When Emperor Jingxiao settled himself in Xiaoye Chamber, the cruel punishment of flogging outside Baohe Palace finally ended.

The eunuchs who conducted the flogging held a part of the big sticks on the ground, gasping for breath. They were all exhausted.

During the punishment, the two strapping eunuchs could not remember how many sticks they had inflicted after Ming Lan's several repetitions of calling a halt and recounting from beginning to end.

As soon as the punishment ended, Gu Yunxi was pushed down to the ground by the eunuchs, holding her arms and her weak body.

Without fully feeling the pain, Gu Yunxi stumbled to the bench.

On the bench, Leng Qingtang had fainted, and the corners of his mouth were covered with the blood that gushed during his torture. The garment was soaked with blood and sweat, wrapping his flesh stickily.

The worst thing to see was his lower body.

Due to the long execution and cruel torture, the continuous heavy blows caused his trousers to break apart completely. Inside the flesh was badly mutilated, and the wound looked rather terrible.

Gu Yunxi was shocked when seeing this. She wanted to call him "Master", but as her pink lips trembled, she almost cried out of the lament when opening her mouth.

Gu Yunxi covered her mouth with her hand in a hurry, clenching her teeth to repress her surging sorrow and anger.

Don't cry. Never cry in front of Ming Lan.

She told herself secretly.

Ming Lan's sharp eyes gazed at Gu Yunxi, who looked stubborn, silent with no tears. As his enchanting face turned gloomy, he only felt this quite boring.

"Come on. Get a barrow to take them to the central prison."

Ming Lan hooked his finger towards a eunuch, ordering,

"Follow them. Watch the girl and don't let her cause any trouble. Also, tell the manager of the central prison manager not to push her too hard."

"Got it."

The eunuch nodded, looked around, and took out a paper parcel from his arms to Ming Lan, whispering,

"Master, this is what the Shenle Marquis gave to me just now. He repeatedly asked us to let the manager put this into Leng Qingtang's meals when we reach the central prison. "

Ming Lan glanced at the paper parcel, sneering,

"Wan Li had his men to order in Court of Judicial Review, but he is always commanding me! Yet I still need to find a way back for myself! Our aim is the Garden. Don't interfere with the rest."

"Got it."

The eunuch quickly wrapped up the paper parcel, saluted to Ming Lan, and left to carry out his order.

...

The dense night impregnated the majestic imperial city. The waning moon hung in the sky, flowing some desolate light quietly and shedding on the earth.

The long, narrow, green brick path looked quite broad under the pale white light.

There was nobody around.

A four-wheel barrow rolled slowly through the aisles of green moss, passing alone beneath the towering walls of the Palace encircled by dark shadows.

On the barrow were Leng Qingtang and Gu Yunxi. They would leave from Meridian Gate of the Palace and go straight to the central prison of Court of Judicial Review.

Gu Yunxi sat cross-legged on the barrow, holding the Master's blood-stained hands tightly and inseparably, as if afraid of someone to separate her from him.

The blowing winds were as chilly as the sharp blade, tearing Gu Yunxi's thin and weak body mercilessly.

Looking down at the Master, she found him in a deep and sound sleep, with his back turned to the sky.

Suddenly Gu Yunxi hoped that he could keep sleeping like this for a long time. She couldn't imagine how he would bear the fierce pain of his wounds when he woke up.

With a sad sniff, she lifted her eyes and looked around the misty Palace, which was drifting away.

The moonlight frosted the gorgeous Palace. From a distance, the standing majesty showed a kind of unspeakable gloom and desolation.

They passed through the side gate of the Meridian Gate and went out of the Palace.

A tall, dark figure ran towards them.

"Master."

Cheng Wanli had been informed of the accident in the Palace quite early, so he rushed here to wait. After standing for a whole night, he finally met the Master before daybreak.

Seeing the Master's disheveled hair and his messy, bloodied appearance, Cheng Wanli was petrified. His dark square face was covered with tears.

The barrow kept moving at a not very fast speed.

Cheng Wanli chased the barrow with tears. As he ran, he called Leng Qingtang in a shaking voice,

"Master, Master... I am Wanli! Look at me. Open your eyes and look at me, please..."

"Chiliarch Cheng, please try to redress the wrongs done to the Master..."

