novelzi Chapter 8
Chapter 8
The dungeon, devoid of light, was illuminated by torches on the walls, casting a dim yellow light.
The dried bloodstains on the torture instruments looked even more gruesome and eerie in the firelight.
The jailer led Shen Yanzhi to the last cell. He bowed and said, “Prince, Duke Qin and his son are inside.”
Shen Yanzhi raised his hand slightly, and the jailer silently withdrew.
The straw on the floor of the cell was relatively clean, but the place was musty and filled with a foul smell, having not seen sunlight for years.
Duke Qin and his son were dressed in white prison clothes, sitting against the wall.
Shen Yanzhi stood silently outside the cell for a while, but they ignored him.
Shen Yanzhi spoke, breaking the silence. “Uncle.”
Duke Qin seemed to be resting with his eyes closed and did not respond.@@@@
Qin Jian, the eldest son of the Qin family, sneered, “Shen Yanzhi, you are rising rapidly. Why are you here in this filthy place?”
Shen Yanzhi tightened his lips to hide a trace of bitterness. “Mingtai, I am here for A-Zheng...”
Mingtai was Qin Jian’s courtesy name.
Shen Yanzhi didn’t mention Qin Zheng before, and Qin Jian was calm.
But as soon as Qin Zheng was mentioned, Qin Jian’s face was full of scorn. “For A-Zheng? Don’t joke! Our A-Zheng cannot bear your deep affection, nor can she bear the title of being the reason you betrayed the country.”
“In the Battle of Qinxiangguan, because of a letter of treason written by Shen Yanzhi, fifty thousand soldiers of the Great Chu were brutally killed by the rebels there!
General Luo Xian, who led the troops, had been stationed in the northern border since he was thirteen.
He returned alive from the battlefield outside Yanmen Pass, only to die at the hands of his own people!”
Qin Jian’s voice was filled with indignation as he continued, “If there were still men of the Luo family who could wield swords and spears, could the rebels have breached the gates of Bianjing?
How many souls are lost in the Battle of Qinxiangguan?
How many innocent people have died in Bianjing these days?
Shen Yanzhi, the glory of your Shen family is paved with thousands of lives, with the blood debts of countless people.
Don’t use A-Zheng as an excuse!
Our A-Zheng cannot bear the burden of being associated with a criminal like you!”
With each word Qin Jian spoke, Shen Yanzhi’s face grew paler.
He closed his eyes and said hoarsely, “The Battle of Qinxiangguan was not my intention...”
But the grave mistake had already been made.
His throat felt dry, and he did not offer further explanation, looking at Duke Qin sitting cross-legged with his eyes closed. “Uncle.”
Duke Qin, a civil official, sat in the cell with a straight back, his refined face showing a hint of determination usually seen in military commanders.
“What Jian said is what I wanted to say. Shen Yanzhi, A-Zheng is a lady of the Chu family and has never set foot in your Shen family.
Reputation is as precious as gold.
If you have even a shred of respect for her, you should not have said what you just did.”
Shen Yanzhi clenched his fist under his wide sleeves, his five fingers already digging into his palm, a taste of rust on his tongue.
He tried to keep his voice calm. “I came to see you today for other reasons.”
“The emperor has begun to cleanse the court. Uncle, the Chu kingdom has fallen. You... should submit to the new dynasty.” He found it difficult to say these words.
Duke Qin looked at his nephew’s restrained and sorrowful expression, seeming to understand something, but his attitude remained firm.
“My Qin family has been loyal to the Chu dynasty for generations. I cannot serve two masters. The clean reputation left by my ancestors cannot be tarnished by me. Shen Yanzhi, go back.”
Although Shen Yanzhi had anticipated Duke Qin’s answer, he couldn’t help but ask, “Is a cruel and incompetent king, a crown prince without virtue, worth your loyalty, uncle?”
“Thank you, doctor.” Qin Zheng saw the senior doctor off and felt relieved knowing that the crown prince’s life was saved.
