All the dungeons in the world are much the same.

Dark, filthy, never seeing light for years on end, permeated with foul odors.

The dungeon conditions of the Court of the Imperial Clan were somewhat better — far cleaner than the dungeons of the Ministry of Justice. Those imprisoned here were all imperial relatives, so the prison guards dared not be negligent; even when delivering meals, they had to maintain a warm and courteous manner.

Who knew when the people locked away here might be released? Once out of the dungeon, they would once again be honored imperial kin. To deal with small figures like themselves would be as easy as crushing an ant — it would cost nothing at all.

Prince Yan was kept in the largest and most spacious cell.

Inside there was a bed, a chair, books, paper, brushes, and ink. Each day he could read, paint, and write to pass the time; when he was truly bored, he would simply lie on the bed and sleep.

The daily meals were neither particularly good nor particularly bad. Four dishes and a soup, the flavors passable enough.

What a pity — ever since Prince An had died, the food delivered to him had suddenly been cut to less than half its former amount. At most, he could only eat until half-full.

Prince Yan’s originally handsome face rapidly grew gaunt, and his eyes became increasingly cold and sinister.

The prison warden came again with his meals.

“Your Highness, please dine.” The warden, a man past forty, wore a trembling, ingratiating smile.

Half a bowl of rice. Two small dishes of plain vegetables.

Truly two small dishes. This portion would not fill even a child. Month after month, every meal delivered was like this.

What a Crown Grandson!

He had poisoned Prince An to death by starvation — and now the Crown Grandson intended to let him taste the same suffering of hunger.

Prince Yan cast a glance at the food and let out a cold laugh. “Take it away! This Prince refuses to eat! Better to starve to death!”

The warden could not help wiping the beads of sweat from his forehead with his sleeve, and continued with his forced smile: “Your Highness, please do not make things difficult for this lowly one. This was personally ordered by His Highness the Crown Grandson — no one dares to disobey. Though the portions are small, Your Highness eating even this much can barely sustain you, which is still better than going hungry.”

Before the warden had even finished speaking, Prince Yan’s face had already darkened. He smashed the rice bowl and roared: “Get out!”

Such scenes had been commonplace over these past few months.

The warden wore a bitter expression as he gathered the things from the floor, and obediently “got out.” After a short while, he returned carrying the same portions once more: “Your Highness, please do eat something! If Your Highness were to truly fall ill from hunger, this lowly one could not bear the responsibility!”

When the great lords clash, it is those like him who suffer the consequences. What a fate!

Prince Yan had vented his temper, and his belly was genuinely hollow with hunger. With a cold harrumph, his expression still dark, he finally consented to sit down and eat.

Only then did the warden quietly breathe a sigh of relief.

Before Prince Yan had finished eating, someone came to the cell.

The warden hurriedly knelt and kowtowed: “This lowly one greets His Highness the Crown Grandson.”

The Crown Grandson acknowledged him with a casual sound and looked Prince Yan over, then tugged the corner of his lips into a smile and said: “Sixth Imperial Uncle seems to be in rather poor spirits lately.”

“Spare me the pretense!” Prince Yan’s cold laugh did not cease. “I cannot eat my fill three times a day — where would my spirits come from? I am a prisoner now, left entirely at your mercy to humiliate as you please. You might as well have someone lace my food with poison and be done with it — pull out this thorn in your side directly. Would that not be far more satisfying?”

The Crown Grandson, firmly holding the upper hand, was possessed of considerable composure. He did not bother to quarrel with Prince Yan and spoke at his leisure: “I came in good faith to see Sixth Imperial Uncle — why must Sixth Imperial Uncle speak this way? If others were to hear, they would think it was I, this nephew of yours, who harbored malicious intentions to harm you.”

“How you choose to deal with you is a matter for the Emperor. How could I overstep!”

Prince Yan raised an eyebrow, his expression cold and mocking: “Oh? Has that old dodger not yet been vexed to death by me?”

The Crown Grandson’s face remained unchanged. He said evenly: “The Emperor has always doted on Sixth Imperial Uncle most dearly. Were he to learn that Sixth Imperial Uncle has been speaking so disrespectfully behind his back, one wonders how grieved he would feel.”

Utter pretense!

Pure theater!

Prince Yan continued his cold laugh: “Stop talking in circles. You did not come today simply out of idle boredom to see me. Whatever you have to say, say it quickly.”

The Crown Grandson looked at Prince Yan, a trace of regret in his gaze: “I did come with some rather important news. I hope Sixth Imperial Uncle, upon hearing it, will not become too agitated.”

Prince Yan’s heart plummeted, and he suddenly had a sense of foreboding.

Sure enough, he heard the Crown Grandson sigh: “Your crime of treason is known to everyone in the palace, and word of your imprisonment in the Court of the Imperial Clan dungeon has spread without exception. Noble Consort Xu has always been frail, and has been resting quietly to recuperate. I have been keeping this news from her all along. Who could have foreseen that a few days ago, someone spoke carelessly in front of her…”

Prince Yan’s face changed violently. He shot to his feet: “How is my Imperial Mother now?”

The Crown Grandson continued to sigh: “Noble Consort Xu was consumed with anguish and could not find peace. She refused to eat, and last night, she drew her final breath.”

Prince Yan’s entire body trembled. His face turned ashen, and the glimmer of tears began to appear in his eyes.

His Imperial Mother was dead!

His own mother was dead.

One more person who cared for him in this world was gone…

The Crown Grandson closely watched the shifting expressions on Prince Yan’s face and, with the same air of deep regret, continued: “Princess Changping is at the Ciyun Convent, where news does not travel easily. No one knows who told her of your situation, but she made a commotion about descending the mountain and entering the palace to plead for you. The nuns of the Ciyun Convent naturally dared not release her. Yet she managed to steal away in the middle of the night.”

“The night was dark and the mountain path was steep — Princess Changping could not see the road clearly at all. She stumbled and fell into a mountain gorge. It was not until the following day that she was found and brought back to the convent.”

“Though her life was spared, she sustained considerable injuries. A deep gash, carved by the rocks, runs from her forehead all the way down to her chin. Her life is not in danger, but her appearance will be difficult to restore.”

Prince Yan’s face turned even paler.

For Changping, who cherished her beauty above all else, to have her appearance ruined would likely be more agonizing than death itself.

He had once made a promise — that he would rescue both of them from their misery. Toward that end, he had schemed meticulously, staked everything, and placed himself in grave danger. Yet it had all come to naught, and in the end he had been thoroughly betrayed by the fickle Prince An.

He was the one who had implicated his mother and elder sister.

Had it not been for him, even if they had lived difficult lives, they would at least have survived.

Yet now — one was dead, and one had lost her looks…

Prince Yan closed his eyes, forcing back the tears that had gathered at the corners. His heart was filled with desolation and grief.

How profoundly Heaven had wronged him!

“Are you thinking that Heaven has been most unjust to you?” The Crown Grandson’s voice sounded in Prince Yan’s ear, cold and indifferent: “On the day you decided to have my father killed — did you once think that this day might come?”

“You—!”

Prince Yan’s blood surged and roiled. He snapped open his eyes, his gaze brimming with fury.

The Crown Grandson looked at him coldly, yielding not a single inch: “The lives of your mother and your sister matter so greatly to you. Do you suppose I cared nothing for my own father? I once swore — that so long as I found the one who had secretly plotted against my father, I would never forgive him.”

“As you sow, so shall you reap! All of this — you brought it upon yourself!”

“It was you who killed them!”

Prince Yan’s face was chalk-white. He stood utterly defeated, and tears finally came flooding out.