An Honghan nipped all the crises in the bud.
Wu Jianfeng could no longer utter a clear word.
An Honghan is surrounded by many experts, including not only the Imperial Guards but also hidden Shadow Guards, so the opportunity for An Honghan to truly make a move is extremely rare.
Aside from His Majesty's time on the battlefield in his youth, the military generals haven't seen His Majesty make a move for many years.
Upon witnessing His Majesty's incredible speed, all the military generals were filled with excitement!
Compared to many years ago, His Majesty's martial arts skills have reached a new level.
Wu Jianfeng's eyes were bloodshot, filled with a mixture of resentment and anger.
When people are on the verge of death, they often become extremely frantic, and Wu Jianfeng was no exception. His inner despair and resentment were about to overflow.
Xi Xizhi took small steps to An Honghan's side and whispered, "Keep it a secret."
"I know." An Honghan didn't want others to know Xi Xizhi's true identity either, otherwise he wouldn't have stepped forward to subdue Wu Jianfeng the moment he arrived at the scene, preventing him from revealing certain things.
An Honghan frowned, his two dark eyebrows furrowing. He raised his hand and chopped at Wu Jianfeng's neck. "I won't let you die too easily."
Upon hearing this, the ministers around him all shuddered.
They all knew that Wu Jianfeng was doomed after falling into His Majesty's hands. Upon hearing His Majesty say this, their minds were filled with memories of His Majesty's past methods of dealing with people, and they all turned pale with fright.
Wu Jianfeng felt a sharp pain in his neck and, before he could react, he collapsed to the ground.
"Take him to the dungeon. I will personally go there to interrogate him." An Honghan took the handkerchief from Lin En, wiped his hands, and seemed disgusted that he had just touched Wu Jianfeng.
Xi Xizhi was lured away by Wu Jianfeng and then fell into his trap.
What about Duan Yufei?
Although Duan Yufei said those words that morning, indicating that he was aware of what he had done the night before, the truth remains a mystery.
Wu Jianfeng alone could not have done things flawlessly; he must have had accomplices behind him.
Who benefits most from this?
Almost everyone would sympathize with An Yunyi, since Duan Yufei was a perfect husband in everyone's eyes, but now he has been snatched away by Xi Xizhi, who came out of nowhere.
Many people have been angry for her these days, and even many ministers have sided with An Yunyi, demanding that An Honghan uphold justice for the Fourteenth Princess.
Once Wu Jianfeng was captured, the ministers' eyes all turned to Xi Xizhi.
The emotions in each pair of eyes were slightly different, but Xi Xizhi could tell that few of those eyes were kind.
Xi Xizhi pouted, thinking to herself, "What did I do to deserve this? Why do I always get caught up in all this trouble? Besides, I'm the most wronged and miserable victim here!"
Not only was her innocence ruined by Duan Yufei's words of "taking responsibility," but she also had to endure daily torment from An Honghan.
Now, stepping out of Panlong Hall, one has to endure all sorts of stares from outsiders.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Xi Xizhi even wished she could dig a hole in the ground, crawl inside, and block everyone else's view.
"Are you all bored? Go back to what you're supposed to be doing." An Honghan coldly swept his gaze around, clearly displeased with the group of ministers who had come to watch.
Since that incident, many ministers have been trying to discuss with An Honghan how to handle the consequences. Now that they finally see His Majesty appear, they are all intimidated by his imposing presence and slowly walk back with their heads down.
Xi Xizhi was still immersed in those strange gazes and hadn't come to her senses.
Only when An Honghan approached and stopped did Xi Xizhi ask, "Are we going to the dungeon?"
"What do you think?" The group of ministers were clearly getting impatient; if this matter dragged on any longer, it would have to be resolved sooner or later.
Now that Wu Jianfeng has been caught, many of his questions can be answered.
At the very least... we need to find the accomplices.
No matter who harms Xi Xizhi, An Honghan will seek revenge tenfold.
Xi Xizhi accompanied An Honghan to the dungeon. This wasn't her first time here, but every time she came, she felt a sense of gloom and disgust.
The dark corridor was devoid of sunlight; only oil lamps with their yellowish glow illuminated the path ahead. If Xi Xizhi were confined here for even a day, she probably wouldn't be able to endure it.
After all, days without sunshine always make life feel gloomy and dull.
Wu Jianfeng was dragged by the Imperial Guards to the innermost cell, which had always housed high-priority criminals.
Two imperial guards grabbed Wu Jianfeng's arms and tied his limbs to a wooden frame to secure him.
Xi Xizhi glanced at the right corner and swallowed hard. There, all sorts of torture instruments were displayed.
Xi Xizhi could still recognize a few of them, the most familiar to the world being 'finger clamping,' a torture device specifically used to clamp fingers.
It is said that the ten fingers are connected to the heart. Xi Xizhi was so frightened by the thought of that feeling that she immediately looked away.
"Splash him with water to wake him up." An Honghan stopped two meters in front of Wu Jianfeng.
The Imperial Guards immediately brought two buckets of cold water from outside.
Autumn had already arrived, and the cold water was still particularly chilly when splashed on the body. In addition, Wu Jianfeng already had injuries, and the cold water made him shudder with pain. He gasped for breath a few times and slowly raised his head.
"All of you, step back outside. No one is to enter without my order." An Honghan pointed a finger at the prison gate.
The Imperial Guards all knew that His Majesty intended to personally lead the troops this time, so how could they dare to linger here for even a moment longer?
Lin En was worried that Xi Xizhi, a child of only a few years old, couldn't handle it. After hesitating for a moment, he beckoned to Xi Xizhi and called out softly, not wanting to attract An Honghan's attention, "Little ancestor, what are you standing here for? The things that are coming up are not very interesting. When we get back, I will tell the imperial kitchen to make you some pastries, how about that?"
Hearing the tone of voice, which sounded like it was being coaxed to a child, Xi Xizhi smiled slightly.
"Uncle Steward, I want to stay."
She was the one who caused this mess, so she can't just push all the blame onto An Honghan and hide away herself, can she?
Upon hearing this, Lynn became anxious. He thought to himself that even he, who had lived most of his life, would have trouble sleeping for days after witnessing His Majesty's methods of disciplining people. How could Xi Xizhi, who was only eight or nine years old, possibly withstand such fright?
"Little ancestor, stop fooling around, let's go back to Panlong Palace to play."
“Let her stay here. Lynn, why don’t you leave?” An Honghan turned to face Lynn, reached out and pulled Xi Xizhi to stand beside him.
Lynn knew there was no hope, and with worry, she stepped out of the cell, looking back every few steps. As she left, she thoughtfully closed the cell door behind her.
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