Chapter 211

Touching the bottom line

Emperor Shuncheng's gaze was like a knife, carrying endless anger. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was stunned on the spot.

At the same time, Nie Jinxuan suddenly remembered a sentence Yin Fengzhan had said before: You don't understand him!

Yes, she did not understand Emperor Shuncheng. She had thought that with her father holding the position of Senior Minister and her current status as a Commandery Princess, even if Emperor Shuncheng suspected or punished her, he would have to find some excuse. She never imagined that in his anger, Emperor Shuncheng would not even let her speak a word before throwing her into the Celestial Prison!

It was also at this moment that Nie Jinxuan truly realized that in this feudal ancient era, what laws and systems were just a word from those in power! If he wanted you to die, you died; if he wanted you to live, you lived; there was never any logic or rules.

Nie Jinxuan felt a chill in her heart. Fear gradually rose from within. She was about to say something, but remembering Yin Fengzhan, Nie Jinxuan finally closed her mouth.

Nie Jinxuan chose silence. Seeing her like this, Emperor Shuncheng sneered:

"Nie Jinxuan, don't say I didn't warn you. Don't think that just because you don't speak, everything will be fine. Even if you don't speak, there is still Noble Consort Zhang, and I can even guess who you are protecting!"

Emperor Shuncheng spoke coldly again. At this time, hearing Emperor Shuncheng's previous orders, several guards had already walked in from outside and stepped forward to drag Nie Jinxuan away!

But upon hearing that Emperor Shuncheng wanted to find Noble Consort Zhang and even hinted at Yin Fengzhan, the originally silent Nie Jinxuan instantly raised her eyes and shouted:

"Emperor, this matter has nothing to do with the Noble Consort!"

"Nothing to do with her? Hmph, if it weren't for Noble Consort Zhang, could you, Nie Jinxuan, have walked out of the palace? And if that person wasn't the Fourth Prince, would you have taken out the token I bestowed upon you?!"

Emperor Shuncheng laid the matter out completely. What Emperor Shuncheng was convinced of never needed a reason. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan's face turned as pale as paper, and her lips trembled:

"No, Emperor! It's not like that! This matter really has nothing to do with the Noble Consort or Prince Chen; I just remembered that there were doubts in Official Jin's case, so..."

"So what? Hmph, Nie Jinxuan, do you still dare to speak 'the truth' in front of me?!"

With one sentence, Emperor Shuncheng blocked Nie Jinxuan completely. Without waiting for Nie Jinxuan to react, his gaze turned cold:

"Take her away!"

"Yes!"

They responded in unison, and then the guards dragged Nie Jinxuan away... But just at this moment, just as Nie Jinxuan was dragged to the door by the guards, a man's voice suddenly came from outside the courtyard:

"Stop!"

The voice was low and powerful, even carrying obvious anger. Hearing this, the guards were startled by the momentum in the voice, but Nie Jinxuan's heart sank instantly.

It's him! He's here!

Thinking this, Nie Jinxuan turned her head and indeed saw Yin Fengzhan, dressed in a dark purple python robe embroidered with gold, striding in from outside.

At this moment, Yin Fengzhan's face was like frost. His handsome, peerless face revealed an arrogance and coldness even more terrifying than usual. When Yin Fengzhan walked to the front of the Imperial Study, he glanced quickly at Nie Jinxuan, then walked into the Imperial Study and shouted:

"The person the Emperor wants to find is me; it has nothing to do with Jinxuan!"

……

Only at this moment did Nie Jinxuan fully understand. It turned out that as early as late last night, Yin Fengzhan had already calculated everything that would happen today. It was precisely because he was clear about it that he had been so obedient, and then, as soon as Emperor Shuncheng had her arrested and brought into the palace early this morning, he had rushed over!

He had followed her wishes just to put her at ease at the time. Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan felt a tightness in her chest. But at this moment, hearing Yin Fengzhan's words, Emperor Shuncheng, sitting behind the dragon desk, was instantly furious; he reached out, grabbed an inkstone from the table, and threw it at Yin Fengzhan.

