Commander Xin looked around sencing piercing gaze at him only to see all his superiors giving him deadly glars. He felt really confused of their behavior but then a realisation hit him. He had a urge to dig a hole and bury himself in to escape their rage. Feeling a cold sweat running down his spine he some how managed to say "I apologise your majesty. It's not that I am not douting her majesty. It was just that I felt confused about her majesty's interest in swords after hearing his highness. So it suddenly came out like that. I really didn't mean it." he said bowing down to the royalties.
"I forgive you but do not repeat a mistake like this. You can stand up now." Long Xu said understanding were he was comming from.
"Cough, Mother is really terrified of weapons, blood, battle, violence and anything sharp. But she has some idealization about unique and artistic things and that sword happend to be one." Long Xin some how made up a fact about that idiot to convince them.
"So she loves art, hum." Long Xu mummered. Getting on their previous discussion he asked "Why didn't you reported before about the her being a fake culprit? Why wait and investigate in secret?"
"Since you didn't know the fact and was convinced that she really was the culprit, we thought that it could make the real one relaxed. While the real culprit thought that they were safe now, they would drop hints of their crime and it would be easy to capture them. They were very clever to frame everything as if that maid was the culprit and even convinced you, that's why in order to not to alert them, we proceeded in secret. Besides the culprit could have never imagined that someone would know about the empress who closed off herself from the whole world." Long Xin explained.
"Then why didn't empress's attendant reported about false accusation that maid gave?" Commander Xin was listening everything and couldn't stop himself from asking.
"We stopped her from reporting only on cost of a promise that we definatly will find the real culprit." Han Zhi answered him.
Long Xu settled on the chair near him and asked them to share all the information they have gathered till the date, the later did as were told. After getting everything he needed to know. He announced "Everything that was discussed here shell be remain secrat." he faced Han Zhi, Xichan and Long Xin " I want you guys to raise an issue over the empress's poisoning, tommorow at the imperial court. Also make sure to call empress for the court as it is related to her."
"Yes, your majesty." they said .
Long Xu went out of the room, feeling guilty, how can he think wrong about his wife that she could kill a servant and was also angey on those who dared to harm her and make a fool out of him with that fake culprit.
........
Next day in imperial court.
The court was in progress when the huge door of the court hall suddenly opened, entered a skinny, fragile woman, followed by an announcement "Her majesty, the empress is here." Every official had their face turned pala. they were reminded of the worst experionse of thei life of a certain day. They were now preparing themselves for whatever she throughs at them cause after calling them 'pigs' and empreor 'tresh', they don't expect anything decent from her.
One brave official came forward "How come the empress is here, is there anything thst her majesty is unsatisfied with" he asked not forgetting to adding flattery in his voice.
"Offical Liu, no need for you to concern yourself with empress. I have called her here today." Long Xu answered instead of Mika. As Mika headed towards the throne escorted by commander Xin, and sat beside Long Xu.
'She still roam around weaning oversized clothes, hairs compleatly loose, not even a single piece of jewel and her weird body language. How can she live like this while being surrounded by beauties in haram.' one young official thought while most of the them were feeling uncomfortable as they have never seen a lady like her not to mention an royalty.
"Your majesty, we don't understand your meaning of calling her majesty here." this time prime minister Yu asked to the emperor.
"You can get your answer only through crown prince." Long Xu directed at his son.
"Prime minister Yu, her majesty is here because the issue that we are going to raise today does concern her." Long Xin calmly answered. "What do you mean crown prince? What is the issue?" another official asked.
"Your majesty." ignoring the officials's questions Xichan addressed the emperor "We request you to reopen her majesty's poisoning case as we have found some loopholes in it."
"What loopholes are you talking about, general Mu. We held the trial in this very court and only then punished the culprit then where did these loopholes came from." Minister Han the minister of justice asked them.
"Minister Han, we are not trying to raise finger on your work but only wants to bring truth to light." Han Zhi calmly said.
"Truth? Do you mean you have already investigate the matter, your highness?" one of the minister asked.
"We did, and I presume that's not against the law. Am I right minister Liu." Han Zhi had a smirk on his face when he asked the minister of law.
