Chapter 48: Fainted from a Kiss

Imperial Prison.

Deep within the passageways, two prison guards passed by, carrying lanterns.

"Have you heard? The Crown Prince Consort tried to assassinate His Majesty last night and was brought here."

"Crown Prince Consort? She's just a prisoner, waiting to be executed in a few days."

"What was she thinking? Why would she do something so foolish...?"

"..."

In the prison cell, Lu Huaigui leaned against the wall, her raven hair cascading down, partially obscuring her sharply defined features.

The lantern's dim, yellowish light flickered across her face, then faded into darkness.

The surrounding air was damp and bitterly cold, seeping relentlessly into her prison robes.

Yet she remained like an oblivious puppet, seemingly unaware of the cold or pain.

A cyan-robed figure suddenly appeared outside the cell. Lu Huaigui slowly raised her gaze to meet Xia Houyu's face.

His face was half-hidden in shadow, his jade-green eyes half-lidded as he stared coldly at her, like a viper poised to strike.

After a long moment, Xia Houyu turned to the guards and said, "Open the door."

The guards hesitated. "But Your Highness, the Crown Prince said no one is allowed in without his permission..."

Before the jailer could finish speaking, Xia Houyu cut him off with a cold sneer, "Don't forget who you're working for now."

The jailer's face paled. He bowed low and unlocked the cell door.

Xia Houyu stepped inside and crouched down, gripping Lu Huaigui's chin.

"Junior Brother," Xia Houyu said softly, his fingers tightening, leaving a red mark on Lu Huaigui's jawline, "just tell me where the Tiger Tally is, and I'll grant you a full, unbroken corpse."

Lu Huaigui lowered his gaze slightly, then suddenly smiled. "I don't know."

Xia Houyu chuckled, his grip tightening further, as if he would crush Lu Huaigui's jawbone.

Abruptly releasing his grip, he backhanded Lu Huaigui's face hard with his folded fan.

A bloody welt instantly appeared on Lu Huaigui's pale cheek, a stark contrast.

Yet there was no fear in his eyes. His cold, bright gaze reflected Xia Houyu's figure.

Irritated by this unwavering gaze, Xia Houyu burst into a cold laugh. "What, are you waiting for him to come rescue you? Or do you think hiding the Tiger Tally will save you?"

"Lu Huaigui, let me tell you this: no one will believe you, no one will protect you, and certainly no one will come to save you." Xia Houyu pressed his foot down on Lu Huaigui's wrist, grinding his heel with brutal force. "You'd better tell me where the Tiger Tally is hidden, or I'll..."

Yet Lu Huaigui continued to smile, showing no pain even as his wrist bones were nearly crushed.

"I've always been curious," Lu Huaigui said, his eyes curving slightly as he stared provocatively at Xia Houyu. "Why did you also get reborn?"

Xia Houyu froze, taken aback.

"Could it be... someone killed you too, Senior Brother?"

Xia Houyu's expression darkened instantly. Then, as if remembering something, he leaned down, seized Lu Huaigui's collar, and glared at him with malevolent intensity. "If your Lu family hadn't been so greedy for power, repeatedly plotting against me in the shadows, I wouldn't have been reborn into this miserable state!"

His face twisted with rage as his fingers slowly tightened, choking the air from Lu Huaigui's lungs.

"You people ruined my family, caused countless deaths. And now you dare spout such sanctimonious nonsense?"

Xia Houyu abruptly released his grip. Lu Huaigui collapsed to the ground with a dull thud.

He curled up on the ground, a metallic sweetness rising in his throat, but he forced it back down.

Xia Houyu crouched beside him, his hand trembling slightly as it hung limply at his side.

After a moment, Xia Houyu regained his composure, withdrawing a silk handkerchief from his sleeve to wipe his hands. "Junior Brother, I advise you not to be ungrateful. Hand over the Tiger Tally quickly and spare yourself further torment."

Lu Huaigui remained silent for a long moment, his eyes darkening slightly.

He suddenly looked up and spat a mouthful of bloody foam into Xia Houyu's face.

Xia Houyu showed no anger. Instead, he retaliated with a backhanded strike from his folding fan, forcing Lu Huaigui to turn his face away.

"Since Junior Brother insists on this course," Xia Houyu rose to his feet, "then don't blame me, your Senior Brother, for not giving you a choice."

Before Xia Houyu could take a step, his sleeve was abruptly yanked.

He turned back, sneering, "What's this? Junior Brother had a change of heart?"

