Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Ji Linghui was delighted to hear this, but before the joy could reach her eyes, the Emperor’s stern voice rang out the next instant, “Zhao Qian, take her away and interrogate her!”
Ji Linghui’s face stiffened, and right away, her teeth started chattering uncontrollably, producing a clacking sound.
Everyone in the palace knew that the Emperor had a private prison.
It was not very large and was located right in the palace. Apparently, Chu Qi was the one in charge of this private prison. Despite his young age, he was fond of handling the instruments of torture, and not many people could withstand his methods once they fell into his hands.
They would still be alive when they went in, but when they came out, all that would remain of them were their bones. The point was, even if you only had your skeleton left, you would still be unable to die.
She had picked up all this information from the servants’ secret gossip during her leisure time in the palace.
According to the rumors, there was once a servant who accidentally entered the prison and stumbled upon Chu Qi torturing a prisoner. It was such a gruesome, purgatory-like sight that the servant could not eat and sleep for the next few days. In the end, the servant went insane and uttered nothing but gibberish all day long.
Lu Liangwei was surprised to see her reaction.
She had been so obstinate just now, but why was she suddenly so frightened by those mere few words from Long Yang?
She glanced at Long Yang suspiciously.
Zhao Qian had already stepped forward with two palace guards, and he said to Ji Linghui, “Do you want to walk on your own, or do you want me to let someone escort you there, Your Highness?”
His words were polite, but Ji Linghui had already been in the palace for a long time, and she naturally knew that the kind-looking Head of Palace Affairs was no angel.
The sound of her teeth chattering grew louder.
Looking up at the Emperor’s ruthless face from her position on the ground, she suddenly moved a few steps forward on her knees and reached out to grasp the hem of Long Yang’s robes. However, before she could touch it, she was kicked aside.
“Who allowed you to come near?” Long Yang’s icy and intimidating voice was filled with undisguised repulsion. With an arm around Lu Liangwei, he took a step backward and said to Zhao Qian, “Take her away.”
Zhao Qian was startled, and without further ado, signaled to the palace guards with a glance. Immediately, the guards stepped forward and dragged Ji Linghui away.
Ji Linghui shrieked, the calm expression on her face finally replaced by fear, and she started to struggle desperately. “You can’t do this to me, Your Majesty. What have I done wrong?”
Seeing his master’s face darken, Zhao Qian hurriedly said to the palace guards in alarm, “Gag her, quick.”
Ji Linghui was gagged right away, but her hair had come undone from all her struggling, and she looked terrifying with her tresses straggling over her shoulders.
Long Yang turned Lu Liangwei away by the shoulders to distract her. “What did you do just now?”
Lu Liangwei was not at all bothered by such an insignificant scene, but since he would not let her watch, she did not insist and replied, “I flew a paper kite with Zhi’er for a while.” After a pause, she smiled and asked, “Do you want to fly it, Your Majesty?”
“All right, let’s fly it together.” With an arm around her shoulders, Long Yang started to walk away from the lake. However, they had only taken a few steps when they saw Empress Dowager Xiaojing and the Crown Prince coming over and even stopping the two palace guards escorting Ji Linghui.
Long Yang stopped in his tracks, fixing the Empress Dowager an unreadable look with his dark eyes. “Why are you in the mood to come out for a walk today, Empress Dowager?”
Empress Dowager Xiaojing looked at him kindly and smiled. “The weather’s good today, and the Crown Prince was thoughtful enough to accompany this old woman on a walk. We heard loud noises coming from here, so we came to take a look..” Her gaze landed on the bedraggled and miserable Ji Linghui, and she said compassionately, “How did the Prudence Consort get herself into such a state?”