Hongyu lay in the grass, silently shedding tears. Only when she saw no light outside the palm-sized hole did she realize she was hungry.
"Miss Hongyu, it's time for dinner..."
Hongyu remained unmoved until she smelled the delicious aroma of roast duck. Only then did she turn her head to look outside the cage, where a man was squatting outside the cage, pressing against the iron bars and watching her.
As if she had seen a savior, she hurriedly crawled over and approached the man.
The man was broad and muscular, with fleshy cheeks that squeezed his already narrow eyes into slits.
She really didn't recognize the man.
The man handed her a roast duck, which she grabbed without hesitation and ate. After a couple of bites, she sat on the floor and continued to wolf it down without a care in the world.
Before long, she had finished the entire duck. Looking up, she saw the man still smiling at her.
She took out a handkerchief, lowered her eyes, and wiped her mouth with feigned arrogance. Then she raised her eyes to examine the man carefully. Wasn't this the uniform of a government official?
There's always a way out.
She straightened up from her knees, pressed herself against the iron bars, and asked coquettishly, "How should I address this young master?"
“Miss Hongyu, I am Gu Erlang. We met a few times last year when you moved into Xiaoliu’s courtyard. Do you remember?”
After speaking, Gu Erlang continued to smile at Hongyu. You see, he had fallen in love with Hongyu at first sight and would often sneak peeks at her while she bathed. Back then, Hongyu had the Empress as her matchmaker; how could he, a son born out of wedlock, possibly have a chance?
Although Hongyu is now in trouble and her face is covered with scars, he knows that Hongyu is of excellent health. If Hongyu is willing to follow him, he would still be more than happy to have her.
Hongyu was overjoyed, for she had a plan. Then she frowned, her eyes welling with tears.
Now, the Emperor wants to put her to death. Although the case of the passenger ship fire is not yet closed, the outcome is predictable.
If we don't find a way to prove that Butler Liao murdered Ginkgo out of love, she might really be convicted.
Currently, she is imprisoned, and Gu Erlang is deeply in love with her. In order to survive, she has no choice but to act against her will—by selling her body.
She deliberately pulled her outer garment down to reveal her bra, then pushed herself forward to press it against the iron railing.
Gu Erlang looked down at Hongyu's body, and his blood boiled instantly, causing him to have a nosebleed.
He reached out, and just as he was about to succeed, the timid man could only grip the iron bars tightly, staring intently at Hongyu's bodice, completely unaware that blood had already flowed from his nose to his lips.
Hongyu, holding a handkerchief, tore off her outer garment, her slender, pale arms reaching through the iron bars to wipe Gu Erlang's nosebleed, while choking back sobs:
“I have no family left, and now that I’m in jail, even if I’m innocent, no one will overturn my case.”
After saying this, she burst into tears, which dripped down her skin and flowed into her bra.
At this moment, Gu Erlang's nose was still bleeding uncontrollably.
Seeing that Gu Erlang was only staring at her blankly and did not understand her thoughts, Hongyu stuffed the handkerchief into Gu Erlang's hand and turned her back.
Gu Erlang then came to his senses and asked shyly, "Miss Hongyu... what can I do for you?"
“Help me give this to Chenyu…” Hongyu paused, knowing Chenyu’s character—upright, incorruptible, and averse to conflict. She had repeatedly advised her to live a peaceful and quiet life as a commoner.
But she feared the King of Yan's revenge, so she joined forces with the Sixth Prince to deal with him.
As a result, she became involved in three cases: the Zhang Manguan case, the passenger ship fire, and the Xue family warehouse fire. She also fabricated evidence to help the Sixth Prince escape punishment.
Shen Yu probably already guessed what she had done, so how could she still have the face to beg Shen Yu to save her?
Who else can she turn to now?
After much deliberation, she realized that Prince Jing was on good terms with Chen Yu and hoped that he could spare her life for Chen Yu's sake. So, she weakly uttered Prince Jing's name.
Gu Erlang immediately shook his head, "The south is currently experiencing floods, and the Emperor has ordered Prince Jing and Prince Jin to go to Jiangnan to provide disaster relief. Chen Yu and dozens of other imperial physicians are also going to treat the victims. They will depart early tomorrow morning."
Has there been a disaster in Jiangnan?
Hongyu thought to herself: This is the perfect opportunity for Songhua to make a name for himself. If Songhua does nothing, he may not be able to control the court officials after he seizes the throne.
She turned around, grabbed Gu Erlang's sleeve, and said, "Your eldest brother is a palace guard. Find a way to sneak into the palace and get Consort Kong to recommend Zhao Songhua to go to Jiangnan for disaster relief. Remember, it's Zhao Songhua from the Prince of Xiang's mansion."
Gu Erlang was terrified. He pushed Hongyu away, stood up, and was about to leave. Although he was lustful, he was also timid and afraid of trouble. How could he trespass into the palace? Regardless of whether the Emperor would find out, if Master Gu found out, he would be severely tortured again.
"Erlang, if you are willing to help Hongyu, Hongyu is willing to repay you with her life."
Gu Erlang stopped and looked back. Hongyu's outer robe and bodice had already slipped to the ground.
Hai hour (9-11 PM).
Inside the clinic.
Cuiwei was directing dozens of waiters to prepare the medicinal herbs.
Cuiwei looked up and saw Chenyu sitting alone in a daze, her eyes glistening with tears.
"Why aren't you going home to sleep so late?"
Shen Yu turned her head and saw Rong Momo leading Prince Jing over. She wiped her eyes and smiled perfunctorily, "We must prepare the medicine tonight. We don't need to bother with anything else before we set off tomorrow."
"Alright, come to the back room, I have something to tell you."
Shen Yu followed Prince Jing to her seat and hurriedly asked, "What is it?"
"Just now, upon entering the palace, the Emperor ordered Young Master Songhua to accompany us. It's strange, really. Consort Kong has always forbade Songhua from going out on official business, but this time she actually recommended Songhua to go to Jiangnan. Do you find that unusual?"
Go to Jiangnan? Shen Yu's heart lit up as she thought of a way to rescue Hongyu. Unable to hide her joy, she said with a smile, "Hongyu is imprisoned. Perhaps Consort Kong is afraid that Songhua will offend the royal family by standing up for Hongyu, so she sent Songhua to Jiangnan to provide disaster relief."
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