Liu Qianqian goes to prison

On the other hand, Li Yi secretly sent people to pressure Manager Zhou, forcing him to write a letter of divorce.

He knew that if Liu Qianqian was still tied to her husband's family, Xu Shilang would inevitably leave behind hidden dangers after he succeeded; only by making her "ownerless" could he completely eliminate any future troubles.

He summoned his trusted aide and whispered a few instructions to him.

Having received a bribe, the jailer used both threats and inducements, employing both soft and hard tactics, to coerce Manager Zhou. Manager Zhou, originally a merchant, though deeply in love with Liu Qianqian, had developed hatred for her under the threat of death and days of torture. He believed he had suffered this undeserved misfortune because of her. He then pressed his fingerprint on the document provided by the jailer.

A letter of divorce was delivered to Li Yi.

Li Yi then instructed his trusted confidant: "Tell this news to Lady Liu."

More than a month passed, and Li Yi continued to refuse Liu Qianqian's request to see Manager Zhou, intending to force her to submit to Minister Xu. However, on this day, Xuanji suddenly learned from the gatekeeper that Liu Qianqian had been imprisoned.

She got up and walked out quickly, her skirt flipping up the embroidered stool, but she didn't bother to steady it.

Shi Liu was bringing in tea when she nearly bumped into her, and asked in surprise, "Where are you going, my lady?"

“Go see my husband.” Xuanji’s voice was tense, and his face was pale. “I need to know the truth! Why was Sister Qianqian imprisoned?” The last few words were trembling.

The study door was not closed, and she pushed it open and went in.

Li Yi was reviewing documents at his desk when he heard the voice. He looked up and saw her. He frowned slightly, put down his pen, and said, "What's the matter that you're in such a hurry?"

Xuanji stood before the desk, her chest heaving slightly, and looked directly at him: "Have you heard that Liu Qianqian has been imprisoned, my lord?"

Li Yi's gaze darkened slightly, and after a moment he nodded: "I have indeed heard about it." His tone was flat, revealing little emotion.

"Why was she imprisoned?" Xuanji pressed, her voice rising uncontrollably. "Last time I asked you, sir, to inquire about it. You only said that Vice Minister Xu was powerful and we needed to be careful. Why is it that she is also imprisoned in just one month?"

Li Yi looked at her silently for a long time before slowly speaking: "Youwei, this matter is complicated and involves many people, and it is not something that you or I can easily interfere with. The public opinion is that Liu acted carelessly and offended her superior. I sent people to inquire and found out that Liu actually tried to assassinate Minister Xu but failed."

Xuanji's pupils constricted sharply: "Assassination?"

"Yes." Li Yi said with certainty, "This matter has been suppressed and few people outside know about it. Minister Xu was seriously injured, how can we let her off lightly? Although her ending is pitiful, it is the path she chose herself."

Xuanji staggered back a step, only managing to steady herself by grabbing the door frame. Looking at Li Yi's calm, expressionless face, she suddenly felt a profound sense of unfamiliarity.

"But...but that Minister Xu..." her voice trembled, "If he hadn't forced Sister Qianqian, how could she have ended up like this..."

“Youwei!” Li Yi interrupted her, his tone becoming stern. “Things in officialdom are not simply black and white. Even if Vice Minister Xu has made a mistake, he is bound by the laws of the court. How can he be allowed to take revenge through private means? Liu’s actions have not only harmed herself but may also implicate Manager Zhou. You must not show any more sympathy for such a foolish matter.”

He stood up and walked to Xuanji, his tone softening slightly: "I know you value relationships, but this matter ends here. Go back and rest well, and don't let this trouble you any further."

Xuanji stared at him blankly, a thousand words stuck in her throat, yet she couldn't utter a single one. She mechanically bowed, turned and left, her steps unsteady.

Liu Qianqian was thrown into the damp and gloomy prison of the Jingzhao Prefecture. The jailers all knew that she had offended Minister Xu, and no one dared to give her a kind look. Shackles were put on her, and coarse prison clothes replaced silk and brocade. Her once beautiful face was quickly eroded by despair and resentment, leaving it dull and lifeless.

She curled up in a corner covered with decaying straw, her mind replaying Xu Shilang's face contorted with pain, the warm blood stained her hairpin, and... the letter of divorce handed to her by the jailer, bearing Zhou Lang's fingerprint.

"Liu is unvirtuous, which has brought disaster upon her and implicated her husband's family. From now on, we shall part ways and have nothing to do with each other."

Every word was like a knife, piercing her heart and soul. She pleaded and begged for him, sacrificing all her dignity, only to be betrayed and distanced in return! The last shred of faith that sustained her crumbled, and the world before her eyes lost all color.

She was imprisoned here as if forgotten, silently awaiting her demise.

Several days later, one night, Xuanji finally bribed a guard on duty with a large sum of money and stepped into the prison filled with bloodshed and despair.

Under the dim oil lamp, she could hardly recognize that the woman sitting against the wall with her eyes empty and lifeless was Liu Qianqian.

"Sister Qianqian!" Xuanji rushed to the fence, her voice choked with sobs.

Liu Qianqian slowly raised her eyes, and upon seeing the mystery, a barely perceptible ripple flickered in her lifeless gaze.

“...You’ve come,” she said.

"I...I just found out..." Xuanji looked at her covered in wounds, his heart breaking. "How could you be so foolish!"

Liu Qianqian's lips twitched upwards, revealing a broken smile: "Foolish? Yes, I am foolish... I was foolish enough to think there was still justice in this world, foolish enough to think that even if I risked my worthless life, I could at least splatter that hypocrite with blood!"

She suddenly became agitated, struggling to crawl forward, her shackles clanking: "Is he dead? Tell me! That beast surnamed Xu, is he dead or not?!"

Xuanji was horrified by the madness in her eyes, and subconsciously took half a step back, shaking his head with difficulty: "...No. I heard...seriously injured, but...his life is not in danger."

"Haha...hahaha..." Liu Qianqian suddenly threw her head back and let out a series of dry, broken laughs. "Useless...useless in the end! Even revenge...has become a joke..." Her laughter stopped abruptly, and she suddenly coughed violently, coughing until she curled up into a ball.

Xuanji was stunned by the despair in her words, and tears streamed down her face: "Sister, please don't be like this... I will think of something else, I will beg my husband, I will beg Mr. Wen..."

“It’s no use.” Liu Qianqian interrupted again. “Xuanji, there’s no need to waste your energy on me anymore. This is my fate, and I accept it.”

She turned slightly with difficulty, her voice as soft as a breeze: "There's one more thing... Qingxing is still at the Yuelai Inn in the west of the city. I already redeemed her from her servitude, intending to help her live a peaceful life, but now... I can only entrust her to you."

Xuanji gripped the fence tightly, her fingertips turning white: "Sister, don't give up. I'll go and beg Mr. Wen. I'll find Qingxing and take good care of her."

Liu Qianqian slowly turned her head and stared at Xuanji: "Li Yi is a man of deep cunning. You need to be more careful in the future. Also, don't step into my quagmire again and tarnish your future."

"Sister!" Xuanji gripped the cold fence tightly, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Let's go." Liu Qianqian closed her eyes, no longer looking at her. "Live your life well."

The prison guards outside urged him on repeatedly. Xuanji was forcibly pulled away, and as he looked back, he saw that Liu Qianqian remained in the same position, like a stone statue.