In the prison of the Ministry of Justice, the Sixth Prince's worldview was slowly collapsing.
Inside the Zichen Palace, Emperor Chongzhao held a freshly extracted confession in his hands.
Eunuch Yu said cautiously, "After the incident with Consort Lan, the maids and eunuchs around her were all arrested and interrogated. This is the confession of Lianzhu, the head maid who served at Consort Lan's side."
Lianzhu had followed Consort Lan for many years and was fiercely loyal. While she might not know every single thing Consort Lan had done over the years, she knew at least sixty or seventy percent of it.
Many dirty and wicked deeds had passed through Lianzhu's hands.
Emperor Chongzhao looked at the confession.
Lianzhu confessed the truth about the time the Seventh Prince suffered a high fever in the Juan Pavilion. He had taken the prescribed medicine delivered by the Imperial Hospital, but instead of recovering, his condition had worsened.
An overdose of medicine had nearly claimed a child's life.
Not only that, but when the Seventh Prince recovered and the consorts of the various palaces were fighting for the right to raise him, she instigated Noble Lady Chu to use Wangye fruit on the Seventh Prince to addict him, manipulating him into choosing Noble Lady Chu as his adoptive mother.
In addition to this, there were other minor wicked deeds, as well as the curses she frequently uttered in the Xiuxiang Palace.
It wasn't until the Seventh Prince was adopted by Consort Xuan, and remained sickly ever since, that she finally stopped targeting him.
Emperor Chongzhao raged, "Vicious woman... Vicious woman!"
"Beheading is letting her off too easily. I want her to die in agony!"
Consort Lan's actions had completely enraged Emperor Chongzhao. Her name was crossed off the list of those to be beheaded, and her sentence was changed to death by poison.
Poisons that could make one wish for death certainly existed.
After receiving his orders, Wen Xiaochun entered the secret pavilion of the Eastern Depot.
This was his second time entering. The first time was when he had just become the Director, needing to familiarize himself with the hidden places within the Depot, so he hadn't looked very closely.
This time, ordered to execute Consort Lan with poison, he had to select the poison himself.
There were many poisons in the secret pavilion, but there was only one shelf dedicated to those that caused agonizing pain worse than death upon taking effect.
Half were slow-acting poisons, and the other half were fast-acting.
With the execution date imminent, he naturally had to choose a fast-acting poison for Consort Lan.
The place hadn't been cleaned for some time, and there was some dust on the shelves. After picking out the poison, Wen Xiaochun's gaze inadvertently fell on the shelf above.
In the slow-acting poison section, one type seemed to be missing a bottle.
Wen Xiaochun paused and took a closer look.
The slow-acting poison was called Tendon-Severing Bone-Crushing Poison. The withdrawal log attached beneath it recorded the year and month a bottle was taken, who it was used on, and how many were left.
The record stated there were six bottles remaining, but there were only five on the shelf.
And there was no record of who it was used on.
Wen Xiaochun flipped to the next page of the withdrawal log. On a blank page, seven tiny characters were written in the top left corner: Lingbei, Beihe Circuit, Sanchuan.
The ink was fresher than the previous entries.
Only the Director could enter this place, so the ink must have been left by Cui Rong.
Wen Xiaochun flipped to the very front and read the description of the Tendon-Severing Bone-Crushing Poison. When his eyes swept over the last line, the words meridians shattered inch by inch leaped out at him, and his pupils suddenly contracted.
The diagnosis of His Highness's physical condition resurfaced in his mind once again.
His fingertips turned ice-cold.
After a long while.
Wen Xiaochun finally gathered his thoughts, but his whole body felt even colder. Cui Rong could only be commanded by His Majesty. If things were truly as he suspected, didn't that mean His Highness's current condition was orchestrated by His Majesty?
No...
He looked again at the words on the last page: Lingbei, Beihe Circuit, Sanchuan. It was a place name.
Although Cui Rong was old and hadn't managed affairs in his later years, he was no fool. There must be a reason he left these words behind.
Wen Xiaochun restored everything to its original state and walked out briskly.
When he reached the central hall, he ran into Chen Jian. Chen Jian was startled by his frosty expression. "Director?"
Wen Xiaochun handed the selected poison to Chen Jian. "This is the poison His Majesty has bestowed upon Consort Lan. Pass it to the Fifth Prince so he can oversee the execution. I need to leave the capital."
Chen Jian's mind raced. "Are you going to the border?"
