*
Meanwhile, at the riding arena in the south of the city.
A rough, hoarse voice pierced the sky.
The man on horseback pulled on the reins, glanced down at the kneeling guard, and said, "Speak."
"Your Highness, something has happened to Miss Meng..."
One sentence changed the man's expression. He had little patience to listen any longer, so he pulled on the reins and galloped away.
*
At that time, inside the imperial prison.
The official sat leisurely on the bench, coldly observing the woman in front of him. He sighed inwardly, thinking that she was indeed a tough nut to crack. Despite taking so many blows to her shinbone, and with beads of sweat dripping down her cheeks, she didn't utter a sound, only clenching her teeth tightly.
Whether it was from sitting too long or from a sudden pang of conscience, he finally raised his hand and said, "Stop." He then said to Meng Wan, "Why are you doing this? If you just obediently admit your guilt, you won't have to suffer this pain. In the end, the Emperor will spare your life out of consideration for Prime Minister Meng's many years of hard work for the country."
Meng Wan felt as if the bones in her legs were about to crack, and she almost couldn't kneel anymore. She raised her hand to wipe the sweat from her forehead, then raised her head with a cold smile, her gaze sweeping over their faces before she said, "Why should I admit to something I didn't do? The Emperor ordered you to find out the truth. Do you want to torture me into confessing?"
The official felt uneasy under her gaze, as if her eyes were hitting his face with snowflakes, causing a sharp pain. He shrank back in a panic, then shouted sternly, "So much talk! Are you going to admit it or not?"
"Pah!" Meng Wan spat out a mouthful of blood, her mouth filled with the metallic taste of blood, and she felt nothing but pain, but she would never confess.
She didn't do it, so even if she dies, she can't admit to it!
The official was enraged when he was spat on. He stood up unsteadily and shouted at the two men holding the paddles, "What other tricks do you use to extract confessions? Use them all today. I want to see just how tough this girl really is."
A young eunuch brought over a rope and tightly bound Meng Wan's hands, instantly turning her snow-white wrists a purplish-red. Before she could think, a flash of light appeared before her eyes, and the person holding the rope now held a pair of fine needles. Meng Wan's heart sank in that instant, but she still forced herself to remain calm and asked, "What are you going to do?"
Upon hearing her words, the official snorted coldly and said to the man, "Choose the thinnest ones, and stab them in without leaving a trace."
Meng Wan now understood: was she to use the needle to poke her fingertip?
The ten fingers are connected to the heart; how could there be such a terrifying technique in this palace?
She retreated repeatedly, but unfortunately, her knee was also injured and she couldn't move much. She resignedly closed her eyes, feeling the excruciating pain in her fingertips, and she couldn't help but scream, "Ah!"
*
When Prince Heng arrived, Meng Wan had already fainted. Two guards were still splashing water on her. His heart sank. Without thinking, he rushed forward and kicked the two guards to the ground. The guards were in pain and were about to retaliate when they looked up and saw Prince Heng staring at them angrily, as if he wanted to devour them alive. They were so frightened that their souls left their bodies. They quickly knelt down and kowtowed, saying, "This servant greets Your Highness!"
Huangfu Mi didn't even look at him. He quickly stepped forward, picked Meng Wan up in his arms, and looked at the fine, dense wounds on her fingertips and the bloodstains seeping from her legs. He clenched his fists, burning with rage.
He kicked the person on the ground twice more before turning around and walking away without looking back.
Just then, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review returned leisurely from his stroll. Upon seeing Huangfu Mi, he was visibly taken aback. But when he saw the person Huangfu Mi was holding in his arms, he quickly stepped forward and blocked Huangfu Mi's path: "Your Highness, what are you doing?"
"Get out of my way!" Huangfu Mi wanted to kill him right now. If he hadn't been holding Meng Wan, he would have stabbed him with his sword. At this moment, he could only stare at him coldly, as if he wanted to devour him alive.
The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review couldn't help but shudder, but he could only suppress his fear and said, "Your Highness, this is a serious criminal who has cursed His Majesty and endangered the country. His Majesty has ordered me to interrogate her. You cannot take her away!"
V16 True Friendship is Revealed in Times of Adversity (Part Two)
The Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review couldn't help but shudder, but he could only suppress his fear and said, "Your Highness, this is a serious criminal who has cursed His Majesty and endangered the country. His Majesty has ordered me to interrogate her. You cannot take her away!"
"I'll say it again, get out of my way if you don't want to die!"
His scarlet eyes, gleaming with a bloodthirsty light, sent chills down everyone's spines. No one dared to stop him; they hastily made way, allowing him to take the person away. Only after Huangfu Mi left did they secretly follow him out, heading towards Zhengyang Palace.
His Highness Prince Heng has taken the prisoner away; this is a momentous matter!
--
Meng Wan felt dizzy and disoriented, as if she were walking on clouds, enduring a prolonged turbulence, unsure of where she was going.
What's wrong with her? Is she already dead? But if she is dead, where is the warmth coming from?
She heard heavy breathing around her, and vaguely heard someone calling her name. She tried hard to open her eyes, but her body was limp and she couldn't muster any strength. In the end, she could only keep her eyes closed and feel the cold wind whistling past her ears.
It's so cold...
The person in his arms shuddered, and Huangfu Mi suddenly stopped in his tracks, thinking she was about to wake up. But he saw that her eyes were still tightly closed, her brows were furrowed, and she looked like she was in great pain. His heart clenched, and he quickened his pace.
They headed straight for the Prime Minister's residence. Meanwhile, Puyang had already informed Prime Minister Meng and summoned a doctor to wait. As soon as the doctor arrived, he was hurriedly taken to the backyard for treatment.
Only then did I see the injuries clearly—my calves were beaten bloody and mangled, my wrists were covered in red welts and bloodstains, and the most serious injuries were on my fingertips, where needle marks were oozing blood, a truly horrifying sight.
"Your Highness, what happened? Why is my daughter so badly injured?"
Prime Minister Meng, watching from the side, couldn't help but gasp. At this moment, he couldn't care less about why Prince Heng would save his daughter; he was only worried about Meng Wan's injuries.
Huangfu Mi tightened his grip, his eyes filled with tenderness as he looked at Meng Wan. His gaze was fixed on her for a long while before he finally said, "I don't know either, but whoever dared to hurt her, I will make sure he suffers a terrible death!"
The last few words were uttered through gritted teeth. By this time, the doctor had finished his diagnosis. Huangfu Mi didn't say much, but quickly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and asked anxiously, "How is he?"
The doctor was in pain from his grip, but he knew this man was not someone to be trifled with, so he didn't dare to be sloppy. He quickly bowed and said, "Although the bones and tendons are not injured, the injury is very serious, and there are signs of fever. For now, I can only prescribe medicine for her to take, and we will make a decision after the fever subsides."
"Since that's the case, why don't you go quickly!" Huangfu Mi shouted impatiently. Immediately, someone came to take him to get the medicine. Huangfu Mi ignored everything else and quickly walked to Meng Wan's bedside and stood there.
Meng Wan was sleeping soundly, clearly in great pain. Her brows were furrowed, and there were fine beads of sweat on her forehead, which made his heart ache.
Damn it, that guy from the Dali Temple dared to treat her like that! He'll make sure he dies a horrible death!
But then again, who ordered him to use torture? It shouldn't have been my father, after all, he loves Meng Wan so much, even if he was angry, he shouldn't have done that!
Thinking of this, his eyes darkened. Could someone be taking this opportunity to frame him?