Rebirth: The Fourth Lady Wants to Lie Down

The prince walked out of the torture chamber with heavy steps, but he had already planned the next move in his mind. He knew that Yinzhen was upright, but as the crown prince, he had to do his best for the future of the family. So he stepped into Yinzhen's office again and faced this cold-faced fourth brother.

"Fourth brother, I know that what you did this time was all intended by the Emperor. I will naturally not interfere." The prince went straight to the point, revealing a hint of helplessness and compromise in his words.

Yinzhen raised his head, his eyes were like torches, and he looked directly at the Crown Prince, "Your Highness, you are too kind. Yinzhen is just doing his duty."

Upon seeing this, the prince sighed softly, his tone becoming a little more tender, "Fourth brother, although you and I are not from the same mother, we are brothers after all. Soetu is old, and his health is not as good as before. Now he is imprisoned, and the cell is dark and damp. I am afraid he..." Having said this, the prince paused, as if he found it difficult to speak.

"Don't worry, Your Highness. Yinzhen knows what to do." Yinzhen interrupted the prince. Although his tone remained calm, a barely perceptible fluctuation flashed in his eyes.

He looked at the prince and couldn't help but secretly admire his brother for being able to maintain the outward brotherly love under such circumstances.

"I know that my fourth brother is fair and selfless, but Soetu is my uncle after all, and also the elder of my mother's family. I implore my fourth brother to take care of him more for the sake of our brotherhood." The prince continued, his words sincere, as if he was really worried about Soetu's situation.

Yinzhen was silent for a moment after hearing this, and then slowly said: "Your Highness, Yinzhen will handle the case impartially. If Soetu is really innocent, I will naturally not let him suffer any injustice. But if he really did something wrong, then he can only be dealt with according to the law."

The prince felt mixed emotions after hearing Yinzhen's words. He knew that what Soetu had done was serious, and Yinzhen's attitude was expected. But as a prince, he couldn't just sit there and watch the elders of his mother's family fall into despair.

"Fourth brother, you are right. I naturally believe in your fairness." The prince bowed slightly to show his respect for Yinzhen. "But this matter is of great importance. I need to think about it again. Sorry for disturbing you today. We will talk another day."

After saying this, the prince turned around and was about to leave, but then he seemed to remember something and turned back to Yinzhen and said, "Fourth brother, I will always remember the brotherhood between you and me. I hope that after this incident, we can still be like before."

Yinzhen smiled slightly, nodded, and watched the prince leave the Dali Temple with his entourage. Looking at the prince's back, Yinzhen felt complicated. He knew that this battle between power and family affection had just begun.

……

After Yinzhen watched the prince leave, a trace of determination flashed in his deep eyes. He slowly walked into the execution room. His footsteps echoed in the empty room, and each step seemed particularly heavy.

Suo Etu was imprisoned in a dark corner. When he saw Yinzhen coming in, he forced himself to remain calm, straightened his slightly messy robes, raised his head and called out indifferently, "Fourth Prince."

Yinzhen had an expressionless face. He walked straight to a seemingly simple table and sat down. His eyes were as sharp as an eagle's, staring directly at Soetu.

"Suo Etu, this prince has sufficient evidence to prove that you are suspected of accepting bribes and buying and selling official positions. I know what you are worried about, but if you can confess the truth, perhaps you can still win a chance for survival in front of the emperor and avoid implicating the Hesheli clan."

When Soetu heard this, a bitter smile appeared on his lips, and a barely perceptible cunning flashed in his eyes.

"Fourth Prince, I have always acted uprightly and have never done anything against my conscience. The evidence you mentioned is nothing but a false accusation by others."

Yinzhen snorted coldly, but he was not angry, but his eyes became even colder. "If you are so stubborn, don't blame me for being ruthless." He gestured to the official beside him.

Upon seeing this, the official stepped forward and bowed to Yinzhen, saying, "Fourth Prince, this man is stubborn and will not change. We may need to use torture to correct him."

When Suo Etu heard this, his heart tightened. He looked at Yinzhen hastily, and said in a hurried and dissatisfied voice: "Fourth Prince, what do you mean? Do you think Suo Etu is afraid of the pain of the flesh and will frame me at will?"

Yinzhen shook his head, his eyes as sharp as a torch, as if he could see through people's hearts. "Soetu, you misunderstood. I, Yinzhen, never torture people into confessing. But if you insist on not confessing, then I have no choice but to show you these."

After he finished speaking, he waved his hand lightly, and immediately an attendant walked into the execution room holding a thick stack of account books and gently placed them in front of Soetu.

Suo Etu stared at the account book in front of him, feeling mixed emotions. With shaking hands, he flipped through the books one by one. The more he read, the paler his face became. He held the account book tightly with both hands, his fingertips turned white due to the force, and he kept muttering to himself: "This... this is not true... no, this is not what I did..."

Yinzhen quietly observed Suo'etu's changes, and when he calmed down a little, he slowly spoke: "Suo'etu, Li Fengshen has confessed everything. Every transaction and every bribe of yours is clearly recorded in this account book. Do you have anything else to say?"

Suo Etu was struck by lightning when he heard this. He looked up suddenly, but saw Yinzhen's cold and ruthless face. His originally straight back was now completely hunched, and his head drooped deeply, unable to lift it up again. At this moment, he finally understood that everything he had done was powerless to reverse the situation.

Seeing this, Yinzhen sighed slightly and then ordered: "Take Suo Etu to the dungeon and keep him under strict guard. We will make a decision after the emperor returns to Beijing."

As Yinzhen's order was issued, Suo Etu was carried by two sturdy guards and staggered to the depths of the torture chamber. Yinzhen stood there, his eyes deep and complicated, as if he was thinking about the deeper meaning of this power struggle.