Watching Jiang Wan being dragged away without ceremony like dog food, just like those people usually dealt with, Rong Qing’s expression shifted repeatedly.
He couldn’t help but think of the sweet bean paste mooncake outside the plum garden, and the little empress’s once bright-eyed and smiling words, “Little Rongzi, you’re so kind.”
It felt as if a voice was tugging at his heart.
Thud—
“Your Eminence.”
Rong Qing’s voice trembled, his body shaking like a sieve, knowing that once these words were spoken, there would be no chance of survival. The fear of impending death enveloped him, making his blood feel almost frozen.
Yet, steeling his heart, he called out to Xie Changlin, who was about to leave.
“Her Majesty the Empress, after all, holds a different status. If she truly dies,” he tried his best to suppress his fear and speak a complete sentence, “it will surely bring even greater trouble to Your Eminence. I beg Your Eminence to reconsider!”
His head thudded heavily against the ground. Rong Qing closed his eyes, not wanting to struggle, ready to meet his end at any moment.
But after a moment, the person before him remained motionless, simply watching him quietly.
Gritting his teeth, somewhat surprised, he slightly raised his head. Blood trickled down his forehead. “Your Eminence, if not, perhaps interrogate Her Majesty properly? Maybe something can be uncovered? This humble servant begs you, spare Her Majesty’s life!”
A light, inscrutable chuckle came from the person above him. “I should have sent you to serve the empress long ago.”
Xie Changlin’s tone was lighter than usual, as if ethereal, yet heavy enough to press a person to the ground, unable to rise.
Rong Qing kowtowed again, a solid, resounding thud. “This humble servant once received Your Eminence’s grace, a debt I will never forget in this lifetime—”
Xie Changlin didn’t listen to his pledge of loyalty, snorted coldly, turned, and strode away.
Rong Qing was stunned for a moment, then his expression brightened with joy. He quickly scrambled up and dashed out in a frantic run.
“Eunuch Rongqing, not feeding the dogs?”
Rong Qing glanced at him. “The dogs in this palace aren’t picky eaters, but ask this one—which beast would dare to eat her?”
Only after settling her did he calm down and recall: last night, after returning from the plum garden, the Nine Thousand Years had been in the study. When he went in to refill the tea, he accidentally saw the clay figurine the empress had given, placed right where Xie Changlin could see it most clearly.
Was it possible that even if he hadn’t spoken up, the Nine Thousand Years ultimately wouldn’t have truly killed the empress?
…
When Jiang Wan woke, her hair was disheveled, still dripping with water, her dress dirty, looking rather disheveled.
Hazily, she saw a figure pacing back and forth before her.
“Little Rongzi, what are you wandering around for?”
Her breath wasn’t too weak; she had only been choked unconscious. Apart from having her head repeatedly pushed into the water earlier, she hadn’t suffered any other major torment. But as she glanced up, she saw her hands shackled and suspended by chains, looking as if she were about to be interrogated as a criminal.
Rong Qing let out an “Aiyo,” his expression easing somewhat. “Your Majesty, oh, you’re finally awake!”
Jiang Wan showed a hint of confusion. “His Eminence didn’t kill me?”
Rong Qing sighed, not saying anything else, only urging, “Your Majesty, please think carefully. Whatever you know, confess it all. His Eminence truly intends to kill this time. If you don’t confess something, torture will follow soon.”
Jiang Wan fell silent for a moment, thinking about what lies she could fabricate to muddle through.
Could she say it? Wouldn’t saying it lead to an even quicker death?
It’s my own fault, too focused on showing loyalty, completely forgetting what kind of person Xie Changlin is, and for a moment, I spoke without restraint.
Regret! So much regret!
Rong Qing saw her dejected appearance and spoke earnestly, “Your Highness, if we really use torture, you definitely won’t be able to withstand it. This servant advises you to just confess.”
Afraid that Jiang Wan would be stubborn, he even listed examples, “The simplest flogging involves coating the whip with poison, beating a person until their skin splits and flesh tears, leaving not a single patch of good skin on their body. That feeling is a pain that pierces the heart and claws at the liver.”
