After being exiled with her husband and children, she returned with great power to rule the world

Murong Ling'er frowned and thought to herself, but she couldn't figure out what Zhao Hao was up to.

He has tried to kill Chu Lingfeng many times, but now that Chu Lingfeng is so close to him, he remains silent. What kind of conspiracy is hidden behind this?

After Chu Lingfeng learned about this, he was also full of doubts.

Thinking about it carefully, since successfully overthrowing He Hong, the prince's party seems to have disappeared, and no action has been taken against them for a long time.

Speaking of He Hong, he is currently trapped in the gloomy imperial prison, his days are like a stagnant pool of water. In that dark cell, he has long been accustomed to loneliness and silence. He just sits quietly every day, listening to the sound of time passing quietly.

Suddenly, the crisp sound of chains clashing broke the silence in the cell.

He Hong turned his head numbly. Since he was thrown into this death row, no other people had appeared in his world except the jailer who delivered meals on time every day.

The moment he saw Lin Yi, a hint of surprise flashed in He Hong's eyes, and then he stood up excitedly.

"You..." Having not spoken for a long time, his voice became hoarse and dry, like an old wooden door creaking in the wind.

He never expected that the first person to visit him would be Lin Yi.

"Master He, how are you?" Lin Yi smiled, gently lifted the corner of his robe, and sat down gracefully on the edge of the bed in the cell. Then he raised his head, looked directly at He Hong, and asked, "Master He, why do you think you have fallen to this point?"

He Hong straightened his back, stood still and asked, "Master Lin, what brings you here?"

After hearing this, Lin Yi suddenly laughed, and his laughter echoed in the small cell, seeming a little weird.

"Master He, don't you know why I'm here? The Chu family is still suffering in exile. Isn't the culprit of all this your master, the Crown Prince?"

He Hong also chuckled, but his laughter was more self-deprecating. He slowly shook his head and asked, "So, Lord Lin wants to avenge the Chu family?"

"No." Lin Yi quickly waved his hand and continued, "Master He, you've reached the brink of life and death, haven't you? Is it really worth it for you to serve such a master as His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"

"Master Lin, are you trying to persuade me to betray the Crown Prince?" He Hong immediately understood Lin Yi's intention, and his smile grew even more bitter. "Master Lin, considering that you are the first person to come and visit me, I don't want to hide anything from you. To be honest, the Chu family's current situation has nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"What?" Lin Yi's eyes widened, his heart suddenly trembling. He said in disbelief, "You are actually trying to exonerate His Royal Highness the Crown Prince? His Royal Highness has already abandoned you here, leaving you to fend for yourself, and you still remember his kindness?"

He Hong slowly walked to the bed and sat down, looking ahead with empty eyes, lost in memories.

"Lord Lin, you only see the surface, but you don't know the complex entanglements behind it. There is a hidden story behind the Chu family affairs, and it is not as simple as you think! At first, I was also kept in the dark, thinking that everything was the will of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince, but later I discovered that I was just a pawn, being used to stir up trouble."

Lin Yi frowned and asked doubtfully, "Then why are you still helping the Crown Prince conceal this? What good will it do you?"

He Hong sighed deeply and said, "I have no way out. Even if I tell the truth now, who will believe me? Besides, even if His Royal Highness the Crown Prince abandoned me, I can't betray him because of this. My life no longer belongs to me. Now that I have come to this, I can only face it calmly."

Lin Yi looked at He Hong silently, feeling mixed emotions.

He originally thought that he could find a breakthrough from He Hong and uncover the truth about the Chu family's unjust case, but he didn't expect that things were much more complicated than he imagined.

He Hong slowly shook his head, a trace of bitterness and helplessness on his face. He sighed and said, "Master Lin, you misunderstood. I am not trying to exonerate the Crown Prince. My current imprisonment has nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince."

"His Royal Highness the Crown Prince is kind and benevolent by nature, and he is incredibly generous to his subordinates. It was I who was blinded by greed and committed many wrongdoings that betrayed him, completely betraying his kindness to me."

He paused, a complex look flashing across his eyes, and continued, "Lord Lin, the disaster that befell the Prince of Chu's Mansion truly had nothing to do with His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. Although I once took action to hunt down Prince Chu, it was not entirely at His Royal Highness the Crown Prince's behest."

"The reasons behind this are intricate and far from as simple as they appear on the surface. Lord Lin is extremely intelligent and will surely understand the deeper meaning of my words."

Lin Yi widened his eyes, his face full of surprise. He could never have imagined that He Hong was not a henchman who followed the prince wholeheartedly. It seemed that there was someone else secretly controlling him.

"Who is the person behind this?" Lin Yi asked impatiently, with a hint of urgency in his voice.

However, He Hong simply lowered his head silently and shook it again, his tone filled with helplessness and fear. "Master Lin, I'm truly sorry I can't tell you. It's not that I'm intentionally hiding it, but my entire family is now firmly in that person's hands. Our lives depend entirely on my mouth. From the day I was coerced by that person, I knew I was embarking on a path of no return. I was mentally prepared for this tragic outcome today."

After saying that, He Hong raised his head and stared at the ceiling of the cell with empty eyes, lost in deep memories. He remembered how he was coerced and bribed by that man, and fell into this quagmire of sin step by step. His heart was full of regret and unwillingness.

Lin Yi looked at He Hong quietly, with a thousand thoughts in his mind.

He originally thought that by coming here today, he would be able to pry out evidence of the prince's guilt from He Hong and redress the Chu family's unjust case, but he did not expect that things would be completely beyond his expectations.

He really couldn't understand why He Hong was so determined to protect the prince after being abandoned by him, and even did not forget to distance himself from him when he was dying.

"Why are you doing this?" Lin Yi frowned, his face filled with confusion and bewilderment. "The Crown Prince has already abandoned you, so why are you doing this?"

He Hong turned his head slightly and looked at Lin Yi, his eyes revealing a hint of determination: "Master Lin, I know it's hard for you to understand, but everything I said today is true, absolutely not a single lie. Believe it or not, it's entirely up to you! I only hope that the truth will eventually come to light, and don't let the real mastermind behind this go unpunished."

Lin Yi stared at He Hong's eyes, trying to find a flaw in them, but He Hong's eyes were firm and calm, which made him feel a little hesitant.

At this moment, the sound of patrolling jailers could be heard outside the cell. The heavy footsteps echoed in the silent corridor, as if it was a countdown to fate, and every step struck at the hearts of the two men.