Jing Changjia listened carefully.
The messy sound gradually became clearer, and then stopped abruptly after a while. After a brief silence, the sound of several metal collisions sounded again in the distance, and then a harsh "squeaking" sound penetrated the silent Zhenfu Prison.
That was the sound of the outermost cell door on this floor being opened.
somebody is coming.
More than one person.
Judging from the footsteps that sounded again, it should be three people.
Jing Changjia slowly sat up. He was imprisoned in the prison for more than half a month, and no one tried him or asked him anything. Only a mute guard who never speaks comes to bring him meals on time every day.
It's not lunch time today, but someone comes down.
Was he going to be interrogated, or...his good brother finally couldn't bear it anymore?
Thinking of this, Jing Changjia's eyes lit up and he became a little excited.
A long period of absolute silence is a torture method that can drive people to death. If there hadn't been some movement every day during this period, and the occasional rat making noise, Jing Changjia would have no doubt that he wouldn't be able to survive.
The torture was not bad, and it also allowed him to see who Yang Yiheng would let deal with him. If you seize power and govern yourself, you should cut through the mess quickly.
It's outrageous to delay it for half a month.
Jing Changjia reprimanded Yang Yiheng happily in his heart, then stood up and stood still, waiting leisurely for the sound of the other two doors opening.
After a series of door openings, a lantern appeared in the distance.
The mute guard who used to deliver his meals held a white paper lantern and led the two people over.
The first one was wearing the green robe of a chamberlain, holding a large five-layer food box in his hand. As soon as he saw Jing Changjia, he bowed with a smile and said respectfully: "Blessings, Your Highness Yunzhong."
"Eunuch Wang." Jing Changjia said with a smile without moving, "I don't dare take this seriously."
"His Royal Highness Yunzhong is joking. I'm paying you my respects. That's what I should do." The prince glanced at the mute guard, who immediately stepped forward and opened the door of the cell.
As soon as the door opened, the prince immediately entered the prison. He bowed and put down the food box and said softly: "Your Majesty, Your Majesty misses you very much. You see, His Majesty specially ordered this to be prepared for you."
As soon as the five-layer food box was opened, a delicious fragrance that did not belong to Zhenfu Siyun was emitted.
"Look at this flat peach golden rice, wine-steamed soft lamb, five-flavored apricot cheese goose, honey-roasted spring chicken, snowy cloud soup... they are all your favorites." The prince opened the layers one by one, mouthing endlessly. He said authentically, "Your Majesty has been thinking about this since he got up early in the morning. The cook in the imperial kitchen is too lazy to cook the food you like... His Majesty is very angry."
As he spoke, he looked at Jing Changjia's face. Seeing that Jing Changjia showed no dissatisfaction, he immediately picked up the bowl of flat peach gold silk rice and handed it to Jing Changjia with his head lowered and his eyebrows lowered: "Your Highness, would you like to try it?"
Jing Changjia looked at him leisurely.
As His Majesty's current personal servant, the prince will not know how serious a crime it is to leak forbidden matters privately. Since he dared to say this, that was what Yang Yiheng meant.
But he didn't want to care about what Yang Yiheng wanted to tell him with this incident.
He only knew that when the emperor ordered food, the imperial kitchen would naturally prepare it according to the emperor's taste. How could they know that their Majesty was going crazy today and wanted to order food for a criminal who was about to die in the prison?
Without his constraints, Yang Yiheng looked a bit like his happy and free-spirited biological father.
Seeing that Jing Changjia remained silent, Prince Wang's heart beat violently. He was hesitating to speak again when he heard Jing Changjia say: "Eunuch Wang is a popular person in front of our Majesty, so there is no need to act like this in front of me. .”
He carelessly pushed away the delicate rice bowl in front of him, and inserted his other hand into the prince's arm, forcing him to stand up straight: "I'm tired of staying here, and I won't embarrass you. You can go back and resume your life, our Majesty wants to I will admit whatever crime you are charged with. Let him set the time for beheading in advance, lest I lose patience and act on my own."
His tone was gentle, and the prince trembled all over after hearing this.
The prince lowered his eyes and said sadly: "Your Highness, aren't you taking my minister's life?"
Jing Changjia snorted lightly, let go of his arm, and glanced at the five-layer lunch box on the ground: "The decapitation meal has been delivered, doesn't it mean that he can't wait any longer?"
