The Duke of Zhenguo and Wei Lanzhou opened their eyes almost simultaneously, their sharp gazes shooting toward the source of the sound.
With their movements, the heavy iron shackles on their feet let out a fine, clanking sound.
Tears welled up in the Duke of Zhenguo’s cloudy old eyes. Trembling, he stretched out a hand, wanting to touch Li Chengjing outside the bars.
“Jing’er, why have you come to a place like this?” He shuffled toward the bars and, through the cold iron, attempted to stroke Li Chengjing’s dirt-smudged little face.
Hearing this, large teardrops rolled down Li Chengjing’s face, and he sobbed, gasping for breath.
“Waaah… Jing’er missed Grandfather…”
Seeing him cry so heartbrokenly, the Duke also choked up. Old tears streamed down his face. He reached out his withered hand, trying to pass it through the bars, but it only sliced fruitlessly through the air.
“It’s Grandfather’s fault. Grandfather is useless; I couldn’t protect Jing’er…” The old man’s voice was utterly hoarse.
Wei Lanzhou, who had remained silent until now, slowly stood up. His tall figure cast a long shadow under the dim oil lamp, carrying an invisible sense of oppression.
The shackles on his feet gave a crisp clang with his movement, jarringly loud in the deathly quiet cell.
He looked at the ragged, tear-streaked Li Chengjing, and his eyes darkened. Immediately afterward, those deep, sharp eyes turned toward Zhao Qihuang, cold as a deep pool.
Wei Lanzhou’s Adam’s apple bobbed with difficulty. His voice, hoarse from disuse, said: “I was the one who displeased you in the first place. Whether you want to kill or flay, Commandery Princess, direct your anger at me. Why vent your spite on a simpleton?”
Zhao Qihuang’s eyes widened at his words. She was already regretting bringing Li Chengjing here in secret, and the chilly, damp air of the prison was irritating her. Hearing Wei Lanzhou’s baseless accusation now, a nameless fury shot up in her chest.
“His miserable state has nothing to do with me! I saw a group of dog-slaves bullying him, and he was crying so pitifully, so I kindly brought him to see you.”
Zhao Qihuang was so angry she clenched her jaw, her cheeks puffed out. “This is truly repaying kindness with ingratitude!”
“Even if I, Zhao Qihuang, were seeking revenge against you, I would certainly not start with a simpleton! What kind of person do you take this Commandery Princess to be?”
Li Chengjing seemed to understand they were arguing. He quickly shook his small hands, defending Zhao Qihuang. “No, Big Sister is a good person!”
He said urgently, “Those eunuchs were bad! They made Jing’er fetch their ball and wouldn’t give Jing’er food. Big Sister helped Jing’er teach them a lesson.”
Hearing this, a look of shock flashed in the Duke of Zhenguo’s cloudy old eyes. He then turned to Zhao Qihuang, his expression complicated. He bowed deeply in her direction: “This old man thanks the Commandery Princess for her assistance.”
Zhao Qihuang was flustered by his bow. She pursed her lips, forcing out her usual haughty demeanor, and said stiffly, “You don’t need to thank me. I merely felt pity seeing him cry, and got involved where I shouldn’t have.”
Hearing her words, a flicker of awkwardness crossed Wei Lanzhou’s jade-like handsome face. He lowered his eyelids, his long lashes casting a shadow beneath his eyes, concealing his emotions.
When he looked up again, he actually bowed slightly toward Zhao Qihuang.
His voice was still hoarse, but it held less coldness and more complexity than before: “I was wrong to accuse the Commandery Princess.”
Zhao Qihuang raised an eyebrow. She clicked her tongue twice and said, half-smiling, half-mocking, “The Wei Shizi actually has a day where he bows his head and admits fault? The sun must have risen in the west; this is truly rare.”
Wei Lanzhou parted his thin lips, his voice steady: “The Commandery Princess jests. If one is wrong, one must naturally admit it.”
Zhao Qihuang did not feel mollified at all; instead, she let out a cold sneer. “If you had been this ‘polite’ earlier, perhaps your Wei family wouldn’t have ended up in this state today.”
Every word she spoke was laced with thorns, mercilessly stabbing toward Wei Lanzhou’s heart.
Seeing the two were about to clash again, Li Chengjing grew anxious. He reached out his small hand and gently tugged the corner of Zhao Qihuang’s skirt, timidly lifting his face. His voice held a note of pleading and nervousness: “Big Sister, don’t be angry with Zhouzhou, okay?”
Seeing how cautious Li Chengjing was, the fire in Zhao Qihuang’s heart subsided slightly.
She was not heartless, especially toward a simpleton like him.
Zhao Qihuang scoffed, flicked her sleeve, and simply turned her back. Her voice still held impatience, but also a hint of concession: “The First Prince and I cannot stay here long. If you have anything to say, hurry up and say it.”
The Duke of Zhenguo, who had been silent, now spoke with a difficult, hoarse voice: “This old man wishes to speak two words with the Commandery Princess.”
Zhao Qihuang turned around, surprised. She pointed her slender index finger at the tip of her nose, her almond eyes showing confusion and wariness: “What do you want to say to me?”
Before she finished speaking, there was a dull *putong* sound! The Duke of Zhenguo, dragging his shackled, sickly body, knelt straight down toward Zhao Qihuang.
His knees struck the cold, damp prison floor with heavy force.
Wei Lanzhou clenched his fists beside him. He knew exactly why his grandfather was kneeling, and therefore did not stop him.
The Duke of Zhenguo’s voice held a blood-curdling earnestness, every word sounding as if it were ripped from his chest: “This old man knows his time is short. The only thing I cannot let go of is Jing’er.”
“I dare to beg the Commandery Princess that if she has the opportunity in the future, she might look after him, even a little. The entire Wei family will never forget the Commandery Princess’s great kindness.”
Zhao Qihuang instinctively darted aside, evading the Duke of Zhenguo’s earth-shattering bow.
This was the Duke of Zhenguo, after all. A pillar of the nation who had once guarded the Great Qi borders, achieved illustrious military feats, and was personally bestowed the title ‘Defender of the Nation’ by the late Emperor.
Unlike Liu Wanru, Zhao Qihuang dared not accept such a grand gesture from him.
Zhao Qihuang composed herself, quickly waving her hands, her tone hurried: “Get up quickly! This Commandery Princess cannot accept such a deep bow from you!”
“Besides, I only enter the palace a few times a year. How could I possibly look after the First Prince constantly?”
Furthermore, she was the Empress’s niece.
The Duke of Zhenguo acted as if he hadn’t heard her, remaining stubbornly on his knees. His white head struck the ground heavily, making a dull *dong* sound that made one’s scalp prickle in the silent cell.
The sound was mournful and pleading, carrying endless sorrow and despair: “I beg the Commandery Princess. As long as he can remain safe, the Wei family will be your oxen and horses in the next life, weaving grass into rings to repay your great favor…”
Zhao Qihuang looked anxiously at Wei Lanzhou: “Quickly, help your grandfather up!”
Unexpectedly, Wei Lanzhou took a step back with his right leg, and he, too, dropped to one knee on the ground, which was thick with filth and soaked with the tears and blood of countless others.
“I beg the Commandery Princess to protect the First Prince’s life.”