binnovel Chapter 174 Prison Break
Chapter 174 Prison Break
"This marriage was bestowed by my own decree, as everyone in the world knows. It concerns the face of the imperial family and the stability of the court. How can you change it so easily? There is absolutely no room for further discussion on this matter!"
After saying this, the emperor abruptly waved his sleeve and refused to look at them again.
"You can go back now."
The eldest prince's heart sank. He knew his father's temperament well; once he made up his mind, it was difficult to change it.
So he frowned, reached for the sword at his waist, and wanted to hold the knife to the old emperor's neck to force him to change his mind.
Just then, the Ninth Prince suddenly burst in.
In front of everyone, he said loudly, "Since this arranged marriage has put everyone in a difficult position, I have a plan: I will marry Zhao Jihua."
These words shocked everyone present, and all eyes turned to the emperor.
Zhao Jihua: !!!
However, before she could speak...
The emperor's face instantly turned ashen. He slammed his hand on the table, stood up abruptly, and roared angrily:
"You two princes, fighting over a woman, what kind of behavior is this! Where is the dignity of the royal family?"
The Ninth Prince forced a smile and said, "Father! Ji Hua is a really good person. She is always sincere and friendly to others and has never done anything out of line. I admire her very much... Besides, even if Father wants to bestow a marriage, shouldn't we consider the wishes of both of them?"
After speaking, he felt somewhat guilty and dared not look up at the emperor on the dragon throne.
This was the first time he had disobeyed the emperor.
As expected, the emperor was furious. He slammed his fist on the table and shouted, "This is outrageous! I think you've all been bewitched by this vixen!"
The Ninth Prince immediately knelt down, but still mustered his courage and said, "Father, Ji Hua is not a witch! Since my elder brother is unwilling, let me marry Zhao Ji Hua, okay? That way, it will be good for my elder brother, Ji Hua, and me, and Father won't be in a difficult position..."
"Shut up!"
Subsequently, the emperor issued an order without any mercy:
"Lock Zhao Jihua in jail and let her reflect on her actions. Let's see if she dares to provoke the prince and disrupt the royal order again!"
Immediately, someone stepped forward and detained Zhao Jihua.
The Ninth Prince cried out in alarm, "Father!"
"Shut up! Or I'll lock you up too!"
“Jihua is innocent. Father should not punish her! Even if Father wants to imprison me, I will protect her.” The Ninth Prince stood firmly in front of Zhao Jihua.
"Guards, escort the Ninth Prince back to his residence!"
"Father..."
However, servants had already come to "invite" him out.
Zhao Jihua was thus imprisoned. She huddled in a corner, filled with resentment and confusion, unable to understand why she had fallen into such a desperate situation.
When only the father and son remained in the room.
The eldest prince finally spoke, asking, "What happened?"
The emperor chuckled upon hearing this: "As expected of the perfect candidate for the future crown prince, you are indeed perceptive. How did you discover that?"
"I could tell at a glance, you were being too deliberate," the eldest prince said casually.
"Sigh..." The emperor raised his eyes to look into the distance and slowly told the eldest prince about the events that had happened in recent days.
Finally, he said, "The third brother is plotting to get rid of Zhao Jihua, and then using that to frame you as a cursed star who brings misfortune to your family, after all, your mother also died because of a difficult childbirth..."
The emperor looked at the eldest prince and asked, "What if your fiancée dies suddenly on your first day back in the capital? What will you do then, when rumors start flying?"
The eldest prince clenched his fists, his eyes flashing with coldness. "I will not let him succeed."
The emperor nodded with satisfaction, "I believe you have a solution."
"If it is... then you need not show mercy. The third brother cannot be spared."
The eldest prince raised an eyebrow: "You're willing to do that?"
"Nation, nation, nation comes before family. Compared to the Azure Dragon Empire, what is it?"
The eldest prince exclaimed, "Oh!"
"I guess you don't really want me to marry her."
"Do you think I would force you to do anything?"
"Of course!" The Ninth Prince said with an air of arrogance.
"In that case, I'll be going now. Remember to clean up the tail properly."
As the emperor watched the eldest prince turn and leave the imperial study, he said softly, "Princess Nanhua, I'm sorry you had to suffer, but the truth will soon come out."
……
Xia Li was extremely anxious upon learning of this.
Her first thought was to ask the emperor's favorite concubine, hoping to persuade him to change his mind through her influence.
Therefore, Xia Li bribed the palace eunuchs and pleaded with the concubines who were on good terms with Zhao Jihua to say a few good words for him to the emperor.
Fortunately, Zhao Jihua had won the favor of many people a few days ago, and everyone readily agreed to help.
However, when the concubines subtly brought up Zhao Jihua's matter when the emperor was in a slightly better mood, he merely snorted coldly and said:
"Womanly compassion! This matter concerns the dignity of the royal family and cannot be easily forgiven."
