There were several prisons inside and outside of Anling. The prison of the Ministry of Justice, which was responsible for judging crimes, held the most prisoners. However, when it came to torture, the Supreme Court, which was responsible for the prisons, held the most severe punishments.
There was a saying that if one went to the prison of the Ministry of Justice, they would inevitably suffer physical pain. But if they went to the Supreme Court, they would lose a layer of skin even if they didn't die.
As a suspected criminal, Ji Xingxuan had been imprisoned in the Supreme Court's dungeon for seven to eight days.
Yu Shu followed behind Xue Rui, and as soon as they entered the dim and damp dungeon, Xue Rui silently held her hand. Even though she wasn't afraid of the dark, she didn't refuse and allowed his large hand to hold her small hand. The jailer led the way in front. A flickering lantern floated in front of them. The dripping sound of water above their heads could be heard. Occasionally, one or two painful moans could be heard. It was as if the netherworld was beside them, making one's hair stand on end.
Yu Shu secretly sneered. After coming to the capital, she only went to the dungeon twice, and both times were to 'visit' Ji Xingxuan. What kind of ill-fated relationship was this?
The dungeon's structure wasn't complicated. After passing through two layers of prison doors, they arrived at the place where Ji Xingxuan was imprisoned. The brazier on the wall was burning, illuminating the surroundings. Xue Rui finally let go of Yu Shu's hand. A man who looked like a jailer came up and talked to him in a low voice.
Yu Shu looked around and quickly found a grey figure lying against the wall in the cell on her left. The figure's back was facing the cell door, bent over on a simple wooden bed, motionless. Her vision darkened. Her intuition told her that this was Ji Xingxuan.
As expected, Xue Rui said a few words to the jailer and then shifted his gaze to this cell. He asked, "Why is Doctor Zhao not here yet?"
As they were talking, a series of footsteps approached them from behind. Yu Shu turned around to look and saw that the official who went to the Wangji Tower that night was leading a man who was carrying a medicine box over. When the man saw Xue Rui, he hurriedly quickened his steps and walked forward.
"Milord, this is Doctor Zhao from Jinguitang."
As a medical center, Jinguitang was in a special situation. It was affiliated with the Supreme Court and treated a group of criminals who couldn't see the light of day. They didn't treat the wounded and dying, but dealt with the aftermath of a heavy punishment.
"Milord Xue." Doctor Zhao greeted Xue Rui.
Xue Rui waved his hand to the side and ordered the prison guard to open the cell. He then led Doctor Zhao inside to check on Ji Xingxuan's condition.
After a while, the doctor walked out, and Xue Rui asked with slight impatience, "What happened to the prisoner? Why is he unconscious?"
Yu Shu saw the strange expression on the face of the doctor invited by Jinguitang. She wanted to say something but hesitated. "Daren, may I have a word with you?"
Xue Xue Rui nodded and walked away.
Feeling strange, Yu Shu didn't follow him. After a while, she saw Xue Rui come back. Seeing his gloomy face, she couldn't help but ask, "What happened?"
Xue Rui's gaze was complicated as he glanced at the person who was locked in the cage. Just as he was hesitating on how he should tell Yu Shu about this, he heard a rapid gasp, as if a person who had sunk into the water had climbed up to the shore. It was followed by a series of coughs.
Yu Shu immediately turned her head and saw the figure on the wooden bed move and slowly climb up. Ji Xingxuan woke up at this time.
"Ahem, ahem, ahem." The grey-black figure turned around and looked at the light. His messy hair and dirty face made Yu Shu unable to recognize him for a moment.
Ji Xingxuan quickly recognized her current situation. She leaned against the wall, and with the light from the brazier, her blurry vision swept across the people outside the cage. Without saying a word, she raised her numb left hand and pressed it against her abdomen. After a few moments, a hoarse laugh popped out of her throat.
Yu Shu heard her extremely hoarse voice, but it was conveyed to them word by word, "I … want to see Prince Ning."
This request baffled Yu Shu. She thought to herself that she didn't know what was good for her to still want to get involved with Liu Hao at this point.
Thus, Yu Shu turned around to look at Xue Rui who was the only one here that could make decisions, yet she saw him go silent for a moment before he spoke with an expressionless face to the person in the cage. "Is the child in your womb King Ning's flesh and blood?"
Yu Shu was shocked and speechless. She stared at Ji Xingxuan in disbelief. She was actually pregnant!
"On the ninth day of the second month this year." Ji Xingxuan did not answer the question and said something that didn't make sense.
But how could Xue Rui not hear the meaning behind her words? He asked Doctor Zhao who was waiting at the side, "How long has she been pregnant?"
Doctor Zhao answered carefully, "Not more than three months."
Yu Shu also understood now. The ninth day of the second month that Ji Xingxuan mentioned should be the day that she and Liu Hao had an affair. With one calculation, she knew that she was pregnant. If she wasn't lying, then this child must be Liu Hao's.
Yu Shu's emotions were very complicated. She didn't know if she should be happy for Ji Xingxuan's downfall or should she be worried that she was pregnant with the flesh and blood of the Imperial Family at this time.
In Da An, getting pregnant before marriage was undoubtedly a scandal. A woman's innocence was destroyed. Even if she didn't have to be drowned in a pig cage, she would still be despised by the world. But to Ji Xingxuan, this scandal became a life-saving straw.
Under these circumstances, it was no longer possible to use torture to interrogate Ji Xingxuan. It was fine if Xue Rui didn't know. But since he knew, if he continued to hide it, he would be suspected of persecuting the blood of the Imperial Family.