“If His Eminence truly has the heart for it, this consort will endure it.”
Rong Qing actually detected a hint of defiance in her words and widened his eyes, “Your Highness…”
As soon as he finished speaking, various torture instruments were brought in by others. A man in black glanced at Jiang Wan and said expressionlessly, “The Lord of a Thousand Years said that Your Highness’s body is delicate and precious. These instruments are all new and have never been used before. Your Highness can rest assured.”
Even Jiang Wan found the sight horrifying.
But right now, she truly couldn’t speak. In Xie Changlin’s heart, she was nothing more than a fart. The most infuriating thing was her own identity.
If Jiang Wenshan’s daughter really knew his secret, wouldn’t that be handing himself over to Jiang Wenshan on a silver platter?
Xie Changlin had walked on the edge of a knife step by step all these years—how could he dare to gamble?
The reason she had managed to survive until now was because Xie Changlin knew that Jiang Wenshan truly had no knowledge of it. Otherwise, he would have been overthrown long ago, and how could he still be alive, wielding power in the palace?
Jiang Wan couldn’t help but curse Si Ming again.
Day after day, doing nothing but inhuman deeds!
When outsiders entered, Rong Qing straightened his expression, as if handling official business. “Your Highness, this servant has plenty of time to spend with you. It just depends on how long your delicate and precious body can hold out.”
Jiang Wan looked at him and smiled, “Little Rongzi, come on. This consort can probably endure for a while.”
Rong Qing glanced at the torture instruments—each one more brutal than the last, all belonging to the skin-flaying and tendon-extracting series. The slightest mistake could cost a life.
He was rarely assigned to such tasks, but he had dealt with plenty of dead people. Looking at the instruments, he felt utterly numb inside.
Rong Qing picked up the whip and walked over to Jiang Wan. “Your Highness, forgive my offense.”
He hadn’t lied to Jiang Wan. Among these, the least torturous was this poisoned whip.
Someone nearby spoke indifferently, “Eunuch Rongqing, why are you still being so polite when interrogating someone?”
Rong Qing sighed inwardly, raised his hand, and swung it toward Jiang Wan. Out of the corner of his eye, he suddenly caught sight of the figure in red at the door. He immediately tried to pull back, but a whip once swung isn’t so easy to retract. The tip of the whip struck Jiang Wan heavily on the waist.
Jiang Wan gritted her teeth and didn’t make a sound.
“Your Eminence.”
Several people bowed in unison. Rong Qing slightly raised his head, looking at Xie Changlin’s expressionless face. “Her Highness refuses to confess. We were just about to apply torture.”
Xie Changlin’s gaze remained fixed on Jiang Wan as he slowly walked in and sat down. “Continue.”
Though his tone was just as devoid of warmth as ever, today it sounded even colder.
The moment Jiang Wan heard his voice, she felt wronged, but she didn’t raise her head to look at him. Instead, she hung her head low. She hadn’t cried even after that painful strike, but the moment he arrived, she couldn’t hold back anymore.
She simply cried, lowering her head and weeping, tears falling to the ground one after another.
This person, who had always been so bright and lively, suddenly cried so sorrowfully—it wasn’t the same kind of pitiful act she had put on in front of Xie Changlin before.
The whip in Rong Qing’s hand felt as heavy as ten thousand pounds. He adjusted his emotions, raised his hand again, and another lash landed on Jiang Wan’s back.
Her lips were bitten until they bled, and she trembled all over from the pain.
One lash after another struck her body, producing dull, heavy thuds.
Such a quiet interrogation was unprecedented in this underground dungeon.
No one asked questions, and no one answered.
Xie Changlin’s gaze grew increasingly somber, his eyes never leaving Jiang Wan since he arrived.
Her damp hair hung limply at her forehead, and from his angle, he could see Jiang Wan’s bowed head and the expression of silent endurance on her face.
The pampered girl who used to cry out in pain at the slightest injury now remained utterly silent.
The little empress who had always professed her affection for him now refused to even look at him, her grievances palpable.