The Capital Prefecture Deputy Governor was the most difficult local official position under heaven. At the feet of the emperor, high officials were everywhere, relationships were intricately complex, and one careless move could touch a deadly network of connections. Therefore, successive Capital Prefecture Governors never lasted long, and those who could manage were all shrewd individuals who wouldn’t easily take sides and wouldn’t easily offend anyone.

This one was naturally the same. His expression changed several times before he finally bowed and stood up, beckoning a bailiff over, giving a few instructions, and having Gu Xiaoxiao led to the prison.

Only then did Gu Xiaoxiao breathe a sigh of relief. He withdrew his sleeve, pocketing the handwritten order, while the banknotes had silently fallen into the gap of the chair where the Deputy Governor sat.

The Deputy Governor acted as if he hadn’t seen it, smiling warmly as he saw him off.

Once outside, Gu Xiaoxiao touched his back—three layers of clothing were soaked through.

The black-clothed person who had brought him posed as his attendant, waiting outside the door all along, now silently following behind him.

After walking a few steps, Gu Xiaoxiao looked back at the black-clothed man, sizing him up: “You’re not one of Rong Pu’s people, are you?”

Mu Si smiled with slight pride and shook his head.

Although Murong Yi was also trash, Rong Pu? Of course he was even less worthy of being his master.

Murong Yi’s subordinates, except for the coward Zhao San, always carried an air of “I’m the most awesome, everyone else is stupid.”

Gu Xiaoxiao nodded, thinking about that torn paper stamped with the Crown Princess’s private seal.

He had cut off the blank portion with the seal, imitated the Crown Princess’s handwriting to write the order, and it had served a great purpose.

This person must belong to that seductive scoundrel, the Prince of Liaodong.

Indeed, generally… despicable!

Gu Xiaoxiao’s heart surged with determination never to let his Crown Princess marry this bastard, and entered the prison.

As soon as he entered, he heard the sound of whips flying and Qi Yuansi’s angry curses.

Gu Xiaoxiao was anxious, but he couldn’t run fast himself, so he tugged at the black-clothed man: “Quickly go stop them!”

Mu Si folded his arms and said coolly: “My master only told me to protect you, not to save people.”

These people were all said to be those who fawned over the Crown Princess. Daring to compete with his master for a woman, getting a few lashes was deserved.

Gu Xiaoxiao had no choice but to rush over himself. Sure enough, he saw Shen Mi and Xiao Wu tied to torture racks, with bare-chested bailiffs wielding whips dipped in salt water, whirring through the air, circling to strike down.

“Stop!”

Gu Xiaoxiao, who usually walked very slowly due to fear of crowds, used the fastest speed of his life to rush forward, blocking in front of Shen Mi and Xiao Wu: “Stop! The Crown Princess has ordered that Shen Mi and others have scholarly rank and cannot be interrogated with private torture!”

He turned to look at Shen Mi, who appeared to have already taken several lashes, his clothes torn. The other side was truly impatient—he had rushed here so quickly yet still couldn’t completely prevent it.

But strangely, Shen Mi and Xiao Wu appeared to have fainted. Just a few lashes shouldn’t have caused this.

He didn’t know that earlier, when Rong Pu took the opportunity to say a few words to Shen Mi and the others, he had already slipped fast-acting sleeping medicine into their palms.

Once they fainted, the interrogators could only stop, providing maximum protection.

It also prevented the occurrence of giving confessions under torture they couldn’t endure.

But the interrogating officials and bailiffs didn’t believe such a thing could bring about a Crown Princess’s handwritten order, especially on such a piece of torn paper!

They immediately laughed: “What kind of thing are you, daring to play the lord in the Capital Prefecture prison! Get lost!”

The long whip was raised and skillfully struck toward Gu Xiaoxiao.

Not really to hit him, just skillfully driving him away.

But Gu Xiaoxiao spread his arms wide, standing in front of the two without moving: “Strike! I am the son of the Minister of Personnel! If you injure me, next year all Capital Prefecture expenditures will be strictly reviewed, and all income items will be uniformly rejected!”

