In fact, Xi Xizhi had never been interested in methods of torturing people. Since everyone was going to die anyway, why not just give them a quick death? Why go to such lengths to make them suffer unbearable pain?
When Xi Xizhi heard that An Honghan had shown a rare moment of kindness and would let An Yunyi die quickly, she almost didn't react.
Did the sun rise in the west?
It wasn't until An Honghan convinced her that she realized he was right.
Even if An Yunyi committed heinous crimes, her biggest mistake was cooperating with Wu Jianfeng.
The principal offender and the accomplice still need to be treated differently.
An Honghan and the others finished their lunch before slowly making their way to the dungeon.
Xi Xizhi immediately thought to herself, "An Honghan is indeed insightful."
If she goes to the dungeon first and then comes back for dinner, she probably won't have an appetite.
As soon as Xi Xizhi was carried into the dungeon by An Honghan, she was greeted by a series of sharp female voices.
"Your Majesty, I want to see you. I am the fourteenth princess of Fengze Kingdom. You cannot bind me. Release me."
"No, no... it can't be like this. My brother wouldn't abandon me. Aren't I his most beloved sister? Let me go, let me go!" came the sound of a chain rattling.
"Brother, I know I was wrong. Please give me a chance to make amends. Brother, I beg you, I want to see you."
As soon as the cell door was pushed open, Xi Xizhi saw An Yunyi, whose ankles were chained. She was wearing a white shirt covered with black and gray stains, looking disheveled and her eyes were empty and lifeless, as if her soul had been stripped away.
She slumped to the ground, heard the prison door slowly open, and looked up to see a golden hue outside.
She immediately stood up excitedly and exclaimed, "Brother, you've finally come to see Yi'er! I knew you wouldn't abandon Yi'er!"
Xi Xizhi looked at her with great sympathy and sighed helplessly.
Slowly, her figure at this moment overlaps with that of the little girl Xi Xizhi first met.
A little girl longing for her brother's attention...
"I have come to see you one last time, and I also have some questions for you." An Honghan strode into the prison cell.
This cell was not as secure as the one where Wu Jianfeng was imprisoned, but for a girl who was powerless, it was a very sturdy cage that prevented her from spreading her wings and soaring high.
The last time? The four words were imprinted in An Yunyi's mind.
"Your Majesty, I just didn't want to marry into the Huiying Kingdom, so I was bewitched and cooperated with Wu Jianfeng. I really know I was wrong. Please give me a chance, Your Majesty?" After all this was exposed, An Yunyi knew that she couldn't hide it from her brother.
If I were to confess my sins in a low voice, perhaps my elder brother would consider our blood ties and spare my life?
"It's too late, but if you answer all my questions, I might consider sparing your life." The cold words slowly came out of An Honghan's mouth.
Xi Xizhi looked at him questioningly. Didn't he just say he was going to secretly execute An Yunyi? Why is he now thinking about family ties and saying he'd let An Yunyi go? Or is An Honghan just trying to get information out of her?
The last reason is probably the most likely, Xi Xizhi nestled in An Honghan's arms, remaining silent.
No matter what An Honghan does, I just need to remain an observer and absolutely must not interfere out of sentimentality.
I kept telling myself that the little girl in front of me had changed, and her heart was no longer as pure as it used to be.
Having climbed to this position, Xi Xizhi doesn't believe anyone can be innocent.
An Yunyi seemed unconvinced, biting her lip, and asked, "Brother, what do you want to ask?"
As she said this, she was a little scared, worried that the matter her brother was asking her was exactly what she was worried about.
"Who helped you rise to power? Who advised you?" An Honghan didn't beat around the bush and asked directly.
An Yunyi's face turned pale instantly, and she answered in a trembling voice, "No...no, Your Majesty, have you misunderstood something? No one has helped me all this time."
The more certain she was, the more suspicious she became.
An Honghan snorted coldly, a mocking smile playing on his lips. "Do you really think I don't know? If you really had no one to help you, how could you have established yourself in the harem so quickly? Whether it's the Third Princess or the Tenth Princess, which one of them is less ruthless than you?"
An Yunyi was so frightened that her hands started trembling...
Compared to her reaction, Xi Xizhi stared wide-eyed in shock.
What? Did she hear that right?
Is it possible that someone actually helped An Yunyi climb to her current position?
Thinking about it, it makes sense. An Yunyi is not very old, and she hasn't reached the age of coming of age yet. No matter how smart she is, she shouldn't be able to become the head princess smoothly all the way.
If she has powerful connections, then everything can be made sense.
"Do you still remember the musical competition in the pavilion? Did you think I couldn't recognize the piece you played? It's a difficult piece, one of the ten most famous pieces. How could a child of thirteen or fourteen years old have it? If you say you got it from your mother, I believe she couldn't possibly produce such a valuable piece." He was aware of the grudges between An Ruoyan and An Yunyi, and he also knew about An Yunyi's background.
Her mother was just a maid; how could she have such high attainments in the art of playing the zither?
Their lowly status inevitably led to a lack of resources.
Given An Yunyi's background, she probably shouldn't have come into contact with such precious musical scores in her entire life.
After hearing An Honghan's words, Xi Xizhi was startled. Small details that she usually overlooked gradually came to light.
No wonder An Yunyi was able to achieve great success in whatever she did recently.
It turns out there was a strategist behind it all.
An Yunyi bit her lip, staring at An Honghan in surprise, unable to believe that everything had been exposed.
"My fourteenth sister, tell me what you exchanged with that person?" An Honghan persisted in pressing him, ignoring An Yunyi's pale face.
"No...that's not true." An Yunyi refused to admit it.
There's no such thing as a free lunch; everyone understands that.
Xi Xizhi was also eager to know the answer, her eyes fixed on An Yunyi.
An Yunyi then discovered that the long-lost Fengyun Marten was being held in her brother's arms again.
Why can even a pet receive the emperor's favor, but I can't?
No matter how cute a pet is, it's still just an animal; I'm its own sister.
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