Chapter 77 "She can't bear to part with me".
Chen Zhaoyu indeed had a solution.
Shen Yunzhi met Cui Huai on the third day after he was imprisoned.
Deep within the dark and gloomy Ministry of Justice prison, the stench of blood mingled with an indescribable, pungent odor, creating an extremely unpleasant atmosphere. The screams of torture during interrogations echoed intermittently, causing anyone entering to instinctively hold their breath.
Cui Huai sat upright on a low couch.
His expression was calm, as if he were enjoying the scenery in a pavilion or waterside terrace rather than being a prisoner.
However, the torn marks on the robe and the dark color left by the congealed blood were particularly glaring.
Cui Huai has already been tortured.
Shen Yunzhi followed Chen Zhaoyu to the front of the prison.
He glanced at Cui Huai with considerable displeasure before walking away, leaving Shen Yunzhi and Cui Huai to talk alone.
Cui Huai's gaze fell directly on Shen Yunzhi's face.
Seeing her dressed as a servant, yet with Chen Zhaoyu by her side, he frowned deeply.
"Cousin Zhi, you look really bad dressed like that."
Hearing Cui Huai leisurely comment on her attire, Shen Yunzhi regretted coming to see him and said irritably, "What's it to you?"
Cui Huai said unhappily, "Chen Zhaoyu deliberately tricked you into coming here and made you dress like this so that he would remember when you secretly went to the Chen family to see him and how you two poured out your hearts to each other and how tender your feelings were."
"So what if I am? You're just a prisoner, what right do you have to interfere in our affairs?"
Reminded by Cui Huai's words, Shen Yunzhi recalled the various incidents that had occurred when she met Chen Zhaoyu at the Chen Family Ancestral Hall.
From that moment on, Cui Huai cherished their ending of being together through life and death.
After she returned to the capital, she had countless people around her, both openly and secretly. Even though he was in prison, it wouldn't be difficult for him to take her life.
Later, Cui Huai told her more than once that he wanted her to live.
If this isn't a lie... perhaps he had already secretly arranged a way out for her.
“But he shouldn’t have lied to you about coming here.” Cui Huai stood up and slowly walked closer, looking at Shen Yunzhi through the iron bars.
Shen Yunzhi didn't reply immediately. Chen Zhaoyu was already urging her. She glanced at Cui Huai and asked, "Can you walk out of the prison?"
Cui Huai laughed: "Afraid I'll walk out sideways?"
Shen Yunzhi looked away and replied in a muffled voice, "I couldn't ask for more."
Before Cui Huai could say anything more, she turned and walked towards Chen Zhaoyu.
After leaving the Ministry of Justice prison, Shen Yunzhi did not get into Chen Zhaoyu's carriage.
She had felt uneasy ever since she asked to see Cui Huai, and at this moment, Chen Zhaoyu's brows furrowed even more.
"You...can't let him go?"
Even if he didn't want to admit it, Chen Zhaoyu found it hard to deceive himself. If he hated someone so much, why would he want to come to the prison?
Shen Yunzhi was stunned for a moment before regaining her composure: "Your Highness and I have a life-or-death bond. Doesn't Young Master Chen know where my status as a county princess comes from?" Seeing Chen Zhaoyu's downcast eyes and melancholy, she paused, sincerely thanked him for his help, and replied, "I will take good care of myself."
Chen Zhaoyu recalled the frail scholar who had appeared at her home a few days ago.
Huo Ming, Cui Huai, the scholar...
Several figures flashed by, and as if driven by an impulse called resentment, he suddenly blurted out: "How to take care of them? Rely on that person from that day?"
Caught off guard by the sudden questioning, Shen Yunzhi was caught off guard.
After some initial confusion, I realized that the "that day and that person" referred to Qi Song.
Shen Yunzhi fell silent.
Her involvement with Chen Zhaoyu began after she and Huo Ming were separated by an imperial decree to marry, so it's no wonder Chen Zhaoyu would think that way.
