Repeatedly broken branches

"I am a princess from the Western Regions! What right do you have to arrest me?"

"You lowly commoner, let go of this princess! What right do you have to touch me! Let go of my hand!"

"Where is Yu Yanjing? I need to see Yu Yanjing."

Jiang Yi, the prison guard in the water dungeon, couldn't help but frown and said sternly, "How dare you, a criminal, call the Emperor's name?" After saying that, he looked at the prison guards who were holding Bai Jiaoyu and ordered, "Hurry up and take this criminal woman away. She's disgusting to look at."

Bai Jiaoyu was being held down by four jailers with all her might, but she still struggled desperately. As she struggled, she shouted, "My maternal grandfather is the King of the Western Regions! He will not let you go. Just you wait, this princess will grind you to dust... Ugh... Ugh ugh ugh."

"It's noisy."

Jiang Yi tore off a sweat towel from a nearby jailer's belt, folded it into a square, and stuffed it into Bai Jiaoyu's mouth. Now, she could only stare at him with wide eyes, her mouth agape as she mumbled incoherently, presumably cursing.

The rough man's handkerchief was rarely washed, so it was hard to get rid of the smell. The sour and foul smell kept wafting toward Bai Jiaoyu's nose, accompanied by a rancid odor, making her want to vomit. But unfortunately, her mouth was blocked, so she couldn't spit it out and could only grit her teeth and swallow it back.

Bai Jiaoyu found it hard to accept even after arriving here. There were still hundreds of tortures waiting for her in the water dungeon, and she was afraid that her delicate body and proud nature would not be able to withstand them.

"What mistake did I, the princess, make?"

Jiang Yi watched as the jailers tied Bai Jiaoyu to the rack before slowly saying to her, "You set fire to the four Su sisters, that's true, isn't it?"

"So what? What's it to you? I killed people from the Western Regions, not people from Chaoyang! It's none of your business to lock me up! Let me go!"

Bai Jiaoyu was completely immobilized. Every part of her body that could move was chained to the rack. Except for her eyes and mouth, which she could move, even her neck was chained, and it was impossible for her to even twist it.

"Just admit it. Anyway, it's our Empress who's torturing you, not me. You can stay put. My job is done. I'm going to have a drink." Jiang Yi extinguished all the candles. At this moment, there was no sound. The water dungeon was pitch black, so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face.

"Hey, light the candle! Who told you to blow it out?"

Jiang Yi laughed out loud, "Who do you think you are? I'm the boss here. You'd better shut up, or I'll use my cotton socks to gag you. Let me think... when was the last time I washed my feet? Oh, it was half a month ago. Do you want to try?" After saying that, Jiang Yi raised his leg and waved it in front of her.

Even without slippers, the stench was enough to make one nauseous.

"You dare! Get out of here!" Bai Jiaoyu glared at the spot where Jiang Yi was standing, though she couldn't see anything.

Jiang Yi didn't want to waste any more words on this guy who didn't respect people, so he immediately left the cell and locked the door.

The darker and quieter it was, the more Bai Jiaoyu missed her maternal grandfather.

She shouldn't have come here. Without her maternal grandfather's protection, who would care about her? She grew up being pampered by her maternal grandfather, never imagining she would end up in such a sorry state.

In the Western Regions, everyone respected and feared her, but here, she was immediately imprisoned in a water dungeon.

There were countless poisonous insects and rodents here. Although they wouldn't kill her, Bai Jiaoyu felt extremely disgusted by these creatures, which were used to living in dark and damp places.

At this moment, she wished she could tear Yu Yanjing and Xia Yunzhi to pieces and feed them to the dogs.

This isn't just something she thinks about; it's something she's actually done.

When she was thirteen, on her birthday, her maternal grandfather gave her a pair of beautiful embroidered shoes made of cloud brocade, with extremely soft soles, as if she were walking on cotton.

It was also embroidered with her favorite hibiscus flowers, which she cherished dearly. Even though she liked to wear it out, she would never let it get dirty.

Bai Jiaoyu went to the lantern festival wearing brocade shoes. There were so many people! Before she knew it, an old woman stepped on her foot. The old woman was probably a farmer. The soles of her shoes were so dirty that a dark, dirty footprint was left on Bai Jiaoyu's pristine white shoes.

She was disgusted and an idea immediately popped into her head: this person must die, and she would be buried with her embroidered shoes!

Damn lowly commoner, she stepped on these shoes and they're ruined, she doesn't even want to wipe them clean.

With so many people around, she gave Ying'er a wink, and Ying'er immediately understood. She spotted the old woman in the crowd, dragged her into a dark alley, and Bai Jiaoyu followed.

Right there, she grabbed the old woman by the hair and slammed her head against the wall until it was a bloody mess. The old woman stopped struggling, and that's when she realized she was dead.

But Bai Jiaoyu was neither flustered nor afraid. She hired a servant to put the woman's body into a sack and carry it into Bai Jiaoyu's house outside the palace.

Bai Jiaoyu didn't want to bury the corpse. What kind of grave did such a person deserve? She watched as the servant chopped up the woman's body and fed it to her big black dog.

Not a single crumb was left.

