laws of the Royal family as well.

After thinking for a moment, the Empress said, “I will naturally stand by my son’s side.” Those distant relatives couldn’t compare to the importance of her own flesh and blood, which she had carried for ten months.

The Emperor’s eyes flickered slightly at her words, and he chuckled, “Yes, as parents, we naturally favor our own children.”

Today, if someone else had taken action against members of the Royal family, even if the evidence was clear, he might not have been so resolute. But when it came to his own son, regardless of which one, as a father, he saw no reason to punish his own flesh and blood for the sake of outsiders.

Not to mention that when his son took action to discipline those family members, as an Emperor, he couldn’t help but feel satisfied.

The matters the Ministry of Justice dealt with were not suitable for direct involvement, and Mu Yunfeng was the perfect choice for the job.

However, as a result, there would be no more support from the Royal family members.

He hadn’t expected Mu Yunfeng to choose this path.