Ma Niu lowered his head. "This..."
The further Song Chaoyu walked, the more she could smell the aroma of food.
But looking at the people around her, she felt a chill.
If there was truly a hell on earth, then the Heavenly Prison was one of them.
In the dark and long passages, there was not a sliver of sunlight. Only the few torches hanging on the walls served as the sole source of light in the vast Heavenly Prison.
Those imprisoned in the Heavenly Prison were all heinous criminals. But whatever they had done outside, once locked in the Heavenly Prison, they had no capital for any further arrogance.
Especially those who had experienced the torture chambers of the Heavenly Prison. They couldn't die, but shedding a layer of skin was as simple as it could be.
As long as these people were kept alive in the Heavenly Prison, no one would bother to treat them.
Therefore, the stench of rotten blood emanated from almost every cell.
Song Chaoyu kept her handkerchief pressed to her nose, but the smell still seemed to seep in through every pore, causing her brows to furrow deeply.
Ma Niu and the others were clearly accustomed to this smell, their expressions unchanged.
Hearing the sound of their footsteps, some prisoners in the Heavenly Prison suddenly lurched forward, clinging to the bars they could never break, staring intently at Song Chaoyu and Mu Changxi.
Many people who came to the Heavenly Prison felt uncomfortable just being stared at by those wicked eyes, even wanting to flee.
What Ma Niu didn't expect was that it was one thing for Mu Changxi, but Song Chaoyu, a woman, was also composed and unfazed by their gazes.
Ma Niu couldn't help but admire Song Chaoyu, becoming even more cautious as he led the way.
The further they walked, the more pronounced the scent of Southern State tribute shrimp became.
Until they were nearing the end of the path, Song Chaoyu's eyes suddenly brightened—
She could clearly see, at the end of the path, a large prison cell.
When this cell was built, it was clearly not intended for a single person. It was likely a cell that could hold at least ten people.
But at this moment, only Mu Hansu was in the cell.
And it was obvious that this cell had been renovated before he was put in.
While other cells were dark and damp, the walls of this cell had been freshly painted.
There was a small ventilation hole at the top of the cell, which had now been chiseled larger to allow the rare sunlight to penetrate.
Thick dry grass was spread on the floor to insulate against the dampness, and a brand-new bedstead was placed in the room, along with a small low table.
On the table were brushes, ink, paper, and an inkstone. A few books were casually strewn beneath the table.
Song Chaoyu looked closely; they were all popular storybooks in the capital at the moment, seemingly meant to help Mu Hansu pass the time.
At this moment, Mu Hansu was sitting by a small stool next to the bed, his back to them.
On the stool were five or six dishes, including Southern State tribute shrimp, fried duck with lotus, and coiled cucumber.
Mu Hansu was eating happily, completely unaware that someone had approached from behind him.
It wasn't until Ma Niu coughed lightly to alert Mu Hansu: "Rebel, turn around. His Highness Prince Chang has come to interrogate you!"
Upon hearing the words "Prince Chang," Mu Hansu's back visibly stiffened.
But he did not turn around. Instead, he continued eating and let out a sneer: "Prince Chang? He can come to the Heavenly Prison?"
Clearly, Mu Hansu did not believe it. Instead, he laughed more presumptuously: "Ma Niu, let me tell you. Don't scare me! No matter who Father Emperor sends to interrogate me, it won't be Prince Chang! He is currently suspicious of Prince Chang. I know Father Emperor's nature too well. Prince Chang told a colossal lie. If I see him in the Heavenly Prison, he can only be a prisoner like me, not someone who interrogates me!"
Even Song Chaoyu did not expect that Mu Hansu could still be so arrogant at this point.
"Cough, cough!"
Mu Changxi signaled Ma Niu to stand aside and stepped forward himself, speaking to Mu Hansu: "What, you think you understand Father Emperor very well?"
Hearing Mu Changxi's voice clearly, Mu Hansu suddenly turned his head. The moment he saw Mu Changxi, the chopsticks in his hand fell to the ground: "Impossible! How could Father Emperor let you interrogate me!? Father Emperor would still believe you?"
Mu Changxi signaled Ma Niu to open the cell door: "I didn't expect you to have such delicacies in this prison cell. Southern State tribute shrimp, even this king has never eaten it. You have such good fortune!"
Ma Niu stepped forward and had all the dishes removed.
Mu Hansu did not get angry. His eyes were fixed on Mu Changxi's legs: "Mu Changxi, well done! You didn't go to the Southern State from the beginning! Your legs are perfectly fine. You lied to Father Emperor for so many years, and you lied to me for so many years!"
He clenched his fists, his eyes filled with extreme anger: "If I had known you lied to me about this, I would have dug three feet into the ground to find you!"
"Mu Hansu, stop boasting."
Mu Changxi stepped forward and paced back and forth in the cell: "Let me be direct with you! The reason I've come to find you today, instead of having you dismembered, is because there is something you must tell me. I think... you understand, don't you?"
Mu Hansu was not foolish and naturally understood. He sneered: "You want to know where I hid Prince Wen, right?"
Since Mu Hansu's downfall, Prince Wen had been missing.
The Crown Prince worried about it daily, and Mu Changxi was also not pleased.
At this moment, Mu Hansu knew he still had "value." He raised his eyes and smiled playfully at Mu Changxi: "What, haven't you asked that slut Ti Le? That slut has betrayed this king now, would she still hide Prince Wen's whereabouts from you?"
Actually, his words brought some comfort to Song Chaoyu.
Because this proved that Prince Wen was not dead!
What Ti Le said about Prince Wen being killed seemed to be a deception.
Mu Changxi's eyes gradually grew cold, and he did not hide it from Mu Hansu: "Oh... you don't know yet? Ti Le is dead. I'm afraid you can't get anything from her."
They had only received this news in the past two days.
"That slut is dead!?"
Mu Hansu raised his eyes in disbelief, not believing this: "How did she die?"
Mu Changxi raised his eyebrows slightly: "She colluded with you and committed treason. Although she managed to escape the capital in time, she was a person with nowhere to go in the Great Yue Dynasty."
Mu Changxi's tone remained relaxed: "So she wanted to return to the Southern State. But the Southern State now does not wish to provoke our Great Yue Dynasty because of her. Therefore, the moment her footsteps entered the Southern State, she was killed. Her body was sent back to the Great Yue Dynasty, and it is expected to arrive in the capital tomorrow."