Chapter 10
“Lead me to the City Guard’s black prison.” Pei Jiuzhi’s voice was cold as he looked down at Fu Zhou.
“Does the City Guard handle investigations in this manner?” Pei Jiuzhi walked out of the hall first.
“Ninth Highness, I know you… you want to keep someone from leaving Prince Jing’s Mansion.” Fu Zhou knelt on the ground, still not knowing what was happening.
“Fu Zhou, starting today, you will be dismissed from your duties to reflect upon yourself and your actions.” Emperor Pei Chu was stunned for a moment before he understood the implications.
The murderer who killed Fang Xiuzhi was a demon, so it couldn’t be someone from Prince Jing’s mansion.
Pei Chu was very clear about the schemes and power struggles going on in the palace.
Fu Zhou is an official of the Crown Prince’s faction. It appears that this time, for the sake of political achievements, he rushed the investigation carelessly.
“Your Majesty—” Fu Zhou bowed in panic, “This…what’s going on?! I don’t understand.”
“You go, at once, to open the black prison.” Pei Chu turned his back and ignored him.
Fu Zhou hurriedly caught up with Pei Jiuzhi.
After leaving the hall, he watched helplessly as the figure of Pei Jiuzhi in a white robe turned into a blue bird with fluttering wings.
“Quick, hurry up and protect His Highness the Ninth Prince.” Fu Zhou guessed that he might have caught the wrong person.
But the girl had clearly confessed, and she was not as calm as an ordinary maid.
How could they arrest the wrong person? That rabbit lantern was indeed hers.
A small blue bird was flying in front, and following behind it was the City Guard’s cavalry.
Pei Jiuzhi can’t maintain the human form for very long, the blue bird form conserves the energy contained in the talisman paper.
Fu Zhou ordered the Deputy Commander beside him: “Go, go to the black prison first, bring that girl out, and take off the chains on her first, don’t let His Highness the Ninth Prince see.”
“My lord, Your Majesty has ordered you to resign and reflect.” The Deputy Commander said coldly, holding the reins of the horse, “Now I am the commander of the City Guard.”
“You—” Fu Zhou was about to speak when the Deputy Commander reached out to him, “Master Fu, please give me the key to open the black prison.”
——
Inside the dense black prison, Wu Su reluctantly leaned against the wall, thinking about when the City Guard would convict her.
If she is convicted, she will be executed. At that time, Wu Su thought she would have a chance to escape.
Her shoulders and back were in great pain, and her neck also felt sore after being choked by Fu Zhou. Wu Su couldn’t breathe well, and she felt that her throat was bleeding.
Although the yin and yang energy provided by humans is delicious to her, Wu Su is not used to dealing with humans.
They hate monsters. If they find out her identity, she will be treated even more cruelly.
Wu Su lowered her head, her long eyelashes trembling slightly, but her mood was still calm without any waves.
She has no feelings against Wei Li who betrayed her, nor does she hate Fu Zhou who wronged her.
Chaos has no emotions, so she will not experience concepts such as hatred.
Wu Su just felt very tired, because she didn’t think she could escape.
As for the Little Highness who can turn into a blue bird, she has long forgotten him.
From Wu Su’s point of view, a nobleman like him would not care about what she said.
After a long time, she felt that her legs were a little numb, so she moved slightly, and the chains that bound her rattled.
At the far end of the pitch-black prison, Wu Su saw a ray of light appear, as if someone had opened the door.
Someone lit a lamp and walked in. Wu Su’s vision had been filled with darkness for a long time, and at first, she couldn’t see the appearance of the person clearly.
She squinted her eyes, only seeing a large expanse of dazzling white light.
This light is clear, pure and flawless, just like the sun and the moon, hanging high in the sky and never falling.
After a long time, that dazzling light approached her.
Wu Su’s eyes flinched, the light was too bright, she couldn’t open her eyes.
A moment later, it seemed that someone squatted down in front of her.
The familiar voice sounded in front of her, gentle and cold, like a spring melting on a glacier.