The reason she wasn't flustered at all was because this wasn't her first time killing someone; she had killed someone when she was about seven years old.

A princess from another country came to the palace. She was said to be a hostage being fostered in the Western Regions palace. She was extremely beautiful, with eyes that seemed to bewitch people and make them dream of her. But she was only five years old!

Everyone in the palace liked her very much, saying she was cute and well-behaved and would definitely become the most beautiful woman in the Western Regions in the future. Bai Jiaoyu was not happy about this, and she wanted to meet this hostage princess.

The moment she saw the princess, an indescribable sense of disgust arose within her. She didn't understand what murderous intent was, but she wanted the princess to disappear.

Bai Jiaoyu initially pretended to befriend her. This princess was naive and, being a hostage in a foreign country, naturally longed for someone by her side. Bai Jiaoyu's offer was like a warm fire in the cold winter, so she trusted Bai Jiaoyu.

Because she was only five years old, how could she understand the wickedness of people's hearts?

Bai Jiaoyu secretly invited her to play in the lake. Children are innocent and carefree. With no one around, the hostage princess relaxed and squatted by the lake playing in the water. Unexpectedly, her friend behind her suddenly shoved her hard, her eyes full of murderous intent.

This was the first time she realized that perhaps Bai Jiaoyu didn't really want to be her friend; at least a good friend wouldn't look at her like that.

Indifferent, cold. This is not the look a seven-year-old child should have.

She couldn't swim because she grew up in a desert country and was unfamiliar with water. She didn't shout because she had swallowed a lot of water. After splashing around in the cold lake a few times, she had no strength left to struggle.

Perhaps the lake water was too cold, or perhaps he saw his mother in a daze. She was an extremely gentle woman who would sing sweet nursery rhymes to lull him to sleep.

Slowly, slowly, she stopped breathing.

Bai Jiaoyu, who was watching from the side, suddenly burst out laughing. How embarrassing! How could she be so embarrassed? If she had asked for help and said, "Please save me," she would definitely have come to her rescue!

But why didn't she ask for help? She must be damned!

And so, Bai Jiaoyu quietly left the lakeside. When Ying'er came to tell her the news of the drowning of the princess from another country, she acted as if she had just lost a good friend.

Even Ying'er didn't know!

There is no one more vicious than this in the world.

Her only thought at the time was that there could only be one princess in the palace.

Because she wasn't the only princess in the Western Regions before; there was also a princess from the Chen Kingdom named Xia Yunzhi. She had stayed in the Western Regions for a while, and her maternal grandfather doted on her. She was born to her maternal grandfather's most beloved princess, Wei, but Wei had passed away, and that was all she knew.

She also knew that her maternal grandfather preferred Xia Yunzhi.

Because her mother, Princess Qian, was not as favored as Wei.

In other words, the grandfather liked not only her, but also Xia Yunzhi.

It was when she learned of these things that she suddenly developed an intense hatred for Xia Yunzhi.

Looking back on everything, Bai Jiaoyu never felt that she had gone too far. In her heart, those people still deserved to die and were still lowly people.

Back in Liang, her mother told her that she was born noble. Her mother was the eldest princess of the Western Regions, and her father was the king of Liang. Their marriage was a powerful alliance, a symbol of nobility, and their daughter was naturally the most noble princess in the world.

Therefore, she doesn't think she's wrong; the fault must lie with others!

But it was so dark here, and her whole body ached. Because she couldn't move and had to stay in one position for a long time, no one could stand it, let alone someone as pampered as her.

I don’t know how long it took.

The cell door opened, and she didn't know if it was because she had been in the dark for too long, but the sunlight felt so uncomfortable to her, and it seemed particularly glaring.

The person she hated most appeared before her, and she wanted nothing more than to rush up and tear her to pieces, but unfortunately, the iron chains binding her body prevented her from moving.

"Bai Jiaoyu".

Xia Yunzhi softly called her name.

How disgusting! What right does she have to call her own name?

Bai Jiaoyu raised her head and chin, and even though she was tied to the rack, she still looked at Xia Yunzhi with contempt, the person she hated to the core.

"Xia Yunzhi, what right do you have to confine me here?"

Xia Yunzhi laughed, "If I have no right, then what right do you have to burn Xiao Suzi's family to death? I am the master here. It's absurd for you to talk to me about qualifications."

Xia Yunzhi slowly walked up to her. In contrast, her disheveled appearance stood out starkly against Xia Yunzhi's elegant and luxurious attire. Everything Xia Yunzhi wore and accessorized was priceless, while her own pink dress was already filthy.

"They deserve to die." Bai Jiaoyu remained unrepentant.

Xiao Mu truly felt that there was probably only one person like this in the world; ruthless and vicious, he had gone mad.

She looked at the person standing behind her and then asked, "Jiang Yi, what is the most torturous punishment here?"

"Your Majesty, it's drilling into the soles of the feet," Jiang Yi said quietly. "It means driving a thick iron nail forcefully into the sole of the prisoner's foot until the entire nail is embedded in the bone. Although it's not fatal, the pain of drilling into the bone is unbearable for a young girl." He gave Bai Jiaoyu a meaningful look.

