In the Cining Palace, the little emperor who often came to visit his mother and listen to her teachings reached a very delicate balance with the imperial physician Zheng who diagnosed pulses and served medicine in the palace.
　　For the sake of the Queen Mother, Zheng Yuheng often gave way to him, and gave way if he could. After all, he was the emperor and the Queen Mother's biological son, and they were a family with blood thicker than water. And the little emperor seemed to be unable to figure it out for the time being, so he endured it and turned a blind eye to Zheng Yuheng's existence.
　　But occasionally the two of them would still meet, fortunately Dong Lingjiu sat by the side, so it didn't get too embarrassing.
　　The ripples dissipated, and the surface of the lake was as calm as a mirror. And in this long period of calm, Princess Zhaoyang also spent a full ten days before she found an opportunity to follow Aunt Yuewan to watch the execution.
　　It was the beginning of August in the second year of Huining, and the autumn wind was rustling.
　　Meng Zhaiyue wore a long peacock green dress with gold weaving, a narrow-sleeved jacket, and a string of jade bells tied around her waist as an ornament. She moved with her forbidden steps, making a slight bumping sound.
　　Du Yuewan led her in front and entered the dark prison.
　　She did not tell Xu Xiang about this matter. Meng Zhaiyue thought it was a surprise for him. She thought it was a good thing to meet him smoothly without having to sneak around.
　　This thought lasted until she stepped into the inner prison.
　　The princess stepped on the cold ground. The light around her was dim. There was a faint sound of dripping water from somewhere, and the atmosphere was gloomy. She felt a little uncomfortable. She pulled Aunt Yuewan's sleeve and leaned over to whisper, "Aunt, it's so cold here."
　　Du Yuewan glanced over, and the palace servant accompanying her put on a moon-white cloak for her.
　　Meng Zhaiyue said, "Aunt, I'm not talking about the temperature, but..."
　　She couldn't describe it.
　　Du Yuewan led the princess calmly and listened with her head tilted.
　　Meng Zhaiyue pursed her lips, unable to describe it. Besides, she also felt a smell of rust in the air, with a sickening sweetness.
　　The group went around a bend and walked to a more central area. Suddenly, a terrifying, almost hoarse scream broke out in the silent prison.
　　This kind of wail could penetrate the eardrum and make the body feel painful due to hearing. The princess shuddered, retracted her fingers, and had some thoughts of retreating.
　　But just as this thought of retreating emerged, she heard the screaming and wailing person's mouth swearing incoherently, and the object of the insult was Xu Bingbi, whom she had been thinking about.
　　Yue Wan turned around and asked softly, "Your Highness?"
　　Meng Zhaiyue moved her feet, stroked her numb fingertips, and said with determination, "Let's go."
　　Du Yuewan nodded.
　　The closer she got, the clearer the sympathetic screams became. When she got so close, Meng Zhaiyue could even hear the mixed gasps of pain and the cries of begging for mercy. The
　　miserable condition of the prisoners could not be seen on this road. Even the road was cleaned up in advance because of the princess's arrival. But she was still at a loss, and she had a fear of leaving immediately.
　　Meng Zhaiyue's breathing became a little faster. She followed her aunt to stop in front of a dark curtain, and then sat down on the chair prepared by the maid with a little weakness.
　　Du Yuewan ordered: "Put up the curtain."
　　"Yes."
　　The female official stepped forward a few steps and pulled the wide, airtight black curtain to one side, revealing the inside of the torture chamber. When the black cloth was lifted from the closed cage, the smell of blood and the rotting smell of broken limbs rushed straight to her mind.
　　Meng Zhaiyue was stunned for a moment.
　　This piece of black cloth covered the back of the torture room. The wall in front of it faced the torture rack, and there was a small hole cut out for people to see.
　　Meng Zhaiyue's heart was hanging in the air. Facing the hole, she could see the back of the torture rack, the trembling prisoner, and the butterfly in her mind that flew into her arms, standing opposite with a cold face.
