Chapter 33: Really just concern?

The two yamen runners first brought a bucket of ice and forced Rongyu's feet into it, and then clamped his ten fingers with wooden clamps wrapped in cloth.

At first it was numbness, then the cold mixed with the pain of squeezing penetrated my bones, and my feet were already frozen and painful.

Then, they took out several silver needles and stabbed them one by one into the gaps between Rongyu's nails.

The pain was so overwhelming that no amount of screaming could stop it.

"Xie Chong! Ye Chenming! I fuck your ancestors for eighteen generations! You are beasts with black hearts and rotten lungs! You are worse than pigs and dogs! You deserve to be cut into pieces and die a miserable death! In the underworld, you will be torn apart by vicious dogs and thrown into the eighteen levels of hell, never to be reborn..."

“Aa ...

"Xie Chong! You're nothing but a running dog of Ye Chenming! Is it because he didn't serve you well enough that you have nowhere to vent your anger and come here to humiliate me...ah!"

"Shut his mouth!"

Xie Chong finally lost his patience and gave a stern order. Although it was an open secret that he was Ye Chenming's subordinate, he could not reveal it like that.

Ye Chen had a clear ambition to stay in the Eastern Palace, so how could he tolerate such a stain? Especially not to be known by the Emperor. Rong Yu's pig-slaughtering roar, even if those present dared not spread it, had already made him lose face.

It is a great shame and humiliation for a man to be subservient to another woman.

"Strip his clothes! I'm going to write an inscription on him!"

Rongyu's hands and feet were bound, his mouth gagged, and all his silent cries were drowned in his throat. Seeing his clothes being roughly torn, tears finally rolled down his face. Who would save him?

My feet were already numb from the cold, my hands were numb, and blood flowed like a river on the icy ground. Cold sweat streamed down my forehead, more violent than tears, and veins bulged. The pain was a hundred times worse than before!

Ye Chenyin...save me...

All clothes were taken off, leaving only a pair of underwear to cover the body.

"Bring me the iron needle. I need to write carefully." Xie Chong ordered sinisterly.

He presented an iron needle as thick as a brush, the tip of which was polished to a cold gleam.

Xie Chong held the needle, and the cold needle tip slowly moved across Rongyu's smooth and slender waist.

"What should I write..." He pretended to be silent.

At this moment, all the fear in Rongyu's heart disappeared, leaving only overwhelming hatred. If she could get out alive, she would chop this man into meat sauce, wrap it into buns and stuff it into Ye Chenming's mouth, so that they would never be separated!

"Why not just write 'His Royal Highness Prince Jing has great skills'? I will definitely submit it for you when the time comes." Xie Chong grinned, the needle tip about to fall.

With a soft sound, Xie Chong felt a sharp pain on his back. His skin and flesh were instantly cut open by the sharp blade! He howled miserably and rolled on the ground.

The other two yamen runners had not yet reacted when they were stabbed in the throat with a sword and died on the spot.

When Rongyu saw who was coming, she was first filled with disbelief, and then tears of grievance burst out.

Ye Chenyin rushed over like a whirlwind, cut the rope, pulled out the filth from his mouth, took off his cloak and wrapped the person tightly in his arms.

"Wow..." Rong Yu could no longer hold on and burst into tears like a broken heart.

Ye Chenyin clenched his arms tighter, his eyes burning as tears silently streamed down his cheeks. Wasn't he also suffering in the raging fire? He had been left alone in this place of wolves, and he had been frightened all night long!

"Hurry! Make the bed!" Ye Chenyin ordered in a deep voice.

Siyu quickly cleared a corner and spread out clean bedding. Ye Chenyin carefully set Rongyu down and gently lifted his cloak. The tiny pinholes on his arms were covered in red marks, and the large bruises on his arms were clearly from pinching. His fingers were red and swollen, but no blood was seen, but the cracks between his nails were dark red. His feet were black and blue from the cold.

Ye Chenyin felt as if his heart was being cut by a knife, and his fingertips trembled as he wiped the medicine on his wound.

