Chapter 43 Xue Lanyi will never love you! ...
Wei Zhang frowned deeply, staring intently at her.
He clearly disliked others speculating about his thoughts, and the darkness in his eyes deepened.
Xue Lanyi, however, changed the subject, saying, "Actually, you don't need to worry at all that Xue Lanyi no longer loves you. That won't happen..."
Wei Zhang's eyes narrowed slightly.
The cold glint in her eyes shifted slightly and landed on her lips.
He seemed to be waiting for something.
She parted her lips slightly and said, word by word, "Because... you never received Xue Lanyi's true love!"
"All of Xue Lanyi's affection for you was stolen and deceived by you. It never belonged to you. What's the point of losing something you didn't have?"
Xue Lanyi laughed heartily, pulled out the jade hairpin from her hair, raised it high, and fiercely stabbed it towards her shoulder.
Regardless of her name or what symbol she uses.
Whether she is Xue Lanyi or Li Zhaoyang.
She has always loved the boys who accompanied her in her youth.
This will never change, not now, and not ever!
How could she possibly love someone who repeatedly hurt her?
Even on the road to the underworld, she didn't want to carry his traces; she wanted to depart with a clean conscience.
The jade hairpin stabbed mercilessly into her back, slashing at the tattoo.
A strong hand gripped her shoulder, the palm barely covering her tattoo.
The hairpin pierced Wei Zhang's hand, leaving a bloody mark.
Blood beads trickled down the bulging blue veins.
Wei Zhang's first reaction was not pain.
He rubbed his thumb against the tattoo, repeatedly checking whether the two characters "Yun Jian" were intact.
A fleeting moment of confusion.
He suddenly gripped Xue Lanyi's shoulders tightly, forcing her against the bars, "Don't force me to skin you alive."
Whether his things live or die, and how they live or die, is entirely up to him.
His tone was authoritative and left no room for argument.
Xue Lanyi smiled lightly, and immediately turned the hairpin around, aiming it at his chest.
In the blink of an eye, the hairpin tip pierced through the dark brocade.
The sound of tearing fabric was piercing.
The next instant, Wei Zhang retreated defensively, using his palm force to push her hand away.
The already weakened Xue Lanyi stumbled back more than a foot and fell into the haystack.
The prison floor was made of cobblestones. Her pelvis struck the stones, but she felt no pain, only a great sense of pleasure.
She looked at the specks of blood on the hairpin and laughed gleefully, "Does it hurt?"
Wei Zhang frowned, realizing that her tattooing earlier was just a feint; the moment she pulled out the hairpin, her target was his heart.
Wei Zhang's face grew increasingly gloomy.
Xue Lanyi knew, of course, that her skills were insufficient to assassinate Wei Zhang.
At least, before she dies, she wants him to experience the pain of a sharp weapon being plunged into his chest.
Her Ah Xuan was tricked by him into piercing her chest twice.
How painful must it be?
How painful that must have been!
"Ah Xuan is in a thousand times, a hundred times, more pain than you!"
She pointed the hairpin at Wei Zhang, who was three steps away, and gritted her teeth, squeezing out each word through gritted teeth, "What exactly did Ah Xuan do to wrong you? Why did you have to hurt him like this?"
On the other side of the bars, Wei Zhang lingered, staring at the hole in his chest.
Extremely small, but ruthless enough.
Blood trickled from the small hole, soaking his chest.
He calmly smoothed out the wrinkles in the fabric, covered the small hole, and flattened it.
No bloodstains were visible on the dark clothes, and soon the clothes were restored to their usual neatness.
He looked up and curled his lips: "So you were here to stand up for him?"
"Yes!" Xue Lanyi, freed from his constraints, felt much more confident.
She was about to die, and there were some things she had kept bottled up for too long.
She had no choice but to voice Ah Xuan's grievances.
She glared at Wei Zhang with eyes full of resentment, "What right do you have to accuse others of betraying you? Haven't you betrayed Ah Xuan enough?"
