Chapter 29 (1/2)

”Ying Dangjia, get up!”

Ying Yan Long was awakened from his semi-conscious state and his first reaction was to curl up his body instantly because the torture he went through had made him think every gra.s.s and tree is an enemy*.

(Every gra.s.s and tree is an enemy means a person who is on guard and suspicious of everyone around him.)

”Ying Dangjia, it's me!”

Ying Yan Long slowly opened his eyes and saw Deputy General Ji standing in front of him.

He noticed Deputy General's face did not show any grim expression and heard him addressing himself as Ying Dangjia.   He guessed the situation would not be too bad and maybe the Emperor had finally decided to see him.

Ying Yan Long wanted to use the wall as support to get up but for the last ten days, he had not eaten much.  In addition, his tortured body had grown extremely weak and as a result, he did not even have the strength to push himself up.

Then the Deputy General Ji and an imperial guard stepped forward to stand on his left and right to a.s.sist him.

”Endure for a little longer.”   Deputy General Ji used a black cloth to blindfold Ying Yan Long's eyes and then helped him onto a soft sedan chair.

(Soft sedan chair is a sedan chair with a soft-padded seat.  A normal sedan chair is usually made fully of bamboo or wood.)

”Please don't take off the blindfold to avoid endangering your life.”

Ying Yan Long nodded, then felt the sedan chair began to sway as it moved forward.

The soft sedan chair moved very fast and the wind together with the damp air in the prison blew on the face of Ying Yan Long.

He heard the sound of a hatch opening and closing but could not feel any difference in the light and only felt the air he was breathing in became more and more humid.

Ying Yan Long knew he was still in the palace prison and had entered a secret pa.s.sageway.  They had traveled for quite a while which indicated the secret pa.s.sageway was wider and longer than he imagined.

”Please get down from the sedan.”  Deputy General Ji said.

Ying Yan Long was helped down the sedan and his blindfold was removed.

He blinked his eyes and was still trying to adapt to the blinding light when he noticed the Emperor wearing a two-color patterned dark blue robe sitting in a big wide chair in front of him.

”Greetings to Your Highness.”  Immediately, Ying Yan Long's knees landed on the ground.

”You may rise.”  Hei Xing Jian said indifferently and looked at Ying Yan Long whose face had thinned down by half.

”Grant him a seat.”

”Thank you, Your Highness.”  After Deputy General Ji helped him to a seat, Ying Yan Long followed the Emperor's gaze.  In front of him was a bright stone wall about the width of three people and through the wall, he could see a bed, a table, and chairs.

Ying Yan Long wrinkled his eyebrows because this chamber obviously consisted of only a table and two chairs.

”We are now sitting in a chamber with two doors, a Yin Yang design of double chambers.  This is the 'Kun' Chamber.  The other one is the 'Gan' Chamber and it is inlaid with echo stones and mirror stone walls that can transmit sounds and project images to the 'Kun' Chamber.  However, the people in the 'Gan' Chamber will not know the existence of the 'Kun' Chamber and they can't hear us.”  Hei Xing Jian said.

Ying Yan Long nodded and did not answer.  He did not know the Emperor's purpose of bringing him here and since the Emperor did not ask him any questions, he also did not dare to plead his innocence and could only wait.......

Hei Xing Jia looked at the 'Gan' Chamber in which he had once kept Mei Yi Wen for a month.  During that time, he would be here in the 'Kun' Chamber every day to observe Mei Yi Wen's every move.  Mei Yi Wen was kept in this chamber because he had made a vicious oath saying he would commit suicide the moment he sees him, Hei Xing Jia, again.

Once he had broken his promise and appeared in front of Mei Yi Wen because he missed Mei Yi Wen very much.  As a result, Mei Yi Wen bit his tongue and tried to commit suicide which scared him so much that he did not dare to show up in front of Mei Yi Wen again.  Later, when he saw Mei Yi Wen going on a hunger strike and showing signs of disorientation after being imprisoned in this chamber, he finally agreed to Mei Yi Wen's request to be sent to Qingcheng Mountain Villa.

Ying Yan Long noticed the sounds of the Emperor's breathing had become heavier but he could not ask any question, so he just sat up straight and looked at the 'Gan' Chamber through the mirror wall........

In the 'Gan' Chamber, someone pushed the door opened and entered.

It's Hua Ming Zi!

Ying Yan Long's body trembled and his heart skipped as he leaned forward involuntarily to stare at her with his fiery eyes.........

Behind her, Deputy General Ji dragged in an unconscious Luo Ji Cai through the door and pushed him against the wall before chaining him up.

”Look at how your woman helps to absolve you from your crimes.”  Hei Xing Jian said.

”Thank you, Your Highness.”

Ying Yan Long felt excited.  After he struggled to bend his body to thank the Emperor, immediately he turned to watch Hua Ming Zi who was on the other side of the mirror wall, in the midst of showing her grat.i.tude to Deputy General Ji for his a.s.sistance.

After Deputy General Ji withdrew, Hua Ming Zi dragged a chair and sat in front of Luo Ji Cai with her arms crossed.

When Ying Yan Long looked at her thin face which was almost showing bones, he felt his heart ached.  But when he looked at her with her arms folded across her chest glaring fiercely at Luo Ji Cai, he felt rea.s.sured that she is still in good spirits.

”Luo Ji Cai, it's time for you to wake up!”  Hua Ming Zi kicked Luo Ji Cai's stomach as he lay on the floor.

That kick was really strong and Luo Ji Cai's screams were really heart-stirring.

”Ah!.......  It's painful!   It hurts terribly!”  Luo Ji Cai blinked and shouted loudly.