He was returned to the imperial prison.

The so-called Imperial Prison was a special prison for detaining and interrogating criminals who were ordered to be severely punished by imperial decree. It was under the jurisdiction of the Court of Judicial Review and was jointly managed by the heads of the Three Departments: the Court of Judicial Review, the Ministry of Justice, and the Censorate.

Because of Lin Zhenlie's waist tag and Lin Huaiyin's identity, the carriage did not stop in front of the Magistrate's Office, but went straight to the entrance of the Imperial Prison.

The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, the Minister of Justice, and the Vice Minister of the Censorate, who was temporarily in charge of the Censorate due to the sudden death of the Grand Censor Liu Cang, all arrived with their subordinates.

Everyone had received Lin Huaiyin's life-saving grace at Crane Cry Mountain, and had also heard about her experience on the Shangsi Festival from the fleshy man of the White Lotus Sect. They both respected and pitied Lin Huaiyin. When they saw her staring blankly at the black boulder, they only dared to stop three steps away and cautiously bow.

"Greetings, Miss Lin." The official from the Three Departments greeted her softly.

"Hmm." Lin Huaiyin responded subconsciously, then turned her head and saw the officials bowing to her. Her fingers suddenly clenched her sleeves, and for a moment she felt as if she had been transported to another world.

The torches in the prison crackled and popped, and the red-eyed rats scurried into the shadows in a sorry state. These faces swayed and staggered, having passed through her past life. Why would they take her seriously?

In a previous life, the Lin family, spanning nine generations, died unjustly, and their crimes were determined by the Three Judicial Offices.

In her past life, Lin Huaiyin was bound and brought here, unjustly imprisoned, a death row inmate at the mercy of the three judicial authorities.

In her past life, the entire court of officials, with their gold belts and purple robes, and their red and scarlet garments, marched past her cell as Shen Congyun imprisoned and dealt with the Crown Prince.

No one stopped, no one glanced at them.

The torches burned past Lin Huaiyin, sometimes bright, sometimes dark. The court officials strode forward, ignoring her, as if afraid she would offend their eyes.

The truth is that the air in the imperial prison was thick and foul, and everyone avoided it. No one cared whether she was wronged or guilty. They simply assumed that she was Shen Congyun's divorced wife, the daughter of a disgraced official, and deserved to die.

"Miss Lin, have you come to inquire about the progress of the case?" The Minister of the Court of Judicial Review looked up with a smirk and took the initiative to report: "We are currently conducting a rigorous interrogation of the officials of the Secretariat and the White Lotus Rebels, and interrogating the Shen family for their crimes. We also have some specific matters that we would like to discuss with Miss Lin."

The elderly Minister of Justice, with a kind face, earnestly advised: "The Imperial Prison is filthy and may harm your precious health. You are the victim of the treasonous case and a hero in eradicating the White Lotus Sect. We will go to the Lin residence later to inquire about the relevant situation. You really do not need to come to the Imperial Prison in person."

At the end, he hesitated, saying only, "There's no need to see that beastly culprit, Shen," for fear of touching on Lin Huaiyin's painful past, and didn't say it directly.

Lin Huaiyin naturally understood the implied meaning. Her deep gaze fell on the vertical shaft at the entrance to the prison. The wind whistled past her ears, and she felt extremely ironic.

In her previous life, she was imprisoned by Shen Congyun in the Imperial Prison for a full ninety days.

Ninety days of hell, eating spoiled food, drinking cold air, fighting rats, tying knots, and licking the water droplets that condensed on the walls of the cell to survive.

She swallowed, touched, and breathed; the scent of the Imperial Prison seeped into her bones and was etched into her soul. Lin Huaiyin knew the Imperial Prison better than anyone else present; it was the place where she died.

The prisoner, waiting to die, has transformed into a victim and a witness. The three judges who were once manipulated and ruthlessly crushed by Shen Congyun now bow down and kowtow, advising her not to go down and get tainted.

The contrast between then and now is truly poignant.

Lin Huaiyin slowly clenched her sleeves, her back like a bamboo pole that had been bent and then straightened up again.

She is different from Shen Congyun.

She did not manipulate power or frame loyal officials. She gained Xiao Zhian's influence and was protected by him, but she used her own hatred and the Lin family's bow and arrow to bury her enemies step by step, and protect the Lin family's century-old reputation and the lives of nine generations of relatives.

She stands here, receiving the respect of the officials. She deserves it and is worthy of it. Shen Congyun deserves to die, and Princess Pingyang will not live much longer either.

Under a clear blue sky, bathed in sunlight, Lin Huaiyin remained silent for a long time, an invisible and boundless pressure silently released. The ministers lowered their heads and silently attended to him.

