"I'm hungry. Hurry up and prepare some food!"
After being taken into the prison, Prince Yuan Zhen of Kokqin hadn't eaten for a long time. Watching the two jailers outside his cell drinking and feasting, he imperiously commanded.
As the third prince of Kokqin, when had he ever suffered such prison hardships?
Now, not only was he locked up in a cell, but he also had to endure his hunger while watching the jailers enjoy delicious food and drinks. It was truly infuriating!
Hearing Yuan Zhen's words, the two jailers exchanged a look.
One of them then twisted a chicken neck off the roasted chicken on the table and tossed it like feeding livestock through the railing to Yuan Zhen's feet. With a sneering face, he said,
"This is what I'm giving you. You don't need to kowtow!"
As soon as the words were out, the two jailers burst into laughter. Their contemptuous looks instantly enraged Yuan Zhen.
He kicked the chicken neck with the head away and glared angrily at the two jailers, shouting,
"Do you know who I am? How dare you be so disrespectful?! Once I get out of this cell, I will surely skin you alive and pull out your bones!"
On the Kokqin grassland, who didn't fear his authority?
Countless people had died under his scimitar. Some had even become victims just because they failed to carry out his orders in time.
Those who dared to openly oppose him had long been skinned and their bodies set ablaze as a warning.
So his authority could not be trampled on by anyone. Even in the capital, he would never allow anyone to treat him like this!
Facing Yuan Zhen's cold threat, the two jailers were not intimidated. Instead, they seemed to have heard a hilarious joke and burst into laughter again.
One of the jailers even taunted,
"Goodness, did I hear correctly? This is so funny! A man on the verge of death actually threatening to skin us alive?"
"You'd better think about how to save yourself instead!"
The other jailer chimed in, which made Yuan Zhen frown in confusion. He angrily shouted,
"Are you two stupid? The emperor ordered me to be placed in this prison. He must know that I've been framed. It won't be long before he sets me free! Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed my younger sister to visit me so easily."
Yuan Zhen's gaze was firm and his words seemed reasonable. However, the jailer snorted and retorted,
"Who's really stupid? You're still dreaming of being reborn when death is just around the corner. It's simply wishful thinking!"
"This is impossible. You must be lying to me. Who sent you? What's your purpose?!"
Yuan Zhen's eyes widened in anger. His sharp gaze fixed on the two jailers as if he could see through their lies.
If the emperor really wanted to kill him, why would he go through so much trouble to transfer him out of the death row?
And when his younger sister Yuan Zhu came to visit him just now, why didn't she mention anything about it?
Moreover, there was also the Empress Dowager!
It was the Empress Dowager who ordered him to use the ten warriors to kill Qi Rong, which led to the current situation. The Empress Dowager couldn't just abandon him!
After analyzing the jailers' words, none of it made sense. So he could only come to one conclusion:
These two were lying!
He just didn't know what their purpose was.
Hearing Yuan Zhen's words, the two jailers sneered and stared at him mockingly,
"Allowing your sister to come in was just for her to bid you farewell and see you for the last time. Besides, who said you can't die in an ordinary cell? You could be accidentally bitten to death by a poisonous snake or suddenly die of a disease due to acclimatization. Which way would you prefer, Third Prince?"
"Anyway, you're the only prisoner here. No one else would know what happens in the cell..."
Before the jailers could finish their words, Yuan Zhen's face had already turned extremely dark. At this moment, a stern shout came from the prison corridor,
"Shut up! Don't be disrespectful to the Third Prince!"
Liang Sheng, the Prefect of the Capital, strode in with a solemn face. First, he bowed respectfully to Yuan Zhen and apologized on behalf of the two jailers. Then he turned around and scolded the two jailers.
"Have you forgotten the previous punishments? Still blabbering here! If you can't control your mouths, you'll be punished to stand guard outside from now on!"
Saying that, he sent the two jailers away and replaced them with two others. He even ordered the jailers to prepare a sumptuous meal for Prince Yuan Zhen.
Liang Sheng's polite treatment, however, made Yuan Zhen more vigilant. He couldn't help but think of what the two jailers had said before.
He stared suspiciously at the table full of dishes in the cell but didn't touch his chopsticks. Instead, he politely said to Liang Sheng,
"Sir, I have something to say to my younger sister. Could you please call her here for me?"
Hearing Yuan Zhen's request, Liang Sheng showed a hesitant expression,
"Does the Third Prince have something so important that it can't wait until tomorrow? According to the regulations of the Capital Prefecture, no one is allowed to visit prisoners after the Xu hour. Even I can't break the rules."
Yuan Zhen's face suddenly darkened. He patiently clasped his fists and said to Liang Sheng,
"I really have something extremely important to discuss with my younger sister tonight. It concerns this marriage alliance. I hope you can make an exception!"
The marriage alliance with Kokqin was crucial to the country's stability. If Liang Sheng knew how important it was, he presumably wouldn't hesitate.
However, Yuan Zhen underestimated Liang Sheng's stubbornness. Without much hesitation, Liang Sheng said to Yuan Zhen,
"Please forgive me, Third Prince. The regulations on prison visits are clearly written in the Liuguo Code. Without the emperor's permission, I can't break the law!"
Liang Sheng paused for a moment and continued,
"How about this? I can convey your message for you so as not to break the rules."
Liang Sheng abided by the law and was also considerate, leaving Yuan Zhen with nothing to fault.
Seeing Yuan Zhen fall silent, Liang Sheng said gently,
"If the Third Prince has any requests, just tell the jailers. They will try their best to meet your needs. I'll take my leave now!"
Saying that, Liang Sheng left the cell, leaving Yuan Zhen staring blankly at the table full of dishes.
Although he was extremely hungry at the moment, thinking of what the two jailers had said, he couldn't help but be wary of the food. If, as they said, the emperor intended to kill him but didn't want to offend Kokqin and deliberately poisoned the food...
Just thinking about it made Yuan Zhen shiver.
He came to the capital this time clearly intending to consolidate his power through his sister's marriage alliance, not to sacrifice his life!
Just as Yuan Zhen was planning how to get out of this predicament and return safely to Kokqin, a jailer suddenly reminded him,
"Third Prince, please enjoy your meal quickly. The food will taste bad if it gets cold."
Meeting the jailer's rather eager gaze, Yuan Zhen's heart sank to the bottom. A coldness flashed in his eyes.