Most normal people would probably see her the way Chen Zhaoyu does.
Only a madman like Cui Huai would insist on keeping her by his side no matter what she does.
"I'm sorry, that's just who I am."
Shen Yunzhi didn't have the energy to argue or explain to Chen Zhaoyu. After saying one sentence, she parted ways with him.
Chen Zhaoyu stood frozen beside the carriage.
He felt remorseful, knowing he shouldn't have said that, knowing he should have chased after them, but he couldn't move his feet.
He watched helplessly as Shen Yunzhi walked away.
Chen Zhaoyu was dejected, but he could only turn around and get into the carriage.
From the day Cui Huai had his accident, Qi Song had stayed by Shen Yunzhi's side. Qi Song knew that she had gone to see Cui Huai, so when she returned and saw that she looked pale, Qi Song asked, "Didn't you see the Crown Prince?"
"I saw him," Shen Yunzhi said softly.
Qi Song frowned slightly: "If that's the case, why does Yunniang look so pale?"
Shen Yunzhi raised her hand to touch her face and shook her head: "No."
She walked silently to the corridor, then stopped and asked the question she hadn't insisted Qi Song answer before: "What did Cui Huai tell you?"
Qi Song asked uncertainly, "Why are you suddenly bringing this up?"
Shen Yunzhi did not answer her question either, but only expressed her guess: "Is it because if something happens to him, he wants you to take me away?"
Even if Qi Song didn't answer this time, Shen Yunzhi still got the answer.
As a result, her heart became heavy—Cui Huai was not entirely confident at all.
However, Cui Huai had already made arrangements for her beforehand.
In this way, whether Cui Huai succeeds or fails, she will have room for maneuver and there is no need to take risks.
She believed that Cui Huai had the ability to ensure her safety.
He believed that, based on Cui Huai's arrangements, he could still bring her back even if she escaped.
So be it.
Shen Yunzhi had to admit that she would rather see Cui Xu suffer.
He fell heavily from the position of crown prince, which was only one step away from the throne...
She was undoubtedly pleased with the outcome.
Hopefully, Cui Huai shares the same idea as her.
As the night deepens and the dew grows heavy, the darkness fades.
Lin Yue quietly sneaked into the Ministry of Justice prison to see Cui Huai and report that everything was arranged properly.
Cui Huai gave a faint reply and glanced at Lin Yue.
Lin Yue understood and immediately said, "The county princess stayed in the mansion afterward and did not go anywhere else."
"She can't bear to part with me."
Recalling Shen Yunzhi's visit to him today, Cui Huai's lips curved slightly.
...
The embezzlement case that Cui Huai was involved in concerned the illegal sale of salt. It was initially discovered that officials in Lianghuai and Liangzhe were embezzling funds by falsely increasing the number of salt permits. The memorial was presented to Emperor Jiaping, who ordered the Fifth Prince Cui Xu to oversee the case. Later, Cui Xu was impeached for his poor handling of the case, and Cui Huai took over the case. This was also the matter that Cui Huai had previously taken Shen Yunzhi from the capital to Jinling to handle for the emperor.
The charges Cui Xu used to arrest Cui Huai were dereliction of duty, bribery, and falsification of case files.
They then concluded that he had accomplices, so as to extract confessions through torture.
Every three to five days, Cui Xu would go to the Ministry of Justice prison to personally interrogate Cui Huai.
Every time he left, Cui Huai was covered in wounds, and the emperor would send a royal physician to treat him and apply medicine.
When a staff member advised that this move might be inappropriate, Cui Xu reprimanded him.
After that, no one dared to raise any questions.
Many officials in the court were imprisoned after being labeled as accomplices. If any courtiers submitted memorials to defend themselves, they would also be implicated and either demoted or punished. For a time, the court was filled with fear and tension, and no one could meet with the emperor for a long time.
Emperor Jiaping, who was ill, never summoned his ministers again.