The Eastern Depot guards who had been dispatched previously were currently all at the border.
"Do not ask what you shouldn't ask."
Wen Xiaochun entrusted the affairs of the Eastern Depot to Chen Jian and two of his own confidants. After gathering his entourage, he left the capital on horseback that very day.
-
Over the next two days.
With the Fifth Prince overseeing the execution, the entire Li clan was beheaded for the crime of wartime treason.
Back when the Shu family embezzled disaster relief grain, the First Prince could at least use his official position to offset the crime. However, the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty stipulated that for the crime of treason, official rank was useless as a shield.
From his prison cell, the Sixth Prince watched as his maternal grandfather's family was dragged out, and watched as Consort Lan was forcibly dragged into a separate, enclosed cell to be fed poison.
The Fifth Prince had deliberately chosen a cell that was not soundproof. The Sixth Prince could clearly hear Consort Lan's agonizing screams as the poison took effect.
At first, the Sixth Prince wailed and cried. Gradually, as Consort Lan's voice weakened, his own voice went hoarse until he couldn't make a single sound.
His face was covered in tears, his hair was a mess, and his expression was vacant.
The Fifth Prince walked out of the execution cell and watched as Consort Lan's corpse was carried out, covered with a white cloth.
He asked the Sixth Prince, "Sixth Brother, do you want to see Consort Lan one last time?"
The stretcher was brought over, close to the cage.
The Sixth Prince lowered his head, his fingers trembling as he reached out through the bars. The Fifth Prince frowned slightly. Seeing his state and recalling Consort Lan's horrifying appearance in death, he suddenly slapped the Sixth Prince's hand away.
He said coldly, "Forget it."
The Fifth Prince ordered the jailers, "Take her away directly."
The Sixth Prince said hoarsely, "...Why did you change your mind?"
The Fifth Prince replied, "I have no desire to watch a tragic melodrama between the two of you."
He flicked his sleeves and left. The Sixth Prince sat alone in his cell. From morning until dusk, he didn't eat or drink a drop, nor did he change his posture.
When night fell, Eunuch Yu came to deliver an imperial decree.
Unrolling the edict, he read: "The entire Li clan has been executed. The Sixth Prince has committed the crime of treason. Although he was manipulated by Consort Lan and the Li clan, his actions cannot be pardoned. Therefore, the Sixth Prince is hereby stripped of his royal status, demoted to a commoner, and exiled to Zhennan Pass. He is sentenced to twenty years of agricultural labor, during which he may not return to the capital. Respect this."
The Sixth Prince knelt on the ground, his disheveled hair obscuring the expression on his face.
Eunuch Yu called out to him three or four times before he finally kowtowed and spoke the same words he always used when receiving an imperial decree.
"This commoner... receives the decree, and thanks His Majesty for his grace."
-
The Fifth Prince's Manor.
The Fifth Prince lit three sticks of incense in the small ancestral hall.
Beside the shrine sat a jade scorpion with golden eyes, which looked somewhat sinister amidst the curling smoke.
The Fifth Prince knelt on a hassock, gazing quietly. "Mother, Consort Lan is dead. I have avenged you."
"However, it's not over yet. I just don't know if I should continue."
Even though Consort Lan was the murderer, the one who aided the wicked, the one who knew there were hidden truths yet chose to forcefully suppress them, was the man sitting high upon the throne.
He didn't want to let him off easy.
He didn't want him to smoothly choose a crown prince and die without regrets.
But if he continued, it would shake the foundations of the state.
He didn't know whether he should go down this path.
-
The Sixth Prince returned to his manor holding the imperial decree.
The concubines in his manor had naturally all dispersed. Those implicated with him had either been imprisoned or taken for questioning. In the empty manor, he was the only one left.
He took a walk around the estate.
The night was deep and bitterly cold, with withered leaves scattered about.
He lit the lamp in his bedroom but didn't stay inside. Nor did he pack his belongings in preparation for farming at Zhennan Pass. Instead, he sat on the steps outside the room.
The imperial decree rested beside him.
He was in a daze, completely unaware of what he should do, nor did he think about the fact that on such a cold day, having not eaten for a long time, staying outside for a night could freeze him to death.
Until two sets of footsteps sounded, drawing closer and closer, and stopped beside him.
The Sixth Prince saw the familiar hem of a fox fur cloak.
