Chapter 188: Dark Prison
When Li Zhao returned to You Huang Ju, stepping through the puddles, Lai Fu was holding a medicine bowl and anxiously pacing, looking at the empty room.
He was startled when his master suddenly pushed the door open, causing the medicinal soup in his hands to spill.
“Your Highness!” Lai Fu hastily put down the medicine bowl and knelt to pay his respects, his gaze falling on Li Zhao’s blood-soaked outer robe.
“Is your shoulder bleeding again?”
“It’s nothing.” Li Zhao pulled open his blood-soaked outer robe, revealing the winding bloodstains on his arm.
Only then did Lai Fu see clearly that it wasn’t old scabs bleeding, but a new wound. Blood was trickling down his arm, dripping onto the blue bricks…
“My lord, how did you get injured again…” Lai Fu was in a panic, like an ant on a hot pan. He was about to go find Zhang Huaicheng for a consultation, but Li Zhao coldly stopped him.
“Don’t make a fuss!”
Lai Fu’s throat tightened. He watched his master pull a plain white sweat towel to press against the wound and understood a little – it must be related to Madam Ping An.
A perfectly fine person, went out with her and came back injured.
This woman… is she poisonous?
Looking at his master’s thin figure, Lai Fu bowed his head and couldn’t help but mutter, “Ever since Your Highness got to know Madam Ping An, you haven’t stopped getting injured or sick… it’s always taking medicine or treating wounds…”
“You talk too much!” Li Zhao shot him a cold glance, his brows furrowing slightly in pain. “Go find the medicine box.”
“Yes!” Lai Fu busied himself fetching the medicine box and knelt at Li Zhao’s feet, his hands trembling slightly as he carefully unfastened his undergarment.
Seeing the arrow wound that almost pierced his arm, Lai Fu felt heartbroken. His eyes reddened, and tears almost fell.
“My lord, does it hurt badly?”
Li Zhao closed his eyes, enduring the piercing pain that spread through his entire body.
“If you dare reveal a single word, I’ll take your head.”
It wasn’t that he didn’t trust Zhang Huaicheng, but Li Huan’s mind was too meticulous. He could even uncover information as secret as the Love Silk Gu, so he had to be cautious.
The fewer people who knew, the less risk there was.
“I understand.” Lai Fu held the trauma ointment bottle and hesitated for a moment before mustering his courage to suggest, “Why don’t… we call Madam Ping An to come and treat Your Highness’s wounds…”
Li Zhao opened his eyes and glanced at the blood-stained clothes, a hint of coldness flashing in his eyes.
“No need.” He took the medicine bottle and carefully sprinkled the trauma ointment onto the wound, then calmly wrapped layers of gauze around it…
“She’s probably in a terrible state right now, unable to help herself – my Imperial Brother has never been easy to deal with.”
Before he finished speaking, a night crow cawed outside the window, startling a cluster of cold branches.
The sound of rain pattering mixed with the bitterness of the trauma ointment spread through the hall.
Li Zhao waved his hand, signaling Lai Fu to withdraw. He leaned back on the couch and spoke softly into the darkness.
“Come in.”
Ye Xiao’s thin figure emerged from the hidden door in the shadows and knelt on one knee.
“Your Highness, please examine this.”
He held a secret letter in his hand.
Li Zhao’s expression remained unchanged as he unfolded the secret letter, and he saw the Xizi totem.
“King Xizi killed his father to ascend the throne, massacred the royal family, purged old officials, and intended to cut off all roots.”
The words were shocking under the candlelight.
Li Zhao glanced at him. His unbound hair fell to his shoulders, and the candlelight cast deep shadows on his pale face.
“From now on, report every detail about the Xizi merchant caravans entering and leaving Shangjing, as well as the movements of the Princess’s Mansion.”
Ye Xiao cupped his hands and said in a deep voice, “Your subordinate obeys!”
