Come Visit Me in Prison More Often!

"Yes!"

After getting that answer, Qin Muye gave a scornful laugh, then leaned against the window frame and closed his eyes.

He was exhausted.

His constitution was too weak. Just making it here had already drained most of his strength.

But more than that, he was weary in spirit.

Bai Yuji had been frank, but whether she was frank or not no longer mattered.

Even if he hadn't come, he could have figured out most of what had happened. He'd come here simply to put an end to the charade in a way that made sense.

There was no point.

"Qin Muye! Qin Muye..."

Bai Yuji called out several times, but got no response.

Her chest felt painfully tight. She didn't know why Qin Muye had suddenly rushed here, but since he was here, he must have come with suspicions. If she asked him a few more questions, she might be able to piece things together.

She was furious.

Not because Qin Muye had lashed out at her. Given his position, it would have been unreasonable for him not to be angry.

She was angry because they were enemies, and she was only taking revenge. So why did she feel guilty? Why had her first instinct even been to explain herself to him?

When she had nodded in agreement to the plan, she had clearly known what the consequences would be. So when they came, why was she still upset?

Besides... Nanzhao hadn't left many Flaws. She could have simply denied everything. Why had she admitted it?

She took a deep breath, but the tightness in her chest didn't ease at all. Gritting her teeth, she asked, "Qin Muye! Don't you want to ask me anything else?"

Qin Muye didn't even open his eyes. "What's left to ask? The fact I haven't cursed you out is the last shred of my self-restraint."

"You!"

"You should be grateful we've lived and died together. I still want to stay alive long enough to get my aunt out. Otherwise, we wouldn't be sitting here talking. Now get out of my carriage!"

"Haah..."

Bai Yuji took several deep breaths before her vision stopped going dark. She reached into her clothes, felt around, then handed Qin Muye a pill. "I can get out, but your qi and blood are in turmoil. Take this first."

Qin Muye took the pill and tossed it straight out the window. "Get out!"

Bai Yuji: "..."

After a long silence, she swallowed the "I'm sorry" that had risen to her lips, then jumped down from the carriage.

Qin Muye leaned against the window and rested with his eyes closed.

His mind was entirely focused on how to clear Qin Yanying's name.

A death sentence was out of the question.

But there was no problem with sentencing her to a decade or more.

At a time like this, the emperor had to appease both sides.

But Qin Muye believed she was innocent, so she shouldn't have to spend even a single day behind bars.

In a city as vast as the Capital, he had to find someone influential enough to stand up for Qin Yanying.

Of all the people with enough clout who might be willing to help, he couldn't think of anyone but Li Xingluo.

But the Qin Family had no ties to Li Xingluo whatsoever.

Given the current situation in the Capital, she couldn't afford to risk her reputation.

Besides.

Even if Li Xingluo were willing to risk offending the Demon Officials by speaking up for Qin Yanying, her influence alone would likely be nowhere near enough.

So was he really supposed to watch Qin Yanying go to prison?

The court might not dare take Qin Yanying's life.

But one prison wasn't the same as another.

In some prisons, they gave you a light beating every three days and a heavy one every five.

In others, it was like going home: you ate and used things better than you could outside.

So... how could he turn this situation around?

"Knock, knock, knock!"

Someone rapped on the window frame. "Young General!"

Qin Muye quickly lifted the curtain. "Does my aunt want to see me?"

The Imperial Guard sighed. "The drill instructor told you not to get involved anymore. You must not get yourself tangled up in this matter."

Qin Muye fell silent for a moment, then asked in a low voice, "Do you want to save your drill instructor?"

The Imperial Guard nodded repeatedly. "I do!"

Qin Muye lowered his voice. "Go tell Commander Chen to uncover the roofs of all the carriages carrying pregnant women and children. Make sure everyone can see what happened as we return to the city!"

"But..."

"Trust me!"

The Flower Boat.

"I can't go on, cousin! I'm done for!"

Wang Li's eyes were swollen and bruised. He lay on the floor and weakly waved a hand in surrender.

Qingqiu Ningning rose from atop him, looking disappointed, then linked arms with Shen Jin. "Your cousin can't keep up. Should we let Yu Shanjun join us instead?"

"Yu Shanjun's busy cultivating!"

Shen Jin waved her off, then crouched down. "Wang Li, Ningning won't belong to just the two of us anymore. Seeing you perform like this breaks my heart, as your older cousin. We can't let this spring night go to waste. Want something potent to help you recover?"

Wang Li seemed tempted, but then he appeared to remember something and quickly waved his hands. "No, no!"

