"How dare you even think I'd kneel before you! You're not afraid it'll shorten your lifespan!" Xia Chuli's words were spoken with such force that they seemed to echo in the air. His bright eyes were fixed intently on Gu Mingde, who was sitting high on the dais. There was an overwhelming aura of authority and interrogation in his gaze, which left Gu Mingde on the dais stunned in his seat. The hand that was about to call for his men froze in mid - air, clearly terrified.
In fact, to an onlooker who didn't know the situation, just from the auras of the two men, it seemed that Gu Mingde on the dais was the one being interrogated.
Xia Chuli himself didn't know that his current look was something he had never had before.
"You... You're so audacious!" Gu Mingde's voice trembled. He never expected to be silenced by a deposed crown prince. Anger welled up inside him. Remembering Xia Yonglin's request, a hint of cruelty flashed in his eyes. He slapped the table and shouted, "Guards! Make him kneel!"
The guards standing on either side of Xia Chuli exchanged a glance and stepped forward simultaneously. They each grabbed Xia Chuli's shoulders and stood on his left and right. Then they kicked hard at the back of his knees!
Xia Chuli let out a muffled groan. His legs went weak, and he knelt directly on the ground. The hard bones of his knees collided with the floor, causing him to grimace in pain. Despite this, his eyes stared fixedly and fiercely at Gu Mingde the whole time, making him shiver with fear.
Gu Mingde quickly ordered someone to bring out a confession paper. In black and white on the rice paper were words like "inadequate preparations for the sacrifice" and "igniting the statue of Xing Tian".
Gu Mingde had someone spread the confession paper in front of Xia Chuli and said, "Your Highness, please sign it."
Xia Chuli almost burst out laughing. He said, "Sign it without even a proper trial?! Are you kidding me! You're clearly trying to frame me maliciously. Have you lost your mind?"
Gu Mingde sneered, "Your Highness, look at the clear words on this paper. If you sign it and admit your guilt earlier, everyone will be at ease."
"Bullshit!" Xia Chuli spat at him and cursed, "Who gave you the authority to investigate this matter? You expect me to sign this fabricated confession? You're just a lackey of Xia Yonglin!"
Gu Mingde wasn't afraid of Xia Chuli saying this in front of others. After all, everyone present were his confidants. He pushed the confession paper forward a bit and said coldly, "Your Highness, you were in charge of the sacrifice, and the statue of Xing Tian caught fire during your sacrifice. There are both witnesses and evidence. What else do you have to say?"
"What witnesses and evidence? Fabricated things can't be counted as evidence! I spit on you!"
Gu Mingde was getting annoyed. He remembered Xia Yonglin's demand that he must get Xia Chuli to sign the confession tonight. If this continued, he wouldn't be able to complete the task. In a fit of rage, his eyes turned cold, and he said loudly, "Your Highness, don't refuse a toast only to drink a forfeit! Guards!"
A clerk came forward from the side. Gu Mingde ordered, "Put the thumb screws on him! Let's see if he'll sign or not!"
Xia Chuli knew they were going to use force. He gritted his teeth and started struggling violently. But he couldn't fight against the restraint of three people. His ten fingers were inserted one by one into the thumb screws. At Gu Mingde's order, someone on each side yanked the ropes hard!
Xia Chuli let out a sudden scream. As the saying goes, the fingers are connected to the heart, and the pain was excruciating. It made him unable to speak, and his whole body trembled.
"Your Highness, I advise you to be a wise man. Now the whole country knows that you burned the statue of Xing Tian. The people's resentment towards you is great. If you sign this confession, you might still gain a bit of sympathy. Why be so stubborn?"
Cold sweat was pouring down Xia Chuli's face. He gritted his teeth and roared angrily, "You're... dreaming! You shameless people! You frame me and yet speak so righteously! Bastards..."
Gu Mingde snorted. He wasn't worried about Xia Chuli's refusal. These pampered royal family members had never suffered such torture. He believed that Xia Chuli wouldn't be able to hold out for long and would surely be forced to agree. Then, with this signed confession from Xia Chuli, he would be able to complete the task Xia Yonglin had given him.
Gu Mingde looked at the two clerks and said coldly, "Continue!"
Another scream echoed. The pain made Xia Chuli's vision go black. He almost fainted. The excruciating pain spread from his ten fingertips throughout his body, making his scalp tingle. He struggled to escape backward but was mercilessly held by his arms and subjected to another round of torture.
He gritted his teeth so hard that his lower lip bled, but he still refused to sign.
Gu Mingde was not only surprised but also increasingly amazed. He never expected Xia Chuli to be so stubborn and have such a high tolerance for pain. As it was getting late, he looked at the sky and let out a disdainful snort. Looking at Xia Chuli, who was lying on the ground trembling, soaked in cold sweat from the torture, he said, "Your Highness, does it hurt? If it does, sign the confession quickly. Otherwise, I'll make you experience all the tortures in the prison of the Minister of Justice!"
Xia Chuli was already exhausted from the torture. He was like a man fished out of water. His lips were pale, and he could hardly open his eyes due to the pain. He gritted his teeth and said fiercely, "You're... dreaming..."
This made Gu Mingde a bit anxious. He suddenly stood up straight, and the cruelty in his eyes remained. "Fine, I'll see how long you can hold out!"
As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and picked up a whip from the platform. With a sharp whistling sound, he threw it down and said, "Don't blame me then!"
Xia Chuli snorted, seemingly not caring at all.
Unexpectedly, the whip came down hard on Xia Chuli's back. He let out a scream, and his back was instantly lacerated. The burning pain was unbearable.
"Confess or not!" Gu Mingde seemed to be going crazy. In his eagerness to succeed, his voice sounded strange.
Xia Chuli bit his blood - stained lower lip. His hands were tightly clenched into fists. The pain on his back was unforgettable. At this moment, only Shen Qingfeng's face flashed through his mind.
It seemed that he had nothing but Shen Qingfeng.
They used to be so close. Why was he drifting further and further away from him? Was it because he was going to marry Qi Mengmeng?
But he married Qi Mengmeng to ensure they could survive in the deep palace. Was he wrong?
Why...
Why did you fall in love with Lu Yan...
Seeing that Xia Chuli still kept his lips tightly shut and said nothing, Gu Mingde let out an angry screech. His face was hideous. He raised the whip again.
Xia Chuli gave him a sidelong glance and slowly closed his eyes.
The expected pain didn't come. He only felt a gust of wind beside him. Then he heard a dull thud and Gu Mingde's scream.
Xia Chuli suddenly opened his eyes and saw that the clerks who had been holding him down just now were all knocked flying. In front of him, Lu Yan was standing sideways, his face as cold as frost. He retracted a series of smooth movements, looking like a god descending to the world.
Lu Yan...?
Xia Chuli was stunned.
Then, that meant Qingfeng...
Xia Chuli instinctively wanted to turn around to look. Before he could move, he heard Shen Qingfeng's anxious voice from behind, "Xia Chuli!!"