"This King wants her to speak for herself." The King of Northern Territory shot a glance over. One of the two men holding Kui Xiang grabbed her chin and said fiercely, "Confess your crimes truthfully!"
Kui Xiang looked up at Xue Zi Ning, closed her eyes, and said word by word, "I'm sorry, Miss. I deceived you. I am indeed Kui Xiang from Feng Yue Lou."
Xue Zi Ning stumbled back several steps, shaking her head, "Impossible, impossible."
The King of Northern Territory said, "This King knows it's hard for Miss Feng to accept this right away. It's only natural."
"Your Highness, regardless of whether Kui Xiang is from Feng Yue Lou or not, she is my maid. May I bid her farewell?" Xue Zi Ning asked.
The King of Northern Territory nodded, "This King is not an unfeeling person. Miss Feng, please, take your time. I shall leave first."
With that, the King of Northern Territory walked out.
Xue Zi Ning walked up to Kui Xiang and said sadly, "Kui Xiang, how could you deceive me?"
Kui Xiang wore a look of shame, "I'm sorry, Miss..."
Before she left, she pressed a pill into Kui Xiang's hand and whispered, "Take this, and I will be able to find you, no matter where you are."
Kui Xiang seized an opportunity when no one was looking and swallowed the pill.
She was tied to a torture rack, interrogated harshly about any accomplices. She gritted her teeth, not uttering a single word.
The other women in Feng Yue Lou had no idea that she was actually acting as a spy for Wen Yu Xi, the Minister of War.
Unable to extract any useful information, the King of Northern Territory ordered Kui Xiang to be thrown into the water dungeon.
Her many wounds came into contact with the filthy water, and the pain was unimaginable.
Kui Xiang quickly fainted from the agony.
In a daze, she seemed to hear two people talking nearby.
One of them said, "Do you think she'll wake up after being beaten so badly?"
The other replied, "I doubt it."
"She looks like she was once a beauty. Xue Zi Xuan really has no regard for tender feelings."
The man clicked his tongue twice.
"Don't mention my name. He is not me, and he cannot replace me."
He truly couldn't replace her, but he did share the surname Xue, while you are a fake.
"Whether real or fake, if Elder Sister thought I was, then I was. If Elder Sister didn't think I was, then I was nothing."
"Why go through all this?"
"I have enjoyed the many benefits Elder Sister bestowed upon me, and I will not betray her."
Kui Xiang slowly opened her eyes. The world before her was pitch black. She couldn't tell how many people were there, but based on the conversation, there seemed to be only two.
"She's awake," a voice said.
Kui Xiang was startled. In the darkness of the night, how could that person see her?
"How did you get here, girl?" someone asked her.
She opened her mouth, wanting to speak, but found herself unable to utter a single word.
"Can't speak?" the person asked her.
She nodded. Suddenly, a warm current flowed into her, and she found she could speak. "Who are you?"
Initially, no one answered. After a long while, someone finally said, "Wen Yu Xi."
Kui Xiang was slightly taken aback. The name sounded familiar, as if it were on the tip of her tongue, but she couldn't recall it.
"And you, girl?" Wen Yu Xi asked.
"Kui Xiang..."
Wen Yu Xi faltered, "Why does this name sound so familiar? Have I heard it somewhere?"
"The most famous woman in Feng Yue Lou. Wen Yu Xi, don't tell me you haven't heard of her."
Wen Yu Xi nodded upon hearing this, "I truly haven't heard of her, but I still feel like I've heard the name somewhere."
"Your own person, and you don't know?" another person sneered, with a hint of sarcasm.
Wen Yu Xi blinked, "My own person?"
"You can go ask Wen Nuan."
Kui Xiang was stunned. Suddenly, she remembered. Who was Wen Yu Xi? Wasn't he the master of Qian Jin Lou, the superior of Madam Wen Nuan?
Thinking that she, a mere brothel madam of Feng Yue Lou, could meet her superior, she became incredibly excited. Her voice began to tremble, "Lord... Lord Wen, is that you?"
Wen Yu Xi froze. His gaze deepened, "You..."
Kui Xiang's face was wet with tears. "The Lord must not recognize this servant, but this servant recognizes the Lord. This servant used to contact Madam Wen Nuan."
Mention of Wen Nuan agitated Wen Yu Xi completely. He stepped forward, grabbed Kui Xiang, and said anxiously, "Where is Wen Nuan? Where is she?"
Kui Xiang shook her head, "This servant also doesn't know where Madam Wen Nuan has gone. But this servant met a young lady who, in her words, seemed to have met Madam Wen Nuan."
"Who?" Wen Yu Xi asked, his voice filled with vigilance.
Kui Xiang replied, "She said her name was Feng Ning."
Wen Yu Xi's mind went blank. After a long time, he became even more agitated than before, grabbing Kui Xiang by her collar and saying, "You... say that again, what is her name?"
Kui Xiang didn't know why the Lord had suddenly become so frantic, but she still truthfully replied, "She... she said her name was Feng... Feng Ning..." Da Feng Novel Network
Wen Yu Xi didn't know how he managed to regain his senses. He felt utterly overwhelmed.
He had thought of every possibility but never imagined Xue Zi Ning would come.
"How... how could she come? She should have just given birth. She must be physically weak right now. Why would she come? Doesn't Xue Jing Yun stop her? Does he even know what she is doing?"
"Wen Yu Xi, calm down."
"Calm? I can't calm down! Xue Zi Xuan, I must go out. I must go out immediately."
"Easier said than done. How will you go out? How do you plan to get out?"
Wen Yu Xi fell silent. If he could get out, why would he still be waiting here?
"I will definitely get out," Wen Yu Xi said word by word.
He would absolutely not let the Empress face danger alone.
"My Lord, Miss Feng will find her way here. You don't need to worry about Miss Feng." Kui Xiang, though she didn't know why the Lord was so anxious about Miss Feng, inexplicably remembered the pill Miss Feng had given her and what she had said.
With that in mind, she said to Wen Yu Xi, "My Lord, please don't worry. Miss Feng once said that no matter where this servant is, she would find me. This servant believes in Miss Feng."
Wen Yu Xi looked at Kui Xiang upon hearing this, "Did she really say that?"
Kui Xiang nodded, "Yes, she did say that."
"Are you reassured now?" Xue Zi Xuan said.
Wen Yu Xi shook his head, "I'm still not reassured. I want to go out."
Xue Zi Xuan sighed, "If you want to go out, find your own way. I believe we cannot get out. Not to mention how many people are inside, there are likely to be inescapable nets waiting for us outside."
"If we don't try, how will we know if we can get out? We can't just sit here and wait for death, can we?" Wen Yu Xi said unwillingly.
Suddenly, he stopped talking and whispered, "Someone is coming."
The water dungeon fell silent. All three could hear each other's heartbeats.
The door creaked open. In the dim candlelight from outside, a man in a dark robe stood there imposing.