Emperor Shengdi casually waved his hand, saying, “Rise.” He then summoned the palace attendant waiting outside, “Go find out who presented that zither to me. Forty lashes for them.” The attendant acknowledged and swiftly retreated.

Seeing Yi Xiao’s stunned expression, Emperor Shengdi smiled and gestured for her to sit down. “I heard earlier today that you angered the Princess Consort of Zhennan to the point of drowning herself. The grudge between you two must have a long history…”

Yi Xiao gathered herself and spoke directly, “Forgive my bluntness, Your Majesty. Didn’t you summon me to discuss the matter of His Highness the Prince of Zhennan?”

“You’re always so impatient,” Emperor Shengdi said leisurely as he stood up. “Very well, you two should meet sooner or later anyway.”

After the announcement, the jailer quickly rushed out, “Greetings, Your Majesty…” Emperor Shengdi didn’t respond. Using the dim light from the oil lamp along the corridor, he watched Yi Xiao’s suddenly frozen face with great interest. “What’s wrong? Don’t you want to see him anymore?”

Yi Xiao stood stiffly. Her natural night vision allowed her to easily see Xia Jingshi sitting against the wall behind two iron bars at the end of the corridor. His white clothes were stained with what could be either dirt or blood. His black hair, always meticulously tied up in her memory, now hung in loose strands, half-covering his gaunt face and those eyes… He was awake!

When Yi Xiao didn’t answer, Emperor Shengdi curiously stepped closer to see her expression. Almost simultaneously, Xia Jingshi’s low voice came from the end of the corridor, “You’ve come.” The emperor’s attention was immediately drawn to him. Before he could respond, Yi Xiao had already started running forward, “Your Highness…”

In an instant, only the pattering sound of Yi Xiao’s footsteps echoed through the dark dungeon.

“Yi Xiao?” An uncertain voice escaped from Xia Jingshi’s cracked lips. The next moment, he struggled to get up and stumbled to the iron bars. The chains clashed against the bars, making a clanging sound. “Yi Xiao, is that you?”

“Your Highness!” Yi Xiao threw herself against the chained iron door, shaking it with all her might. “Your Highness, how are you…”

“How did you end up here? What about Weiran? Weiran, he…” Xia Jingshi glared fiercely at the emperor standing not far away. “You despicable scoundrel! Is this the only kind of filthy, lowly thing you can do?”

“Tsk, a reunion of old lovers, and instead of exchanging sweet nothings, you turn your anger on me,” Emperor Shengdi stood at a distance, chuckling softly. “Fu Yi Xiao, do you want to go in?”

“Open the door!” Yi Xiao shouted.

“Get out!” Xia Jingshi roared. “What are you doing here!”

Emperor Shengdi gestured to the jailer standing behind him with his hands down. The jailer hurriedly stepped forward to open the first door. As Yi Xiao was about to follow him to the second door, there was a loud “clang” as Xia Jingshi’s shackled hand grabbed the iron bars. “Fu Yi Xiao, this is between him and me. Who asked you to meddle!”

The jailer stood awkwardly holding the keys, looking from Xia Jingshi to Yi Xiao, then to Emperor Shengdi. The emperor stood with his hands behind his back, staring intently at Yi Xiao.

“Open the door,” Yi Xiao said, enunciating each word.

“No,” Xia Jingshi barked. The usually calm and unblemished eyes now danced with star-like flames. Looking deeply at Yi Xiao, his voice gradually lowered, “Please, I’m begging you… Go back, return to his side…”

Suddenly, crisp applause came from behind. Emperor Shengdi approached the cell, clapping his hands one by one, his features twisted with rage. “Xia Jingshi, this is the first time in your life you’ve begged someone, and it’s a woman… Don’t you… don’t you feel humiliated?! What do you think you’re doing? Are you planning to use your pride or your life to repay her debt to me?!”

“Yes,” Xia Jingshi answered frankly and briefly.

“You… Fine, I want to see if this woman you’re willing to protect with your life will make the same choice when faced with the same problem,” Emperor Shengdi said angrily. He turned and summoned a jailer standing nearby, “Soak a torture whip!”

After a long silence, Xia Jingshi spoke, “What do you want?”