–
The news of Consort Wan’s death at the West Mountain Imperial Palace reached Zichen Hall that very day.
Emperor Chong Zhao was furious and summoned the Minister of Rites that night, ordering him to arrange funeral rites for Consort Zhaoyi.
At the morning court the next day, the Emperor sighed publicly, saying with great sorrow:
“The Consort was naturally gentle, virtuous, and frugal, her character exemplary. I have kept this pearl hidden for over a decade, and I am filled with regret!”
On the surface, the Emperor mourned deeply, issuing an edict to posthumously confer the title of Imperial Consort Yi upon Consort Wan, ordering the Court of Imperial Sacrifices to hold mourning rites according to the protocol for an Imperial Consort, showing great favor.
In secret, he dispatched dozens of imperial guards to “protect Princess Wen Jia and search for the missing Niu Niu,” but in reality, to investigate whether Wen Jia had any connection with Xizi.
The situation in the Imperial Court changed dramatically.
Several days later, Censor Zhou Zhongping was the first to attack, his accusations directly targeting Prince Duan for dereliction of duty.
“During Prince Duan’s tenure managing the affairs of Shangjing, murder cases occurred frequently, and Xizi Death Warriors roamed the city with impunity, killing and looting as if they were in their own territory. Prince Duan did nothing, truly failing to live up to His Majesty’s grace!”
When someone impeached him, Prince Duan’s faction immediately argued fiercely, claiming that Censor Zhou was making a mountain out of a molehill and confusing right and wrong, all to support the Crown Prince and attempt to disrupt the court.
The Crown Prince’s faction was not to be outdone, implying that Princess Ping Le had too close dealings with the Xizi merchant caravan, and insinuating that Prince Duan Li Huan and the Xiao Clan were involved, allowing Xizi forces to infiltrate Shangjing.
The court was filled with heated arguments.
Emperor Chong Zhao slammed his teacup down: “I’m not dead yet!”
Minister of Justice Xue Qingzhi seized the opportunity to offer advice: “In my humble opinion, the poisoning case at the West Mountain Imperial Palace and the assassination attempt on Fu Qingsong at Pu Ji Temple are intricately linked and should be investigated together.”
Emperor Chong Zhao immediately ordered the Ministry of Justice to take the lead, collaborating with the Supreme Court and the Censorate to investigate the case…
Xue Qingzhi bowed and accepted the order.
After the court session, the Emperor flew into a rage in his bedchamber, cursing all the court officials before secretly summoning his trusted eunuch, Cao Jinzhong, to investigate imperial family members who had dealings with the Xizi merchant caravan.
On the same day, an edict was issued to behead a captured Xizi Death Warrior and display the corpse in the West Market to demonstrate imperial might and quell public unrest.
–
Three days later, Xue Sui went to Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion to visit Madam Chun.
Madam Chun, clutching the green jade thumb ring that Gu Jie often wore, stood beneath the Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion’s ornate gate. Upon seeing Xue Sui, her eyes welled up with tears.
“Fifth Son hasn’t returned home for several days. His father and I are so worried we’re at our wits’ end…”
Xue Sui’s eyes changed.
Before she could speak, Xue Yueying’s sharp cries came from inside the house.
“Don’t you know what kind of character your precious son is? If he hasn’t returned for so long, he’s probably off fooling around with some seductive woman!”
Afraid to scold Princess Ping Le in public, she could only curse indirectly, lamenting Gu Jie’s faults with great distress.
Madam Chun’s face changed drastically, and she awkwardly ushered Xue Sui into the living room.
After serving tea, she dismissed the attendants and could no longer hold back her sorrow, sobbing.
“I don’t know what sins I committed in my past life to deserve such a bad omen. She probably wishes Fifth Son would die outside so she could remarry Prince Wei…”
Xue Sui casually glanced at a figure lurking suspiciously behind the curtain, curled her lips slightly, picked up her teacup, and took a slow sip.
