096 Framed, Part Three

"You may be quite capable, Little Xiao. I heard long ago that Lord Long favored you greatly, and now I see it was true. But do not think that with Lord Long pleading for you, you can escape unscathed. To lay hands on a princess is a crime even the Empress Dowager cannot save you from."

I merely looked at him with contempt and turned my gaze away, no longer wishing to waste words on him. If he truly meant to ruin me, then no amount I said would matter.

"Not even now will you look at me? What do you take yourself for, Little Xiao?" Qingzi reached out and seized my chin, forcing me to face him. "You are nothing but a dog, and you think yourself some great figure? Men, keep beating him!"

"Sir!" one of the eunuchs beside him stepped forward to remonstrate. "Lord Long only just said that further punishment may be improper."

"So what?" Qingzi said indifferently. "Lord Long is not here to see it. I am only carrying out the Emperor's will."

The eunuch pressed on. "Even so, Lord Long is one of the Emperor's trusted guards. The Emperor has always valued him. If you offend him and he says a few unflattering words before His Majesty, that will not bode well for you, sir!"

Qingzi listened, yet still said resentfully, "Are we to let this cur go just like that?"

"Why be anxious, sir? The princess has not awakened yet, has she? If she never wakes, then no matter how much Lord Long helps Little Xiao, it will be useless. He will be doomed all the same. In the end, would he not still fall into your hands?"

At this, Qingzi’s expression turned pleased. "You speak sense. Then lock him up for now. Remember, no torture for the moment, but make sure he is..."

"I understand, sir. Why not go to Eunuch Qiu and sound out the Emperor's meaning, as well as inquire after the princess's condition?"

"Mm. Keep an eye on him. This dog is full of tricks; do not fall into his snare."

"I understand, sir. Rest assured."

With that, Qingzi left the prison. The two eunuchs loosened my bonds and then hurled me straight into the cell. The crash of my body against the ground made it feel as though every bone in me had come apart.

"Stay in there and stop thinking you will get out alive." They locked the cell door. One of them said, "Come on, brother, let us have a drink. Qing won't be back for a while, and that cripple certainly isn't going anywhere."

"All right, all right!"

I lay sprawled on the ground, not even having the strength to crawl up.

Then I saw two rats creeping through the grass, heading toward me.

I had feared rats since childhood. Seeing them come at me, I trembled so hard my whole body shook. I tried desperately to crawl away, but the two rats kept advancing.

"No, don't come near me, don't come near me..."

Perhaps it was the fright, for I gave a violent shudder and soon fainted.

When I woke again, I found myself still lying in that damp, foul prison cell. As soon as I moved, pain tore through me again from head to toe.

"Oh? Awake, are you? Bring him some food. Before the Emperor has even ordered his execution, he might starve to death first."

"Yes, sir."

A moment later, a bowl of murky broth with straw floating in it was set before me, and a yellowed bun with a sour stench was tossed at my feet. "Eat. Don't say we mistreat you."

I had to preserve my strength now. Only then could I hold on until the Princess of Dawn awoke, and until Long Zhan uncovered the truth.

I could not die. I could not let others' vile schemes succeed.

I crawled closer and looked at the bowl before me, that rice soup with no rice to be seen, and the bun gone sour. What was there that could not be swallowed? Back in the Xiao household, I had eaten leftovers, even spoiled and rotten scraps. In order to survive, what could I not eat? If I truly refused, it would only make those people look down on me, only make them laugh harder.

Just as I raised the bowl to drink, I suddenly heard someone arrive.

"Be careful, Your Ladyship. This place is far too filthy and foul. Why soil your noble body in such a place?"

That voice was Xiaojing's. Then Lin Tanwei must have come as well. Sure enough, at a moment when she could add insult to injury, Lin Tanwei would never miss the chance.

"I am merely unwilling to miss a good show," Lin Tanwei said with a faint smile.

"How can Your Ladyship come to such a place? Come, come, let this servant wipe it clean for you. Please sit."

"No need. I have come to see whether that dog servant has confessed. Everyone in the harem is worried sick over the safety of the Princess of Dawn. I, too, must share the Emperor's burdens."

"Your Ladyship is truly considerate of His Majesty. We are deeply moved."

"Such words are unnecessary. Has that dog servant confessed?"

"He has a sharp tongue and a stubborn mouth. We questioned him for quite a while, but he would not say anything."

"Oh? Then let me take a look. Perhaps if he sees me, he will confess everything."

"Your Ladyship, in a prison cell, I am afraid you..."

"It is nothing. Xiaojing, help me over."

"Yes."

Xiaojing helped Lin Tanwei into the cell, and Lin Tanwei happened to kick over the bowl of soup beside my hand. She then gasped in feigned surprise and stepped squarely on the bun.

It was clearly deliberate.

"Your Ladyship, are your shoes wet?"

"I am fine."

