She had set up a simple formation to purify the air and inscribed some Concealment Characters so the soldiers would think everything was normal inside. She had also secretly taken out steamed buns and provisions from her dimensional bracelet. She wasn’t foolish enough to eat the food given by the soldiers. She poured rice and food into a jar and stored it in her dimensional bracelet. Since she couldn’t tell if it was poisoned, it didn’t hurt to protect herself. "Baihu, have you found out how far the Emperor’s investigation has progressed?" She was eager to leave this place. Two days in the imperial prison were not pleasant. "Yes, he’s assigned his son to investigate." "His son? Which son?" The Emperor didn’t have just one son. "The one who likes to visit you, A’Zhu." "He’s determined to uncover the truth, but there’s not much progress yet." "Oh." Since it was Brother Lang, she felt a bit more at ease. At least she could be confident that she wouldn’t be falsely accused. "Yesterday, I sneaked in from the back and saw a suspicious, filthy princess. People call her Third Princess, Luluo." "What’s suspicious about her?" "She just behaves a bit differently from others." "Oh." Zhenzhu noted the name of this Third Princess in her mind. She vaguely remembered that this princess had visited Yong Saiweihao a few months ago when he was still in the capital. Could it be this Third Princess? Satisfied with the information, Zhenzhu took out her paper and the favorite pencil to sketch designs for dresses and bags, relaxing. Being in a different situation often sparked new ideas. Perhaps she should incorporate some elements of her prison life into her designs. It would make her clothes quite unique. Baihu, sprawling beside her, lifted its head to look at her briefly before resting again. "A’Zhu, do you have any meat left? I’m hungry." It hadn’t had any meat for two days. It should get something in return for staying here, gathering information for A’Zhu. "There’s no meat left in the dimensional bracelet, only steamed buns and mantou. Will you eat those?" "How crude!” How could it eat steamed buns and mantou? "Then go find some food yourself. There are wild animals to hunt at the foot of the mountain outside the city, or you can ask A’Si to buy some meat. The braised meat from the shop at the corner of the ninth main street is quite good." "Mmm... Now that you mention it, I want some braised meat too. Baihu, take this dimensional ring. Don’t forget to bring back some meat for me." Zhenzhu reached into the dimensional bracelet, took out a small dimensional ring, and tore a piece of paper to write her request, then placed it in Baihu’s mouth. "Here, take this to A’Si and ask her to buy it for me. Don’t forget some snacks to go with the wine." Being idle in prison, a little wine would be quite nice. "If I could go myself, would I need to use you?" "Alright, alright." Baihu said, then it took the paper and the dimensional ring in its mouth and leaped out the window. It wanted to destroy this rotten prison, but unfortunately, A’Zhu wouldn’t allow that. Zhenzhu sat waiting eagerly, anticipating the fragrant braised meat. She had been eating steamed buns and mantou for two days. How could she not get sick of it? She bowed her head and continued sketching her designs. Meanwhile, the voices of the guards outside became audible. It must be time for the guard shift change. Peering through the bars, she saw five guards sitting in a circle outside. One of them took out a jar of liquor hidden in the straw and set it in the middle with a thud. Zhenzhu widened her eyes. Ah..., they drinking liquor while on duty? "A’Zhan, if you take out the liquor , we’ll get in trouble if the commander finds out," one of the guards said, but his eyes gleamed as he looked at the liquor jar. "Do you think the commander will come check? I’ve been guarding this prison for years, and it’s just us. The commander never comes here. Besides, is there anything to worry about in this prison?" He had been a guard here for years, and guarding the prison was like taking a break. How could he just stand around stiffly? In this cold weather, a bit of liquor to warm the blood was just right. "What do you say? Will you drink with me or not? If not, I’ll handle it all by myself. I had to beg Master Liao to sell me this fine liquor." "Is this liquor from Master Liao?" one of them asked excitedly. Master Liao’s liquor was quite famous in the capital, considered a well-known tavern. "Of course. My father is good friends with him; otherwise, how could I get my hands on it? So, are you in or not?" "Yes, sure, a little won’t hurt." With that, the five guards began drinking merrily, not caring at all about the prisoners in the cells. Only Zhenzhu grabbed the bars, watching them. After an hour, the single jar of liquor was empty. "A’Zhan, do you have any more liquor?" How could one jar be enough? If they were going to drink, they needed more. One jar was merely a mouth rinse. "How could I have more? I snuck in just this one jar." "Tsk, why didn’t you bring more? That’s a shame." ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹·𝖿𝗂𝗋𝖾·𝗇𝖾𝗍 "Once our shift is over, we can go out and buy some," said the one called A’Zhan. "It ruins the mood to stop now; don’t you get that?" Zhenzhu, who had been discreetly watching them, interjected. "Brothers, do you want more liquor? I can get some for you. Are you interested?" "Huh, isn’t that Miss He?" one of them said. The news of Miss He poisoning Ya Guifei was widespread. They knew that Miss He was an important person to both Taizi and the Young General. The reason she was sent to prison instead of being executed immediately was due to the Emperor’s consideration of her relationship with those two men. As mere guards, they dared not offend her. Who knew if she might become powerful in the future? "Miss He, did you just say you can get us liquor? How?" one of them said. Prisoners weren’t allowed to bring anything other than their clothes, right? "Oh, you all are so innocent. Don’t you know that I am important to Taizi and the Young General? How could they let me be in prison without any comforts?" Hearing this, the guards nodded. What she said made sense. When she was brought here, they were surprised. Given her importance, Taizi and the Young General wouldn’t let her suffer. "Look here, this dimensional bracelet was secretly given to me by Taizi. It contains all sorts of things, including liquor. Are you interested?" These guards were valuable sources of information. She wanted to find out who framed her. If she couldn’t gather information, she might gain five spies in the palace. Even though she didn’t want to get involved with the palace, it wouldn’t hurt to have them. The guards’ eyes widened at the sight of the dimensional bracelet. It had to be from Taizi; no ordinary person could possess such a valuable item. They were convinced that she had indeed received the dimensional bracelet from Taizi, confirming Miss He’s significant status. "Do you really have liquor, Miss?" "Of course, I do. Come closer, Brothers. I don’t have any friends to talk to." With that, Zhenzhu pulled out a jar of liquor and opened the wooden stopper. Instantly, the fragrant aroma of Yuchong liquor wafted through the air, overpowering the foul stench of the prison. "What kind of fine liquor is this?!" The guards, smelling the liquor, gathered close to the bars, their eyes sparkling. They formed a drinking circle, with one person inside the cell and the other five outside, separated by the bars. "This is Yuchong liquor. Have you heard of it?" "Yuchong liquor!" They exclaimed in astonishment. Who hadn’t heard of it? However, they had never been fortunate enough to taste it. It was said that drinking Yuchong liquor could elevate one’s spirit energy, making it truly a liquor of the immortals. Was this really Yuchong liquor, the same prized by even the Emperor? "Are you interested? I have one jar of Yuchong liquor and several more jars of other brews," Zhenzhu smiled. This was her ace, Yuchong liquor must be a tool to lure them. "Thank you, Miss," they said, their eyes sparkling. With this, Zhenzhu slowly began to befriend them. Three jars of liquor. "Brother Zhan, are you close with the court ladies of the Eighth Princess’s palace?" "I’m not only close with the court ladies of the Eighth Princess; I’m also close with those of the Third Princess. They say she has a terrible temper." "Oh? How bad is her temper?" "I heard that in the past two days, several court ladies were beaten until they bled and had to be sent to the physician. Who knows what made her so angry?" "Really? Is she always like that?" Zhenzhu asked covertly. "No, no. Although she has that temperament, she’s been worse in the past two days." Zhenzhu continued to engage them in conversation, gradually extracting secrets without them noticing. It is said that sharing a drink with someone just once can make you friends. Eventually, the five guards became as close to Zhenzhu as if they had been friends since the previous a lifetime. Drinking with soldiers was her specialty. The next day, when a new shift of soldiers arrived, Zhenzhu used the same tactics to win them over. When it was her turn to drink, she employed small tricks to avoid consuming too much liquor herself. If she drank with every shift, she would be passed out drunk in no time. Nonetheless, she loved liquor, and there was no harm in taking a few sips. By now, almost all the guards had become quite close with Zhenzhu. On the fourth day of her imprisonment, the evening shift of guards came to relieve the previous watch. Zhenzhu happily set up another drinking session. By now, she had learned which court ladies liked which soldiers, which princesses secretly visited which soldiers, and which concubines had clandestine affairs. It was as if she were a fly, flying in the palace. "Miss He, you drink so well." "How