Liang Xiao looked at Mu Cheng, unsure how to comfort him for a moment.
He finally understood why all seven princes of Da Liang had been sent as hostages to Da Qian.
Why did the Emperor of Da Liang exude such a tragic aura?
Faced with such astonishing news, he neither questioned nor raged, but rather seemed indifferent.
Mu Cheng actually asked with a smile, "These things are no longer important. Liang Xiao, you say that Qin Xun is a double agent?"
Liang Xiao nodded helplessly, "According to Elder Chen and the others, they would have been wiped out if not for Qin Xun, and Qin Xun also provided them with some important intelligence."
Qin Feng said with shame, "This could not possibly be a stratagem to lure the enemy into a trap, as spreading this matter would be even more detrimental to the Huichun Sect. I have wronged Qin Xun!"
"Wasn't he taken into custody and monitored by my Xuanwei? It won't be difficult to verify this!" Mu Cheng smiled.
At night, Liang Xiao returned to the Honglu Temple, utterly bewildered.
Mu Cheng was becoming increasingly abnormal. His mind was perfectly sound, but his mindset was nothing like the Emperor of Da Liang he knew: steady and ambitious.
Facing at least three, and at most seven, instances of his wife's infidelity, he remained so calm?
If none of the seven children were his, the Da Liang throne would fall into the hands of others. At the very least, Su Wanqing's child would have no chance of ascending the throne unless Mu Cheng could live another thirty years to help the child establish himself and contend with his seven imperial brothers, who were in their forties and fifties.
Zhuo Zifang also felt deeply worried.
With his extensive experience, he could not fathom Mu Cheng's thoughts.
Could it be because of the matter he wished to entrust to Liang Xiao?
The next day, Liang Xiao and his entourage departed early for the Sword Tomb.
Mu Cheng, however, convened an emergency court session.
In the great hall, after the officials had finished their reports, Mu Cheng suddenly spoke, "Son-in-law, did your household retainer Qin Xun truly steal the seeds of those three new crops?"
Qin Feng stepped forward and said, "I can confirm it!"
Mu Cheng's face immediately darkened, "These divine treasures might fall into the hands of the Peacock Dynasty and the southern barbarians, allowing our enemies to have enough to eat! Qin Xun should be beheaded immediately. What do the assembled officials think!"
As soon as he finished speaking, the Minister of Justice was the first to step forward in opposition, "Your Majesty, this is a matter of great importance. Arbitrarily executing loyal subjects might lead everyone to fear for their lives!"
Yan Liu sneered, "Qin Fuma, he was your page for several years, how can you turn on him so abruptly?"
Dong Chen also stepped forward in opposition, "Your Majesty, since these new crops have already been promoted in Da Qian, it was only a matter of time before they were leaked. Even if Qin Xun was truly responsible for the leak, his crime does not warrant death, does it?"
Mu Cheng observed the dozens of people who had stepped forward in opposition, his anger surging. He forced out a thin smile, "Then imprisoning him for trial, there should be no problem, right?"
Qin Feng also stepped forward, "Your Majesty, please reconsider! What the esteemed officials say has some merit. I request to speak with Qin Xun alone to first ascertain his motives and see if he confesses."
Even Qin Feng had expressed his stance, so Mu Cheng went with the flow and readily agreed.
In the prison cell, Qin Xun, dressed in prisoner's attire and wearing a cangue, appeared calm.
"The Marquis of Zhenguo has come to visit!"
A low shout from outside caused Qin Xun's expression to change. He looked up.
The prison cell door slowly opened, and Qin Feng and Ye Chengxiu walked in, followed by a group of Xuanwei.
Ye Chengxiu turned to the jailer and said, "You all go outside and keep watch. There are Xuanwei here, so no mistakes will be made!"
The jailer complied meekly. Before leaving, he winked at Qin Xun and nodded slightly, then turned and departed.
Qin Feng and Ye Chengxiu sat before Qin Xun.
Qin Xun merely observed them both, a smile on his face.
"I heard that the Marquis and His Majesty intended to put me to death?"
Qin Feng answered the question with another, "There are no outsiders here. Chen Pin has already truthfully informed the Marquis of Anguo about the matter concerning you and the Chen Changqiu family in the deep mountains."