He was wrong... He was filled with remorse. He shouldn't have let Rong Yu risk his life to save his mother, shouldn't have pushed him into this abyss, and even more so shouldn't have... forced him to stay by his side.

"I'm sorry... I was wrong... I'm sorry..." He repeated in a low voice with a choked voice while applying the medicine.

"Your Highness..." Rong Yu called out weakly.

Ye Chenyin suddenly looked up and saw his pale and weak appearance, and her nose felt even more sore.

"...I did this voluntarily. It has nothing to do with you..."

Every word Rong Yu spoke was like a poisoned dagger, stabbing fiercely into Ye Chenyin's heart. How could it be unrelated? This purgatory was forged by his own hands.

"You'll be fine." Ye Chenyin said firmly, his fingertips gently brushing his cold cheek: "I will definitely rescue you! Siyu will stay to protect you and will never let you get hurt again... Trust me." He leaned over, pressed his forehead against Rongyu's burning forehead, and whispered over and over again: "Wait for me."

When Rongyu finally fell into a tormented sleep, Ye Chenyin suddenly stood up, the gentleness on his face fading, leaving only a biting coldness. He walked towards Xie Chong, who was curled up on the ground, and said in a voice so cold it could crack metal and stone: "Master Xie, according to Tianquan law, private execution of death row prisoners is strictly prohibited. But did I forget it?"

Xie Chong was shaking like a sieve, kowtowed repeatedly, and there was no trace of his previous arrogance left: "This humble official is confused! This humble official is confused! Your Highness, please spare my life! This humble official will never dare to do it again!"

Ye Chenyin walked in front of him, and his shadow completely enveloped Xie Chong: "Just now, which hand touched him?"

Xie Chong was shaking so much that he couldn't speak. He just kept kowtowing and begging for mercy, his words incoherent.

Ye Chenyin's patience was exhausted.

"Chop off his limbs, put them in a box, and send them to Ye Chenming. The rest...will be made into human pigs, stripped naked and thrown into the busy streets. Remember, don't let him pass out."

Xie Chong suddenly looked up, his eyes instantly filled with extreme fear. How could this happen? He was supposed to be the confidant of the Xiang prince. When the Xiang prince entered the Eastern Palace, he had a bright future! Why did he end up like this?

"Your Highness, please spare me! Please spare me!" The pig-killing wail was deafening.

Ye Chenyin turned around and looked at Rong Yu sleeping on the bed. He caressed his pale, sickly face lovingly. The murderous intent in his eyes grew stronger as he gave a cold order: "Drag him out and chop him up. He's making a noise."

Siyu responded by stepping forward and dragging the wailing Xie Chong out of the cell like a dead dog. A shrill scream rang out briefly, then abruptly stopped.

Ye Chenyin returned to the bedside, his eyes filled with guilt. He carefully held Rongyu in his arms, avoiding the wound.

I haven't seen you for just one night, and you look so haggard.

"Xuanhe," he pressed his hand against Rongyu's burning ear and swore a blood oath: "From today on, if I hurt you even a little bit, you will take my life with your own hands."

Rong Yu seemed to hear this oath in his confusion, but his eyelids felt like they were weighed down by a thousand-pound stone. He struggled several times, but ultimately couldn't open them. After a moment, he fell into a deep sleep.

Ye Chenyin stepped out of the sky prison and saw two figures standing in front of the mansion gate from afar.

A man was wearing a white robe and a moon-white cloak. He was as tall and straight as a pine tree and had an elegant demeanor.

The other man was dressed in a clean blue robe and a plain white cloak. He was as gentle as jade and had a temperament as fresh as spring.

It was Ye Chenyuan and Shen Qinghe.

Inside the study, candlelight dimmed. The three of them sat down in a deep silence.

Shen Qinghe's gaze fell calmly on Ye Chenyuan.

Ye Chenyuan frowned and stared at Ye Chenyin.

But Ye Chenyin just looked at the snow falling outside the window, his expression was extremely calm, and no one knew what he was thinking.

a long time.

