The crown prince was imprisoned.
"Smack!"
Upon hearing the news, Shen Tangning accidentally dropped and shattered a teacup.
She was stunned for a moment, and only slowly came back to her senses under Xue Qing's worried gaze:
"Miss, did you burn your hand?"
"It's alright." Her fingertips were a little cold, and she had a vague feeling that something had happened before was repeating itself.
It was as if, despite all her efforts, fate had been turned back onto its original course by an invisible hand, and everything she had done was in vain.
But she knew clearly that some things were no longer the same.
Regaining her composure, she heard herself ask in a calm voice, "Do you know why?"
Xueqing recalled the news she had heard, her expression turning somewhat grave: "It seems to be because... she wasn't strict with her subordinates?"
She didn't know the specifics.
Shen Tangning frowned slightly. This charge was somewhat delicate, especially when paired with the punishment of confinement…
Did they say how long the confinement would last?
Xueqing shook her head: "I haven't heard of that."
Feeling even more uneasy, Shen Tangning decided to wait for Chi Yan to return and ask him for clarification.
On the way back to the mansion, Chi Yan was somewhat uneasy.
He didn't return to the manor last night not because he was avoiding Shen Tangning, but because the interrogation went on too late, so he simply made do at the Yiluan Division.
However, he couldn't guarantee that Shen Tangning wouldn't be dissatisfied with him once she learned the news, since he had personally handed over the crucial testimony.
He hadn't forgotten that they had been in a cold war for more than half a month when dealing with the Xie family's affairs!
A few idle words drifted into the carriage—
"Have you heard? That commander of the Imperial Guard is incredibly cruel when interrogating prisoners! He even skinned people alive!"
Chi Yan was stunned for a moment. The Commander of the Yiluan Division, was he being referred to?
While he was still in a daze, the other person started talking excitedly: "What?! I heard it's like being cut into a thousand pieces, and they say that when the knife cuts all the way down, there's not a single piece of good flesh left!"
"Oh dear, isn't this blatant torture to extract a confession? Isn't anyone going to do anything about it?"
"What do you care? He's a favorite of the Emperor! Stop talking, or the Imperial Guards will come and arrest him!"
Chi Yan's mouth twitched; he was witnessing for the first time how terrifying rumors could be.
He used all those promises of promotion and titles, and the torture of skinning daylilies, to scare people!
Although these punishments do exist, when has he ever used them since taking over the imperial prison? He admits he couldn't bring himself to use such terrible torture to extract a confession from a mere palace maid.
I don't know which unscrupulous person spread this rumor. If you didn't know better, you'd think he was some kind of fierce and ruthless Yama!
Feeling rather depressed, Chi Yan didn't seem to be in high spirits when she returned.
Seeing his appearance, Shen Tangning's heart sank slightly: "You're back?"
When their eyes met, Chi Yan belatedly felt guilty and mumbled a low "Mm."
"Sit down and let's talk." She raised her chin and gestured to the seat beside her.
After sitting down, the silence made him unable to contain himself any longer: "You knew everything?"
Shen Tangning nodded, and after a few moments of silence, asked, "What exactly happened?"
Chi Yan briefly recounted what had happened, while carefully observing her expression: "I think this matter might not be as serious as it seems. If His Majesty truly suspects the Crown Prince of having ulterior motives, it might not be as simple as just confinement."
Shen Tangning lowered her eyes and slowly replied, "I understand."
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