Until she stepped through the gates of the Zongzheng Temple, Yun Qiya still found it hard to believe she had gained entry so easily.
No one questioned her, no one blocked her path, and there was even an official specifically carrying a lantern to lead the way.
Her little partner was truly capable.
The Zongzheng Temple Prison was quite different from what she had imagined. The cells were fully furnished with tables and chairs; one room even had brushes and ink.
Did the Deposed Prince also live in a cell like this? Wouldn’t that be far too comfortable for him?
Mindful of the official leading them, Yun Qiya remained silent and followed quietly beside her little partner.
The official, however, suddenly spoke up, explaining the various matters of the Zongzheng Temple to Yun Qiya and her companion. His attitude was so eager it bordered on sycophancy.
Yun Qiya glanced at her little partner. This was the importance of “hugging the right thigh.”
“What is it?” Sensing her gaze, Ling Yanshuai stopped in his tracks. “Are you feeling unwell?”
Since entering the Zongzheng Temple, she had hardly said a word.
Yun Qiya shook her head. ” I’m just curious. Are all the cells in the Zongzheng Temple like this?”
“Not all of them.” Ling Yanshuai guessed what she was thinking and quickened his pace, leading her further inside.
The further they went, the stranger the cells became. If it weren’t for the lantern in the official’s hand, Yun Qiya would have barely been able to see the path.
Inside a pitch-black secret cell surrounded on all sides by fine iron, a dark mass lay curled on the floor.
Hearing footsteps, the mass shifted, seemingly trembling in fear.
This thing was the Deposed Prince?
Yun Qiya raised her lantern high, looking at the humanoid shape huddled in the corner, not even daring to lift its head. She turned to her little partner, her eyes filled with genuine admiration for the first time. “Little partner, your efficiency is truly astounding.”
In her memory, the Deposed Prince’s features were blurred. She only remembered his vermilion robe with gold patterns, the corners of his mouth stained red with the blood of infants, and his unrestrained laughter.
He was practically her childhood nightmare, one that had only begun to fade a year or two after she left the capital.
“Mm.” Ling Yanshuai accepted the praise without reservation.
The official’s pupils dilated in shock, but fortunately, it was dark enough that no one noticed his lapse in composure.
“The Deposed Prince’s wounds have not been treated today.” Ling Yanshuai turned to the official. “He is a major criminal of the court; nothing regarding him should be handled carelessly.”
“Understood.” The official bowed and withdrew, returning shortly with a jar.
“What is that?” Yun Qiya whispered.
“The strongest liquor in the capital.” Ling Yanshuai glanced at the Deposed Prince, who was now shaking even more violently. “Do you have any thoughts?”
As the strong liquor was poured over the Deposed Prince, he let out a howl of agony.
That sound reminded Yun Qiya of the child whose arm had been sliced open by the Deposed Prince years ago—the child who had cried until his face was soaked with tears, calling out for his mother.
Back then, the servants had been afraid the child’s tears would taint the blood the Deposed Prince intended to consume, so they had muffled the boy’s head with cloth to silence his cries.
It was as if he weren’t a living human being, but a piece of livestock to be slaughtered at will.
Disgusting, cruel, and devoid of humanity.
An arm was raised before her eyes, its wide sleeve blocking her view. “The Deposed Prince looks foul. Do not let him stain your eyes.”
“It’s fine.” Yun Qiya pulled her little partner’s arm down. The way the Deposed Prince rolled and wailed on the ground made him look like a writhing maggot.
It turned out that once stripped of his power, the Deposed Prince was nothing more than a pile of filth.
Hearing the raspy, guttural sounds coming from the Deposed Prince’s throat, Yun Qiya grew slightly worried. Avoiding the official’s gaze, she stood on her tiptoes and whispered into her little partner’s ear, “He won’t die right now, will he?”
If he actually died, how would her little partner explain it to His Majesty?
Their cloaks brushed against each other, and Ling Yanshuai felt a slight tickle.
