Chapter 117: Chapter 116: Mrs. Pei Comes to Extort Money!
"I really don’t know anything!" The Messenger Netherworld Envoy was suspended in the air, his body covered with whip marks, wailing in pain, "When Messengers meet, they all wear masks. We strictly adhere to the rules, and no one can see each other’s true face. We must always maintain a sense of mystery, so I have never seen their true faces. I’m really not lying!"
"All these years, and you’ve never seen a single one?"
"No, really not!"
"Continue the beating!"
Slap slap slap!
The sound of whipping and screams echoed endlessly in the interrogation room, filling the ears.
"Prince, everyone who should be interrogated has been interrogated. The mastermind behind establishing the ’Netherworld’ is indeed a meticulous person. Even the seven Messengers don’t know each other’s identities, each performing their duties with high loyalty to the King Yan," Mu Hongxuan reported respectfully as he walked out of the interrogation room.
"And those who donated incense?"
"Two of them are from Shangjing, namely the registrar of the Ministry of War and the archivist of the Ministry of Rites. They went to the Black Market for the sake of rising in official ranks and making fortunes, and they each donated eight thousand taels of silver."
"They are only of the seventh rank, yet each can donate eight thousand taels of silver? Go and investigate them thoroughly!"
"Yes, sir!"
"As for the others, most of them are wealthy merchants scattered across various regions, seeking fortune, revenge, or indulging in plundering, all sorts of people!"
"All of them are nurturing evil forces; punish them all, let them learn a lesson before letting them go!"
"Yes, Prince!"
When the interrogation was nearly complete, Xie Jiuxiao stood up and casually asked, "Why haven’t I seen the Princess these few days? Is she so busy during the day?"
Mu Hongxuan was surprised, "Prince, don’t you know? The Princess’s temple has been completed. She’s been personally supervising it these past few days. Today is the day for unveiling the statue, so she must go personally."
"What? Why did no one tell me about this?" Xie Jiuxiao’s tone was icy.
"Uh, I thought the Prince knew," Mu Hongxuan touched his nose, looking innocent.
"Prepare a horse for me!"
"Yes, Prince!"
——
Outside the city, King Yan Temple!
A small courtyard with only a main hall houses the realistic statue of Yu Nianzhao. In front of it are two incense burners, with sandalwood incense filling the air.
"The temple is completed, congratulations Princess, best wishes Princess!"
Dongfang Chenyuan, admiring the impressive temple, said with a smile, "I just wonder why the Princess named this temple ’King Yan Temple’ when it doesn’t enshrine King Yan."
"Do I look like King Yan!"
Yu Nianzhao squinted slightly and retorted.
"Uh... not really," Dongfang Chenyuan touched his nose, "The Princess is so beautiful, how could you look like King Yan? Besides, isn’t King Yan supposed to be a man?"
"Tsk, that’s a stereotype! Have you been to the Netherworld?"
"Never been..."
"Then how do you know whether the King Yan in the Netherworld is male or female?"
"Has the Princess been there?"
"I’ve been there, and I’m very familiar with it," Yu Nianzhao said mysteriously.
"Really?" Dongfang Chenyuan was skeptical.
Just as he wanted to say more, noises came from outside.
"What’s happening outside?"
"Today’s the first opening of the King Yan Temple. I’ve already sent invitations out with Zhixi, it should be the worshipers arriving."
Yu Nianzhao’s little face was flushed with excitement. Walking among people drains her vitality, and solely relying on Xie Jiuxiao’s Evil Qi isn’t a solution. Now, with incense offerings, her powers would only grow stronger.
Yu Nianzhao personally went to the entrance to greet the guests, only to see a group of people overwhelmingly surrounding her small temple.
"Yu Nianzhao!"
A cold voice spat out, and Mrs. Pei was escorted to her front, accompanied by Pei Yunzhi, who had just been released from the imperial prison. Terrified when she first entered, she managed to get out and still bore resentment towards Yu Nianzhao, her gaze filled with deep grievance.
"Oh, did the wind blow you all here?" Yu Nianzhao raised an eyebrow and lazily said, glancing at the burly men, "What? Here to add incense to my temple?"
"Huh, wishful thinking!"
Mrs. Pei snorted coldly, looking at her with disgust. "I heard rumors you built a temple outside the city and thought it was a mistake, but you really did build one. Where did you get the money? Did Prince Su build it for you?"
"None of your damn business!" Yu Nianzhao stretched lazily, sneering.
"Yu Nianzhao, what kind of attitude is this? Regardless, I’m still your elder. When an elder asks questions, you answer!" Mrs. Pei tapped her cane on the ground unhappily, "You even got Yunzhi stuck in the imperial prison for two nights. How can you do such a heartless thing to your sister?"
"Mrs. Pei, have you gone deaf, or is it dementia? Who was it in the Pei Family asking me to break family ties? Now you’ve grown a thick skin and claim to be my elder?" Yu Nianzhao sneered disdainfully, "Your face is as thick as a city wall."
"Outrageous, truly outrageous!"
Mrs. Pei’s chest heaved violently, her face flushed with anger.
"Grandmother, calm down. Our main purpose here isn’t about this," Pei Yunzhi coaxed, anxiously reminding her by her ear.
Mrs. Pei took a deep breath and, gritting her teeth, said, "Right, we’re here this time for the Black Market issue."
"Wasn’t it explained clearly enough by Mr. Zhao in the imperial prison?"
"It’s all because of you," Mrs. Pei lamented, "If it weren’t for you causing trouble in the Black Market, making the ’Netherworld’ run away, would we have spent so much money in vain? That’s twenty thousand taels! The imperial prison shows no intention of helping us get the money back, so we have to find you for a reckoning. After you severed ties with the Pei Family, you’re just an orphan; where did you get the money to build a temple? Did Prince Su embezzle money while governing the imperial prison? And what about our money in the Black Market? You need to compensate us!"
Dongfang Chenyuan was stunned, "Is this old lady mad for money? She doesn’t mention her own misdeeds, but after being scammed, she wants to confront the Princess?"
Zhixi spat disdainfully, "Pah, how can this family have such thick skin?"
Yu Nianzhao said, "Did you give that twenty thousand taels of silver to me?"
"No, but..."
"You donated your money to the ’Netherworld’ King Yan, they ran away, go ask them for it!"
"If you hadn’t taken my place, maybe my silver wouldn’t have been wasted, and I could still regain my status as Princely Heir," Pei Yunzhi said tearfully. "That twenty thousand taels is several years’ expenses for the Pei Family. It hasn’t been disclosed to father yet. If he finds out, both grandmother and I will be blamed."