Ni Su ate a small half bowl of congee and then fell asleep again. But she hurt badly all over, so her sleep was not restful. Hearing the sound of iron bars opening and closing from the guard room, she immediately opened her eyes.

“Zhou Ting, bring the person out.”

Ni Su only heard such a voice, followed immediately by hurried footsteps. Several officers appeared at the cell door, preparing to unlock the copper lock.

The candles had burned for half the night, and Xu Hexue was already feeling much better. His spirit form was not as faint as before. Watching those several officers unlock the door and enter to help Ni Su up, he didn’t reveal himself. Only when he met Ni Su’s gaze looking toward him did he gently shake his head and say to her, “Don’t be afraid.”

When he didn’t reveal himself, only Ni Su could hear his voice. Those several officers couldn’t detect him at all. They brought Ni Su out of the cell, waded through the water in the punishment pool, and bound her to the torture rack.

Cold iron chains wrapped around both her hands and her waist, also restraining her neck, preventing her from lowering her head or moving at all. She could only look at the official dressed as a eunuch sitting across the punishment pool.

“Miss Ni, having just arrived in Yun Jing, how exactly did you discover your brother’s corpse on Qingyuan Mountain?”

Han Qing received a tea bowl handed to him by someone beside him and scrutinized her.

“My brother appeared to me in a dream and led me there.”

Ni Su’s voice was low and weak.

Han Qing’s motion of drinking tea paused. He raised an eyebrow. “Miss Ni doesn’t think that this servant’s Yinye Bureau is easier to fool than Guangning Prefecture’s government office, does she?”

The officer standing behind the torture rack tightened the chains with one hand, forcing Ni Su’s back to press tightly against the rack, compressing the wounds where she had received punishment. At the same time, the iron chains around her neck also tightened. Such humiliating restraints forced her to tilt her head back.

“I don’t believe you didn’t ask Administrator Tian of Guangning Prefecture.”

Ni Su trembled all over from the pain, her lips completely bloodless. “When I first arrived in Yun Jing, I had no connections or means. If I had any other explanation, why would I invite suffering upon myself in the Bureau of Records at Guangning Prefecture? Or is it that you, Administrator, have a better explanation than I do?”

Han Qing saw this woman was frail and wretched, yet her words remained fairly clear and logical. He couldn’t help but size her up again, but said, “How does the young lady have no connections? An hour ago, people from the Grand Commandant’s residence came to my Yinye Bureau asking about you.”

“When was my letter delivered to the Grand Commandant’s residence—does the Administrator not know?”

Ni Su, with chains tightening around her neck, could only strain to look down at him. “Had I not been trapped in prison, I would not have easily sought help from others.”

Zhou Ting, Commander of the Jihuo Battalion standing beside Yinye Bureau Envoy Han Qing, upon hearing this, showed a trace of astonishment in his eyes. A mere weak and delicate woman—on the torture rack of the Yinye Bureau that even men couldn’t help but fear—her words showed no trace of worry or dread.

“Miss Ni has backbone, but relying solely on a yellow talisman from that investigating officer Tian Qizhong to make us believe your absurd statement—aren’t you being a bit too naive?”

Han Qing threw the tea bowl to Zhou Ting and rose to receive a long whip. As he walked into the punishment pool, the long whip dragged through the water, its densely packed iron barbs flashing with cold light.

Compared to the Yinye Bureau’s punishments, those at Guangning Prefecture could only be considered child’s play.

The whip handle pressed against Ni Su’s cheek. That bone-chilling coldness numbed her. She met Han Qing’s eyes and heard him say, “Even men can’t endure this whip. Miss Ni, can you guess how much of your flesh this whip will tear open?”

He spoke with excessive coldness and bloodiness. Ni Su’s feigned composure was shattered. Her entire body trembled uncontrollably. Then she heard Han Qing swing the whip, striking the water heavily while sternly demanding, “Still unwilling to tell the truth?”

“Every word I’ve said is true!”

The splashing water struck Ni Su’s cheeks.

“Fine.”

Han Qing raised the whip, water dripping from it. “Assuming what you say is true, since you knew you would very likely be unable to explain, why didn’t you flee?”

“Why should I flee!”

Ni Su lost control, her eye sockets turning completely red.

At this instant, the torture chamber fell silent except for the trickling sound of water.

Xu Hexue stood by the punishment pool. “Ni Su, do you remember what I told you?”

Ni Su had just clearly heard his words when she saw Han Qing suddenly raise the whip, making as if to strike her viciously. Ni Su squeezed her eyes shut: “How could the Administrator understand!”

The expected pain didn’t come. Ni Su’s eyelashes fluttered as she opened her eyes, clearly seeing that on the whip body so close at hand, the sharp, fine iron barbs still carried bloodstains that hadn’t been washed clean.

“The weight of close kin weighs upon my broken life.”

She murmured.

Han Qing almost thought he had misheard. On his excessively stern face appeared a trace of astonishment. “You… what did you say?”

“I won’t flee because I want to seek justice for my brother. My brother cannot die in such an unclear manner.” Ni Su had nearly exhausted her strength. “Even if I cannot explain my own circumstances clearly, I must still do this.”

Han Qing stared at her as if in a trance.

“Envoy?”

Seeing Han Qing unresponsive for a long time, Zhou Ting called out to him.

Han Qing came back to himself. The iron-barbed whip in his hand could no longer be held tightly. He stared at that young woman on the torture rack. After a long while, he turned and walked out of the punishment pool.

