The sky was dim and overcast.
Yet Mu Xueshi rose early as usual. Carrying a wooden bucket, he went to the back mountain to draw water. Only when the large barrel was filled to the brim—so full it nearly overflowed—did he finally stop. Setting it aside, he walked to Su Ruhan’s door and knocked.
“Master, wake up and teach me martial arts.”
For a long time there was no reply.
Puzzled, Mu Xueshi bent down and peered through the crack of the door. Before he could clearly make out the interior, a sudden clamor in the distance drew away his attention.
A troop of soldiers in official uniforms was approaching.
Each carried a gleaming blade. Their ranks were orderly, imposing and solemn. When they reached the spot where Mu Xueshi stood, they split into two long lines.
Between those ranks slowly advanced a tall, magnificent horse.
Upon the horse sat a man of striking elegance.
He wore a robe of imperial purple silk. Upon his head rested a crown adorned with multicolored cloud-dragon patterns, and at his waist hung ornaments of gold and jade. Wherever he halted, the very space around him seemed to radiate a breathtaking majesty.
Mu Xueshi looked up at the Third Prince.
His body trembled slightly.
His lips moved, and the name “Xi—” almost slipped out… yet he swallowed it back down.
There was no joyous shout. No tears of reunion.
Instead, Mu Xueshi slowly dropped to his knees before the prince, his expression one of solemn reverence.
His eyes were swollen red.
His head hung low.
His lips pressed tightly together.
The Third Prince gazed silently at the kneeling figure before him. For a long time, his eyes did not move away.
At that moment, a minister beside him dismounted his horse, knelt, and spoke loudly:
“Your Highness the Third Prince, please issue the order to escort Mu Xueshi, son of the Grand Tutor, to the Interrogation Chamber, where His Majesty will personally question him.”
Mu Xueshi stiffened instantly.
It felt as though countless stones had suddenly lodged in his throat, choking him with a painful heaviness.
Why… must the Third Prince be the one to arrest me?
Did he volunteer for this himself?
Before Mu Xueshi could finish the thought, a familiar voice rang beside his ear.
“Escort Mu Xueshi to the Interrogation Chamber.”
It had been five days since he last heard the Third Prince’s voice.
And yet when he heard it again, it was as cold and distant as ever.
Mu Xueshi’s mind went blank.
At some point, shackles had already been clasped around his wrists and ankles. Two soldiers stepped forward to seize him, but suddenly Mu Xueshi felt a surge of irritation.
“I can walk on my own.”
A composure that had never truly belonged to Mu Xueshi now appeared plainly on his face.
Before leaving, he glanced back once at Su Ruhan’s room.
No one came out.
He turned his head forward and walked away.
That casual glance instantly darkened the Third Prince’s expression.
He suddenly recalled Mu Xueshi’s words from the night before. The reins clenched in his hand snapped with a sharp crack.
Mu Xueshi walked at the front of the procession.
Directly behind him rode the Third Prince.
Just yesterday, he had longed desperately to see him. Yet today, Mu Xueshi did not even have the courage to turn around.
Never before had the Third Prince felt so unfamiliar.
So distant that even a single glance made the gulf between them painfully clear.
In the past—and even now—Mu Xueshi was merely the son of a noble household.
Compared to the Third Prince, a royal figure of immeasurable worth, the distance between them was vast.
Thinking of the face he once had, a bitter smile tugged at Mu Xueshi’s lips.
He forced himself to walk steadily, determined not to appear pathetic.
For several nights he had slept poorly. The previous night he had not slept at all. And this morning he had carried countless buckets of water.
After half an hour of walking, his strength began to fail. Waves of dizziness washed over him.
Suddenly he stumbled.
The procession halted.
The Third Prince’s heart tightened sharply.
A soldier beside Mu Xueshi lifted the hilt of his blade as if to strike him forward—but the moment he caught the Third Prince’s gaze, he lowered it in panic.
The Interrogation Chamber was not the dark, icy dungeon Mu Xueshi had imagined.
It was richly decorated.
At the center sat the Emperor, enthroned upon the dragon seat, his face filled with imperial authority. The sight stirred a strange sense of tragic solemnity within Mu Xueshi.
“This commoner Mu Xueshi greets His Majesty.”
Mu Xueshi knelt, calm and composed.
The Emperor showed a trace of surprise.
Not long ago he had heard rumors that Mu Xueshi had turned the Qinyi Courtyard upside down with his antics. Yet looking at him now, he saw none of that recklessness.
Nor did he see the cowardice, foolishness, or childishness the rumors described.
Instead, the young man appeared steady and self-possessed.
“Grand Tutor Mu served the court with integrity,” the Emperor said slowly. “He cared little for wealth or fame, and he and I shared a close friendship. Yet now he has died so mysteriously… how can I not grieve?”
“If it were anyone else, I would not personally involve myself in this case.”
“But it was Grand Tutor Mu… ah…”
Mu Xueshi froze slightly.
He had not expected the Emperor to begin with such lamentation.
Unsure whether he should respond, he bit his lip and remained silent.
The Emperor turned his gaze aside.
“Minister Liu, why is Lu Huan not present?”
“Reporting to Your Majesty,” Minister Liu replied cautiously, “the Second Prince claims he is occupied with urgent affairs and cannot attend the hearing.”
