With nothing to do at court, Emperor Jingcheng would hold court every three days, tossing memorials to Emperor Jingyuan and spending his days with Azi and his son, enjoying a happy life.
With nothing to do, Azi thought of Mu Wanyu. Di Jingcheng was sitting to the side, playing with his son. Seeing his precious son's brows furrowed, he assumed she was feeling unwell.
"Baby, what's wrong?" He held the child and leaned closer, staring at her intently.
Azi sat up from the soft couch and gently shook her head: "It's nothing. Acheng, what happened to Mu Wanyu?"
Upon hearing this, Di Jingcheng pursed his lips. He had forgotten about this person, and also about Liu Xinqi; the two of them were locked up together in the water dungeon, and he wondered how they were doing.
"If you hadn't mentioned it, I would have forgotten. Do you still remember Cai Ning?"
Upon hearing this, Azi became interested, her eyes lit up, and she looked at Di Jingcheng expectantly.
"Actually, it's nothing. Do you still remember the story of being resurrected in another's body, darling?"
Azi nodded, signaling him to continue.
“That Cai Ning is Mu Wanyu, but her status is now just that of a palace maid. She hasn’t done anything heinous. Moreover, there’s not even any evidence that she colluded with Liu Xinqi to betray the country, so she’s been kept in custody.” Di Jingcheng said casually as he teased Chu’er.
"How should we deal with the Mu family? This treason is no small crime."
"They were dealt with according to the law, and I also issued an edict. Except for the Grand Secretary, who was spared, everyone else was executed. After all, Grand Secretary Mu was my teacher, and he wasn't involved." Di Jingcheng looked up at Azi, wanting to know what she thought.
“You did the right thing. The old man never expected his daughter and son-in-law to do such a thing. Besides, he’s all alone and getting old. There’s no need to be so ruthless.” Azi felt some sympathy for Mu Wanyu’s father, but she could only sigh.
"Now that Dongyang and Beixiang have been incorporated into Xijing, and Yang Mingyue has been brought to justice, Liu Xinqi will also be dealt with."
"Ah Cheng, since Cai Ning can't be convicted, can we release her and let her go back to her original place as a palace maid?" Ah Zi was very curious about this man; she was bored and wanted to find some fun.
"Oh? Why would you have such thoughts, baby? That body contains Mu Wanyu. Whether what she said is true or false, we must be careful!" Di Jingcheng's face was full of disapproval. After all, Mu Wanyu had wanted to hurt Azi in both of her lives, and he would not allow it!
Azi patted his shoulder reassuringly: "Keep her under your nose, have someone watch her all the time, and see what she's up to." Her eyes held a hint of amusement as she pleaded with the man, gently shaking his arm.
Chu'er was being rocked back and forth in Di Jingcheng's arms, finding it extremely amusing, and laughed happily. Azi smiled and touched his little face: "Chu'er agrees with what Mother said, doesn't he!"
Di Jingcheng looked helplessly at the mother and son. Chu'er even grabbed A Zi's hand and shook it, seemingly in agreement.
"Alright, then let's send someone to the front to clean, and have them watch over them every day." Di Jingcheng reluctantly compromised.
Cai Ning and Liu Xinqi had been locked in the water dungeon for almost two months. They were in a terrible state, emaciated, and their lower bodies were submerged in water. They were in a truly miserable state.
Di Jingcheng remained silent, and no one paid them any attention; their only concern was ensuring their survival. At first, the two could exchange a few words, but later they were left barely alive, hanging in their shackles, utterly exhausted and too weak to speak.
Every day, Liu Xinqi would rely on his strong willpower to look up and see if Cai Ning was still alive. Only when he saw her weakly rising and falling chest could he feel at ease. He was now completely convinced that the woman he loved was the soul before him, not the Mu Wanyu who was blinded by hatred.
Tragically, he suffered a crushing defeat and is now barely surviving here; he can no longer be with her. If there is an afterlife, he will surely remember her, find her, and give her happiness.
Cai Ning had no idea what he was thinking. She only felt that she had been in a daze for two months, her mind never clear. She was cold and hungry, and the water was making her feel like she was about to rot. But she didn't even have the strength to bite her tongue and commit suicide. She was living like this, in a daze, in unbearable pain.
If only she could be given a quick death, perhaps she would wake up back in her own room, in her own bed, seeing her familiar classmates and teachers...
Finally, footsteps sounded outside. Neither of them had the strength to lift their heads, but they sensed that someone had come in.
"Take her away." Cheng Er gave a calm order, and Cai Ning's cell was opened. Two guards went in and brought her out. She was being dragged around and had no strength to stand.
The wet hem of her clothes left long, mottled marks on the ground, with water droplets falling one by one. The chains on her wrists and ankles clanged crisply in the air, sounding particularly jarring in the dull, quiet water prison.
Liu Xinqi raised his head with all his might, his hoarse and weak voice barely audible: "Where...where are you taking her?!"
With no response, he panicked, fearing that the two of them would be separated forever. He struggled with his last bit of strength, the water surging and crashing against the wall, making a sound, and the chains sounded dull from the friction of the water.
The servant opened the door and met Liu Xinqi's eyes, which were filled with weakness yet pleading, and seemed to carry a hint of barely perceptible anger.
"Don't worry, she won't die. You're the one who's going to die." Cheng Er raised his knife and brought it down, leaving a clean cut on Liu Xinqi's neck. Blood was instantly drawn. He stared wide-eyed at Cheng Er. In his last breath, he looked at the weak and powerless Cai Ning, his eyes filled with reluctance and pain, but at the same time, she was also looking at him.
Cai Ning was completely conscious. This man had died right in front of her, and she was so frightened that her whole body stiffened. She stared blankly at the man, whose head was hanging down and who was no longer breathing. His blood was flowing into the water, turning the surface of the water bright red.
She was dragged out of the water dungeon, her numb body disoriented, and finally succumbed to unconsciousness. But the image of Liu Xinqi being killed remained etched in her mind, impossible to shake off.
In his dream, Liu Xinqi, covered in blood, held her hand tightly, promising that he would never mistake her for someone else again, that he would love her well, and that she should never forget him! Moreover, he would definitely find her next time!
She woke with a start, gasping for breath, clutching the blanket to her chest as she sat bolt upright in a completely unfamiliar environment. She looked around in terror, frantically feeling her own body—she was still alive! Then, where was she?!
Good heavens, her life has been so tragic! We might as well just kill her!
She scratched her hair in frustration, trying to get out of bed, but her legs were too weak, so she decided to lie down and rest. After all, her life was no longer in her own hands.
After lying down for a while, a female doctor came in carrying a bowl of white porridge and a dark medicine. She had a kind smile on her face and sat down in front of the bed: "You're finally awake. Drink some porridge first, and then drink the medicine."
Cai Ning's eyes lit up when she saw the white porridge. Good heavens, who knows how long it had been since she had eaten? The people in the water dungeon only gave her some soup each day, maybe a couple of bites of steamed bun at most, and nothing more.
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