"You dog of a servant, did you deliberately place these things before the Lady in order to dirty her clothes?" Xiaojing stepped forward at once and kicked my face.

I rolled to one side, and the back of my head struck the wall hard.

The pain made breathing difficult.

Lin Tanwei looked down at me from above and smiled. "Little Xiao, I told you long ago to choose a better tree to roost in, and this is the result you have brought upon yourself. Look at your master—has she come to speak for you? She has been dragged down by you and can barely protect herself now. The Emperor has ordered her to kneel at the entrance of the Purple Dream Hall, repenting!"

"I am innocent. The heavens will prove my innocence. Your Ladyship will not be burdened by me."

"Innocent?" Lin Tanwei said coldly. "You think there is still such a thing once you have entered this place? You would do better to confess honestly. If it was truly Consort Tong who ordered you to do this, perhaps the Emperor may show mercy and grant you an intact corpse, so you can suffer a little less."

"I did not do what I did not do. I will never admit to it."

"What a loyal dog you are. Do you think that if you refuse to speak, your master will be safe? Should anything happen to the Princess of Dawn, the entire Emerald Pavilion will be buried with her."

"Your Ladyship has truly lowered herself to come all this way to see a servant. A pity I cannot offer you any pleasing words from my mouth. I fear I must disappoint you."

"You are about to die, and yet your mouth is still so glib. Xiaojing, since he has not eaten, feed him something properly and let him become a stuffed corpse."

"Yes, Your Ladyship. This servant knows what to do."

Lin Tanwei withdrew, and the eunuchs wiped off a stool for her so she might sit. She lifted her chin, the very picture of a spectator awaiting a fine performance.

Xiaojing picked up the bun from the floor and went to the neighboring cell, where a stench of rot hung thick in the air. Covering her mouth and nose with a handkerchief, she moistened the bun, then returned and crouched in front of me.

"You wanted to eat, didn't you? Then I shall let you eat your fill."

With that, she shoved the bun straight into my mouth.

The stench surged up into my nose and made me want to retch. But Xiaojing pressed one hand down on my wound, leaving me with no strength to struggle. As I cried out in pain and opened my mouth, the rotten bun was forced inside.

That humiliation made me think of what Little Luzi had once done to me, and I had not expected it to be reenacted again.

Qingzi, Lin Tanwei, Xiaojing—this humiliation you have made me endure today, I will repay tenfold someday.

"Eat, keep eating for me!"

It was unbearable to swallow. I could not help but spit it back out.

Xiaojing flung the bun aside with a smug laugh and clapped her hands. "You insolent thing. You dared to oppose our lady, and now you can just wait here to die."

"Enough, Xiaojing. Little Xiao likely knows he will not live long. What we needed to ask has already been asked. What a pity—this dog servant is obstinate beyond reason. It seems we can only rely on the eunuchs to share the Emperor's burdens."

The eunuch bowed. "Your Ladyship flatters us. It is only that Lord Long came by earlier, and we do not know what the Emperor's present intention is..."

"Lord Long?" Lin Tanwei tilted her head slightly. "What the Emperor intends, do you still not understand? Do you not know which princess His Majesty cherishes most in ordinary times? She is the one he has held in the palm of his hand. The princess's noble body has been harmed; never mind whether she can awaken—Little Xiao already deserves death. Right now, all that remains is to find out who ordered him. If the eunuch can uncover that, it will be a great merit indeed!"

"We understand, we understand."

"You are a clever man, sir. I shall mention this to the Emperor as well."

"This servant thanks Your Ladyship."

"Xiaojing, let us go. In a little while, we must accompany the Empress Dowager to the Buddhist hall to pray for the princess."

"Yes."

Once Lin Tanwei had gone, the eunuch came up to me and said, "You heard her. Your death is not far off. Confess honestly, and I will make things easier on you. If you still refuse, then you know what awaits you."

I leaned weakly against the wall and said nothing. In my heart, only prayers remained: the Princess of Dawn must not come to harm, and Long Zhan must uncover the truth.

"Still not speaking? Then I will..."

"Do not be hasty. Qing is not back yet. Why not wait a bit longer?"

"Wait for what? Did you not hear what Lady Tan has already said?"

The eunuch replied, "And what Lady Tan says is law? Which of the imperial consorts in this harem is a harmless one? Is Lady Tan greater now, or Consort Tong greater?"

The other eunuch frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"Perhaps Lady Tan means to use this chance to bring Consort Tong down, which is why she came here. Everyone in the harem knows that Lady Tan and Consort Tong have long been at odds. If her meaning is not the Emperor's meaning, then we would be committing a grave error. In any case, Little Xiao cannot run far from here. Better to wait until Qing returns and do everything according to Qing's orders. What do you think?"

"That is true enough. If we act on our own and use torture, Qing may accuse us of trying to steal his credit. Then our days would be difficult indeed. You are the more prudent one. How about we drink while we wait for Qing to return?"

"Now that sounds excellent."