Chapter 176

At this moment, an anxious voice came from outside the room: "Sir, it's terrible, Ministry of Justice Vice Minister Hu says he has been ordered to come arrest the culprit of the previous welcome banquet case."

Welcome banquet case?

The few people in the study reacted differently, their expressions varied.

A few months ago, the Crown Prince and Ye Huanhuan returned from the Xuan Yuan Sword Sect; His Majesty specially arranged a welcome banquet for the Crown Prince at the West Suburb Annex, inviting the noble ladies and gentlemen of Xiliang City.

At the welcome banquet, the Crown Prince displayed the Xuan Yue Yinlang gifted by Beast Valley in the Phoenix Pavilion; who would have thought someone would dare to tamper with the Mystic Iron cage holding the wolf, causing the supposedly impregnable Mystic Iron cage to shatter at a blow, and that person even scattered the agitation powder on Ye Qingran that could drive spirit beasts berserk.

Fortunately Ye Qingran had tamed the Xuan Yue Yinlang; no one died, only a few suffered minor injuries. However, the nature of the incident was quite heinous, attracting the Ninth Prince's attention, who ordered a thorough investigation.

Now, have they found the culprit?

Upon hearing this, Ye Yu rose without thinking and led several people to the front hall.

Standing before the front hall doors, Ye Sisi looked at the unfriendly Ministry of Justice officials, her face involuntarily tightening; then she glanced sideways at Ye Huanhuan, who stood with downcast eyes and furrowed brows, and a resolve formed in her heart.

"Sister, don't worry, I'll help you." Ye Sisi stepped forward and took Ye Huanhuan's hand.

Ye Huanhuan looked at her in surprise.

Ye Sisi thought she had shocked her with her words, so she smiled and shook her head, saying, "Sister, we are sisters; now everything is going smoothly for you, you are about to marry into the Eastern Palace, your future is bright. As for me? Having lost the Seventh Prince, I could never marry anyone else. So, sister, I will help you. I want you to be well; leave everything else to me!"

Ye Huanhuan said nothing, but a gleam flashed across her beautiful eyes.

Led by Vice Minister Hu, the Ministry of Justice party numbered five.

This Vice Minister of Justice, famed for his integrity, entered the front hall, merely giving a courteous bow to Ye Yu, whose rank was higher than his, stated his purpose, then his expression hardened, he waved his hand and ordered: "Seize the criminal!"

As his words fell, two vigorous young men stepped out from behind Vice Minister Hu, holding shackles and manacles, and walked toward where Ye Huanhuan stood.

Ye Sisi's pupils contracted slightly, but after a moment's hesitation she stepped forward, blocking Ye Huanhuan's path with a resolute expression, saying, "If you're going to arrest someone, arrest me; my sister is innocent!"

This sudden remark left the two Ministry of Justice youths stunned; they glanced at each other, and one said blankly, "Miss Ye San, we originally came to arrest you. Lin Yue of the Lin family has already confessed—it was you and she who went together to buy the agitation powder and smelting elixir."

What?

Ye Sisi widened her eyes, doubting she had heard wrong.

When the icy, dark manacles closed around her wrists, Ye San of the Ye residence finally realized, turning her head with a look of horrified despair toward her own elder sister behind her.

All trace of her earlier shock was gone, leaving only a face of sorrow and disappointment.

"Sisi, now that things have come to this…"

Words left unspoken.

Ye Sisi felt her breath turn to ice, inch by inch.

"Sister, it turns out you…"

Regarding the welcome banquet incident, when Ye Huanhuan and Lin Yue were scheming, she knew it. Clearly it was the sister and Lin Yue who went together to buy the agitation powder and smelting elixir. Fearful that the matter would be exposed and bring disaster upon her sister, she discreetly helped cover it up, never imagining that in the end she herself was merely the sister's scapegoat!

"Sister, you…" What a ruthless heart, what deep scheming!

As it turns out, you would even scheme against your own younger sister!

Ye Sisi went limp all over, feeling her blood turn icy cold.

The icy manacles and shackles bound her, and her heart surged with boundless fear and despair.

