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After the people had been taken away, the Emperor felt a great sorrow in his heart.

He didn’t know if what he had done was right, he only wanted her to understand that even in his Harem, there was no absence of strife, just as this time had shown, whether or not it was her doing, she had fallen into the trap.

If she continued to be so naive and stubborn in the future, and he couldn’t always be there to watch over her, what would he do if something like this happened again? Especially since, had he not arrived in time this time, he dared not imagine the consequences.

By placing her in the Imperial Prison, with him overseeing, at least she would be safe.

Seeing His Majesty staring motionlessly in the direction of the departed for a long time, Noble Consort’s heart was filled with bitterness. If it was her who had been imprisoned, would His Majesty have felt heartache for her?

"Your Majesty~" The Noble Consort called out softly.

The Emperor came to his senses and looked at the Noble Consort.

The Noble Consort spoke with gentle eyes, "Your Majesty, the matter is now resolved..."

The Emperor coldly interrupted, "Resolved?" A cold smile curled at the corner of his mouth as he stood and said, "Guards, take everyone below to the prison for a thorough interrogation."

As he spoke, he stepped down from his seat and walked towards the exit of the hall.

The Noble Consort exclaimed in shock, standing up and saying, "Your Majesty! What are you...?" Wasn’t the matter already decided?

The Emperor turned back and gave the Noble Consort a deep look, saying, "Noble Consort Xue, fulfill your duties well. If you cannot, I will find someone else to manage the Harem."

Saying so, he walked away with large strides.

Nanny Sun, Dong Mei, and Wu Shui had initially let out a sigh of relief when they heard His Majesty order Daying Lian to be imprisoned.

But now, seeing His Majesty also wanting to imprison them, they were terrified out of their wits and kept kowtowing for mercy, begging, "Your Majesty, spare us! Your Majesty, spare us!"

The incident with Jieyu Wei being sent to the Imperial Prison was still vividly etched in their minds.

Now that they were to be imprisoned too, even if they somehow made it out alive, it would be at the cost of great suffering, not to mention that they were not exactly innocent.

They feared that someone might break under pressure and confess, which would truly be a catastrophic disaster.

Yet no one listened to their pleas for mercy; they were dragged away by several eunuchs clumsily.

After the Emperor had left, the Noble Consort collapsed into her seat, unable to return to her senses for a long while, overwhelmed by a heartrending sorrow.

Why is it that no matter what she did, no matter how she did it, she could never catch his eye!

It had been eleven years since she was given to him during his time as Crown Prince, eleven years, and yet he still treated her so coldly, to cast her aside at a word.

After the court session, the Emperor did not return to Star Palace but went to Administration Palace instead.

Inside the Administration Palace, he spent half the day staring at the memorials to the throne, but couldn’t absorb a single word.

His thoughts lingered on the expression Lian Hua wore when she left, an indifferent attitude as if life and death meant nothing to her, the more he thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt, the more restless he became.

He summoned Zhang Qing and instructed him to ensure that the people in Yeting Imperial Prison treated Lian Hua well, strictly prohibiting the use of any private punishment, and that her every need must be met if necessary.

Zhang Qing took the orders and left, utterly confused. The Emperor clearly cared greatly for her, yet he had her imprisoned, and after imprisonment, he couldn’t bear the thought, truly bewildering indeed.

He inwardly sneered at himself; this Young Master Lian, he didn’t know if she was lucky or unlucky. He had never seen imprisonment handled quite like this, sigh.

Meanwhile, Lian Hua was led into the cell by a ferocious-looking old eunuch. The cell was filthy and stank, and in the furthest corner, there was a pile of damp and moldy straw with wet, musty straw stalks. In a corner, there was a chamber pot.

After entering, Lian Hua found a relatively dry spot, sat down with her arms wrapped around her knees, and leaned against the wall with her eyes closed.

She was tired, having recently been unable to shake a constant sleepiness, with aching knees like they were being pricked by needles, a faint headache, and her spirits were very low.

As she was drifting between wakefulness and sleep, the squeaking of mice and the rustling of straw could be heard nearby.