Inside the carriage, Xie Xincun leaned against the window, gazing intently.

Lin Huaiyin's heartbeat, pulse, and breathing; the flickering of her eyes; the rise and fall of her toes; the trembling and straightening of her spine; the clenching and loosening of her fingers; and the semi-circular nail marks on her sleeves—all these were clearly visible to him.

She was sad, fearful, excited, and proud; she was reminiscing and contemplating; she had nowhere to hide in his presence.

In her carriage, he inhaled the sweet scent of the young girl in the air, caressed his right hand that had played with her slender neck, and recalled the wonderful contact she made while lying on his lap. He tried to suppress the image of her and Xiao Zhian's loving entanglement. In the turmoil of his emotions, he, like her, tried his best to control himself.

She was so thin and frail that a single silver needle inserted into her Baihui point could take her life.

But her soft and vulnerable demeanor was an illusion. After several encounters, Xie Xincun saw through her armor and realized she was extremely difficult to deal with.

She was unyielding, unyielding, neither worshipping nor infatuated; she was unlike anyone else, leaving him with no way to win her over.

And I couldn't put it down.

This little girl, who could scold him, bite him, and scheme against him, would also stand on tiptoe to reach him and care for him with boundless tenderness.

She was truly a breathtaking mystery, rising from the vast dust, piercing through the clouds and breaking through the sun, touching him, and for the first time shaking his all-knowing mastery.

Xie Xincun's eyes turned red, and his bones trembled. She suddenly approached him, seemingly insignificant, but in an instant, she shattered his calm and boring world, turning it upside down, and she didn't even want to take responsibility.

She should take responsibility; she has nowhere else to go.

Lifting the carriage curtain, Xie Xincun stepped out of the carriage.

He was invited by Lin Zhenlie to investigate Shen Congyun. Although it was a trivial matter and he shouldn't have been bothered, Lin Huaiyin's affairs would be under his jurisdiction from now on, and only he could handle them.

Xie Xincun walked towards Lin Huaiyin.

He was always carefree and unconcerned with the occasion, always appearing nonchalant like a trapped tiger. But now, as soon as he got out of the car, he caught the trembling of Lin Huaiyin's ear tips. For some reason, he perked up and felt a surge of competitive spirit. He walked with a dragon-like gait and a tiger-like stride, his waist hunched and his temples turned to the side, trying his best to display his charming and elegant demeanor.

The officials present, both high and low, were all taken aback when they saw him step down from Lin Huaiyin's carriage, his demeanor dashing and extraordinary. They were even more alarmed when they recalled the coachman's words, "The General has invited a capable man to interrogate Shen Congyun," and the fact that he had shown Lin Zhenlie's fish-shaped waist tag.

The image of Lin Zhenlie wielding the Taizu Golden Spear and brutally beating Shen Congyun was still vivid in my mind. Even His Highness the Crown Prince had to kneel, so they were even less worthy of respect. Lin Zhenlie's honored guest, who could ride with Miss Lin, spoke volumes about his importance.

Although the officials did not know Xie Xincun's background, it did not prevent them from feeling fear. They were not comfortable bowing to the common people, but they still nodded and showed their goodwill.

Xie Xincun smiled slightly, quite pleased. He walked to Lin Huaiyin's side and stood there. He flipped his right hand, and silver light flashed.

With a cry of "Ah!", the elderly Minister of Justice opened his eyes wide and exclaimed, "My eyes!" looking around in disbelief.

"What's wrong with the old man?"

The officials were in a state of panic.

Seeing that silver needles had been inserted into his face and arms at some unknown time, with the ends of the needles gleaming in the sunlight, they all stepped back, not daring to make a move.

Lin Huaiyin stood frozen in place, her brows slightly furrowed.

Xie Xincun must have taken action because he lost a bet and was taking his anger out on the court officials.

Lin Huaiyin blamed herself for bringing bad luck to the old Minister, but she had almost lost her life just now. Now, both angry and terrified, she could only glance sideways at Xie Xincun, frantically trying to stop him from unleashing his killing spree. Unexpectedly, the Minister of Justice shouted excitedly—

"I can see clearly again!!!"

"After reading case files for decades, my eyesight was already failing. But now, with my worn-out glasses being polished again, it's like I've been brought back to life!"

Congratulations poured in immediately.

The old minister wept uncontrollably.

Lin Huaiyin's pupils dilated, and she suddenly turned her head to meet Xie Xincun's gaze.

Xie Xincun raised an eyebrow at Lin Huaiyin: "I promised your father that I would settle this case before taking you away. The Crown Prince of Xingchao has only these old, weak, sick, and disabled people under his command, who are utterly useless."

"snort."

