Detective Ghost Empress

He stared at the man for whom he had done all sorts of dirty dealings and did not know where to even start questioning Ji Yang. He opened his mouth to speak but before he could he saw Ji Yang mouth his sister's name.

' Nan Yan.'

When Zhou Xuaran thought of his sister who was still living at the Ji house, he stopped himself midway. He had already harmed his family by supporting this man, was he going to harm his sister as well? Zhou Xuaran clenched his fingers until his nails were digging into the palm of his hands.

He could not feel the pain as his heart was aching way too much —— if he hadn't helped Ji Yang, this traitor then he would have survived this predicament.

Liu Hui Ying glanced at the man who was half kneeling and half sitting on the ground, she did not sympathise with Zhou Xuaran. After all, this man was the one who knew everything and stayed quiet till the end just so he could earn a puny amount. Even if that meant watching an entire family get executed, he was selfish and greedy. She did not want to help a coward like him.

" Someone bring Minister Zhou to the Yamen, where he will wait until his execution for betraying the royal family," Zhai Tianyu ordered the guards who bowed their heads and walked over to where Zhou Xuaran was kneeling. They ignored the shattered look on his face and caught him by his arms before picking him up from the ground and then dragging him towards the Yamen.

However just as they reached the threshold of the court, Zhou Xuaran snapped out of his daze and screamed while laughing manically, " Ji Yang! You will die a horrible death! You will suffer just as much as I have suffered. Ahaha!"

The sound of his despondent and heartbroken laughter echoed in the court causing everyone to look at Ji Yang with varied expressions. They could see that something was up as they were no fools. Zhou Xuaran was an ambitious man but he was not someone who would be gutsy enough to do something this grand, not unless someone was backing him from behind.

When Ji Yang saw that others were looking at him, he cleared his throat while cursing Zhou Xuaran. If he was going to die then he should die without causing him any trouble what was he doing screaming like such?

" He must be angry that I refused to help him, Your Majesty," Ji Yang offered a flattering smile to Zhai Tianyu as he bowed slightly. " However, I am loyal to the Imperial city and the Imperial family, how can I allow that man to leave scot-free after what he had done."

" Maybe if you showed this much wittiness before then you wouldn't have blamed the wrong person and family," Liu Dong Ming spoke up. His voice was light as a feather as he glanced at Ji Yang but even so, his voice caused the entire court to turn silent and the discussions that were being held were also stopped at once.

Ji Yang stiffened as he turned to look at Liu Dong Ming his eyes shimmering with nervousness. He knew that Liu Dong Ming was not going to let him go now that it was proven that Liu Yu Yan did not do anything wrong. With how protective Liu Dong Ming was towards his family, he would surely skin a layer of his skin.

" Prime Minister Liu… it's just a misunderstanding," Ji Yang tried to play it off with a jolly smile as he turned to look at Liu Dong Ming. " I mean if there was anyone else in my shoes they would have thought the same as well. It was nothing personal."

" You know whether it was personal or not, Prime Minister Ji.

Chapter Explore:

However I will let the matter of your assassination slide for now but I cannot let your family make my nephew suffer for no reason along with my niece who is supposed to be respected as she is the mother of the nation," Liu Dong Ming spoke in a mere whisper but that was enough to make Ji Yang sweat, it was because he knew that the more calm this man was the angrier he was!

Liu Dong Ming took a step closer to Ji Yang before saying coldly, " Ten thousand taels of gold and twenty for Her Highness. You need to pay compensation for the pain and mental trauma you have caused my family's children. Along with that, you need to take care of Liu Yu Yan's treatment as well, after all an innocent person suffered so much because of your 'misunderstanding' Prime Minister Ji.

With how kind and honest you are, you will definitely compensate my children well right?"

" That…" did this man know that they needed three million taels to support the army that they were raising? Ji Yang could not help but question in his head as he looked at Liu Dong Ming. No, it was impossible. The army of assassins that his family was raising was way far from the imperial city, it was impossible for Liu Dong Ming to know anything.

Most probably it was a fluke.

Ji Yang tried to smile but after finding out that he needed to pay more than three million taels as compensation his smile was worse than his crying. He tried to hold Liu Dong Ming back, " Prime Minister Liu, there …there is no need for this right?"

" I said the same thing when you threw Her Majesty to the cold palace," Liu Dong Ming countered with a cold smile on his face. " When you submitted the memorandum for Her Majesty to be locked in the cold palace, I did say that there was no need for it as the crime was not proven, back then you did not listen to a thing I said, Prime Minister Ji. So I think this compensation is very much needed."

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