Chapter 2: Captivity and Rebirth

Long Yi, alert and prepared, shielded Jing Yi as they rolled into the depths of the valley. Jing Yi’s body was already riddled with arrows, and blood continued to surge from his mouth.

With great difficulty, Jing Yi pulled a brocade pouch from his robes and handed it to Long Yi, gasping, "Long Yi, I... cannot survive. Tell Zhang Shan... do not... return to the capital. I... order... you, use my... body... as... cover... and escape. Deliver this... to my seventh brother... Jing Chen. Protect him well... and seek... revenge... for me." Having said this, his eyes remained open as he drew his final breath.

Tears streaming down his face, Long Yi smoothed Jing Yi’s eyelids shut, knelt to perform nine kowtows, and turned to flee.

"War is deception. Never tire of trickery... and yet, never once defeated. Hmph... before this Prince, it is not worth mentioning. Everyone, descend the mountain. Give every traitor a blade to each side of their chest," Jing Wei declared, a wicked smile upon his face.

"Sever the head of the traitor Jing Yi. Pickle it in lime, and march sixty miles a day as we slowly return to the capital."

News arrived that Jing Wei had annihilated the 150,000-strong elite Northern Di army and was returning in triumph. The capital was in an uproar over the discovery of Crown Prince Jing Yi’s treason.

Inside the capital, the four gates were bolted shut. The city was under martial law, gripped by paranoia and terror. The Imperial Guards, the Forbidden Army, and the City Patrol were all mobilized. The residences of the Duke of State Protection, the Marquis of Wenping, and the Great General were all raided, and the Seventh Prince, Jing Chen, was thrown into the Celestial Prison.

Within the prison, a bone-chilling cold and the stench of decay flooded Jing Chen’s nostrils. He curled up on the ground, his head throbbing as if it were splitting apart.

He snapped his eyes open. Above him was a ceiling of stone; scattered, damp, and rotting straw lay on the floor. Cockroaches crawled about with impunity, and rats scurried and squeaked, sounding like a bustling market.

His crotch was wet and sticky... soaked in his own filth.

The original soul of this body had grown up in the deep palace, mentally deficient, timid, and cowardly. When the Crown Prince was accused of treason and the Xiao family fell, the Empress faced certain death. Upon being thrown into this grim prison, the boy had been so terrified that he lost control of his bowels and died of sheer fright.

He himself had been the personal bodyguard of a super-wealthy tycoon. On his way home, while glancing at his phone at a turn, he had collided with a heavy truck...

At that exact moment, his soul had transmigrated, occupying this body of the foolish prince that had just expired.

The Great Yin Dynasty, the Crown Prince’s treason, the annihilation of his mother's kin, the Celestial Prison, the timid and foolish Seventh Prince... fragments of two lifetimes flooded his mind, colliding and merging.

The iron chain on the cell door rattled. Jing Chen had no time to ponder; he quickly closed his eyes.

A jailer with a thick beard and a bloated, cruel face walked in and kicked Jing Chen’s body. He let out a lewd, mocking laugh: "Oh, our foolish Seventh Prince isn't dead yet? Soiled yourself with shit and piss, have you? Even after the dragon-whipping, you’re still alive—your life is damn tough, isn't it? You’re not even as good as a dog. Twenty years old and you don't even know what a bridal chamber is. Living is just a burden, just suffering. What a waste."

He stared with greedy, glinting eyes at the jade pendant on Jing Chen’s chest. This white jade coiled-dragon pendant had been bestowed upon Jing Chen by the Empress after he had suffered a high fever; it was the only possession he had.

As the jailer’s rough, filthy hands reached for him, Jing Chen instinctively sensed danger. He opened his eyes and glared at the jailer.

The jailer shuddered, startled, and involuntarily stepped back. Jing Chen grabbed the man's middle finger and snapped it backward with force. The jailer collapsed to the ground, letting out a shriek that echoed like a slaughtered pig.

"Get out."

Panic-stricken, the jailer scrambled to flee.

Empress Xiao Wenjuan removed her phoenix crown. Dressed in simple, plain clothes, she knelt before the Emperor and spoke with grief: "Your Majesty, we watched Jing Yi grow up. He is pure, filial, and kind-hearted. He would never commit treason."

