The prison in the palace was pitch black and gloomy, with only one window that was as small as it could be. Even at noon, when the sun was at its hottest, it could not penetrate the thick walls of the prison, leaving only a tiny ray of light. At night, the wind blew in through the gaps, which was even more terrifying.
Although Shen Qingwan finally got a chance to breathe after suffering their inhuman torture, she was, after all, the apple of General Shen's eye, a lady from a noble family who was raised in his palm. Even though she had a strong temper, her body could not withstand such torture.
Trying hard to curl herself up, she looked at her clothes that were torn by the whip. The whip had cut a long wound on her skin underneath. The flesh was separated and turned outward. The bright red blood had long since coagulated, leaving only some dried blood hanging on her body, revealing their brutality.
I don't know why I suddenly thought of Fu Yuheng who questioned me that day. He really still doesn't believe me!
She snorted coldly, not knowing whether she was mocking Fu Yuheng who didn't know right from wrong, or mocking herself for still having a glimmer of hope in him. Even if today's "care" was not Fu Yuheng's suggestion, it must have been approved by him. She didn't expect that after being together for such a long time, she was still a vicious woman in his heart. It was ridiculous.
"I don't know how Lianyun is doing. Will she be bullied when I'm not around?"
Shen Qingwan thought of Lianyun, and her mind was filled with images of her crying and twitching. She had been by her side since she was a child, and now that something like this had happened to her, she was afraid that she would be in tears all day long.
As I was thinking about it, I felt my face getting hot. I reluctantly raised my arm and put my hand on my forehead. It was surprisingly burning hot.
He had been splashed with a basin of cold water before, and now his teeth were clenched, his whole body was shaking, his eyelids were twitching, and he was drowsy.
"I, I will never, ever give in. I won't, I won't let them look down on me. Fu Yuheng, you too will be looked down upon."
After Shen Qingwan said these few trembling words, she could no longer hold on and fainted in the cold cell, losing consciousness.
I don’t know how much time has passed, but still no one has found the unconscious Shen Qingwan. The cell is still very dark, with occasional strange noises.
At this time, Shen Qingwan was disheveled, with scars all over her body, her clothes were dripping with water, her face was pitifully pale, without a trace of blood, and she lay on the ground like a corpse. She did not look like the young lady of a general's mansion or the concubine of a country at all. She was even worse than a refugee fleeing famine and a beggar on the roadside.
There were footsteps coming from the other end of the corridor in the cell. The sound of footsteps echoed in the long corridor accompanied by the darkness, which was very scary.
"Hello."
The jailer came from a distance, carrying food and shouting in a rough voice. He walked to Shen Qingwan's cell and saw her lying on the ground. He curled his lips. These nobles looked extremely noble, but if one day they made a mistake and were thrown into this big prison, they would be worse than the inferior people like them.
He threw the food for Shen Qingwan on the ground. With a huge movement, half a bowl of rice fell to the ground. Those dishes were things that even pigs and dogs could not eat, but in this prison everyone would eat them. After all, people are afraid of death, and if they don't eat, there is only one way left, death.
"Stop pretending, it's time to eat."
The jailer called out a few times with patience but there was still no response. He couldn't help but get angry. This woman was still so arrogant even in this situation. As a jailer, he couldn't stand this kind of arrogance from the prisoners. A tiger in dire straits is bullied by a dog. This person should learn to look at the colors of others no matter what situation he is in.
"Humph, you still think you are the noble queen. I told you to get up, do you want to die..."
While using the key to open the prison door, he cursed and pushed open the iron door. He kicked Shen Qingwan with his foot. Seeing that she still didn't respond, the jailer panicked. Was this person going to die here? After all, she was also the empress of the palace. If she died...
"Hey, has something happened?" The jailer was suddenly panicked. He heard that the woman imprisoned here was a very favored concubine. If she died on the day he was on duty, he would have several heads that would not be enough to chop off!
The jailer didn't dare to think about it anymore. He knelt on the ground and stretched out his hand to feel her breath. Although it was a little weak, fortunately there was still breath. He immediately felt relieved and shook Shen Qingwan a few times.
Shen Qingwan felt that the external force had regained some consciousness. She felt dizzy and her whole body was torn apart, and the pain went deep into her bones. Suddenly, she felt her throat was very dry, and her lips were cracked due to severe dehydration.
"Water... give me water..." Shen Qingwan had no strength left, and only relied on her desire to survive to shout out a few words as thin as a mosquito.
The jailer heaved a sigh of relief when he saw her subtle movements. Amitabha, he was saved. Just as he was rejoicing, he heard her faint voice and hurried downstairs. After hearing it clearly, the jailer hurried out to get a glass of water and poured it into Shen Qingwan's mouth.
After finishing his work and seeing that she was not seriously injured, the jailer locked the cell door and strode up to the head of the prison.
The jailer was using the silver rewarded by the Queen to buy a pot of wine. He just opened the lid and took a sip.
"It smells so good. San'er, have a sip."
The jailer smiled at the jailer, poured himself a cup and drank it all in one gulp, smacking his lips constantly, savoring the taste of the wine. Thinking about the silver rewarded by the Queen today, he even hummed an unknown tune happily.
"Boss, this is bad. I think the woman we detained today is in danger. Should we tell the higher-ups to see if they can give her a checkup?"
The jailer was in no mood to enjoy the rare wine. He was only thinking about the unconscious Shen Qingwan, and felt a little panicked.
"No, take me to see her."
The jailer frowned after hearing this. He didn't expect that the women in the palace were so weak against beatings that they couldn't stand it after just a few hits. Although he had the support of the Queen, it was indeed a troublesome matter to have someone die!
The jailer led him to Shen Qingwan's cell. The head of the prison looked at Shen Qingwan carefully, and seeing that there was nothing wrong with her, he spat at her in disgust.
"You deserve it. I told you to go against the Queen. This is what you deserve, bah."
The jailer felt like he had made a wasted trip and was very angry. He went up to her and kicked her a few more times before he felt better. He then walked out in disgust.
"It's really unlucky. Just keep an eye on her. As long as she doesn't die, that's fine."
After leaving the cell, the jailer turned around and looked at the jailer, said a few words to him, and thinking about his pot of wine, he hurried back. However, because of this, he missed the sharp look that Shen Qingwan gave him in an instant.
It is true that a tiger in dire straits is bullied by a dog, but it is only temporary. If she gets out one day and they meet again, it is not certain who will kneel on the ground and beg for mercy.