“Aunt Chun, please don’t worry, she doesn’t have that kind of luck.”
Xue Yueying, behind the curtain, let out a cold laugh, her tone sarcastic.
“No matter how incompetent I am, I know a woman should be dignified and virtuous. Unlike some people who show themselves off all day, coming to others’ mansions to be ostentatious, without any shame…”
Xue Sui’s expression was calm, and she said coldly, “I have a bad temper. If I hear you make another sound, that illegitimate child who can’t see the light of day will never be able to take the surname Li. I, Xue Liu, always keep my word.”
Silence immediately fell from behind the curtain.
Xue Yueying clenched her fists silently, her chest feeling as if it were pressed down by a thousand-pound boulder.
This Xue Liu…
How could she grasp people’s weaknesses so effectively?
With just a word, she struck at her vital point.
And why was she becoming more and more afraid of this abandoned daughter raised outside?
“Aunt Chun, please don’t worry.” Xue Sui held Madam Chun’s hand and comforted her softly. “Your son’s matter is not that simple. In my opinion, Marquis Jingyuan should go to the palace to see the Emperor and beg for his grace, ordering the Jingzhao Prefecture to search the entire city for him. Perhaps there is still a glimmer of hope.”
Madam Chun’s face turned pale upon hearing this, “Are you saying Fifth Son is in mortal danger?”
Xue Sui: “Something is amiss, we cannot be careless.”
A person wouldn’t just disappear into thin air.
She had mobilized all her informants and spies in the Old Mausoleum Swamp but couldn’t find Gu Jie’s whereabouts, and she already had suspicions.
However, it was inconvenient for her to directly confront Princess Ping Le, while Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion was legitimate and held the moral high ground.
–
After leaving Marquis Jingyuan’s Mansion, Xue Sui went to Tianshu’s Mulberry Willow Courtyard.
The courtyard gate was ajar, and willows swayed.
As Xue Sui stepped inside, she saw Tianshu waiting under the eaves, his expression grave.
“The one who acted at the West Mountain Imperial Palace was one of King Xizi Ashina’s men.”
After years of cultivation, the Old Mausoleum Swamp maintained private trade with some Xizi merchant caravans, and they had also managed to place some informants. Although it took considerable effort, they finally obtained reliable information.
Tianshu led Xue Sui into the inner room, lifted his robe, and sat down. He then handed her a secret letter. “Niu Niu is also in their hands at this moment…”
Xue Sui’s aura instantly sharpened.
“How cruel! To lay hands on his own sister and niece!”
“If Princess Wen Jia had not gone to Pu Ji Temple that day, she might not have escaped their clutches either,” Tianshu continued.
Xue Sui looked at his solemn face, lost in thought for a moment.
“King Xizi’s actions are to cut off all roots and eliminate future troubles?”
Tianshu nodded and said calmly, “This is why the Xizi Death Warriors poisoned Consort Wan…”
During the royal court coup years ago, Ashina killed the old king and ascended the throne of Xizi. His claim to power was already illegitimate, and he was uneasy, constantly purging the court.
This time, the High Priest Amun Rah, who held great power, disguised himself and infiltrated Daliang’s Shangjing. He not only met secretly with Consort Wan but also set a trap for Princess Ping Le. This undoubtedly made Ashina feel like he was sitting on thorns and gave him the urge to kill…
Consort Wan was a princess of Xizi, the beloved Princess Saina of the old king.
If the High Priest intended to ally with Consort Wan, befriend Daliang, and then overthrow Ashina from within, installing a new king, it would surely make Ashina wary and give him murderous intent…
Xue Sui’s heart pounded. After a moment of thought, she said to Tianshu:
“Senior Brother, please send someone to Tianshui Inn to deliver a message to Alimu, telling him that I wish to meet the High Priest.”
Tianshu nodded slightly.
Looking at the woman before him, in a daze, he seemed to see the decisive Imperial Envoy of the past again.