The Emperor angrily flung a letter into the Empress’s face, roaring, "This traitor! This beast! He deserves to die! He betrayed my trust. I let him oversee the state, and after sitting on the throne for a few days, he became addicted. Seeing that my health was improving and his hopes of ascending were dashed, he colluded with the Northern Di. With ironclad evidence, Empress, what more do you have to say? Is this the son you taught? Does he have to stab a sword into my heart for it to be considered treason? In consideration of our twenty years as husband and wife, I will grant you one request before you die."

The Empress looked at the letter, her brows furrowed, tears streaming down her face. She shook her head, sniffled, and smiled bitterly: "Your Majesty, even until death, I do not believe the Crown Prince would rebel. I know my own son. Even if he did, what crime has Jing Chen committed? It is true they were brothers, but were not Jing Wei, Jing Ming, Jing Ting, Jing Yu, and Jing Xiao his brothers too? Why seek to kill only Jing Chen? You say I failed to teach my son; indeed, I was not a good mother. My poor Chen'er fell into the lotus pond at nine, caught a chill, and suffered a high fever. When it broke, his mind was ruined. Chen'er has no fief, no title, no marriage, and not even a maid to serve him; he has never even tasted the touch of a woman. Commoners and nobility alike arrange marriages by the time they reach adulthood. My Chen'er is over twenty, and you, Your Majesty, seem to have forgotten this son even exists."

"Now, you claim the Crown Prince rebelled only because they were both born of me. Now that we are to die, you suddenly remember him... Haha... Hahahaha... Truly, there is no affection in the Imperial family. Your real goal is to get rid of me, is it not? The drunkard's heart is not in the wine."

The Empress laughed until she was bathed in tears.

The Emperor’s face flushed red and then paled. He rose in a fury, overturning the items on his desk, and blustered, "How dare you..."

"Is it not so? Have I struck a chord? My father, the Duke of State Protection Xiao Jingshan, is already retired. My brother, the Great General Xiao Wengang, and my other brother, the Marquis of Wenping Xiao Wenjie, cannot escape death this time. You can use this opportunity to reclaim their military power. Half a year ago, I urged them to resign and retire, to stay away from court politics. Now, I realize that regardless of whether the Crown Prince rebelled, they were doomed. Jing Chen has been foolish and cowardly since childhood; he has never stepped a foot outside the palace, let alone attended court. I only ask that you grant Jing Chen a title, give him a death-immunity token, arrange a marriage for him, and let him go to a fief to be a carefree prince, living his life in peace, never to return to the capital. Even if I die, I will be grateful to you! May you protect the Imperial line!" The Empress stared unblinkingly at the Emperor.

"Empress, when the nest is overturned, can any egg remain intact? Change your request!" the Emperor stared back.

The Empress smiled bitterly, looked at the Emperor with intense resolve, and gritted her teeth: "Your Majesty, it was my Xiao family that supported you with all our might. Now, I am willing to trade the Xiao family’s hidden treasures for Jing Chen’s life. Otherwise, forget the treasures—you will eventually be a lonely man, with no sons left."

"No sons left? You dare threaten me?"

"This humble wife dares not. All I ask is my son’s lifelong peace. I have failed Jing Chen; he is a foolish prince, posing no threat or harm to you or the other princes. I beg your mercy." The Empress held her head high.

The Emperor sat on his throne, silently watching the Empress, his expression shifting between frustration and contemplation, his heart a storm of conflicting emotions. Past memories surged forward, feeling both near and far.

After a long while, the Emperor nodded and said softly, "I promise you. You may depart in peace."

The Empress knelt and performed three kowtows. "On behalf of my son, I thank you, Your Majesty. Once you grant Jing Chen his title and announce it to the world, the treasure map will be delivered to you within three days. I am leaving now. Take care of yourself in the years to come!" Having said this, she cast one deep look at the Emperor, drew a dagger, and plunged it into her heart, burying it to the hilt.

"Empress..." Wang Dehai cried out, his eyes bloodshot.