In the prison cell.
The young girl bound to the wooden rack kept on cursing, her eyes red with anger, causing the iron chains on her hands and feet to clank noisily, her joints raw and reddened from the friction.
"How dare you!" the prison guard barked, whipping raised high in the air:
"How dare you disrespect the Lord!"
"Stop," Zhao Douan interjected, halting the petty official's attempt to win favor through brutality, and spoke with displeasure in a manner befitting his persona:
"Don't you know how to cherish a beauty? Such tender skin and flesh, if you were to ruin it, wouldn't that be a pity?"
The guard hurriedly faked a smile, nodding repeatedly, displaying a knowing grin that all men shared, and suddenly, the prison was filled with an ambiguous atmosphere.
Yun Xi, feeling the mockery in the other's tone, trembled with rage, her chest heaving violently as she spat out,
"Despicable scoundrel! Lackey of the Fake Emperor! Drop your pretense, kill or slash me as you please! I only regret not having been able to eliminate you in broad daylight!"
Zhao Douan asked, intrigued:
"You and I are strangers, I am curious, why do you hate me so much?"
Yun Xi laughed bitterly in extreme anger:
"The Fake Emperor usurps the throne, and the Zhao family are his lackeys. Who in the Capital doesn't know how you, this treacherous villain, rampage and oppress, bringing calamity to the nation? Any righteous person under heaven would put you to death!"
Hiss... Was the original host so infamously known... Zhao Douan silently criticized.
Since his transmigration earlier in the day, the original host's terrible reputation continuously refreshed his awareness.
But upon reflection, the original "Zhao Douan," though indeed a dissipated character, was not exactly the scum of the earth.
After all, he had only been in power for a short while, and his activities were limited to the Capital; indulgence in luxury and arrogance, yes, but far from a true antagonist.
Undoubtedly, the exaggeration had spiraled, in part due to being associated with the "Fake Emperor."
"Madam, your tongue is as sharp as a knife," Zhao Douan waited for her to finish cursing before leisurely stepping closer to Yun Xi, his finger lightly brushing against the girl's fair neck, feeling the smooth, delicate touch.
Yun Xi shuddered, her skin crawling as if a cold, venomous snake had slithered across it, raising goosebumps and fear in her heart.
The next second, Zhao Douan's large hand grasped her chin forcefully and he murmured:
"It's just that I'm not sure if your mouth is quite as tight."
"Ptui!"
Yun Xi suddenly spat a mouthful of saliva fiercely onto his face.
Her hair disheveled, her gaze defiant, she stared at him coldly, using her actions to state her position.
"Mr. Zhao! This brazen girl..." Zhu Kui, standing behind as a mere backdrop, was furious.
But he was stopped by Zhao Douan's raised hand, who then stepped back a few paces, wiped his face with a handkerchief, and sat down on a large chair brought in by the guard, his smile gone:
"It seems she prefers punishment over a polite drink."
He calmly asked, "I want to know how Zhuang Xiaocheng managed to escape early and how he got away?"
Yun Xi closed her eyes, her lips pressed tightly together in an uncooperative stance.
The prison guard next to her suggested:
"Mr. Zhao, I've seen many such prisoners; talking is a waste, just let punishment be served. Though our government office's prison is no Imperial Prison, we have all eighteen types of torture instruments. Just take her through them, and I guarantee she'll spill the beans, even if she were as tough as iron."
He thought this Mr. Zhao was too "tender-hearted towards women."
However, Zhao Douan remained silent.
He wasn't foolish; if she really were a thoroughly evil villain, he wouldn't mind giving her a taste of "Manchu's ten atrocious tortures."
But the problem was, based on the information he had now, the girl before him was not a villain.
Relying on his "Eyes of Golden Flame" from his past life's experience, he could easily discern:
The girl was merely someone who had been brainwashed by Zhuang Xiaocheng and other literati rebels, deceived by fabricated history, full of passion, believing she was fighting against a "tyrant."
This was an age when young men and women could easily be deceived and exploited.
What she needed was to correct her misunderstandings.
Of course, the weakness of such a person was also quite evident.
"Mr. Zhu!" Zhao Douan suddenly spoke up, "Bring the person in."
"Yes!" The black-clothed official smirked and turned to leave.
Zhao Douan sat on the large chair, suppressing the urge to cross his legs stylishly, and said to Yun Xi, who had her eyes tightly shut:
"Aren't you curious about whom I'm bringing over?"