Water droplets dripped continuously from the hem of his robe. Han Qing turned his back to her: “Miss Ni is truly a clever woman. I don’t believe a single word of your story about the wronged appearing in dreams, but just as you thought in your heart, neither Guangning Prefecture nor my Yinye Bureau can convict you simply because your words are absurd. Great Qi law has no such provision.”

Han Qing turned around and threw down the iron-barbed whip in his hand. “The second young master of the Grand Commandant’s residence now holds the official position of Court Gentleman for Ceremonial Service. When he comes to inquire, naturally I cannot ignore it.”

So calm and composed, as if the person who had just wielded the whip to interrogate her hadn’t been him.

Outside the Yinye Bureau, the rain had stopped at some unknown time, and the sky was increasingly showing signs of turning pale. The morning breeze met her face. When Ni Su was helped out of the Yinye Bureau, she was still somewhat in a daze. From the prison of Guangning Prefecture to the prison of the Yinye Bureau—this day and night seemed especially long.

“Miss Ni, rest assured. Your brother’s case—our Envoy has already taken it to heart. As it concerns the winter examination, he will certainly investigate until the truth comes to light.”

Zhou Ting had someone help Ni Su onto the carriage sent by the Grand Commandant’s residence. Lifting the curtain, he spoke to her from outside.

Ni Su nodded, watching him lower the curtain.

“When did Young Administrator Zhou become so considerate of people? Even telling them to rest assured…” An officer watched the coachman drive the carriage toward the deserted street. Unable to resist, he moved close to Zhou Ting’s side and nudged him with his elbow.

“Stop your loose talk. Although the person left from here, she still needs to be watched.”

Zhou Ting’s face was serious.

That officer looked at the gradually receding carriage. “But I really do admire that young lady. She looks weak and delicate, yet she has quite a bit of backbone.”

There were plenty of various criminals who revealed their ugly sides in the Yinye Bureau. This Miss Ni was truly rare.

The rumbling sound of the carriage echoed through the silent streets and alleys.

Ni Su curled up in the carriage. As soon as she closed her eyes, she saw Yinye Bureau Envoy Han Qing striking at her with that iron-barbed whip. She buried her entire face in the crook of her arm, cold sweat covering her back.

“Han Qing had no need to move against you.”

A cold, clear voice fell upon her. “What he did just now was nothing more than psychological attack.”

Ni Su didn’t raise her head. After quite a while, she finally spoke: “Why did his expression change after hearing that phrase you taught me?”

“Because in you, he saw himself.”

Hearing this, Ni Su raised her head. Inside the carriage obscured by bamboo curtains, the light was dim. The young man sat beside her, his eyes not very bright.

“What do you mean?”

“He once had circumstances similar to yours. That phrase was what he said to someone at that time.”

“Then how do you know?”

Ni Su looked at him. “Were you also someone in the official world when you were alive?”

Xu Hexue didn’t deny it.

“Han Qing was castrated and entered the palace as a youth. His only concern was his beloved elder sister. At that time, his sister was deceived by someone. After marriage, she endured endless humiliation and beatings. In a moment of uncontrolled anger, his sister stabbed her husband and was imprisoned, about to receive the death penalty. The phrase I taught you was the first thing he said while kneeling before a certain Chancellor. At that time, I happened to be there.”

“What happened to his sister afterward?”

“That Chancellor had someone argue on her behalf to reduce her crime. His Majesty showed mercy, exempted the death penalty, and permitted her to divorce.”

The Chancellor Xu Hexue spoke of was Meng Yunxian, but back then Meng Yunxian hadn’t personally acted, but rather borrowed another’s power to facilitate the matter.

So until now, aside from him, almost no one knew of this bond of gratitude between Han Qing and Meng Yunxian.

“No wonder you told me not to be afraid.”

Ni Su finally understood why that phrase “the weight of close kin weighs upon my broken life” mentioned a broken life. “But when I saw the iron-barbed whip in his hand, I was still very afraid.”

Afraid that when that whip came down, the iron barbs on it would tear open her flesh.

“You were already brave enough.”

Inside the carriage that blocked out the light, Xu Hexue couldn’t see her clearly.

Ni Su shook her head. “That’s because I knew you were there.”

“You were watching me, and I felt I at least had some confidence.” Her voice was very soft. “I could only do my best to grasp the small chance of victory you gave me.”

Xu Hexue lowered his eyelashes and said nothing.

“Do you smell anything?”

While he was lost in thought, he heard Ni Su suddenly ask.

Xu Hexue instinctively looked up. Unable to see her expression clearly, he was a bit bewildered. “Hm?”

“Old Uncle.”

Ni Su made an effort to raise her voice a bit.

The coachman outside heard and turned his head to respond, “Young lady, what’s the matter? It’ll take a few more streets before we reach our Grand Commandant’s residence!”

“Please buy me two pieces of sugar cake.”

Ni Su said.

Food stalls by the street were always set up before dawn, and the aroma of food filled the entire street.

The coachman stopped the carriage, bought two pieces of sugar cake, lifted the curtain and handed them to Ni Su who was lying in the carriage. Seeing her body covered in blood, which was quite frightening, he said, “I’ll hurry and take you back to the residence. The second young master’s wife will surely find a medical worker for you.”

The curtain was lowered again. Before Xu Hexue’s eyes, clarity turned to blur. Suddenly a hand stuffed an oil-paper-wrapped cake into his hand.

“I promised you I would buy you sugar cakes to eat.”

Xu Hexue lowered his eyes to look at the sugar cake in his hand. He was momentarily stunned.

Hot steam drifted up,

As if melting some of the coldness in his brows and eyes.

Raising his eyes again, Xu Hexue held that piping hot sugar cake and said softly, “Thank you.”