Chapter 45

As Liu Xun handed over more and more files, Liu Yuanxun’s brows furrowed tighter and tighter.

Xiao Jinye’s case was far simpler than he had imagined.

His background and life history had been investigated down to the smallest detail. The causes and aftermath of the case were recorded with logical clarity. Every entry was straightforward and flawless.

Thirty years ago, Xiao Jinye, a youth from a humble family, had placed third in the imperial examinations as the youngest candidate.

Afterward, a Hanlin scholar spotted his talent at a glance. The scholar not only betrothed his only daughter to Xiao Jinye but also exhausted every connection he had to propel this lowborn prodigy forward. He had poured his heart’s blood into clearing a path for him.

By the time Xiao Jinye was appointed Jiangnan Salt Transport Commissioner, he had already served thirteen years as an official in the capital. He was widely reputed to be a man of impeccable integrity.

Yet his uprightness was nothing more than a facade, and his professed devotion to his wife had merely been a ploy to appease his father-in-law. It was only after his posting to Jiangnan as Salt Transport Commissioner that his true greedy and lascivious nature was laid bare.

The salt tax post had always been a lucrative one. A shortfall of eighty thousand taels on the official ledgers could mean private embezzlement reaching a hundred and eighty thousand taels.

The imperial palace’s annual expenses amounted to roughly two hundred thousand taels. For a mere Jiangnan Salt Transport Commissioner to embezzle an amount equal to the court’s yearly outlay over just twelve years—how could the Late Emperor not be outraged?

In Jiangnan, Xiao Jinye had built an estate of extravagant luxury, given the elegantly poetic name of Concealed Light Residence.

The grounds were vast, with buildings scattered artfully amid babbling streams encircling a rockery. Rare flowers and trees bloomed alongside exotic stones, making it a place both refined and sumptuous.

Perhaps from his many years as an official in the capital, Xiao Jinye had grown exceedingly discreet. He always entered the residence avoiding crowds and never breathed a word of it to outsiders. Had the Late Emperor not launched a ruthless purge of corrupt officials, the estate might never have come to light.

Before perusing the files, Liu Yuanxun had assumed the evidence sealing Xiao Jinye’s guilt came from the testimony of some concubine in Concealed Light Residence.

But after reading them, he realized it was not the concubine at all. What truly convicted Xiao Jinye was the flesh and blood she had carried two years earlier—his own child.

His father-in-law had once prided himself on his judgment of character, boasting to all who would listen that his son-in-law was a rare talent.

He had no idea that the paragon in his eyes had already acquired a private estate in Jiangnan, where he lived a debauched life of abandoning his wife and child amid a circle of beautiful concubines.

The estate itself might not prove Xiao Jinye’s crimes beyond doubt. Nor could the concubines residing there. But the bones of that child were ironclad evidence, heavy as a mountain.

Blood kinship tests between two living people could perhaps be falsified with water laced with alum. But when one was alive and the other mere bones, deception was impossible.

That favored concubine had been with child, but the infant died at birth. Deeming it ill omened, Xiao Jinye ordered the bones discarded. The grieving woman could not bear it, however. She secretly swapped them out and buried the remains beneath a tree in the yard.

When the Embroidered Uniform Guard unearthed the bones, they dripped Xiao Jinye’s blood onto them. Before the eyes of all present, the droplets seeped straight into the bone.

With irrefutable proof of blood ties, Xiao Jinye’s guilt was beyond question.

The child was his, so the concubine had been his, and the estate where those beauties dwelled was undoubtedly his property as well. Yet Xiao Jinye refused to admit any of it, dragging the case out for years.

By the time they finished a round of the files, Gu Lianzhao had changed into fresh clothes and entered the room.

Liu Yuanxun was so absorbed in the records that he remained oblivious until Liu Xun remarked dryly, “The official uniform suits you best.” Only then did he look up.

Gu Lianzhao was a ger, yet he usually dressed in black fitted garb or simple gray short jackets. Without that striking face and distinctive bearing, he might easily pass for an ordinary servant.

Aside from the wedding day’s eye-searing finery, this was the first time Liu Yuanxun had seen him so strikingly martial.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard uniform was a deep, solemn black, trimmed with dark red silk. The fabric bore a fish-scale pattern embroidered in silver thread that caught the light with a cold gleam, making it exceptionally handsome.

The tailored cut perfectly accentuated his powerful, athletic build and broad shoulders tapering to a narrow waist. That already arresting face grew even more captivating in its frame—no wonder even Liu Xun, long accustomed to seeing him thus attired, could not resist a compliment.

Liu Yuanxun was momentarily dazzled by the sight, but pressing matters demanded his focus. He quickly composed himself and beckoned Gu Lianzhao to sit.

No sooner had Gu Lianzhao arrived than Liu Xun made his excuses to leave.

Whatever task Liu Yuanxun had undertaken, Liu Xun—as Commanding Officer of the Embroidered Uniform Guard—had a mountain of duties. He would never have spared the time to accommodate him if not for his status as a prince.

With Gu Lianzhao serving as both Pacification Commissioner and Liu Yuanxun’s consort, it made perfect sense to leave him behind to assist.

Moreover, the Xiao Jinye case was years old. The Embroidered Uniform Guard had already exhausted every lead they could uncover. What remained was beyond the power of a few pointed questions to resolve, so there was no need for Liu Yuanxun to tax himself further.

With that thought, Liu Xun offered a polite excuse, cupped his hands in farewell, and departed the Record Repository.

…

Once Liu Xun was gone, Liu Yuanxun felt far more at ease. He pushed the nearby files toward Gu Lianzhao. “These are the detailed records of the entire investigation. Take a look.”