King Cui Jue of Chu tried to see him for several days but returned empty-handed, and eventually gave up on the matter.
The Crown Prince's faction grew increasingly rampant, and in a short period of time, almost no one dared to disobey or offer any criticism.
But then, a major event occurred—
Consort Shu has passed away.
Although Emperor Jiaping was unwell and refused to see his court officials or the six palaces, Consort Shu had been attending to him at his bedside every day. The day of the incident was no exception. After washing and grooming Emperor Jiaping, she dismissed the palace servants and was about to rest when she suddenly collapsed, dying with blood flowing from all seven orifices and her face contorted.
When Cui Xu learned of his mother's accident, he was interrogating Cui Huai in the Ministry of Justice prison.
He drank quite a bit tonight and was somewhat drunk, so he acted more recklessly than usual, only seeking pleasure.
Despite being covered in wounds, Cui Huai remained silent.
It was as if everything they were enduring was insignificant.
Cui Huai's cold attitude aroused an indescribable anger in Cui Xu.
They are nothing but flesh and blood, what difference is there? In the past he would have restrained himself, but tonight he especially wanted to force Cui Huai to show a pained expression, so that he could no longer pretend to be so arrogant.
"Cui Huai, do you really think I can't do anything to you?"
Raising the blood-soaked whip in his hand, Cui Xu's face darkened, and he gritted his teeth as he spoke each word clearly.
Cui Huai remained unmoved.
In an instant, Cui Xu gripped the long whip tightly, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes. At that moment, the eunuch attendant jogged forward and whispered a few words in his ear.
Those few words made Cui Xu suddenly stop moving.
His face suddenly contorted with rage, and he demanded sharply, "What did you say?!"
Cui Xu rushed back to the palace.
Empress Chen had already ordered the palace servants of Taihe Hall to be guarded, and Cui Xuan, who had arrived earlier, was throwing herself on Consort Shu and weeping bitterly.
"Fifth Brother, Fifth Brother..." Upon seeing Cui Xu, Cui Xuan rushed towards him with tears streaming down her face, her fingers twisting his robes in agony, her voice choked with sobs, "Mother... Avenge Mother! You must avenge Mother!"
Having already sobered up, Cui Xu raised his hand and patted his sister's shoulder with difficulty, the pressure on his hand gradually increasing.
"Okay." He closed his eyes, his chest tight, and replied in a deep voice.
The palace staff in the Hall of Supreme Harmony were interrogated overnight.
They were subjected to all sorts of cruel tortures, and before dawn, some eunuchs cried out in pain and confessed that they were the ones who had given the Consort Shu the drug.
Before he could be further tortured and interrogated about who was instructing him, the young eunuch bit his tongue and committed suicide.
Cui Xu did not stop there, and the next day he found out that the eunuch was the Eighth Prince's man.
They ordered someone to summon the Eighth Prince to the Hall of Supreme Harmony, but their attack found nothing.
The Eighth Prince is no longer in the palace.
Cui Xu stepped out of the Hall of Supreme Harmony and looked at the gradually darkening sky outside, feeling a bad premonition.
Within a quarter of an hour, the Eastern Palace was engulfed in flames, and chaos ensued both inside and outside the palace.
...
After deciding to stay in the capital, Shen Yunzhi began to live a secluded life.
She had no way of inquiring about what was happening in the imperial court, nor did she deliberately try to find out; she simply waited quietly for the final outcome.
Until midnight on that day.
The moment, which should have been completely silent, was disturbed by a commotion that woke Shen Yunzhi from her sleep.
Such commotion in the dead of night under the emperor's nose is no ordinary occurrence.
She immediately realized that something big had happened in the capital, but before she could even put on her clothes and get up, Qi Song was already knocking on the door outside.
But when Shen Yunzhi opened the door, the person standing in the corridor was not Qi Song.
Under the moonlight, Cui Huai's face was as beautiful as jade, his eyes were tender, and the words he spoke were full of warmth: "Cousin Zhi, I'm back."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com