"Your Majesty, I have returned," Mo Chou said respectfully as she bowed. Only then did she step over the threshold and enter the room.
Xu Zhenguan acknowledged her with a grunt and asked with a smile, "How went it?"
"Gao Lian is dead, and he left a confession letter. I've arranged for people to announce tomorrow that he committed suicide out of fear of his crimes," Mo Chou reported.
"Very good," Xu Zhenguan's expression remained neutral, her pale face glistening under the light like a gilded Buddha. "Anything else?"
Mo Chou lowered her head, took a deep breath, and said,
"But it was not I who killed him. Someone had already done it for Your Majesty just before I arrived."
Xu Zhenguan visibly froze, showing a genuine look of surprise.
Fortunately, Mo Chou did not leave her waiting too long and soon uttered Zhao Douan's name.
She then recounted in full detail how she had met Zhao Douan after leaving the prison and what they had discussed in the carriage.