“Keys.” Pei Jiuzhi pulled the bunch of cold keys from the Deputy Commander’s hand, a little anxiously.
The City Guards standing at the side had never seen Pei Jiuzhi so restless.
He has always been calm and ruthless, without emotional fluctuations due to anything.
He was more like a god without sorrow or joy, unlike now——
Squatting in front of a humble and ordinary woman, he personally released the shackles on her ankles.
Wu Su felt a pair of slightly cold hands caressing her ankles, her brows were slightly frowned, and her feet shrank back.
Pei Jiuzhi held her ankle, and spoke in a low tone, “Don’t move.”
Wu Su opened her lips and was stunned for a long time when she recognized the voice – this was the first time she remembered the specific voice of a human being.
She obviously didn’t remember it deliberately, but when he spoke, the name still came to her empty mind.
“Little Highness? ” Wu Su’s voice was terribly hoarse. As soon as she spoke, the bottom of her throat seemed to be filled with blood again, filling her mouth.
Pei Jiuzhi pulled away the chains around her, and took her hand.
As soon as he moved Wu Su’s hand, she felt pain in the dislocated shoulder.
But Wu Su was still calm. She didn’t cry out in pain, but a thin sheen of sweat formed on her forehead.
“Injured?” Pei Jiuzhi’s voice was harsh.
Wu Su didn’t answer him.
The Deputy Commander at the side said: “His Royal Highness, the prison is dirty, let me assist you.”
“No need.” Pei Jiuzhi carefully unlocked the chains on Wu Su’s wrist. He lowered his body, and picked up Wu Su horizontally.
He felt that this matter was due to his negligence. If he had notified the City Guard earlier, they would not have arrested her.
But when she had lied to him, she had been so calm and confident, how could she have failed to defend herself in front of the City Guard?
Wu Su’s body was stiff, and it took her a long time to realise that she was being carried in Pei Jiuzhi’s arms.
There were bloodstains on her wrists where they had been scratched by the chains, which were now rubbing on his pure white clothes. The blood had already seeped in, and could no longer be removed.
Pei Jiuzhi’s current body was essentially made from transformed talisman paper, and the blood stains on the paper would naturally not disappear.
Wu Su reluctantly raised her wrists a little, afraid of soiling Pei Jiuzhi’s clothes.
She didn’t know what to say. She opened her mouth to speak, but her throat hurt, so she stayed silent.
“Where’s the doctor?” Pei Jiuzhi asked in a deep voice as he walked out of the black cell.
“I’m going to call him now.” The Deputy Commander saluted as he spoke.
“Does the City Guard office have any medicine?” He asked again.
Pei Jiuzhi felt that Wu Su was very light in his arms, as if he could break her body with just a little force.
The City Guard’s Black Prison is not a good place, how could she withstand it?
Wu Su frowned slightly. She was afraid of being troublesome, so she said: “Your Highness, no need.”
As soon as he heard her voice, it was clear that her neck was injured. Pei Jiuzhi stared at her with lowered eyes, and said two words coldly: “Don’t speak.”
He is fierce, so Wu Su keeps quiet.
Soon, she was placed in a room in the City Guard Department.
The Deputy Commander spoke to Pei Jiuzhi with a trembling voice: “Your Royal Highness, the doctor is coming soon, please take a break, this… this matter is the City Guard’s mistake, I should have persuaded Master Fu more, but he was too in too much of a hurry, and this girl was indeed suspicious.”
“Medicine.” Pei Jiuzhi didn’t listen to this person’s words.
A guard standing behind him handed over the medicine box.
Pei Jiuzhi turned sideways and closed the door.
Wu Su leaned on the soft bed, watching him quietly.
Because Pei Jiuzhi told her to shut up just now, she is not going to speak.
“It was my negligence. I had something important to do, so I didn’t have time to inform the City Guard.”
Pei Juizhi had never expected that they would be able to trace the lantern back to Wu Su.
Wu Su nodded. She was thinking about whether she could go back to Prince Jing’s Mansion since she was rescued by the Little Highness.
She could still continue to work.