He froze for a moment and raised his gaze. His seventh younger brother was still blindfolded with a black silk ribbon, and Eunuch Xiao Yuan was supporting him and guiding the way: "Your Highness, the Sixth Prince is sitting right here."
Qu Dubian said, "Banban, go wait outside the archway. I want to talk to Sixth Brother."
Ye Xiaoyuan nodded. "Call me if you need anything."
After he left, the Sixth Prince spoke with a hoarse voice, "Little Seven, why are you here?"
Everyone must know by now about his mother framing Little Seven, and Little Seven had certainly heard about it as well. After two vicious frame-ups, shouldn't Little Seven completely sever their brotherly ties?
Or could it be that he came here this time just to make a clean break...
Qu Dubian took something out from his chest pocket and handed it to him. "I brought you a hand-torn pancake."
It was wrapped in oil paper, radiating heat in the winter air.
The Sixth Prince's eyes instantly welled up with tears, and he didn't move for a long time.
Qu Dubian asked, "Sixth Brother, are you there?"
The Sixth Prince replied, "I'm here, I'm here." He quickly took the hand-torn pancake and unwrapped the oil paper.
Even though it was easy to unwrap, it took him several tries before he finally saw the steaming hot hand-torn pancake inside. Not minding the heat, he took a huge bite.
The pancake was baked to a crispy perfection, filled with meat, a fried egg, and slices of cured sausage.
However, the Sixth Prince couldn't taste its savory flavor. He took one bite, swallowed it whole, and stopped eating, clutching the pancake as he burst into loud sobs.
He cried uncontrollably. A single hand-torn pancake had released the terrifyingly oppressive emotions that had rapidly accumulated in a short period of time and were on the verge of crushing his spirit.
His heart-wrenching cries sounded somewhat frightening in the empty, silent courtyard.
Qu Dubian stepped onto the stairs and sat quietly beside the Sixth Prince.
The Sixth Prince kept crying, trembling all over, until he eventually couldn't catch his breath. Qu Dubian felt around his body a couple of times, accurately located the position of the mouth and nose on the little bean figure's face, and covered his mouth and nose with a handkerchief, creating a small enclosed space.
The Sixth Prince breathed into it for a moment before he felt a bit better.
Respiratory alkalosis could be relieved by breathing in air rich in carbon dioxide.
His face was covered in tears and snot. Qu Dubian didn't take the handkerchief back, letting him use it.
The Sixth Prince wiped his face clean with the handkerchief. His voice became even more hoarse, sounding like an old man.
"Little Seven, don't you blame me?"
Qu Dubian replied, "Your mother committed evil deeds, so why should I blame you? Even if a son must pay for his mother's debts, you have already paid it back."
"...Paid it back?"
"During the Xiang River flood, you and my mother were trapped on the mountaintop where Dowager Consort Zhou was buried. There were falling rocks on the mountain, and you shielded Consort Xuan from them."
The Sixth Prince's sluggish brain froze for a long time before he realized, "You knew about this all along?"
Qu Dubian said, "Yeah, I think... I found out when I was thirteen."
"Concubine Lan is Concubine Lan, and Sixth Brother is Sixth Brother."
The Sixth Prince looked as if he was about to cry again. He turned his head away and took a deep breath.
He buried his head and ate the pancake. Halfway through, he said, "When Fifth Brother took out that letter in the imperial court, I couldn't believe it. Later, when my maternal grandfather's family and I were imprisoned, and my mother was thrown into the inner prison, I hated him to death."
"When he escorted my mother to the Ministry of Justice, I wanted nothing more than to skin him alive and bite off his flesh."
"But when I found out that my mother was the one who murdered Noble Lady Rong, I suddenly didn't know what to do."
How could he hate him? He couldn't.
For so many years, he had always believed that it was he and his mother who had supported Old Fifth, allowing him to establish a foothold in the court and have a position, otherwise their imperial father would never have even noticed him.
He never expected that Old Fifth wasn't an ungrateful wretch; instead, he and his mother were the murderers.
The betrayal in the imperial court was Old Fifth's revenge.
"My mother is dead, and my maternal grandfather's family is completely gone. It's because of me, it's because of me..." the Sixth Prince whispered. "Actually, I am the one who deserves to die the most."
Qu Dubian said, "The matter between you and Fifth Brother is considered settled. From now on, Fifth Brother probably won't target you anymore. You shouldn't dwell on it either; you need to slowly move on. Sixth Brother, after leaving the capital and getting away from this quagmire, perhaps you will live a better life."
