Chapter 90

Inside the imperial prison, Yan Qinghong was locked up in the cell next to the Yan siblings.

When Yan Yuyou and Yan Fengming saw several burly men carrying branding irons, braziers, and all manner of torture instruments into their father's cell, they panicked.

“What are you doing?” Yan Yuyou cried. “My father is the Minister of Justice! He'll never let you get away with this!”

“This has nothing to do with my family!” Yan Fengming shouted. “My sister and I are the only ones responsible!”

A burly man glared at them ferociously. “You say it has nothing to do with your father, so that makes it true? Don't worry. Assassinating the emperor is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine branches of the family. Not one of you will escape!”

Not long after they entered, bloodcurdling screams rang out from the cell, accompanied by the smell of roasting flesh and blood. The scene was enough to make anyone tremble with terror.

“Ah! Please, just kill me! Kill me!”

“Hahaha! The dignified Minister of Justice is begging for mercy like a dog now. How does it feel to experience the torture instruments you invented yourself?”

The screams sounded as if knives were carving into flesh, making every inch of the siblings' bodies ache. Their faces twisted in agony as they pounded on the iron bars.

“Stop! My father is the Minister of Justice! How dare you!”

“The Yan family will be out of here soon! Stop this, or we'll make you pay afterward!”

“I'll give you money! I'll give you money, all right? Please, stop!”

“Father! I'm sorry! Father, sob...”

No matter how much they threatened, bribed, cursed, or begged, the guards remained unmoved.

All the siblings could do was listen as their father's agonized screams echoed through the prison. Slowly, the cries faded away, and at last, everything fell silent.

“Father!”

Only now did the two of them truly regret what they had done.

They had thought that once the emperor died, the palace would descend into chaos, and no one would have time to deal with them. Once Prince Ze ascended the throne, the Yan family would finally see the dawn of a new future.

But why had they started torturing people immediately?!

If Yun Yaoyao had been able to hear their thoughts, she would certainly have let out a scornful laugh. If the Ministry of Justice didn't use torture, what was the point of having a Ministry of Justice at all? Might as well call it a roast-pork shop!

A Dragon Shadow Guard with both hands smeared in pig's blood let out a demonic laugh and carried the torture instruments into the Yan siblings' cell.

The moment he waved the red-hot branding iron in front of their faces, the two of them were frightened enough to wet themselves.

After another round of threats, the Dragon Shadow Guard lashed them with a whip, deliberately holding back most of his strength. Even so, they could no longer endure it and fainted.

That was it?

Their courage was smaller than the hole behind their buttocks, and their bodies were more fragile than the two balls hanging from their heads. With guts like that, they still wanted to assassinate the emperor?

If His Majesty hadn't instructed him not to go too far, he really would have branded the word idiot onto each of their foreheads!

A bucket of cold water was dumped over them, jolting them awake.

As soon as the Yan siblings opened their eyes, they saw their mother and grandmother being escorted past the cell.

Madam Yan and Old Madam Yan had cried until their eyes were swollen. When they saw the two siblings in the cell, their faces showed some concern—but far more disappointment and grief.

“You tried to assassinate the emperor for Prince Ze, putting the lives of the entire Yan family at stake! How could you be so selfish?!”

The siblings had no words with which to refute her. Tears streamed down their faces as they could only shake their heads.

“Mother! Grandmother! I'm sorry! It isn't like that...”

The Dragon Shadow Guards brought Madam Yan and Old Madam Yan to the cell where Yan Qinghong was being held. When the two women saw a blood-covered figure lying motionless on the straw, they let out a scream and rushed toward him in tears.

Old Madam Yan wailed as she frantically pressed her philtrum. “My son! He's dead—”

Before she could finish, Yan Qinghong lifted his face from the straw. He looked drowsy, with a glistening strand of drool still hanging from the corner of his mouth.

“Ah, Mother, Madam Yan, you're here?”

“I'm fine. I was just shouting too enthusiastically. After my mood had risen and fallen so many times today, I was completely exhausted. I accidentally fell asleep.”

“Shh. Let's keep our voices down later. Don't let those two brats next door hear us.”

Old Madam Yan took a deep breath and wiped away her tears. “Hong'er, then what's with the injuries on your body?”

Yan Qinghong hurriedly explained, “They're all fake. The blood is pig's blood.”

He told the two women part of what had happened. When he finished, his expression turned solemn.

“His Majesty is willing to give us this chance. When the time comes, you must act convincingly. You have to harden your hearts against those two brats. Do not show them mercy again!”

“Otherwise, what happened today will become reality again in the future!”

Hearing that the nine branches of the family were still safe, Madam Yan and Old Madam Yan both let out a heavy sigh of relief. But when they thought about the two brats next door, they were both struck by a headache.

Madam Yan had wanted to remind Yuyou that she was carrying a child, but after witnessing the entire family being taken away today and her husband “dying” before her eyes, she forced herself to swallow the words.

