There was no sunlight in the imperial prison.

Only the dim yellow glow of candlelight.

During the day, the candles burned, casting a faint and gloomy light. At night, once the candles were snuffed out, the prison plunged into boundless darkness.

The imperial prison was governed by strict rules — no shouting, no crying, no making a scene. The female officials and palace maids who had been newly thrown inside could not help but weep and wail at first. After being starved for several meals in a row, they quickly fell into line.

The first level of the imperial prison filled up rapidly, and some prisoners were transferred to the second level.

Rui Lian and the others were among them.

Each of them had been separated by several cells. Through the iron doors they could see one another, but could not speak.

The palace maid standing guard on the second level was keeping her eyes fixed steadily on their little group! Having already experienced the misery of going without food, none of them dared to speak carelessly anymore.

Ling Jingshu was housed in the innermost cell of the prison. In the beginning, her thoughts had been in constant turmoil — she had worried about Bai Yu and Qiao Yun, thought about what fate awaited Empress Xu, and wondered when Wei Yan would be able to come and rescue her…

As the days passed one by one, all those scattered thoughts gradually faded into blankness.

Confined in the imperial prison, time seemed to freeze and congeal. Whatever was happening outside, she had no way of knowing — it was as though she had been cut off from the world entirely, with nothing around her but the dead, silent stillness of stagnant water.

That sort of silence and stillness was, in itself, the hardest thing to bear. Those of weaker will broke down very quickly.

“Someone come — let me out of here quickly!” A trembling, sobbing voice rang out.

It was Luo Yan!

“I have something to report to the Emperor! I have important news to report! Someone come quickly — let me out!” Luo Yan shrieked hysterically, and before long the sound alarmed the guards stationed outside the prison.

The guard commander walked up without any expression, and directed two stocky palace maids to open the door of the cell.

Luo Yan, her hair disheveled and her manner wild, lunged for the exit without thinking.

But the two palace maids blocked her.

“Teach her some manners and make her behave,” the guard commander said coldly, then turned and left.

One of the two palace maids twisted Luo Yan’s arm tight, while the other began slapping her across the face with force. The crack of each blow rang out loud and sharp.

Luo Yan’s cheeks quickly swelled, and tears streamed down her face as she choked out broken pleas for mercy. “Have mercy! I will never dare again…”

Yet the two palace maids remained utterly unmoved, landing well over a hundred blows before finally stopping.

Luo Yan’s face had swollen up badly. The pain was unbearable, and she could no longer utter a single word. She whimpered and sobbed in a voice so faint she could barely be heard, terrified that if she wept too loudly, she would bring more disaster upon herself.

Ling Jingshu watched this scene unfold before her eyes, and felt a chill creep through her chest. Instinctively, she tightened her fists.

A wise person knows when not to provoke the powerful. Luo Yan was the perfect lesson. If you were beaten in this place, there was nowhere to go to lodge a complaint.

After this incident, the prison fell quiet once more.

Ling Jingshu silently counted the days in her mind.

She had been in the imperial prison for more than half a month already.

At this rate, there was no telling how much longer she would have to remain here…

The familiar sound of a lock being opened reached her ears. Ling Jingshu roused herself and stood up, smiling at the person who entered. “Thank you for the trouble, Elder Sister Cui Liu.”

This Cui Liu was the name of the palace maid who stood guard on the second level.

Since the prison held only women, it was inconvenient for men to pass freely through. The guards all stood watch outside; those who kept order within the prison were palace maids. Cui Liu held a somewhat higher rank among the palace maids.

Ling Jingshu was particularly well-mannered — quiet and still during ordinary hours, never causing trouble — and so Cui Liu’s manner toward her was noticeably more pleasant than toward the others.

“Here is today’s midday meal,” said Cui Liu, setting down the tray.

On the tray was a bowl of rice, two plain vegetable dishes, and a bowl of broth so thin it could almost reflect one’s face.

It was short on oil and salt and had little taste. But it was enough to fill the stomach, and the food was at least clean — far better than the musty-smelling rice on the first level.

Ling Jingshu offered another word of thanks.

Following the usual routine, Cui Liu would deliver the food and then lock the door again, returning after about half an hour to collect the bowls and chopsticks.

Today, however, Cui Liu lingered for a moment longer than usual.

Ling Jingshu was mildly surprised, and instinctively glanced at her. “Elder Sister Cui Liu, is there something else you need to tell me?”

Cui Liu gave a slight tug at the corner of her lips, then swiftly drew a neatly folded letter from her sleeve and pressed it into Ling Jingshu’s hand. “Burn it immediately after reading.”

Ling Jingshu’s heart began to beat rapidly. Without a second thought, she clutched the letter tightly and tucked it into the front of her robe, then gave a small nod.

She asked no questions. Cui Liu said nothing about who had sent the letter, and departed as if nothing had happened, locking the door behind her.

Ling Jingshu ate her meal without tasting a thing, then feigned drowsiness, gave an exaggerated yawn, and returned to her bunk. She lay down facing the wall with her back to the outside.

She occupied the innermost cell, far removed from the others. This display of ordinary behavior aroused no one’s suspicion.

Ling Jingshu suppressed the excitement surging in her chest, drew the letter from inside her robe, and opened it without a sound.

Even without Cui Liu saying anything, she could already guess who had gone to such lengths to smuggle a letter into the imperial prison.

It had to be Wei Yan.

She had guessed correctly.

The moment his familiar handwriting came into view, Ling Jingshu’s nose stung, and tears nearly burst from her eyes.

This was Wei Yan’s handwriting.

Wei Yan had written a number of prescriptions for Ling Xiao and for her. His script was clean and strong, upright and pleasing to the eye. She had never made any deliberate effort to memorize it, yet a single glance was all it took to recognize it.

“A’Shu, you have suffered greatly this past half month or more. Do not worry — I will find a way to rescue you!”

“The situation within the palace is in considerable disarray at present. Empress Xu has fallen gravely ‘ill’ and is recuperating in the Pepper Room Palace. Princess Changping has also brought about the scandal of murdering her own husband. Duke Xu, in his fury, went to the palace and filed a formal accusation before the Emperor. The Emperor flew into a furious rage, and despite Prince Yan’s pleas, had Princess Changping sent to the Ciyun Convent.”

“This scandal has spread far and wide and is known to all. Prince Yan, his mother, and the Xu family have made a complete and irreversible break.”

“Empress Xu failed to provide her daughter with proper moral guidance, bringing disgrace upon the Imperial Family. The Emperor has resolved to depose the Empress. The majority of the court has voiced its agreement; very few have stepped forward to plead on Empress Xu’s behalf. Prince Yan is powerless to reverse the outcome. The deposal of the Empress is now a foregone conclusion!”

“After this matter, Empress Xu will have no chance of any further recovery of her position. From this day forward, both you and I can breathe far more freely.”

“The Emperor has suffered one setback after another, causing his old illness to flare up. His constitution is now greatly weakened, and he requires careful rest and recuperation. All major court affairs are currently being overseen by the Crown Prince. The Crown Grandson and Prince Yan visit the palace each day to attend to the Emperor. I too cannot absent myself — I am in the Purple Morning Palace every day, caring for the Emperor. Under these circumstances, it is not appropriate to raise the matter of your situation.”

“Rest easy in the imperial prison for now. Once the Emperor’s health has recovered, I will find every means possible to secure your release. The guard commander of the imperial prison is an acquaintance of mine — I once saved the life of his elder brother. He will quietly see to it that you are looked after.”

On those thin pages, there was not a single word of longing, not a trace of anything that overstepped. Yet the care and deep feeling behind every word showed through plainly, woven between each line.