“Yes.” Duan Zhihong responded and left with Zheng Shi.

Li Jiancheng was locked alone in the innermost cell of the imperial prison. This cell was specifically used to imprison imperial family members who had committed serious crimes. Li Jiancheng became the first prince to be imprisoned here since the founding of the Tang Dynasty.

Just days ago he was still the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace, but today he had fallen to become a prisoner. Worldly affairs had always been this unpredictable.

The Heavenly Way was like a massive chessboard, and people were merely chess pieces, desperately trying to control their own destiny, yet always being manipulated by the invisible Heavenly Way, unable to break free. Indeed, there was no way to break free at all.

The wound on Li Jiancheng’s chest – on the very day he was imprisoned, Li Shimin had already commanded the imperial physicians to examine him, apply medicine and bandage the wound. After several days of recovery, it had improved considerably.

After Li Jiancheng awakened and learned that Li Shimin had been formally appointed as Crown Prince, he never spoke another word, spending his days just sitting blankly in the cell.

Duan Zhihong signaled the prison guard to open the cell door and said to Zheng Shi: “He’s inside. Go in.”

Zheng Shi nodded and walked in. She looked at Li Jiancheng, who was lying with his back to her, and said coolly: “How are you finding life in prison? Are you getting used to it?”

Zheng Shi’s voice made Li Jiancheng’s body stiffen. He slowly turned around and sat up. Using the dim light in the cell to clearly see Zheng Shi, his feminine face contorted like a demon’s: “Slut, you still have the face to come see me?!”

Zheng Shi slowly walked up to him, looking down at Li Jiancheng from above: “Why wouldn’t I have the face to see you?”

Li Jiancheng supported himself on the makeshift wooden bed board, stood up and glared viciously at Zheng Shi: “I am your husband, yet you helped Li Shimin to harm me. Do you think you’re in the right?!”

Hearing his words, Zheng Shi began to laugh coldly. After a long while, she restrained her laughter and said with a cold expression: “Now you remember that you’re my husband. What about before? Have you forgotten so quickly? But I haven’t forgotten. Li Jiancheng, this is your karmic retribution!”

“Slut!” With these words, Li Jiancheng viciously slapped Zheng Shi across the face. Five distinct finger marks immediately appeared on her pale cheek.

Duan Zhihong and the prison guard hadn’t expected him to suddenly strike. It was too late to stop him. The guard shouted: “How dare you! You actually dare to hit someone! Do you still think you’re the Crown Prince of the Eastern Palace?!” Then he said to Zheng Shi: “Madam, should this subordinate lock up his hands?”

“No need!” After the guard withdrew, Zheng Shi touched her cheek and slowly shook her head: “Li Jiancheng, you really haven’t changed at all. You think everything is someone else’s fault.” At this point, she took a deep breath: “Yes, I betrayed you, but shouldn’t I have? Ask yourself honestly – I married you as your wife for ten years. How many times did you look at me directly? Before Ji Shi entered the household it was one thing. Although you didn’t have much feeling for me, at least you maintained the respect that should exist between husband and wife. But all of that completely changed after Ji Shi entered the household. You favored her exclusively, setting aside me, your legitimate wife – that would have been tolerable. But you actually blamed me for Li Chengzong’s matter, thinking I was the one who harmed him!”

“Wasn’t it you?” Faced with Li Jiancheng’s reaction, Zheng Shi sneered endlessly: “Li Jiancheng, you’re just scum!”

She took a deep breath and continued: “Yes, I indeed didn’t like Jirong, but Li Chengzong was your eldest son, your bloodline. I always loved him as my own, never having any intention to harm him. As for that Ah Yue, I didn’t know her at all.”

Li Jiancheng absolutely didn’t believe her words: “What about Nanny Tong’s family? You didn’t know them either?”

“Yes, I did use Nanny Tong’s family to force her to take responsibility for this matter, to force her to commit suicide. But did I have any other choice? If I hadn’t done so, I’m afraid you would have already deposed me at that time!”

“And regarding Jirong’s fake pregnancy, I knew nothing about it at all. But you wanted to depose me without asking what was right or wrong. Although His Majesty stopped this matter, from then on you regarded me with complete disdain. Four years, Li Jiancheng, a full four years – you never once came to see me. You didn’t even let me attend the New Year’s Eve family banquet, allowing me to become a laughingstock of the Eastern Palace and even the entire imperial family. Since you showed no consideration for our marital bond, why should I show any consideration for it?” After a pause, she laughed coldly: “Ying’er – haha, Li Jiancheng, she’s your legitimate eldest daughter, yet you gave her the name of a flat-feathered beast. Do you know how much I hated it every time I thought of that name? From that moment on, I swore I would never let this matter rest with you. Li Jiancheng, your current fate is all the retribution for favoring that treacherous consort. You deserve it!”

“Slut, I’ll kill you!” Saying this, Li Jiancheng reached out to strangle Zheng Shi’s neck, but she blocked him: “Kill me? Do you have that ability?”

Li Jiancheng, after all, was still recovering from serious injuries and had no strength. He could only hatefully abandon this idea and instead said: “Do you think that because you betrayed me, Li Shimin will spare you? Hah, I tell you, he’s the one who’s best at breaking faith and abandoning righteousness. Zheng Guanyin, you absolutely won’t have a good ending!”

“Would I have had a good ending watching you ascend to the imperial throne and become Emperor of the Tang Dynasty?” Without waiting for Li Jiancheng to speak, she was already shaking her head: “No, you would only have deposed me and sent me to the cold palace, then elevated that slut Jirong to the Empress position, established her son as Crown Prince. My Chengdao and Ying’er – forget about having a place to stand, they probably wouldn’t even have their lives!”

“Li Jiancheng, actually the person who’s best at breaking faith and abandoning righteousness is you. You broke faith with our marital bond, broke faith with your brotherly bond with the Prince of Qin. Most laughably, you were brothers with the Prince of Qin for thirty years, yet you didn’t even know clearly what kind of person he was. From beginning to end, the Prince of Qin never thought of harming you. It was you who envied his military achievements, were jealous of his talents, and repeatedly tried to put him to death. The result was that in trying to harm others, you harmed yourself. You could even say that you single-handedly pushed him to the position of Crown Prince and even Emperor!”

“No!” Li Jiancheng shouted fiercely: “It was he who schemed deliberately to seize my position as Crown Prince! It was he who harmed me like this!”

“You’re truly beyond redemption!” Saying this, Zheng Shi said coldly: “Do you want to know what condition I agreed to assist the Prince of Qin on?”

“What was it?” Li Jiancheng stared at her fixedly, an ominous premonition rising in his heart.

The corner of Zheng Shi’s mouth curved into a cold smile: “The lives of Ji Shi and her two sons. From this moment on, they’re at my disposal. Tell me, how should I torture them properly?”

Although Li Jiancheng was cold by nature, he had true feelings for Jirong. Hearing these words, he urgently said: “If you dare harm them, mother and sons, I will never forgive you!”

“Never forgive me?” Zheng Shi said mockingly: “Why don’t you tell me exactly how you plan to not forgive me?”

Li Jiancheng sadly realized that he now had absolutely no capital to threaten Zheng Shi. After a long while, he could only grit his teeth and say: “Even if I die, I will become a vengeful ghost and give you no peace!”