The Sixth Prince shook his head. "There are so many things I can't figure out."
"One day, you will."
Under the indulgent protection of Concubine Lan and Fifth Brother, the Sixth Brother seemed to have never truly grown up. He was naive, foolish, and possessed a natural disdain and indifference toward those of lower status.
He enjoyed the conveniences brought by his maternal family and power, fiercely protecting those he approved of while utterly humiliating those he looked down upon.
In the end, he also bore all the bitter consequences of his mother's family's crimes committed in their struggle for power.
After the Sixth Prince finished the last bite of the pancake, his body seemed a little warmer.
He turned his head to look at his younger brother, his gaze falling on that black silk ribbon. He mocked himself, "Even though I am the older brother, it seems like I have always been the one being taken care of and accommodated by you."
His shielding Consort Xuan from the rocks back then was nothing at all.
Despite Little Seven's physical condition, he still braved the dark night and the cold air to bring him a hand-torn pancake.
Singing of a prosperous year over wine, a bountiful harvest is truly a joy. When it was time to name him, his imperial father had selected a few characters for his mother to choose from. His mother picked the character Feng, hoping that his entire life would be wealthy, peaceful, and free of worries.
For the past twenty years, he had been living in a dream without any worries. Now, painfully awakened, he finally realized the truth.
The Sixth Prince said, "I'm sorry."
This sentence was spoken after a long pause, and it was unclear who it was meant for.
Qu Dubian stayed with him until the second half of the night.
The Sixth Prince couldn't hold on any longer and fainted.
Qu Dubian and Ye Xiaoyuan dragged him into the bedroom, then called a reliable servant from the manor to take care of him and help pack his belongings.
When the Sixth Prince left the capital, the Ministry of Justice sent guards to escort him, strictly forbidding anyone from visiting him and preventing him from carrying any gold, silver, jewelry, or banknotes.
Wearing ordinary cotton clothes, carrying only a small amount of broken silver and copper coins, and devoid of any magnificent ornaments, his heart was like dead wood.
Born with a silver spoon and dressed in brocade as a child, he grew up to become a desolate commoner.
The Sixth Prince walked out of this prosperous city.
-
After the Sixth Prince's incident, the capital experienced a brief period of peace.
Qu Dubian also paid a visit to the Fifth Prince's manor.
After getting his revenge, the Fifth Prince claimed to be ill and stayed at home. Qu Dubian thought it was a feigned illness, but as soon as he entered the Fifth Prince's bedroom, he smelled the strong scent of medicine.
The Fifth Prince was truly sick.
The hatred he had harbored for ten years had suddenly dissipated, and his body couldn't withstand the sudden release.
He leaned against the edge of the bed and coughed twice. "It must be hard on you, running back and forth between Sixth Brother and me."
Qu Dubian sat by the bed. "It's not hard at all. Instead, I get to play the good guy on both sides."
The Fifth Prince chuckled.
"Little Seven, let me ask you, are the rumors in the capital true? That you were secretly harmed."
Qu Dubian replied, "They're just rumors. Fifth Brother, the matter between you and Sixth Brother has finally come to an end. You should rest well and stop overthinking."
Since he had already left the vortex of hatred, he shouldn't step into another undercurrent.
"Indeed," Ye Xiaoyuan said, putting down a box of soothing incense. "His Highness brought you some incense. Lighting it will help you sleep."
"A person should live for themselves."
Qu Dubian was always worried that without the support of his hatred, his Fifth Brother might do something foolish. After all, not to mention in storybooks, there were plenty of such examples in real life.
The Fifth Prince said, "I know everything."
He and the Second Prince were on guard against each other, but at this critical juncture, it was better to avoid unnecessary trouble. As long as he remained silent from now on, the Second Prince definitely wouldn't pester him further.
When Qu Dubian spoke, he maintained a faint smile, even though he knew Little Seven couldn't see right now.
Only after he left did the Fifth Prince dismiss the servant who brought the food and lie down on his bed.
He lay with his eyes open, staring at the ceiling for a long time, before quietly taking a small box out from a hidden compartment under his pillow.
Inside the small box lay a hairpin belonging to Noble Lady Rong, along with a small golden pig pendant.
The hairpin was already somewhat old and worn, but the little golden pig was still bright, shiny, and charmingly endearing.
What sustained him, besides hatred, was a piece of true affection.