The interrogating official waved his hand, looked him up and down a few times: “The Minister of Personnel’s son is so impressive! Aren’t you afraid we’ll impeach you later for using public resources for private purposes, harboring grudges and seeking revenge!”

“Not as impressive as you!” Gu Xiaoxiao felt uncomfortable all over, his gaze floating in the air, slight sweat appearing on his forehead. “You dare ignore the Crown Princess’s handwritten order and arbitrarily torture tribute students!”

“Tribute students obtained through bribing examiners—their heads might roll tomorrow. Do you want to accompany them!”

“Whether it’s cheating needs to be investigated first! You’re just an interrogating official, you can’t use torture, and you want to determine guilt with a single word?”

The interrogating official sneered coldly but truly didn’t dare move again.

He had received instructions from superiors and taken silver, told to beat these people to disability and extract confessions. But now with this noble son blocking here, since he could enter, it meant the superiors’ attitude was also ambiguous. Plus there was that Crown Princess’s handwritten order—he wasn’t worth simultaneously offending the Crown Princess and high officials for a bit of silver.

In the past, the Crown Princess’s weight would have been behind the Minister of Personnel, but now the Crown Princess attended court and gradually gained power. He was just an interrogating official—if the Crown Princess moved her tongue, she could take his life.

Just like with the same accusations, Qi Yuansi wasn’t tortured. As long as Qi Ling wasn’t pulled down, no one was willing to mortally offend a military general with troop command.

He stepped back, signaled the bailiffs to put away their whips, untied those people, and sent them into prison cells.

Gu Xiaoxiao breathed a sigh of relief.

But he refused to leave, sitting at the prison door.

The interrogating official was helpless and could only order good guard duty before leaving with his people.

With the crowd in front of him gone, Gu Xiaoxiao finally relaxed, touching his back. Earlier two layers were wet, now all three layers were soaked.

When protecting Shen Mi and the others just now, even in such a tense moment, he could feel the breath and bloody smell of people extremely close behind him, making all his hair stand on end. He had forced himself to hold on until now—he was more dying than the several people who had fainted from drugs.

As fellow sons of noble families, Qi Yuansi naturally recognized him, but never expected the first to arrive and save people would be him. He looked at Gu Xiaoxiao with complex eyes for a long time: “Are you familiar with them?”

Gu Xiaoxiao shook his head. Of course not familiar. When he had chased the Crown Princess to the academy, he had only met these people briefly.

“Then you…”

“Nothing can happen to them here. Not only might the Crown Princess be implicated, but more importantly, the Crown Princess would feel guilty.”

Qi Yuansi was silent for a long time: “I thought you were most afraid of the Crown Princess being implicated, so you risked everything.”

“That’s because you don’t understand the Crown Princess.” Gu Xiaoxiao smiled with some pride. “Her—if she’s really implicated, she might not lack methods to solve it. But if good friends are injured because of her, that would truly hurt her.”

“…You still understand her better.”

“Of course. After all, we grew up together.” Gu Xiaoxiao carefully found a cleaner spot on the ground and sat down cross-legged, back to everyone. Only then did he comfortably sigh in relief. “I still remember the first time I met her. It was during an autumn hunt. Children about my age had all started drawing bows, competing over who shot the most game. But I could never hit anything. Everyone laughed at me, and Father felt ashamed, so he scolded me. I hid by a small stream crying, and that’s when I met her.”

“What was she doing?” Qi Yuansi listened with great interest, trying hard to search his childhood autumn hunt memories. He was about the same age as Gu Xiaoxiao and should have participated, so why did he have no impression of the young Crown Princess?

“She was releasing animals. She carried a long string of wild rabbits and such, all only shot through the hind legs. She gave them simple bandaging and then released them. She asked why I was crying, then gave me two rabbits and told me to say I shot them myself. I carried the rabbits back and with those two rabbits, I even made the top three in that day’s competition. Father rewarded me with an inkstone, but the inkstone was minor—the key was that I got to know her from then on.”

Qi Yuansi was somewhat confused: “Why did she bandage the rabbits? Since she wanted to release them, why shoot them?”