Seeing the emperor's resolute attitude, no one dared to say anything more.
When Xia Li heard about this, his heart was filled with a stormy sea of emotions that he could hardly calm down.
Desperate to save her sister, only one thing remained on her mind:
Save my sister!
My sister has lived a life of luxury since childhood and has never suffered the slightest hardship. How could she possibly endure this ordeal in prison?
In the end, she resolutely chose to take a risk—to break out of prison and save Zhao Jihua!
As evening fell and night descended, the whole world seemed to fall into a deep sleep.
But Xia Li was wide awake. She quietly changed into a black night outfit and moved like a ghost through the dark corners.
With her familiarity with the terrain and her agility, she successfully evaded wave after wave of patrolling guards.
Finally, Xia Li arrived at the heavily guarded prison gate.
She carefully observed her surroundings and, after confirming that there was nothing unusual, tiptoed toward the gate.
Gently push open the heavy iron door, it makes a slight sound:
"crunch-"
It sounded particularly jarring in the quiet night.
Fortunately, it went unnoticed by anyone.
As Xia Li entered the prison, his heart pounded faster and faster, and he walked with trepidation with every step.
In the dim light, the hideous and terrifying instruments of torture could be vaguely seen, sending chills down one's spine.
But at this moment, Xia Li had no time to be afraid; all she wanted was to find Zhao Jihua's cell as soon as possible.
After a difficult search, Xia Li finally arrived at Zhao Jihua's cell.
Through the narrow window in the iron gate, she saw Zhao Jihua sitting in the corner, looking weak, pitiful, and helpless, with empty eyes, seemingly staring at nothing.
Xia Li's heart clenched, and her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
"Sister, you've suffered so much..."
Although this cell is clean and tidy, it is definitely of a much lower standard than the one in the Prince's Mansion.
Hearing the sound, Zhao Jihua was startled and slowly looked at her.
It took her a moment to realize what was happening. She said anxiously, "Li'er? What are you doing here? Go back quickly, this isn't a place you can just wander into!"
With trembling hands, Xia Li finally managed to open the cell door and whispered, "This is not the place to talk, sister. Come with me now, or it will be too late!"
Zhao Jihua shook his head and said, "Li'er, don't waste your energy, I'm not leaving."
Xia Li looked surprised and said anxiously, "Sister! This is a prison. You complained about how dilapidated the Marquis's mansion was when you went there. This place is even worse. How much suffering will you have to endure if you stay here!"
Zhao Jihua stood up, walked to Xia Li's side, took her hand, and slowly said, "Li'er, listen to me. I've thought a lot these past few hours since I arrived here. I suspect that the Emperor imprisoned me not to punish me, but to protect me. Think about it, the Third Prince has been making frequent moves in court lately. He has always seen you as a thorn in his side. I abandoned the Third Prince for you, and how much have we suffered these past few days? Now that the First Prince has returned to the capital, he is at war with him. As the First Prince's nominal fiancée, I will definitely be drawn into the struggle. The Emperor must have sensed something, which is why he imprisoned me. It seems like punishment, but in reality, it's to keep me away from the Third Prince's schemes and protect me from harm."
Xia Li was still somewhat doubtful after hearing this. She asked, "Sister, this is just your guess. What if it's not like that? Let's escape first and then make a more careful plan."
Zhao Jihua smiled slightly and said, “Li’er, I understand the Emperor’s character. Although he is dignified, he is by no means a fool. He sees the stakes involved more clearly than we do. Moreover, if I were to run away rashly, it would not only implicate you but also put the Emperor in a difficult position, which might lead to even greater trouble.”
Looking into Zhao Jihua's determined eyes, Xia Li knew she couldn't persuade her.
She was filled with helplessness and reluctance, but she could only obey Zhao Jihua's decision.
She hugged Zhao Jihua tightly, choking back tears, and said, "Miss, you must take care of yourself. I will try to find a way to save you from outside."
Zhao Jihua gently patted Xia Li's back and said, "Don't worry, I'll take good care of myself. When you get back, be careful not to get involved in this conflict."
"But you must be suffering so much here."
Zhao Jihua chuckled: "Don't worry, your sister is someone who's going to do great things. How could I not even be able to endure this little bit of hardship? Really, when I was learning horseback riding and archery, it was much harder than this. All I need to do here is daydream and think about things. Just consider it a vacation for myself. You should go back now and not let anyone see you."
She kept urging him on, so Xia Li had no choice but to leave the prison, looking back every few steps.
Zhao Jihua returned to the corner of the cell, pondering his next move.
She knew that her future was still full of unknowns and dangers.
But she firmly believes that as long as she keeps a clear head and a firm belief, she will be able to overcome this crisis and successfully get what she wants.