“It’s simple,” Emperor Shengdi said coldly with a slight curl of his lips. “Fu Yi Xiao, at most only one of you can come out alive. Either you whip him to death, or he whips you to death. If you can’t bear it, then you both die in there. Fu Yi Xiao, you better think it through.”

“Let me in,” Yi Xiao said calmly once again.

“Yi Xiao!” Xia Jingshi shouted, both angry and anxious. “Have you gone mad? I don’t need your help. Leave!”

“Even if you don’t want my help, I won’t leave you behind,” Yi Xiao’s eyes shone brightly. “I’m not leaving!”

The iron door quickly closed behind Yi Xiao and was locked. A soaked torture whip was thrown in from outside, landing with a thud on the dusty ground. Emperor Shengdi sat down on a large chair brought by the jailer and said with a sneering smile, “I’ll give you the time it takes for an incense stick to burn to say your intimate words before making a decision.”

Xia Jingshi’s earlier struggle had reopened all his wounds. The skin stuck to the inside of the iron shackles had also been torn open. Fresh blood flowed down his arms, falling to the ground and forming a clear spring. Now, he leaned weakly against the iron bars, quietly gazing at Fu Yi Xiao, who had crouched down in front of him.

He had never imagined he would see her here. Although he no longer feared death, when he thought about never seeing her again, there was still a sadness in his heart.

“Does he treat you well?” he finally spoke, but these were his words. “Very well,” Yi Xiao nodded without hesitation. “Your Highness, can you still walk…”

Xia Jingshi smiled, “Then I can rest easy. Go, pick up that whip.”

Yi Xiao hesitated for a moment, then went forward to pick up the torture whip before returning to Xia Jingshi’s side.

“You’re a princess of the imperial lineage, and the wife of Susha’s prince. He won’t make things difficult for you,” Xia Jingshi glanced at Emperor Shengdi outside the cell, who was listening intently to their conversation with his fist propping up his chin. He said calmly, “The only people I’m worried about are the others.”

“Your Highness…” Yi Xiao exclaimed softly. Xia Jingshi continued as if he hadn’t heard, “After I die, he’ll have no reason to target others. The future matters, I’ll leave them to you…”

“Xia Jingshi!” Emperor Shengdi stood up abruptly, shouting angrily, “Do you think everything will be solved just by your death?”

“Isn’t it my life you’ve always wanted? I’ll give it to you,” Xia Jingshi said without turning back, speaking gently to Yi Xiao, “Don’t hold back. The lighter you hit, the longer it will take, and the more pain I’ll suffer. Promise me, from now on, whether you remember me or forget me, you must live happily.”

Yi Xiao was bewildered for only a moment. When her eyes met Xia Jingshi’s burning gaze, she saw only determination and confidence in his eyes, not a death wish!

Even though he was imprisoned, even though his enemy could turn the tables, he was still Xia Jingshi. He wouldn’t die, nor would he let her die!

Just like before!!

“I promise,” Yi Xiao stood up, her voice clear and strong. “Your Highness, I’m sorry.”

“Silly girl,” Xia Jingshi smiled slightly, leaning back against the iron bars with his limbs spread.

Fu Yi Xiao took a deep breath. The torture whip in her hand traced a perfect arc in the air, breaking through with a whistling sound, and landed heavily on Xia Jingshi’s body. The whip tore through his already tattered clothes, leaving a deep mark from his right shoulder to his left waist.

Xia Jingshi’s face still wore a smile, but his fingers dug deeply into the ground, leaving several bloody marks.

“Are you mad? Stop!” Emperor Shengdi rushed to the bars, ordering loudly. Yi Xiao’s eyes flashed, but she ignored him and swung the second lash. The whip marks overlapped, immediately drawing blood.

“Hurry and open the door,” Emperor Shengdi shouted angrily. The jailer fumbled with the keys and opened the iron bars. Emperor Shengdi rushed into the cell, about to snatch the whip from Yi Xiao’s hand.

In a flash, Xia Jingshi shouted, “Now!” At the same time, Yi Xiao’s body twisted. Amidst the shocked cries of the onlookers, the torture whip contracted and sprang like a venomous snake in the air, coiling around Emperor Shengdi’s neck.