Jian Guozhi came to the cell where Huo Jin was locked. Nianzu and Commander Guo were standing beside a table where Huo Jin's cloth bag was being checked. Nothing suspicious was found in it. Only two daggers were found which Huo Jin had hidden in his robes.
Upon seeing Jian Guozhi, Nianzu and Commander Guo bowed. "Did you find anything suspicious?" Jian Guozhi asked.
"No, your highness. Just two daggers. He had decided to run away from the Capital," Commander Guo informed Jian Guozhi, who hummed.
"Why did you say that you will tell us about Tan Gengxin only if I promise you Zhilao Mi's safety?" Jian Guozhi calmly questioned him. He kept his anger in control, though his inner mind had told him to kill Zhilao Mi. "Aren't you loyal to your master?" His second question came right after the first.
Huo Jin curled his fingers because he felt stuck.
Seeing him quiet, Jian Guozhi asked him another question. "Why did you meet her late at night? Do you by any chance love her?" Nianzu and Commander Guo glanced at Jian Guozhi.
"I do not love her," Huo Jin lied. "I am a servant to her. My father had served Master Gengxin. I have watched Lady Mi growing up in front of me. She did what her father told her to do," Huo Jin answered. He tried to save Zhilao Mi and wanted to clear the doubts in their minds regarding her.
"But her actions speak otherwise," Jian Guozhi chuckled. "You are also taking me as a fool?" He menacingly inquired from him.
"I do not dare to fool his highness. I was the one who told her to meet me in the night as I was going to leave the Capital," Huo Jin lied to him. Jian Guozhi clenched his fist and went towards him. He punched him hard, and he fell backward.
"Lying to me again? You shall be grateful that you are not killed till now. I saw her walking out," Jian Guozhi affirmed. Huo Jin sat on his knees and wiped the blood from his lips.
"I accept that I lied, but his highness will not kill me because only I can tell him about the exact location of Tan Gengxin, his spying network, and his allies," Huo Jin proclaimed. "But all this will be on one condition – his highness will pardon her," Huo Jin stated.
"So, you indeed love Sister Mi," Nianzu said. He saw the genuine feelings of Huo Jin towards Zhilao Mi.
"Her death is destined either tonight or tomorrow," Jian Guozhi proclaimed.
"The First Prince shall not act foolish," Huo Jin's statement annoyed Jian Guozhi.
"You want me to believe a traitor who is ready to prove his disloyalty towards his master," Jian Guozhi snickered when he heard him.
"I know you will not trust me, so let me present something. You will indeed then trust my words," Huo Jin asserted.
"What do you mean?" Tilting his head, Nianzu astonishingly looked at him.
"I know that the Crown Princess has left for the Northern Province. Forgive me for my rudeness, but if I wanted to harm her, I would have done that the moment she left the Palace. Instead, I decided to run away," Huo Jin proclaimed.
Nianzu and Jian Guozhi were shocked to learn that Huo Jin already knew about the departure of the Crown Princess. But, how? "Did Zhilao Mi-"
"No. I know the secret route which the Crown Princess followed. Thanks to your late mother, I got to know everything about Luoyang," Huo Jin affirmed. "And only I know about all this."
Nianzu found that Huo Jin was smart and a calm person. Even in this situation, he did not lose his temper or get nervous, instead, he gave them answers which were indeed impressive.
"You might have informed the Crown Princess about your alias too and are making a fool of us. Or did you turn disloyal towards your master because of some past grudge?" Nianzu stated and waited for his response.
"I was never loyal to him. I worked as a servant for him," Huo Jin replied.
"That's why your words are suspicious. What if you will divert us to the wrong path?" Jian Guozhi skeptically glanced at him.
"In that sense, the Crown Prince also believed the words of an unloyal Empress," Huo Jin retorted. "The Crown Prince also left for the Northern Province upon believing the words of your mother. Forgive me if I said something wrong," Huo Jin then apologized and lowered his eyes.
"Zhilao told me that you were not sure where the Crown Prince was going. Why did you lie to her about this?" Jian Guozhi was curious to know.
Huo Jin knitted his brows. "I lied because it is not a matter of her concern," Huo Jin replied. 'Zhilao, hope you have not spilled the beans, otherwise, it will be difficult for me to save you. I know from this prison, I will not go out alive, but I will make sure that nothing happens to you,' he thought.
"Bring Zhilao Mi here. You both will be investigated together at the same time," Jian Guozhi pronounced. Huo Jin's eyes were lowered.
After a few minutes, Zhilao Mi was brought there. "Jian Ge, please hear me out." She stopped speaking when Jian Guozhi scowled at her.
"Answer me truthfully. For your every lie, this hot iron rod would be touched at his body parts," Jian Guozhi threatened Zhilao Mi. A soldier had brought the hot iron rod with him and handed that to Jian Guozhi. He stepped towards Huo Jin and stood beside him.
"What did you talk about?" Jian Guozhi asked his first question from Zhilao Mi.
She looked at Huo Jin and gulped. 'If I tell Jian Ge that I was there to send a letter to my father, then he will lose his trust in me. I might die for doing that and also many questions will be raised about my character for meeting a man other than my husband late at night.'
"Answer," Jian Guozhi shouted at her.
"He sent me the message that day to meet me. He works for my father so, probably my father has sent him a message," Zhilao Mi lied. Huo Jin could not believe his ears that Zhilao Mi would tell such a lie. But he had no complaints because he admired her from a young age. Since it was a few moments before his death, he was willing to sacrifice himself for her.
Jian laughed wryly. He brought the hot iron rod near Huo Jin's chest when Nianzu caught his hand. "Brother, do not torture Huo Jin. You shall punish Lady Mi for lying and also for betraying all of us.. And I will investigate from Huo Jin in my way," Nianzu intervened, thus saving Huo Jin from getting a burn.