Lin Huaiyin pouted, her heart slowly calming down. She wanted to retort to Xie Xincun, scolding him for being delusional and showing off, but in her heart she couldn't help but admit that she had indeed benefited. She thought it was good that he showed off, she liked that he loved to show off, and she hoped that he could show off to all the people of Daxing, then she would praise him for being amazing.

Unable to utter either curses or praises, Lin Huaiyin, feeling smug, abandoned the officials and headed towards the gates of the imperial prison.

The imperial prison extends ten zhang (approximately 33 meters) underground, with iron gates laid flat on the ground. Four prison guards work together to open them.

"Squeak—"

The hinges creaked, the door opened, and a vertical shaft appeared before us. The dark prison, shrouded in the shadow of a giant black stone, was like the maw of the underworld, devouring light and unfathomable.

"call--"

A strong wind rushed into the shaft, causing Lin Huaiyin's skirt to flutter and her hairpins to jingle.

"Clang, clang—"

The iron ladder plunged down, the metal striking the well wall, the echo reverberating endlessly, the ladder swaying incessantly, as if evil spirits were crawling out of hell.

“Miss Lin,” a jailer said, carrying a torch and a tinderbox, as he climbed the iron ladder and crawled down into the shaft, “I will go down first to get you. Please take your time and watch your step.”

Lin Huaiyin remained silent, the light and shadows flickering before her eyes.

In her past life, she was brought here bound and dragged down to hell.

In her past life, she was protected by the Crown Prince, who gave her a glimmer of hope. In the name of the Crown Princess and under the pretext of the dragon's offspring, she stood at the bottom of this well, holding the icy iron ladder, and caught a glimpse of the light of freedom.

She should climb out and use the coded message "wild deer carrying flowers" to find Mu Zhanjuan to rescue His Highness, so that she and His Highness the Crown Prince can survive.

But she failed His Highness's trust and did not climb up. Instead, she chose to confront Shen Congyun and perished at the bottom of the well.

Now back in the imperial prison, the Lin family is safe and sound, Zhi An is unharmed, and Mu Zhanjuan is collecting evidence against Shen Congyun and Liu Cang. Shen Congyun has become the guilty man awaiting execution...

Times have changed, offense and defense have shifted, and we are no longer prey to others.

Lin Huaiyin, however, was not happy at all.

She left, turning to ashes, completely escaping the imperial prison and betraying His Highness the Crown Prince.

Where is His Highness?

Is His Highness the Crown Prince alright? Is it true, as Zhi'an said, that he used her jade hairpin to unlock the door, escaped the den of demons, and made a comeback?

Your Highness, did he ever wait for her, resent her, or hate her in this boundless, hopeless prison?

His Highness left her with the hope of life; how could she repay him? Where could she go to repay him?

Amidst howling winds, Lin Huaiyin stood at the crossroads of two generations.

She was too ashamed to face the person who had given her the only warmth and light in her despair. She was enveloped by a shameful, unforgivable guilt and couldn't move from her seat for a long time.

She could never repay this debt in this life, the next, or for all eternity, and she could never tell anyone about it.

Lin Huaiyin had no intention of bringing up His Highness the Crown Prince again with Xiao Zhian. She was destined to chew on and swallow her sorrows alone in the fierce wind—she was a shameful traitor, and the only person who could forgive her could not be found in another time and place.

Before her stood ominous black stones, beneath her feet lay the nightmarish prison, and in her heart writhed with unbearable pain and guilt. In a daze, Lin Huaiyin even felt that the prison guards crawling into the shaft looked somewhat familiar. She wished she could return to that time and place...

Even if it means temporarily abandoning this peaceful place, she wants to go back, see His Highness, die with him, and live with him...

Lin Huaiyin was torn between her past and present lives. The faces of the white-robed prince and Xiao Zhian overlapped before her eyes. The wind howled like a crane's cry, making her shiver and sway. Suddenly, an arm reached around her waist and wrapped around her.

Xie Xincun pressed his chest against her slender back, leaned close to her ear, and said, "Seeing you like this makes me feel that this trip was worthwhile. What are you afraid of? What are you looking forward to? What secrets are you hiding down there? Why don't you take me down and let me see for myself?"

After he finished speaking, Xie Xincun lifted him up with one arm.

Lin Huaiyin's feet left the ground instantly, and he fell through the air, spinning and sinking. The bright, clear sky was suddenly locked away, the light shrinking into a circle, and the orange torch burned into his heart. Lin Huaiyin trembled in Xie Xincun's arms, and the moment he landed—"Bang!"

Xie Xincun held back his strength and stepped on a round iron plate.

The sound brought Lin Huaiyin back to her senses. She pulled away from Xie Xincun's arm and looked down at her feet suspiciously—a round iron plate. Did such a thing exist in her past life? Why didn't she remember it?