Old Madam Yan's lips trembled several times, but in the end, she closed her mouth as well and said coldly, “To disregard the lives of the entire family for an unrelated man is truly heartbreaking. This time, they must be punished severely!”

Seeing this, Yan Qinghong felt relieved.

“It's good that you understand. Let's begin.”

Before long, two more screams rang out from the prison.

Compared with Yan Qinghong, Madam Yan and Old Madam Yan were even more talented at acting. They screamed miserably while accusing the Yan siblings of being heartless, occasionally interweaving their cries with memories of all the ways they had cared for them.

Yan Yuyou and Yan Fengming repeatedly broke down under the torment, only to be doused with cold water by the Dragon Shadow Guards and forced awake again.

No one knew how long it went on before the screams from the neighboring cell finally stopped.

The Dragon Shadow Guard pinched a severed hand between his fingers and approached the siblings' cell with a sinister grin.

“Can you tell which of your elders this hand belongs to? Hahaha!”

The siblings clutched their heads and shrieked in agony.

Afraid that he might truly drive them insane, the Dragon Shadow Guard finally put aside his cruel amusement. He glanced toward the prison entrance, signaling that it was time to begin the next step of the plan.

Before long, strange noises came from outside the prison. People ran about in confusion, shouting in alarm.

“T-The Emperor... His Majesty has died!”

The Dragon Shadow Guard responsible for the torture froze in surprise. He then ran out of the prison and disappeared from sight.

Soon, several unfamiliar burly men dressed as prison guards opened the cell door. They helped the Yan siblings to their feet and spoke with kindly expressions.

“We work under Minister Yan. His Majesty has died, and the prison is in chaos. Hurry and escape while you can!”

The despairing, ashen faces of the siblings finally showed a flicker of light. Their voices were hoarse.

“Quick... Go save Father, Mother, and Grandmother...”

At that moment, Yan Qinghong and the others were also being helped out by the guards. When the siblings saw the wounds covering their bodies—the blood and their feeble breaths—their guilt nearly drowned them.

Yan Yuyou choked out, “I'm sorry. We dragged all of you into this. From now on, your daughter will... will take good care of you, Father and Mother, and Grandmother... Sob...”

Yan Fengming also began to cry. “I swear I'll make it up to you, Father, Mother, and Grandmother. I'll never make you worry about me again!”

The three of them merely cast cold glances at the two wretches and said nothing.

The siblings swallowed their countless pangs of sorrow and pain and silently told themselves:

Their family had suffered because of them, but they had not been wrong this time!

The emperor was still dead. Prince Ze would ascend the throne, and the Yan family would become great heroes. When that happened, their parents and grandmother would understand the good intentions behind their actions!

Madam Yan finally couldn't bear it any longer and was about to speak up, hoping to tell the siblings to find a physician for their injuries. But then she saw them turn around and leave at once, anxiously saying to the guards, “Hurry and take us to Prince Ze! He must have suffered terribly too!”

Madam Yan: “...”

Perhaps it really would be better to go to the orphanage, adopt another pair of children, and start over.

The Yan siblings found Prince Ze at the very end of the imperial prison.

But the disheveled, bearded man with unkempt hair and a rather unpleasant odor inside the cell gave them quite a shock.

“Who is this man?!” Yan Yuyou blurted out.

Tushan Ze was surprised to see the Yan siblings, but the moment he heard her words, his expression darkened.

When they were enjoying moonlit romance, she called him “Your Highness.” Now that he was locked up, she was calling him “this man”?!

The bloodshot eyes of a man who had not slept all night made Tushan Ze look rather frightening. Suppressing his anger, he asked, “What are you two doing here?”

Yan Yuyou quickly recovered and happily told Prince Ze everything that had happened.

Prince Ze’s expression changed at once. He clasped Yan Yuyou’s hands with deep emotion and asked urgently, “Is this true?!”

Yan Fengming suppressed his bitterness and affection, then nodded. “Your Highness, the arrow struck the tyrant directly in the heart. It was poisoned as well. He absolutely cannot have survived.”

At those words, the dejected and dispirited Prince Ze instantly became elated and ecstatic. He wrapped an arm around Yan Yuyou’s waist and exclaimed, “The Yan siblings truly are this prince’s lucky stars! In the future, this prince will certainly reward the Yan family handsomely!”

Yan Yuyou shyly leaned against Tushan Ze’s chest and sniffed lightly.

Had the prince not bathed for several days? He seemed to be starting to smell...

While silently guarding Yan Yuyou, Yan Fengming was also somewhat puzzled. Hadn’t Prince Ze always been the epitome of elegance and peace, someone who wanted nothing from the world? Why was he so overjoyed at the news of the tyrant’s death?

By the time Tushan Ze and the entire Yan family had left the imperial prison, chatting and laughing together, they ran straight into a large group of court officials.

A classic case of eyes meeting eyes...

Prince Ze immediately moved three paces away from Yan Yuyou, then declared in a solemn, ringing voice, “The Yan family escaped from the imperial prison with the intention of usurping the throne. This prince merely pretended to cooperate just now in order to lower their guard and lure them here.”

