Chapter 229: Locked into Heaven Prison

The Donglin Emperor knit his brows, looking troubled for a moment.

Ye Qingran is, after all, the martyr's descendant, and the late emperor had specifically ordered that she be given extra care.

Moreover, he does not believe that this incident was not caused by Ye Qingran.

However, the current evidence indeed all points to Ye Qingran.

Finally, he looked at Ye Qingran, waved his hand and said, "Guards, temporarily imprison Ye Qingran in the Heaven Prison."

Upon hearing that, Ye Huanhuan and Zhao Yan exchanged a smile from a hidden angle, a flash of sharp light passing through each other's eyes.

Ye Qingran, you finally fell into a trap!

The guards stepped forward, but Ye Qingran lifted her palm and shouted clearly, "Hold on!"

"Ye Qingran, what more do you want to argue?" Meng Qian asked in a deep voice.

"You are about to throw me into the Heaven Prison, yet you won't let me make a few arguments for myself?"

Meng Yuan's gaze was icy, unwilling to hear Ye Qingran speak another word. Yet the Donglin Emperor opened his golden mouth, "Ye Qingran, say whatever you have."

Ye Qingran looked at Meng Yuan and asked, "Grand General Meng, you keep saying that Meng Yao was killed by me; then may I ask, what is my motive for murder?"

Meng Yuan could not answer, and Meng Qian took over, grinding her teeth, "I already said it: you killed my sister because of me; you took your hatred toward me and exacted revenge on my sister!" As she spoke, deep remorse flashed in Meng Qian's eyes.

If she and Ye Qingran had no feud, would her sister not have needed to die?

"Miss Meng, don't you think your answer is too casual? Summer Venerable Envoy, what do you think?"

The Summer Venerable Envoy of the Xuanjing Department, a case‑investigation expert, shook his head at Meng Qian's reply, "Miss Ye is right; such a motive for murder is far too perfunctory."

Meng Qian stiffened.

Ye Qingran added, "Furthermore, you keep calling me vicious. So, Miss Meng, let me ask you: on the Xuanwu Platform that day, you were defeated by me. According to the agreement, you should be one‑armed today, yet both of your arms are fine. Is my viciousness insufficient?"

Meng Qian could not answer at that moment.

Zhao Yan's eyes flashed, and she shouted, "Who knows whether all this was arranged by you? You deliberately agreed to duel Meng Qian, lost, then spared her. I suspect you are confusing the facts and covering your tracks, aiming to preserve a good reputation so that you can defend yourself when the truth comes out!"

Everyone, upon hearing this, couldn't help but nod, finding it very reasonable.

Ye Qingran nodded, with a half‑smile, and said, "Miss Zhao, your analysis is excellent; could it be that you often do such things yourself?"

Zhao Yan's expression changed.

"Speaking of the duel, Miss Meng, if you had listened to me and clarified the matter back then, wouldn't there have been no subsequent duel?"

Meng Qian frowned, "What do you mean?"

"You keep saying that I, because of the Dingyuan Army's new leader issue, took out my anger on Zhou Meng and, in a fit of rage, crippled his arm, right? Conveniently, Commander Li is present today; why not ask him what actually happened that day?"

With those words, Ye Huanhuan's complexion changed instantly. She hadn't expected Ye Qingran to bring up the incident at the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion at this moment.

Meng Qian was startled.

Isn't it simply that Ye Qingran took out her anger on Zhou Meng and severed his arm? Could there be hidden circumstances?

Although Li Qing is only a minor commander, his status as a former Dingyuan Army commander grants him great honor, making him eligible to attend tonight's palace banquet.

"Commander Li!" the Donglin Emperor called, and Li Qing stepped forward, saluted the Donglin Emperor, then stared at Ye Qingran.

"Commander Li, please tell Miss Meng why I crippled Zhou Meng's arm that day."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Li Qing recounted the whole chain of events from that day.

Meng Qian was astonished after listening.

"Is what you said true?"

Li Qing explained that Ye Qingran crippled Zhou Meng's arm because the two had made a bet and Zhou Meng lost. What surprised her even more was that Ye Qingran, at the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, in front of those former soldiers, bluntly declared that the Dingyuan Army was already a thing of the past and that she could never become its commander in the future!

Is this true?

Why does it differ from what she heard from Ye Huanhuan and Zhou Meng?

Ye Qingran lifted the corner of her mouth, "Miss Meng, hearing both sides brings clarity, hearing only one brings darkness; you must know this principle, right? In the future, don't trust those around you so much, for they may be like a poisonous snake that could bite you back at any moment!"

She was implying something.

Meng Qian raised her eyelids and looked at Ye Huanhuan, whose back was stiff beside her.

Ye Huanhuan, did you deceive her?

"Qian Qian, I didn't deceive you; it was Zhou Meng, it was he…"

In her haste, Ye Huanhuan tossed the pot at Zhou Meng. Since Zhou Meng wasn't present today, whatever she said would have no one to refute.

At this moment, Zhao Shi stepped forward to speak for Ye Huanhuan, "Miss Meng, we Huanhuan have always been sincere; we could never do something deceitful. It must be because of Zhou Meng…"

Ye Qingran wanted to laugh.

If Zhou Meng were present, he would probably die of anger.

Meng Qian's mind was now a chaotic mess, like glue. She no longer had the energy to question Ye Huanhuan about why she was deceived, nor the energy to verify the truth of Ye Huanhuan's words.

The truth of this matter overturned her understanding, causing her to doubt everything she had firmly believed.

"Alright, let's discuss those clues again," Ye Qingran said calmly. "First, I've already explained that the Jade Pendant has been lost for many years; that you found it was something I never expected. As for the second, I indeed went to the East Suburb because I raised a group of subordinates there, and I went to train them."

Ye Qingran trained her subordinates?

Many people scoffed at this.

Who doesn't know that Ye Qingran is a cultivation‑incapable waste? How could she train her subordinates?

Mu Qingrou stepped forward then, sneering, "Ye Qingran, can you find a decent excuse? It's fine that you raised a group of subordinates in the East Suburb, but you claim you went to train your own subordinates—who would believe that?"

"Exactly, just because you know a bit of martial force, you think you're important? In front of true cultivators, you're nothing! As a waste like you, what right do you have to train subordinates?"

…

Meng Qian clearly didn't believe it either.

Although Ye Qingran defeated her on the Xuanwu Platform, it does not change the fact that she is a waste.

Amid the murmurs of doubt, the elderly Prince of the Ling Kingdom Mansion slowly rose.