He had the mole brought before him. Looking at the person kneeling on the ground, his eyes were filled with a hint of disbelief.
"I've always treated you well. Why did you betray me?"
The person gritted their teeth tightly and was determined not to reveal a single word.
The man's expression had turned impatient. "If you don't talk, I'll have to resort to torture. You should know my methods. After following me for so many years, you should know that I never show mercy to traitors."
As he spoke, the person remained unmoved. The man flicked his wrist, and the whip sliced through the air, landing harshly on the person's body.
Unable to bear the pain any longer, the person let out a wail.
"I... I was wrong, Master. Please forgive me. I'll never dare to do it again."
"It seems you've finally seen the light," the man said as he retracted the whip, his eyes filled with mockery.
He couldn't believe he had once allowed such a weak - willed person to stay by his side. This person couldn't even endure a bit of pain. But it was good this way; he might be able to get the truth out of him.
Listening to the man's words, his expression grew solemn. The person on the ground had never seen the true face of the mastermind, only knowing that it was a woman who was well - informed about all of the Empress Dowager's movements.
Currently, there was only one person who fit these characteristics. But this person had been by Shi Muwǎn's side for many years and didn't seem like someone who would betray.
Could it be that the person on the ground was lying?
In a fit of anger, he lashed out with the whip several more times. The person on the ground couldn't bear it and let out continuous wails.
"If you lie to me, you should know the consequences."
The person on the ground trembled but still stuck to their story.
"I would never dare to deceive you, Master. Everything I've said is true. If I'm lying, you can have me killed right away."
The person straightened their back and looked into Cui Qizhou's eyes, making the man start to believe them. Could it be that his judgment was wrong?
Just as the man was hesitating, the person on the ground bit their own tongue and committed suicide.
Seeing this, the others stepped forward and dragged the body away.
"Master, maybe it was really that auntie who did it. She's never shown any signs of suspicion in front of others. Maybe she's had intense training. How about we arrest her and interrogate her?"
"But if we arrest her rashly, how can we explain it to the Empress Dowager when she wakes up?"
He knew what Xiao Xiao meant to the young girl. If he wronged Xiao Xiao, he would feel guilty towards Shi Muwǎn.
The shadow guard sighed.
"But if we don't arrest her, we'll never know the truth, and we'll never be able to find out the identity of the mole."
After weighing the pros and cons, the man finally decided to go after Xiao Xiao.
However, someone had beaten him to it.
Qiao Meng looked at the person inside the room with an apologetic expression.
"Auntie Xiao, don't be nervous. I'm just here to see how the Empress Dowager is doing."
"To see the Empress Dowager, you come to my room? Miss Qiao, your excuse is a bit far - fetched. Just say it. What do you really want?"
She looked at the person standing at the door, on full alert.
Qiao Meng didn't expect to run into her like this. She cursed inwardly but still maintained a kind expression on her face.
"Since there are guards around the Empress Dowager, I came here to ask about her condition. I was afraid that if someone with ill intentions saw me, they might say something bad about me."
She looked so sincere, as if that was really the case.
But Xiao Xiao wasn't going to believe her. This girl had never brought any good things since she first appeared.
With a cold look, she pushed the person in front of her away, casually closed the door, and walked towards the next room.
"You don't need to worry about this. Our mistress is doing fine."
"Then I've bothered you. I'll go back first. If there's anything the Empress Dowager needs, auntie, just send someone to find me."
"I hope I'll never have this chance."
After saying that, she closed the door without hesitation and went into the room, not noticing the flash of triumph in the eyes of the person behind her.
"Let's see how long you can be so smug."
She heard footsteps behind her and was about to leave when she bumped into someone.
Thankfully, the man reacted quickly and steadied her. When he questioned her, his expression was full of surprise.
"Meng'er, you should be in your own courtyard. Why are you here?"
Qiao Meng was already used to such unexpected situations. She wiped away her tears and looked innocent.
"I came to see how the Empress Dowager is. Auntie Xiao... Sigh, it's okay. Since the Empress Dowager is in trouble, I can understand how auntie feels. Since you're busy, brother, I'll go back first."
She left quickly, leaving the man feeling annoyed. When he entered the room, his tone was also harsh.
"Auntie is just a servant beside the Empress Dowager. There's no need to act so high - and - mighty. People might think that auntie is only acting like this because of the Empress Dowager's orders."
Xiao Xiao didn't know what had gotten into the man to say such things, but she guessed it had something to do with the person who had just left. Her tone turned cold.
"The national master can't even control his own people. Why bother lecturing others?"
After saying that, Xiao Xiao was about to go and change a basin of water when the people the man had brought blocked her in the room.
Seeing that they wouldn't give way, she turned around.
"The national master didn't come here to care about the Empress Dowager but to pick a fight, right?"
"I'm sure you know why I'm here, auntie. The things you've done have already been confessed by my subordinate."
This left Xiao Xiao completely confused. She didn't understand a single word.
"What am I pretending? All the people under me belong to the Empress Dowager. Did the national master come here today just to frame people?"
"You still won't admit it? My subordinate has already confessed. He listened to your orders and leaked the matter of the gold and silver treasures to Concubine Rui. You two have been in cahoots from the very beginning. The Empress Dowager has been so kind to you. How can you do this to her?"
Hearing this, Xiao Xiao exploded with anger and almost fought the man.
"How could I ever betray the Empress Dowager? Don't slander me. Just because the Empress Dowager is unconscious, you all gang up on us, right?"
The man narrowed his eyes. "If you don't admit it, I'll have to interrogate you by force."
As soon as he finished speaking, the shadow guards were about to attack, but they were no match for Xiao Xiao. After just a few rounds, most of them were lying on the ground.
Xiao Xiao looked at them coldly. "I'll say it one last time. These things have nothing to do with me. If you insist on pinning them on me, you'll have to see if my sword agrees."
She drew her sword, and everyone took a step back. Their reaction made the man furious.
"You useless fools. Then, auntie, don't blame me."