Lu Huaigui fixed him with a piercing gaze, a slight curve to his lips. "The Lu family has always acted with integrity. If we coveted power, we would have raised an army directly. Why resort to such despicable tactics?"

"Xia Houyu, why don't you consider who stands to gain the most from all this?"

The identity of the true beneficiary was self-evident.

Xia Houyu's expression stiffened momentarily, but he quickly recovered his composure. "Junior Brother, you should worry about yourself instead."

With that, Xia Houyu strode out of the Imperial Prison, not forgetting to instruct the guards to continue the torture until the location of the Tiger Tally was revealed.

Two guards entered, seizing Lu Huaigui's arms on either side and binding him to the torture rack.

Lu Huaigui watched Xia Houyu's retreating figure with narrowed eyes, his gaze dark and unfathomable.

The moment Xia Houyu emerged from the Imperial Prison, a maidservant from Zhou Cheng's residence rushed forward, bowing low to invite him to the manor.

"Your Highness," Zhou Cheng greeted him with a sheepish grin, a glint of calculation flickering in his eyes. "Did you manage to extract the Tiger Tally's whereabouts?"

Xia Houyu remained silent.

"That Lu Huaigui brat is stubbornly tight-lipped," Zhou Cheng gestured for Xia Houyu to sit and poured him wine. "The matter of the Tiger Tally can't be rushed. But now that Your Highness has secured the Imperial Secret Art, the Tiger Tally will naturally..."

"Lord Zhou," Xia Houyu interrupted sharply, his azure eyes narrowing slightly. "Was the Lu family truly behind the events of that year?"

Zhou Cheng's hand froze mid-pour, a speck of powder falling from his fingertips into the wine cup. His expression flickered, his lips faltering as he stammered, "Of course, Your Highness. Surely you haven't forgotten? It was the Lu family's insatiable ambition that drove them to frame you for poisoning the Young Prince, and even incite His Majesty to decree your execution."

The air around them suddenly hung heavy.

"But now that the Secret Art has been secured," Zhou Cheng pushed the wine cup toward Xia Houyu. "Perhaps we should examine it first."

Xia Houyu retorted, "After you've observed it, Lord Zhou, will you then silence me permanently?"

Zhou Cheng froze, then hastily bowed deeply, repeatedly kowtowing.

"My loyalty to Your Highness is as clear as heaven and earth! My devotion to you is unwavering—I harbor no hidden motives!" Zhou Cheng raised three fingers. "I swear before the heavens: if I harbor any treacherous thoughts, may lightning strike me down and leave me to die a miserable death!"

Xia Houyu lowered his gaze, his eyes lingering on the white powder still clinging to Zhou Cheng's fingertips.

A faint smile curled his lips as he reached out to help Zhou Cheng rise.

"I was merely joking, Lord Zhou. Why take it so seriously?" Xia Houyu brushed the dust from Zhou Cheng's robes, his tone gentle. "You've served me faithfully for so many years—I trust you implicitly."

He handed Zhou Cheng the wine cup and casually patted him on the back.

Zhou Cheng's heart swelled with pride, though his face remained carefully composed in a display of shocked gratitude as he accepted the cup with trembling hands.

"Your Highness honors me beyond measure," Zhou Cheng said, tilting his head back and draining the wine in a single gulp.

Xia Houyu narrowed his azure eyes slightly, a smile that didn't reach their depths playing on his lips.

Moments later, a sharp pain stabbed through Zhou Cheng's lower abdomen, and black blood seeped from the corners of his mouth.

He turned his head, his pupils dilating in shock. "You... you..."

Xia Houyu's eyes held no warmth. He leaned casually on his elbow, propping his head against his hand, and murmured indifferently, "I forgot to mention... the wine you drank? You poured it yourself."

Zhou Cheng gasped for breath, his life ebbing away. Yet his eyes remained fixed on Xia Houyu, burning with hatred.

He tried to call for help, but found himself utterly alone.

To secure the Secret Art, he had dismissed all his servants before making his move.

Before half a刻 had passed, Zhou Cheng breathed his last, collapsing limply onto the table.

Xia Houyu's gaze grew colder. He toyed with his folding fan, his voice icy as he remarked, "Lord Zhou, one should never harbor malicious intentions, but one must always be wary."

As he stared at Zhou Cheng's lifeless form, a sudden, inexplicable unease washed over him.

In a daze, he seemed to hear a faint voice, lingering in his ears: "Brother... it hurts so much."

