Inside the imperial prison, Empress Feng Meiling looked at Prince Longxuan, Li Mufeng, now a prisoner, and couldn't be happier.
"Children born to a lowly woman are destined to amount to nothing. A lowly palace maid dared to dream of climbing onto the Emperor's bed. What did she do in the end? She only harmed herself and her child."
Feng Meiling played with her long, slender fingernails, a hint of smugness in her voice.
"So...so you're saying that my mother was killed by you? She didn't die in childbirth at all?"
Li Mufeng explained intermittently that besides helping his father eliminate the Feng family's influence, there was another crucial reason for his return to the capital: to investigate the cause of death of his mother, Consort An, also known as An Lin.
"So what if it is? Since my son is about to ascend the throne, and you will be torn apart by five horses, I might as well let you die knowing why."
That's right, it was indeed me who tampered with your mother's medicine back then. I had someone add something to her "pregnancy-stabilizing soup," hahaha..."
Feng Meiling, smug and triumphant, took two steps forward and grabbed the bound Li Mufeng by the throat.
"Don't blame me for being ruthless. Blame your mother for being so overconfident. A mere palace maid dared to try to instigate the Emperor to overthrow my Feng family. It was like throwing an egg against a rock."
She even carried your bastard child. If it weren't for the Emperor protecting your mother so well, you wouldn't have had a chance to be born.
"The empire belongs to my son, and no one can take it away. I will remove all obstacles that stand in his way."
At this point, Li Meiling slapped Li Mufeng hard across the face.
"That old man sent you to the military camp to protect you. I originally intended to let you go, but you insisted on returning to the capital."
"You asked for your own death, don't blame me."
"You were the ones who poisoned Father?"
Li Mufeng strained his voice, wishing he could kill the venomous woman in front of him, but because he was bound and had been given a muscle-relaxing drug, he didn't seem to have much of a threat.
"Save your breath! Today is the day of the Emperor's burial. After we deal with that old bastard, you'll be next."
Feng Meiling did not answer Li Mufeng's question, but beckoned to her maid Xiuyun.
"Let's go."
"Come back! Come back to me! Tell me what you've done to my father! He's not dead yet! He can't be buried! Come back! Come back..."
Li Mufeng's eyes were bloodshot with rage. Feng Meiling had left, but before she left, she instructed the jailers to treat Li Mufeng well and make sure he confessed to poisoning the Emperor.
The physical pain was nothing compared to the despair in his heart. At this moment, Li Mufeng was filled with regret and finally believed Han Ziwei's words.
"Just now in the palace, I lied to the prince. His Majesty is actually terminally ill. He has been suffering from the 'Hidden Poison' for more than ten years. The insidious thing about this poison is that it can hide in a person's body and no one can see it. Once it takes effect, there is no cure."
"Since no one else can see it, how could you possibly see that I don't believe a woman like you?"
"By noon tomorrow at the latest, the Prince will surely beg me to save him."
...
"Your Highness, just admit it! It will save you from physical suffering. You are the one who murdered the Emperor. You poisoned him because you wanted to usurp the throne."
The jailer placed a branding iron on Li Mufeng's body, uttering treacherous words, only to have Li Mufeng spit in his face.
"Bah, lackeys! Show me what you've got. I will never admit to anything I didn't do, and I will never bow down to the Feng family. Let them give up on that idea."
"Very well, Your Highness, you have guts. Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."
The jailer, with a sinister look, pressed the red-hot branding iron hard against Li Mufeng's body once more. Cold sweat poured down Li Mufeng's forehead, his teeth clenched, and he didn't utter a sound.
"I would rather die than submit to the Feng family."
"Tell me, did you kill the Emperor...?"
The jailers used every kind of torture instrument on Li Mufeng, torturing him to the point of near death.
"Is Wang Feng dead or alive? Did he escape from the capital with Chen'er and that woman? Has the Longxuan Prince's Mansion already been raided?"
Before Li Mufeng lost consciousness again, he thought about many things. He wondered if it was a hallucination, but he heard that woman's voice in his ear.
"Li Mufeng, Li Mufeng, wake up, wake up! I won't let you die. If you have to die, you'll have to wait until after you divorce me."
When Li Mufeng woke up, three days had passed. Looking at the familiar bedchamber, many questions flashed through his mind.
"Who was it? Who rescued me?"
Outside the courtyard, there was a lot of noise.
"Tell me, did you do anything wrong?"
It was that woman's voice.
"Waaah... Han Ziwei, you wicked woman, how dare you hit this young master! When Father wakes up, he will surely not forgive you, waaah..."
"Chen'er? It's Chen'er crying. That woman is bullying Chen'er again. Han Ziwei, you're asking for death."
Li Jingchen struggled to get out of bed, but found himself powerless and his wounds aching as if they were being torn apart.
"Let go of Chen'er, Han Ziwei, how dare you hit Chen'er! The Prince will not forgive you."
Your Highness, Your Highness, please wake up! Chen'er is about to be beaten to death by that poisonous woman Han Ziwei, sob sob..."
Zhou Fengyun's shrill voice almost lifted the roof off. Li Mufeng struggled to his feet and rolled off the bed. Perhaps because the noise outside was too loud, the sound of him falling off the bed did not alert anyone else.
"Wang Feng, quick, have someone arrest Madam Zhou. I'm going to teach this brat a lesson."
Han Ziwei's voice carried an undeniable authority, causing Li Mufeng to frown.
"That damned woman dares to order my men around. Wang Feng will never listen to you."
However, reality proved otherwise; outside the door, Wang Feng was extremely respectful.
"What are you all standing there for? Didn't you hear the Princess say to seize Madam Zhou? Why aren't you doing it yet?"
"Let me go, let me go, Han Ziwei, you vicious woman, I will make sure the Prince divorces you. Let go of Chen'er. Let go..."
Zhou Fengyun strained to stop, her voice hoarse.
"Wang Feng, she's so noisy. Tell her to shut up. Anyone else who dares to plead for her will be beaten to death."
It was that woman's voice again. At this moment, apart from the crying of her son, Li Jingchen, there was no other sound outside.
"Waaah... Father, please wake up! Save Chen'er! That wretched woman, Han Ziwei, is going to beat me to death! Waaah..."
"Damn Han Ziwei, how dare you beat my son! And Wang Feng, you betrayed me too, helping this woman bully Chen'er! I will not forgive you!"
Thinking this, Li Mufeng gritted his teeth, got up from the ground, and stumbled out, his face showing hostility.
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