"Why are you looking at me like that, prince Han Zhi." Minster Liu asked trying to compose himself.
"Your highness, does that also mean that there was someone elae involved in this case. If it is then who is that person, trying to murder our empress." prime minister Yu asked them with concern and rage that of an doting father who is ready to kill the one who had tried to harm his daughter.
Long Xu who was feeling disgusted from prime minister Yu's shemless act, cleared his throat gaining attention asked them "Crown prince, fourth prince and general Mu, did you investigate the matter throughly."
"Yes, your majesty." they answered in unison.
"Then, i give you permission to reopen this case and bring truth to light. I will punish the one who tried to harm the empress and tried to fool our system. I allow you to put your investigation infront of us."
"Thank you, your majesty." they again said togather.
"But your majesty.." some of the official tried to maddle in but were cut off by the emperor.
"I think it's necessary to find the one who tried to assassion the empress. What if they again attempt such a task. And I don't find any fault in it, then why are you trying to stop the case. Perhaps you are also..." Long Xu raised his suspicion on their tactics. He paushed in his wordsand turned to face his other side when something fell on his shoulder. He saw his wife, sitting beside him while her head was on his shoulder. "Emresss." getting no response from her, he again called out for her, this time louder then before.
"Huh? You were saying something." Mika said is hoarse voice, facing him with one hand on his right eye rubbing it lightly. "Sorry I kinda dozed off for a while. It was so boaring"
'There goes this idiot once again.' Long Xin and other two thought. They were wondering how can she sleep in this kind of situation that too sitting without any support.
"No, it's all right." Long Xu said while hiding his blush with full power, looking over at her cute face close to himself "I guess we should start the trial for empress's attempt to assassin. Crown prince, your side can present your reports to the court." he ordered.
"Then I will begin. First of all that maid was lying. That poison, neither did she made it nor gave it to her majesty. Secondly, empress is a preson who doesn't let any servant serve her accept for her attendant Su Mei, nor does she leave her courtyard, so there is no way some maid would offened her and even if someone did offended her she won't kill them as she is a kindperson who value humanity more then anything . We all had witness that in the court itself didn't we?" Long Xin again reminded everyone of the bold act of the empress.
"So it clears that maid was lying. Without any motivation, can she try to kill the empress. Which means, the mastermind is someone elae who made that miad their scapegoat."
"Your highness, we can't disagree with your words but is it just based on intuitions or you have proof to prove that there is a mastermind behind." Prime minister Yu asked.
"We do have proof, prime minister Yu, do you remember the poison that the empress was poisened with. We had our physician to make one, but even after many failed attempt they couldn't make it. Then how can some lowly uneducated maid made one on her own. Also the poison we collected from her majesty's remainig food was checked, though we couldn't find what it was made from but one thing we found which is some rare hurbs. They are expensive and normal people can't affored it. One more point that tell us of someone elsa's Involvement. We made a report on all our try of making the poison." Han Zhi gave the report to eunuch Xioa Lin who gave them to emperor who readed it.
"Your majesty, thank you for allowing us to lead a secret investigation and also lending us whole team of telanted physicians." Han Zhi bowed to the empreor, showing his greetitude.
"Raise fourth prince. No need to thank me , it was yours, crown prince and general Mu's request for the very first time, of course I'll let you have them if it can do any good to the empire." Long Xu forwarded his hand gesturing him to continue.
"Your majesty, it is all thanks to you that we were able to find the person behind this, who committed this grave sin, a treason to the mother of nation." Xichan politely spoke.
"General Mu do you mean to say that you have already captured the culprit." Minister Han asked.
"We have already identified the traiter though have yet to capture him. But do not worry as we can do that now." Xichan smirked and playfully looked at everyone present in court.
"Is that person here in this court room? Is it one of official or any of guards? who is it." prime minister YU asked.
"Yes that person indead is here, among us, prime miniser Yu. Oh, pardon me, I misspoke, pervious prime minister Yu." Everyone were confused by the change in title by the crown prince when he throw a blow on them with his next announcement "The traitor who committed the national treason of trying to kill her majesty,the empree, is none other then prime minster Yu."