Love and choices across time and space

The dark, damp dungeon was filled with a sickening stench of decay. The torches on the walls flickered faintly, illuminating the surrounding shadows with even more menacing light. Li Yifeng was like a wounded beast, mercilessly thrown into this hell on earth.

He fell heavily to the ground, the cold stone slabs instantly stinging his skin. He struggled to get up, but found his limbs as if weighed down by lead, unable to move. His eyes were filled with pain and despair, their once bright pupils now dim.

Li Yifeng's clothes were already tattered, blood oozing from the wounds left by torture, sticking to his clothes. Every slight movement brought excruciating pain. His hair was disheveled, covering his face, and a mixture of sweat and blood dripped down his cheeks.

"Princess..." He called weakly, his voice echoing in the empty dungeon, sounding so desolate.

At this moment, the dungeon door creaked open, and several burly, ferocious-looking jailers strode in. They held thick whips and heavy sticks in their hands, with cruel eyes flashing.

The leading jailer had a face full of flesh and a cold smile on his lips: "Boy, you're here and you still don't tell the truth!"

Li Yifeng raised his head and met the jailer's gaze with a determined look. Although his body was already weak, his eyes still revealed an unyielding stubbornness: "The princess and I are truly in love. What crime have I committed?"

"Hmph! You're asking for death!" The jailer roared, raised the whip in his hand, and lashed at Li Yifeng hard.

"Snap!" The whip sliced ​​through the air and landed harshly on Li Yifeng's back, instantly leaving a bloody mark. His body trembled violently, and he clenched his teeth to prevent a painful groan from escaping.

"Tell me! Are you plotting a rebellion?" the jailer shouted while beating them.

Li Yifeng endured the severe pain and loudly retorted: "We just love each other, and we have never had the intention of rebellion!"

Seeing this, the other jailers surrounded him and rained down sticks on him. Li Yifeng rolled on the ground, trying to dodge, but every struggle resulted in a more violent attack.

"Ah!" Finally, he couldn't help but let out a cry of pain, the sound echoing in the narrow dungeon, creepy.

"Stop!" Just then, a voice came from the dungeon door. Everyone turned around and saw a minister in official uniform slowly approaching.

"Sir." The jailers saluted.

The minister walked up to Li Yifeng, squatted down, and looked at him: "Li Yifeng, as long as you tell the truth, perhaps His Majesty can spare your life."

Li Yifeng raised his head with difficulty, looked at the minister, and sneered: "The truth is that I love the princess, that's all!"

The minister shook his head and stood up: "You are so stubborn! Keep fighting!"

The jailers waved their weapons again, and Li Yifeng's screams were heard everywhere.

After an unknown amount of time, the jailers finally got tired of beating him and left the dungeon cursing.

Li Yifeng lay on the ground, his body numb and his consciousness gradually blurred. He seemed to see the beautiful face of Princess Changle and hear her gentle voice.

"Princess... I'm afraid I can't stay with you anymore..." He muttered to himself, tears falling from the corners of his eyes.

Elsewhere in the palace, Princess Changle was under house arrest in her own bedroom. The room was decorated with extreme luxury, but her heart was filled with pain and anxiety.

Princess Changle paced the room non-stop, her face haggard, her eyes filled with fear and helplessness. Her once delicate makeup had long been washed away by tears, and her hair was disheveled and draped over her shoulders.

"Let me out! I want to see my father!" She banged on the door, her voice hoarse.

The guards outside the door remained unmoved: "Princess, please don't embarrass us. This is His Majesty's will."

Princess Changle slumped on the ground, her hands tightly hugging her knees, sobbing: "Yifeng, you must hold on..."

In the palace, Taizong sat in his study, his brow furrowed. Memorials piled up before him, but his mind was completely elsewhere.

"Your Majesty, since Li Yifeng refuses to plead guilty, should his punishment be increased?" a minister asked cautiously.

Taizong raised his head, his eyes deep and complex: "I am also thinking about how to deal with this matter..."

The minister quickly said, "Your Majesty, Li Yifeng and the princess have escaped privately. This is a serious crime. If we do not punish them severely, I am afraid it will be difficult to maintain the dignity of the royal family."

Taizong remained silent, his heart filled with contradictions. He loved Princess Changle, but he also had to ignore the laws and reputation of the royal family.

At the same time, Li Yifeng in the dungeon faced new torture.

A group of jailers walked into the dungeon again. They brought a basin of salt water and poured it on Li Yifeng's wound with a sneer.

"Ah!" Li Yifeng let out a heart-wrenching scream, his body twitching continuously.

"Tell me or not!" the jailers demanded loudly.

Li Yifeng gritted his teeth and shouted with his last bit of strength: "I have nothing to say!"

At this moment, the eunuch's voice came from outside the dungeon: "Your Majesty has arrived!"

The jailers immediately knelt down to greet him.

When Taizong walked into the dungeon and saw Li Yifeng's miserable appearance, he was shocked.

"Li Yifeng, are you really so determined?" Taizong asked.

Li Yifeng raised his head, his eyes still full of determination: "Your Majesty, the love between me and the princess is witnessed by heaven and earth, there is absolutely no conspiracy."

Taizong was silent for a moment, then waved his hand and said, "Take him away first and treat him well."

Li Yifeng was dragged out of the dungeon, his consciousness gradually becoming blurred...

A few days later, Li Yifeng woke up in a simple cell. His wounds had been treated simply, but his body was still extremely weak.

At this time, a palace maid quietly came to the cell and handed him some food and water through the bars.

"Young Master, you have to hold on. The princess has been pleading for you." The palace maid said softly.

Li Yifeng looked at the palace maid gratefully: "Thank you, young lady."

The palace maid left in a hurry. Li Yifeng looked at the food in his hand and a glimmer of hope ignited in his heart.

However, what he didn't know was that the struggle in the palace was still going on, and the fate of him and Princess Changle was still unresolved...