Another day passed.
Tang Yisu quietly left the capital. Not long after his departure, someone went to his former residence and took away his belongings.
The Seventh Prince's Estate.
Yi Shier said, "Before it was taken, our people made a shorthand copy. Your Highness, please take a look."
He handed over a stack of shorthand notes.
Qu Dubian flipped through a few pages.
At first, Yi Shier was worried that he wouldn't be able to see it. However, after Qu Dubian proved that although he couldn't see objects around him clearly, he could still read words, Yi Shier no longer insisted on reading it out to him.
"He came to the capital not just to deliver the documents, but also to secretly escort Director Liu safely to the capital all along the way."
Qu Dubian said, "His main purpose was to deliver the documents."
At that time, the chief inspector in charge of transporting the provisions was his Fifth Brother. This document, totaling nine pages, completely recorded the grain that the Fifth Prince had secretly embezzled while overseeing the transport.
The methods were very familiar.
Only, it was forged.
If his guess was correct, this was something his Second Brother had prepared in advance to guard against his Fifth Brother.
If, on the day his Fifth Brother backstabbed his Sixth Brother, he had dragged his Second Brother down with him in the royal court, then his Second Brother would definitely have turned this fake document into a real one.
Tang Yisu, hidden in the capital, would have appeared in the royal court just like Director Liu, accusing the Fifth Prince of his evil deeds on behalf of the soldiers at war.
He might even claim that the Fifth Prince and the Sixth Prince were in cahoots, with one embezzling grain and the other hoarding wealth, neither interfering with the other, both making a fortune in their own ways.
When that time came, the Sixth Prince's faction would definitely drag the backstabbing Fifth Prince down to drown with them.
However, his Fifth Brother didn't involve his Second Brother, so the document his Second Brother prepared in advance never came into play.
Whether it was temporarily useless or would never be used at all, was unknown.
This document thoroughly proved that Tang Yisu was the Second Prince's man.
Qu Dubian fell silent.
"Also," Yi Shier continued, "the shadow network has discovered someone suspected to be Cui Rong's daughter in the northern region of Lingbei. People from the Eastern Depot have already set off towards the north. It's unknown if they are heading there for her."
"Is Xiaochun leading them?"
"Yes."
Qu Dubian said, "How could they trace it to Cui Rong?"
Could it be that Cui Rong sent a message to the Eastern Depot?
That shouldn't be possible. Cui Rong was an old fox. The Eastern Depot was now controlled by the new director, and perhaps there were spies from other factions. Even if he were still alive, wouldn't sending a message to the Eastern Depot just expose himself?
Or perhaps, it was something left behind from early on?
Yi Shier asked, "Your Highness, what should we do next?"
Qu Dubian pinched the document. "Follow Tang Yisu. Await my orders and be ready to capture him at any moment."
Lingbei.
In a small courtyard in the mountains.
After many days, the First Prince finally received the news that the Sixth Prince had been demoted to a commoner and sent to Zhennan Pass to farm for twenty years.
"Treason. With such an end, one can only say he deserved it," he said, though he still let out a sigh. "The Second Prince has won. As for the current Crown Prince, who else could it be but him?"
Shu Wenxin said, "If His Majesty still has no intention of naming an heir, he will probably elevate the Fourth Prince or the Fifth Prince."
The First Prince said, "Originally, I thought Seventh Brother might have a chance."
Shu Wenxin agreed, "Indeed."
They had barely exchanged a few words in the courtyard when a knock came from outside the door.
The First Prince, assuming it was a few of his subordinate soldiers looking for him, called out, "Coming."
"Wait."
Shu Wenxin was a bit vigilant. "It shouldn't be an acquaintance."
The knocking was polite, whereas the few people they were familiar with always just banged on the door directly.
The First Prince paused, walked to the door, and asked, "Who is it?"
"The Eastern Depot. We have a matter and request an audience."
Hearing the words Eastern Depot, the First Prince's heart ran cold. "Wait a moment."
He glanced back at Shu Wenxin, who immediately ran back into the house to hide their two children.
After hiding them, Shu Wenxin returned.
The First Prince shot her a look, but she didn't leave.
Clearly, they were both thinking the same thing. For the Eastern Depot to suddenly appear here, could it be that the Crown Prince had already been decided, and their imperial father had sent the Eastern Depot to kill them to pave the way for the new monarch?
