The dark, damp dungeon was shrouded in darkness, devoid of any sunlight. Only endless darkness accompanied the squeaking of rats, sending chills down one's spine. Then came a deep, profound cold, like countless ants crawling on one's body, bringing a dense, pervasive fear and chill.
The woman, dressed in a snow-white prison uniform, huddled up, her arms wrapped around her knees, but this brought her no warmth. Her entire body began to tremble uncontrollably, her long hair disheveled and unkempt, obscuring most of her face. In the darkness, she was even more difficult to see clearly.
Beneath her was a tangled mass of straw, with small black insects crawling around. A few rays of moonlight shone through the high iron window, indicating that it was already midnight.
Curled up like a shrimp, with her head buried between her knees, the stench of decay filling Jiang Changle with terror. Even now, she still couldn't understand why things had turned out this way.
She had done a flawless job of drugging him, hiding the poison between her fingers and subtly adding a dash of broth while serving the medicine—completely undetected. How could Jiang Wuyou have discovered something so secretive?
When the other party slowly and deliberately revealed his plan, the Third Prince's instructions to him, and the Fifth Prince's enticements, he knew he was in trouble.
But this wasn't the most desperate moment. What truly drove him to despair was when an emperor, dressed in a bright yellow dragon robe, with a ruddy complexion and sharp eyes, stood before him, coldly staring at him. That's when he was utterly devastated.
The other side knew everything—their treasonous intentions, their secret schemes—so it was all Jiang Wuyou's doing. It was all a play staged by the Emperor and Jiang Wuyou to lure them into a trap, and they foolishly fell for it.
Their supposedly flawless secret plan was nothing more than a laughable farce in the eyes of others. Why? The Fifth Prince had clearly stated that the drug was so well-hidden that no one would notice, so why was the Emperor still alive and kicking, seemingly even stronger than before? How could that be?
Indeed, Jiang Chang Le was a classic double agent. Behind her were two princes; the Third Prince, of course, was involved, but the Fifth Prince came to her of his own accord. At that time, Jiang Chang Le was truly destitute. Even the lowest maidservant of the Third Prince's wife could bully and mock her at will. How could someone as proud as her endure such a miserable life?
So, for the sake of future wealth and honor, she allied herself with the fifth prince behind her father. After all, both of them were strong contenders for the throne, and she could enjoy endless wealth and honor no matter which one she followed. It was just that the third prince had not yet succeeded, so it would be easier for her to preserve her future dignity and be able to climb higher.
But what does it matter? With her looks and charm, I don't believe the Fifth Prince wouldn't be moved by her. If little Jiang Wuyou could, so could Jiang Changle.
She entered the palace with a dual mission: to poison the Emperor and, ideally, frame Jiang Wuyou. A two-pronged approach, foolproof. Once the Emperor died and a new one ascended the throne, she, as a meritorious official, would enjoy endless wealth and glory. Jiang Wuyou, that wretched woman, would become a prisoner, along with her unborn child, condemned to eternal damnation.
Outside the prison, a figure clad in a jet-black cloak perfectly concealed his form, blending seamlessly into the darkness. Behind him followed a meek and obedient eunuch, who whispered a few words to the jailer before the cloaked figure silently entered the prison.
The extremely dark and damp environment was very uncomfortable, but the man in the black cloak did not stop walking, unhurriedly heading deeper into the prison. Finally, he stopped at cell number one, turned around, and through the wooden bars, saw a shivering figure huddled inside.
Even with Jiang Wuyou's ruthless revenge in his previous life, Jiang Changle had never suffered imprisonment and had always been pampered with fine clothes and food. The trip to the Heavenly Prison was an extremely novel experience for him, but this experience would become a nightmare that he could never shake off for the rest of his life.
"Jiang Changle." The woman's low, husky voice rang out softly, sounding particularly clear in the darkness, causing Jiang Changle to immediately focus his gaze on her.
Although the other person's figure was completely obscured by a large, black cloak, making it impossible to tell whether they were male or female, Jiang Changle recognized them at a glance. She screamed and lunged towards the door, only to be blocked by the high fence. She frantically tore at the other person's clothes with both hands, but could not reach them.
"Jiang Wuyou, you bitch, you're the one who ruined me, you're the one who ruined me—I'm going to kill you, kill you!" The once most beautiful woman in Jiangzhou now looked like a madwoman driven insane, pitiful and laughable in her wretched state.
"Even if you want to kill me, so what? I'm standing right in front of you now, what can you do to me?" Wuyou smirked, a sneer playing on his lips. At this point, failing to see the bigger picture is truly the height of stupidity.
"No, I won't die like this. The Third Prince, the Fifth Prince, and even Father, they will all come to save me. Father loves me so much." Jiang Changle gripped the fence tightly, as if grasping at the last straw, shaking her head frantically like a rattle drum.
Although he knew the three men were heartless, he was now imprisoned and had no other choice but to cling to this hope. He held leverage over the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince, and if he didn't want them to reveal their secrets, they had to save him.
Thinking of this, a fire blazed in Jiang Changle's eyes—a burning desire for life.
"I truly admire your ingenious ideas, but unfortunately, you're destined to be disappointed." A smile appeared on the face hidden beneath the black veil. Wuyou casually clapped her hands, and the blue stone wall behind her instantly lost its color, revealing the scene inside.
Jiang Changle stared wide-eyed, straining to see, and finally made out the face of the person opposite her in the pitch black. She gasped in shock. The person seemed to have lost all strength, slumped to the ground, all traces of their previous madness and shouting gone.
Two men sat opposite him, looking disheveled. Their snow-white prison uniforms were stained black and filthy, and their messy hair obscured their faces, but familiar outlines could still be vaguely discerned—Jiang Jing and the Third Prince.
"Impossible...impossible..." Jiang Changle kept muttering to herself, reaching out and pulling her hair tightly, looking like she was about to collapse.
"Wuyou, I'm your father! How can you treat me like this? What did I do wrong? Why did you arrest me?" Jiang Jing heard Wuyou's words and couldn't wait to question him after seeing him.
He believed he had treated his second daughter well, giving her all the respect and privileges she deserved. Why was she treating him this way?
Jiang Jing himself was also completely baffled by the whole affair. He was taking a nap at his residence when someone held a knife to his neck and dragged him here. Only now did he realize who was behind it all, and he couldn't figure it out no matter how hard he tried.
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