Chapter 21: Imprisoned on a Rainy Night, His Punishment
The cold rain lashed at her like a whip. Xiao Jin grabbed her wrist and dragged her forward. The rough bluestone slabs rubbed her knees raw. The rain, mixed with tears and cold sweat, smeared her face. Her wrists ached from being gripped so tightly that her bones felt like they were being crushed. Every step she took caused pain from the old injury on her shoulder, and even her breathing was shaky.
"Let me go... Xiao Jin, you're hurting me..." She struggled, her voice drowned out by the sound of the rain, leaving only a faint whisper. But Xiao Jin seemed not to hear her. He continued walking, his dark robe fluttering in the rain, and the hostility around him almost chilled the wind and rain.
Xie Heng, still held back by the guards at the ancestral hall entrance, watched Yun Zhi being dragged along, his eyes red with anxiety. He tried to charge forward several times, but was held down by the guards. "Your Highness! Let Miss Yun go! She's still running a fever and can't handle this!" He roared, his voice filled with anxiety, but he could only watch helplessly as the two figures disappeared into the rain.
Xiao Jin turned around abruptly, his eyes as cold as a poisoned knife. "Doctor Xie, please mind your own business. If you dare to meddle in my affairs again, don't blame me for being rude. Come, escort Doctor Xie out of the palace. Without my order, he is not allowed to set foot in the palace again!"
"Yes!" Two guards immediately stepped forward, holding Xie Heng on either side and dragging him out. Xie Heng was still struggling, calling out "Miss Yun" over and over again, but his voice faded away until it was completely drowned out by the sound of rain.
When Yun Zhi heard Xie Heng's voice, her heart felt like it was being tugged at, and she struggled even harder: "Xiao Jin! You can't do this to him! Doctor Xie is innocent!"
"Innocent?" Xiao Jin sneered, stopping abruptly. He turned around, grabbed her chin, and forced her to look up at him. Raindrops dripped from his hair, hitting her face, icy cold. "No one who has anything to do with you is innocent! Yunzhi, you're still protecting him? It seems your bond is even deeper than I thought!"
His eyes were filled with contempt and anger, as if he were looking at a shameless traitor. Yun Zhi saw the coldness in his eyes, and the last vestiges of hope in her heart were completely extinguished by the rain. She stopped struggling and simply looked at him coldly: "I have nothing against Doctor Xie, but you don't believe it. Xiao Jin, what else can you do to me besides violence and suspicion?"
"What else?" Xiao Jin was enraged by her words, and the hand that pinched her chin tightened. "I'll also make you remember your identity! You are my person, my substitute. Don't even think about getting involved with another man in this life!"
He dragged her along and continued walking towards the main courtyard. In the side room of the main courtyard, chains had already been prepared - they were used to imprison the slaves who had made mistakes, but now they were going to be used to lock her up. Xiao Jin pushed her into the side room, locked the door with a clang, and turned to leave.
"Xiao Jin!" Yun Zhi rushed to the door and slammed it hard. "You can't lock me up here! I'm not wrong! Let me out!"
Xiao Jin paused, but didn't turn around. His voice was as cold as ice: "It's better to lock you up here than to let you go out and have a secret meeting with Xie Heng. Reflect on your mistakes. When you have come to your senses, you can ask me to let you go."
After saying this, he left without looking back. The footsteps gradually faded away, leaving only the sound of rain and Yun Zhi's knocking on the door echoing in the empty yard.
Yun Zhi clapped for a moment before her hands ached and gave out. She slid down to the floor, leaning against the cold door. Rainwater seeped in through the cracks, soaking her clothes and chilling her to the bone. Her fever hadn't subsided, and her head was growing dizzy, her consciousness gradually fading. She curled up on the floor, shaking, not from the cold, but from despair.
Why? Why did he always refuse to believe her? Why did he always hurt her like this?
She clearly just wanted to survive, just wanted to find out about her father's injustice, and never thought about meeting anyone secretly, let alone betraying him. But in his eyes, she would always be the sinner who had evil intentions and only used tricks to calculate him.
After an unknown amount of time, Yun Zhi drifted off to a deep sleep. In her dream, she was back at the Imperial Tutor's residence. Her mother was feeding her sweet-scented osmanthus cake, and her father was watching her with a smile. The sun was warm, and the days were peaceful. But suddenly, flames shot up into the sky, and soldiers rushed in, shouting "treason!" Her mother stood in front of her, her clothes stained red with blood...
"Mother! No!" She suddenly woke up, sweating all over, her heart pounding. The side room was pitch black, with only a faint moonlight filtering through the crack in the door, illuminating the puddles on the ground.
Just then, there were very light footsteps outside the door. Yun Zhi's heart suddenly tightened, thinking it was Xiao Jin. She quickly got up and walked to the door, but she didn't dare to say a word - she was afraid of seeing the coldness in his eyes, and even more afraid of hearing his harsh words.
The footsteps stopped at the door, but the door wasn't unlocked, and no one spoke. Yun Zhi leaned against the door and could hear the breathing of the person outside - very light, but with a subtle heaviness. It was Xiao Jin.
Why did he come back? Was he going to humiliate her again?
Yun Zhi held her breath, not daring to utter a word. Xiao Jin, standing outside the door, remained silent, as if watching her through the door. He had just returned to the study, and his mind was filled with the image of Yun Zhi being dragged away by him, her tears, her struggle, and her final words, "What else can you do to me besides violence and suspicion?" Like a thorn, it pierced his heart, making him restless.