could I compare to you, brother? I’m still just a novice." "Miss He, you’re flattering me too much," one of the guards said. He was shy. "Brothers, if you have time, visit me in Fengfu City. I’ll show you the Putao used to brew this liquor. How about that?" They drank merrily, and even Zhenzhu ended up drinking several cups, becoming somewhat dizzy. While the prison was lively, outside, someone was traveling days and nights without rest. It took two days and nights for a courier to deliver the news to him, and another two days and nights for him to travel to the capital. He was extremely anxious about the young woman, worried about how she was doing in the imperial prison. Was she suffering? How was she eating and sleeping? His heart was filled with concern and care. As soon as he arrived in the capital, Yong Saiweihao requested an audience with his supreme master. He spent two hours in the imperial study before finally emerging, his eyes bloodshot and veins clearly visible from nearly three days of sleeplessness. Wenlang was waiting outside the study. He rushed to his friend as soon as he saw him emerge. "His Majesty granted temporary release." "What did you wager this time?" Taizi asked, knowing well that negotiating with his father required a bet to make him yield. "Hmm?" Wenlang was in slight surprise, raising his eyebrows as if to ask for confirmation. However, the answer was in the determined look in his friend’s eyes. "Sigh, let’s go. She’s been in there for four days now. It can’t be good." Yong Saiweihao nodded. Familiar with the place, he strode toward the imperial prison, with Wenlang following behind. Along the way, no guard tried to stop them. The two young men entered the damp and dark prison, the dim torchlight providing just enough visibility. However, as they went deeper, they were surprised to find no guards at all. It caused the general to turn to his friend, he then asked out of confusion. "Are there no guards in the prison anymore?" The palace soldiers did not work under the command of him or his father, so he wasn’t sure if there had been any slight changes in the palace’s rules. But Wenlang was equally surprised. The imperial prison always had guards on duty, at least twenty in total: ten outside and ten inside. They had passed the ten outside, but where were the ten inside? He had not seen even their shadows. A tense expression emerged in his eyes. "Wait, I hear something inside." As a high-tier spirit energy cultivator, Yong Saiweihao detected an unusual sound coming from deeper within the prison. He quickly followed the noise. Meanwhile, Zhenzhu was raising her cup and singing a folk song with satirical undertones, as taught by the soldiers. After hearing it many times, she had memorized it. As she became drunk, she started to sing with a weird accent, though she thought it sounded extremely wonderful. "Brother, hic! You said you’re in love with a court lady from the Third Princess’ palace? What’s she like?" "She’s decent and the most trusted by the Third Princess, but I feel sorry for her because she’s often beaten." "Ah, that’s really sad." "Hey, finish that story about that person from yesterday. I didn’t get to hear the end," Zhenzhu leaned closer to the bars, whispering. The person in question was a concubine secretly involved with a guard, a well-known scandal among the soldiers. Discussing palace secrets made Zhenzhu lower her voice as if dealing in illegal goods. "Ah, I almost forgot. The story goes..." The soldier was cut off by a voice interrupting even before he could start. "Why not? Come here, come closer, brother," Zhenzhu, who was listening intently, looked up at the speaker. What she saw made her hair stand on end. "Ah, brothers, let’s call it a night. I need to rest," Zhenzhu said, her face pale. "Hey, Miss He, you asked me to tell the story, and now you don’t want to listen?" The soldier complained. Why did she change her mind? "It’s not that I don’t want to listen, but you won’t have the time." "Why not? We still have four more hours on our watch." "No, you won’t be on duty anymore. You’ll be outside running around," Zhenzhu said, looking nervously at Wenlang and Yong Saiweihao. Why did you two make such faces? I didn’t invite them for a drink, they were already secretly drinking it. I just asked to join them. Following her gaze, the soldiers suddenly stood up, shocked. At this moment, even an effect of the alcohol in their blood had instantly vanished. "Go accept your punishment!" "Yes, Your Highness!" Ah, Brother Lang, don’t punish them too harshly. Cut them some slack, Zhenzhu spoke in her head, not daring to speak since a pair of sharp eyes were glaring at her as if ready to devour her. It wasn’t carelessness; she had told them to keep one person on guard in case someone came. But the guard had only stayed outside for a short while before joining his comrades inside. So, now they were caught. Once the guards had rushed outside, Wenlang