Outside the Heavenly Prison, the sky had darkened at some point, and a light drizzle began to fall, carrying the chill of late autumn, wetting the mottled stone steps and the cold ground.
The once luxurious Brocade Robe robes and skirts worn by Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, Zhang Heng, and Jiang Luohan were now filthy.
They were forced to kneel in the mud by a group of fierce, black-armored guards. The rainwater mixed with mud washed away their carefully applied makeup.
The once high-ranking young masters, ladies, and daughters of the Marquis Estate are now no different from the lowest prisoners.
Jiang Luohan knelt in the cold mud, her body trembling from the cold and fear. Her carefully drawn eyebrows and eyes were blurred by the rain, making her look even more disheveled.
Her heart was filled with endless regret and resentment. This resentment was not directed at Prince Jing and Prince Qi, who had captured them, nor at the "Young Master Zhang" she was about to meet, but was all poured out on Zhang Heng, who was equally disheveled beside her.
Zhang Heng, that madman, that idiot.
If he hadn't provoked Li Dagang and Mo Zhai, if he hadn't condoned or even instructed his wicked servants to kill them, how could they have ended up in this predicament?
She painstakingly cultivated her position in the Marquis Yong'an's Estate, sparing no expense, thinking she would enjoy endless wealth and glory. Who would have thought that her glory would last only a few days before she was destined to go to hell with him?
She hated Zhang Heng's stupidity and shortsightedness, hated Qin Xuehua's indulgence and pampering, and hated Zhang Wanning, the troublemaker, even more.
He hated everyone in the Marquis Estate's mansion, feeling that it was these lunatics who had dragged her down with them.
She forgot how much effort she had put into currying favor with the Marquis Estate's family.
Qin Xuehua and her daughter Zhang Wanning were also ashen-faced, their hearts consumed by endless regret and fear.
Although they loved Zhang Heng, the hatred in their hearts could not be erased after being harmed by Zhang Heng.
Moreover, they just couldn't understand why, just a few days ago, they were still the high and mighty mistresses and young ladies of the Marquis's Marquis Estate, enjoying the fawning and flattery of countless people.
How did I become a prisoner in the blink of an eye, kneeling in this cold, filthy mud, awaiting an unknown fate?
And the source of all this... seems to point to Zhang Yu, who was forced by them to take the blame.
Yes, ever since Zhang Yu left the Marquis Estate.
No, it's as if the Marquis Estate has been plagued by misfortune ever since they decided to force Zhang Yu to take the blame.
First, the Alchemy Workshop had an accident, and then the Freight Station.
In the end, he even became a prisoner.
Could it be... really related to that good-for-nothing?
No, that's impossible.
He's just an incompetent people-pleaser, how could he possibly have such power?
It must be a coincidence.
Qin Xuehua and Zhang Wanning frantically denied that terrible association in their hearts. They absolutely refused to admit that it was their shortsightedness and ruthlessness that had sown the seeds of their destruction today.
They blamed their mistakes on fate, on Zhang Heng's stupidity, and even on Zhang Yu's "bad luck," which seemed to make them feel a little better.
Zhang Heng himself was filled with deep regret.
His hair was disheveled, his face was deathly pale, and he had long lost the imposing presence he once had as the Marquis Yong'an.
He regretted it, regretted for forcing Li Dagang and Mo Zhai... but what good was regret now?
It's all too late!
He only hoped that the mysterious "Young Master Zhang" would show mercy and spare his life.
As the group shivered in the rain, each harboring their own secrets, they wondered who this "Young Master Zhang" really was.
A light yet chilling sound of footsteps came from the depths of the rain.
The group instinctively looked up and saw Xiao Fenghua.
Xiao Fenghua walked up to the group, her voice cold and devoid of any warmth:
"Let's go, Young Master Zhang wants to see you."
Young Master Zhang?
Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, and Zhang Heng were all taken aback, their hearts filled with doubt and uncertainty.
Young Master Zhang?
How did Young Master Zhang end up in the Heavenly Prison?
Only Jiang Luohan's body trembled violently the moment she heard the words "Young Master Zhang".
A conjecture she had pondered repeatedly, yet found too absurd to delve into, suddenly exploded in her mind like a thunderclap.
Could it be... really him?
Yes, there must be some inside story that Zhang Yu knew that made two County Princess lower themselves to serve him.
