Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 25 Intimidation

The next day, after Su Qingwan and Lu Zhu had breakfast, Lu Jing was already waiting at the door. He was still wearing the scarlet Jinyiwei official robe, standing tall and graceful, holding an embroidered spring sword, looking majestic and solemn.

Lu Jing greeted her, and Su Qingwan nodded as a greeting, but she was very cold to him. Lu Jing also knew that he stabbed her and almost took her life. If he offended her too much, she would not give him a good face.

He has always been heartless and cold-hearted, and doesn't care about Su Qingwan's indifference.

Su Qingwan was still seriously injured and got into the carriage with the help of Luzhu. The villa was at the deepest part of the alley and was very quiet. Cicadas chirped and occasionally the sound of children reading could be heard.

Lu Jing mounted his horse, and the group headed towards the Jinyiwei Yamen.

Jinyiwei Commander Liu Jiang was recuperating at home due to a relapse of his old injury a month ago. Jinyiwei was led by Lu Jing, who took Su Qingwan all the way to Jinyiwei Prison. As soon as they entered the prison, they heard screams, the faint sound of whips hitting flesh, and the smell of blood.

Luzhu was waiting outside the prison. She wanted to go to prison with Su Qingwan, but was stopped by Li An. Luzhu had no choice because no one except Lu Jing could make the decision among the Jinyiwei.

The dungeon was damp, dark and cold, like hell on earth. Su Qingwan saw several prisoners lying limp on the ground in the cell, with dishevelled hair and blood all over their bodies, looking like they had been tortured.

Soon they reached the deepest part of the dungeon. A man in black was tied to a cross stake. His skin was torn apart by the whip. Even his nightgown could not cover the wounds all over his body. His hair was disheveled. On the walls deep in the dungeon were various torture instruments, such as horse-stopping sticks, clamps, nails, etc. There was also a red-hot iron next to it. Su Qingwan saw that the man in black's chest was burned black.

Su Qingwan was terrified and her face was pale. Lu Jing walked beside her. From the moment she entered the dungeon, it was a test. There were prisoners covered in wounds, torture instruments, and gloomy cells. Ordinary people would feel weak in the knees when seeing the Jinyiwei prison. He remembered that his eldest sister-in-law was a lady from a wealthy family who was raised in seclusion. How could she withstand such intimidation?

"Sister-in-law, don't be afraid, I'm here!" Seeing her thin body trembling slightly, Lu Jing gave her appropriate comfort.

Su Qingwan nodded, pretending to be calm. Her fear was not entirely fake. She had thought a lot along the way. If the Huainan assassins were really captured, how would she deal with it?

She followed Lu Jing to the prisoner who was tied to a wooden stake. There was no intact skin or flesh on his body. Blood had pooled in the low areas, and the whole place was bloody.

Lu Jing stood with his hands behind his back and said calmly, "The person has been brought here. You said she is a remnant of Huainan. Where is the evidence?"

The man raised his head, his red and swollen eyes were full of despair, and his eyes looking at Su Qingwan were full of guilt and pain, "I am guilty, I deserve to die, I... I really can't stand it, these lackeys are too cruel."

Lu Jing narrowed his eyes and remained silent.

The Huainan Death Soldiers, except Chen Feng, never had any contact with Su Qingwan. Su Qingwan gave all the orders to Chen Feng, and no one knew her identity except Chen Feng. She had never seen the Death Soldiers, and as long as Chen Feng was not caught and tortured to identify her, Su Qingwan knew she could escape.

But she also recognized this face; it was the Huainan assassin.

When they were fighting with the Jinyiwei, Su Qingwan was afraid that they would fall into the hands of the Jinyiwei, so she identified everyone.

"I have never seen you. I just went to Nanfeng Tower for dinner. I was accused of being your accomplice by you. I feel really wronged." Su Qingwan said calmly.

The assassin was badly injured and gasped, "We, the assassins from Huainan, have been gathering information in the capital and inciting court officials to exonerate the prince. Although we have been following Chenfeng's orders all these years, we all know that above Chenfeng, there is a master who is hiding in the capital and only Chenfeng can reach him. That night in Nanfeng Tower, I was hiding just opposite the Nanfeng Tower, and I saw you and Chenfeng walk into the private room with my own eyes." Su Qingwan was slightly startled, as it happened suddenly, and she had no time to ask Chenfeng where he had arranged the assassins. What he said was true, some of the assassins from Huainan really couldn't stand the torture and betrayed her.

Lu Jing remained silent, but his eyes did not move away, staring straight at Su Qingwan.

Su Qingwan's heart was beating wildly, but she didn't look panicked at all. "It's ridiculous. I was dining with my maid in the private room and I have never seen a man outside of my family."

The man choked with sobs in pain, "Master, I'm sorry, I'm sorry to the prince, sorry to the prince, I deserve to die, please kill me, kill me, I will go to the underworld to make amends to them, I deserve to die a thousand times!"

He cried desperately, not allowing Su Qingwan to argue and confirm her guilt. Su Qingwan smiled, "It's easy to die after entering the Jinyiwei prison, but don't die so soon, otherwise I will have no way to defend myself."

Su Qingwan took a step forward, her tone cold, "On the night of the incident, you were across from Nanfeng Tower, a hundred steps away across the street. The windows on the fourth floor of Nanfeng Tower facing the street were being repaired, and the entire row of windows were closed. Where did you see me meeting a stranger? Secondly, I am the sister-in-law of the deputy commander next to you. You pointed out that I was the master of the Huainan death squad. Are you pointing out that the Lu family is colluding with the remnants of the Huainan evil?"

The room was full of Jinyiwei, "..."

Even Lu Jing was stunned for a moment. He had never told anyone about Su Qingwan's identity, and no one else knew it. After Su Qingwan pointed out her identity, everyone was shocked.

The man seemed shocked as well and looked up at Lu Jing.

Su Qingwan clenched her hands into fists hidden in her sleeves, and cold sweat broke out on her back. She had already reminded him what she should have said. If this assassin still had a little loyalty, he would know what to say.

"I did have dinner at Nanfeng Tower that night, but for you, a captured assassin, to identify the family of the deputy commander of the Jinyiwei, it is a plot to sow discord. If there is no solid evidence, you are wasting both of our time."

The assassin panicked, "I saw it with my own eyes. Believe me, she is our master. Lu Jing, you promised me that as long as I identify the master, you will let me go."

The dark dungeon was eerie and terrifying, and Su Qingwan even broke out in a little cold sweat on her forehead.

Lu Jing said, "You all insist on your own opinions, and I don't know who to believe. How about I kill you all?"

Su Qingwan didn't expect that he would be so indifferent to human life.

"Third brother, whoever suspects must provide evidence. You can't ask a poor man like me to prove my innocence, right?" Su Qingwan suppressed the panic in her heart and could only bet that the assassins did not have solid evidence.

Lu Jing thought to himself that his sister-in-law had been doing business for many years and was knowledgeable and calm. Even when she was pushed to this point, she could still remain calm.

The assassin suddenly shouted, "I have evidence... the letters between Chen Feng and the master... the letter was written by the master."

Su Qingwan's heart suddenly hung in the air, her panicked heartbeat almost betrayed her fear, and her face was pale. When she was in the southwest, she frequently communicated with Chen Feng. One reason was to know how her sister was doing in the capital, and the other was to grasp the court's movements and collect information about her enemies. Chen Feng was cautious in his work, and letters would either be burned or hidden in secret places so that others would not know.