But Yin Fengzhan had no intention of dodging. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan broke free from the control of the two guards beside her and threw herself over without thinking.

Then, with a dull thud, the inkstone that was aimed at Yin Fengzhan's head hit Nie Jinxuan on the back of her head!

"Mmm..."

Instantly, pain spread through her head, and Nie Jinxuan could not help but groan. Seeing Nie Jinxuan suddenly appear before him, Yin Fengzhan's pupils shrank, and he reached out to pull her into his arms.

"Jinxuan!"

Yin Fengzhan shouted, but Nie Jinxuan was already limp in his arms.

Instantly, the large Imperial Study fell silent. Yin Fengzhan just stared at the woman in his arms, his cold face becoming increasingly ferocious, and he roared loudly:

"Imperial Physician, call the Imperial Physician!"

At this moment, Yin Fengzhan was enraged by Nie Jinxuan's injury, and Emperor Shuncheng was completely forgotten. As he finished speaking, without waiting for anyone else to react, he picked up Nie Jinxuan and turned to walk out.

Yin Fengzhan moved quickly. At this time, Emperor Shuncheng also suddenly came to his senses, and seeing Yin Fengzhan completely ignoring him, he was furious:

"Stop!"

Emperor Shuncheng roared, but Yin Fengzhan turned a deaf ear. Just then, Nie Jinxuan groaned and reached out to grab Yin Fengzhan's lapel.

"Fengzhan..."

"Enough, don't speak! I'm taking you to see the Imperial Physician right now!"

"No, listen to me..."

Having been hit on the back of the head by the inkstone, Nie Jinxuan felt a bit dizzy. But she had heard Emperor Shuncheng's roar, so she had to stop Yin Fengzhan; otherwise, it would completely enrage Emperor Shuncheng, and there would definitely be no good outcome!

Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan struggled to jump down from Yin Fengzhan's arms and looked at him with deep affection:

"Fengzhan, calm down, I'm fine, really fine! If you don't believe me, look!"

As she spoke, Nie Jinxuan took Yin Fengzhan's hand and placed it on the back of her head where she had been hit.

"Look, it's just a bit swollen, no bleeding, so it's fine!"

As if afraid Yin Fengzhan wouldn't believe her, Nie Jinxuan even guided his hand to rub the back of her head, then turned her head to let him see, before turning back to meet his eyes.

At this moment, seeing that Nie Jinxuan was indeed not bleeding and did not look to be in pain, Yin Fengzhan's brow twitched slightly:

"Really fine?"

"Yes, really fine. I'm not made of paper. How could I be in trouble just from being hit once? So, Fengzhan, calm down~!"

As she spoke, Nie Jinxuan pointedly glanced at Emperor Shuncheng behind them. Soothed by Nie Jinxuan's gentle words, Yin Fengzhan finally exhaled slowly and turned around.

At this moment, seeing the conversation between Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan, Emperor Shuncheng was so angry that he trembled all over; he flipped the dragon desk in front of him to the ground without thinking, and without waiting for Yin Fengzhan to speak, he roared:

"Someone, throw these two into the Celestial Prison, and without my decree, no one is allowed to see them!"

In his rage, Emperor Shuncheng threw Nie Jinxuan and Yin Fengzhan into the Celestial Prison without hesitation. He didn't even give them a chance to say a word!

Subsequently, a crowd of guards swarmed in and took them away. Yin Fengzhan wanted to resist, but seeing Nie Jinxuan, he calmed down. Then, the two were sent into the Celestial Prison.

Not long after, the news of their imprisonment spread, causing a wave of shock! Then, Prince Gong, Yin Fengxuan, rushed to the palace, wanting to plead for Yin Fengzhan, but he was turned away without even seeing Emperor Shuncheng. Noble Consort Zhang was anxious, but there was nothing she could do!

Outside the palace, Prince Rui, Yin Fengxiang, Zuo Wei, Mo Yujue, and the Duke of Qi's mansion were naturally worried about their safety, but after sending people to the palace to inquire, they returned empty-handed.