“He knows you are introverted. From childhood to adulthood, he has taken you everywhere he goes, taking you on expeditions and voyages, and introducing you to us friends. He wants to keep you by his side at all times.”
"I thought you loved chicken and bamboo shoot buns, so I would always lift the pleats and leave the most and tenderest filling for you."
"Furthermore, the old matriarch said you were born rebellious. If it weren't for her persuasion, you would have been sent to a temple for spiritual practice long ago. Do you think you can run rampant in the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion?"
"Ha, perhaps the old lady is right: you are truly born evil and do not deserve to be treated well!"
Xue Lanyi's voice echoed in the empty prison cell.
A surge of resentment.
Wei Zhang's eyes flickered slightly, clearly indicating that there were many things he was completely unaware of.
But does not knowing someone justify killing someone who treats you sincerely?
Xue Lanyi's eyes blurred with tears as she thought of Wei Xuan's dying appearance.
“Ah Xuan was such a good boy, and you ruined his life! You are simply, simply…”
Wei Zhang saw those infuriating tears again.
His gaze quickly cooled, and he strode toward Xue Lanyi.
The footsteps were silent.
A pair of dark official boots slowly approached.
On the ground, Wei Zhang's shadow stretched out, slowly obscuring her vision and then enveloping her entirely in darkness.
Having just gained their freedom, heavy dark clouds loomed over their heads once again.
Xue Lanyi instinctively stepped back.
"What the hell?" Wei Zhang stood with his hands behind his back in front of the prison bars, the bars casting alternating vertical shadows of light and shadow on his face.
His deep-set face was half light and half shadow, making him enigmatic and unpredictable.
Xue Lanyi took a deep breath.
They're so far apart, what are they afraid of him for?
You are utterly in hell! You deserve to die without a burial place!
"Avici Hell?"
What a vicious curse!
How many women in this world would curse their own man like that...?
"Your sins are not light either."
Wei Zhang sighed softly and gently flicked the roulette wheel next to the hidden compartment with his long fingers.
Suddenly, the sluggish sound of gears and machinery echoed around the cage.
The chains that had been pulled out of the hidden compartment began to rattle, gradually straightening as they slowly retracted back into the compartment.
Xue Lanyi's wrist was grabbed by a force.
She suddenly looked down and realized that the shackles wrapped with fox fur had been fastened to her wrists at some point.
She was pulled toward a hidden compartment by a taut iron chain.
She frantically tried to pull off the shackles, but couldn't.
She quickly grabbed the haystack, but the mechanism was too strong, dragging her and the haystack toward the prison bars.
Wei Zhang stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Xue Lanyi struggling futilely on the ground, "Treason is the first crime."
The haystack in Xue Lanyi's hands came loose, and she was helplessly dragged toward Wei Zhang.
“Assassinating the lord is the second crime.”
A long trail of drag marks was left on the ground.
The faint sobs of women around could be heard, a sound born of fear or helplessness.
“Master of Curses, this is the third sin.”
As soon as she finished speaking, Xue Lanyi was pulled back to the edge of the prison bars, at Wei Zhang's feet.
He remained unmoved, looking down at her with disdain. "If you were punished for all three crimes, wouldn't you be going to the deepest hell with me?"
Xue Lanyi pulled desperately on the iron chain, but not only could she not break free, the hidden compartment continued to devour the chain.
The exposed chains grew shorter and shorter as her hand was forcibly pulled toward the hidden compartment.
At such close range, Xue Lanyi could see that there was a small guillotine in the palm-sized hidden compartment, which was being pulled up and down repeatedly as the iron chain was pulled in.
Like the jaws of a wild beast, capable of crushing everything.
With only a hand span remaining, Xue Lanyi's hand would be pulled in and severed.
She even saw the old bloodstains winding along the blade, with dangling pieces of bone from who-knows-when.
Xue Lanyi's pupils dilated suddenly as the image of her fingers being severed one by one flashed before her eyes...
The roulette wheel was stopped by a hand with distinct knuckles.
The chain came to a stop and no longer retracted.
Wei Zhang squatted down and held her trembling hand, admiring it repeatedly.