On the barrow, Gu Yunxi raised her eyes slowly and looked straight at Cheng Wanli, with eyes filled with tears. Her swelling small face showed a blank look.

She spoke in a rather low voice, and her dimly discernible soft voice was immediately torn to pieces by the wind.

Cheng Wanli didn't hear her clearly. His whole attention was still on the Master.

Gu Yunxi suddenly grabbed his wrist, her eyes firmly staring at his constantly crying black face. Instantly, the light was reflected from her twinkling eyes, like the unquenchable fire.

"Try to find the real culprit to redress the wrongs done to the Master!"

She frowned and repeated in a harsh and decisive voice, which didn't allow others to reject.

Cheng Wanli was shocked and nodded to her in a panic.

Gu Yunxi then began to shed tears ceaselessly like a deflated ball as she and Cheng Wanli looked at each other.

She bit her lower lip with her teeth, trying to fight against all the negative emotions. Even if her body trembled severely, she didn't easily let out a sound.

Such indomitability and firmness that surpassed her actual age touched the softest part of Cheng Wanli's heart in an instant.

He suddenly felt that he pitied her and was sorry for her forced suffering.

At this time, the eunuchs from the Western Depot piled on and surrounded the barrow.

"Get away, come on."

An Hong was arrogant. He drove Cheng Wanli to the side peremptorily and said pretentiously,

"It's the Western Depot's business. Other people get away quickly. Don't disturb us!"

Cheng Wanli could not fight against him, not because he was not competent, but because he was afraid that after all, the result of any reckless and impulsive behavior was to make the Master suffer more.

He could do nothing but helplessly watch the barrow move to the Court of Judicial Review.

In Meridian Gate, Ming Lan, with his hands together, stood for a long time in the wind. His eyes still landed in the direction of the disappearance of the barrow.

His eyes and brain were all occupied with the small face that bore sorrow and stubbornness, just like a delicate flower that never withered. It was like a framed picture deep in his heart, never going away.

Why?

Why did you stick it out against me?

Ming Lan sighed in his heart.

He thought he was bound to win this time! He thought this punishment and the scene of bloodied flesh must have made that stubborn little girl cry. Then to save her beloved, she would have been willing to give herself and let him do whatever he wanted...

However, he was wrong.

His means seemed to suddenly mature her mind and make her originally stubborn heart even more powerful!

Ming Lan stood in a trance and began to laugh self-deprecatingly.

How strong was a teenage girl's heart? Was it not just her character that made her strong and unyielding? Another thing that made her strong came from her love for Leng Qingtang.

Suddenly, an almost ridiculous idea ate away the twisted Ming Lan's inner world.

Why Leng Qingtang? Why it was he that could have such a beautiful, affectionate lady?

Complex and inexplicable emotions stuffed Ming Lan's body and mind. The subtle pain was like jealousy, resentment, or lost... In short, words could not describe it.

Behind him, a eunuch saw the Master Ming's slender figure standing in the wind without moving for a long time as if nothing in his life that could attract him.

So he came closer and asked,

"Master, the barrow has disappeared. Let's go back. After one night's hard work, you need to return and have a rest..."

Ming Lan turned back and punched the eunuch in the face. After kicking him and dispersing his people, he reproached him mercilessly,

"Damn it! I don't need you to remind me! Get away, get away from me."

...

The central prison of Dayi was located underneath the earth. It was impenetrable and gloomy all year round, heavily guarded with numerous gears.

Two strong-looking guards dragged unconscious Leng Qingtang from the barrow and threw him directly into a cell, acting roughly as if they were tossing an insignificant piece of torn linen.

Then they shifted their attention to Gu Yunxi.

According to the rules, any criminal taken to the central prison can only wear the undershirt. Seeing Gu Yunxi was still wearing the guard suit of the Eastern Depot, the guards said nothing and gathered around to take off her suit.

Shouting and dodging, Gu Yunxi tried her best to resist them.

If she had taken off the broad official suit, the thin undershirt could not cover her female characteristics.

Just when the guards were going to act rudely to her, they were seen by the eunuch from the Western Depot, who cried at them in a harsh voice,

"Hey! What are you doing?"

As the Western Depot was now in power, the guards of the central prison began to bow to them.