He still remembered how Shen Jin had performed like a god of war after taking those pills.

There didn't seem to be any side effects yet, but Wang Li knew they had to be damaging his foundation.

He hurriedly got up and put on his clothes. "Cousin, I haven't been home in ages. I'll go back and rest for a few days."

"You're so weak!"

"I'm off!"

Wang Li hurried out, only to bump into someone just outside the door.

The man merely frowned, then rushed over to Shen Jin. "Young Master, something major has happened at the city gate!"

"Something major? What?"

Shen Jin grabbed Qingqiu Ningning around the waist and lifted her up and down, paying the man no mind.

The man quickly recounted what he'd seen.

"Really?!"

Shen Jin's eyes lit up, and he stopped moving. He couldn't help throwing back his head and laughing. "Good, good, good! What a Qin Yanying—she even dared to kill Hu Huan's wife and children. Let's see you escape death now! Come on, let's go watch the show!"

Qingqiu Ningning looked displeased and glanced at Wang Li. "You little brat, what feud does the Qin Family have with your cousin?"

Wang Li held his back and grinned. "Last time Qin Muye was kidnapped, Qin Yanying took out her anger on us and dislocated Cousin's hip."

"Oh..."

Qingqiu Ningning seemed thoughtful, and an inscrutable smile curled her lips.

Seeing Shen Jin struggle to get dressed, clearly worked up to the point of bursting with excitement, she waved a slender hand and got dressed too.

Then she went with Shen Jin to call their friends together, and they took a boat toward the shore.

They were all there to watch the show.

On the way, the children of the Demon Officials cursed up a storm, denouncing Qin Yanying without end. After all, that name was infamous in the Demon Official circle.

"Qin Yanying doesn't give us the slightest respect!"

"She dared to kill Hu Huan's wife and children. What's to stop her from killing us like chicks?"

"We can't let her get away with acting so high and mighty!"

"Brother Shen, Qin Yanying should die this time, right?"

"Heh..."

Shen Jin sneered. "Don't worry! Great Gan has recovered its former glory thanks to the great service your fathers rendered. The Yayu family in particular made enormous contributions. His Majesty saw it, and so did the officials. They'll never let Qin Yanying off lightly!

"I just heard that the party escorting Qin Yanying didn't conceal anything. Everyone can see what happened.

"Only Hu Huan's wife and children are dead, while the human race hasn't suffered a single injury.

"This is no small matter!"

His cheeks flushed with excitement.

He'd thought it would take a long time to avenge the humiliation he'd suffered last time.

But who would've thought? He'd still underestimated the Qin Family's knack for causing trouble.

Last time, Qin Muye himself was kidnapped, but I suffered for it for no reason.

Let's see how you die this time!

The carriage raced onward.

They soon reached Xuanwu Street.

This road ran straight between the palace and the northern gate of the Capital. The escort was heading down this very route.

He jumped onto the carriage roof and eagerly surveyed the procession. Seeing Qin Yanying bound hand and foot, he grinned so widely his face twisted. "Good, good, good! It really is her!"

Wang Li pointed to the carriage behind them. "Cousin, look! Qin Muye!"

"Hahaha! He's finished too!"

"Is it really that bad?"

"How could it not be?"

Shen Jin said excitedly, "This matter has blown wide open. Everyone involved will be dragged down with it! Even if he had nothing to do with it, he'll still be confined under house arrest!"

Wang Li suddenly pointed in another direction. "Cousin, that woman—why does she look familiar?"

Shen Jin followed his gaze, and his face instantly stiffened.

Damn!

Wasn't that Qingtiao?

Why was she here too?

This matter had gotten so big that everyone would be investigated from top to bottom. If they traced the line back to Qingtiao...

He was done for!

Listening to the people whispering along both sides of Xuanwu Avenue, he realized this really was going to blow up. Everyone involved would be dragged down with it.

Including him...

Wang Li: "Cousin, cousin, why did you suddenly stop smiling?"

Shen Jin: "???"

The Imperial Princess Mansion.

"What?!"

Li Xingluo sprang to her feet.

Pu Mingzhu said solemnly, "It happened so suddenly that no one had time to react. Imperial Princess, what should we do?"

Li Xingluo furrowed her brows and pondered for a long time, then sighed. "If any human pregnant women or children had been harmed, there might still be room to contest this case. But now... If we intervene rashly, we'll only disrupt our arrangements.

"Nanny, send people to secretly protect the families of those pregnant women and children. Don't reveal your identities.

"Other than that, do nothing!

"Even the gods can't save this situation!"