Lian Hua thought hazily how delicious mouse meat was, especially the big, fat mountain mice.

Skinning them, removing their innards, skewering them with two bamboo sticks in a cross shape, and roasting them over the charcoal fire until they sizzled and released their juices.

If there was salt, just a sprinkle would make them heavenly.

But mountain mice were difficult to catch. They had to be trapped, and as she let her thoughts wander aimlessly, she drifted off into a listless sleep.

She hadn’t been asleep for long when the old eunuch who had brought her in woke her up.

The old eunuch’s face, which was no longer fierce and terrifying, was now crinkled into a smile like a blooming chrysanthemum, hideously ugly, but his expression was very earnest.

Lian Hua felt puzzled. Had the old eunuch switched souls? She sat up and asked, "Is it time for the execution?"

She thought to herself, hadn’t the sentence already been passed? Why would there be an execution now? Whether to confess or not to confess was the question. She was very afraid of pain.

Upon hearing this, the old eunuch startled and waved his hands frantically, saying, "I wouldn’t dare, I wouldn’t dare. The Young Master is highly valued. How could I, a mere servant, carry out an execution? If I were to hurt the Young Master, I could never take responsibility for it...

After these words, he went on with some nonsensical talk about previous offenses, the poor conditions of the cell he had carelessly assigned, hoping she wouldn’t take it to heart.

He also mentioned how despite his fierce appearance from his years in the Imperial Prison, his heart was not bad and he hoped he hadn’t frightened the Young Master, and so on.

In the end, Lian Hua actually became drowsy listening to him ramble. Just when she was about to fall asleep again, he finally explained his purpose. It turned out he had come to move her to a different cell. She really didn’t understand why he had wasted so much breath.

When she was moved to the new cell, Lian Hua was surprised. The new cell was actually quite nice.

The dry floor had a stone bed with clean straw on it, a table beside the bed with a teapot, a water cup, and a lamp on it, and above the table was a window for ventilation. If there was moonlight, it could even shine through the window.

Lian Hua murmured to herself that the cell looked even better than Canglan Court did when she first moved in.

Before Lian Hua could enter, the old eunuch yelled at the young eunuch who was opening the cell door, "You worthless servant, how can you do your job like that? A person as precious as the Young Master cannot sleep on straw. Quickly change the straw and replace it with clean bedding and cushions."

After that, he turned back to Lian Hua with a forced smile and said obsequiously, "Does the Young Master have any other needs? Just command me at any time, and I will ensure everything is done perfectly."

Lian Hua looked at his forced smile, which was so grotesque that it was painful to her eyes.

She turned her gaze away and shook her head, saying only that she was tired and wanted to sleep.

The old eunuch hurried to have the bedding changed and then bowed out, retreating from the cell.

As she watched the old eunuch’s departing figure, Lian Hua couldn’t fathom why she, a mere Daying, would be considered so precious.

If she couldn’t puzzle it out, then she would not bother. She was sleepy.

Lian Hua lay down on the bed, curled up in the blankets, and fell into a deep sleep...

At night, the Emperor lay in his bed tossing and turning, unable to sleep.

He was worried about Lian Hua, afraid that she might be frightened in the cell, concerned about the poor conditions there, and that she might not sleep well.

He was also fearful that she could be lost in wild thoughts or that something might happen to her.

Although the Little Concubine was usually carefree, she was so timid and easily frightened.

First, she endured the interrogation that day, and then she was put into the prison.

Now, in the deep of the night, when the cell was dark and infested with snakes and vermin, who knows how scared she might be.

He remembered one time when the Little Concubine had a nightmare, she woke up trembling, covered in sweat, and struggling to catch her breath. He had to comfort her for a long time before she fell back asleep.

She was inherently simple and straightforward, and still so young. Having gone through such an ordeal, she seemed to have lost her vitality. What if she were to be scared out of her wits? Was he too demanding of her?

The Emperor became more and more uneasy the more he thought about it. He got up and shouted, "Zhang Qing, bring my clothes."