Fu Yuheng looked at the delicate yet not weak woman in front of him, nodded and said nothing more.
Concubine Shu understood, smiled faintly, and asked with her red lips slightly opened.
"Is the Emperor concerned about the matter of the virtuous concubine?"
Fu Yuheng was stunned. He didn't expect that his thoughts could be easily seen through by her. Fu Yuheng was not angry when his thoughts were seen through. He just laughed and teased her.
"Are you the worm in my stomach?"
Concubine Shu smiled, then shook her head and plucked the strings of her zither nonchalantly.
"I don't deserve it."
Concubine Shu was very skilled in playing the zither. Her fingers moved across the strings with great ease. The melodious sound of the zither echoed from her fingers throughout the room, lingering in the air for a long time.
Fu Yuheng had no idea what he was thinking about, as he was in a daze following the lively piano music. Suddenly, the music stopped abruptly, and Fu Yuheng's thoughts were interrupted. He turned to look at Wu Ling with a puzzled look on his face.
"how?"
Concubine Shu walked up to Fu Yuheng with a light figure and bowed gracefully.
"I'm afraid the Emperor's mind is on the virtuous concubine, and he has no intention of listening to the piano. His deep thoughts have drifted away, but he is still forcing himself to listen to the piano. Since the Emperor has no intention of listening to the piano, why should I bother playing the piano?"
Wu Ling paid attention to Fu Yuheng's gaze, and seeing that he was hesitant, she continued to persuade him.
"Since Your Majesty is worried, why bother sitting here with me and listening to the piano? It would be better for you to go to the prison to see Concubine Xian. This way, Your Majesty can be at peace, which is a blessing for the country!"
Wu Ling looked up and saw Fu Yuheng sitting on the chair, pursing his lips slightly, silent and silent, not knowing whether he was happy or angry. Wu Ling lowered her head and did not speak. After all, no one could speculate or interfere with the emperor's thoughts at will.
After hearing Wu Ling's words, Fu Yuheng struggled for a long time. Finally, he made up his mind, slowly stood up, and walked towards the prison step by step.
On the way to the prison, Fu Yuheng looked at the palace shrouded in darkness. This palace was like a huge cage to him, suppressing him and making it impossible for him to breathe.
The garden was quiet at night, with only a few birds chirping on the branches, disturbing the silence. The wind blew across the lake, causing ripples, ruffling the leaves, bending the branches, and dispersing the clouds.
However, Fu Yuheng had no intention of enjoying the night view. His mind was full of things concerning Shen Qingwan. He didn't know if it was appropriate for him to go there rashly. He wondered if Shen Qingwan was doing well in the prison.
After all, I didn't abolish her position as a concubine, so the people below shouldn't make it too difficult for her. I don't know what that woman would say when she sees me. She would probably stare at me with her abyss-like eyes! She never knows how to give in to others, and her stubbornness makes people angry and distressed.
Before he knew it, Fu Yuheng had arrived at the prison gate. Thinking of the last time he walked here and turned away, he found it a little funny.
The jailer was lying leisurely on a chair, humming a song. When he looked up, he saw Fu Yuheng with one foot already stepped into the threshold. He quickly rolled down and crawled to his knees in front of Fu Yuheng.
"Your servant pays respect to His Majesty. Long live the emperor. Long live the emperor."
Fu Yuheng saw the panicked jailer pursing his lips and keeping silent, and some anger jumped up in his heart. He didn't expect that his official, his jailer, would be such a spineless person. Just now he saw him lying comfortably on the chair, and now he was like a puddle of mud in front of him.
"Has anyone come to see Concubine Xian recently?"
Fu Yuheng had a cold face, his expression of disgust was evident in his words. Thinking of Fu Huaiyu's words that day, the atmosphere became even more depressing.
"This, the Ninth Prince has been here before."
The prison boss knelt on the ground and wished he could hang his head to the ground to reduce his presence.
"Oh, he's quite elegant!"
Fu Yuheng sneered upon hearing this. His ninth brother was not honest at all. He wanted to touch every woman, but he didn't know if he had the ability to do so.
The jailer was already scared out of his wits. In the past few days, the Queen, the Ninth Prince, and the Emperor came here one after another. He didn't know whether he was lucky or unlucky. He just dealt with the Ninth Prince yesterday, and today the Emperor came again... He was really overwhelmed and unable to cope with it!
"Did he say anything?"
Fu Yuheng's tone became lower and lower. Every time he asked a question, the prison boss's back fell a little bit. Now he was really about to lie on the ground.
"This, this Ninth Prince, the Ninth Prince told me to be careful, saying that the Concubine Xian is someone who serves the Emperor."
The jailer repeated every word to Fu Yuheng, fearing that he would lose his head if he said something wrong.
"He does care about you."
Fu Yuheng muttered to himself, his expression sarcastic, his eyes blazing with cold anger.
The jailer hid aside and trembled, not knowing what the emperor was thinking. Although he had the support of the empress, if the emperor liked the virtuous concubine, he might lose his life. He just hoped that this gentleman would leave after asking questions, so that he could save his life.
"I want to see the virtuous concubine."
Fu Yuheng had no idea what was going on in the prison boss' mind, and he was unwilling to say another word to such a person.
"This... the virtuous concubine... she..."
When the jailer heard these words, he had lost most of his strength. He knelt limply on the ground, shaking like a sieve, his face pale, and he stammered, unable to say a word.
Fu Yuheng was already dissatisfied with him, and now seeing his wandering eyes, uncertain expression, and stuttering speech, he became even angrier. He kicked the jailer away and walked towards the cell alone.
Fu Yuheng walked in the long corridor in boredom, looking at the dim candlelight and smelling the pungent and nauseating smell. A gust of wind came from nowhere and blew the flickering candlelight. Fu Yuheng saw his swaying shadow and wondered if Shen Qingwan was okay in such an environment. After all, she was brought up in the palm of the hand of General Shen, the old fox, and she must have suffered a lot!
The wind was howling outside, and the long corridor seemed to have no end. Fu Yuheng quickened his pace and kept looking around.
After Shen Qingwan took the medicine given by the Ninth Prince, her fever had subsided a little, and she could at least hold on for a while, but she still had no strength in her body.
Suddenly there was a coughing sound, and her throat was very hoarse. Even the slightest cough was unbearable. She bent her body to make herself feel better, but the continuous coughing made Shen Qingwan feel like she was going to vomit blood.
"Ahem, ahem..."
Oh, it's all thanks to his medicine, otherwise...
Her hair was messy and tangled behind her, with some strands stuck to her thin face. Due to the continuous torture, her lips were dry and pale, and there was dried blood on her cheeks. Her clothes were full of holes, and the surroundings were stained with mottled blood. Through the holes, her wounds had already festering, which was shocking to see.