In the damp and dark cell, there was draft from all sides. The haggard and embarrassed women huddled together, holding children of all sizes in their arms, crying desperately.
Xie Wuyou squeezed among them, patting his mother's sobbing and shaking back with one hand, and holding Yue Ge'er, the youngest son of his third-bedroom cousin, with the other hand.
The child was too young and suffered from cold and hunger all day long. He was so sick that he had no energy. After crying for a long time, he fell asleep again.
The jailer came to deliver the meal, but the cold leftovers were hard to swallow. Xie Wuyou wanted some hot water and begged him to please.
The jailer replied lazily: "It's okay if you want something. Do you have any money?"
All the jewelry they had with them was gone long ago, and now they are penniless.
Seeing that she couldn't take out anything, the jailer turned around and left.
Unexpectedly, after a while, he came back again and brought them a pot of hot water and some hot meat buns.
The smell of food made everyone energetic.
Xie Wuyou was puzzled: "What's going on?"
The jailer said coldly: "Why are you asking so many questions? If you have something to eat, eat it. And you can go out today."
Others thought things had turned around, but the jailer's next sentence said that Xie Wuyou had been sold.
Xie Wuyou had no time to react before the guards blindfolded his eyes and tied his hands.
There was a burst of crying and wailing in the cell.
Xie Wuyou's mouth and nose were covered, and he was led out in large bundles, like an animal that had just been sold at a vegetable market.
When she opened her eyes again, the first person she saw was the bejeweled Xu Zhihuai.
She had a gentle and calm face. She was wearing a honey-colored sable fur-edged long gown. She was holding a pastel-yellow plum bird teacup and slowly sipping tea. The tea was fragrant and the jasmine was quiet.
Xie Wuyou gasped in panic and forced himself to stand up. Only when he was able to stand firm was the person behind him holding his shoulders and kneeling down heavily.
Her knees hurt, and she couldn't help but groan.
"Be gentle and hurt your empress carefully."
Xu Zhihuai put down the tea bowl and scolded her gently, then asked Jinhua to bring her a small embroidery stool, and stretched out his hand to make a "please" gesture.
Xie Wuyou said "Mother" to her, which made Xie Wuyou laugh sadly.
After several months of imprisonment, she was tortured to the point of becoming emaciated and emaciated, but her eyes were still bright, showing an arrogance of refusing to admit defeat.
Xu Zhihuai rarely leaves the palace, so he went out of his way to see her today and said bluntly: "We haven't seen each other for a long time, we shouldn't be so frozen."
Xie Wuyou sat down slowly and raised his eyes to look at her: "Now it's time for me to call you empress."
Her tone was filled with hatred, resentment, and a bit of contempt.
Xu Zhihuai smiled softly and asked Jinhua to pour her tea: "We are not in the palace, so why bother with these things. You have suffered a lot these days, and now you are better. Although you are a lowly person, you finally don't have to live in a dungeon. .”
"You hurt me!"
Xu Zhihuai's smile did not diminish and his eyes were dark: "Have you never thought about it? Why should I sacrifice my own flesh and blood and the emperor's heir to frame you?"
Xie Wuyou suddenly fell silent.
Xu Zhihuai continued: "It's a trick that can be seen through at a glance, but no one suspects it, no one pursues it... Everyone understands that it is not you who I framed, but your grandfather."
"That's enough, don't say any more!"
Xie Wuyou could barely maintain some pride and backbone, but at this moment, Xu Zhihuai's pointed words completely shattered him into pieces, and his straight back could not help but tremble slightly.
Her dying pride disappeared, and she could only recognize the reality and find a way to survive for herself and her family.
"My family members are still in prison...please ask me..."
When Xu Zhihuai heard this, he hurriedly stopped him softly: "If you don't ask me, I can't afford it."
Xie Wuyou's heart dropped when he heard her sudden interruption.
Xu Zhihuai leaned forward slightly and got closer to her: "If you want to save your family, save yourself first. I'm not here to show off. To be honest, I'm not here to help you. I'm here to negotiate terms with you." Yes. It’s useless to dwell on past grudges. Even if you can’t become a crown princess, you don’t have to die. Your life is in your own hands.”
Xie Wuyou looked at Xu Zhihuai's extremely serious face and slowly regained some sense: "What are the conditions?"
"Thirty thousand taels of silver. Your grandfather is a very capable big man. He has secretly done a lot of bad things, and he has gained countless amounts of money. He has no way of turning back, but you are different. If you can help His Highness find that money, With thirty thousand taels of silver, you can live.”
Xie Wuyou's pupils shook and he was speechless for a moment.
These words sounded inexplicably familiar, as if someone had told her not long ago... that she was the eldest princess.
As long as she betrays the Xie family and stabs her grandfather in the back, she can live a good life.
Xu Zhihuai saw the entanglement and hesitation in her eyes and continued: "If you don't want to, it's useless. No one cares whether you live or die, and whether your family members live or die."
Xu Zhihuai is earnest and good at tempting.
Every soft word fell on her body, like fine needles piercing her vitals.
Xie Wuyou suddenly smiled, with a sad smile.
My grandfather has a high position and has always been aloof.
He is the god of the Xie family.
Good education, decent status, and a well-fed life, everything she had was given by her grandfather, but she never dared to think about how much of the Xie family's silver belonged to the court and how much was stained with blood. .
"Is this what the empress means, or what the prince means?"
Xie Wuyou opened his lips and asked in a low voice.
After all, they were a couple, even in name only, but she couldn't let go of them in her heart.
Xu Zhihuai said truthfully: "His Highness had no intention of seeing you and only gave your grandfather one chance."
Xie Wuyou took a long breath, as if he had breathed out his three souls and seven souls, and his whole heart felt empty in an instant.
"Why should I trust you to help me?"
Xie Wuyou was still alert.
"I don't know whether you should believe me or not."
Xu Zhihuai smiled slightly: "Actually, I can't give you anything, I can only save you from being a slave. Your family depends on you to make money. But except for me, no one will give you another chance."
Her frankness made Xie Wuyou feel chilled.
The woman in front of me, who came from a mediocre background and was impeccably beautiful, turned out to be ruthless.
She had underestimated her in the past, so she fell into the trap she had laid. If she neglected her again today, what would be waiting for her.
Xie Wuyou didn't want to die: "I'm willing to give it a try, please teach me how to do it?"
Xu Zhihuai smiled: "You are a smart man, it is not my turn to teach you. Besides, Xie Ningchao is your grandfather, you can definitely think of a good way to coax him to hand over the money."
The best strategy is to use the Xie family to deal with the Xie family.
Xu Zhihuai said a few more words, asking Xie Wuyou to take a good rest.
When she walked out of the door of the remote courtyard, she saw a group of Huangji guards in disguise who had been waiting for a long time, including a few familiar faces.
They were all Wei Li's confidants.
Xu Zhihuai knew what was going on, so he just got into the carriage without saying anything or asking any questions.
Unexpectedly, the curtain was lifted, and a huge black shadow spread its wings, whipping up a savage wind, and rushed towards her face.
