Ji Yuluo looked at Xie Subai. She didn’t know him very well because Xie Subai always kept himself deeply hidden, his emotions included.
But when facing Huo Xian, Xie Subai’s hostility was evident.
He genuinely didn’t intend to kill Huo Xian, but the thought had crossed his mind.
It wasn’t simply a matter of dislike; it was a more complex emotion that Ji Yuluo couldn’t even identify.
She didn’t say more and just stood up straight, saying, “Alright.”
Ao Zhi waited outside the screen, her head lowered. As Ji Yuluo passed by, she escorted her out of the hall. After walking a distance, she said, “Miss, don’t you understand why His Majesty dislikes Lord Huo so much?”
Ji Yuluo stopped and looked at her sideways.
Ao Zhi knew it was inappropriate to discuss the master, so she lowered her head but still said, “Because His Majesty was once like Lord Huo. Seeing him is like reopening old wounds, wounds that have long been disfigured beyond recognition. Though His Majesty doesn’t speak of it, he doesn’t like it, he just won’t admit it. He’s changed, but Lord Huo hasn’t. Whenever he sees Lord Huo, his heart is inevitably disturbed, and the more disturbed he is, the more he resents him. But he won’t really harm Lord Huo.”
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuluo frowned slightly.
Ao Zhi looked at her and firmly said, “Even if he wanted to, he wouldn’t because you like him. When has His Majesty ever stopped you from doing what you like? Anyone in the world can blame him, except you. His Majesty has already—”
“Ji Yuluo!” Shen Qingli appeared out of nowhere, his tone three parts impatient and seven parts resentful. “Are you leaving or not? If you wait any longer, the prison guards will change shifts. If you want to go in, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
Ji Yuluo glanced at Ao Zhi and had no choice but to leave. Right now, nothing was more important than seeing Huo Xian.
However, after she left, Shen Qingli paused where he was.
Seeing Ao Zhi bow her head so low, he said in a deep voice, “You have always been the most sensible. How could you lose your sense of propriety now? If he finds out, he won’t keep you.”
Ao Zhi suddenly raised her head and knelt down with a thud, “Young Master Shen! I lost my head for a moment. I just couldn’t bear to see His Majesty suffer every night in such anguish…”
Shen Qingli rubbed his forehead. “If you can’t bear it, then don’t add to his troubles. This time, let it go. Get up, and there won’t be a next time.”
With that, he turned and left.
By the time he reached the palace gate, Ji Yuluo had already boarded the carriage.
The two of them couldn’t stand the sight of each other. Shen Qingli snorted coldly and turned his head away. But after the carriage had gone a short distance, he couldn’t help but turn back and ask, “Does Lanxin know I’m here?”
Ji Yuluo replied, “You’ve hidden yourself so well, how could she know?”
“You—” Shen Qingli said, “If you hadn’t deliberately concealed it, she would have known long ago!”
He calmed his anger, hesitated for a while, and then asked, “Over the years, she and Huo Xian… she and Huo Xian, did they ever truly consummate their marriage?”
Seeing Ji Yuluo frowning at him, Shen Qingli instinctively took a step back. Trying to muster some courage, he slammed the table and said, “That Huo Zhean with his courtyard full of concubines and frequent visits to brothels—who knows what’s true or false? Don’t tell me he avoided women when he was young; that was just when he was young! He was rebellious back then, and now he’s made a mess of his life. People change, don’t think you know him well. Let me tell you—fuck!”
Shen Qingli was drenched with tea. He wiped his face and saw Ji Yuluo glaring coldly at him.
Feeling a chill down his spine, he fell silent.
They continued in silence.
At the Ministry of Justice prison, Shen Qingli handed Ji Yuluo a prison guard’s uniform after getting off the carriage, instructing her to change into it.
With so many eyes on the Ministry of Justice, Ji Yuluo, as Huo Xian’s wife, couldn’t be openly brought in. If people found out, they would question whether Huo Xian’s imprisonment was genuine.
Moreover, Zhao Yong’s escape from the Ministry of Justice indicated an inside man, necessitating extra caution.
Thus, Huo Xian’s imprisonment had to be flawless. Any hint of a ruse would arouse Zhao Yong’s suspicion, undoing all their efforts.
Shen Qingli stopped at the iron gate. “I won’t go in. I have other matters to handle. Zhoushu, take her inside.”
Zhoushu hesitated, “…Yes.”
—
Huo Xian’s plan was known only to Shen Qingli and a few others. They dared not inform the Ministry of Justice, fearing it would compromise the plan. Consequently, Huo Xian’s treatment by the guards was as harsh as a tiger fallen from grace.
Despite his dire situation and slim chances of recovery, the rivalry between the North Zhenfu Division and the Ministry of Justice had been fierce. Having been suppressed by the Jinyiwei for years, the Ministry of Justice seized this rare opportunity to exact revenge.
At mealtime, the cell door clanged shut.
A guard placed a bowl on the ground heavily, laughing, “Lord Huo, it’s time to eat. Look, today’s meal is quite sumptuous. Eat up.”