　　Xu Xiang didn't know she was here. Even if he found someone in here, he couldn't tell who it was.
　　Meng Zhaiyue took a breath and asked quietly: "Aunt, is this place... for the master to supervise the punishment?"
　　"Yes." Du Yuewan answered, "To prevent injustice, sometimes even if there is no one supervising the punishment, the person in charge of the punishment must know that there is such a place to supervise him."
　　Meng Zhaiyue nodded nervously.
　　She looked at Xu Xiang and saw that his silent and handsome face showed an eternal chill. This was really different from his humble respect in front of her. He was like a puppet that could be manipulated at will, but it turned out that it hid terrible fangs.
　　During a short break in the interrogation, the eunuch brought a copper basin to wash Xu Bingbi's hands. He put his bloody hands into warm water, gently washed them, and asked calmly: "Does it still not match the evidence?"
　　The eunuch said: "There are two discrepancies."
　　Xu Xiang wiped his hands, his expression was very calm, as if he was used to it: "Twist his fingers."
　　"Yes."
　　Then he turned around, his eyes showed no reluctance at all, and a sense of coldness was revealed.
　　Meng Zhaiyue was a little stunned. She didn't know whether Xu Xiang was like this or she knew him wrongly? In the sudden increase of screams, the princess, who was only 17 years old, felt an inexplicable chill climbing up her spine. She stared at the blood dripping on the rack, one by one, from bright red to dark red.
　　"Princess." Du Yuewan offered a cup of tea.
　　Meng Zhaiyue shook her head and waved her hand, saying: "No."
　　She felt a little nauseous, and this feeling of nausea was in her throat, unable to go up or down. Only then did the princess understand the meaning of the four words "Ye Gong likes dragons" - when the "Jade-faced King of Hell" really came before her, she could not be completely attracted by his handsome appearance and ignore his cruelty.
　　Halfway through the execution, the fine silk in her hand was soaked with sweat.
　　Du Yuewan stood in front of the princess and said at the right time: "Your Highness, the queen has ordered that if you feel unwell, I will take the princess back to the mansion."
　　Meng Zhaiyue's face was pale and sweat was oozing from her forehead. Just by looking at her eyes, you can tell that she is not in good condition at the moment.
　　But she has an extraordinary stubbornness. She stretched out her hand to pull Du Yuewan aside, forcing herself, saying: "This palace wants to see him."
　　Du Yuewan had to stand beside her with her hands down.
　　In Xu Xiang's eyes, this torture was just a scene that could be seen everywhere. It was his duty and he would not show mercy.
　　But for the princess, this was the beginning of the shattering of her sweet fantasy. For a little girl who lived in honey and luxury, it was the first time that she saw through the package of a wealthy life and the first time that she saw the truth that made her feel uncomfortable in her throat in an environment where everything was readily available.
　　The princess' name was Zhaiyue, and the implication of Emperor Mingde was clear: she could even pick the moon in the sky. And Mingyue Yingying, she was the cutest Yingying in the world, a princess of a golden branch and jade leaf.
　　Before today, Meng Zhaiyue thought that Xu Xiang was the moon that she could pick at will, but at this time, she was shaken.
　　The execution was completed.
　　When Xu Bingbi finished reading the transcript and was silent, the eunuch beside him suddenly bowed and said, "Greetings to the female minister, Du Shangyi Shuan."
　　Xu Xiang turned around and saw Du Yuewan first. Just as he was about to salute, he saw the princess behind her, who was only half exposed.
　　His expression froze. Before he could speak, he saw Du Yuewan touched her lips, shook her head gently, and said to the eunuchs, clerks and others around him, "All go down."
　　Everyone agreed, and soon, they left one by one.
　　The room was empty, with only three people left. Du Yuewan stepped aside, revealing Meng Zhaiyue's figure.