Or perhaps something had gone wrong in the capital, they had been implicated, and now had to die?
The First Prince took a deep breath and opened the door.
Wen Xiaochun said politely, "Greetings, Eldest Young Master."
"Sorry for the intrusion. I am the newly appointed Director of the Eastern Depot. My surname is Wen, and my name is Wen Xiaochun."
The First Prince said, "I know. Why are you here?"
Wen Xiaochun replied, "I am investigating a case by imperial decree, and the trail led to Lingbei. Thinking that the Eldest Young Master is familiar with this area, I wonder if you could help me find someone?"
Seeing that he bore no ill will and wasn't here to kill or cause trouble, the First Prince finally let out the breath he had been holding.
"Where to, and who are you looking for?"
Wen Xiaochun said, "Beihe Road, Sanchuan." But he didn't say who he was looking for.
The First Prince thought for quite a while before saying, "The place you mentioned is truly remote. If you look for it yourself, it would take half a month. I've led patrols through there before, so I can take you."
Wen Xiaochun said, "Thank you very much, Eldest Young Master."
His constant referring to him as Eldest Young Master made the First Prince feel rather awkward. "You'd better just call me by my name."
"Yes, Young Master Cang."
"..."
The First Prince fell silent. Seeing that Wen Xiaochun and the squad of Eastern Depot guards behind him had no intention of resting, he simply stepped out and led them to Beihe Road, Sanchuan.
Sanchuan was the name of a mountain.
It was located in a remote, hidden corner and was extremely difficult to find, surrounded by hidden ditches and traps left behind from hunting.
They searched around the mountain for a while before finding a somewhat dilapidated thatched cottage.
Wen Xiaochun pushed the door open and entered directly. A little girl of about six in the courtyard let out a startled cry and ran into the house. "Uncle! Uncle! So many people are here!"
An elderly man who looked like a steward came out of the house wielding an axe, shielding the little girl behind him. "Who is it!"
Wen Xiaochun had once seen the daughter Cui Rong had adopted. The little girl behind the old man was Cui Rong's adopted daughter, Huhu.
"May I ask if Director Cui is here?"
The old man said coldly, "He is already dead!"
A sharp look flashed through Wen Xiaochun's eyes. "Dead?"
Huhu poked her head out, nodded, and whispered, "Daddy was cut by bad guys. He bled a lot, and now he's sleeping in a big box."
The elderly steward took them to the back of the house to take a look.
There was a grave with the inscription Tomb of Master Cui. The full name wasn't written for fear of attracting enemies.
Wen Xiaochun fell silent. He bowed three times before the grave, as a gesture of gratitude for the support and guidance Cui Rong had once given him.
The elderly steward said, "For the sake of the old director's past acquaintance with you, please do not disturb his peace."
"I am truly sorry," Wen Xiaochun said. "I came this time to investigate the message Eunuch Director Cui left on the poison shelf at the Eastern Depot. I never expected that he would already be dead."
The old butler's eyes flickered, but he said nothing.
Behind him, Huhu scratched her head. "Eh? Poison?"
The old butler immediately covered her mouth.
Wen Xiaochun narrowed his eyes and raised a hand.
The Depot guards swiftly pulled the old butler away and gagged him. Huhu stood there helplessly, on the verge of tears.
Wen Xiaochun crouched down and said gently, "Do you remember me? I came to see your daddy before, and even gave you sweets to eat."
"Let Uncle ask you a question," he said, pulling a few sweets from his robes. "If you answer correctly, I will give all of these to you. But little children who answer wrong will get nothing."
Huhu said, "Don't take Uncle away."
Wen Xiaochun replied, "If you get it all right, not only will I let your uncle go, but I will give him sweets too."
Only then did Huhu nod.
"Where have you heard about 'poison' before?"
Huhu said, "It was a story my daddy told me at Shanming Pass."
"What story?"
"Um..." Huhu thought for a moment. "It was about a really nice big brother who was amazing at fighting battles. Some bad guys didn't want him to be so amazing, so they made him take a poison that hurts a whole lot when you drink it."
"I even asked Daddy, isn't the big brother a little silly? Why did he drink it just because the bad guys told him to? Daddy told me it was because the bad guys used the name of the Sage."
"But, I don't know who the Sage is... Uncle, do you know?"
She asked so innocently, yet Wen Xiaochun's hands and feet turned ice-cold.
Tearing tendons and shattering bones.
Just how much must it have hurt.