"Just now... wasn't it this hand that wouldn't listen and stabbed me?"
Xue Lanyi was panting heavily, unable to answer.
He suddenly tightened his grip on her wrist and personally stuffed it into the hidden compartment.
"ah!"
Xue Lanyi's face paled.
Why would Wei Zhang kindly save someone from the brink of death?
He wanted to punish her personally, to personally cut off her fingers.
Xue Lanyi shook her head and withdrew her hand.
Ultimately, I'm still afraid.
Who wouldn't be afraid of the pain of broken bones and severed fingers?
This institution has repeatedly tested humanity in this prison.
As Wei Zhang pushed her hand further inside, he casually asked, "Do you still think I can't live without you?"
Xue Lanyi could neither see nor hear clearly; only the sensation of touch at her fingertips was amplified infinitely.
Her fingertips were just a hair's breadth away from the guillotine.
The guillotine blade scraped against her fingertips, moving up and down.
Every time, it was a bone-chilling experience.
Wei Zhang watched coldly, his voice even more chilling than a guillotine: "Don't try to guess my thoughts, and don't overestimate yourselves."
"I only want you because you're Wei Xuan's woman, it has nothing to do with who you are. I would have wanted any other woman, do you understand?"
Xue Lanyi's head was buzzing, and she nodded instinctively.
"Also, only a fool like Wei Xuan can't live without love. I don't need that kind of thing, so stop playing the arrogant trick of taking advantage of my favor. I really will kill you, hmm?"
Xue Lanyi nodded.
Wei Zhang suddenly pushed her hand forward.
Xue Lanyi saw a white light.
"My lord, His Majesty requests your presence!" At this moment, the jailer outside the cage bowed and reported.
Xue Lanyi's soul had not yet returned to its place; her chest heaved, and her fingers unconsciously curled up.
Wei Zhang glanced at the slender, jade-like fingers hidden in his palm, then looked at Xue Lanyi's face, which flushed red and then turned pale.
She was breathing heavily, and the tip of her nose and earlobes were pink.
Wei Zhang, however, was quite pleased with her current obedient demeanor, and the gloom in his eyes lessened slightly. "Do you know you were wrong?"
Xue Lanyi was still in shock and stood there dumbfounded.
The jailer awkwardly bowed outside and said, "His Majesty has summoned you urgently. Please go as soon as possible, sir."
Wei Zhang released his hand.
Xue Lanyi quickly withdrew her hands, hugged her knees, and curled up into a ball.
Wei Zhang wiped the cold sweat from her temples with his fingers, then rubbed them between his fingertips with great interest.
After a long while, he stood up, patted Xue Lanyi on the shoulder, and said, "This isn't over yet. Think carefully about how to admit your mistake."
His movements were extremely light, yet Xue Lanyi felt as if she had a thousand pounds on her shoulders. Her shoulders slumped, and she collapsed weakly to the ground.
The cold rosin gradually dissipated.
Only then did that pervasive fear begin to subside.
She turned her head hesitantly to look at Wei Zhang, who was bending down as he stepped out of the prison gate.
Only then did she realize that Wei Zhang wasn't wearing prison clothes at all, and the door to his cell wasn't locked.
The jailer, bowing low, led the way with utmost respect.
This doesn't look like someone who's been imprisoned at all.
What happened?
Xue Lanyi stared wide-eyed in confusion as she watched his retreating figure.
On the dimly lit stone steps not far away, a figure could be seen approaching Wei Zhang, bowing respectfully, "Sir, where is the official document?"
As Wei Zhang ascended the steps, he seemed to glance in her direction.
With just a fleeting glance, Xue Lanyi felt her hair stand on end and turned her head away.
A moment later, five or six jailers carried a low table and official documents into the cell next door.
They cleaned and tidied the cell, and changed the sheets and blankets with embroidered satin.
The room was fully equipped with a desk, writing brushes, ink, and incense burner, as if the study of Chong'an Hall had been moved here.
Who would treat a death row inmate like this?