Emperor Shuncheng would see no one, and in his rage, he had already beheaded who knows how many people. For the next three days, he didn't even hold morning court! Because of this, even the officials who originally relied on Yin Fengzhan were helpless!

No one could save Yin Fengzhan and Nie Jinxuan. At this time, Nie Jinxuan, who had been locked in the Celestial Prison for three days, had already calmed down and reviewed the sequence of events. But the more she reviewed it, the more strange and suspicious she found the matter—

In fact, Nie Jinxuan had always found Yin Fengzhan's repeated unauthorized entries into the palace strange. After all, Noble Consort Ning had died more than twenty years ago. If Noble Consort Ning was dead, why would Yin Fengzhan risk such great danger to break into the palace? Was it just to see his mother's spirit tablet?

No, Nie Jinxuan did not think things were that simple, and she certainly did not think Yin Fengzhan was that foolish. But if it wasn't for that, why did Yin Fengzhan break into the palace?!

Furthermore, besides Yin Fengzhan's break-in, the death of Noble Consort Ning twenty years ago was also full of mystery; no one even knew how she died. According to her father, Senior Minister Nie, Noble Consort Ning was the woman Emperor Shuncheng loved most in his life, and the only woman he had ever loved. If that was the case, why did Emperor Shuncheng, who was usually calm, become furious like a madman whenever Noble Consort Ning was mentioned? Just like the last time someone framed Noble Consort Zhang; if it hadn't involved Noble Consort Ning, with Emperor Shuncheng's intelligence, how could he have been fooled?!

Setting aside these past events, what happened three days ago was even more baffling. Yin Fengzhan broke into the palace, and Emperor Shuncheng was furious. But Yin Fengzhan had broken into the palace before, and at that time, although Emperor Shuncheng had tried hard to find the truth, it had ended in nothing. But this time, after knowing that the person who broke into the palace was Yin Fengzhan, Emperor Shuncheng was so furious...

After all, it was understandable for Emperor Shuncheng to be angry at her, but Yin Fengzhan was his son after all. So no matter how ruthless Emperor Shuncheng was, he wouldn't be this vicious, right? Was there something in this that both she and Yin Fengzhan didn't know?

So, for several days, Nie Jinxuan kept thinking about these things, but no matter how she thought about it, she still had no clues!

That night, Nie Jinxuan did not give up and kept reviewing these things, trying to find a way to save Yin Fengzhan. But the more she thought, the more her head began to ache, and Nie Jinxuan could not help but reach out and grab her head.

It was late at night, and the surroundings were silent. Just then, Nie Jinxuan, who was sitting alone in the corner of the cell, suddenly heard faint footsteps coming from outside.

Nie Jinxuan slowly lowered the hand she was holding her head with and looked up, only to see a black shadow standing at the door of her cell.

The shadow was not very tall and was wearing a large cloak that covered their head, making it impossible to see their face. Seeing this, Nie Jinxuan frowned. At this moment, she saw the shadow turn to look at the jailer who had brought them, and then the jailer walked away.

For a time, in the dark, damp, and foul-smelling prison, only Nie Jinxuan and the shadow standing outside the cell remained. Nie Jinxuan did not speak, just looked at them quietly. At this moment, she saw the shadow suddenly reach out and pull off the cloak covering their face, revealing their face!

But the moment she saw the person clearly, Nie Jinxuan could not help but exclaim:

"It's you?!"

Bright features, a beautiful face... It turned out that the person who had come to the prison to find her at this moment was actually Consort Yun, Chen Yan'er!

Clearly, Nie Jinxuan had not expected Chen Yan'er's arrival at all, so she was a bit bewildered for a moment. Meeting Nie Jinxuan's surprised eyes, Chen Yan'er looked at her with a calm expression and pressed her lips together:

"It's me!"

At this moment, Chen Yan'er was unexpectedly calmer than usual. As she finished speaking, Chen Yan'er did not wait for Nie Jinxuan to speak; she stepped forward and deliberately lowered her voice to whisper:

"Prince Chen being thrown into the Celestial Prison this time is actually because someone was pulling strings behind the scenes. You remember the Taoist priest named Huo Lian at the flower viewing banquet, right? Someone sent him to the Emperor's side, and after gaining the Emperor's trust, when the time was right, he found an opportunity to tell the Emperor that Prince Chen might not be the Emperor's son..."