turned back to see Zhenzhu, who sat dejectedly in the cell. If she were a dog, she would have had her ears pulled back, lowering her head. He smirked, amused. This woman never ceased to surprise and endear him. Any other lady in her position, imprisoned in the imperial prison awaiting execution, would be a sobbing mess, unable to eat or sleep. They would not be able to be so carefree and cheerfully drink and sing with the soldiers like how she did. "You handle this," Wenlang said before walking away. In her heart, Zhenzhu called out, No, Brother Lang, don’t leave! Brother Hao is going to kill me. "Hey there, Brother Hao, I’ve missed you," she looked up at the handsome face, which glared at her as if he wanted to behead her. "You little liar, are you comfortable in prison?" "Ah, how could I be? It’s terrible. I’ve missed you so much," she said, reaching through the bars to lightly touch his sleeve. "Brother Hao, you’ve come to take me out, haven’t you?" She tried to appear as pitiable as possible. "You seem quite comfortable here, maybe you don’t want to leave." "I want to leave! I want to leave, Brother Hao," she said, gently tugging at his sleeve. "It looks like you’re very comfortable here, and you’ve made drinking buddies too." "Ah... it’s not like that. I was just gathering information. Really. Someone framed me." The young woman tried to look sorrowful, with tears astonishingly welling up in her eyes. She could appear as pitiful as needed, melting the heart of anyone who saw her, making them feel sorry for her. She had never been in prison before, so she was naturally worried. But without some punishment, she wouldn’t learn her lesson. What kind of prisoner invites the guards to drink? She was getting too bold. He had been so worried that he hurried here without rest. Seeing her eased his worry a bit but also made him want to spank her. Yong Saiweihao turned to leave, but the person in the cell cried out loudly, "Brother Hao, where are you going? Didn’t you come to help me?" Yong Saiweihao stopped but didn’t turn around. "Brother Hao, hasn’t His Majesty agreed to release me?" "Will I be executed?" "Sob, Brother Hao, I’m very scared. I was just trying to keep myself from overthinking," Zhenzhu said, sobbing, her eyes filled with tears. Seeing him turn away made her feel utterly desolate. Was he so angry that he would leave her here? Hearing her sobbing, Yong Saiweihao’s heart was already in the cell with her, but he didn’t turn back. "Brother Hao..." She clung to the bars, calling out to him pitifully. This time, the young man finally turned back. He reached out to unlock the chain securing the door. Zhenzhu walked out cheerfully, completely abandoning her previously sorrowful demeanor. She immediately hugged the young man around the waist. "I missed you," she said. Though her eyes were red, her tears had completely dried. "Brother Hao, I didn’t poison Guifei," she quickly denied, fearing the young man might misunderstand. "I know. How could Zhu’er do such a thing?" The young man gently stroked her hair. Zhenzhu was not an ambitious person, nor was she one to covet power and status. Moreover, she had no motive to do such a thing. Even if she did have a motive, he was confident she wouldn’t do something so foolish as to get herself caught . The poisoning was too blatant, and the evidence pointed to the culprit was too evident. His Majesty wasn’t a fool; how could he believe such a thing? It was just that he couldn’t do anything because the evidence was so clear-cut. "Her condition hasn’t improved; it’s getting worse. The poison is ravaging her body, and the royal physicians still haven’t been able to find a cure." "Is the poison really that mysterious?" Zhenzhu’s face turned pale. "Yes," the young man replied with a tense voice. He didn’t have much time to uncover the truth and present it to His Majesty. Even His Majesty was quite stressed. Guifei was an important figure, and her relatives held significant power in the court. If something terrible happened to her, it would throw the court into turmoil, especially when the region needed stability the most after the war. "Brother Hao, I suspect someone.” Zhenzhu looked around before standing on tiptoe to whisper. Yong Saiweihao bent down to listen. "I suspect Third Princess, Luluo." "Why do you suspect her, Zhu’er?" "She has been acting strangely." Zhenzhu recounted the glare of a certain princess, whom she believed to be the Third Princess. Coupled with the information Baihu had gathered and what she had learned from the guards, everything pointed to Third Princess Luluo. However, she was fair and didn’t want to wrong anyone without concrete evidence. Seeing that Yong Saiweihao was not an outsider, she was willing to with him. Yong Saiweihao considered Zhenzhu’s words and nodded in agreement. It was possible. Read ‘Rebirth: This Farmgirl Has Spirit Fish Scales’ before anyone else with more Chapters at https://www.jinovel.com/en