“He won’t.” Ling Yanshuai lowered his gaze. “The more someone has tasted supreme power, the more they fear death.”
He looked at the Deposed Prince, a trace of mockery in his indifferent eyes. “He treats his own life like a precious pearl, but regards others as mere grass.”
Yun Qiya turned and smiled at the official. “Sir, the Deposed Prince has so many wounds. One jar of liquor might not be enough. Why not bring another?”
The official was stunned.
He had thought she would find the scene cruel, but instead, she wanted a second round.
“I know strong liquor is expensive.” Yun Qiya opened her purse and poured out all the silver inside, not even leaving a single copper coin, and stuffed it all into the official’s hands. “From now on, use a few more jars on him every day. Make sure it’s the strongest kind.”
The official held the heavy silver, not daring to accept it, and stole a glance at Prince Ruining.
No wonder these two were together; neither of them wanted the Deposed Prince to have a single moment of peace.
“The young lady is being kind. You need not refuse.” Ling Yanshuai signaled the official to take the money, then asked Yun Qiya, “Do you have any other ideas?”
More?
The official’s hand trembled as he held the silver. *Please don’t actually torture him to death!*
Yun Qiya shook her head. “Countless people across the world hate him. He must die before the eyes of the people.”
If he died silently like this, it would be far too unfair to those he had persecuted.
Without witnessing his death, how could those who hated him to the bone find peace in their sea of resentment? How could the souls of those who died at his hands finally rest?
“A person like this truly deserves death by a thousand cuts.” Yun Qiya recalled her eldest aunt’s words from the previous night. “I hope His Majesty won’t let him die too easily.”
Ling Yanshuai looked at the Deposed Prince, but the man didn’t even have the courage to look back.
At first, he hadn’t been this submissive, but every time he looked up, he was dragged away for a session of acupuncture torture. Within a few days, he had learned how to be respectful.
The many heinous crimes the Deposed Prince committed were all due to the former emperor’s indulgence.
Everyone said the Deposed Prince was born untamable and rebellious, yet look at how obedient he was now.
“It’s just because he wasn’t beaten enough as a child. He’s just naturally wretched at his core.” Walking out of the stifling prison, Yun Qiya grumbled and cursed under her breath the whole way. It wasn’t until they sat down at a dining table that she ceased her verbal assault and turned to the waiter to order food.
“The Zongzheng Temple Prison is cold and damp. You shouldn’t go there in the mornings anymore.” Yun Qiya looked at her little partner’s still-pale face. “Go in the afternoon. It’s warmer then.”
Previously, he had been an unimportant sickly person, but now he was her dear little partner. Naturally, Yun Qiya cared more about his health.
Ling Yanshuai’s hand paused while pouring tea. If he only went in the afternoon, would she still come to find him for a meal?
“I heard there are many food stalls run by people from out of town over in Ning’an Alley. They don’t open in the morning, but it gets very lively in the afternoon. After you finish at the Zongzheng Temple, we can go wander around Ning’an Alley.” Yun Qiya tapped her cup, signaling him to stop dazing and pour her some hot tea.
“Alright.” Ling Yanshuai pushed the filled cup toward her. “I’ve never been to Ning’an Alley.”
“I didn’t expect you to have been.” Yun Qiya shook her head. “Don’t worry, leave that kind of thing to me.”
“Speaking of which…” Yun Qiya took a sip of tea. “We’ve known each other for so long, and I still don’t know your name.”
They were already little partners, yet she didn’t even know his name. Was that right?
“My courtesy name is Shouan.” Ling Yanshuai looked at the patterns on the teacup. “Ling Shouan.”
“Long life and well-being,” Yun Qiya rested her chin on her hands and smiled. “Just hearing that name, I know your family must care about you very much.”
Ling Yanshuai didn’t remember.
His memories before the age of three had long since blurred amidst hunger and abuse. Later, when he returned to the palace, he found that the parents he had constantly yearned for already had a child who was healthier and more lively than he was.