Xue Lanyi became more and more puzzled the more she thought about it.
Looking at the jailers, they were wearing flying fish robes.
Therefore, this place is clearly not the Imperial Clan Court, but the prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
Wei Zhang transferred her to the Imperial Prison?
How could Wei Zhang, a person sentenced to death, be transferred to the Imperial Prison?
Xue Lanyi was at a loss.
His long-planned scheme, which he had endured humiliation to survive, was shattered in an instant.
She did not harm Wei Zhang in the slightest.
Xue Lanyi was the only one who ever went to her death.
Why?
Xue Lanyi couldn't understand how things had turned out this way.
The fear of the unknown made her curl up even tighter, searching for a sense of security.
"Princess, you should not anger Lord Wei."
A slightly weary voice came from next door.
Xue Lanyi turned around and saw a hunched-over Imperial Guard wiping the railing.
This man was rather old, and scars from swords and spears were faintly visible on his arms, clearly indicating that he was a soldier who had fought in battles for many years.
He was... a former subordinate of Wei Xuan?
Only Wei Xuan's former subordinates would respectfully address Wei Zhang as "Young Master Wei".
Xue Lanyi opened her mouth, but ultimately didn't dare to ask.
The Imperial Guards also looked around in great fear and made a shushing gesture.
Former subordinates of Wei Xuan, once a source of boundless glory, are now facing certain death.
Xue Lanyi didn't need to ask any more questions.
Seeing that no one was around, the Imperial Guard pointed to the guillotine in the hidden compartment and lowered his voice, saying, "Does the Princess know that this instrument of torture is the infamous Guanyin Gate?"
Xue Lanyi had been living in the mansion for a long time and did not know what the Guanyin Guillotine was.
But the name Guanyin immediately reminded her of someone.
Her eyes sparkled.
The Imperial Guard nodded: "Yes, this mechanism is indeed named after Prince Zhou Yu."
The Imperial Guard pointed to the southwest, opposite the hidden compartment, and said, "Princess, look there!"
Twenty paces from the prison cell was the torture chamber of the imperial prison.
That place displayed various torture instruments used by the Imperial Guards.
Through the window, one can see a guillotine on the execution platform that is very similar in shape to the small guillotine in the hidden compartment, and it is also constantly moving up and down.
However, that guillotine was enormous, capable of beheading people.
"Back then, Prince Zhou was imprisoned here when his entire household was imprisoned for the crime of rebellion."
His parents and brothers were on the execution platform opposite him.
The retractable chain in the princess's hand was originally intended to bind Prince Zhou. By dragging him to this angle, he could be forced to witness the death of his loved ones.
As for the guillotine in the hidden compartment, it was actually a mechanical component of the large guillotine.
"As long as you insert your finger into the hidden compartment to stop the mechanism from operating, the guillotine on the execution platform will not fall."
“So…” Xue Lanyi’s pupils contracted slightly, realizing something, “Zhou Yu’s fingers…”
"Yes, Prince Zhou put his finger into the hidden compartment himself. If he cuts off just one finger, he can save a relative from the guillotine."
The six fingers that Prince Zhou severed were to save: his father, mother, younger brother, younger sister, and his two pageboys.
Zhou Yu is that kind of person who treats and saves people without asking about their background or considering the cost.
He may seem carefree and irresponsible on the surface, but he actually has the heart of a Bodhisattva.
He saved lives by cutting off his finger, showing kindness to people, so even the organization that persecuted him called him the Guanyin Guillotine.
How ironic.
Such a morally reprehensible instrument of torture has been given such a merciful word.
Xue Lanyi was overwhelmed with emotions, and closed her eyes slightly: "And then?"
"Later... Zhou Shizi's hand was twisted until it was bloody and mangled, and Lord Shen ordered that no treatment be given."
The young master's hands were severely festering, and the shackles had worn down to the bone. His maid, feeling sorry for her master, took off her own fox fur sleeve and wrapped it around the shackles, intending only to ease the young master's pain, but who knew...
