In the courtyard of the Rongguo Mansion.
"He knelt."
Hearing those two words, Wang Xifeng felt a dizzying wave of despair. Grief covered her pale face.
She knew Brother Huan all too well.
Such a proud man, whose career had blazed a glorious trail from the moment he entered official service, was now kneeling before his enemy at the heart of the Imperial City. That indomitable spirit of his would shatter before everyone's eyes!
"Never wag your tail and beg for mercy. I would rather be tortured than have you kneel."
Lin Daiyu leaned against the doorway, tears brimming in her eyes, her slender fingers clutching the beaded curtain in a death grip. How much pain must Brother Huan be suffering at this very moment?
To protect them, he had willingly borne a humiliation as vast as the heavens. He was plainly a victim oppressed by the imperial nobility. After kneeling like this, could Brother Huan ever live as himself again?
Concubine Zhao wrung her handkerchief, her reddened eyes filled with anguish. She dared not imagine the mocking gazes of the entire court, nor the heart-rending torment her son must be feeling.
An Xuan'er slowly closed her eyes.
Wherever Lord Jia went, he shone brilliantly. For every person who admired and revered him, another hated and cursed him in secret.
Once he knelt, his dignity would be utterly gone.
No matter how great Lord Jia's achievements became, kneeling to beg for mercy would remain an enormous, indelible stain.
Outside the courtyard, the Foolish Tyrant, Xue Pan, bent over and barely caught his breath. Seeing tears even in his own younger sister's eyes, he hurriedly blurted out the rest:
"What are you crying for? It was the Second Prince who knelt to Brother Huan!"
In an instant, shock flashed through Wang