Rebirth of the High Family's Beloved

Then Yang Zhao pointed at the wall full of torture instruments and said, "Change it."

Hu Li, who took over the interrogation from the eunuch, bowed his head and said, "Yes, Master."

Hu Li was a thin man with a pair of bright eyes. He walked to the wall of torture instruments and took down a lightweight row of bamboo boards.

"Take it with you."

He handed the bamboo splint to the eunuch who was torturing the palace maid, and the eunuch took the palace maid off the tiger bench and made her kneel on the ground.

The legs that had been lifted up and were almost broken were pressed down suddenly, and there was a sound of cracking and bones breaking.

The palace maid's face was pale, with beads of sweat oozing from her forehead. The pain in her legs made her dizzy. She closed her eyes and relaxed for a while before opening them again.

Seeing the splint being brought towards her finger, she tried with all her strength to refuse.

But she was being held down by two young and strong eunuchs, so she couldn't move at all. She could only watch as her ten fingers were put in splints.

She was in so much pain from the torture on her legs that she couldn't even scream. But when she saw Yang Zhao sitting on the chair, she still trembled her lips to defend herself.

"This servant... This servant did not... did not harm the Crown Princess."

That one sentence seemed to have used up her last bit of strength. She was breathing rapidly and her hands were shaking.

Yang Zhao smiled kindly, twisting the jade ring on his thumb and said, "Oh? Really? But we did find poison in the hot soup you served. Do you have an explanation for this?"

The maid's eyes widened suddenly as if she had just regained consciousness. "Impossible, I didn't do anything. That bowl of hot soup... the hot soup was brought from the imperial kitchen by me. I didn't... didn't touch it."

Yang Zhao was still patient today and was willing to talk to her a few more words, "You know, I never look at evidence, let alone your one-sided story. I only want to hear what I like to hear."

As soon as Yang Zhao finished speaking, Hu Li waved his hand, and the eunuchs who were torturing him received the order and pulled hard on both sides.

The bamboo splint was tightened, gradually getting close to the palace maid's ten fingers, and then continued to tighten, causing the finger joints to become red and painful.

"Ah!" The palace maid's twisted spasms and the pain of being unable to escape were manifested on her face.

Her fingers are connected to her heart, and the pain at this moment is twice as painful as the tiger bench just now. Moreover, her legs are already broken, and if she is pinched again, her hands will also be broken.

"I know I was wrong!"

In the end, she couldn't help but speak. No matter whether it was true or false, she had to confess.

Hu Li nodded, feeling relieved. He was also afraid that even if he used torture, he would not be able to get anything out of the interrogation. His master would not be more lenient with him than the eunuch who had just interrogated him.

"Tell me, what's wrong? Who instructed you to do this?"

The maid took a deep breath and said, "My fault was that I listened to others. That person asked me to deliver this bowl of hot soup to the Crown Princess's table, saying that this bowl of hot soup was for the Crown Princess to help her with her pregnancy. I just did what he said. Forgive me, eunuch. I didn't know anything about it!"

Yang Zhao listened, secretly wondering whether the palace maid's words were true or false.

Seeing that his master did not question him, Hu Li continued to ask questions on behalf of Yang Zhao.

"Who asked you to deliver the soup?"

The maid shook her head and swallowed hard, "I don't know her, but I heard a maid call her Aunt Yinlu."

Yang Zhao's eyes instantly became as cold as an arrow, capable of shooting a person through if he wasn't careful.

He leaned forward slightly, staring at the fearful expression on the maid's face, "Did you really hear someone call her Yinlu?"

The maid nodded without hesitation, "I heard it."

Yang Zhao suddenly laughed, "Okay, very good."

He seemed very satisfied with the answer and did not allow anyone to continue the torture.

After a while he stood up, picked up the whip on the table, and prepared to leave.

He paused for a moment as he passed by the kneeling palace maid, and said condescendingly: "Since you have confessed so obediently, I will give you a quick death."

His red lips were like those of a demon that devoured human flesh and blood; with a single move of his lips, he had already sentenced someone to death, yet he still regarded such a judgment as a reward.

After saying this, Yang Zhao walked out of the cell briskly, while Hu Li stayed behind to clean up the mess.

The palace maid had thought of such an outcome, but when she heard it with her own ears, she was so frightened that her breath stopped and she begged for mercy: "Eunuch, please spare me, please spare me!"

Yang Zhao had already walked several meters away, and the palace maid's cry for mercy could still be heard by him, but he looked indifferent, with a smile on his lips, as if he had turned a deaf ear to it.

The cry for mercy only lasted two or three times before it suddenly stopped. A dull sound was heard, and then there was no sound.

There was no sound in the entire prison cell.

Hu Li looked at the palace maid who had fallen to the ground and had no breath, and ordered the eunuch next to him: "Dispose of the body and clean the cell. Maybe in a few days, a new person will come."

After leaving the dark inner prison, Yang Zhao went straight back to Mingyi Palace to report the situation to Emperor Tianqing.

Because it was the New Year holiday, not only could all officials have a seven-day break, but Emperor Tianqing also did not have to attend court.

Throughout the whole year, only the first few days of the new year could he relax a little. If there was no important matter, he could temporarily stop attending to government affairs and review memorials. This was a rare relaxation for him.

Everyone envied the emperor, who was second only to the emperor and had three thousand beauties in his harem.

But only those who have become emperors know that being an emperor is not as good as one imagines.

Not only do they work hard every day and sleepless nights, but any slackness will lead to impeachment by the censors. The so-called second to none and above ten thousand people can still be driven crazy by a few words from a group of censors.

Not to mention the three thousand beauties in the harem. There were indeed three thousand beauties, but he only favored a few of them in his entire life. If there were more, he would be considered indulging in women.

Although being an emperor is good, there are many restrictions. His entire life has been dedicated to the country since he ascended the throne.

Emperor Tianqing cherishes this rare leisure time very much. Putting aside the unexpected incident at the palace banquet on New Year's Eve yesterday, he now plays with the birds and feeds the fish, feeling relaxed and happy.

When Yang Zhao walked into Mingyi Palace, he saw Emperor Tianqing standing in front of the window teasing the talkative mynah bird.

As soon as the mynah bird saw Yang Zhao come in, it swallowed the bird food that Emperor Tianqing had just fed it, and started talking chatteringly.

"I'm coming!"

Emperor Tianqing smiled and said, "Who's coming?"

Yang Zhao walked up behind Emperor Tianqing with a smile and bowed, "Your servant greets your majesty."

Emperor Tianqing didn't look back and gave the mynah bird another mouthful of bird food. "Oh, it turns out that Chief Steward Yang is here."

Yang Zhao felt a little embarrassed when Emperor Tianqing called him this. He could hear the unhappiness in Emperor Tianqing's tone at being disturbed.

But even if Emperor Tianqing was unhappy, he had to inform His Majesty of the results of the interrogation, and then let His Majesty vent his anger on him after hearing the results.

This is his duty as a eunuch. While enjoying the rain and dew, he must also endure the thunder.