Su Mingyu nodded. "From what Minister Zhang said, do you think our Su family is involved in the leak of the imperial examination questions?"
Zhang Qiao raised an eyebrow. "I wonder if Miss Su still remembers that not long ago, a terrifying thing appeared in your room."
At his words, Su Mingyu's face suddenly turned extremely ugly. "What does that... that head have to do with the imperial examination case?"
Zhang Qiao pulled out a stool, sat with his legs crossed in the middle between the two cells, and glanced at Su Mingyu. "What a coincidence. That head belonged to one of the scholars who said they would expose the leak of the imperial examination questions."
"Ah?" Su Mingyu widened her eyes. "In that case, someone must be framing our Su family."
"Oh?" Zhang Qiao looked at her with lowered eyes. "Why do you say that, Miss Su?"
Su Mingyu propped her chin with her hand and thought. "If this matter is really related to our Su family, our family members would be too busy hiding. Why would they bring that person's head back to the mansion and make such a big deal out of it? After that day, the whole capital knew there was a head in my room. The young ladies in the capital basically ignored me."
Su Mingyu was very serious when she said this. Her clear eyes were free of impurities, so clean that Zhang Qiao nodded and lowered his eyes. "There's some logic to it. Although I still don't understand the reason, based on what you said, I can give your Su family a chance."
Saying this, Zhang Qiao turned to look at Su Zhengyi. "If you confess the person behind you, I might spare you when I report this."
Su Zhengyi snorted. "Minister Zhang, are you openly challenging the authority of the Three Judiciary Departments?"
Zhang Qiao was neither impatient nor angry. He slowly got up, patted the dust off his body, and then said, "Just now I said I'd give Miss Su a face. Su Zhengyi, I'll give you a day to think it over. Decide whether your life or the so - called great cause is more important."
After saying that, he turned to leave. But before leaving, he walked up to Su Mingyu, gave her a deep look, and said, "You've got some courage and your thinking is quite clear. I'm recruiting an assistant. Would you like to have a try, Miss Su?"
Su Mingyu pursed her lips and gave a perfunctory smile. "I don't even know if I can get out of here. When you ask me this question, does it mean you believe me, my lord?"
"You sure know how to seize an opportunity." Zhang Qiao said this with a half - smile and then left the prison camp, leaving behind a nervous Su Mingyu.
She exaggeratedly let out a big breath, and her voice trembled slightly. "Father... This Zhang Qiao is so scary..."
Su Zhengyi didn't expect that his eldest daughter, whom he had always disliked, would actually be useful at this time.
Unconsciously, his tone towards Su Mingyu softened a bit. "Don't worry. If he really had evidence, he wouldn't be wasting time with me here."
Su Mingyu pretended to be relieved and gave a sweet smile. "Yes, daughter believes in father."
Seeing how sensible she was, Su Zhengyi began to re - evaluate his eldest daughter.
She remained calm in the face of danger, had a high level of respect for him, and was about to marry the King of Ruixian. Although she couldn't be a pawn to win over the King of Yu, if she could be placed beside the King of Ruixian, it might be another way, right?
Thinking like this, Su Zhengyi also gave Su Mingyu a comforting smile. "It's okay. Don't be afraid. Father will take you out."
Su Yueyue, who was so scared that she didn't even dare to speak, felt extremely annoyed when she saw Su Zhengyi's obvious change in attitude towards Su Mingyu.
This damned Su Mingyu actually took this opportunity to gain father's favor. She was simply abominable!
Once she managed to contact the King of Yu and get the King of Yu to rescue them, she would see how she could deal with Su Mingyu!
Thinking this way, Su Yueyue's eyes turned sinister.
Su Mingyu felt the stabbing gaze behind her and curled her lips into a cold smile.
She was going to see how Su Yueyue would drag the Su family and the King of Yu into trouble by herself.
Not long after they were imprisoned, Gu Ruobai was pushed in by Mu Yi to visit Su Mingyu.
Gu Ruobai said lovingly and asked Mu Yi to quickly take the food and bedding he had brought to Su Mingyu. He comforted her, "Although my relationship with Zhang Qiao is not very good, we've had a few passing acquaintances before. I'll keep an eye on this matter for you."
Su Mingyu nodded gratefully. "Thank you."
Gu Ruobai's eyes shone with soft light. "Don't worry. I won't let you be wrongfully imprisoned."
After the two chatted for a while, the King of Ruixian also talked to Su Zhengyi for a few words, asked about the cause of the incident, and then left.
Seeing Su Mingyu bring over the food and daily necessities, Su Yueyue's face turned green with anger!
This bitch Su Mingyu actually received so much attention from the King of Ruixian. She was simply hateful!
What made her even angrier was that even an unpopular prince like the King of Ruixian knew that something had happened to their Su family.
Why hadn't the King of Yu shown up yet?
Did he really abandon her as soon as the Su family lost power?
Su Mingyu ignored Su Yueyue's venomous gaze. She took the food and walked up to the two of them. She handed it to Wang Manwen very obediently. "Second - mother, younger sister, you two haven't eaten for a long time. Have something."
Wang Manwen had no mood to eat. She just perfunctorily said she wasn't hungry. Su Yueyue got angry just at the sight of Su Mingyu's face. How could she eat?
Seeing that they didn't move, Su Mingyu ate on her own as if nothing had happened.
The sound of her eating the cake and drinking water annoyed Su Yueyue. She finally couldn't hold back her anger and pointed at Su Mingyu's nose and scolded, "You still have the mood to eat! Don't you see where we are now?"
Su Mingyu was bewildered by her shouting. "I know we're in prison, but I don't understand why you're so agitated, younger sister?"
Saying this, Su Mingyu looked at Wang Manwen and then at Su Zhengyi. "Our family has done nothing wrong. What's there to worry about?"
As she spoke, her eyes were full of inquiry. Wang Manwen's face darkened and she shifted her gaze.
Su Zhengyi sighed at her look of guilt.
This woman was usually quite submissive. Why was she not as good as a girl like Su Mingyu at this critical moment?
"Mingyu is right. We've done nothing wrong. Look at the scared looks on the two of you!" Su Zhengyi said, hating that iron couldn't be turned into steel, as he pointed at Su Yueyue and Wang Manwen. "There was nothing wrong in the first place, but when others see the two of you like this, they'll think there's something wrong!"
Su Yueyue felt a bit wronged after being scolded by Su Zhengyi for no reason. "Father!"
Su Zhengyi glared at her. "Don't call me father! Learn from your elder sister. You're so old but still so unstable!"