“Because she had stronger archery skills than anyone, but couldn’t display them in front of people.”

Qi Yuansi was stunned.

Gu Xiaoxiao said lightly: “Later something else happened. I got my reward and went to find her to thank her, but I saw a palace maid sneak into her tent and place something inside. Not long after, a leopard attacked her tent, but because I had asked her to come out and talk, she escaped disaster.”

There was movement in the prison. Several people had awakened but no one spoke, all quietly listening.

In the dark, gloomy prison with no light, only a distant candle flame’s faint glow wandered on the mottled walls, connecting to a bit of blue light above—that was dawn breaking, morning light approaching.

“Only later did I realize that was the daily life she had to live. She was under surveillance and control, could only be mediocre and not outstanding, otherwise murderous intent would follow like a shadow.”

“So she could only secretly practice archery, shooting all game only in the right leg, then releasing them after shooting. Behind people she was young but hit a hundred shots out of a hundred, in front of people her archery was mediocre and no one paid attention.”

“But even so, the Empress Dowager still wasn’t at ease with her, watching for opportunities to kill her.”

“She hid and endured like this year after year, until today.”

Someone was sighing softly in the darkness.

When the Yue Li Academy students got to know Tie Ci, she was already broad and powerful, gentle as the light of sun and moon, with the nobility most befitting the crown prince’s status. When people interacted with her, they were easily conquered by her personal charisma, never thinking of that puppet legend, much less able to reconcile the small, suffering girl in Gu Xiaoxiao’s story with the bright and gentle Tie Ci.

Hearing this now, besides sighs and laments, they also marveled that such years of suppression and harm hadn’t made her gloomy and lightless, with cracks in her heart. She remained like a bright pearl and beautiful jade, round and lustrous.

Xiao Wu said softly: “Actually, even without Scholar Rong giving me that medicine, I could have endured.”

“She wouldn’t want any unnecessary sacrifices to occur. Following such a leader is our fortune,” Shen Mi replied.

Mu Si was silent in the darkness, thinking that Dan Shuang following such a master must also be quite difficult.

Especially with her solitary and stubborn nature.

Suddenly footsteps sounded in the darkness. Everyone stopped talking and warily saw two jailers slowly approaching, carrying baskets, saying hoarsely: “Meal time.”

Probably delivering breakfast? But so early? None of them had eaten prison food and had no experience. Qi Yuansi’s thoughts were still on the earlier story. As he reached out to receive it, Gu Xiaoxiao suddenly blocked with his arm: “Take it back. My mansion will send food later.”

The jailer said: “Outside food isn’t allowed. If you want to eat, you can only eat ours.”

“I’ve never heard of a rule forbidding outside food and clothing.” Gu Xiaoxiao stood up. “Then let us first see what you eat.”

Mu Si, who had been leaning against the wall with arms folded, walked over.

The jailers stepped back two paces, exchanged glances: “Why are you so ignorant of rules? Since that’s the case, don’t eat this food at all, go hungry!” They turned and left.

After they left, Shen Mi said: “Something’s wrong.”

Meal delivery was too early. They had just entered prison—going hungry for several days would be normal. How could they have such good treatment?

“Don’t put any food or water from this prison in your mouths,” Gu Xiaoxiao warned.

Everyone agreed. The prison quieted, but after just a moment, footsteps sounded again, this time more people.

Gu Xiaoxiao stood up again, seeing a large group crowd in this time, with two people dressed like wealthy household stewards behind the crowd.

Still led by those two jailers, they shouted roughly: “Because the prisoners fainted, superiors ordered doctors to come examine them.”

Gu Xiaoxiao immediately said: “They’ve already awakened, no need for trouble!”

Shen Mi and the others also sat up to show they didn’t need medical attention.

But this time the jailers didn’t show their previous wariness of him. One roughly grabbed Gu Xiaoxiao and yanked him. Unprepared, Gu Xiaoxiao fell to the ground.

Qi Yuansi angrily shouted, striking the prison door with bare hands: “What are you doing!”

The jailers ignored him, unlocking on their own. Two wide-robed people behind them carrying boxes were about to enter the prison.