Xiao Mu said calmly, "Find two people, use pliers to hold iron nails, heat them until they're red-hot, and then drill them in. After they're done, pour cold water on them. That's it. Don't make her faint."

Jiang Yi was stunned. He hadn't expected that the Empress, a woman, could come up with such a cruel punishment. It must mean that the prisoner was truly guilty of a grave crime.

Bai Jiaoyu was terrified and broke out in a cold sweat. She stared at Xiao Mu in disbelief. "You dare? I am a princess of the Western Regions, your honored guest. My maternal grandfather will not let you get away with this."

Xiao Mu rubbed her temples with two fingers and said irritably, "Stop bringing up my maternal grandfather. I'm not afraid of him even if he comes. Do you know how many lives you've taken? You probably don't even know yourself, do you?"

"What does it have to do with you?"

"I don't know exactly how many people you've killed, but the Su family had no grudge against you. Why did you have to kill them?" Xiao Mu asked, barely suppressing her emotions.

Mentioning Xiao Suzi, she couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat. Those were real human lives, all lost because of her.

Bai Jiaoyu laughed contemptuously, "Isn't it because they wanted to kill you? Too bad they killed the wrong person. They deserved it. You should be the one to blame. Who told you to come to the Western Regions? Who told you to steal my position?"

"Snapped."

Xiao Mu raised her hand and slapped her across the face; the sound was crisp and clear.

Several red finger marks immediately appeared on Bai Jiaoyu's delicate, snow-white face, where Xiao Mu had hit her earlier, and the area still stung.

This is the first time, the first time I've ever been slapped.

She stared at Xiao Mu with astonishment in her eyes, gritting her teeth as she said, "You dare hit me? You're not worthy!"

"Snapped."

This time, Xiao Mu used even more force than before, and Bai Jiaoyu's face swelled up completely.

"When did I ever try to take your place? I went to the Western Regions just to relax. I've never met you before, so how could I possibly take your place?"

Bai Jiaoyu stared at her with deep, empty eyes. She suddenly fell silent. "Because... I've hated you since I was a child."

Xiao Mu was even more astonished. They had almost never met, so how could Bai Jiaoyu hate her so much?

No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't have imagined it.

She slowly walked out of the cell, and behind her she could still hear Bai Jiaoyu's screams and curses as she was being tortured.

Go ahead and curse.

Two hours later, Xiao Mu, You He, and Shuang Ru were brewing tea in Zi Ning Palace. With winter approaching, brewing tea around a stove indoors was the best thing to do.

With Bai Jiaoyu's matter resolved, Xiao Mu finally felt relieved and had no more worries. From now on, she could focus on waiting for her child to be born.

Shuangru poured Xiaomu a cup of hot tea and said, "So this is what Princess Bai is like. I never expected it. It's so pitiful that Miss Yanman was bullied by her for so many years. Fortunately, Her Majesty is kind-hearted and sent Miss Yanman back to the Western Regions safely."

What did Yan Man do wrong? She was wrong to follow the wrong person. She's not a bad person; her hands even tremble when she talks to people. Someone like that can't do anything bad.

When Yan Man left, he was extremely grateful to Xiao Mu, kneeling and kowtowing several times before getting into the carriage. Xiao Mu watched the carriage disappear into the distance, hoping that this girl would have a safe and smooth life in the future and meet someone who truly cared about her.

You listened to Shuangru's words, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

Even Ying'er has been imprisoned. If she were to reveal her secret, wouldn't she suffer the same fate as them?

She is Bai Jiaoyu's sharpest knife.

It also stabbed the Empress deeply.

The days Bai Jiaoyu and Ying'er were imprisoned in the water dungeon were the most unbearable days of Youzui's life. People in the palace said that they could hear their miserable cries whenever they passed by the water dungeon.

They were subjected to all the tortures in the water dungeon.

There were skinning, flesh cutting, branding, and water dripping torture—hundreds of tortures in total. A dozen or so were used every day, and after a few days, they were tortured beyond recognition.

You knows martial arts, so escaping from Chaoyang Palace wouldn't be difficult for her.

However, her mother, younger brother, and younger sister were all in Bai Jiaoyu's hands. Even if she escaped back to the Western Regions, she would not be able to see them, because Bai Jiaoyu had sent people to watch over the house where her mother lived. Without Bai Jiaoyu taking her there, they would not let her see them.

If they want to escape, they must see Bai Jiaoyu.

She was the most capable palace maid by the Empress's side. It wouldn't be difficult for her to go to the water dungeon under the Empress's orders; the only question was whether she had the courage.

“I am from the Empress’s side. She sent me to deliver a message to Bai Jiaoyu.”

You was dressed in night clothes, wearing a large black cloak with a hood that completely covered her face. She kept her head down the whole time and showed her waist tag in her hand.

Jiang Yi saw that the waist tag was genuine and immediately let him pass.

The journey was exceptionally perilous for You. She had already decided that after seeing Bai Jiaoyu, regardless of the circumstances, she would escape back to the Western Regions.

She wanted to go back to her mother and younger siblings, even if it meant living a hard life, she wanted to stay by their side.