Lunch was brought to the courtyard by Magpie.
Since the crown prince hadn’t woken up yet, they only brought a portion for Qin Zheng—two meat dishes and one vegetable dish, which looked quite sumptuous.
Qin Zheng was delighted to see that one of the meat dishes was cured pork ribs and eagerly took a piece, nearly knocking her teeth out.
The cured pork ribs were tough and dry, requiring considerable effort to chew. If she chewed lightly, the meat wouldn’t budge; if she chewed harder, it would be so tough that she could floss with it.
After struggling through the cured pork ribs, Qin Zheng decided she’d never crave them again.
The other meat dish was twice-cooked pork made with pork belly, but the pieces were as thick as a thumb.
Seeing the shiny, thick fat, Qin Zheng lost her appetite for meat altogether and ended up just eating a bowl of rice with some greens.
When Magpie came to clear the dishes, she noticed that both meat dishes were barely touched and found it strange.
She glanced at Qin Zheng’s slim waist, automatically assuming that Qin Zheng avoided eating meat to maintain her figure.
A conflicted and admiring expression appeared on Magpie’s face, torn between wanting to look good and the admiration for Qin Zheng’s willpower in abstaining from meat even in such circumstances.
Qin Zheng was oblivious to these strange thoughts but noticed the girl looking at her with a peculiar and somewhat admiring gaze, leaving her puzzled.
Thinking that the crown prince would need nourishment when he woke up, Qin Zheng considered the village’s simple food might not suit his delicate palate.
She asked, “Miss Magpie, is the kitchen in this courtyard usable?”
“It’s usable, but this courtyard was empty before, so the kitchen utensils might be rusty,” Magpie scratched her head. “If Madame Cheng wants to use the kitchen, you can go to the main kitchen for now, and I’ll tidy up the kitchen in the courtyard later.”
Qin Zheng knew they would be staying here for a month and couldn’t rely on the villagers to cook and bring food to them every day.
It would be too imposing.
Having a usable kitchen in the courtyard would be convenient for preparing medicine for the crown prince and cooking for herself.
She said, “I’ll tidy up the kitchen myself. I want to make a soup for my husband in the main kitchen.
Would you, Miss Magpie, be willing to show me the way?”
Magpie felt a bit embarrassed by Qin Zheng’s repeated use of “Miss Magpie.” “Madame Cheng can just call me Magpie.”
The paths in the village were winding, and without a guide, Qin Zheng feared she would get lost.
As they walked down a stone staircase, Magpie saw a familiar figure below the stairs and exclaimed with joy, “Miss Lin!”
Qin Zheng followed Magpie’s gaze and saw the girl she had seen on the boat that night.
She wore a crimson dress, her black hair braided into thin plaits and tied up high with colorful hair ties.
Her wheat-colored skin softened her features, giving her a spirited look.
That night on the boat, the lighting was dim, and Qin Zheng was in a hurry to escape, so she only glanced at the girl briefly.
Now, upon closer inspection, she found the girl quite striking.
Next moment, the girl walked straight to a burly man who was eating, grabbed the back of his collar, lifted him, and threw him to the ground.
The man lay there, sprawled and helpless.
Other men dining there stood up, but none dared to speak or intervene.
The man’s face turned pale when he saw Lin Zhao. Before he could get up, Lin Zhao stomped on his chest, causing him to spit out blood and crack the floor tiles beneath him.
“Beg for mercy... Miss Lin, spare me...” the man pleaded incoherently.
With a cold sneer, Lin Zhao bent down slightly and whipped the man’s meaty face with a rolled-up whip.
The man’s face immediately bore a bloody mark.
Qin Zheng swallowed nervously.
This girl was so fierce! No wonder when she saw her on the boat, her hands and feet were shackled, and the river bandits still weren’t at ease, planning to lock her in a cage. Her combat skills were formidable.