To prevent another incident like Zhao Yong’s escape, the guards watched Huo Xian closely. His hands and feet were chained to a stone pillar, restricting his movement to a few steps.
Huo Xian leaned against a stone wall in the corner. Hearing the guard, he frowned slightly and opened his eyes, seeing that the rice bowl contained some disgusting substance. The guard’s foot rested on the bowl’s edge, tapping it rhythmically with his body’s sway.
Outside the cell, a few others lounged against the wall, some even whistling, enjoying the show.
Huo Xian sneered, “Thanks, but you call this a sumptuous meal? Typical Ministry of Justice, short-sighted. You’ve never seen anything good in this prison, have you? Oh, right, you eat the leftovers from the Jinyiwei. No wonder it’s garbage.”
Despite the many injuries on his body and two days of hunger, Huo Xian, usually tall and strong, appeared weak. His hair was disheveled, lips pale, and leaning against the wall, he looked feeble. But his sharp tongue remained defiant, his face full of mocking disdain.
“You!” The guard’s face twisted in anger. He kicked the bowl but then sneered, even laughed loudly. He squatted down, setting the bowl upright. “Lord Huo never thought much of the Ministry of Justice, but now you’re stuck here. Quite rare, so we must show proper hospitality.”
He picked up the bowl, grabbed Huo Xian’s jaw, and tried to force the food into his mouth.
Although Huo Xian’s hands and feet were restrained, he wasn’t entirely defenseless. With a loud clank, the chains dragged across the ground as he used his hand to fend off the guard and kicked out hard.
The guard let out a yelp, flying backward and crashing into the wall, feeling as if his internal organs were about to burst. Blood surged up his throat.
The men outside the cell laughed, “Hey, Old Zhou, can you handle this or not?”
The guard got up, wiped the blood from his forehead, and swallowed the blood in his throat. He cursed under his breath, “Huo Xian! Don’t push your luck. Do you still think you’re the all-powerful governor? I’m not afraid to tell you that in a few days, you’ll be headed to the execution ground. Let’s see how long you can keep up this arrogance! Today, you’ll eat this meal whether you want to or not!”
That kick had injured the guard, but Huo Xian hadn’t come out unscathed either.
Over the years, the Jinyiwei had deeply offended the Ministry of Justice, and now he was paying the price. All the abusive tricks he had seen in the imperial prison, he was now experiencing firsthand.
These guards didn’t dare let him die easily, but there were plenty of ways to torture without killing.
Huo Xian felt a wave of nausea, the kick leaving him dizzy and wanting to vomit. Though his expression remained unchanged, the guard appeared as a blur in his vision. He had to rely on the sound to judge the distance, then swiftly tripped the guard, locking his legs around the man’s throat and squeezing with all his might.
The jeers from outside the cell grew louder, treating this as a spectacle.
Huo Xian showed no mercy; he had never claimed to be a saint, offering no pity to his tormentors.
Earlier that morning, Marquis Xuanping had visited.
It ended, as always, in discord.
The marquis had stood outside the cell, hands behind his back, saying, “If you could be as sensible as your elder brother, I wouldn’t have had to overshadow you so much in your youth.”
“I warned you repeatedly, fearing you might bring ruin to the entire Huo family, but you never listened, and even resented me for it. Sometimes I wonder, did you take this path just to spite me?”
“Do you know that Cong’er is too frail to take up the martial arts? With your elder brother gone, the Huo family’s burden will inevitably fall on you. I know you’re capable. If you could just settle down, wouldn’t you find success?”
Marquis Xuanping’s eyes were filled with a mix of sorrow and reproach. “You could have had a glorious future…”
Huo Xian’s face flushed from pale to red with rage. His eyes glinted fiercely as he tightened his legs around the guard’s throat in a nearly vengeful manner. The guard struggled, choking, his face turning a purplish hue from the lack of air.
Grasping Huo Xian’s leg with one hand, the guard reached for a dagger at his boot with the other. With a desperate effort, he plunged the dagger into Huo Xian’s calf.
Huo Xian grunted, the pain causing his grip to loosen momentarily. The guard took the chance to scramble up. Both men were like beasts in a frenzy. Ignoring everything else, the guard dropped the dagger and grabbed the iron chain, looping it around Huo Xian’s neck.
He tightened it mercilessly, just as Huo Xian had done to him moments before. “Damn it, you won’t take the easy way, huh?”
Huo Xian’s forehead veins bulged as the suffocation pulled him out of his conflict with Marquis Xuanping.
No, he couldn’t die here.
Besides, he absolutely couldn’t die.
Grasping the iron chain around his neck, Huo Xian slowly moved his fingers downward until he felt the discarded dagger. He stabbed it into the guard’s hand.
A scream echoed through the cell, but it was abruptly cut off. The guard collapsed to the ground, unmoving.
The cell fell into an unexpected silence.
Panting, Huo Xian pushed himself up and saw the guard lying with wide-open eyes, clearly dead.
He was momentarily stunned, then noticed a large knife embedded in the guard’s abdomen.
Blood poured out, the knife standing firmly in place.
He saw Ji Yuluo.
