After being reborn, I went on a killing spree in the imperial court.

Cao Ji stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "I just want to make friends with you. I heard that your area is rich in gold mines. Do you think it's possible for us to become friends..."

"You still need money?!" Chu Yan was somewhat surprised.

"Of course! My royal sister made all those years of my hard work go to waste, shouldn't I make up for it?"

"So you had a share of the money in the vault!"

Chu Yan then realized what was happening.

"You're not the crown prince, what do you need so much money for? Aren't you afraid of being accused of treason by asking me for money so blatantly?"

Cao Ji smiled at him, "No, I am not the Chu prime minister who colluded with the enemy!"

Chu Yan immediately had a bad feeling. "You dare to touch him and see what happens!"

"You're like a clay bodhisattva crossing a river, barely able to save yourself!"

"I want to see A-Yuan! Let me see A-Yuan!"

Cao Ji suddenly reached out and grabbed his neck, his eyes filled with anger. "A-Yuan? You're calling her that so affectionately!"

"Chu Yan, let me tell you, Cao Yuan already knows your identity! She doesn't want to see you at all now!"

Upon hearing this news, Chu Yan felt a sharp pain in his heart.

He said coldly, "I'm only giving you three days! If you decide to cooperate with me within three days, I can let Prime Minister Chu live! Otherwise, you can wait to pay your respects to him on Qingming Festival!"

After saying that, Cao Ji turned and left, leaving Chu Yan standing there panting heavily, his face full of despair.

He stared blankly at Cao Ji's departing figure, his mind in turmoil.

Chu Yan shouted at his retreating figure, "You dare! Cao Ji, if you have the guts, come at me! Kill me! Kill me!"

"Guards! I need to see the princess! I need to see the princess!"

Not long after Cao Ji left, two jailers came in from outside.

"Lord Chu, you've rested for so long, it's time for us to continue serving you!"

The jailer took a whip out of the chili water, and Chu Yan kept his eyes closed and didn't utter a sound.

"Does Lord Chu still recognize me?" one of the jailers asked.

Chu Yan slowly opened his eyes and looked at the jailer in front of him.

"You interrogated my brother the same way! Today I can get my revenge!"

With each lash, Chu Yan clenched his fists and endured the beating.

"I told you to arrest my brother, I told you to arrest him! I've begged you for so long, but you still won't let my brother go!"

"Your brother killed someone, so he should pay with his life! If you protect your brother, who will protect the innocent people he killed! You should have been punished for harboring a criminal in the first place!"

The jailer became even angrier upon hearing this and continued to lash the prison with his whip.

Chu Yan was beaten until his skin was torn and bleeding. In addition, he was soaked in chili water. The smell of chili water mixed with the smell of blood, and he gradually lost consciousness.

"He's already dying so quickly! Is he going to pass out?"

Another jailer stepped forward and checked her breathing. "She's still breathing! Let's go, we'll beat her later!"

The two jailers abandoned their posts and left.

After an unknown amount of time, Chu Yan slowly woke up from his coma, feeling a dry throat and severely cracked lips, as if they had been burned.

"Water! I want to drink water!" Chu Yan muttered.

At that moment, a cool liquid slid into his mouth, moistening his parched throat.

He greedily swallowed the clear spring water, and gradually regained some consciousness.

"you're awake?"

A familiar voice reached his ears, carrying a hint of concern and joy.

Chu Yan struggled to open his heavy eyelids, and his blurry vision gradually cleared, revealing a familiar face—Luo Jiulan.

"You..." Chu Yan tried to speak, but his voice was so hoarse that he could barely make out what he was saying.

"Shh!" Luo Jiulan quickly put her finger to her lips, signaling him to be quiet.

His eyes darted around, as if he were wary of something.

He lowered his voice and said to Chu Yan, "I am now the newly appointed head of the Ministry of Justice!"

"I want to see the princess!" Chu Yan desperately grasped at this only straw.

"The princess can't come in!"

"I want to see the princess! I must see the princess!" Chu Yan could only repeat this sentence.

"I know you want the princess to save you! But the Second Prince is already surrounded here; not even a fly can get in. The princess has also been implicated and is under house arrest in the mansion! Do you still want to harm her?"

Seeing his troubled expression, Chu Yan asked, "Then what are you doing here?"

"His Majesty wants to interrogate Bai Lu! Only then can I enter!"

Chu Yan's face was grim, and he said in a low voice, "Then please pass on a message to her, telling her that she must save Prime Minister Chu no matter what! Consider it something she owes Prime Minister Chu!"

Although Luo Jiulan did not understand the meaning of Chu Yan's words, she still repeated them to Cao Yuan verbatim.

Upon hearing this, Cao Yuan's eyes flashed with doubt. She stared at Luo Jiulan and pressed for an answer, "Did he really say that?"

Luo Jiulan nodded in agreement.

Cao Yuan stroked her chin, thinking to herself, "When did I ever owe Prime Minister Chu anything?" Before she met Chu Yan, she had hardly ever had any contact with Prime Minister Chu.

"Your Highness, do you want to go and rescue Lord Chu?"

Cao Yuan shook her head, "I won't save those who betray me!"

Cao Yuan reminded herself that this must be Chu Yan's scheme to get her to save him, and she must not be fooled by him. It was his own doing that implicated Prime Minister Chu, and it had nothing to do with her.

Moreover, since His Majesty has ordered you to reflect on your mistakes within the residence, you are certainly not allowed to leave.

If Cao Ji really gets hold of something this time, who knows what kind of trouble will ensue.

Cao Yuan, you mustn't do anything foolish.

However, he missed the chance to leave the city because he was saving himself.

Cao Yuan hesitated.

In the dead of night, the sky was shrouded in darkness, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

Cao Yuan stood quietly by the window, wearing a black cloak. She gently opened the door, and a gust of cold wind blew in, letting the wind into the cloak.

She took a deep breath and prepared to go out.

"Your Highness, where are you going?"

A voice suddenly came from behind, breaking the silence.

Cao Yuan turned around and saw Jin Zhu sitting on the bed, rubbing her eyes and looking at her.

"Jinzhu, why are you awake?" Cao Yuan asked softly.

Jinzhu blinked, somewhat confused, and said, "Your Highness, it's so late, are you going to break into the prison?"

Cao Yuan frowned slightly. "Why would you think that of me! How could I do something so outrageous!"

“I have some things to take care of, don’t worry about me. You get some rest,” Cao Yuan said gently.

Jinzhu looked at Cao Yuan with concern and unease in her eyes.

Jinzhu knelt down with a thud. "Your Highness, you cannot go to see Lord Chu... oh no, the First Prince."

"His Majesty has ordered you to stay in your residence and reflect on your mistakes. Please don't go! Jinzhu begs you! You can't risk your life for other unrelated people anymore."

Cao Yuan squatted down next to Jinzhu. "Jinzhu, I just want to understand what he meant by that sentence. I won't do anything for him anymore!"

"Since he is the crown prince of Shu, I have no choice but to sever all ties with him!" Cao Yuan said firmly.

"Your Highness, you must keep your word! We're going back to the border together!"

Jinzhu wiped away the tears on her face.

"We'll go back together!"