novelaction Chapter 272 Li Heng's Tragic Condition
Chapter 272 Li Heng's Tragic Condition
Although Gu Chang'an is known as the "Living Yama," he has reached his current position through careful and cautious maneuvering. The fact that he could target Li Heng shows that he is very angry.
"This man can be quite a sight when he goes crazy; he's very wicked. Miss, you'd better not go," Lian Qiao advised from the side.
Peony nodded in agreement: "Yes, I've heard that when people go mad, their facial features shift and become deformed, giving them a crazy look. It's quite frightening."
Shen Li didn't want to explain it to them clearly, so she said, "Alright, I've always been timid. If I scare someone badly, my husband will be heartbroken."
"..." Forsythia and peony.
The two women stood there for a long time, completely at a loss for words. They agreed with the second half of the statement, but what on earth was the first half?
“Yes, Miss, you live in your boudoir and can’t bear to see such a scene. It’s best if you don’t go,” Yu Die quickly said.
Forsythia and Peony looked at Yudie with affirmation; at this point, it was the newcomers who could join the conversation.
"In that case, I'll go to bed early." Shen Li sighed, "I should have known better than to burn incense."
Upon hearing this, the girls looked at their toes and touched their ears, pretending not to understand.
Just as Shen Li was about to undress, she suddenly remembered something and raised her hand to stop the maid.
Is it possible that her husband's failure to return is related to what she said during the day?
Before her rebirth, she frequently corresponded with the Crown Prince. After her rebirth, although her stance changed, she still communicated quite often.
Although she was worried that the messages would be intercepted, she only made rubbings of the characters on the book and did not leave her own handwriting. However, if the messages were left by the Crown Prince, then anyone could piece together the information to find that it came from her.
What her husband needed to do was to confirm whether these things were there or not; he couldn't just sit idly by and wait for his fate.
"Miss, what's wrong?" Lian Qiao asked, puzzled.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Li said, "Give me a coat and let's go to the other courtyard."
Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.
After being tormented several times, Li Heng finally became obedient. After hearing the news that Gu Chang'an and Shen Li were about to arrive in the capital, he lost his appetite. He waited for half a day in the East Palace and then received news of the deposed crown prince.
After being taken to the Dali Temple, he was so indignant that he didn't feel hungry. However, after being forced to drink chili water several times, he was in so much pain that he craved food. He tried to ask for some, but all he got was more chili water.
The prison environment was very good, clean and tidy. The floor was covered with clean iron plates, and the blankets on the beds, though not luxurious, were comfortable and clean cotton blankets.
But Li Heng could only watch. He was forced by the jailers to sleep on the ground. He curled up on the cold iron plate, looking at the soft and comfortable bed. His hatred and resentment had long since disappeared.
Everything here made him realize reality. He was no longer the high and mighty crown prince, but a prisoner, Gu Chang'an's prisoner.
The iron gate was opened, and someone walked in, causing the oil lamp flame to flicker slightly.
Li Heng didn't move; he no longer cared who it was.
But he moved quickly again because he smelled a delicious aroma—the aroma of food.
He struggled to his feet, writhing in pain, and saw two jailers bring in two trays. At the same time, the oil lamps were lit, and he could see the food on the trays through the iron bars.
It wasn't the delicacies from the palace, but just dishes like roast chicken, roast duck, braised beef, and peanuts, with a simple yet enticing aroma.
He saw the jailer walking towards him and rubbed his eyes in disbelief. He was saved; he would never have to go hungry again.
But the light in his eyes quickly dimmed, and he was almost in despair when he saw the jailer stop at the table, put the tray on it, and the two of them sit down at the same time.
"What are you looking at? Want it?" The jailer asked with a stern face when he saw Li Heng staring at him expectantly.
Li Heng wanted to nod, but seeing the jailer's glaring eyes, he shook his head.
"Hahaha." The jailer laughed out loud when he saw this, and said to the other man, "Brother Li, look at him. He's supposed to be a nobleman, but he's a spineless coward. He didn't dare to utter a word after just one afternoon of this."
“We’ve seen plenty of people like this.” The man called Brother Li said, untying the gourd from his waist. “In the past, they were all high and mighty, but once you strip them off, they’re nothing. If you train them for a couple more days, throw them a chicken leg and they’ll lick your shoes and call you grandpa.”
“That’s right, Brother Li. The magistrate doesn’t allow drinking while on duty. What are you doing…” The jailer looked at the gourd and waved his hands repeatedly: “It’s better not to drink, or the magistrate will skin us alive.”
"That's right, that's right." Brother Li quickly put the gourd away and slapped himself on the face. "Look at my memory, I almost made a big mistake."
The jailer opposite him picked up a peanut, popped it into his mouth, and said, "We're not trying to flatter you, but this magistrate of ours is no pushover. Nothing can be hidden from him, so we'd better not take any chances."
"Putting everything else aside, just looking at serving time in prison, I haven't seen many people over the years who have the same backbone as us adults," Brother Li said while eating.
“I heard from a brother in the Imperial Prison that when the magistrate was imprisoned there, he said that he was given chili water for seven whole days. His body was beaten so badly that there were hardly any good pieces of flesh left, but he gritted his teeth and refused to falsely accuse that Grand Secretary.”
The jailer opposite nodded in agreement: "Yes, brother, why bother? That Grand Secretary is going to die anyway, so why not just accept his testimony? Why not go with the flow and suffer this torment for nothing?"
"I don't know." Brother Li shook his head, but after a while, he said, "Perhaps this is what scholars refer to as morality?"
“Our master is really like this.” The jailer gave a thumbs up, then looked at Li Heng, who was huddled in the cell, with a look of disgust: “What else does he have besides that identity? He even wants to compete with our master for his wife, ptooey.”
Hearing this, Brother Li was furious. He picked up a piece of beef and teased Li Heng, "You dog, bark twice for me, and I'll give you a piece of meat, okay?"
The jailer, upon hearing this, watched the show from the sidelines, thinking it was far better than spending any amount of money to go to a traditional opera troupe.
Although Li Heng was hungry, he wasn't so desperate as to beg for mercy. He looked at them with resentment as they spoke, and finally turned away, refusing to look in their direction.
"Oh, looks like we haven't dealt with you properly yet. Once we men have eaten our fill, we'll show you the methods of the Dali Temple, and make sure you don't come for nothing." Brother Li wasn't too angry, and ate the meat in his hand with a cold smile.
The jailer opposite them also laughed.
Hearing these laughs, Li Heng felt a chill run down his spine. He had heard the saying "It's easier to deal with the King of Hell than with his underlings" more than once, but his limited experience had never led him to encounter it before. This was the first time.
He had experienced many moments of despair, but this was undoubtedly the most desperate. He could not be the emperor or the crown prince, but living without dignity made him see no future and no hope.
The iron gate seemed to be open again, but he did not turn around.