After the execution, two jailers dragged Lu Huaigui back to his cell.

His body was crisscrossed with whip marks, and his lips were drained of color.

His tattered prison robes hung loosely from his shoulders, making him look like a withered leaf about to be swept away by the wind.

"Hey, don't beat him to death. We'll have to answer to His Highness."

"So what if he dies? Tomorrow's the Accession Ceremony. Tsk, what a bad omen..."

As they spoke, the jailers threw Lu Huaigui onto the tattered straw mat and turned to leave. The cell door clanged shut and locked.

Lu Huaigui curled up on the mat, his body trembling uncontrollably.

His lingering cold, now compounded by this brutal torment, left him feeling utterly wretched.

He pulled the straw mat over himself and drifted into a fitful sleep.

He used to fear neither pain nor cold.

How did I become so delicate in this new life?

It wasn't until mealtime that he could barely manage to sit up and slowly drag the bowl of food closer.

Something seemed to be hidden at the bottom of the bowl.

His eyes narrowed as he glanced around. Only after confirming no one was watching did he retrieve the folded note from beneath the bowl.

"It's done. Tomorrow, I'll get you out of this cage." The handwriting was atrocious, scrawled like a dog's paw prints.

Lu Huaigui read the note, quickly tore it to shreds, and swallowed the pieces.

He collapsed back onto the straw mat, his body burning with fever, his throat parched and hoarse, rendering him speechless.

When he opened his eyes again, a figure stood outside his cell.

Lu Huaigui froze momentarily, his lips parting, but no words came.

He could only stare fixedly at the silhouette before him, lowering his gaze after a long moment.

The flickering candlelight cast dancing shadows across his dark eyes.

Lu Huaigui lowered his gaze, a faint smile tugging at the corner of his lips. He swallowed painfully before murmuring, "Tomorrow is the Accession Ceremony. Have you... come to demand retribution?"

Gu Jin, who had been facing away from him, slowly turned to meet his gaze.

Lu Huaigui's lips curved slightly, his inscrutable gaze lingering on Gu Jin's right hand. The hand was wrapped in bandages and trembling faintly.

Gu Jin concealed his injured hand within his sleeve, his voice calm as he said, "I came to check on you."

"Checking if I'm dead yet?" Lu Huaigui chuckled self-deprecatingly, his eyes rimmed with red. "Your Highness can rest assured, I'm cursed with a long life. I won't die anytime soon."

Gu Jin remained silent, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Huaigui.

That stare pierced Lu Huaigui's heart. He turned his head, lowering his eyes to avoid Gu Jin's piercing gaze.

The night deepened, cold wind seeping through the window slits.

Lu Huaigui trembled slightly, whether from the chill or the pain, he couldn't tell.

Leaning his forehead against the bars, he curled his legs, the iron chains on his ankles clinking crisply with the movement.

"Leave," Lu Huaigui said, his eyes half-closed, voice hoarse. "Your Highness should draft a divorce decree sooner rather than later. Let's part ways and leave each other in peace."

Gu Jin didn't budge.

Lu Huaigui's body grew increasingly feverish, his lips turning pale. Yet he forced himself to remain lucid, scoffing, "Your Highness, you're truly a fool. I approached you from the start only to kill you, then the Old Emperor himself. To avenge my parents' wrongful deaths."

Gu Jin's expression remained unchanged, but his injured right hand clenched into a fist, the gauze staining crimson.

"It's all a lie."

"My affection for you was a lie; my loathing is real. Did you think a little kindness, a few scraps of pity, would make me devoted to you? What delusional fantasy are you living in?"

Lu Huaigui's eyes burned crimson, yet his pupils shone with an unnerving brilliance.

"I hate you to death! If it weren't for you, I would have avenged my parents long ago—"

His words were cut short as a hand suddenly covered his eyes.

Lu Huaigui stiffened slightly, his long lashes brushing against Gu Jin's palm.

His dry, cracked lips were abruptly kissed—cold yet soft. Gu Jin's other hand cradled the back of his neck, leaving him powerless to resist. He stood frozen, numbly allowing Gu Jin to kiss him.

A droplet rolled down between their lips. Lu Huaigui tasted a faint saltiness—like someone's tears.

After a long moment, their lips parted.

His entire body trembled. Already on the verge of collapse, Gu Jin's kiss had completely drained his strength.

Gasping for breath, Lu Huaigui tried to speak again, but blackness swam before his eyes.

The moment Gu Jin released him, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.