Chapter 79 Summoning Prince Yong, the Golden Juice Torture
The Empress Dowager had already considered this point, as Madam Ji had said.
But Prince Yong is her own son, and she knows clearly who she should protect.
The Empress Dowager's fingers tapped lightly on the armrest of her throne, her gaze, seen through the beaded curtain, appearing increasingly indifferent.
"Madam, you are mistaken. What does this matter have to do with my son?"
Hearing that even her way of addressing her had changed, the old lady's face fell.
With a heavy heart, she said, "Xuwen died young, leaving behind only his two children and a widow. I will risk my life to protect Changyan. If Your Majesty wants to sever ties, then from now on, I will no longer bother Your Majesty."
Mrs. Qiao sat to the side watching, shaking her head almost imperceptibly.
The mother-in-law is speaking rashly in her haste; accusing Prince Yong is not a wise move. Regardless of whether Ji Changyan was instructed by Prince Yong, the evidence of his crimes is irrefutable.
Old Madam Ji slowly stood up, her disappointment barely concealed. Her grandson's life was hanging by a thread, and her aunt was so cold-blooded.
She tremblingly bowed deeply to the Empress Dowager. Normally, the Empress Dowager would have gone over to help the old lady.
But this time, the Empress Dowager had no choice but to harden her heart.
She understood that her second brother, Ji Xuwen, had died of illness at a young age, so the family took good care of the second branch of the family. The old lady of the Ji family doted on Ji Changyan, which led to his impulsive nature of thinking only of the future.
Regardless of the truth, since they are of the same blood, the Ji family should also suffer this ordeal on behalf of Prince Yong.
The Empress Dowager twirled the prayer beads in her hand, closed her eyes, and sighed softly: "Shixi, escort the old lady and the others back."
No sooner had he finished speaking than Miao Guangcai, the head eunuch of Cining Palace, suddenly burst into the hall, looking flustered and speaking urgently.
"Your Majesty, something terrible has happened!"
Shi Xi quickly stopped him: "Eunuch Miao, one must not be disrespectful in front of the Empress Dowager."
Miao Guangcai knelt on the ground, his voice trembling: "Your Majesty, the Emperor issued an edict a quarter of an hour ago, and Prince Yong has been summoned to the Imperial City Guard's prison."
The Buddhist prayer beads in the Empress Dowager's hand fell to the ground, and her wide, crimson robe sleeves trembled violently.
"I need to go to the imperial prison."
The head palace maid, Shi Xi, calmly advised, "Your Majesty, this is against the law. The inner palace is not allowed to interfere in politics. If the Emperor and all the court officials find out that you have gone to the imperial prison, you will surely be criticized. Please think it over carefully, Your Majesty."
Concern leads to confusion; even as the Empress Dowager, she nearly lost her composure when it came to the matter of Prince Yong.
The Empress Dowager descended the steps in a daze, grasped Old Madam Ji's hand, and, no longer indifferent, asked anxiously, "Mother, Minghong has been taken to the Imperial Prison. Will he be punished?"
Madam Ji was equally shocked.
Prince Yong was a prince, and there was no precedent for a prince being imprisoned by imperial decree. He was always first detained in the Ministry of Justice prison, and the three judicial departments had to conduct a joint trial before a conviction was made.
The emperor's actions threw these people into a panic.
Qiao, who had been sitting quietly to the side, frowned and asked, "Father-in-law, did you say why Prince Yong was summoned?"
Miao Guangcai replied, "The imperial decree did not specify this; it only said to summon the prince."
Madam Qiao breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Since it's a summons, not detention, the situation shouldn't be too serious. Your Majesty, the Ji family's morale must not be low. We should think of a way to deal with this together."
Madam Wu got up from the ground and hurriedly said, "Yesterday, Changyan went out with Qingwu. She must know what happened. Your Majesty, please summon her and ask her!"
Madam Ji also said, "Yes, Second Daughter-in-law is right. We need to find out what happened last night before we know what to do next."
Upon hearing that Xiao Wu was to be called over, Qiao's expression changed.
