There was a look of heartache in Liu Rushuang's eyes, but she coaxed, "I'll clear your name soon, Yuan'er. Don't worry."
With that, she turned to dry her damp eyes.
"Boo-hoo… Mother… I don't want to go to prison… I really didn't kill Elder Meng… Boo-hoo…"
With that, Longyuan was taken away despite his bawling, while Han Moze and Liu Rushuang personally interrogated Elder Meng and the two guardsmen who were on duty last night.
"Du Yuan, tell me everything you've done last night—especially before midnight. Give it to me in detail!"
Han Moze leveled a stern, imposing gaze on Du Yuan as he interrogated the guardsman.
Du Yuan kept his head lowered and a look of glee flashed in his eyes. Still, he answered reverently, "Your Majesty, I have been standing watch outside the door for the whole night. Nothing else happened, other than Lü Hai going to the toilet."
"What about you, Lü Hai?"
"Y-Your Majesty… I went to the toilet because I needed to go urgently. Aside from that, I have fulfilled my duty of guarding the door. Please get to the bottom of the matter, Your Majesty."
***
After interrogating more people, neither Han Moze nor Liu Rushuang obtained any information that could clear Longyuan's name.
Meanwhile, Longyuan was brought inside the cleanest cell in the palace's sturdy bluestone prison.
Aside from one impenetrable wall, the other three sides of the prison were iron bars. Despite its hygiene however, there was only a single bed with a blanket.
The two guards locked the cell after throwing Longyuan inside.
"Boo-hoo… No… Let me out… Let me out…"
Despite his tiny body, Longyuan attempted to crawl out through the gap between the bars but failed, and eventually gave up.
He turned to sit on the bed, curling into a ball to curb the cold even as he cried miserably.
Suddenly, he heard a sound, and look up to find a man sitting on the bed of the next cell.
The man had a thick beard growing all over his face and appeared burly, even as he ate from a plate with his chopsticks.
Growl—
Longyuan's stomach rumbled unwittingly then, since he was locked in here for some bizarre reason without even having breakfast.
Now, he was very hungry, which is why he had to shrink further into himself, hoping that Liu Rushuang would come to visit him soon.
An hour later, Liu Rushuang rushed to his cell, with several eunuchs and handmaidens in tow.
"Mother… Sob… I'm so hungry… I want to leave…"
Longyuan quickly got off his bed and went in front of the cell, pouting unhappily while tears filled his wide, red eyes.
There was heartache written all over Liu Rushuang's face, and she promptly ordered the guards to open the door.
She then picked up Longyuan and patted his back, tenderly coaxing, "Don't cry, Yuan'er. I'll find the evidence needed soon, clear your name and get you out of here."
"Boo-hoo… You have to do it soon… I don't want to stay here anymore…"
Longyuan's tears burst out then, though he pulled down Liu Rushuang's collar after crying for a moment to suckle.
Liu Rushuang sighed—Yuan'er was still a child who had yet to wean—how could he do something like kill a person?
But who else could have killed Elder Meng?
She only left after reassuring Longyuan for almost two hours.
Longyuan was in a better mood with a full stomach, and lay on his bed, falling asleep after wrapping himself in the blanket Liu Rushuang brought him.
The man next door seemed to remember something as he watched Longyuan sleep, and his eyes went red as well.