The Double-Chapter 619 - 182 Facing Death

In the Sky Prison of the Ministry of Punishment, at this moment, the light was dim, and one could hear the rustling sounds of rats scurrying and some animal gnawing at food. Shrieks and cries came intermittently, and in a corner, Princess Yongning sat with her knees pulled to her chest. She was pressed up against the bars of Shen Yurong’s cell, as if drawing life from their proximity.

In these three days, she had pleaded and threatened, slipping off the bracelet from her wrist to give to the jailers, hoping they would convey a message to Prince Cheng or Empress Dowager Liu. The jailers took her bracelet and turned to leave, never to return, leaving Princess Yongning to curse them until she was hoarse and exhausted.

Before the condemned are led away, their last meal is always sumptuous. Princess Yongning had constantly cursed the poor quality of the prison food, but when her final day arrived and a feast was laid out before her, she seemed provoked by the sight and refused to eat a bite, as if eating these would bring immediate death. By delaying, she could avoid facing a hopeless end.

The opposite was true for Shen Yurong, who had been silent over these past few days. He listened to Princess Yongning’s chastisements, offered no comfort, and formulated no strategies. When the last meal arrived that night, Shen Yurong had the appetite to savor it slowly, pouring himself a cup of wine, seemingly blind to Princess Yongning’s terror.

Princess Yongning felt a deadness in her heart; if Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu had wanted to save her, they would not have ceased sending messages. Three days of utter silence could only mean they had abandoned her.

Tomorrow was the day of her execution, and Princess Yongning could not help but pull herself in even tighter.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps and the jailers’ voices came from outside. Princess Yongning paid them no mind; new prisoners arrived daily, and the condemned were taken away. The Ministry of Punishment’s prison was never short of occupants. After a while, the voices of the jailers dissipated, but the footsteps continued, unhurried and distinct, reaching her ears in the otherwise silent prison.

Princess Yongning could not help but listen attentively.

The footsteps approached her and Shen Yurong’s cell. A jolt went through her, kindling a flicker of new hope. If this person had been sent by Empress Dowager Liu and Prince Cheng... It must be so! Certainly, he was here to tell her that Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu had made preparations and would soon rescue her, instructing her not to worry!

The footsteps drew nearer, and Princess Yongning already rushed to the iron bars, eager to see who was approaching.

She saw a glimpse of a clean skirt hem.

A woman? Princess Yongning lifted her head in confusion, and Shen Yurong, who was huddled against the wall in the depths of the cell, also lifted his eyes and glanced in that direction.

The light slowly illuminated the visitor’s face, revealing skin as white as snow, delicate brows, and apricot eyes, clean and radiant—a young woman smiling down at her. Princess Yongning was stunned for a moment, almost crying out in surprise, "Xue Fangfei!"

This attire, this guise, was so much like Xue Fangfei of the past! When she had first met Shen Yurong, she had developed a crush and learned that he was already married. Disdainful, she used a pretext to meet Xue Fangfei at a banquet.

Although she had long known of Xue Fangfei’s renowned beauty, Princess Yongning thought she was merely a common woman from the countryside, the daughter of a minor official. She believed the rampant outside gossip was exaggerated, far from the truth. Yet, upon actually seeing that stunning woman, an indignant jealousy surged uncontrollably within her.

Princess Yongning’s obstinate desire for Shen Yurong was partly because she truly liked him, but one wonders if part of it was due to the fact that Shen Yurong was Xue Fangfei’s husband, which only intensified her desire to win him over.

In truth, she was envious of Xue Fangfei.

Her heart skipped a beat, and as the woman in front of her squatted down slowly, facing her across the iron bars, she said, "Your Highness."

Princess Yongning suddenly saw her face clearly; she was not Xue Fangfei, she was Jiang Li of the Jiang Family—the Second Miss.

"Jiang Li?!" Princess Yongning exclaimed angrily, "How come you are here?" It was impossible for Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu to send Jiang Li with a message; her presence meant she could not possibly be there to rescue her.

"I came here specifically to have a few words with you," Jiang Li said as she cocked her head, the gesture lending her an air of sprite-like charm. She looked at the princess as if not seeing someone on the verge of collapse but an old friend whom she had not seen in some time. With a smile and a soft voice, she said, "Your residence here, in a way, is my doing." freewёbnoνel.com