The prince trembled again.
"Go back." Jing Changjia said solemnly.
The prince had no choice but to bow and return to the mute guard who was pointing the lamp, and looked at the man behind him again.
The third man wore a black hood and remained silent. It wasn't until Eunuch Wang withdrew that he walked to the door in a few steps and called softly: "No blame!"
Jing Changjia was startled when he heard the sound. He walked quickly to the door and watched the man take off his black hood.
Under the hood was a familiar face.
Just as the visitor was about to speak, Jing Changjia raised his hand and said sternly: "Get back!"
The prince and the mute guard lowered their heads and retreated quickly.
It wasn't until the two of them were about ten steps away that Jing Changjia looked away and said warmly: "Guan Rong, you shouldn't have come."
"If I hadn't come, I really wouldn't have known that you wanted to die!" Zhou Guanrong said anxiously: "No blame, don't give up, we are all trying to find a way for you. Besides, I think your Majesty... I don't think what he means is that I want you to die."
Jing Changjia smiled: "How can I want to die?"
"Then why do you misinterpret his meaning? Provoking him will do you no good! He is no longer a good brother who only listens to your words!"
As soon as these words came out, Zhou Guanrong himself was shocked for a moment.
He looked at Jing Changjia's expression, calmed down before lowering his voice, and said in a soothing tone: "Wujiu, after all, you brought him up, and your relationship with him is always different. The current conflict... is originally As expected, if he only wants you to take a step back, you will take a step back, so what?"
Seeing that Jing Changjia was silent, Zhou Guanrong hurriedly took his hand: "Wujiu, think about the career you want to do. You sent people to the Western Regions, and you sent people to go to sea to bring back those fruits, spices, etc. Doesn’t it mean it’s of great use? You haven’t told us how to use it yet.”
Jing Changjia avoided his hand and looked at him gently: "They are all food, and the people will find their use."
"Then those farm tools you asked people to make..."
"I kept the notes." Jing Changjia interrupted, "I also learned from folk craftsmen early. Without me, they also know how to make and use it."
Zhou Guanrong looked at him with a complicated expression.
The light in the Zhenfu Prison was dim, and the flickering light fell down, casting undulating shadows on people's faces. Jing Changjia's eyes were hidden in the darkness, with only a little star-like light coming out from them.
Yes, when today's child grew up beside him, how could he not know what he would face?
"Did you... think about it from the beginning?" Zhou Guanrong asked in a low voice.
"Ah..." Jing Changjia was stunned for a moment, then smiled again, "No. No."
In his expectation, he should teach Yang Yiheng step by step how to be a decision-maker, and then... he would slowly withdraw all his people.
He will go to deserts, deep seas, and isolated mountains to do what he wants to do in those places.
Maybe I'll come back only once in a few years. But he will come back with the seeds and talents he discovered, and do his best to make this world a better place.
He always thought Yang Yiheng would support him.
So in his guess... there is absolutely no such place as the Zhenfu Si Prison.
"But you should know that he doesn't want to kill you." Zhou Guanrong said softly, "No blame, just one step. Let's take a step back."
Jing Changjia was still smiling. He looked at his friend in front of him and said seriously: "Jing Wujiu, you can die, but you can't lose."
Zhou Guanrong frowned. He stared at Jing Changjia and almost shouted: "This is not at the border!"
He forgot where this place was. He only held Jing Changjia's wrist tightly and choked with sobs: "You don't need to be that invincible major general! You won't die even if you lose... If you take a step back and survive, you can Why not?!”
Jing Changjia almost indulged in watching him lose his temper. After Zhou Guanrong finished speaking, he broke away from Zhou Guanrong's hand and patted the other person's arm gently: "Guanrong, go back, don't come."
Zhou Guanrong wanted to say something more, but the mute guard had already stepped forward, grabbed Zhou Guanrong's arm with one hand, and made a gesture of invitation with the other.
The scholar who held a pen all year round was no match for the guard with a knife. He was almost dragged away from Jing Changjia's sight by the mute guard.
When the Zhenfu Prison became quiet again, Jing Changjia let out a long, long sigh.
Will you die if you take a step back?
Jing Changjia chuckled.
Yang Yiheng may not kill him, but Yang Yiheng also knows what he hates best.
He wanted to imprison him in the eldest princess's mansion for the rest of his life and not be able to take a step forward. What was the difference between this and death?
