jdhmnovel Chapter 204 Struggle
Chapter 204 Struggle
"Why did the Emperor suddenly drag me into the Ministry of Punishment?"
Ling Yunche subconsciously became defensive, the knife in his hand was clenched tightly. His originally relaxed figure immediately became alert.
Jinzhong raised the corner of his mouth in disdain, tilted his head slightly, and looked up and down at Ling Yunche in front of him. He found it even more funny when he noticed that he was moving the knife forward and wanted to hold it across his chest in a defensive manner.
He grinned and looked up and down at his movements with disdain.
"Guard Ling, this is the Imperial Court. The Emperor is inside. You don't want to resort to knife-wielding in front of him, do you? I advise you to be sensible and avoid suffering more. After all, the Ministry of Punishment alone is enough for you to endure..."
Jinzhong's gloomy voice sounded in his ears, like a voice from hell, echoing faintly in his mind.
Ling Yunche suddenly felt cold all over.
Although Jinzhong in front of him had a smile on his face, Ling Yunche could sense a clear hint of hatred in his deep eyes.
hatred?
Why does Jinzhong hate himself?
Ling Yunche thought carefully. For so many years, he had been serving in the emperor's service in fear and trepidation. The two of them did not have much interaction, let alone any offense.
Ling Yunche knew that this was not the time to argue with him, at least he should find out the reason first.
Ling Yunche softened his stance, put the knife behind him, and asked, "Eunuch Jinzhong, can the emperor explain why he wants to send me to the Ministry of Punishment..."
"How can a mere guard from the Han army question the emperor's decision? Stop nagging me. Let's go. I have work to do. If I'm delayed, you won't be able to afford the compensation..."
Seeing his dying struggle, Jinzhong's smile became even wider. He was too lazy to argue with him, so he swung the whip in his hand, and several guards with swords rushed out from all directions.
They moved quickly, taking advantage of Ling Yunche's unpreparedness and knocking the scabbard out of his hand with a stick from behind. Several people rushed forward and pinned Ling Yunche to the ground in no time.
"You! How dare you..."
Ling Yunche was pinned to the ground, his hat knocked off his head, his face was covered in dust, and he looked extremely disheveled.
There were several people behind him pressing him down, making him unable to move. No matter how hard Ling Yunche tried to break free, his face flushed.
Jinzhong looked at him with great interest as he crawled in front of him. The more humiliated Ling Yunche was, the more excited he became.
"Young master, what's there for me to be afraid of? The Emperor wants to take you to the Ministry of Punishment, and you're stalling for time by hesitating. So let me help you. Shut him up and take him away!"
After saying that, Jinzhong didn't even bother to spare him a glance. He turned around and walked ahead with his head held high, leaving only a gorgeous corner of his purple python robe in his sight.
The person next to him quickly blocked Ling Yunche with a rag and looked back at the Yangxin Palace. Ling Yunche's pupils suddenly shrank and even his strength to struggle gradually weakened.
Jinzhong refused to tell him why the emperor sent him to the Ministry of Punishment. What exactly happened?
What did the emperor discover?
Or is there someone behind this?
Before he could think about it, the gloomy gate of the Ministry of Punishment appeared in front of him.
As soon as you step in, you can smell the rotten smell that has not seen the light of day for a long time, and you can also vaguely smell a few traces of blood and rotten smell hidden in it.
Ling Yunche's face turned pale, and before he could react, he was tied to the rack.
As soon as the rag from his mouth was removed, he began to cough violently.
"Eunuch Jinzhong, this person is not from the imperial court..." When the eunuch in charge of the punishment saw that it was Ling Yunche, he hurriedly confirmed with Jinzhong.
Wasn’t this person promoted as an exception because he saved the Empress?
Why are you here at the Ministry of Punishment today?
I don't know what's going on lately, but all sorts of important figures have been stuffed into the Ministry of Punishment. Previously, it was the Emperor's Consort Hai, and today it's the Second-Class Imperial Guard...
"It's not like that anymore. He made a mistake in front of the emperor, and the emperor tried him. After the trial, he went back to where he came from..."
Jinzhong, with his hands in his pockets, felt a rare joy when he saw Ling Yunche tied tightly to the rack like a fish on the chopping board.
After all these years, he could finally teach this... Lord Ling a lesson...
"Then I will go and interrogate him..."
The eunuch in charge of the execution was about to take action when he was stopped by Jinzhong the next second.
He curled his lips and looked at Ling Yunche who was tied up tightly, with a hint of evil amusement in his eyes.
"No, I want to do it myself. Bring me the whip."
After saying that, Jinzhong handed the whip to him, and then raised his hand to take the whip handed to him by another eunuch in charge of the punishment.
The Ministry of Punishment has more than ten kinds of whips of different sizes, and the one in Jinzhong's hand is made of hemp rope. What makes it different from the ordinary ones is that short and dense iron needles are added during the weaving process.
Normally, the iron needle will follow the direction of the hemp rope and will not be noticeable. However, when the hemp rope is soaked in water and expands, the gaps in the rope will become tighter and the iron needle will stand up.
Each root stands upright, emitting a hint of cold light, which makes people shudder just by looking at it.
This was used for slaves who had committed serious crimes. One whip would tear their skin and flesh apart, and no one could withstand ten whips.
This thing is too cruel and rarely used. Ling Yunche is lucky enough to encounter this big guy as soon as he arrives.
Jinzhong looked at the whip with satisfaction, and walked up to Ling Yunche like an evil ghost from the underworld climbing up to take his life.
"The Thirteenth Prince died young, and the Emperor discovered something that shouldn't have been around the young prince. Some people say that Rong Pei, who was with the Empress, was seen interacting with you... I'm asking you, did the Empress send you to deliver those things to Prince Yan's residence?"
Hearing this, Ling Yunche's heart sank.
It turned out that the emperor knew about this matter.
But Ling Yunche is not stupid, he knows he can’t admit it.
He is the emperor's personal guard and has always obeyed the emperor's orders. If he accepts the position, wouldn't he be following in Li Yu's footsteps?
The emperor hates betrayal the most now. If he denies it, he may still have a chance to survive.
Besides, Ling Yunche didn't want the Queen to bear a stigma.
The mere allegation of being a traitor to one's children was enough to cause the Empress great distress. If she were to be accused of forming a clique within the harem, I'm afraid her future in the harem would be even more difficult.
So even for the queen, Ling Yunche couldn't acknowledge her.
He raised his head with difficulty, his eyes level with Jinzhong's, and said calmly, "How can Thirteenth Prince's affairs have anything to do with me? I serve in the Imperial Court. The Empress is concerned about the Emperor's health, so isn't it normal for her to ask the aunts around her to inquire about him?"