"Because Xu Maozhi's divine hound found the tiger tally," the emperor snorted. "He said that Yi Qing's target might very well be the tiger tally. Of course, it's all just his speculation."
Xu Maozhi thought Yi Qing's background was unknown, and there was no way to verify the identity of Baozi. He even suspected that Baozi was Xiao Tian's child. After Xiao Jinghan's death, Xiao Tian colluded with Yi Qing to stage this play in order to seize his inheritance.
Moreover, Yi Qing might be a spy. After all, her past experiences couldn't withstand scrutiny.
No one taught her medicine, yet she suddenly seemed to have an epiphany. Before the age of twelve, she was timid and submissive; after twelve, she showed her brilliance...
The emperor told all these things, and Xiao Tian fell into silence.
Hadn't he himself suspected the part about Yi Qing's background that Xu Maozhi did?
Then later, with just Yi Qing's words "born with knowledge", he believed her completely.
Even now, he still believed!
Because it was Yi Qing who said it. In his eyes, although Yi Qing might be hiding many secrets, she was definitely not a bad person.
"Yi Qing will never be a spy," Xiao Tian looked at the emperor and said firmly.
"What's so definite about it?" the emperor said coldly. "Did she tell you the truth? Aren't you just following her words blindly?"
Xiao Tian was silent for a moment. "Anyway, it can't be her. She wouldn't do something like stealing the tiger tally. Even if, in the worst - case scenario, she really wanted to steal the tiger tally, she would have to get information from me first to know where it was hidden."
"Are you a fool?" the emperor was so angry that he wanted to hit him again. "What kind of spell did Yi Qing cast on you?"
"She knows I like her," Xiao Tian looked at the emperor. "But she has never taken advantage of my feelings."
At most... she just flirted with him verbally.
When it came to matters of great importance, he had absolute confidence in Yi Qing.
"Moreover, Your Majesty, what Xu Maozhi suspected, she also suspected. She also suspected that I had something to do with Xiao Jinghan's death, but in the end, she chose to believe me."
Yi Qing's trust in him and her respect for Xiao Jinghan were far from just empty words.
She said it and she would do it.
"I don't believe it," the emperor snorted again. "It's just your one - sided love. She doesn't trust you that much at all."
"It's enough that I believe," Xiao Tian didn't want to discuss this topic any more. "Since we know it might be a woman, I'll go back and check the maids and servants in the mansion. There should be some clues."
Yi Qing didn't like having too many people in the mansion, so there weren't many servants. The scope of the investigation was greatly reduced.
"Wouldn't it be like alarming the enemy if it's really Yi Qing?" the emperor said seriously during the argument. "Besides, if Xu Maozhi knew I told you, wouldn't he come to pester me every day?"
"Then what do you suggest?" Xiao Tian said in a deep voice.
"To say there's something wrong with you is surely nonsense, but Yi Qing is another matter," the emperor rolled his eyes, looking rather malicious. "I have a good idea to see if Yi Qing is really innocent or just pretending."
"I don't believe you can come up with a good idea. Since childhood, you've never been the one to come up with good strategies in fights."
The emperor blew his beard and glared. "Xiao Tian, what do you mean? Then what was I in charge of?"
"Running fast," Xiao Tian said bluntly.
The emperor slapped the table. "Xiao Tian, are you rebelling?"
Xiao Tian said proudly, "If your idea is to test Yi Qing, then it's unnecessary. First, she won't believe it. Second, I don't want to insult her like this."
"It's too late."
Xiao Tian's eyes suddenly widened. "What do you mean?"
"It means the palace gates have been locked, and you can't go back," the emperor said.
Xiao Tian looked utterly confused. "Weren't we just talking about Yi Qing?"
The emperor pretended to be helpless. "You're as stubborn as a mule. Can I change your mind once you've made a decision? You said you were reluctant to test her, so fine, we won't test her."
Xiao Tian always felt something was off, but he couldn't put his finger on it. He squinted at the emperor, who didn't look guilty at all.
He didn't know that the emperor was clasping his hands tightly under the desk to gather courage so as not to show his guilt.
"Tell Xu Maozhi to show evidence before he speaks," Xiao Tian said. "If he fabricates charges, don't blame me for going to his place to settle the score."
"You're so capable," the emperor said disdainfully. "Don't worry, there will definitely be evidence. Come, since you can't leave tonight anyway, stay and accompany me for the night."
Xiao Tian: "..."
The emperor got up with a grin and came to pull him. "Come on, tonight let's stay up all night and have a great battle of three hundred rounds."
"I don't have time to play chess with you, you lousy player," Xiao Tian said with disgust all over his face. "Isn't it just a matter of your word to open the locked gates? Have someone let me go. If I don't go back soon, Yi Qing will be worried."
He felt that time was passing a bit too fast. The palace gates seemed to be locked earlier than usual today.
But the emperor refused. "Xiao Tian, what are you talking about? Can the palace gates be opened casually? Have you no sense of rules? If I open them today, do you believe that someone will dare to open them for the rebels tomorrow?"
Xiao Tian looked at him suspiciously. "Really not possible?"
Why was the emperor being so serious today?
"Definitely not!" the emperor said righteously.
"Then let me use your secret passage, the one leading to my study."
"That... that won't work either. You'll get lost," the emperor still refused. "I'm just asking you to stay for one night. Haven't we slept together before? Why are you suddenly so loyal to Yi Qing now?"
"...Yi Qing will be worried."
"Can't she just find out that the palace gates are locked with a little inquiry?" the emperor said. "Besides, you're not that important in her heart. Maybe by the time you go back tomorrow, she won't even know you've been out."
Xiao Tian knew he was no match for the emperor in an argument, so he said, "Where will I sleep tonight?"
Seeing that he had compromised, the emperor said, "Go to my imperial bedroom. Let's play chess. You give me three pieces, no, five pieces."
While Xiao Tian was playing chess with the emperor, enduring his poor chess skills, Yi Qing had already arrived at the entrance of the imperial bedroom.
She calmly asked Xiao Dezi, "Can I see the emperor now?"
Xiao Dezi waved his whisk. "The emperor is busy now. Wait outside."
The night was cold. Yi Qing had left in a hurry and hadn't worn thick clothes. Being naturally afraid of the cold, she couldn't help shivering.
The emperor had sent someone to summon her into the palace for questioning, saying that Xiao Tian had been arrested by Xu Maozhi and he had something to ask her.
Although she didn't know what was going on, she still came.
Unexpectedly, she was given a setback as soon as she arrived.
Yi Qing took a deep breath, tried to calm down, put her hands in her sleeves, and quietly thought.
Xiao Tian's arrest was completely unexpected. She suspected that the emperor was playing a prank, but now it didn't seem so?
Xiao Dezi walked through the long courtyard of the imperial bedroom, patted his sleeves under the corridor, and then lifted the curtain and went in.
"Your Majesty, everything is ready."