Court of Judicial Review's prison.

Because the cell was damp and dirty all year round, soon after Leng Qingtang came in, his wounds festered. A month ago, he just recovered from the internal injury he had in Qiling county of Jiangan. Now Leng Qingtang had more wounds. They gave him a fever in the cell. He once again fell into a coma.

Gu Yunxi sat on the dirty cushion made by grass all day, holding the Master.

There was no light in the cell, so she couldn't tell what time it was. She only knew that this torn body in her arms was burning. His fever was already too high.

The only thing she could do for him was holding him tightly, protecting him with her arms, and warming him with her body.

Leng Qingtang was dizzy in sleep. It felt like he had drowned in an endless nightmare. In his dream, he saw the former Emperor of Dayi and Noble Concubine Lan, his parents. Yet all of a sudden, they disappeared in front of his eyes.

"Father, Mother..."

Leng Qingtang mumbled in his dream. No one could hear him clearly.

Gu Yunxi was holding the Master and dozing off. Her face was cover by dust. Streams of dried tears were all over her face.

Seeing the Master moving his lips and saying something, she bent down hurriedly and listened carefully.

"Water... water..."

Leng Qingtang closed his eyes tightly and murmured. His long eyelashes shook.

He was tormented by the high fever. Feeling cold, Leng Qingtang put his body close to Gu Yunxi's and couldn't help but twitch fiercely.

Gu Yunxi sighed woefully. She covered her dirty hand on the Master's forehead.

It was still hot.

The Master had warned her that she mustn't eat the food or drink the water in the prison.

With her situation, she could hold on for a few days. But now the Master was having a fever. If he had not been eating, he wouldn't have held on for long.

Her look was sad and helpless. She stared at this decadent and messy man in her arms with sorrow.

Leng Qingtang was once handsome, charming, and graceful. Wearing a blue robe with Kylin patterns and a high black tall hat made of yarn, he was upright and commanding in front of everyone.

Gu Yunxi's eyes were burning. Tears slowly came out, sliding down her face and dropping onto the corner of Leng Qingtang's mouth.

He sensed it. He moved his lips, which were so dry that they peeled, and swallowed her tears.

Gu Yunxi stared at him. Her heart was like being cut and carved by a sharp knife. The pain spread all over her body.

She could no longer hold her tears. They rushed out like water rushing out a collapsed dam.

"Ahhhh,"

Finally, Gu Yunxi uttered a stifled cry of agony. All the emotions she was suppressing, the sadness, anger, and desperation were all released with her heartrending cry.

Three days later, in the evening, Emperor Jingxiao ordered to release Leng Qingtang and Gu Yunxi from the prison.

The Master's Mansion was crowded with people.

The Master was lying on the bed unconsciously. Servants came in and out. Imperial Doctor Jiang was checking the Master's pulse and preparing the things he needed to cure the Master's wound with a serious look. Cheng Wanli couldn't do anything. He could only stand by and watch anxiously.

Besides the table, Qinger was rubbing medicine on Gu Yunxi's face while sobbing.

Ming Lan slapped Gu Yunxi hard in the Palace. Her teeth broke her tongue and the inside of her cheek. When she came back from prison, the ulcer was all over her mouth. Gu Yunxi was in so much pain that she could no longer swallow anything.

Imperial Doctor Jiang asked the servants to crush some herbs. He made some small pouches with linen covering the herbs and gave it to Gu Yunxi to let her put it in her mouth. It was to mitigate the pain and accelerate the healing.

...

It was dawn. The light covered the magnificent Palace of Dayi in a golden shimmer. It looked gorgeous in the thin morning fog.

Kunning Palace.

Empress Qian woke up and didn't feel well. The chief maid Sulian went to get the imperial doctor. When she just returned, she heard some maids gossiping together.

”Let me tell you, Lord Leng's butt was covered by blood after being flogged! It was so scary..."

"You weren't there. Did you see how it looked?"

"I heard it from Meng..."

"What a shame! Lord Leng used to be the seal keeper of the Imperial Ceremony Office and have so many eunuchs following him around wherever he went. Now he just lost everything. Why is he so stupid, trying to assassinate His Majesty?"

"Nonsense. Lord Leng was framed!"

A clear and sweet voice stood out among the chirping sound. Sulian immediately stopped.

She followed the voice and looked. Her eyes locked on a maid.

She?

Sulian suddenly remembered something. Her eyes lit up.

That maid's words made people laugh. A maid made fun of her,

"Yanwan, last time you knocked over a stove of charcoal and spread them on Lord Leng. He asked to spare you from the punishment. What, are you trying to pay back the gratitude and defend him?"

The maid called Yanwan blushed. She nervously looked at the other maid who made fun of her and mumbled,

"What are you saying? I'm just being honest..."

"Oh, are you in love with Lord Leng?"

"Haha, exactly! Look at how red her face is! Lord Leng is indeed handsome. I heard from some elders in the Palace that Lord Leng was adored by various maids when he was young. Their dream was not leaving the Palace and go home, but marrying Lord Leng..."

Sulian appeared behind them. She intentionally coughed. The maids immediately stopped gossiping. They stood in a line, looking down and calling,

"Madam Sulian."

