Chapter 56-Part 1

Feng Liwu slowly placed the bamboo slip on the desk, remaining silent, waiting for Jiang Xiurun to continue speaking.

Since she had already begun, standing at the Naihe bridge, she now felt a sense of calm in risking everything.

(T/N: The Naihe Bridge is also known as the Bridge of No Return, so what Jiang Xiurun means is she is already at the point of no return, so she might as well proceed with her plan.)

Jiang Xiurun bit her lip and, with her head slightly lowered, continued, “Actually, I have another name… Jiang Xiurun, and I am the eldest princess of the state of Bo…”

After these words, the study fell into silence.

Jiang Xiurun glanced up to see Feng Liwu’s reaction, only to find him staring at her with a stern expression.

She quickly lowered her head again.

After a long pause, Feng Liwu finally spoke, “You have an Adam’s apple…”

Hearing this, Jiang Xiurun hurriedly tore off the fake skin attached below her throat, revealing her original delicate and graceful features.

But Feng Liwu’s expression remained cold as he continued, “Take off your outer garment.”

Truth be told, Jiang Xiurun had calculated everything, but she never expected the cold and aloof prince to demand that she undress!

Previously, she was convinced that the prince had a fondness for men, but at this moment, she was no longer so sure…

Feng Liwu’s gaze was chilling, and his entire demeanor exuded an icy aura. With things having come this far, there was no turning back. Jiang Xiurun gritted her teeth and removed her outer jacket, revealing the layers of bandages tightly wrapped around her chest.

The fabric was thick, wrapped countless times, leaving only a small patch of pale skin exposed below her neck, dazzling in its whiteness.

Feng Liwu half closed his eyes, confirming that Qin Zhao hadn’t lied. Such thick fabric couldn’t be easily torn apart; what Qin Zhao saw in that room back then was just this…

Then, he coldly said, “Put it back on.”

It turned out that the prince only wanted to verify whether she was lying.

Jiang Xiurun secretly breathed a sigh of relief and quickly fastened her outer clothes.

A low voice came from behind the desk, “You are quite bold, daring to tell such an enormous lie before the Emperor of Great Qi in the great hall. Didn’t you study Great Qi’s laws a few days ago? Decide your own punishment.”

According to Qi law, a crime like Jiang Xiurun’s, deceiving the Emperor, would result in immediate execution at the Meridian Gate, without even a last meal.

Seeing that Feng Liwu didn’t appear furious, Jiang Xiurun thought she might still have a glimmer of hope. Tears streamed down her face without effort, and she threw herself before the prince’s desk, sobbing, “I didn’t want to enter the palace to serve others with my looks, so I committed this grave sin in a moment of folly. What torments me the most is that, knowing your love for talent and virtue, I have received your undeserved favor with immense gratitude, yet I have always felt guilty, unable to bring myself to tell the truth and losing your esteem.”

As she spoke, she wiped her tears with her sleeve, pulled out a piece of cloth from her bosom, and presented it, choking with emotion, “I don’t know how that dog thief, Liu Pei, discovered my hidden identity. Today, he sent a message, asking to meet with me… His purpose was nothing more than to blackmail me to your detriment. How could I betray the kindness you’ve shown me? Even if it means exposing the truth to you, I would never meet with him!”

After saying this, she kneeled down again at Feng Liwu’s feet.

Liu Pei was a mortal enemy of Feng Liwu, and although she had concealed her identity, by confessing voluntarily and exposing Liu Pei’s treacherous intentions, she hoped to earn the prince’s mercy and secure a way out.

This was the plan Jiang Xiurun had devised after much deliberation.

But Feng Liwu didn’t even reach out to take the cloth, coldly saying, “Are you trying to earn credit by informing on this? You’ve made a fool of both me and the emperor, deceiving us for so long, and now you’re proclaiming your loyalty. What do you think I should reward you with?”

Cold sweat had been pouring down Jiang Xiurun’s back since she entered the study, and it hadn’t subsided. Her knees were numb from kneeling, but she didn’t dare move. She gritted her teeth and said, “I dare not ask for any reward, only that you spare my brother. He is a scholar, not involved in any of this. My reckless actions have caused him great distress, and out of family loyalty, he didn’t report me… I am willing to atone for my crimes. Tomorrow, I will meet with the envoy and help you capture all the spies lurking in Luo’an City.”

At this, Feng Liwu stood up and said calmly, “Please, Princess, come with me.”

When Jiang Xiurun followed Feng Liwu by carriage to the Ministry of Justice’s prison, her heart tightened. She hadn’t expected the prince to waste no time and personally deliver her to the dungeon… The past bond of camaraderie was completely disregarded… It was said that no one who entered this prison came out whole, and before execution, they were subjected to severe torture…

When she got off the carriage, her legs were so weak she almost collapsed.

The prince’s strong hand caught her, and he said indifferently, “Be careful, or the road ahead will be even harder to walk.”

Entering the prison, amidst the clinking of shackles and the wails of prisoners, Feng Liwu led her to the torture chamber where inmates were being interrogated.

On the walls hung several men, their bare chests covered in burn marks. One of them had part of his ear missing, blood gushing out, and he weakly said, “I confess… I confess… Someone paid us to obstruct the prince’s carriage and to throw a stone with a cloth into the carriage. But… but I truly don’t know what was written on that cloth!”

The torturer raised a red-hot iron and approached another man hanging on the wall. This man, who spoke with a Liang accent, cried out, “I’ve already told the truth. I’m just a merchant, forced to bring the cloth into the city and hire beggars to act. I really don’t know who the cloth was meant for! Spare me, please don’t burn me anymore…”

No matter how he pleaded, the iron was pressed against his chest, and with his agonizing scream, the scent of burnt flesh filled the room.

Jiang Xiurun could no longer bear it. Her face turned pale, and she rushed to a corner to vomit.

At this moment, she realized that while she had been wavering over whether to confess, Feng Liwu had already taken control of the situation, secretly capturing the spies from Liang hidden in Luo’an City.

Her plea to atone for her crimes was now meaningless; it only saved the prince the trouble of hanging her on the wall to be roasted.