In truth, by this point, even Song Chaoyu could no longer discern whether the Emperor's words were spoken from genuine sincerity or were merely a facade for temporary peace.
However, this was a message she would definitely convey to Mu Changxi.
—
When Song Chaoyu returned to the Chang Prince's manor, news from the palace arrived once more.
It was said that the Emperor had personally visited Consort Li's current residence, intending to dine with her. However, Consort Li, citing "discomfort," had not even allowed the Emperor to enter her palace gates!
Just as everyone expected the Emperor to be furious, he returned to his own chambers with a cheerful demeanor.
Then, he ordered his belongings to be packed, declaring that from that day forward, he would reside in that small palace courtyard together with Consort Li!
This silenced all those in the palace who had been eager to see Consort Li embarrassed, or who had expected the Emperor to punish her.
No one had anticipated that His Majesty the Emperor would behave in such a manner towards a mere consort!
But for Song Chaoyu, perhaps this was also a rare moment for the Emperor to reveal his true feelings?
Even Mu Changxi, upon hearing this, expressed a degree of surprise: "I never imagined that Father Emperor cared so deeply for Mother Consort."
Song Chaoyu stepped forward, took Mu Changxi's hand, and leaned her head against his shoulder, sighing, "I’m starting to miss Xiao Taozi and Xiao Houzi. When can we bring them back?"
Mu Changxi naturally reached out and stroked Song Chaoyu's hair, "Before you returned, Father Emperor's decree also arrived. It stated... that Mu Hansu is to be handed over to me for handling."
He pulled Song Chaoyu to her feet and gently smoothed his robes, "Come, let's go see him."
Yes, it was indeed time to see Mu Hansu.
—
Mu Hansu was currently imprisoned in the celestial prison.
As far as Song Chaoyu knew, his conditions were not that dire.
He had his own people within the celestial prison, and moreover, he was still a Prince of Ning. The Emperor's stance was not entirely clear, so no one dared to truly make things difficult for him.
However, when Mu Changxi stood before the celestial prison holding the Emperor's decree, Song Chaoyu distinctly saw a flicker of panic in the eyes of the prison captain.
Mu Changxi also noticed this, signaling Xiao Ruizhi behind him to lead their men into the celestial prison first, then loudly declared, "From this moment on, everyone within the celestial prison, including the guards, is forbidden to move rashly. If anyone resists, do not blame this Prince for showing no mercy!"
With that, he led Song Chaoyu and strode into the celestial prison.
At the same time, the captain followed behind them, wiping sweat from his brow incessantly, appearing guilty.
The celestial prison was where the court confined those who had committed heinous crimes, and it was certainly not a place of kindness.
The celestial prison was located underground behind the palace city, surrounded by the strictest guards, with an elite contingent of the Imperial Guard stationed at the entrance.
The captain was named "Ma Niu," and he had always been feared for his "ruthlessness." Even when children in the capital occasionally cried at night, their parents would threaten them, saying that if they continued to cry, Ma Niu would come and capture them.
Yet, seeing Ma Niu following behind them with a guilty demeanor, Song Chaoyu felt that the rumors in the capital might not be entirely true.
Upon entering the celestial prison gates, Ma Niu even personally held up a torch for the two of them, illuminating the path ahead: "Your Highness, Your Highness Consort, please watch your step. These stairs wind downwards and are quite steep."
Song Chaoyu even felt that his attitude was somewhat obsequious.
Mu Changxi clearly did not favor this Ma Niu and got straight to the point: "I hear that you had a good relationship with Mu Hansu in the past. It is a great grace of the Emperor that you were not implicated in Mu Hansu's rebellion. You should engrave the Emperor's benevolence firmly in your heart."
"Yes!"
Ma Niu naturally understood that this was both a reminder and a warning, and he nodded repeatedly in agreement, "Please rest assured, Your Highness. This subordinate will absolutely not fail the Emperor's grace or the court's trust."
Mu Hansu nodded and, as if in casual conversation, said, "I heard that when he was still the Prince of Ning, you helped him capture many people and imprison them in the celestial prison. Are there not some old cases that should be brought out and re-examined?"
Song Chaoyu had already begun to doubt how many of the people captured by Mu Hansu were truly guilty.
Ma Niu, while bowing and leading the way ahead, nodded busily, "Yes, yes, yes. The celestial prison has been busy lately, and this subordinate has overlooked this. Please rest assured, Your Highness, this subordinate will immediately have people re-examine those cases from the past, and we will certainly not wrong any good person!"
It seemed he understood as well.
As they descended, Song Chaoyu felt a chilling aura emanating from ahead.
The climate in the capital was actually quite dry, but the further they went down into the prison, the more a damp, moldy feeling permeated the air.
Song Chaoyu lightly covered her nose with a handkerchief, and Ma Niu quickly explained, "The celestial prison is a place for interrogating prisoners. There are several water cells below, so it is naturally damp, and the smell is a bit unpleasant. Perhaps, I could have that traitor brought up for interrogation? There would be no need for Your Highness and Your Highness Consort to go down yourselves."
"No need."
Did Mu Changxi not know his intentions?
He cast a cold glance at Ma Niu and then said, "You might as well tell me directly, is that traitor Mu Hansu living comfortably in the celestial prison?"
Seeing that they were about to reach the bottom of the stairs, Ma Niu understood that many things could no longer be concealed.
Clearly, Mu Changxi and Song Chaoyu had come prepared today. Ma Niu could only lower his head and sigh, "This subordinate believed... that the Emperor had not yet decided to punish this person. Although this person rebelled, he is, after all, a member of the imperial family. Therefore, this subordinate dared not act presumptuously and naturally served him with good food and drink. Now that Your Highness is in charge of this matter, whatever Your Highness says will be followed. This subordinate will absolutely obey and will never allow this traitor to live comfortably in prison!"
He was considered clever, knowing that he could not say anything else at this moment.
Mu Changxi ignored him, stopping at the bottom of the celestial prison. Seeing that everyone had been controlled by the guards they brought, he nodded slightly, "Where is Mu Hansu imprisoned?"
Ma Niu pointed to the end of the dark, long passage, "In the innermost cell. To prevent any accidents that might disrupt the Emperor's plan, this subordinate has him imprisoned alone."
Song Chaoyu raised an eyebrow slightly and let out a scoff, "Still giving him his own room? It seems he truly has been living quite well in this celestial prison."
A thin layer of sweat broke out on Ma Niu's forehead again.
Mu Changxi continued walking down the dark path, "I smell the aroma of food, and it seems to carry the scent of Nanzhou tribute shrimp? Ma Niu, are the provisions in your celestial prison this extravagant?"
Someone of Ma Niu's status naturally could not afford that. For whom the Nanzhou tribute shrimp was prepared was self-evident!