The Real Young Master Was Sold as a Slave, The Obsessive Crown Prince's Forced Love - Chapter 15

Chapter 15: The Torture Chamber

“Hmph!” Qi Wang let out a cold snort, rose from the Grand Tutor’s chair, and mocked, “Why didn’t you tell the truth earlier, insisting on lying? You made everyone in the Imperial Academy of Medicine stand here for your punishment! I said I was going to beat him to death with the cudgel, and now you won’t admit to the crime?”

Qi Wang first openly placed the heavy burden of the standing punishment on Su Yunhe, and then directly exposed Su Yunhe’s little trick from earlier.

Isn’t it just the usual trick to win people’s hearts!

After speaking, he raised his hand and pointed at Song Yu, “Seize him and confine him to the torture chamber! No one is allowed to release him or send him any food without my order!”

Having given the command, Qi Wang left, carrying his aura of wickedness and gloom.

As soon as Qi Wang left, the terrifying atmosphere that had enveloped the front courtyard of the Imperial Academy of Medicine finally eased.

Almost everyone looked at Song Yu and Su Yunhe.

“When did this person named Song Yu arrive? Why don’t I know that our Imperial Academy of Medicine has an extra Imperial Physician?”

“I heard that Chief Xu brought him back. His medical skills are very good, but it’s strange. Su Yunhe is always cautious. How could he make continuous mistakes today, bringing a newcomer into the palace?”

“How did he make continuous mistakes?”

“I heard that first he was joking with the newcomer on the palace path, the newcomer fell, and they bumped into the Crown Prince. Then, while checking Consort Li’s pulse, he left the newcomer alone outside Consort Li’s sleeping quarters…”

Scattered discussions spread rapidly.

Xu Huai’en, the Chief of the Imperial Academy of Medicine, looked sullen and shouted loudly, “Are you all idle? Dawdling here like gossips? Disperse! Tomorrow, ten people will be randomly selected to be tested on the full text of the Treatise on Cold Damage Disorders from memory.”

A collective groan immediately swept across the scene, and the crowd instantly scattered like birds and beasts.

Xu Huai’en glared angrily at Song Yu and ordered, “Send him to the torture chamber!”

Su Yunhe looked anxious and worried, and quickly said to Xu Huai’en, “Chief Xu, Imperial Physician Song still has injuries on his mouth. If he is sent to the torture chamber, I’m afraid his body…”

Xu Huai’en raised an eyebrow. “What? Do you think the Crown Prince’s order is wrong? Why don’t you go and beg the Crown Prince for mercy and have him released?”

Su Yunhe’s face instantly stiffened.

Song Yu was pushed up to stand and said to Su Yunhe, “Brother Ah He, I…”

The moment he said “Brother Ah He,” Xu Huai’en immediately looked at him, his gaze carrying scrutiny. “Do you two know each other?”

“No, we only became familiar today,” the awkwardness on Su Yunhe’s face had not completely faded, and he almost immediately denied it, then offered an explanation. “I am a little older than him, and he happens to be sharing a room with me, so he calls me Brother Ah He.”

After speaking.

Fearing that Song Yu would say something else, Su Yunhe quickly turned to Song Yu and said, “Remember to apply that ointment, you must apply it, you hear! Wait until you are released to say anything. I will do my best to mediate for you.”

…

Outside the torture chamber door.

There were no torches illuminating the area. The moonlight scattered onto the deserted courtyard, adding a few layers of gloom.

Qi Wang stood at the doorway, his eyes clear and cold.

Beside him, Ban Jin reported in a low voice.

“Your Highness, that eunuch has confessed.

“It was Prince Yu who sent him to impersonate Consort De’s order and summon Song Yu.

“Once Song Yu was taken away, the eunuch would take him directly to the Azure Heart Pavilion, where Prince Yu was waiting.

“Additionally, the eunuch said that when Song Yu bent down to pick up the silver, he suddenly stabbed his hand with something, which caused him to faint.”

Qi Wang stared expressionlessly at the tightly closed door of the torture chamber.