Yesterday, Ji Changyan said that Xiao Wu wanted to visit Yu Cui Lou, which is owned by Prince Yong and specializes in women's clothing and jewelry. Qiao Shi didn't think anything was wrong when she heard this.
But it was getting late and Ji Qingwu still hadn't returned home. Qiao sent someone to inquire, and Ji Changyan's servant replied that the Fifth Miss had drunk some wine in high spirits and was resting in a private room at Yu Cui Lou.
Qiao Shi still doesn't know what happened last night, but the two imperial edicts issued this morning reveal that last night's events were anything but simple.
The Qiao family had long suspected something was wrong, and it was best not to involve Xiao Wu at this time.
She feigned a sigh and said, "Xiao Wu has been confined to her quarters because she offended the emperor. She can't go out now, and there are guards watching over the courtyard."
The Empress Dowager said dejectedly, "The Emperor has kept the news under wraps so well; he is determined to make things difficult for the Ji family."
Before the people in Cining Palace could come up with a solution, a blue-clad eunuch appeared at the door after only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea.
Shi Xi recognized him as Hu Guizi, who served Prince Yong, and quickly let him in.
Everyone anxiously watched the young eunuch who had come to deliver the message.
Hu Guizi was breathless and her face was pale: "Your Majesty the Empress Dowager, Prince Yong..."
Since it concerned Prince Yong, and he had such an expression, the Empress Dowager urged angrily, "Speak quickly, don't beat around the bush, what exactly happened to Minghong?!"
Hu Guizi cried out, "Prince Yong has fainted in the imperial prison."
Prince Yong also got into trouble...
The emperor's actions were so ruthless that the empress dowager collapsed onto her throne.
Madam Ji asked, "Was Prince Yong tortured? Who dared to be so bold?"
Hu Guizi said, "Your Majesty, the old lady did not use torture. The Emperor summoned Prince Yong to supervise the execution."
Imprisonment?
The Empress Dowager breathed a slight sigh of relief, her nails painted with vermilion nail polish pointing at the young eunuch: "Who is the person being tortured?"
"It is the third young master of the Ji family."
With red eyes, Madam Wu said, "It's Changyan..."
"The execution was extremely brutal, and Prince Yong couldn't withstand it and fainted," Hu Guizi explained.
These few words terrified Madam Wu and Old Madam Ji. What kind of terrifying punishment could have caused Prince Yong, who was watching the execution, to faint from fright?
Madam Ji pressed further, "What kind of torture was used?"
"Yes, yes, it is the punishment of 'golden juice'."
Those present were hearing about this kind of punishment for the first time.
Wu asked in a panic, "What is the punishment of 'golden juice'?"
Hu Guizi did not witness the execution; it was Lord Duan Mingfeng of the Imperial City Guard who ordered the unconscious Prince Yong to be carried out.
Only then was he able to enter the underground prison and secretly peek at the scene inside.
The tortured man was unrecognizable, barely recognizable as human, his brocade robes were covered in filth, and his painful, piercing screams echoed throughout the prison.
When he dragged Prince Yong out, the ghostly screams continued, clearly indicating that he was in extreme pain every second and could not stop.
Hu Guizi was still at the prison gate when she overheard a guard casually mentioning something, and only then did she learn what kind of methods were used inside to torture a person into a state that was neither human nor ghost in an instant.
"This is an extreme tactic used when defending a city on the battlefield."
He took a breath and said, "It's urine and feces mixed with boiling hot oil, poured on people."
Urine, fecal matter, hot oil.
None of these are things that ordinary people can afford, let alone young masters who have grown up in luxury.
Wu couldn't stand listening to it and let out a series of sharp cries.
Shi Xi stepped forward and covered her mouth, frowning as she said, "Second Madam, please forgive me, loud noises are not allowed in the palace."
The Empress Dowager's desire to visit Prince Yong in the imperial prison vanished instantly; she did not want to witness such a cruel and filthy scene.
The thought of her grandson, who was barely recognizable as a human being and covered in excrement, made Old Madam Ji feel so heartbroken that she vomited.
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