Jiang Luohan felt a chill run from the soles of her feet straight to the top of her head, even more piercing than the icy rain.
She suddenly raised her head and looked at Xiao Fenghua, but the moment she met Xiao Fenghua's cold phoenix eyes, all the words stuck in her throat.
Xiao Fenghua's eyes said it all.
That wasn't the look one gives to a stranger prisoner; rather... it was a look tinged with a mixture of disgust and pity, as if looking at a group of pitiful creatures about to face trial.
"Take away."
Xiao Fenghua didn't give them any more time to think, and gave a calm order to the black-armored guards behind her.
The fierce guards immediately stepped forward, roughly dragged the four men out of the mud, and shoved them toward the depths of the Heavenly Prison.
The rain intensified.
The icy rain mixed with mud streamed down Qin Xuehua and the others' faces, indistinguishable between rainwater and tears of despair.
They didn't know what awaited them, but the words "Young Master Zhang" and Xiao Fenghua's cold attitude were like a heavy boulder, making it hard for them to breathe.
When Jiang Luohan guessed that the Young Master Zhang, whom the entire Imperial Family treated with utmost respect, might be Zhang Yu, she was no longer so panicked.
Last time, because of his Obsession, Zhang Yu had no choice but to let her go.
Therefore, she was convinced that Zhang Yu still had feelings for her and would not make things difficult for her.
Unbeknownst to her, Zhang Yu had already devised a way to deal with her Obsession.
Once the Obsession sees the true colors of Jiang Luohan and Qin Xuehua, it will naturally dissipate into nothingness.
"Walk!"
As they pondered, the black-armored guard gave a low shout and roughly shoved Qin Xuehua and the others forward.
Unlike Qin Xuehua and the other two who were filled with fear and confusion, Jiang Luohan's feelings were quite complex.
After guessing that the Young Master Zhang was most likely Zhang Yu, her initial panic and coldness gradually faded, and she even felt a faint sense of anticipation.
She was confident that, based on her understanding of Zhang Yu's "infatuation," as long as she lowered her pride slightly and showed remorse and dependence, Zhang Yu would soften and fall at her feet again.
At that time, she could not only escape her current predicament, but might even turn misfortune into blessing and become the woman of this Young Master Zhang, whom even the Imperial Family had to curry favor with.
She even began to fantasize about how to rely on Zhang Yu's favor to trample the two County Princess, Xiao Fenghua and Xiao Meier, under her feet.
She was the mistress of the house, while the two County Princess were merely concubines; the thought of it excited her.
Thinking of this, Jiang Luohan almost couldn't help but laugh out loud.
She even felt that the cold shackles on her hands were a unique embellishment to her upcoming "rise to the top".
She looked into the deep tunnel ahead, her eyes no longer filled with fear, but rather with anticipation and calculation.
Just as Qin Xuehua and the others were filled with anxiety, and Jiang Luohan was indulging in unrealistic daydreams, the passageway came to an end.
They finally met the mysterious Young Master Zhang.
At the end of the passageway was a prison cell that had been converted into something almost luxurious.
The ground was covered with soft, thick Exotic Beasts hides, making no sound when you stepped on them.
The precious rosewood table and chairs exuded a faint fragrance, and several rare Spirit Plant adorned the corners, emitting a soft glow.
A strange, calming fragrance filled the air, completely out of place in the Heavenly Prison atmosphere of the prison.
Qin Xuehua, Zhang Wanning, Zhang Heng, Jiang Luohan were roughly shoved by the black-armored guards.
The shackles dragged on the floor, scraping against the smooth surface with a harsh noise that shattered the tranquility of the place.
Almost instinctively, their gazes immediately fell upon the figure in the center of the cell, subtly surrounded by the crowd, sitting in the main seat.
Then, their breathing stopped simultaneously.
On the main seat, a figure in a blue robe leaned casually against the soft couch, his posture relaxed.
The man had a young face and a faint air of aloofness between his brows. He was toying with a warm jade teacup in his hand, seemingly unconcerned about their intrusion.
That figure, that face...
Why does it look so familiar?
Qin Xuehua's pupils suddenly contracted to the size of pinpoints, and her heart felt as if it were being gripped tightly by an invisible hand, almost stopping its beating.
A bone-chilling coldness shot up her spine to the top of her head, leaving her limbs stiff and cold.
He then shook his head abruptly, thinking he was seeing things.