Xue Sui, having accepted the Imperial Envoy’s token again, had agreed to the Old Mausoleum Swamp’s mission, but she had not truly exercised the power of an Imperial Envoy, nor had she directly commanded the Big Dipper Seven Sects.
But Tianshu knew that from this moment on, the spark of revenge for the Old Mausoleum Swamp would be fully ignited, and those who had harmed them would eventually pay a terrible price…
–
The large raindrops were like sharp arrows, fiercely splitting the night sky.
In a hidden dungeon on the west side of the Princess’s Mansion, a nauseating stench of decay permeated the air.
Gu Jie hung his head, his hands chained high above. As the chains swayed, the smell of rust mixed with the foul odor of corpse rats entered his nostrils, making his throat constrict, and he let out a muffled, despairing groan.
Ping Le, dressed in black, held a red-hot branding iron and slowly approached. The mandalas embroidered with gold thread on her skirt brushed against the damp ground.
“Why must even you betray this Palace?”
The despair of death seemed to seep into his bones. Gu Jie’s hair stood on end.
He struggled to pull at the corners of his mouth and gave a tragic smile.
“Princess, I truly do not understand what you mean…”
“Playing dumb?” Princess Ping Le laughed in anger, half her face illuminated by the branding iron, her eyes particularly ferocious. “I ordered you to go to Pu Ji Temple to poison Fu Qingsong. How did you carry out the order?”
“Princess, please see clearly.”
The firelight illuminated Gu Jie’s blood-stained face, full of exhaustion.
“I was ordered to rush to Pu Ji Temple… but unexpectedly, I ran into Prince Duan’s Right Guard searching for Xizi Death Warriors. The temple was heavily guarded, and I couldn’t find an opportunity to strike…”
“Lies!” Ping Le suddenly raised her chin and pressed the branding iron fiercely against Gu Jie’s chest. The fiery red color of the branding iron seemed to scorch the very air.
“Fu Qingsong did not die by your hand. The killer is someone else – do you take me for a fool?”
Gu Jie trembled all over, his eyes bloodshot.
“So, Princess, you sent me to Pu Ji Temple to poison someone as a test…”
“You dare to question me?” Princess Ping Le sneered sharply, her eyes seeming to spew fire. “Last time in Xuanzheng Hall, the Xizi merchants defected midway. I’ve been trying to figure out why, and now it seems it was you, this traitor, causing trouble behind the scenes!”
Gu Jie gave a bitter smile and said helplessly, “If the Princess believes I have betrayed her, why keep me alive until now?”
A trace of disdain flickered on Ping Le’s lips as she stared intently at Gu Jie.
“Do you think this Palace has no one to use if I don’t have you?”
Gu Jie’s eyelids trembled slightly, his lips tinged with purple. Every word he spoke seemed to carry the scent of blood. “When I was young, Princess, you ordered me to brand Xue Liu with a red-hot branding iron, and I followed you without hesitation, serving you day and night without complaint. Moreover, we have now shared intimacy, like fish and water…”
“Silence!”
Princess Ping Le roared, the branding iron in her hand stopping mid-air. Her eyes narrowed, her gaze as cold as frost.
“You are nothing but this Palace’s dog. What intimacy, what sharing of flesh? Do you think you are worthy?”
Gu Jie’s heavy breaths carried a broken, tragic aura.
“Princess, this life of Gu Jie’s has long belonged to you. If you wish to take it, then take it.”
With that, he resolutely closed his eyes, adopting a posture of defiance unto death.
However, his slightly trembling body betrayed his deep-seated cowardice and fear.
He was gambling.
He dared not gamble that Princess Ping Le still held a shred of sincerity or pity for him.
He could only hope that Princess Ping Le’s love poison had not been resolved, and that he might still have some value, gambling that she had no concrete evidence of his betrayal, and perhaps she would show mercy…
See you tomorrow~