Gu Xiaoxiao crawled up from the ground and lunged forward, grabbing one person in each hand.

The social phobia and physical contact phobia patient clung desperately to the two wide-robed people, pulling them backward with all his might, shouting at Mu Si: “Why aren’t you helping!”

Mu Si had already rushed over, but a large group of bailiffs surged forward to block him.

How could Gu Xiaoxiao alone stop two people, especially with two jailers beside them? They grabbed Gu Xiaoxiao’s collar and dragged him outward: “We gave you face, don’t be shameless. If you don’t know what’s good for you, we won’t be polite!”

Gu Xiaoxiao shouted loudly: “The Crown Princess’s order—”

The jailer looked up, received eye signals from the two people standing behind the crowd, sneered, and yanked out the old paper from Gu Xiaoxiao’s sleeve: “What trash! You dare pretend this is a royal order!” He raised his hand and tore it to shreds.

His other hand grabbed Gu Xiaoxiao’s hair and shoved him violently backward.

Gu Xiaoxiao fell back, but behind him was an iron table used for interrogation, with his head aimed directly at the table’s sharp corner.

Qi Yuansi, the only one who could see clearly, shouted with a changed voice: “Xiao Gu!”

Everyone was too far to help, all changing color.

Suddenly there was a thunderous crash from above. The skylight shattered, and a whip snaked in like a serpent, viciously striking the iron table’s edge, forcibly whipping the heavy iron table several feet away. It brushed past Gu Xiaoxiao as he fell backward with a bang, and someone lightly leaped down from the roof.

Before the person landed, they had already kicked the iron table. The long, teeth-grinding screech of metal scraping ground sounded as the iron table charged straight toward the two wide-robed people about to enter.

Both were quite agile, twisting to avoid it. The boxes in their hands hit the prison door, releasing a cloud of smoke. Someone shouted: “Hold your breath!”

Shen Mi and the others were all agile, covering their mouths and noses early.

The next moment, a deafening crash—the iron table smashed into the prison bars, actually breaking one wooden post as thick as a child’s waist, and the prison door was also knocked out of shape.

Only now did the person who jumped from above land lightly in the center of the crowd, long robes falling, without a speck of dust.

Those fighting were shocked by this display and all stopped, looking together.

Mu Si said: “Finally here!”

After calling for help, he felt it wasn’t his business anymore, sleeves flowing as he lazily leaned against a pillar.

Murong Yi glanced at him sideways, said nothing, stepped forward to kick the iron table away, and gestured for Shen Mi and the others to come out.

Before Shen Mi and the others could emerge, jailers and prefecture soldiers had already rushed over. Their leader shouted: “Who dares break prisoners from jail! Men, seize them!”

Gu Xiaoxiao caught his breath, saw the handwritten order with the Crown Princess’s private seal fallen on the ground, and immediately shouted loudly: “You people trample on the Crown Princess’s handwritten order, disregard royal commands, set up private torture chambers, and secretly harm innocents—you’re the ones who should be seized!”

Someone sneered coldly: “Stop using chicken feathers as command arrows! What royal command, what Crown Princess’s handwritten order—where is it? I don’t see any!” While speaking, he stepped forward with a sinister smile, crushing the handwritten order on the ground. “Seize them!”

Before he finished speaking, there was a thunderous crash. The prison door behind was smashed open, and another large group rushed in, taking three steps in two to reach behind the person giving orders. They grabbed his arms, pinched his shoulders, and with reversed hands pressed him kneeling to the ground. His knees struck the ground with a thud, and the faint sound of cracking bone was crisp.

The man screamed: “Who—help—ah—”

The second batch that rushed in said nothing, their strikes ruthless, decisive, and fast. Everyone only heard continuous screams and crashes. In an instant, the Capital Prefecture people along with the two steward-like people were all kicked down and tied up like dumplings. Only then did the crowd part to both sides as several people strode in.

Murong Yi’s lips curved, and Mu Si, who had been leaning against the pillar, suddenly stood straight.

Naturally it was Tie Ci who entered, followed by Dan Shuang, Chi Xue, and Xia Houchun.