Chapter 756: Chapter 757: Informing

Shui Xingqiu’s eyes narrowed, his expression cold.

"That is his true nature. Your Highness should have known this long ago."

"But—"

Tuoba Yu choked on his words, momentarily at a loss for a rebuttal. He could only grit his teeth and slam his fist on the edge of the bed in frustration.

"That man is cunning, treacherous, and utterly selfish! He can’t be trusted!"

Shui Xingqiu was also deeply displeased with Xiao Chenglin, but seeing Tuoba Yu’s state, he still tried to reason with him. "He is not one of our people, so how could we expect him to be of one mind with us? In any case, Your Highness is free now. Whether he spoke up or not is no longer important."

Tuoba Yu was filled with indignation, but he knew there was truth in Shui Xingqiu’s words. He could only curse under his breath, "A man with such a petty heart will never amount to anything!"

He took a deep breath, raised his eyes, and stared intently at Shui Xingqiu.

"Teacher, there is one more thing. That Ye Yunfeng is the one who put me in this state—I despise him! I must ask you to act, Teacher!"

Shui Xingqiu, however, frowned slightly.

’Easier said than done.’

Especially after his discreet inquiries in the capital over the past two days, he had discovered that the matter was indeed troublesome.

For one, Ye Yunfeng spent all his time at the West City Military Camp, leaving him no opportunity to strike. For another, Ye Chutang was quite resourceful, and the siblings had many powerful backers. If something were to happen, even he might not be able to escape unscathed.

Shui Xingqiu was proud, but he was not a fool.

He would not take such a great risk.

’Even if it makes things difficult with the Monarch, it’s better than being trapped here!’

His resolve was already wavering.

"I understand how you feel, Your Highness, but we are still in someone else’s territory. We must be careful with every move. If we make another mistake, I’m afraid... we will have to pay an even greater price."

This sentence, half statement and half threat, instantly sobered Tuoba Yu up.

’That’s right!’

To ransom him this time, Nanhu had already been fleeced. If it happened a second time... he wouldn’t have the face to go back!

"Are we... just going to let it go!?"

’How could I ever accept that!’

Shui Xingqiu said, "Rest assured, Your Highness. We still have a few days before we leave. During this time, I will try to find an opportunity. Even if we can’t take his life, it would be good to at least collect some interest. As for the rest... we have plenty of time in the future, wouldn’t you agree?"

...

「Heavenly Prison.」

Inside a dim, foul-smelling cell, Fan Chengzhuo was shackled hand and foot, curled up dejectedly in a corner.

His hair was disheveled, his tattered and filthy prison uniform stained with blood, both old and new. A strong, unpleasant odor emanated from his body.

TAP, TAP.

The sound of a prison guard’s footsteps sent a sudden shiver through him.

He looked up in terror, desperately shrinking back while shaking his head, his eyes filled with resistance.

"No... no..."

The prison guard stopped in front of the cell door, holding the same dilapidated tray he brought every day.

On it lay a piece of freshly cut meat.

The prison guard shouted,

"Hey, it’s time."

At this sight, the terrifying memories rushed back. Fan Chengzhuo trembled like a leaf in the wind, his face a mask of despair.

Another prison guard opened the door, and the two of them walked in, one after the other.

Fan Chengzhuo dropped to his knees and began to kowtow repeatedly. "I’m begging you! Please!"

The guard holding the tray spat on the ground and said impatiently, "Enough. Don’t waste our time. Be sensible and don’t make us use force every time."

Previously, when Fan Chengzhuo refused to eat, they would pry his mouth open and force-feed him.

They had even knocked out several of his teeth in the process.

Every time the piece of meat entered his mouth, Fan Chengzhuo would vomit violently, throwing up until only bile was left.

But every day, the same torture was repeated without fail.

’A living death!’

Fan Chengzhuo’s forehead was bleeding from kowtowing so forcefully.

The prison guard with the tray suddenly snorted. "Mr. Fan, why must you do this to yourself?"

’He’d rather suffer this torment than confess!’

He squatted down, picked up the piece of meat, and held it in front of Fan Chengzhuo’s eyes.

Just as Fan Chengzhuo tried to back away, the guard grabbed and held him in place.

"Actually, Mr. Fan, you don’t have to react so strongly," the prison guard tutted. "It’s not your son’s flesh anyway. What’s there to not eat?"

’What!?’

Fan Chengzhuo looked up in shock, a flicker of hope igniting in his heart. ’Could it be that my master has acted behind the scenes?’

But in the next moment, the prison guard said, "Oh, you didn’t know? That Zheng Baosu is not your son at all!"

Fan Chengzhuo was completely stunned. "Wh-What did you say?"

The prison guard sighed, patted his shoulder, and even showed a hint of pity.

"Everyone from your hometown confessed. Your child died not long after you sent him away. When you went back to ask about him later, they were afraid you would resent them if you found out. So they adopted another child from somewhere else and lied to you, saying he was your son. That child is the current Zheng Baosu!"

"At the time, you had already passed the imperial examinations and had a boundless future ahead of you. They were afraid of what kind of revenge you might take if they offended you. Finding a child to replace him could secure the entire family’s prosperity. It’s no wonder they did it..."

"Impossible!"

Fan Chengzhuo roared, the veins on his forehead bulging.

With a sudden burst of strength from an unknown source, he broke free from the prison guard’s grasp.

The guard simply stood up, stepped back, and casually tossed the piece of meat in front of him with a shrug. "This story is already spreading in private. Why don’t you believe it, Mr. Fan? No wonder I thought it was strange from the beginning. That Zheng Baosu doesn’t look much like you at all... Turns out, he’s not even your flesh and blood!"

Fan Chengzhuo stared in disbelief, his mind a complete blank.

Seeing his state, the prison guard offered a few words of consolation.

"Hah! Actually, Mr. Fan, you don’t need to be like this. Even though they deceived you, you’ve also committed a great crime, and your relatives are inevitably implicated. So in a way, you’ve gotten your revenge, haven’t you? If it weren’t for this, we probably wouldn’t have investigated your hometown and discovered this matter!"

Fan Chengzhuo couldn’t hear a word anymore. His mind was in turmoil.

The prison guard shrugged. "Believe it or not, that’s up to you. Anyway, starting tomorrow, you won’t have to suffer like this anymore. No matter how bad the prison food is, it’s still better than eating human flesh, right?"

With that, he gave a kick, turned, and walked away with the tray.

Suddenly, Fan Chengzhuo cried out in a hoarse voice.

"Wait!"

The prison guard turned back.

Fan Chengzhuo’s eyes were bloodshot, and he looked like a madman.

"I demand to see His Majesty!"

...

「Qiyuan Hall.」

Emperor Muwu was half-reclining on the dragon bed while Ye Chutang took his pulse beside him.

"Your Majesty has been overworking again recently. Based on your previous recovery, we could have started reducing your medication today." Ye Chutang shook her head in disapproval. "Now, it seems we’ll have to postpone that for a few more days."

Emperor Muwu sighed.

"I have indeed felt much more tired these past few days, and I haven’t been sleeping soundly at night."

Ye Chutang nodded in understanding. "Shall I add some sedatives to your prescription, then?"

In truth, everyone knew that adding the medication would be useless. With the recent series of events, anyone in his position would likely be unable to sleep well.

Nevertheless, Emperor Muwu nodded.

"Very well."

Just as they were speaking, a palace attendant hurried in to report.

"Your Majesty! Fan Chengzhuo requests an audience! He says—he has an urgent matter to report to Your Majesty!"

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.