So even if Ji Xingxuan didn't ask to see Ning Wang, Xue Rui still had to inform Liu Hao of this matter and let him make the decision.
This point, Yu Shu could think of, and Xue Rui would definitely be aware of it. So he made a prompt decision and got the doctor to prescribe medicine for Ji Xingxuan to protect the pregnancy. At the same time, he sent a subordinate to inform Ning Wang Fu.
When Ji Xingxuan heard Xue Rui's arrangements, she quietly lay back in the corner and covered herself with a thin blanket. She no longer cared about what was happening outside. She didn't even look at Yu Shu, who had a deep hatred for her. She was completely lifeless, without any trace of the joy of being a mother.
Yu Shu didn't have the mood to kick her when she was down. She looked coldly at her dying breath. After a while, she and Xue Rui left this dark and cold prison cell.
Xue Rui and Yu Shu didn't return to Wang Ji Tower, but went to the yamen of the Supreme Court to wait for news from Ning Wang Fu.
In the dead of night, there were only patrolling soldiers on duty in the enormous yamen. The officials that came and went during the day had gone back to their homes before the sky turned dark.
Xue Rui brought Yu Shu into the rear hall. In the place where he usually rested, he could speak without worry and didn't have to worry that the walls might be eavesdropping.
"Da ge, based on your understanding of Ning Wang, would he come out to vouch for Ji Xingxuan for this child?"
"He's a person who cares about his reputation. If he knew that a criminal was pregnant with his flesh and blood, he probably wouldn't be happy."
"Then according to what you're saying, he would place righteousness before family?"
Yu Shu had a grudge against Ji Xingxuan, and she also had a grudge with Liu Hao. Not to mention the distant ones, during the Shuang Yang Conference, she had been schemed against by Shui Yun and had been captured by Liu Hao. Afterwards, when the incident occurred, Xue Rui and Jing Chen quarreled at the morning court, enraging the Imperial Countenance. Liu Hao took the chance to frame the Fourth Imperial Prince Liu Si, causing the other to be expelled from Jing. He had gotten rid of a competitor without bloodshed. The shrewdness of his methods made others wary.
"No, he will protect this child."
Xue Rui saw the confusion in Yu Shu's eyes and calmly explained to her: "Three years ago, when Ning Wang established his fu, he only had a daughter born from a concubine. Ning Wang Fei had just entered the fu not long ago and there has not been any good news. If the child in Ji Xingxuan's belly is a boy, then it will be his eldest son. No matter what, he will not abandon it."
Yu Shu's brows furrowed, confirming Xue Rui's analysis. Indeed, with the An Dynasty's culture, respect for the Dao and respect for Yi, the eldest son meant that the bloodline would be passed on. If he abandoned it, it would go against the Dao of Yi and be undesirable.
It seemed that Ji Xingxuan also understood this point, which was why she was so determined to see Liu Hao.
"This Ji Xingxuan, her life is really tough." Xue Rui sighed, "According to the doctor's diagnosis, it's true that her body is weak, but the child in her belly is safe and didn't die because of the torture. She really is lucky."
Yu Shu nodded her head. Wasn't her life tough? Every time a disaster came, Ji Xingxuan would be able to escape in time. This time, when she was really at the end of her rope, she had managed to grab onto a life-saving straw.
Although she felt helpless, she also saw a favorable side to this matter, so her eyes flashed and she said to Xue Rui, "His Majesty wants you to close the case in a month. With this kind of accident happening, you can use this opportunity to delay it. It's not your fault anyway, so it won't be blamed on you."
Xue Rui saw that she was still thinking for him at this time. He was both happy and worried. He sighed lightly: "I would rather close the case as soon as possible, so that you won't be targeted by that poisonous woman. A long night is fraught with trouble."
He was very clear about the grudge between Yu Shu and Ji Xingxuan. So compared to not being able to report back, he was more concerned about not being able to help his sweetheart resolve her future troubles.
Hearing him say this, Yu Shu felt good inside, but her face showed disdain. She said disdainfully: "Why would I be afraid of her?"
Honestly speaking, at this point, Yu Shu was no longer as apprehensive about Ji Xingxuan as before. The two of them had fought more than once or twice. In the end, Ji Xingxuan had always been defeated by her and wasn't a threat.
"He he." Xue Rui gave a low laugh. Looking at her sharp brows, he actually felt much more relaxed.
The two of them turned to discuss countermeasures. After waiting for two hours, someone from Ning Wang Fu finally replied —
"Greetings to Xue daren. Our wang ye invites daren to come to the fu for a chat."
Xue Rui and Yu Shu exchanged a look. Inside, they were sure that Liu Hao was going to protect this child.
Otherwise, Liu Hao could just ignore it and pretend that the child in Ji Xingxuan's belly wasn't his. This was a matter where there was no evidence. Whether to admit it or not, it was all up to Liu Hao.
"Wait for this official to tidy up before going to visit wang ye."
Xue Rui sent away the people from Ning Wang Fu and turned to say to Yu Shu: "You go back to Wang Ji Lou first. I'm going to see Ning Wang and see what he has to say."
Even though Yu Shu wanted to see the excitement, she understood that this was not the time to cause trouble for Xue Rui. So she nodded and said: "Then be careful. I'll go back and wait for you."
Ning Wang was not an easy person to get along with. Xue Rui had been at odds with him for a long time. Encountering this kind of matter, he might fly into a rage out of humiliation. Yu Shu was slightly worried that Xue Rui would take his anger out on him.
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