Yes!

Gong Shilin was just that stubborn!

If he weren’t stubborn, he wouldn’t have come to this place.

And clearly, as long as he gritted his teeth and said “I didn’t kill anyone,” perhaps he could have avoided this calamity.

Right now, he stepped back several paces.

Putting distance between himself and Tuo.

“Atuo, you should go!”

“Shilin…”

His attitude was resolute. “The crimes I’ve committed—no one can save me from them. Even if you take me away from here and send me away from the capital to preserve my life, so what? Second Prince will certainly report to the King and charge you with prison break and harboring a criminal! As a prince who knowingly breaks the law, your crime is even more severe. At that time, all your previous efforts will have been in vain. Is it worth sacrificing your position as heir to the throne for me?”

Is it worth it?

Faced with this questioning, Tuo fell silent.

Perhaps, if he took Gong Shilin away, the moment after, Yan would report to King Huyi. Even if he sent Gong Shilin out of the capital overnight to preserve his life, in the end, the one who would be burned would be himself.

After weighing things for a moment, Tuo said, “Fine. Since you’re unwilling to come with me, then I’ll think of other ways to save you. In any case, I absolutely won’t let you die.”

“Why do you still not understand?”

“What should I understand? Watch you die and collect your corpse for you?”

Gong Shilin grabbed his arm firmly, telling him in a persuasive tone, “What you should be doing now is not thinking of ways to save me, but rather cutting ties with me—the cleaner the better. Only this way can Second Prince not catch you in any weak spot! Do you understand?”

“Bullshit!”

Tuo raised his arm.

Shaking it off.

He said emotionally, “How dare you say such a thing! What kind of person do you think I, Tuo, am?”

“This is a calculated move. You must do this.”

“Stop talking.”

“You consider me as close as a brother, and haven’t I done the same? Brothers are like family—how could I watch you sacrifice your future for me? Right now, consider it me begging you, begging you to let me go in peace.” Gong Shilin’s cheeks trembled.

His eyes instantly turned red.

After hearing these words, Tuo’s chest heaved up and down.

He opened his mouth but couldn’t speak a single word!

Gong Shilin looked at him. “Also, I must trouble you to tell my father for me—have the old man take good care of himself and needn’t run around anymore for my affairs. I killed someone and naturally must pay with my life. In this life, I can no longer serve my father with filial piety at his side. I also ask you—if in the future my father passes away in his old age, I hope you will… see him off for me.”

His voice trembled.

He then cupped his hands and bowed deeply.

Tuo forcibly held back tears, his brows tightly furrowed.

Looking at the person before him, his heart ached unbearably.

The hand inside his robe was clenched in a trembling fist.

Almost as if he were about to crush his own bones.

He took a long, deep breath, in agony.

“Seeing off one’s own father in death—how can such a thing be left to another person? Gong Shilin, oh Gong Shilin, you are forcing me to be an unrighteous person!”

The heavy voice echoed in the cell.

Lingering for a long time.

Bonds of friendship so deep—who could understand?

In the end, Tuo ultimately still left.

Gong Shilin stood alone in the cell, his body drained, his legs having lost all strength. He collapsed weakly and powerlessly to sit down.

He leaned his back against the wooden bars, raising his head to look at the small, square window above on the stone wall.

It was already dark outside.

White snow fell in flurries, occasionally flying in a few flakes, splashing onto his cheeks.

Cold.

Bone-piercingly cold!

He closed his eyes.

In his heart, there wasn’t a trace of fear or panic.

Rather, he felt incomparably relieved.

Tuo left the Ministry of Justice’s prison, concealing all the pain in his heart behind those cold, stern eyes.

He glared at Liu He waiting outside and said harshly, “Listen well. If anything happens to Gong Shilin in prison, this prince will not only remove your official hat but will also make your entire Liu family pay with their lives.”

A naked threat!

He then left with his people.

Liu He truly broke out in a sweat!

Terrified that Third Prince would really break someone out.

Fortunately, it was a false alarm!

In truth, he was currently very conflicted and troubled.

More accurately, he was in a difficult position.

Gong Shilin had committed a capital crime. By rights, as the acting Minister of Justice, the case should be judged by him.

He should promptly write the word “execution” at the end of that dossier.

However—

The person to be executed now was not just anyone!

It was someone like Gong Shilin!

He thought that perhaps Left Premier Gong might think of a way to beg King Huyi for an exception to spare Gong Shilin’s life—it was possible.

Or perhaps Third Prince would also think of some other legitimate way to save him.

Then Gong Shilin could be spared from death.

So until the very end, Liu He truly didn’t dare write those two words “execution”!

For now, he could only wait…

At this moment, in the darkness not far away, a carriage was parked.

The person inside the carriage was lifting the curtain to look in the direction Tuo had left.

Only after that procession had gone far did he slowly retract his narrowed eyes.

Yan had never expected that he had been waiting to watch a good show, but unexpectedly didn’t get to see it.

Instead, the chance to turn the tables had just slipped away like this!

The guard driving the carriage turned his head and said, “Your Highness, we thought we could watch Third Prince break someone out of prison. Then we could use this point to catch him off guard with accusations. Who would have thought he would just leave like this and not even save the person!”

Yan snorted coldly. “He’s foolish! But others aren’t foolish!”

“What does Your Highness mean?”

“Gong Shilin is a clever person. He naturally knows what the consequences would be, which is why he tried so hard to dissuade Tuo from that notion.”

“Then what do we do now?”

“Tuo and Gong Shilin have a good relationship—as close as brothers. He certainly won’t just watch him die. He’ll definitely think of other ways to save him.”

“Your Highness is right!”

Yan narrowed his eyes, a smile curving at the corner of his mouth. His gaze once again cast toward the distance as he said, “He wants to save someone, but this prince will not let him have his way. As the saying goes, when the Son of Heaven breaks the law, he is guilty like any commoner. Moreover, Gong Shilin committed a capital crime. Whoever dares interfere in this matter invites trouble upon themselves! As long as Tuo dares to save him, this prince can find an opportunity to ensure he can never rise again!”

His tone was extremely harsh.

He then lowered the carriage curtain and said aloud, “Let’s go. Return to the residence.”

The carriage moved forward.

Gradually disappearing into the darkness!

Meanwhile, from the time Left Premier Gong entered the palace until now, two hours had already passed.

He had been kneeling outside the palace hall doors the entire time.

Requesting an audience with King Huyi.

King Huyi naturally already understood his purpose for coming.

It was nothing more than pleading for his son.

In this situation, how could King Huyi see him?

The eunuch had gone in to report several times, and the reply brought back was always the same: “Premier, the King is unwell and it’s inconvenient to summon you inside.”

But Left Premier Gong simply refused to leave, continuing to kneel.

He was determined to see the King in order to secure a chance at survival for Gong Shilin.

In the end, the eunuch became too lazy to go in and report anymore.

Until Li Qiao came out from within the hall.

He stepped over the threshold and stood before Left Premier Gong, sighed, and advised, “Left Premier Gong, you should return first.”