The old woman stood in front of the dungeon door. Meng Yuxiu ordered someone to put her in a carriage and wait for her inside, but she refused.
He simply stood in front of the dungeon door, looking at the dark entrance, his face filled with sorrow.
These days, she couldn't eat or sleep, her mind preoccupied with Chang Lili's affairs. She regretted agreeing to let Chang Lili and Meng Yuxiu get so close.
If they had left this place of trouble sooner, they wouldn't have encountered this series of misfortunes, nor would they have met people they didn't want to meet.
After all, the mother-in-law only hoped that Chang Lili could live an ordinary life, and that the past would fade away like passing clouds.
But she never expected that she would see an old friend in the courtyard that day.
That day, she was washing clothes in the pavilion. Thinking about Chang Lili being imprisoned, she felt listless and couldn't concentrate on anything. She sighed and wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
But then she heard the sound of a gust of wind. She looked up and saw a pretty girl standing in front of her.
At first glance, she was somewhat surprised and puzzled, wondering how this unfamiliar girl had suddenly appeared in her courtyard.
Their eyes met, and Guo Yan, who had taken the opportunity to climb over the wall, stood there openly, looking anxiously at her mother-in-law, momentarily stunned.
The next moment, she walked towards her mother-in-law, her eyes slightly red, and said, "I didn't see wrong, I couldn't have seen wrong!"
The old woman stood up and hurriedly took a few steps back, asking in confusion, "Young lady, what are you doing? Are you from this household? I've never seen you before."
"Aunt Chang, it's me!" Guo Yan's eyes sparkled with joy, and she burst into tears.
The mother-in-law, who hadn't been called that in years, stiffened for a moment. Her gaze towards Guo Yan became questioning and confused, but she quickly came to her senses, looked away, and turned her back to Guo Yan.
"You... young lady, you've mistaken me for someone else." Her withered, wrinkled hands twisted together anxiously.
Guo Yan wiped away her tears and said firmly, "I didn't see wrong. Although I've only met you a few times, I remember the way you walk and the way you speak. Don't you remember me?"
"No... I don't know what you're talking about..." the mother-in-law said, her eyes somewhat unfocused.
She hadn't noticed it before, but now, listening to Guo Yan's words, she couldn't help but ponder, and a small figure jumped out of her mind.
Her eyes, which were no longer bright, now shone with a crystalline light.
She had indeed met her, just a few fleeting encounters. She was already in her twilight years, and the memory, which should have been hazy, became as clear as a final burst of energy before death.
The little girl following Xin Yatou had a small face, was a bit shy, and had a mischievous air about her, but her gaze was always firm and resolute.
I never imagined that little girl had grown up so much.
“Aunt Chang, we’ve been looking for you for so long, so long, but the fire burned down the palace and killed everyone. We all thought you were dead, with the princess.” Guo Yan’s body trembled slightly as she spoke, wiping away tears, and she leaned toward her mother-in-law like a child.
The mother-in-law turned around and looked at Guo Yan with pity, saying, "Young lady, what are you saying? You're such a nice girl, why are you saying such strange things?"
Guo Yan grabbed her mother-in-law's wrist, her eyes blurry with tears, and said urgently, "Aunt Chang, I didn't mistake you! Look at me!"
The mother-in-law's expression became somewhat impatient: "Don't bother me. I'm an old woman, and I can't take your fussing. Go away, I haven't finished my work yet!"
Guo Yan was about to argue when her mother-in-law called for the maids and servants in the mansion. Just as the maids and servants were about to step into the courtyard, Guo Yan glanced at her mother-in-law with resentment in her eyes, then leaped over the high wall and disappeared on the other side.
The mother-in-law then slumped onto a small stool, looking utterly dejected and exhausted.
The maids and servants who came in asked with concern, but she just shook her head.
Inside the dungeon, the firelight flickered, and a damp, cold atmosphere filled the dark place.
Meng Yuxiu slowly walked towards the dungeon, and gradually, a clean and thin figure came into view.
Hearing footsteps, Chang Lili turned around in a bit of a panic. When she saw Meng Yuxiu, a bright smile bloomed on her face.
"Why are you here?" she asked in surprise, her smile like a star slowly shining in this dark place.
The gloom in Meng Yuxiu's heart vanished, and he couldn't help but laugh, "I can't come? Of course I have to come since you're here."
As he spoke, he opened the door and entered the cell. The firelight illuminated his face, softening his resolute features like never before, and his eyes were overflowing with tenderness, as if he could melt the person reflected in them.
Upon hearing this, Chang Lili blushed and lowered her head shyly without saying a word.
She had changed into clean clothes and applied medicine to her wounds herself, but in just a few days, her already slender body looked as thin as paper, and her face had turned slightly pale.
Meng Yuxiu felt a dull ache in his heart and couldn't help but walk over to Chang Lili, reaching out to pull her into his arms. He was careful yet couldn't help but pull her tight, as if she would disappear at any moment.
Chang Lili was flattered and overwhelmed. Before she could even feel shy, she felt as if she were bathed in warm sunshine and surrounded by gentleness, and her heart was filled with boundless happiness and sweetness.
But then her face fell, and she reached out to hug him back, her smile bitter as she said, "I heard about your agreement with the Emperor from Ke Shou."
As soon as she finished speaking, she felt the person holding her pause.
Meng Yuxiu was speechless for a moment, his heart filled with mixed feelings of anxiety and unease. With his beloved by his side, he felt an indescribable calm.
As soon as he entered the dungeon, Ke Shou's words echoed in his ears again and again, lingering there.
"His Majesty suddenly issued a secret decree today, forbidding anyone from visiting Chang Lili, and ordering the jailers to take Miss Chang away tomorrow..." Ke Shou said, seemingly unwilling to say any more.
Meng Yuxiu frowned and asked urgently, "How is it?"
Ke Shou paused for a moment before saying, "Execute in secret."
Meng Yuxiu felt a jolt in his heart, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
"Why would the Emperor issue such an edict? Is there some mistake?" Meng Yuxiu's faint hope stubbornly struggled.
Ke Shou said with difficulty, "I did not mishear. It was when Eunuch Guangde came to deliver the imperial edict that I overheard it from the shadows."
Meng Yuxiu's gaze gradually darkened. He already had a guess in his heart as to why the emperor had suddenly issued such an edict.
The only person in the world who could make him make such a decision is probably Xiao Shu'er, whom he cherishes dearly.
He couldn't think of any other reason.
At this moment, the last bit of mercy he had shown to Xiao Shu'er vanished completely. Such a woman should be killed outright to prevent future troubles.
“A ruler’s word is law; Your Majesty should not do this,” Meng Yuxiu said resolutely.
Seven days have not yet passed, and His Majesty should not be like this, Meng Yuxiu thought to himself. Holding the slender body in his arms, he felt that even breathing had become difficult.
He had never felt such despair and pain, not even when his life hung by a thread on the battlefield.
He opened his mouth, then said gently, "You don't want to..."
He had barely finished speaking when Chang Lili's bright, clear voice interrupted him: "It smells so good! A food box? What did you bring?"
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