The next day, the maid, along with the relatives rescued by the prince, were all taken to the guillotine and beheaded as a warning to others.
"..."
Xue Lanyi couldn't believe her ears. "Why?"
"I don't know either." The Imperial Guard shook his head. "I only know that after the blood flowed like a river that night, Prince Zhou kowtowed all night in the pool of blood, murmuring 'He is guilty, he confesses.'"
Later, every cell in the imperial prison was fitted with one of these Guanyin guillotines.
Xue Lanyi was stunned for a long time before she understood.
This is the current emperor making an example of someone.
When the former crown prince was imprisoned for treason, the former emperor was also overwhelmed with anger and fell ill, soon passing away.
Emperor Mu Qingyun was appointed to succeed to the throne in a time of crisis.
The young emperor was already wary of the former crown prince's faction, so he ruthlessly killed Zhou Yu without any mercy.
The purpose was to declare to the world that anyone who dared to approach or aid the former princelings would suffer misfortune.
During that period, not only Zhou Yu, but also Xie Qingyun, Lu Lin, and even Xue Lanyi, who had not suffered the humiliation and persecution that broke their backs?
Now, everything Zhou Yu went through—his pain, his humiliation, and the blood and broken bones on the guillotine—is unfolding before my eyes.
Xue Lanyi immediately understood why the most charitable boy from back then now always cowered in a corner, trying to protect himself.
For his own good, and for the good of others.
Xue Lanyi remained silent for a long time. "So, Shen Jinglan placed the Guanyin Guillotine in every cell and even wrapped it with fox fur?"
"Yes." The Imperial Guard also sighed.
This move is simply meant to intimidate every prisoner who enters the jail.
Even the once-spirited Prince Zhou collapsed and broke his back here. Who else could endure this desolate and boundless hell on earth?
It must be said that they achieved their goal. Xue Lanyi, now bound by the so-called Guanyin Guillotine, has indeed developed a deeper fear.
She had no idea what methods Wei Zhang would use to torture her in a little while.
She didn't know if she would end up like Zhou Yu, unable to make it through.
She instinctively clasped her hands together, rubbing her fingers as if to feel the warmth of their body when they were still there.
The slight heat generated by friction could not withstand the lonely chill of the night wind blowing through the skylight.
On the other side, Wei Zhang lifted his robe and climbed the steps towards the brighter office.
As he walked, he tore off a piece of his inner garment sleeve and neatly wrapped it twice around the wound on the back of his hand.
Upon arriving at the barbed gate, he saw the pale-faced young emperor through the cracks filled with cold, hard barbs.
All day long, the young emperor still hadn't recovered from the matter of the murderer in the Prince Qi case. He shook his head and choked back tears, saying, "I want to avenge my uncle. I want to avenge my uncle."
"Your Majesty, please calm down."
Shen Jinglan spoke with unusual gentleness, kneeling on one knee before the young emperor, covering his hand with her palm, and squeezing his hand reassuringly, "Your Majesty, listen to me, Lord Wei is of one heart and one mind with us. If something happens to him, we will all be finished. We must protect him."
"But he killed him, he killed him..."
The young emperor raised his voice, and suddenly caught a glimpse of a tall, dark figure through the crack in the door.
Wei Zhang blended into the darkness of the imperial prison, except for his eyes, which gleamed with a chilling light.
All the young emperor's resentment and anger were stuck in his throat. He swallowed and quickly pulled his hand away.
Shen Jinglan looked in the direction of his gaze and met Wei Zhang's eyes.
Then he stood up, his flying fish robe shielding the young emperor.
"Wei Zhang, you have confessed your crimes in front of the court officials. How can the Emperor protect you?"
Wei Zhang did not answer. His gaze lingered on the back of the young emperor's hand for a moment before he walked straight to the octagonal table and tested the temperature of the teapot with his finger.
I've indeed wasted too much time talking to Xue Lanyi today, and I'm actually quite thirsty.
He lifted his robe and sat upright, poured himself a cup of tea, and lightly skimmed the foam off the surface.