"Do you have any plan to rescue Rong Yu?" Ye Chenyuan was the first to break the silence.

Ye Chenyin didn't respond immediately. In his eyes, the wind and snow seemed to reflect Rong Yu's figure, laughing and making a snowman. If he were there, he would definitely do the same...

After a long while, he slowly turned around, looking at Ye Chenyuan calmly, and said in a resounding voice: "If Rong Ruo's life is in danger, I will... kill everyone who deserves to be killed!"

Ye Chenyuan's body trembled, staring at him in disbelief. How dare he speak so directly of regicide?

He lowered his eyes, feeling mixed emotions. Ye Chenming deserved to die, but he always had a feeling of awe and admiration for his father.

In his heart, his father had always been a wise and virtuous ruler. The guidance and love he had received during his childhood had made him feel that this emperor was completely different from the tyrants and incompetent rulers described in history books.

However, this belief was shaken when Ye Chenming was protected despite his many bad deeds and innocent people were wronged.

Father...is he really a wise ruler?

If he was truly a wise ruler, why did he delay a thorough investigation, knowing that Ye Chenming had murdered innocent people and aided the tyrant? Why did he hastily sentence Rong Yu to death based on a few slanderous accusations?

If he was truly a wise ruler, why did he allow Concubine Wu to abuse Concubine Xian? Why did his mother, who always hated evil, become increasingly distant from him?

Ye Chenyuan didn't dare to think about it anymore. Fear surged like a tide. He was afraid that he had been deceived all these years, and Ye Chenyin was the one who was sober.

"Your Highness?" Shen Qinghe noticed that his expression was different and said to him gently, "With the help of good fortune, you will be able to turn misfortune into good fortune. Your Highness does not need to worry too much."

Ye Chenyuan slowly opened his eyes, forced a smile at Shen Qinghe, and then looked at Ye Chenyin again: "What are you planning?"

"Third brother, there is no need for you to interfere in this matter. You can go back." Ye Chenyin's tone was flat, and his intention to drive the guests away was clear.

Ye Chenyuan wanted to ask more, but Shen Qinghe said, "Your Highness, since His Highness King Jing has said so, he must have a solution. We just need to wait for the result."

Ye Chenyuan didn't ask any more questions and left silently with Shen Qinghe.

Walking to the corridor, Shen Qinghe looked at Ye Chenyuan with a worried and depressed look, and his heart felt like a huge rock was blocking it, making it dull and stagnant.

"Rong Yu saved His Highness's life, and I understand His Highness's concern. But..." He paused, his voice still gentle, but a subtle hint of panic and expectation flashed in his eyes: "Your Highness's treatment of Rong Yu seems to be beyond common sense?"

Ye Chenyuan paused and turned to look at Shen Qinghe. His expression eased slightly, but his brows remained fixed. "Rongyu is a simple-minded person who sacrifices himself for others. He has repeatedly put himself in danger to save others, and now he is even on death row... How can I not be deeply worried?"

If it weren't for saving him, Rong Yu's identity would not be exposed, nor would Ye Chenming regard it as a handle to check and balance Ye Chenyin, pushing her to the forefront! This thought turned into a heavy guilt that bound him tightly. If Rong Yu really died because of this, he would never be at peace in his life.

"If... it was Yaozhi who was in danger," Shen Qinghe said, his face seemingly calm, but the panic and cautious expectation in his eyes were unmistakable. "Would Your Highness also be so... worried?"

They have been together since childhood, have a deep affection and a tacit understanding. Even if their relationship is not envied by the world, they are still an indispensable part of each other's lives.

"Of course." Ye Chenyuan answered without hesitation, frankly and openly: "If anything happens to you, I will do everything I can to protect you."

This answer clearly implied that Rong Yu wasn't as important as him, but this openness... wasn't what he wanted. The light in Shen Qinghe's eyes dimmed quietly, and he lowered his eyelids with a soft sigh. That's all. After all, this matter... couldn't be forced.