"Father, Mother…" Ye Sisi looked fearfully at her parents, wanting to tell them it wasn't her doing, that she was innocent.

But her father's cold expression stabbed her heart; her mother reminded her with a look to stay silent, reducing all her hopes to ashes bit by bit.

She couldn't utter a single word.

Even if she spoke the truth, no one would believe her.

"Hahaha~"

Ye Sisi, overcome with grief, could not help but laugh loudly to the heavens.

Now she is nothing but a discarded pawn, just like Ye Qingran in the past!

Her heart gradually turned barren as a desert; Ye Sisi's life, as Ye Qingran said, truly is a joke!

Before being taken away by the Ministry of Justice personnel, Ye Sisi cast her final glance upon Ye Qingran.

The welcome banquet case caused no deaths and did not appear particularly heinous; however, it occurred at the West Suburb Annex, which is imperial clan territory, the Emperor's villa.

On imperial clan grounds, committing murder is tantamount to treason!

Therefore, although no one died, the mastermind remains guilty of heinous crimes!

According to the rules, they should be beheaded!

However, the present Emperor, mindful of General Dingyuan's past military merits and pitying his daughter as a victim, issued an oral decree that the disposition of these two criminals, Ye Sisi and Lin Yue, would depend entirely on Ye Qingran's word.

In other words, the lives of Lin Yue and Ye Sisi hang entirely on Ye Qingran's single thought.

In the Heaven Prison, after Ye Huanhuan visited Ye Sisi, she went to Lin Yue's cell.

"Huanhuan, save me!"

Lin Yue, upon seeing Ye Huanhuan, clutched her garment as if grasping a lifeline.

Ye Huanhuan looked at Lin Yue, dressed in prison garb and disheveled hair, and almost failed to recognize her; her gaze fell on the hand Lin Yue had grabbed on her sleeve, and a flash of disgust crossed her eyes.

"Ah Yue, rest assured, we are like sisters; how could I not save you?"

Ye Huanhuan said in a lowered voice.

Hope rose in Lin Yue's eyes.

Lin Yue did not know how Ye Huanhuan had cleared her name; perhaps Ye Huanhuan's methods were superior, perhaps Ye Sisi had stepped forward. But that didn't matter; as long as Ye Huanhuan could help her, she would keep this secret forever in her heart.

"I've heard that if Lady Ye Qingran softens her stance, I'll be fine. My father will go plead with Lady Ye Qingran on my behalf, and you should also speak for me—after all, we are family, she will surely listen to you."

Lin Yue is now truly afraid.

Previously, when she followed Ye Huanhuan in doing those deadly schemes, she felt no fear at all—partly because she was of the noble Lin family, partly because she thought her actions were not wrong. But now, upon hearing she might be beheaded, she finally panicked.

Ye Huanhuan pursed her lips.

Will Ye Qingran listen to her?

"Don't worry. Look at you, all worn out like this—it really makes one's heart ache. Ah Yue, you must grit your teeth and hold on; I will rescue you…"

Lin Yue suddenly felt a pill stuffed into her hand.

"I have a pill here; take it, it will let you maintain abundant strength..." Ye Huanhuan's voice, faint as a mosquito, whispered in her ear.

Lin Yue felt a sudden tension. She knew that in the Heaven Prison, one cannot take such a pill. Nevertheless, she secretly accepted it, and while the guard of the Heaven Prison was inattentive, she swallowed the pill.

……

Ye Residence

The head of the Lin Family, Lin Zhishang, came to visit.

Ye Yu personally came out to greet.

Although Lin Zhishang held no official rank, his status was still higher than that of Ye Yu, the Prime Minister.

The reason is simple: the head of the Lin Family has borne a fine daughter.

Five years ago, the daughter most beloved by Lin Zhishang, who was also the eldest legitimate daughter of the Lin Family, Lin Xueyan, was suddenly taken notice of by a major power from Western Extremity and went to Western Extremity Shengyu to cultivate. Later, Lin Xueyan contacted the Lin Family, and only then did everyone learn that Lin Xueyan had gone to the pinnacle of contending for the deer, the top power in Western Extremity Shengyu!