Tong Sui could only see the two people talking through the window but couldn’t hear the specifics of their conversation. This strange feeling was like being caught by parents for not studying well, a peculiar sense of déjà vu of teachers and parents discussing him.
After a while, the two entered the room again. Tong Sui quickly lowered his head, pretending to be diligently studying.
“Tong Sui,” Rong Jin said, “come with me to a place.”
Tong Sui lifted his head in surprise, not caring about pretending anymore, quickly grabbing the cloak hanging nearby and putting it on. “Sure, where are we going?”
“You’ll know when we get there,” Rong Jin replied.
Tong Sui followed beside him, finally feeling free to talk, his steps light. Even if Rong Jin didn’t speak, he could ramble on, “I could die from boredom these days. I don’t like what Liu Yong is teaching, but he insists it’s very important.”
As he spoke, he noticed a splash of red plum blossoms in the distance, standing tall amidst the frost and snow like clusters of flame.
Upon approaching, he discovered a grove of plum trees, emitting a faint and pleasant fragrance.
“Sir, it smells so good.”
Rong Jin had walked this way countless times before but had never stopped to appreciate the plum flowers blossoming in the cold of winter. Now, in front of him, besides the fiery red blooms, there was also a young boy.
Almost a month had passed since their first meeting. The once frail boy had grown plumper with daily nourishment and had gained some height, his originally fine features becoming even more prominent.
His clear eyes remained unchanged by the environment, still bright and clear, with snowflakes on his long lashes melting into droplets, gazing at Rong Jin with a wet gaze.
Rong Jin spoke lightly, “If you like them, I can have someone pick a few and put them in a vase in your room.”
“No, no, no, let them bloom as they are,” Tong Sui said, quickly walking back, his breath forming a thin white mist. He smiled, his eyes slightly curved, “I prefer the way they flourish on their branches.”
That strange feeling surged once more in his chest.
Rong Jin frowned; he despised any emotions beyond his control.
Neither joy nor sorrow was acceptable.
Like a person walking in darkness, accustomed to the endless black, accompanied by loneliness and indifference, suddenly exposed to sunlight wouldn’t feel warmth but instead be hurt by its light.
At least, Rong Jin believed he didn’t need such sentiments.
He lived only to fulfill the tasks before him, requiring nothing else beyond that.
Rong Jin’s expression grew serious again. “Let’s go.”
Tong Sui responded softly and followed slowly behind him.
The path gradually became more remote and quiet, devoid of life apart from the occasional bird flying by.
He couldn’t help but rub his hands together, finding it strangely colder and more damp here than in other places.
As they turned the corner, a lead-gray building came into view, heavily guarded, differing in security from other areas.
The guards at the entrance saw Rong Jin and swiftly changed their expressions, bowing respectfully. “Lord Supervisor, do you need us to notify the town governor?”
“No need,” Rong Jin nodded, “open the door; I’ll go in and take a look.”
“Yes, sir.”
When the heavy door opened, it scraped across the hard bluestone ground, the sound causing hearts to tremble, and a chill greeted them.
Inside was a fully equipped prison.
Though there were wall sconces lit on either side, the dim flames provided little light in the dark, damp cells, barely illuminating the outlines of objects.
In every narrow cage, the only window was tightly boarded, allowing no light even during the day.
Rong Jin walked in quietly.
The trace of white seemed to be swallowed by the surrounding darkness, slowly disappearing from sight.
Tong Sui, disregarding his discomfort, hurriedly followed.
His first feeling upon entering was the cold.
This cold was different from winter’s chill; it was bone-deep, penetrating the skin to the marrow, as if his soul were enveloped in an icy fear.
In the corner lay various torture devices, some recognizable at first glance, while others were more complex and intricate.
It was evident that they had not only been used on one person.
All bore the stains of years of use, their bloodstains and the stench of decay sickening.
Tong Sui found it hard to breathe, feeling stifled, his face drained of the color it had gained in recent days.
“Do you know where this place is?” Rong Jin asked.
Tong Sui shook his head, unable to understand why Rong Jin had brought him to such a place.
“This is the secret prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.”
This was the famed prison managed by the Northern Command, where torture and interrogation could be conducted without oversight from any of the three legal offices.
The punishments here were extremely brutal, a departure from traditional practices.
The instruments of torture included clamps, skinning, tongue cutting, spine breaking, fingernail extraction, heart piercing, and the pipa torture, totaling eighteen types.
“Most of the people locked up here are royal relatives or former high-ranking officials.”
Rong Jin’s voice remained calm, “These individuals held power and authority but had committed numerous crimes before this.”
Rong Jin stood outside the bars.
Inside, a disheveled middle-aged man squatted, his complexion ashen, limbs bloated and festering. He seemed to cling to life by a thread.
He kept mumbling, “Your Majesty, I will never dare to be greedy again. Your Majesty…”
“Ahhhh!!!”
Upon seeing Rong Jin, the man recoiled in fear, as if Rong Jin were the King of Hell come to collect souls, his shrieks ringing in Tong Sui’s ears painfully.
“Do you feel sorry for him?” Rong Jin turned to look at Tong Sui, his heavy gaze particularly bright in the darkness.