“Heh… urgent affairs?” the Emperor sneered coldly.
His expression turned grave.
Minister Liu hurriedly withdrew.
Now only Mu Xueshi remained kneeling in the vast chamber.
The Third Prince stood beside the Emperor, his expression icy and unreadable.
Earlier, when the prince entered the chamber, the Emperor had cast him a meaningful glance—one filled with deep, irresistible authority.
“Mu Xueshi,” the Emperor said, his voice turning sharp, “not long after the Grand Tutor’s death, members of his manor accused you of being the murderer. The Third Prince personally handled the case at the time, and you signed a confession.”
“Why do you now claim you were wronged?”
“I don’t know,” Mu Xueshi answered bluntly.
A heavy silence fell across the chamber.
Officials exchanged uneasy glances.
Mu Xueshi’s disrespectful reply filled them with apprehension.
Yet Mu Xueshi simply lifted his head and looked directly at the Emperor, showing not the slightest fear—almost as though the words had not come from him at all.
The Emperor frowned, a hint of danger creeping into his tone.
“You mean to say you have no grievance at all, and have merely come here to mock me?”
“No,” Mu Xueshi replied calmly. “This commoner does have a grievance and hopes Your Majesty will grant justice.”
The Emperor’s irritation deepened.
“Then why did you say you do not know?”
Mu Xueshi sighed softly.
“Your Majesty may not know this, but during my imprisonment I fell gravely ill and lost my memory. I remember nothing of the past. Naturally, I cannot know why I signed that confession.”
With those words, the Emperor had no clear outlet for his displeasure.
The chamber grew eerily silent.
Everyone could sense the Emperor’s mood shifting.
Standing beside him, the Third Prince seemed locked in a silent confrontation with the throne.
Yet among them all, Mu Xueshi appeared the calmest.
Under ordinary circumstances, seeing the Emperor would have filled him with excitement—he might have shouted in awe and prostrated himself like an ardent admirer meeting an idol.
But today he had no such interest.
Nor did he care about the danger he faced.
Even if he were to die here today… Mu Xueshi felt it might almost be a relief.
“Bring in all those who were present on the night of the crime,” the Emperor ordered.
At once, Eunuch Li relayed the decree outside.
Soon four figures entered the hall.
All were familiar faces to Mu Xueshi:
• The Grand Tutor’s wife
• Steward Wang
• The lady’s personal maid
• And another man dragged forward…
His face was aged and ugly, his body crippled.
Yet from his clothing it was clear—
This man was Wu Cai.
The moment Mu Xueshi saw him, he started in shock.
His gaze shot instantly toward the Third Prince.
The Third Prince met his eyes without the slightest guilt or hesitation—almost as if deliberately telling him:
Wu Cai had been tortured into this wretched state by his hand.
Pain stabbed through Mu Xueshi’s chest.
In the end, he had still failed to prevent innocent people from being harmed.
If Wu Cai had not helped him—had not allowed him to meet Li Qian—Mu Xueshi would likely still be kneeling here with no path but death.
The Emperor spoke again.
“Wang Zhongbei, as the steward of the Grand Tutor’s manor, you know the household best. I command you to recount in detail everything that happened on the night the Grand Tutor was murdered.”
Steward Wang’s hunched body trembled.
Seeing all eyes fixed upon him, he cleared his throat and spoke cautiously.
“On the evening of the eighth day of the third month, my master attended a banquet hosted by Lord Zhang. Two guards accompanied him. Shortly after the hour of You had passed, my master returned to the manor in a sedan chair, visibly drunk.”
“When I later saw my master’s body… there were already two people inside the room. It was around the hour of Zi.”
Lord Zhang was a high-ranking official.
Since the Emperor was personally presiding over the case, he was also present to listen.
When Steward Wang mentioned his name, Lord Zhang quickly stepped forward and bowed, awaiting the Emperor’s questions.
The Emperor indeed turned to him.
“Lord Zhang, why did you invite Grand Tutor Mu to that banquet? And before he arrived—or after he left—did you notice anything unusual?”
Lord Zhang bowed respectfully.
“Your Majesty, the banquet was to celebrate a great harvest in Pingju County. Some time ago, that region suffered severe drought. I was sent there to provide relief and pray for rain. Grand Tutor Mu assisted me throughout.”
“Others at the banquet included Lord Li, Lord Wei, and Master Zou, the cloth merchant. They can all testify that nothing unusual occurred that day.”
The Emperor nodded.
His gaze swept the chamber before returning to Steward Wang.
“The two guards who accompanied the Grand Tutor—where are they now?”
Steward Wang hurriedly replied:
“They remain in service at the Grand Tutor’s manor. Though they always accompanied him when traveling, they never stayed close by his side.”
Meanwhile, Mu Xueshi listened to the questioning above as though it had nothing to do with him.
To keep from noticing the Third Prince, he began looking around the chamber.
When he turned his head slightly, he saw the Grand Tutor’s wife.
Her belly had grown large with pregnancy.
Mu Xueshi wondered whether kneeling here might cause her harm.
What kind of system is this country running…
She’s heavily pregnant—why won’t they at least give her a seat?
Quietly, Mu Xueshi began calculating when she might give birth.
He wondered whether he would live long enough…
to see this so-called younger brother of his.
Futile Devices Scans 
Leave a comment