He told himself that he just didn't want her to die in the side room. After all, she was still useful and could help him solve Shen Qingyue's old case. But he knew in his heart that this was just an excuse - he was worried about her, worried about her high fever, worried about her suffering in this cold side room.
"Are you... okay?" Xiao Jin finally spoke, his voice hoarse and with a barely noticeable stiffness. "Is the fever gone?"
Yun Zhi was stunned. She hadn't expected Xiao Jin to ask about her health. She opened her mouth, wanting to answer, but then she remembered what he had done before, and the grievance and anger in her heart surged up again. In the end, she just said coldly, "Your Highness, there's no need to worry about me. I won't die."
Xiao Jin, who was standing outside the door, frowned upon hearing her words, his irritation rising again. He clearly cared about her, yet she treated him this way! "Are you really hoping that I will just ignore you? So you can rekindle your relationship with Xie Heng?"
Yun Zhi's anger flared up when she heard the name "Xie Heng." "There's nothing wrong between Doctor Xie and me! You're just imagining things! Xiao Jin, you only insult me with your suspicions! I don't think you're worried about me at all, you're just worried about someone else getting their hands on your 'property'!"
The word "property" pierced Xiao Jin's heart like a needle. He truly believed this, treating Yun Zhi as his own property, not allowing anyone else to touch her. But when Yun Zhi said it, he felt inexplicably angry. "So what? You belong to me. I can do whatever I want!"
After saying that, he turned and walked away, his footsteps getting farther and farther away. This time, he didn't look back.
Yun Zhi leaned against the door, tears streaming down her face. She knew it was useless to reason with Xiao Jin; he would always use his status and violence to suppress her, and would never believe her.
The side room grew colder, and Yun Zhi's fever returned. She became increasingly unconscious. Curled up on the floor, her body trembling, her mind confined to a single thought: she couldn't die. She had to live, to find justice for her father's injustice, and to seek justice for herself and her family.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jin returned to his study, unable to concentrate on his official duties. He sat at his desk, pen in hand, unable to write a single word. His mind kept flashing back to the image of Yun Zhi and Xie Heng in the ancestral hall, the tears she'd shed as he dragged her away, and the cold words she'd spoken behind the door.
"Damn it!" He threw his pen on the desk, stood up in frustration, and paced back and forth in the study. He told himself that he was only angry because his "property had been contaminated," and that he was angry because of Yun Zhi's "betrayal." It had nothing to do with concern for her. But the inexplicable worry in his heart, like a vine, tightly wrapped around him, making it difficult for him to breathe.
At this moment, a guard came from outside the door and reported: "Your Highness, the Princess sent someone to say that she has made some ginger soup to dispel the cold and wants to send it to Concubine Yun. I want to ask if you allow it."
Xiao Jin frowned. Lin Wanru's sending him ginger soup at this time definitely meant something. He snorted coldly, "Tell the princess, it's not necessary. I'll make my own arrangements for Yun Zhi's affairs."
"Yes." The guard retreated.
Xiao Jin walked to the window, watching the rain outside, his irritation growing even worse. He knew Lin Wanru and Su Yurou had always wanted to get rid of Yun Zhi. The previous incidents of Crazy Horse and Leng Jian in the paddock were inextricably linked to them. Now that Yun Zhi was imprisoned in his side room, they would definitely not miss this opportunity.
"Someone come!" he shouted outside the door.
A secret guard immediately appeared at the door: "What do you want, Your Majesty?"
"Go guard outside the side room," Xiao Jin said coldly, "and don't let anyone get close, especially those around the princess and the concubines. Also, get some clean clothes and blankets, and bring a bowl of fever-reducing medicine over to Yun Zhi."
"Yes!" the secret guard responded, turned around and left quickly.
Xiao Jin breathed a sigh of relief as he watched the secret guard's back. He told himself he was doing this simply because he didn't want Yun Zhi to be murdered by Lin Wanru and Su Yurou. After all, she was still useful and hadn't yet helped him solve Shen Qingyue's old case. But he knew in his heart that this was just self-deception—he was truly worried about her, worried that she wouldn't be able to survive this cold, rainy night.
In the side room, Yun Zhi was drowsy and half asleep. In her daze, she felt someone come in, change her into clean clothes, cover her with a warm blanket, and feed her a bowl of bitter medicine. She thought it was a dream and did not open her eyes, but subconsciously leaned towards the warmth.
After doing all this, the secret guard retreated quietly and stood guard outside the door.
The rain was still falling, but the side room felt a touch warmer. Yun Zhi gradually fell into a more peaceful sleep under the warm quilt, but tears continued to fall silently from the corners of her eyes.
Meanwhile, Xiao Jin, in his study, sat awake all night. Sitting at his desk, watching the rain fall outside, his mind revolving around Yun Zhi. The conflict and restlessness in his heart were like a tangled mess, impossible to untangle. He didn't realize that his concern for Yun Zhi had long since transcended the realm of "possession," but he simply didn't want to admit it, nor did he dare.
The turmoil on this rainy night not only imprisoned Yun Zhi, but also troubled Xiao Jin's heart. Meanwhile, Lin Wanru and Su Yurou, hidden in the dark, learned that Xiao Jin had sent someone to guard the side room and even sent clothes and medicine. Their sense of crisis intensified. They knew that Xiao Jin's attitude towards Yun Zhi had subtly changed, and if they didn't take action now, they would never have another chance.
A new conspiracy is quietly brewing. Yun Zhi, who is imprisoned in a side room, has no idea that she is about to face an even more dangerous trap.
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