Upon hearing this, Qin Xun trembled all over, his face filled with indignation, "Then why do you still want to kill me??"
Qin Feng then explained, "His Majesty is testing the reactions of the officials to ascertain the truth of this matter. If I and His Majesty were lenient towards you, it would only make you more suspicious. If you were a core disciple of the Huichun Sect and your faith was unwavering, they would have no fear of you confessing and would try to protect you. Even if they were to abandon you and support a death sentence, I and the Right Prime Minister would step forward to ask His Majesty to reconsider."
Qin Xun felt somewhat better and chuckled dryly, "The Marquis always handles matters with such meticulous caution, just like that Marquis of Anguo!"
"I just cannot understand why you betrayed me and also betrayed the Huichun Sect..." Qin Feng sighed.
Qin Xun then explained, "Over the years of following the Marquis, I have been influenced by what I saw and heard. It was the Marquis who made me understand the meaning of being human. The core disciples of the Huichun Sect are forced to consume the flesh and blood of their loved ones, followed by brainwashing. Those who disobey are sacrificed. But years ago, they killed my old mother without my consent and then forced me to drink her blood! Filled with regret, I pretended to be loyal and drank the blood mixed with my mother's shredded flesh, only wishing to deliver a fatal blow one day..."
"Why did they force the core disciples to drink the blood of their relatives?" Qin Feng frowned.
"I am not sure. The Sect Leader and the Popes only say that it is the will of the Huichun Sect's heavenly gods. Only by severing ties with their past blood relations and becoming heartless are they qualified to join the sect, make new companions, and start families anew. They seem to be raising gu worms, selecting core disciples who cannot retain any trace of conscience. Those selected core disciples, while appearing normal on the surface, are in fact incredibly insane and would even dare to perish together..." Qin Xun replied.
Qin Feng and Ye Chengxiu couldn't help but gasp, "Such a heretical cult indeed, it must be eradicated!!"
Qin Xun also reminded them, "I deserve to die for harming my old mother, but my prolonged delay in harming the Marquis's family has already aroused Yan Liu's suspicions. Forced by the circumstances, I overheard the Marquis mention that the new crops had been promoted in Da Qian and would not remain secret forever. So, I took it upon myself to take this opportunity to regain their trust while they were still unaware of the intricacies."
"I originally intended to confess to the Marquis, but I was afraid of acting rashly and alerting them. I was also afraid that the Marquis would doubt and distance himself from me, a follower of the Huichun Sect. If they discovered I was no longer useful, they would send a new spy to approach the Marquis's family. In that case, I would have to lurk secretly for years, waiting for an opportunity to strike at the Marquis's family. Regardless, at the very least, I wanted to make the Marquis wary and no longer trust others so easily..." Qin Xun sighed helplessly at the end.
Qin Feng suddenly realized, "I am ashamed..."
"The Marquis need not blame himself. In these past few years, by betraying the Huichun Sect and causing them considerable trouble, I am already content," Qin Xun comforted him.
"Then what are your plans moving forward?" Qin Feng asked.
Qin Xun replied solemnly, "After my mother's death, in this world, only the Marquis truly treated the page Qin Xun as a person, even as family. Everything is at the Marquis's disposal!"
While the court session was underway, Liang Xiao and his entourage removed their carriage's insignia and discreetly arrived at the Sword Tomb.
Liang Xiao inquired with the tomb keeper and confirmed that Sword Master would definitely come today, sighing with relief.
In the vast sea of people, searching for someone in a foreign land was akin to finding a needle in a haystack. He could not linger in Da Liang for too long.
Just as Zhuo Zifang was conversing with Liang Xiao, Liang Xiao suddenly heard Yue Wenxin's voice from afar. He immediately led everyone to a tall building in the distance to take cover and instructed the tomb keepers, "Do not mention that I was here."
The group followed Liang Xiao up the tall building to observe. They saw Yue Wenxin and Yue Hongxiu, carrying baskets filled with offerings, enter the Sword Tomb.
The moment she entered the Sword Tomb, Yue Hongxiu finally removed her veil, revealing her true face.