They bowed and smiled flatteringly,

"Sir, you know, how can prisoners the wear official suit in prison? This guard didn't do what he was supposed to. He is asking for trouble..."

"Hey! Why are you picking a bone with a little guard?"

The eunuch from the Western Depot rolled his eyes and squinted at the two guards. With his hand on his back pretentiously, he raised his chin towards the cell and said gloomily,

"I tell you, the bloodied one is the criminal, whom you need to watch well. Just do what you are supposed to do to him."

"But the little guard is still useful. Don't make him feel awkward! Be sure to give him whatever food or drink he wants. If he dies, it will be hard for you to explain to Lord Ming!"

After finishing the words, the eunuch stared at the two guards sharply, like a peremptory threat.

The two guards nodded and saluted to him, echoing,

"Got it! Got it..."

When Gu Yunxi strode to the cell, she was stopped by the eunuch.

He looked at her up and down cantankerously, smiled cunningly, got closer, and whispered to her,

"Yun Guaner, don't you feel that our Master is good enough to you? He told me to care for you for fear that you might be bullied in the prison. Your Master is old and ineffective. I tell you, you'd better change your mind as soon as possible. Follow our Master's intention and yield to him."

Gu Yunxi gave him a cruel look, brushed his arm aside, went into the cell, and sat down beside Leng Qingtang.

The cell was dark, damp, and foul-smelling. There were many unknown insects on the grass mat on the ground. Smelling the blood, they emerged from the withered grass, falling over each other to climb to Leng Qingtang.

Seeing this, Gu Yunxi prevented them from approaching with both her hands and feet. She was afraid that they might touch Master's wounds or climb into his clothes to bite his skin.

In spite of this, they were still severely bitten by those tiny lice and fleas.

There was sunlight outside, but it was still dark in the central prison.

Tossing to exhaustion, Gu Yunxi curled herself beside the wall to rest, cuddling her legs.

What had happened in the past two months kept flashing in her mind.

Since the Master inspected Jiangan, he had been busy all the way. Along his journey, there were countless fights and killings. Now as he just returned to the capital, he was even framed.

Someone was eager to kill the Master. He didn't succeed in Jiangan, so he gave the fatal blow when the Master returned to the capital!

So, those who committed grain robbery in Qianqi Mountain, the assassination in Fanyang County, and the framing scheme in the Palace should be the same group of people!

As she was thinking carefully, a sigh came from the grass mat. Leng Qingtang had some faint movements.

"Master!"

Hearing this, Gu Yunxi stopped thinking and climbed to him. Her eyes were welled with tears when she saw his trembling fingers and his severe pain that caused his facial tic.

When he was unconscious, her heart ached. Now he was awake, and she was distraught.

Taking hold of his shaking hand and feeling its cold, Gu Yunxi asked with tears,

"Master, how do you feel now? Do you recognize me?"

"How can't I recognize you..."

Leng Qingtang spoke in a weak voice, which fluttered lightly around Gu Yunxi's ears as if it would disappear at any time,

"You... are my girl, the one... I love most... Even if you turn to ashes, I will... recognize you..."

"Haha..."

What he said made Gu Yunxi laugh, but she soon began to cry again,

"How can you be joking at such time..."

"Where... are we?"

Gu Yunxi wiped her face with her sleeve and replied,

"The central prison of Court of Judicial Review."

Remaining silent for a moment, Leng Qingtang said,

"Girl, turn me to the other side. It is uncomfortable to lie on my stomach."

Gu Yunxi pulled one of the Master's arms and tried to help him adjust his posture.

He grinned painfully but finally turned sideways, with his face toward her and his head resting on her lap.

Seeing her small face that was whipped to deformation, Leng Qingtang raised his hand in difficulty, touched her long hair over and over again, and choked with heartbroken sobs,

"Sorry to make you suffer for being with me."

Gu Yunxi's grief, which had just faded away, broke out again. She held the Master's hand in her hands, shaking her head and sobbing,

"I will go wherever you go. I don't suffer at all."

A bowl of water was passed from outside the prison gate. Seeing this, Gu Yunxi went to take it but was stopped by the Master.

"Don't..."

He licked his pale, dry lips, saying weakly,

"Don't touch any food or drink in the prison. If we die here and let the Palace know, we will be regarded as suicide for fear of punishment."