Yun Xi maintained a posture ready for martyrdom as her delicate ears twitched.
Zhao Douan said leisurely,
"According to what I know, after the Second Prince's party was defeated and scattered, a group of treacherous officials headed by Grand Tutor Zhuang Xiaocheng, who is also your teacher, gathered the Second Prince's followers, magicians, martial artists...
In Jianghu, they secretly established an organization aimed at opposing the current Saint. It's called 'Kuangfu Society,' heh, the name implies 'to aid and uphold the realm'..."
"The Kuangfu Society recruits a multitude of rebels. Its members refer to each other as brothers and sisters, with deep bonds and heavy loyalty. Externally, they address each other as fellow disciples… Given that, since you call Zhuang Xiaocheng your teacher, you must also be a member of the society."
Yun Xi remained still, but her heart quietly rose with an ominous premonition.
Zhao Douan continued,
"After His Holiness ascended the throne, the court made efforts to capture the rebels, with the Kuangfu Society being a prime target. The court did not disappoint and has apprehended several well-known figures within the society.
Unfortunately, the government office is currently imprisoning one. Oh, if I'm not mistaken, his internal code name is 'Qingyun.'"
Yun Xi's eyes snapped open, and her complexion changed:
"What are you going to do?!"
Just then, from outside the cell door, there came curses and wails.
Immediately after, Zhu Kui dragged a prisoner in chains, his flesh bloody and mangled.
He had obviously been tortured severely; hardly any patch of skin was unmarred.
His fingernails had been torn out, and his face was damaged; still, one could guess his approximate appearance by his build, his facial contours, and a distinct birthmark near his shoulder.
"Mr. Zhao, the rebel 'Qingyun' has been brought here."
Zhu Kui threw the prisoner to the ground and kicked him; the nearly unconscious prisoner screamed in agony as his wounds burst open, spilling fresh blood.
Yun Xi glared and cursed fiercely:
"Beast! Lackey! May you not die a good death!"
Zhu Kui "heh"ed and lifted his foot, stomping hard on the prisoner's hand. The crisp sound of breaking bones rang out, accompanied by the prisoner's piercing, miserable screams, as blood stained the ground.
Yun Xi cursed nonstop, her voice growing hoarse:
"Let him go, if you dare, come at me!"
Zhu Kui, disregarding her yells, drew his blade, pressed it against the prisoner's other hand, and was about to cut down.
"Stop!" Yun Xi's eyes reddened, tears streaming:
"Don't touch him! I beg you... stop..."
Zhao Douan remained unmoved, speaking calmly,
"It's said that the members of the Kuangfu Society share deep bonds and loyalty. Want Zhu Kui to stop? Simple, answer a few questions for me. Otherwise, I'll have him dismembered in front of you, and if one isn't enough? I'll just go find another from another cell..."
"Save me... save me..." the prisoner rasped from the floor, his voice broken, unrecognizable from before.
Yun Xi finally broke down, shouting, "I'll speak! I agree to your terms!"
"Wouldn't it have been easier to just do this from the start?"
Zhao Douan smiled slightly, then signaled Zhu Kui with a look. Understanding immediately, he dragged away 'Qingyun' as well as the surrounding prison guards.
In an instant, only the two of them remained in the cell.
...
...
Elsewhere, far from the cell, Zhu Kui tossed aside the chains and disdainfully wiped his hands, saying,
"Take him away."
The prison guard next to him asked in confusion,
"Mr. Zhu, didn't that rebel 'Qingyun' commit suicide in the prison earlier this year? This one is..."
Zhu Kui, who had once worked in the government office and was an old acquaintance of the prison guards, still familiarly addressed as "Mr. Zhu," chuckled,
"Of course it's fake. We just pulled some scum from the death row who was of similar build and age to that Qingyun and forged a birthmark.
Heh, after being beaten to such an extent, even his own mother wouldn't recognize him, let alone a young girl. Plus, I figure they probably don't know each other well, so there's no risk of being exposed."
The prison guard clicked his tongue in wonder,
"How did Lord know that the young woman would speak up to save her companion? These people are strange, not afraid to die themselves but can't stand to see others tortured, tsk tsk..."
"Do you think everyone is as afraid of death as we are?" Zhu Kui said with a self-deprecating laugh.
The expression of the outwardly fierce and ruthless veteran official flickered with complexity. He turned his head towards the end of the corridor where the cell was and muttered softly,
"This Lord, really gives one a new level of respect."