The usually empty and gloomy Heavenly Prison was now overcrowded. The Fourth Prince was detained alone in the corner cell, while his followers and their families were kept in the outer cells. As the Dragon Scale Guards kept coming and leaving the cell, the numbers kept increasing and it was barely able to fit anyone. At this moment, the sounds of wails were heard crying incessantly.
Yu Miao Qi and Lin Shi were amongst the families of the convicted. They listened to the mournful voices and their hearts felt like they were fried in oil. The red-clothed Dragon Scale Guards were all replaced by the chestnut clothed Dragon Scale Guards. Their physiques were stronger; their faces were colder; their temperaments were fiercer; and their hands were constantly pressing on the hilt of their swords. It was as if they would slice anyone in half if they so much as to touch the cell door.
These men looked young, but the ferocity in their eyes showed that they had long been an extremely strong and elite army. They were the killer weapon in Emperor Cheng Kang’s palm, and would never be used casually.
The Fourth Prince hung his head and smiled bitterly. He secretly thought to himself that he did not lose unjustly.
Yu Miao Qi, who had finally managed to squeeze herself out from the masses of people, and saw the Fourth Prince, who was imprisoned in the deepest part of the prison. She shouted incredulously, “Fourth Master, why are you here too?”
“Then where should this prince be?” The Fourth Prince asked in a dull tone.
“You… Aren’t you supposed to be in the Golden Palace? You are wise and possess great discernment. How could you end up in such a situation?” Yu Miao Qi felt her heart was about to leap out of her throat. Even the Fourth Prince is here, who else in the world could save her?
“This prince is also curious to know why this prince is in this situation. Why don’t you help this prince to ask your elder brother?” It was unknown what came to his mind. The Fourth Prince shook his head and laughed, “Yu Miao Qi, I thought I was the most pathetic and stupid person in the world, but I feel much better after seeing you. I only tempted you with a tiny profit and you helped me frame your own brother. Yet you didn’t know that without Yu Pin Yan’s protection, you are no better than dust on the ground? A person like you, who is ungrateful and always seeking self-profit, how can this prince lay his gaze upon? Those promises at the beginning were just empty words.”
Yu Miao Qi fell to the ground as if she had been struck by an enormous blow. Lin Shi crawled over to her with difficulty. She intended to take her into her arms, but she remembered that she fell to this state because of Yu Miao Qi’s instigation. She slowly retracted her hands.
“You are Lin Shi? You are Yu Miao Qi?” A madam of an unknown family recognised them. She said with some glee, “One of you is Yu Pin Yan’s mother and the other is Yu Pin Yan’s younger sister. You should be able to enjoy endless wealth and prosperity in your lives, why do you seek death and go against him? But it is good that we will have Yu Pin Yan’s family members with us when we go to the Yellow Springs[1], so it is not a loss.”
“What do you mean by going to the Yellow Springs? Don’t talk nonsense! Big Brother is just scaring me and my mother. He will definitely not abandon us.” Yu Miao Qi shouted in a stern voice, but her heart was full of trepidation.
“It’s not trying to scare you. The marquis has severed ties with the two of you. Your lives and deaths have nothing to do with this Marquis.” Yu Pin Yan appeared in the dark corridor at this point. Under the flickering flame of the candle, he approached slowly towards the cell. A handsome and peerless face radiating with a jade-like glimmer. His elongated eyes narrowed slightly as he looked emotionlessly at the mother and daughter prostrating at his feet.
He was dressed in an official robe of chestnut colour, with a malevolent Yazi[2] embroidered in the centre of his chest. His hand pressed against the sheath of his Embroidered Spring sword.[3] His seemingly nonchalant but guarded stance enhanced his empowering and imposing aura.
Yu Miao Qi was frostbitten by the cold aura emanating from his body and hurriedly retreated, but she still didn’t forget to defend herself, “No matter how you break off the relationship, I am your biological sister after all. Who in the world would kill their own biological sister? It’s totally intolerable by the Heavens.”
“Who in the world would cause their adoptive father to die, murder their adoptive mother, slander their adoptive elder brother, plant evidence against their blood-related elder sister, frame their biological brother and destroy their family? If we were to talk about Heaven’s law, you would be struck by lightning. Even going through the eighteen levels of hell would not cleanse you of your sins. The only way to atone for them is to fall into the path of domestic animals for the rest of your life. Yu Miao Qi, don’t discuss kinship with me. You were the one who abandoned kinship first, not me. The fruit of today is the cause you sowed on that day, so accept it.”
After he finished his speech, he left Yu Miao Qi wailing in despair as he walked towards the cell where the male prisoners were being held. Hearing Yu Pin Yan’s words, the female prisoners moved slightly away from her. This was the only time they had ever seen such a cruel and unscrupulous thing in their lives.
Yu Pin Yan stopped in front of the prison and asked in a deep voice, “Who is Sun Ming Jie?”
The prisoners all moved to the side when they saw his thumb rubbing continuously on the scabbard, causing the blade to produce an ear-piercing hum. They looked at each other, then found Sun Ming Jie and pushed him out.
Yu Pin Yan smiled, but his tone was extremely cold, “I heard you wanted to take Xiang’er in as your concubine? You even said that if Xiang’er were to fall into your hands, you would make her live in utter misery?”
“Com… Commander Yu, I was wrong, please spare me! I was foolish, I didn’t know the difference between heaven and earth!” Sun Ming Jie fell to his knees and kowtowed in desperation. His father lunged forward to shield him as his mother wailed in agony from the opposite prison cell.
Yu Pin Yan ignored them. He ordered someone to drag Sun Ming Jie and tied him to the torture frame. He picked up a leather whip immersed in salt water and swung fiercely. His eyes were instantly filled with scarlet blood and its hideous, ghastly face frightened the group of people out of their wits.