Maybe...it's not just about being imprisoned in the eldest princess's mansion.
Yang Yiheng may just want him to bow his head, but Jing Wu Jiu has never bent his back in his life.
He would never accept this outcome. But will he raise an army because of this?
In the dream, Yang Yiheng's uncontrollable howling seemed to start again. Jing Changjia touched his neck, walked to the five-story food box and squatted down.
There was a charcoal fire on the bottom of the food box to keep it warm. Jing Changjia picked up a piece of five-flavor apricot cheese goose and tasted it.
"It was kept warm for too long and the texture is too soft." After finishing his review, he simply sat down, picked up the bowl and chopsticks, and started eating slowly.
On the other side, the prince and his father-in-law hurriedly returned to Qinzheng Hall.
As soon as he approached the gate of Qinzheng Hall, he saw a gray-haired figure retreating.
That is He Qingji. The former Prince's Young Master is now the Grand Bachelor of Wenhua Palace.
"Master He." Wang Gonggong took the lead in cupping his hands.
"Sir Wang." He Qingji returned the salute and hesitated for a moment before asking again, "Sir Wang is not with His Majesty, but he has gone..."
He glanced to the west.
The prince just smiled and said: "Master He, your Majesty is still waiting for me, so I will go over first."
He was in a hurry to leave, but He Qingji did not argue with him, and simply said directly: "My lord, you and I both know what is the only important thing in the court today. Your Majesty is still young and too soft-hearted to know. Some things should not be delayed for too long. Since you are a close minister of His Majesty, you should give more advice to His Majesty."
The prince didn't say anything, he just held up his hands and hurriedly entered the Qinzheng Hall.
Yang Yiheng was reading the book in the east side hall. The tea on the table was already cold, and he didn't ask anyone to change the water.
It wasn't until the prince returned to his hands and carefully changed him a cup of warm water at a suitable temperature that he picked up the cup and took a sip: "Is he... Prince Yunzhong doing well?"
The prince was sweating coldly and could only say: "The prince looks... quite at ease."
"Of course he is at ease." Yang Yiheng chuckled, "Don't think of him as one of those dudes in the capital. He didn't have any hard times in those years, so what does it mean to calm down the prison?"
After saying this, he put down the cup and pondered for a long time, and then asked again: "You went to see him today and tell him in detail what you said to him."
When the prince heard this, he suddenly knelt down. He first recounted his conversation with Jing Changjia word by word, then leaned down and put his head on the ground, crying sadly: "Your Majesty, this minister is incompetent and cannot persuade the prince."
"Suicide meal?"
Yang Yiheng stood up suddenly, veins twitching on his forehead: "I'm worried that he won't be able to eat or sleep well, but he thinks I'm giving him a decapitation meal?! Okay, that's great!"
The prince fell on the ground, not daring to raise his head. Only cold sweat kept oozing out.
Yang Yiheng was so angry that he paced back and forth. After a long time, he asked coldly: "Where is Zhou Guanrong? He didn't persuade him?"
"Lord Zhou..." Eunuch Wang said hesitantly, "He was very excited. The prince asked him... not to go."
"Huh. It seems that Zhou Guanrong is of no use." Yang Yiheng felt strangely better.
Aren’t they friends who have passed away? No, it's useless.
Yang Yiheng picked up the tea cup and took another sip before asking, "What did the prince say to him?"
The prince spoke carefully again.
Although he retreated far away at that time, the governor was quiet and he was born with a good ear. Therefore, he could hear clearly what Jing Changjia and Zhou Guanrong said.
Yang Yiheng looked down at his figure calmly. He didn't sit back again until Eunuch Wang finished speaking.
"You can die, but you can't lose?" Yang Yiheng said softly.
"Yes." The prince said tremblingly, "Prince Yunzhong... said this."
"Just to meet one of my requests, does that mean I'm defeated?" Yang Yiheng murmured, "Obviously, he would have promised me anything before."
He wanted to die just because he didn't let Jing Changjia leave.
But is he the only one trapped in the imperial city, the Prince of Yunzhong? As the emperor, wouldn't he have to be trapped in this city for the rest of his life?
The prince closed his eyes and knelt on the ground, pretending that he heard nothing.
"Since he wants to die, I have to make it happen for him, right?" Yang Yiheng said calmly, "If he can't defeat him, then just die."
