Xiao Ling, who should have died two years ago, is now lying in bed taking medicine.

The medicine was quite bitter, and even Xiao Ling, who was usually not afraid of hardship, frowned deeply. He held his breath and drank all the medicine in the bowl in one go, then placed the bowl heavily on the table.

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow: "Bitter, isn't it?"

Xiao Ling's lips were slightly closed, not daring to savor the taste. It was bitter enough, but there was also a disgusting sour taste. It was bitter, sour, and smelly, and it was simply indescribably awful.

Shen Yuan: "Bitter is good. This herbal soup can both detoxify and replenish blood."

"Thanks to you today, if it weren't for your antidote pill, I'm afraid Wang Shaoyin would have seen my face turn black and purple as soon as he entered the door, and I would have had no chance of escaping." Xiao Ling looked at Shen Yuan, his eyes full of gratitude and admiration.

Shen Yuan said, "The poison you were poisoned with should be the Seven-Step Poison. The guards at the Princess's residence also use this kind of poison. I saw this poison a long time ago and I also know how to cure it."

"A long time ago?" Xiao Ling was slightly taken aback. "You visited the princess's residence?"

Shen Yuan nodded, "My hatred for Xiao Yunyan has its reasons. If I hadn't entered the princess's residence, how could I hate her so much? It was she who made me experience the agony of being unable to live or die time and time again."

When Xiao Yunyan was mentioned, Shen Yuan's shoulders trembled, as if she had recalled some unpleasant scene.

Xiao Ling raised his hand and gently placed it on Shen Yuan's shoulder.

Feeling the heat of Xiao Ling's palm, Shen Yuan suddenly came back to her senses.

"I promise you..." Xiao Ling's voice was low and soft, so soft that only the two of them could hear it.

After hearing Xiao Ling's words, Shen Yuan smiled gently: "Okay!"

After a pause, Shen Yuan's gaze fell on Xiao Ling's pillow. "Who do you plan to give these letters to?"

Xiao Ling's voice was hoarse: "Naturally, it's someone Xiao Yuncheng wants to suspect but dares not."

——

In the dimly lit dungeon, Chu Yuning was bound upside down over a pool of water with her feet tied. The glans around the pool kept spraying water onto Chu Yuning's face.

The sticky, icy sensation is irritating.

Chu Yuning was hung there for a full hour. He felt as if all the blood in his body was flowing backwards, rushing into his head, causing him a splitting headache.

"Injustice...injustice!" Chu Yuning's voice was hoarse, and she no longer had the strength to cry out for justice. Seeing someone coming, she said with difficulty, "I am the future top scholar in the imperial examination. You...you cannot use torture arbitrarily!"

"Top scholar? Ha—the list of those who entered the palace examination hasn't even been released yet, and you're already saying you're the top scholar? What, do you have the ability to predict the future?"

Wang Shaoyin walked into the dungeon with a mocking smile. He saw Chu Yuning hanging from a pool. He strolled over to Chu Yuning and patted his face.

"Clap clap clap—"

A loud slap echoed from inside the dungeon.

Wang Shaoyin sneered, "Wake up! It's already dark, what are you daydreaming about!"

"I'm not dreaming! Just you wait and see if I can become the top scholar!" Chu Yuning glared at Wang Shaoyin with even more shame and indignation, and said sharply, "Not only do I know I can become the top scholar, but I also know that your sister is the future empress..."

Wang Shaoyin's expression changed drastically, and he rushed forward to cover Chu Yuning's mouth.

Chu Yuning didn't continue speaking, but a hint of smugness appeared in his eyes.

He not only has the ability to foresee the future, but he also knows a great deal about things.

Saying just one thing can rewrite a person's destiny.

Now, Wang Shaoyin has been frightened.

Seeing that Chu Yuning obediently shut her mouth, Wang Shaoyin released his grip. He glared fiercely at Chu Yuning and asked, "How did you find out about this?"

"I...I won't tell you!" Chu Yuning said with a mysterious expression.

Unexpectedly, this statement made Wang Shaoyin even more certain that Chu Yuning was the one who stole the letter or an accomplice of the letter thief. Otherwise, how would he know that his sister would marry the Crown Prince in the future?

Is there still a chance for her to become the future empress?

Seeing Chu Yuning's arrogance, Wang Shaoyin angrily picked up a whip and lashed it at Chu Yuning.

"Ah! Ah! Ah!" Chu Yuning's face was contorted from the beating. He bit his lip and threatened stubbornly, "You are an official of the imperial court, how dare you abuse your power! When...when I see the Emperor, I will definitely report you to him!"

Wang Shaoyin sneered. Sure enough, this scoundrel was an accomplice of the person who stole the letter!

They have dirt on the Wang family, and they want to take it to the Emperor?

Oh--

He would never give him another chance to see the Emperor!

"You want to impeach me before the Emperor? Then let's see if you have the life to see the Emperor."

At Wang Shaoyin's command, the ropes binding Chu Yuning's legs were immediately loosened, and he fell into the pool with a splash. The foul-smelling, dirty water instantly rushed into his mouth and nose, choking him and making his eyes roll back.

He struggled desperately to climb out of the water. But the water in the pool was so cold, it felt as if countless ice needles were piercing his bones.

A strong feeling of suffocation swept through her body. Chu Yuning struggled to breathe, but it felt like her neck was being choked. As soon as she opened her mouth, she uncontrollably swallowed the dirty water from the pool.

It's so...so painful...

My chest feels like it's about to explode...

He was in so much pain...

Driven by a strong will to survive, Chu Yuning wanted to beg Wang Shaoyin for mercy, but as soon as he climbed to the edge of the pool, Wang Shaoyin whipped him back into the pool.

"Speak! Where are your accomplices? Where did you hide those letters?"

"No...I don't know!" What do you mean, believe in accomplices? He didn't know! He had no idea why he was arrested!

Chu Yuning struggled and begged for mercy, "Let...let me out! I...I can't die! I can help you, I can help your Wang family!"

But Wang Shaoyin had no interest in listening to these words. Seeing that Chu Yuning still refused to admit it, he was furious and immediately went to the pool and pushed Chu Yuning's head into the pool.

"If you don't tell the truth, believe me, I'll kill you."

"I……"

Chu Yuning wanted to speak, but as soon as he opened his mouth, countless streams of dirty water were poured into it.

My head is spinning, and my nose is burning.

Chu Yuning gradually lost the strength to struggle.

In the moment before she died, Chu Yuning suddenly realized that, so this is what drowning feels like.

No wonder A Yuan hates him so much.

——

Although the poison in Xiao Ling's body has been brought under control, his injuries still require proper rest and recuperation.

So for the next few days, Shen Yuan didn't leave the house except to buy groceries. She stayed in the courtyard to take care of Xiao Ling until the wound on Xiao Ling's shoulder scabbed over.

Half a month has passed in the blink of an eye.

The day arrived when the results of the imperial examinations were announced.

Although Shen Yuan had anticipated the outcome, she still went out wearing a veil, intending to go to the examination hall to see the results in person.

Shen Yuan arrived rather late; all the scholars who had come to see the list had already left.

So Shen Yuan easily reached the front, quickly glancing at the names on the list, which were basically identical to those in her previous life. Chu Yuning's name was also at the top.

He, like her, was truly reborn!