Chapter 308 The Grand Curtain (Part 2)
"The core alchemists of the Privy Council?" Li was a little surprised. "Shouldn't they attend the coronation ceremony?"
"It's a bit strange indeed." Xia Fan pondered, "For such a historic moment from behind the scenes to the front stage, the core members should all be present."
The ideal situation is that the other party will take a walk and leave without staying in the prison. The worst situation is that the second prince temporarily strengthens the defense of the prison, and a head-on confrontation will be inevitable.
This prison is located in Dongcheng District and is located in the same place as the government prison. Both its structure and layout are much more formal than the dungeon converted from the basement in Jinxia City. If you want to enter it, you must first break through the gate of the courtyard wall. There are two watchtowers at the door, which can sound the alarm at the first time. Further inside are four stone bungalows. The southernmost one is the prison dedicated to the Privy Council, which is usually guarded by three to four alchemists. However, considering that this is a hard job, the alchemists arranged here are basically not of high rank, and it is considered good to have a level of fifth-rank trial.
There is also a small barracks to the north of the prison for garrison soldiers. Judging from the size, it can hold only about one or two hundred people. In general, these people are more than enough to deal with jailbreaks or suppress prisoners, and there is no need for the Privy Council to waste precious manpower here. After all, Shangyuan City is the capital of Qi State, and few enemies can break through the hinterland to threaten here. This "blind spot" in the concept is exactly where Xia Fan can take advantage.
But if there is one more high-grade alchemist, it will undoubtedly add many variables to the action.
"Should the plan... be terminated?" Li asked hesitantly.
"No change for the time being." Xia Fan shook his head slowly, "The coronation ceremony is our best chance. If we don't act today, the risk will only be greater in the future."
Da Da.
Luo Qingqing suddenly knocked on the window sill, "There is a new situation."
"Contact later." Xia Fan ended the communication and looked back at the direction of the prison. I saw another double-axle carriage driving along the street and slowly stopped beside the main gate of the prison.
The color matching of this carriage is much more gorgeous, with a golden top, a purple carriage, and light blue clouds and dragons embroidered around. People who can use this kind of carriage are basically related to the royal family.
"What's going on? Even people from the palace come to visit the prison?" Xia Fan frowned, "What's the wind blowing today?"
After the horse stopped, the servant immediately brought a low stool and placed it in front of the carriage.
The door opened, and a man in a brocade robe walked down the carriage leisurely.
"Who is this person?"
"I guess... probably a royal heir?" Fang Yanni whispered, "This kind of red auspicious cloud brocade robe can only be worn by those princes and princesses."
"It's neither the crown prince nor the second prince, and it's a man..." Xia Fan pondered, "Could it be the fourth prince Ning Chu Nan?"
As soon as he said this, he felt a wave of air rolling towards him from his side.
Fang Yanni even shuddered and shrank back - her insight into the air was not as sharp as Xia Fan's, but she still sensed a hint of chill.
Although Luo Qingqing's expression remained unchanged, the surging aura around her had already revealed her current mood.
"What does he look like?"
"Thin, pale, with thin eyebrows and narrow eyes, and a jade pendant hanging on his ear."
"It's very likely him." Luo Qingqing turned her head and said, "Xia Fan..."
The latter gave an affirmative look, "If it's really the Fourth Prince, you can do what you want."
...
The prison of the Privy Council was damp and cold, and the blazing torches on the wall could not dispel the chill in the air. The fire swayed back and forth in the darkness, casting long shadows behind the iron chains and cages.
Compared to the hustle and bustle outside, this place seemed like another world. Occasionally, all you could hear was the crisp sound of the whip hitting the body and the low screams.
Yu Linglong didn't like such a place.
Even if the shadow would always be with her.
After passing through a series of iron gates, she came to the cell where Yan Qing was imprisoned.
"Open the door." Yu Linglong said to the jailer, "Then go out."
"My lord... This may be a little against the rules..."
"Yes, it's not against the rules at all," a shadow emerged from the ground and said in a deep voice through Yu Linglong's mouth, "But it's better than you falling silently in the gutter one day."
The jailer swallowed his saliva and quickly took out the key.
"My lord, I'll be guarding the entrance to the passage. You can call me at any time if you have any requests."
After the other party retreated, Yu Linglong stepped into the cell.
Yan Qing raised her head when she heard the noise.
At this moment, she opened her hands and was tied to a wooden frame. The chains used as weapons were removed and replaced by solid shackles.
Through the prison uniform, blood marks can be seen on her body. At the same time, her fingers swelled up, and the joints were black. Her exposed feet were missing most of the nails, and blood dripped down her fingers, seeping into the cold stone slabs bit by bit.
She had obviously been tortured.
"It's you." Yan Qing glanced at Yu Linglong and closed her eyes again, "Why are you here if you don't want to attend the ceremony?"
"The coronation ceremony doesn't require everyone to be there. It's a result, not a process." Yu Linglong stepped forward, "Why did you hide it from the Second Prince?"
Yan Qing remained silent.
"I know you secretly sent news to Xia Fan, and even helped him escape from Shangyuan. This is nothing...at most it will only expel you from the inner circle. But why are you insisting on not letting go? Xia Fan and the others have already moved away. , even if you give a full account, you will not endanger their lives, and if you continue like this... His Highness Ning will not give up easily. "
"Be careful what you say." The shadow came closer. "Although I know you are a traitor, others don't know. If your advice is heard by someone with a heart, it will obviously leave hidden dangers."
"If anyone hears it, don't you just shoot him?"
"To put it simply, this is a prison!" Shadow protested, "Besides, everyone is destined to die, so why do you have to stick to yourself. Now that all the aristocratic families have been disintegrated, and all the scholars in the world have fallen into the hands of the Privy Council, no matter how talented you are in the future, There will definitely be no shortage of friends or partners in fighting together. I suggest you just treat her as if she doesn’t exist.”
"Noisy, I won't listen."
"Hey, that's a sweet thing to say, traitor!"
Yan Qing couldn't hear these conversations. She smiled nonchalantly and said, "I have made up my mind, you don't need to persuade me. This injury is nothing to me."
"It's nothing now, but what happens next?" Yu Linglong clenched her fists, "You know what the Privy Council does - there is no bottom line for such torture!"
Ning Qianshi is obviously also giving Yan Qing a chance to repent, but this chance will not be given forever, and the torture methods will gradually increase, just like what was done to Olina. When ordinary interrogation methods are exhausted and magic is added, the pain is definitely not something that ordinary people can bear.
Yu Linglong didn't doubt Yan Qing's will at all.
As Qing Jian, a senior member of the Privy Council, there is no doubt about her strong character, and it can be imagined that she would not let go even to the end. But doing that wouldn't change anything. The more she persisted, the more torture she suffered. Even if the pain couldn't destroy her will, it was enough to destroy her body.
She would eventually die in a cage.