Gu Lianzhao read with remarkable speed, skimming the key points in mere moments. In less than the time it took to brew half a cup of tea, he closed the final stack and met Liu Yuanxun’s eyes. “Your Highness has reviewed the files. What is the plan now?”

Liu Yuanxun drew a deep breath and stated without hesitation, “To the Imperial Prison.”

They had come this far, and Gu Lianzhao had no intention of dissuading him further. He merely confirmed one last time, “The Imperial Prison is no pleasant place. Are you certain?”

Liu Yuanxun had long heard tales of the Imperial Prison’s horrors. Already uneasy and burdened with worry, Gu Lianzhao’s question only heightened his tension.

Yet no matter how nervous he felt, he had to go.

Xiao Jinye had languished there for eight years. He had endured every torment they could devise and suffered every hardship. After all that time, he had never let slip a single word. There were only two possibilities: either he truly knew nothing, or his resolve was unbreakable.

To draw answers from such a man, Liu Yuanxun could not simply summon him for interrogation.

After all, Xiao Jinye had withstood the most brutal tortures without breaking. He would hardly yield merely because a prince deigned to question him. Liu Yuanxun needed to demonstrate utmost sincerity if he hoped to pierce the secrets Xiao Jinye guarded so fiercely.

And personally visiting him in his cell within the Imperial Prison was the first step in that demonstration.

The Imperial Prison lay at the westernmost corner of the Commandery Office. Even from afar, its outer walls exuded an aura of dread.

Liu Yuanxun wore a heavy cloak and clutched a hand warmer, yet as he stepped through those pitch-black gates, he could not suppress a shiver.

The massive doors ground shut behind them, sealing away the last trace of fresh air.

The closer they drew to the heart of the prison, the thicker the stench of blood and rot grew in the air. Liu Yuanxun fought down the churning in his stomach and kept pace close behind Gu Lianzhao, one reluctant step at a time.

The Imperial Prison was divided into upper and lower levels. The upper housed interrogation chambers, while the lower held prisoners and instruments of punishment.

They had not yet reached the lower level when Liu Yuanxun’s stomach rebelled. He could hold out no longer and doubled over against the wall in a fit of dry heaving.

The unbearable stench was one thing, but his deep-seated aversion to the sight and smell of blood played its part as well. Still, he had come prepared for this.

Gu Lianzhao watched him in silence, his gaze lowered. He neither urged Liu Yuanxun to turn back and rest nor suggested summoning Xiao Jinye for questioning elsewhere.

Gu Lianzhao was a man of iron will, not given to persuasion. Since Liu Yuanxun had made his choice, he would not interfere.

The nearer they came to the depths, the more vivid Gu Lianzhao’s past memories resurfaced. It was as if the Jade-Faced Yama was stirring back to life within him.

With a downward glance and a lift of his eyes, he became once more the figure whose name alone quelled crying children.

Before descending into the underworld, Gu Lianzhao lit a lantern. He then took Liu Yuanxun’s hand and placed it on his own belt. “There’s no light down here. Stay close behind me. I can’t spare a hand to guide you—watch your step.”

Liu Yuanxun nodded vigorously, taking the words to heart.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard’s belt was broad and rigid, however, leaving him uncertain where exactly to grip.

Fortunately, Gu Lianzhao’s waist was slim, leaving a natural gap at the center. Liu Yuanxun hooked his fingers into it and found the spot ideal—secure enough to steady him and convenient to hold. Reluctant to let go, he curled his fingers more firmly around it.

Gu Lianzhao noticed the motion and paused for a fraction of a second but allowed it.

The entire prison was shrouded in darkness, the lantern’s faint glow the only illumination, barely lighting the path ahead.

As they ventured deeper, the blood and decay assaulted them with redoubled force, nearly overwhelming Liu Yuanxun’s senses…

The prison was deathly still, so quiet that not even a prisoner’s groan disturbed the silence. If not for the lantern’s sway revealing glimpses of ragged clothing in the adjoining cells, Liu Yuanxun might have mistaken it for an empty dungeon.

Beyond the blood-soaked hems, he glimpsed vast splatters of fresh crimson and the savage, intersecting claw marks gouged into the stone floor…

Liu Yuanxun had never witnessed such a nightmarish scene. He labored for breath as childhood memories blurred with the horrors before him, his whole body beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

Gu Lianzhao glanced back unobtrusively and frowned despite himself.

Liu Yuanxun’s face was deathly pale, his body shaking violently. Yet he pressed on after Gu Lianzhao, enduring the torment with every quivering step. It was a heartbreaking sight.

Seeing he could scarcely bear it, Gu Lianzhao let out a soft sigh. He set the lantern aside and unbound his headband. Gently, he covered Liu Yuanxun’s eyes and murmured, “Follow me. Don’t be afraid.”

Once the headband was secured, darkness enveloped Liu Yuanxun’s vision completely. His hand on the belt was then drawn into Gu Lianzhao’s warm palm, the reassuring heat steadying his racing heart.

They pressed onward, the reek of blood growing ever more intense. Just as Liu Yuanxun thought he could endure no more, Gu Lianzhao halted and lifted the lantern. “We’re here,” he said softly.

Liu Yuanxun yanked off the blindfold, only to be thunderstruck by the sight before him.

In the dim prison cell, a figure caked in filth and reeking of a nauseating stench huddled on the cold stone floor. His ragged clothes hung in tatters from his frame, his body streaked with crusted blood. At the sound of footsteps, the man slowly raised his head, exposing a face riddled with oozing sores, twisted into something scarcely human.

“Xiao Jinye…” Liu Yuanxun murmured, his heart gripped by utter disbelief.

He knew the Imperial Prison was ruthless, but he had never dreamed that eight years of incarceration could reduce a man to such a wretched state.