As soon as I put it on, I met a sickly man

The iron door slammed shut behind him with a clang, and the heavy echo lingered in the dungeon for a long time, like the verdict of fate.

The damp air was filled with the smell of mold and decay. In the dim light, the mottled walls were crawling with unknown insects, and the cold air penetrated into the bone marrow.

Xiaoxuan leaned weakly on Ding Chen, her face as pale as paper and her lips bloodless.

She couldn't swallow a single bite of the crude food in the cell.

Ding Chen was extremely anxious, but he could only hug her tightly, trying to warm her gradually freezing body with his body temperature.

"Xiaoxuan, you must hold on!" His low voice was full of worry and helplessness.

General Lin paced anxiously in the small cell, the sound of the chains colliding was harsh and dull.

"We can't go on like this! We have to find a way out!" He punched the wall hard, but the hard stone didn't move at all, only the back of his hand was bleeding.

"Get out? How?!" Ding Chen's voice was filled with suppressed anger. "Forcing our way out will only confirm our crimes of treason! Then, we won't be able to defend ourselves!"

"Are we just going to sit there and wait for death?!" General Lin's eyes widened with anger, his bearded face filled with anxiety. "Prince Zhao is insidious and cunning. Since he dared to frame us, he will definitely not let us go easily!"

"General, calm down." Ying Feng's voice was as calm as ever, yet it carried an undeniable authority. "Acting impulsively now will only make the situation worse." He pondered for a moment, his gaze landing on Ding Chen. "Master Ding, what are your thoughts?"

Ding Chen took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

He knew that now was not the time to act on impulse. They had to find a foolproof plan to escape and expose Prince Zhao's conspiracy.

But what can they do when they are trapped in a cage?

Just when the three of them were at a loss, a series of small footsteps were heard from the dungeon entrance...

"Ahem, everyone, how are you?" A shrill voice sounded outside the cell.

Eunuch Li's face, covered in white powder, appeared at the dim entrance of the cell, with an unfathomable smile on his face.

"Oh, what's wrong with you guys? Why do you look so haggard?" His shrill voice contained a hint of gloating, yet pretended to be concerned.

General Lin glared at him, wishing he could rush up and tear his hypocritical face apart.

Ding Chen suppressed his anger

Unexpectedly, Eunuch Li did not intend to take advantage of someone's misfortune.

He dismissed his attendants and lowered his voice, saying, "I know you've been wrongly accused. The Emperor will eventually understand Prince Zhao's ambitions." He pulled a neatly folded slip from his sleeve and slipped it into Ding Chen's hand. "This is news from outside. It might be useful to you."

The note contained evidence of Prince Zhao's collusion with border rebels. The handwriting was illegible, but it was enough to prove their innocence.

A glimmer of hope ignited in Ding Chen's heart. As long as they could pass on this message, they would be able to clear their charges and turn defeat into victory!

A bold plan took shape in Ding Chen's mind.

He noticed a rat in the corner of the cell. It was small but extremely agile.

He rolled the paper into thin strips and tied them to the rat's legs, then opened the drain hole at the bottom of the cell and let the rat out.

However, things did not go so smoothly.

Prince Zhao seemed to have noticed their actions and sent people to search the cell.

"Search thoroughly! Don't leave anything suspicious!" The guards violently turned the cell upside down. Xiaoxuan's heart was in her throat...

"Wait," Xiaoxuan suddenly covered her chest and groaned in pain, "I...my chest hurts..."

The captain of the guards glanced at her impatiently, "Pretending to be sick? Stop playing tricks!"

Xiaoxuan's face was pale, beads of sweat rolling down her forehead. She stretched out her hand tremblingly, as if trying to grab something...

Xiaoxuan was afraid that the note would be found, so she hid it tightly in her arms. Her face became paler and her body trembled more violently.

Ding Chen looked at Xiaoxuan's determined eyes, his heart filled with emotion and admiration. He secretly vowed to protect Xiaoxuan, even at the cost of his own life.

Prince Zhao's men broke into the cell and turned it upside down.

"Search! Search carefully! Don't let go of anything suspicious!" the captain of the guards roared viciously.

General Lin and Yingfeng looked at each other, and a hint of determination flashed in their eyes.

They knew that if the note was discovered, the consequences would be disastrous.

"You lackeys, don't even think about touching us!" General Lin roared, took the lead and punched the guard who rushed over in the face.

Yingfeng followed closely behind, his figure moving through the crowd like a ghost, the dagger in his hand flashing coldly, every move deadly.

Although the other side had a large number of people, General Lin and Ying Feng were not afraid. They were agile and their moves were fierce. For a while, the cell was in chaos. The sounds of broken tables, chairs and benches, screams and roars were intertwined and deafening.

Just when the two sides were in a stalemate, there was a sudden noise outside, and it seemed that a large number of people were rushing towards the cell.

Ding Chen and others didn't know whether the visitor was an enemy or a friend, and their hearts were filled with worry and expectation.

The noise grew closer, mixed with the sound of swords clashing and soldiers shouting.

"Kill! Don't leave any alive!" A loud voice sounded outside the cell, carrying a murderous aura.

Eunuch Li appeared at the prison door again, with a strange smile on his face. He slowly adjusted his sleeves and said softly, "It seems that the fun is about to begin..."