Wu Su’s thoughts drifted away and her vision blurred. Only in this way could she ignore the pain in her body.
“I’m offended.” Pei Jiuzhi leaned forward, put his palms on Wu Su’s shoulders, and helped her sit up.
Wu Su really didn’t have the energy to sit up straight. Her back softened, and she leaned against Pei Jiuzhi’s arms.
Pei Jiuzhi’s breath stopped. He didn’t push her away, but only lifted aside her collar a little to check the injury on her shoulder and back.
He knew that she was seriously injured, and it would be better if she was treated earlier.
Wu Su didn’t struggle, allowing him to move her, as quiet as a dead person.
Pei Jiuzhi held her up with one arm, took the decoction on the table with the other, and asked Wu Su to drink it.
He held the bowl, and pressed the edge against Wu Su’s lips. Wu Su opened her mouth and drank the medicinal soup.
The medicine was very bitter. Wu Su frowned, but the bloody feeling in her throat was suppressed, and her neck didn’t hurt as much.
“Your Highness, thank you.” Wu Su turned her face sideways, her long eyelashes trembling.
She raised her hand, trying to take the medicine herself, but her arm was limp, as if she had lost the support of her bones, and she couldn’t lift it up.
“I’ll do it.” Pei Jiuzhi sighed softly.
Wu Su closed her eyes and didn’t speak any more. He picked up some of the ointment to relieve bruising, and rubbed his cold fingers over her back and shoulder
“It will hurt later.” Pei Jiuzhi reminded Wu Su.
“Oh.” Wu Su responded.
Pei Jiuzhi lifted her upper arm, and pressed her shoulder deftly, returning the dislocated joint to its place.
Wu Su’s cheeks were wrinkled in pain, but she still didn’t cry out.
She heard Pei Jiuzhi sigh deeply again, his chest moving slightly.
Wu Su caught a glimpse of her bare shoulders from the corner of her eye.
Pei Jiuzhi pressed her shoulder with his fingers, smudging the bruise ointment over her skin, causing a slight burning sensation.
This is the second time she has been this intimate with a human.
The last time was at Guanlan Pavilion.
She remembered that her clothes were pulled away by a similar hand at that time.
Wu Su looked at Pei Jiuzhi’s hand in confusion. She stretched out her hand suddenly, enduring the pain, and grabbed his fingertips.
“Your Highness, I’ll do it myself.” Wu Su bit her lip.
Pei Jiuzhi brushed her hand away and asked, “Do you still have the strength?”
Wu Su shook her head.
“When you lied to me, you were so bold, why did you get caught by the City Guard?”
For some reason, Pei Jiuzhi asked such an inappropriate question.
He shouldn’t have asked this. Such a sentence surpassed the relationship between two people who had met by chance.
On the day Wu Su was arrested, she couldn’t speak. She didn’t explain, and just looked at Pei Jiuzhi quietly.
Pei Jiuzhi found that from the beginning to the end, she was so calm. Every move was as if an inanimate object was moving according to instinct.
He noticed the bruises on her neck, so he took more ointment with his fingertips to apply it.
He felt the vigorous pulse in her neck, which seemed to be proof of her existence.
Wu Su lowered her eyes. Even though Pei Jiuzhi touched her, she didn’t struggle.
“Speak.” “Pei Jiuzhi spoke again.
“Your Highness, what do you want me to say?”
“Blame me, the City Guards, or anyone else,” Pei Jiuzhi said.
“I have no complaints.” Wu Su replied.
Pei Jiuzhi’s fingertips flicked, and he stared at Wu Su. At this moment, Wu Su’s loosely draped clothes slipped.
When she had arrived in the black prison, she was dragged around for questioning. Her clothes were already disheveled, but when Pei Jiuzhi touched her to apply the medicine, they became even looser.
The clothes quickly slipped down to her chest. Wu Su remembered that there was a small beauty mark on her transformed body.
At this moment, a similar thought flashed through Pei Jiuzhi’s mind. His clear and indifferent eyes, staring at the slipped clothes, suddenly narrowed.