Chen Yan'er did not waste a word. Upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan's eyes widened instantly; she stood up abruptly and rushed to Chen Yan'er, grabbing her by the collar:

"Is what you said true?"

"Of course!"

Chen Yan'er replied to Nie Jinxuan without thinking, then pulled Nie Jinxuan's hand away and said:

"I don't know exactly how Huo Lian did it or who was planning it behind the scenes. But the fact that someone sent Huo Lian to the Emperor's side to frame Prince Chen is absolutely true! As for whether Prince Chen is the Emperor's son, I don't know either, but I just want to say that this matter was specifically targeted at Prince Chen!"

Chen Yan'er still had a calm face, but meeting her eyes, Nie Jinxuan narrowed her gaze slightly:

"Huo Lian is a Taoist priest; even if the Emperor favors him, he wouldn't believe him just because of one sentence! The Emperor is not that muddled!"

"Yes, the Emperor is not muddled! But because of this, Huo Lian even lost his own life. Do you think the Emperor would believe him?"

Seeing Nie Jinxuan's doubt, Chen Yan'er replied to her, but upon hearing this, Nie Jinxuan was stunned again:

"Even lost his life? What do you mean?"

"It means nothing, just that after Huo Lian finished telling the Emperor some things about Prince Chen, he died before he could even leave the palace!"

"Died?"

"Yes! He was hit on the head by a brick falling from the palace wall and died! Do you think this was leaking heavenly secrets and receiving divine retribution!"

"Divine retribution? Nonsense!"

"Hmph! Maybe, but Huo Lian is dead. And the Emperor believed it!"

After saying everything she knew, Chen Yan'er's expression tightened. She glanced at Nie Jinxuan, who had fallen into deep thought in the cell, and then turned and left without saying another word.

At this moment, hearing the footsteps, Nie Jinxuan looked up instantly. She found that Chen Yan'er had already left. Nie Jinxuan was startled at first, but then she could not help but frown:

"Why help me?"

Nie Jinxuan asked without thinking. Upon hearing this, Chen Yan'er, who had already walked a few steps, paused, turned to look at Nie Jinxuan, and raised her wrist, revealing the blood-bodhi bracelet she was wearing:

"I, Chen Yan'er, never owe anyone anything. This time I am not helping you, just repaying the favor from last time! So from now on, we are even!"

"Heh... is that so? Then I really have to thank you."

For the first time, Nie Jinxuan felt that Chen Yan'er was not as simple as she had appeared before! Thinking of this, Nie Jinxuan smiled slightly, but then her brow twitched:

"However, what you did is too dangerous. The Emperor said no one is allowed to see me and Fengzhan, so if the Emperor finds out..."

"What? Are you concerned about me?!"

Raising her eyebrows instantly, a trace of her usual arrogance appeared on Chen Yan'er's face, and then she changed the subject:

"But don't worry, I won't do anything risky! You should know that my Fengjin, although he doesn't have the power and backing of the Crown Prince, nor the decisiveness and ability of Prince Chen that everyone admires, is still a prince after all, so the Emperor cannot go too far. Therefore, he put Fengjin in charge of this Celestial Prison!"

"So, on weekdays, whether it's the Crown Prince or Prince Chen, neither of them cares about my Fengjin, but they don't know that once they end up in this Celestial Prison one day, it will be their turn to beg my Fengjin!"

Chen Yan'er said in a low voice, her words carrying a touch of self-mockery, but also a hint of pride. Saying this, Chen Yan'er curled her lips into a faint smile and looked at Nie Jinxuan again:

"So, at this time, no one can get in except me! Besides, even if there is real danger, it is my business and has nothing to do with you, Nie Jinxuan. You had better think about how to escape from here; otherwise, I can guarantee that Prince Chen will lose his head within three days!"

Second chapter uploaded! There is one more later!