Who put the yellow robe on me?

The ninth prince Jiang Yu stood in a dark corner of the sky prison, looking coldly at Jiang Chen who was standing behind the iron bars.

The air in the sky prison was turbid, and the damp walls exuded a smell of decay. It seemed that even the purest light was swallowed up by the haze.

Jiang Yu's eyes were sharp, and the corners of his mouth were slightly raised with a hint of mockery.

"You never thought, Jiang Chen, you'd end up like this."

His voice was low and cold, like a distant sob, carrying a threat that could not be ignored. "In the court, everyone is discussing your arrest. Those rumors even went so far as to smear your reputation, resulting in an embarrassing end."

Jiang Yu paused, as if enjoying Jiang Chen's momentary nervousness. His eyes were fixed on Jiang Chen's face, as if waiting for him to surrender.

Jiang Chen's face remained expressionless, but a hint of hidden sharpness flickered in his eyes. He was in no rush to respond, allowing the Ninth Prince to continue.

Jiang Yu continued in a heavy tone, "You are now worse than a dog? Even you know that you will die sooner or later, and your death will be so undignified." There was a hint of provocation in his tone.

Jiang Chen finally spoke, his voice low but clear: "Ninth Brother is right. Indeed, it seems that I have reached the end."

His tone remained calm, as if he was stating a fact, without any ups and downs. Yet, these words carried an indescribable power.

"But, Ninth Prince, don't you think that since I'm in such a predicament, you rushed to the Heavenly Prison just to laugh at me? Ninth Prince, you wouldn't do it just to take advantage of my misfortune, right?" Jiang Chen's question was like a sharp knife, piercing the heart of the Ninth Prince.

The Ninth Prince was stunned for a moment, a hint of hesitation flashing across his eyes, but it was quickly covered up by the sneer he was trying to hide. He walked with a firm step, seemingly unaffected by Jiang Chen's words.

"You've come to this point, Jiang Chen. What motive could you have? Even if I came here, it's only to make you understand that one's fate is inevitable." Jiang Yu sneered and stopped talking about Jiang Chen. Instead, he said coldly, "You're just a death row inmate. Your motives are not even worth mentioning."

However, Jiang Chen's gaze remained sharp, as if he had seen through the Ninth Prince to a hidden truth. Although Jiang Yu's words carried a strong sense of oppression, he still couldn't completely conceal the certain turmoil in his heart.

Jiang Chen looked at the Ninth Prince calmly, slightly curled the corners of his mouth, and slowly said: "You are right, my fate is indeed like the air in this death cell, suffocating and rotten. But don't you think, if I was destined to die, why is my Ninth Prince so anxious to stand here and judge me?" His voice was calm and clear, but every word was like a heavy weight, pressing on the Ninth Prince's heart.

These words shocked the Ninth Prince. Although he remained indifferent on the surface, some complicated emotions were rising in his heart - Jiang Chen was so calm, even with a hint of "letting go", which made him involuntarily begin to doubt whether there was any deeper meaning behind Jiang Chen's words.

"You're so calm, did you anticipate today's outcome?" Jiang Yu's heart tightened slightly, and then he sneered, "Only a desperate criminal facing imminent death would give up all struggle."

Jiang Chen didn't respond immediately, but instead quietly stared at the Ninth Prince, a deep glint in his eyes. Jiang Yu noticed this change in his gaze, and his suspicions grew even stronger. He suddenly felt that Jiang Chen hadn't completely given up on him, but rather possessed a certain unspoken patience, as if he had already foreseen everything that was to come.

"Nine Brother, your so-called conspiracy, the so-called driving force behind it, isn't just me, but is hidden deep within the web of power." Jiang Chen's eyes grew sharper. "And you, perhaps, are the tiniest thread in this web."

The Ninth Prince's heartbeat involuntarily quickened a few paces, and anger flared slightly in his eyes, but he tried his best to remain calm. "You say it so lightly. If you really know something, why not spill the beans? Do you think you can save yourself?"

Jiang Chen smiled lightly: "I have no intention of saving myself, Ninth Brother. Look at me, now I can only sit here, waiting for an imperial edict from my father, and then end this boring life." When he said this, there was a hint of giving up the struggle in his eyes.

These words were like a bright light in the dark night, illuminating the depths of the Ninth Prince's heart. He couldn't help but begin to reassess Jiang Chen. Jiang Chen's calmness was no longer despair, but a profound insight into his fate and a potential control over the future.

This made the Ninth Prince feel uneasy. He began to realize that Jiang Chen might have already discovered more secrets through certain clues.

"What... do you mean?" The Ninth Prince frowned slightly, finally revealing a hint of doubt that was difficult to conceal.

Jiang Chen smiled faintly: "Ninth Brother, you thought you came to the Heavenly Prison just to see me off, or to see how I accept death, but have you ever thought that before you came, you were already arranged in this game?"

This sentence caused the Ninth Prince's heart to tremble violently. He suddenly had an uneasy premonition, as if realizing that he was in a chess game that had been set up long ago, and that his actions had become part of someone else's plan.

Seeing this, Jiang Chen was secretly delighted. His words finally began to stir up waves in the heart of the Ninth Prince.

"You..." The Ninth Prince's throat was dry, and he seemed to be unable to speak. His words became hesitant. "What do you want to say?"

Jiang Chen did not answer immediately, but just looked at the Ninth Prince quietly. After a few seconds of silence, he finally spoke: "I just want to know the truth before I die! The truth between you and the Minister of Revenue!" His words seemed to reveal a pressure that the Ninth Prince could not ignore.

A sense of unease welled up in the Ninth Prince's heart. He bit his lower lip fiercely, a barely perceptible panic in his eyes. Jiang Chen seemed to be getting closer and closer to the truth, and the Ninth Prince couldn't help but feel that he was gradually losing control of the situation.

"Jiang Chen, you are now just a death row prisoner who is powerless to resist." The Ninth Prince's tone was firm, but somewhat powerless. His eyes began to become erratic. "There is no need for you to try to provoke me anymore."

Jiang Chen didn't take it seriously and smiled softly, "Provoking? No, Brother Nine, I just want to remind you that death doesn't always come so quickly. You may think you can escape unscathed, but sometimes, things are far from as simple as you imagine."

He paused, then suddenly changed the subject, "However, since you've come here in person today, I'm sure you didn't come simply to watch me die, right? You probably want to tell me something, or...something that can no longer be concealed."