Chapter 619 - 182 Facing Death
In the Sky Prison of the Ministry of Punishment, at this moment, the light was dim, and one could hear the rustling sounds of rats scurrying and some animal gnawing at food. Shrieks and cries came intermittently, and in a corner, Princess Yongning sat with her knees pulled to her chest. She was pressed up against the bars of Shen Yurong’s cell, as if drawing life from their proximity.
In these three days, she had pleaded and threatened, slipping off the bracelet from her wrist to give to the jailers, hoping they would convey a message to Prince Cheng or Empress Dowager Liu. The jailers took her bracelet and turned to leave, never to return, leaving Princess Yongning to curse them until she was hoarse and exhausted.
Before the condemned are led away, their last meal is always sumptuous. Princess Yongning had constantly cursed the poor quality of the prison food, but when her final day arrived and a feast was laid out before her, she seemed provoked by the sight and refused to eat a bite, as if eating these would bring immediate death. By delaying, she could avoid facing a hopeless end.
The opposite was true for Shen Yurong, who had been silent over these past few days. He listened to Princess Yongning’s chastisements, offered no comfort, and formulated no strategies. When the last meal arrived that night, Shen Yurong had the appetite to savor it slowly, pouring himself a cup of wine, seemingly blind to Princess Yongning’s terror.
Princess Yongning felt a deadness in her heart; if Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu had wanted to save her, they would not have ceased sending messages. Three days of utter silence could only mean they had abandoned her.
Tomorrow was the day of her execution, and Princess Yongning could not help but pull herself in even tighter.
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps and the jailers’ voices came from outside. Princess Yongning paid them no mind; new prisoners arrived daily, and the condemned were taken away. The Ministry of Punishment’s prison was never short of occupants. After a while, the voices of the jailers dissipated, but the footsteps continued, unhurried and distinct, reaching her ears in the otherwise silent prison.
Princess Yongning could not help but listen attentively.
The footsteps approached her and Shen Yurong’s cell. A jolt went through her, kindling a flicker of new hope. If this person had been sent by Empress Dowager Liu and Prince Cheng... It must be so! Certainly, he was here to tell her that Prince Cheng and Empress Dowager Liu had made preparations and would soon rescue her, instructing her not to worry!