Shen Jinglan, unaware of his leisurely mood, plopped down opposite Wei Zhang. "The court, before the Emperor, is not a place for you and your concubine to amuse yourselves!"
Does Shen Jinglan still remember how he said with great interest, "Whatever my beloved concubine says is what it is," when Xue Lanyi denounced him at Donghua Gate this morning?
Was Wei Zhang a helpless person?
Why did he admit it as soon as Xue Lanyi reported him?
He was clearly deliberately going along with Xue Lanyi and teasing her.
Shen Jinglan has seen how he deals with others before. Over the years, which person who betrayed him has been able to live a single day well?
Only Xue Lanyi is still alive and well.
He wasn't angry at all; Shen Jinglan could tell he was actually enjoying himself!
"You two can do whatever you want to be romantic, close the door, hide under the covers, and do whatever you want."
"You've made a scene in the palace, as if you're afraid others won't know that you, Lord Wei Zhang, have a confidante by your side?"
"Are you afraid that others won't know that you, Lord Wei, have plucked the star from the sky, Princess Zhaoyang?"
Shen Jinglan's tone was not very good, but Wei Zhang listened to his every word without showing any impatience, which was quite rare.
Instead, she took a sip of tea and listened to his rambling on like a storyteller.
Shen Jinglan had no time to tell him stories.
"Don't just laugh, how are you going to clean this up?"
Shen Jinglan tapped on the table.
At present, the news that Xue Lanyi accused Wei Zhang of murdering a prince has already spread throughout the court, and it is spreading like wildfire among the people.
His Majesty could not possibly turn a deaf ear.
However, Wei Zhang was an invaluable confidant of the Emperor.
The Emperor still relies on him in many areas, so he cannot truly punish him.
Shen Jinglan glanced at the young emperor behind her.
The young emperor was small and thin, sitting hunched in a round-backed chair, his cheeks slightly puffed out as he suppressed his anger.
One remained silent, while the other prepared to erupt in anger; Shen Jinglan was terrified that the room might catch fire at the slightest provocation.
He had no choice but to soften his tone and hand the tea and snacks to Wei Zhang, saying, "How is His Majesty supposed to explain this to the common people?"
“If Lord Shen investigates the ins and outs of Prince Qi’s death thoroughly, wouldn’t that be the greatest explanation to the common people?” Wei Zhang said.
Shen Jinglan choked.
He certainly knew that thoroughly investigating the case was the best way to appease the public.
He had indeed found some clues about the death of Prince Qi a few days ago. Wasn't it Xue Lanyi who suddenly jumped out and accused Wei Zhang, interrupting his train of thought?
If Wei Zhang is indeed the murderer, the deeper he investigates, the more evidence will point to Wei Zhang.
Wouldn't things become even more complicated then?
"Give me a straight answer: are you the murderer of Prince Qi?"
"Whether I am the murderer or not, the Embroidered Uniform Guard should act impartially and investigate to the end, shouldn't they?" Wei Zhang met his gaze with great interest.
Shen Jinglan did not understand his meaning.
Wei Zhang stood up and gave him a definite answer, "Go ahead and investigate, just do your job."
Having said that, he got up and left.
"Where are you going?" Shen Jinglan also stood up.
Wei Zhang, who was about to leave, turned his head slightly and nodded to him, "Let's watch the shooting stars with my beloved concubine."
"..."
Shen Jinglan was completely speechless.
He ultimately didn't get a definite answer from Wei Zhang, but Wei Zhang had already told him to investigate the case without any scruples, so the trip wasn't in vain.
Shen Jinglan lit the lamp and gave the young emperor a wink.
The two left through the back door, one after the other.
Wei Zhang exited through the front door and saw the blurry figures of the two men through the iron caltrop gate.
"Shen Jinglan, you must always remember the difference between superiors and inferiors."
Shen Jinglan turned around in a daze.
Wei Zhang didn't look back, but shook his head and smiled, "A dog should know its place. What kind of dog stands in front of its master?"
Shen Jinglan's expression froze as he realized that he had walked ahead of the young emperor.
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