“Now that the Imperial Guards have arrived, seize the Yan family at once and execute the entire clan!”

The Yan siblings: ???

Yan Qinghong gave a cold, knowing smile. He was not surprised in the slightest. He simply stood there and allowed the Imperial Guards to pin him to the ground once more.

The Yan family were now the culprits who had assassinated the emperor. If Tushan Ze wanted to ascend the throne legitimately, how could he possibly leave the Yan family alive?

Wouldn’t that be tantamount to announcing that Tushan Ze had instructed them to assassinate the emperor?

Eliminating the Yan family was the very first step Tushan Ze needed to take in order to ascend the throne smoothly.

Such a simple truth, yet his two wicked children still failed to understand it. They were even congratulating themselves...

The Yan siblings still had not come to their senses. They stared at Tushan Ze in disbelief.

Tushan Ze looked back at them coldly, as though they were complete strangers with no connection to him whatsoever.

At that moment, Di Shunzhi burst out from among the officials. His eyes were red as he pointed at Tushan Ze. “Stop making excuses! You have a close relationship with the Yan siblings. You were the one who incited them to assassinate the emperor!”

“I also found out that Miss Yan had been carrying on an illicit affair with you for a long time. Her belly—”

Afraid that Di Shunzhi would reveal even more, Tushan Ze cut him off with an angry glare and drew a sword from the guard beside him.

“You’re slandering me! This prince has never had any dealings with the Yan family, and I have absolutely no relationship with Miss Yan!”

“If you don’t believe me, I’ll prove it to you!”

With that, Tushan Ze raised his sword and drove it straight toward Yan Yuyou’s heart!

A prison guard who was actually a disguised member of the Dragon Shadow Guards flicked a pebble from his hand, knocking the sword off course so that it pierced Yan Yuyou’s shoulder instead.

In truth, the Dragon Shadow Guard had more than enough time to stop the sword. He simply chose not to.

After all, people only remembered their heartbreak more deeply after suffering a little.

Yan Yuyou’s heart shattered. Blood poured from her shoulder, yet her lips merely trembled, unable to form a single complete word.

Beside her, Yan Fengming’s lips turned deathly pale. “Your Highness, you...”

Afraid that Yan Fengming might reveal some secrets that could never be spoken in public, Tushan Ze viciously thrust his sword at him as well.

Another pebble knocked the blade aside, and it pierced Yan Fengming’s shoulder instead.

The unfortunate siblings collapsed to the ground. Their shoulder wounds were perfectly symmetrical. They exchanged a glance, both revealing a sorrowful, pained expression. Then, no longer able to hold themselves up, they simultaneously spat out a mouthful of blood and passed out.

Tushan Ze secretly breathed a sigh of relief and was just about to speak.

But then, a eunuch came joyfully rushing over from the distance. He raised his pinky daintily and announced, “Good news, everyone! His Majesty has awakened. His dragon body is perfectly fine!”

Boom!

Tushan Ze’s mind went blank.

“W-Wasn’t it just said that His Majesty had passed away?” Tushan Ze asked, still clinging to one last sliver of hope.

Di Shunzhi straightened his robes and shot him a sidelong glance. “Who told you that? His Majesty merely fainted after suffering severe injuries.”

Tushan Ze still could not believe it. He opened his mouth and asked, “Then... why did all of you come to the imperial prison?”

Zhou Siren pulled out a little pick and casually cleaned between his teeth. “Someone said there was a show happening at the imperial prison, so we came to watch~”

Xiao Wuzi smiled at Tushan Ze. “Your Highness, shouldn’t you still be inside the imperial prison? How did you get out?”

“Men, seize Prince Ze! He’s trying to escape!”

The Imperial Guards immediately charged forward with fierce expressions and carried Tushan Ze away like a little chick.

Tushan Ze’s face went white, then black, then green, and finally white again. The fury in his chest was almost enough to drown him.

That damned Tu Shanjin had actually dared to toy with him on purpose!!!

After his anger subsided, a dangerous light appeared in Tushan Ze’s eyes.

Given his understanding of that sinister little schemer, Tu Shanjin must have gone to all this trouble because he was plotting something against him!

But no matter how hard Tushan Ze racked his brains, he could not figure out what the other man was trying to do.

The Yan family had committed regicide. As far as he was concerned, they were already useless pawns. Even if he had just turned against them, it would not affect anything.

Could it be that Tu Shanjin had discovered his escape plan?

No. That had nothing to do with what had just happened.

Tushan Ze’s thoughts began to run wild.

He had kissed Yan Yuyou to calm her down earlier. Could Tu Shanjin have poisoned her lips?!

But he showed no signs of being poisoned yet...

It ​​‌‌​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​​​‌​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​​​​‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​​​‌​​​‌‌‌​​​‍was frightening enough to know that an enemy wanted to harm you. But even more terrifying was when the enemy had already made his move, and you had no idea how he intended to hurt you.

Tushan Ze was consumed by irritation.

Damn it! What exactly was Tu Shanjin trying to do?!