His narrow, upturned eyes held a coldness, and his expression was inscrutable.

“How did Prince Yu know Song Yu was entering the palace?”

Ban Jin immediately replied, “This subordinate interrogated the eunuch; he did not know. Furthermore, this subordinate asked him if Prince Yu was colluding with Su Yunhe, if Su Yunhe deliberately brought Song Yu into the palace, and if Prince Yu knew Song Yu, but the eunuch knew nothing.

“He is likely just a pawn Prince Yu threw out.

“However…”

Ban Jin frowned slightly.

“Song Yu said in the palace that the eunuch was poisoned with Populus Euphratica powder, but Su Yunhe immediately refuted him on the spot, saying Song Yu misdiagnosed.

“After this subordinate captured the eunuch, I specifically ordered someone to check his pulse, and he was indeed poisoned with Populus Euphratica powder.”

Qi Wang held a white jade porcelain bottle in his hand.

With his hands clasped behind his back, his fingers rubbed the bottle.

Refuted him on the spot?

“Send the eunuch’s body back to the palace and spread the word that he was working for Prince Yu but died suddenly after being poisoned with Populus Euphratica powder. Also, go investigate that Su Yihe!”

Having given the order, Qi Wang raised his hand to push the door open and entered the torture chamber.

Ban Jin: …

What the heck is Su Yihe?

His name is Su Yunhe!

…

[I really can’t understand the Protagonist Shou now. What exactly does he mean?]

[When Qi Wang assigned blame, he said it was his fault, but when Qi Wang said to beat him to death with the cudgel, he immediately chickened out. This…]

[If Qi Wang had just lightly scolded him or beaten him a few times, he would have become Xiao Yu’s great benefactor who protected him. But when Qi Wang said to beat him to death, he got scared and didn’t dare to win people’s hearts anymore, right!]

[Are you guys sick? Is the Protagonist Shou wrong for kindly trying to help? Why should he bear the consequence of being beaten to death for helping Song Yu!]

[Since he wasn’t obligated to bear it, why did he hypocritically kneel down?]

[He just wanted to help Song Yu, but he’s not a saint! There’s no reason to sacrifice his own life to help someone else!]

[But Song Yu is clearly not just “someone else” to him. He told Song Yu that he was working hard in the capital to bring Song Yu over for a good life.]

[He also misled Song Yu, making Song Yu think he was often injured. That’s very tea-like (deceptive).]

[But before Song Yu came to the capital, he clearly told everyone that he was an orphan, his adoptive father was dead, and he had no family!]

There were no candles lit in the torture chamber. Only a faint moonlight shone into the dark room.

Song Yu leaned against the wall and sat on the broken bed inside the room, staring blankly at the lines of text floating before him.

His heart ached numbly.

He could understand Brother Ah He lying in the palace, saying that the eunuch wasn’t poisoned.

He could also understand Brother Ah He telling him not to be too serious and to be mute, deaf, and blind in the palace to save his life.

He could also understand Brother Ah He telling others that he didn’t know him—

Perhaps that was also for survival.

But…

Why did those words say that before he came, Brother Ah He told others that his adoptive father was dead and he had no family?

Clearly, Brother Ah He was the hunter’s biological son, and he was the adopted one.

Clearly, he was still alive in Qinghe County, so why did Brother Ah He say he had no family?

This lack of understanding filled Song Yu with panic, even more so than being sold into slavery by the Earl of Anping’s manor.

He was afraid, afraid of Brother Ah He…

Creak~

In the dark and silent room, a door-opening sound suddenly echoed.

Song Yu’s eyes immediately filled with vigilance. He looked toward the door, instinctively gripping the silver needle hidden in his sleeve cuff.

“Your Highness?” When he clearly saw that the person who came was Qi Wang, Song Yu breathed a sigh of relief and let go of the silver needle in his cuff.

In the faint light of the room, Qi Wang looked at Song Yu’s lips and approached him step by step. “What? Are you very surprised it’s me? Are you perhaps waiting for someone else?”