Xi Xizhi couldn't get a word in edgewise, so she could only stand there dumbfounded and watch. She felt terrible, though. She had witnessed firsthand how An Yunyi had climbed to such a high position.

He was originally a good kid, but he has become so cold-blooded and ruthless, and even joined forces with Wu Jianfeng to plot against him.

The imperial palace truly devours people without spitting out their bones.

"Do you think I have no way out?" The moment he grabbed Wu Jianfeng, An Honghan already had a plan in mind.

The net is already cast; all that's left is to wait for the fish to fall into it.

Not ignoring Xi Xizhi's presence, An Honghan said to her, "Turn around and face the wall, cover your ears, and don't look back."

Xi Xizhi wanted to ask why, but swallowed her words when she met An Honghan's cold eyes.

Since it was An Honghan who said it, it must be true. I just need to do as he says.

Turning around and walking to the wall, Xi Xizhi raised her hand and covered her ears.

She didn't cover her ears tightly, and when screams came from behind her, Xi Xizhi trembled in fright.

Xi Xizhi really wanted to turn around and see what An Honghan had done to Wu Jianfeng, but she was also afraid of seeing the unfamiliar An Honghan again. In the end, she desperately covered her ears, trying to pretend that she hadn't heard anything.

Sizzle... the sound of meat burning.

If Xi Xizhi still couldn't guess what An Honghan was doing, then she would truly be an idiot.

The cell was filled with the smell of burning, and the long-term dampness of the cell gave it a strange odor, making Xi Xizhi's stomach churn and wishing she could vomit up everything she had eaten that morning.

Struggling to suppress the nausea, Xi Xizhi pressed her fingers even tighter against her ears.

But the ordeal wasn't over yet. Xi Xizhi felt tormented just listening to the screams behind him, let alone the people suffering from the torment.

Half an hour later.

The sounds behind her gradually subsided, and Xi Xizhi thought the torture was over. Just as she was about to let go of her hands covering her ears, an even louder scream suddenly filled the entire cell. Startled, Xi Xizhi's small hands trembled, she closed her eyes, and once again desperately covered her ears, biting her lip tightly.

That's terrible...

When a person is on the verge of despair and death, their voice becomes so sharp that it seems to pierce the void.

As time passed, Xi Xizhi felt a large hand touch her forehead, then pull away her small hand that was pressed against her ear.

"It's over." A cold yet familiar voice rang out.

An Honghan was already standing behind Xi Xizhi.

Xi Xizhi opened her eyes suspiciously, turned around, and faced An Honghan.

She swallowed hard, then looked past him and towards his back.

Upon seeing it, Xi Xizhi gasped.

Blood everywhere...

Blood flowed uncontrollably from Wu Jianfeng's mouth, down his chin, his clothes, and onto the ground.

Blood flowed like a river, staining the entire cell floor red.

His shirt was torn open at the chest, revealing patches of burn marks. Next to him, a red-hot iron rod was stuck in the brazier—clearly the murder weapon.

Xi Xizhi glanced at it only once before quickly looking away. If she looked any longer, she couldn't guarantee she'd be able to sleep tonight.

Looking into An Honghan's eyes, Xi Xizhi asked hesitantly, "Is he dead?"

"He probably won't survive, right? Such a serious injury," Xi Xizhi muttered to herself.

“He’s not dead. I only cut out his tongue.” An Honghan said casually. Seeing a layer of cold sweat on Xi Xizhi’s forehead, he took out a handkerchief and wiped it for her. His slow and methodical manner made it seem as if he wasn’t the one who had just tormented her.

"Come back to Panlong Palace with me. I will instruct others to handle the rest." Although An Honghan did not hide from Xi Xizhi how he dealt with Wu Jianfeng, he still did not want her to stay here any longer.

This side of his personality wasn't very likable, so much so that in the past, he never let Xi Xizhi get involved in this kind of thing.

But now, he no longer wants to hide it.

You can hide it for a day, but you can't hide it forever.

This side of him would be exposed sooner or later, so rather than letting Xi Xizhi discover it slowly later, it's better to reveal it first, at least to show that he has never lied to her.

The scene she had just witnessed was a huge blow to Xi Xizhi.

Fortunately, we had encountered similar situations before... only this time it was An Honghan who personally dealt with the criminals.

In the past, whenever An Honghan wanted to punish someone, he would have his subordinates do it. So what happened in the prison cell today made Xi Xizhi feel a little uncomfortable.

Xi Xizhi knew what kind of person An Honghan was before, but this was still different from seeing him with her own eyes.

In short, An Honghan should not have his hands stained with blood.

Let An Honghan put his arm around her shoulder and lead her back to Panlong Palace.

As soon as Lynn saw the two return, he immediately jogged over.

As expected, Xi Xizhi's expression was not good.

"I'll go change my clothes. Lin En, go and instruct the imperial kitchen to prepare a meal." An Honghan frowned as he looked at the few drops of blood on his dragon robe, released Xi Xizhi, and walked towards the inner palace.

While His Majesty was changing clothes, Lynn made no attempt to hide his anxiety, saying, "My little ancestor, I told you not to look. Look at your face... it's deathly pale. Sit down first, and you'll probably feel better after eating something."

"Thank you for your concern, Uncle Steward. I'm fine."

When the food was served, Xi Xizhi realized that she had underestimated her ability to cope.

Looking at the dishes on the table and recalling the scene in the prison cell, Xi Xizhi felt nauseous again.

The hand holding the chopsticks is unable to move them.

Especially upon seeing those dishes of braised delicacies, Xi Xizhi's delicate eyebrows furrowed. The large burn scar on Wu Jianfeng's chest immediately came to mind.

Xi Xizhi cursed inwardly, "This is really ruining my appetite."

"Have some bamboo shoots." A pair of silver chopsticks were extended in front of Xi Xizhi, with a tender white bamboo shoot between them.

When Xi Xizhi saw the clean and bright color, her nausea lessened considerably.

"Open your mouth."

Xi Xizhi opened her lips in a daze, only snapping back to reality when she tasted the fresh fragrance of bamboo shoots in her mouth.

The bamboo shoots, still warm, seemed to warm Xi Xizhi's heart.

The palace maids and eunuchs around them stared in astonishment. Did His Majesty not mind what happened a couple of days ago? Why was he so fond of this child? Not only had his affection not decreased, but it had actually increased. He even gently served the child food.

After chewing the bamboo shoot a few times, Xi Xizhi swallowed it.

A refreshing aroma spreads across the taste buds.

Afterwards, An Honghan picked up some vegetables and fed them to her, which Xi Xizhi swallowed whole.