They looked at him daily with eyes full of guilt, treating him with such cautious care that it felt like the endless rain of winter, entangling them all until it seemed no one was comfortable and no one was happy.
“Perhaps so.” Facing the girl’s question, he felt he had to answer, even though he didn’t know the answer himself.
***
“Has the Old County Prince arrived yet?” The Emperor asked the eunuch serving him as soon as the court session ended.
“Your Majesty, the Old County Prince is almost at the palace gates.”
“Good.” The Emperor brushed through a few memorials, frequently glancing outside the hall. He impatiently pushed a greeting memorial aside.
*All they know is how to ask if I’m well every single day. Why so much nonsense!*
As soon as the Old County Prince stepped into the Imperial Study, he was met with the Emperor’s wide eyes.
“This old subject pays his respects to…”
“Old Uncle-Ancestor.” The Emperor caught him by the arm. “There is no need for such formalities between us.”
The Old County Prince looked at his wrist, which was being held by the Emperor, and knew the Emperor was having another bout of “lunacy.”
Sure enough, before he could even sit down, the Emperor began asking about the Zongzheng Temple.
“Did anything major happen at the Zongzheng Temple today?”
The Old County Prince replied, “Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Everything is as usual, though I did have the temple cleaned again last night.”
“Old Uncle-Ancestor has worked hard managing the Zongzheng Temple. My heart is at ease knowing you are looking after the imperial clan.”
“Your Majesty overpraises me. This is merely my duty.” The Old County Prince was very humble, knowing this wasn’t the main point of the conversation.
“My eldest son has a reserved personality. Did he disturb anyone’s work when he brought a friend to the Zongzheng Temple today?”
“His Highness is disciplined and polite to his subordinates. It is an honor for us that he visits the Zongzheng Temple; how could it be a disturbance?” The Old County Prince was very sensible, praising Prince Ruining from head to toe. As expected, his words made the Emperor beam with joy.
“Old Uncle-Ancestor, you exaggerate. How could my son be that outstanding?” The Emperor made a polite show of humility. “However, his desire to share my burdens is indeed very precious.”
The Old County Prince lowered his head to sip his tea, listening with a smile as the Emperor praised his own cub.
It was a daily routine; the Emperor had his own rhythm for bragging about his children.
“Your Majesty is wise. I also find the Eldest Prince to be exceptionally intelligent.”
The Eldest Prince had only returned at thirteen; it didn’t matter how his studies actually were. If the Emperor said they were good, then they were good.
Upon hearing this, the smile on the Emperor’s face grew even brighter.
*Every monkey has its own leash, and every madness has its own cure.*
The Old County Prince took another sip of tea. As long as one found the right method, the Emperor was actually quite easy to coax. This was the wisdom of the elders of the imperial clan.
“Your Majesty, His Highness Prince Ruining seeks an audience.”
“Quickly, let him in.” Hearing that his son was looking for him, the Emperor lost all interest in the Old County Prince and walked toward the door in a few strides.
The young man in the black cloak was tall and thin. Before he could even bow after entering, the Emperor stopped him and began fussing over whether he was cold, hot, or hungry.
The Old County Prince set down his teacup and rose to bow to Prince Ruining, preparing to take his leave. To his surprise, the usually indifferent Prince Ruining actually nodded back at him.
He was a bit startled, even suspecting his old eyes were playing tricks on him.
“Imperial Father, I have a request.”
“My son, you can say whatever is on your mind.” The Emperor was already wondering if his son was going to ask to be made Crown Prince. If so, he thought, the procession for the installation ceremony should be more grand; previous ceremonies had felt a bit lackluster.
“I ask Imperial Father to sentence the Deposed Prince to death by a thousand cuts.”
*Hoh!*
Prince Ruining was actually taking the initiative to mention state affairs?
The Old County Prince, who had just lifted his backside to leave, sat right back down.
He was just old and his legs were a bit slow; it wasn’t that he wanted to stay and watch the drama.