Sulian pretended to be angry. She glanced through everyone and said harshly,

"Do you all have nothing to do? Her Grace is feeling unwell, yet you're chatting here! Maybe I should just send you to the Court of Justice and ask the manager to cut your tongues off!"

"No..."

All the maids went pale. They all stepped back.

Sulian squinted at them and laughed coldly,

"You lazy twat, go to the Buddha Hall and change all the scripture banners that had been hanging there since the Spring Festival!"

"Yes, yes..."

The maids turned back and ran away in a hurry. Some even collided together because they were panicking.

"Yanwan, come here!"

Hearing the chief maid calling her, Yanwan immediately stopped.

She turned around stiffly and faced Sulian, folding her hands together appropriately. Her pale was full of fear.

Sulian's look stopped on Yanwan's face for a while.

Yanwan was really pretty!

Her face was as smooth as jade. Her lips were as pink as sakura. She was wearing a light yellow short coat and a green dress. In the morning fog, the color was particularly bright, like the green lotus in autumn. It gave her an indescribable ethereal subtlety.

Sulian tilted her head and asked with a smile,

"Tell me, what were you saying with them?"

Yanwan didn't know what was going on. Her half-opened lips shook. She answered carefully,

"I, I didn't know the rules. I said something I shouldn't. Please just forget about it, Madam."

Sulian smiled again. Her tone was soft and consoling,

"It's okay. Just tell me the truth. Did you mean what you said back there? Do you feel like Lord Leng was wronged?"

The maid's cheeks all suddenly turned red. She blinked her eyes helplessly and bent her head even lower,

“I did mean what I said..."

Sulian got it. She narrowed her eyes and asked while smiling,

"Are you over sixteen this year?"

"Madam, I'm already seventeen!"

Yanwan heard Sulian's tone was not as tough as when she was talking to others, so she got up her courage and looked at Sulian when answering her. She puckered and smiled before looking down again. This made her cuter and prettier.

Sulian nodded with satisfaction and said to her,

"Go do your things. You don't need to go to the Buddha Hall. Warm a handwarmer for Her Grace. Remember not to knock anything over again."

Yanwan was surprised. She dazed for a while and saluted to Sulian,

"Thanks, Madam. I'll keep it in mind."

...

Empress Qian woke from her nap at noon. Sulian passed over a cup of tea that was just at the right temperature in time.

Empress Qian sipped the tea. She frowned and gave the cup back.

Seeing this, Sulian asked, "How are you feeling, Your Grace?"

"I took the Imperial Doctor Ji's medicine. Now I feel I have some strength, but the headache is still..."

"Please let me comb your hair for you. It can make you feel better."

Sulian put down the teacup and took over the white and smooth ivory comb. She stood in front of the Empress's bed and combed Empress Qian's hair.

The hair slid through the gap of the comb. Sulian used the round end of the comb to press on her scalp. Empress Qian felt so comfortable that she closed her eyes, occasionally making some joyful moan.

"Oh, Leng Qingtang!"

While closing her eyes and resting, Empress Qian remembered something. She couldn't help but sigh in pity.

Sulian had served the Empress for nearly two decades. She knew the Empress's personality. So while massaging the Empress's scalp, she persuaded,

"Your Grace, you should get some rest. You're just getting better. If you're sick again because of matters in the Palace, no one will feel sorry for you besides the servants in Kunning Palace. Why do this to yourself?"

Hearing this, Empress Qian sighed heavily. She said with a worried look,

"I do want to get some rest. But you see, in all these years that I was sick, the imperial harem was messed up by that Wan monster. Eh-hem..."

"Your Grace!"

Sulian panicked. She reached out to get the tea. Seeing Empress Qian waving her hand, she immediately stopped and continued messaging.

Empress Qian took a breath. She clutched her fist and said bitterly,

"Don't think I'm blind. What happened on the banquet was the Wans' deliberate attempt to frame Master Leng of the Eastern Depot! Now they have the Western Depot, so they want the guards of the Eastern Depot. They just want to eat it all up!"

Sulian hesitated and said slowly,

"Your Grace, they are in the dark. Even if they're planning anything, we don't have any proof. As far as I see, since the Eastern Depot could get so far until today, their power can't be taken lightly. Yet Master Leng had multiple jobs in the Palace. No wonder he was caught. He had power, but if he were more powerful than His Majesty, the trusted subordinate would sooner or later become the biggest problem!"

"I don't dare to guess His Majesty's idea. But think this way, if the Eastern Depot was a hundred percent loyal to His Majesty and His Majesty trusted Master Leng without any doubt, how would he let anyone talk him into establishing a Western Depot?"

Empress Qian fell silent.

Sulian bent over and came close to the Empress. She kept her voice at the lowest and warned the Empress,

"Your Grace, don't forget what Leng Qingtang relied on to get the position as the Commander-in-chief of the Eastern Depot! At then, the former Master, Bian Mofei, was his master. Since his master did something wrong, everyone relevant shouldn't have been able to stay in the Palace to serve. Yet Leng Qingtang..."

Empress Qian suddenly looked up with a shocked look.