　　Xu Xiang lowered his head, knelt down and saluted very respectfully, and said to the golden branches and jade leaves of the heavenly family, "I greet your highness." Meng
　　Zhaiyue's eyes were a little red. She stared at Xu Xiang, with a very confused and ignorant complex expression on her face. She lifted the hem of her skirt and walked a few steps in front of him.
　　Xu Xiang had always had a cool and clear air like cedar, but at this moment, Meng Zhaiyue could only feel the filthy and sweet smell of decaying flesh and blood lingering around him.
　　She said, "Xu Xiang..."
　　Xu Xiang said, "I'm here."
　　"You-you," the princess paused for a long time, "Have you killed many people?"
　　Xu Xiang was silent for a moment, and said truthfully, "I have killed 112 people."
　　The princess tightly grasped her handkerchief, and she said, "They all deserved to die, right?"
　　Xu Xiang seemed to understand what she meant, but still did not hide it at all, and answered very calmly, "Most of them are, there are also those who are not guilty of death, and there are also unjust killings."
　　Meng Zhaiyue's eyes widened, she couldn't believe it-how could Xu Xiang say the word "unjust killing" so calmly, wouldn't he be ashamed of it? Wouldn't he be unable to sleep at night? How could he...how could he...take it for granted?
　　She said, "You know you wronged them..."
　　Xu Xiang stopped talking.
　　Some injustices must exist. Giving up the small for the big, even a saint like the Queen Mother would not make a second choice. Those who dedicated themselves to political integrity, whether they were literati whose names would go down in history or eunuchs who would be criticized, were no longer the original idealists.
　　But the princess was.
　　Her mind was buzzing, and a huge contradiction surrounded her. Meng Zhaiyue bent down and suddenly pressed his hand tightly with her cold hand. She said to Xu Xiang: "Can you stop doing these things? This palace has taken you in, and this palace does not despise you. You don't have to do these... these dirty things in a place like this. Come back to the princess's mansion with me, and my mother will agree. My mother has said that she will not stop me--"
　　Her hands were so stiff and her palms were cold.
　　Xu Xiang did not think for too long, and Meng Zhaiyue even felt that he did not consider it at all, and there was no need to make a choice. He said: "I am humble and cannot bear the princess's favor."
　　Meng Zhaiyue looked at him in a daze.
　　All the emotions accumulated to a certain extent, tormenting her pure kindness and her innocent love.
　　Meng Zhaiyue's eyes were wet. She pursed her lips tightly with tears, and then asked him: "Do you have the fan pendant I gave you?"
　　Xu Xiang said: "How can I, a humble servant, carry the princess's things with me?"
　　He said it so easily, his voice was clear and pleasant, like a cold spring in the mountains.
　　Meng Zhaiyue's hand slowly moved away.
　　Her breathing was ups and downs, becoming more and more difficult to stabilize, and finally she said: "Xu Bingbi."
　　Xu Xiang lowered his eyebrows: "I'm here."
　　"Why don't you consider me at all?" She asked, "Abandoning my status, abandoning the world of difference you mentioned, abandoning the three cardinal guides and five constant virtues and those rules, just as a man facing a woman, am I so unworthy of consideration?"
　　When she said this, her voice was trembling.
　　Xu Xiang could hear the sobs in her throat. He thought, the legitimate princess of Dayin was right in front of him, crying non-stop.
　　If this was not Her Royal Highness the Princess, but an ordinary woman he met on the road, he might have stopped and handed her a handkerchief.
　　But this is Princess Zhaoyang, his handkerchief is beside her, not even worthy of wiping her embroidered shoes.
　　He said: "I am not a man, just a disabled person."
　　Meng Zhaiyue's face was still wet with tears, her voice was hoarse, her eyes looked at his face, and she murmured: "This palace... This palace has had a prince consort, and it is not perfect..."
　　"That's different." Xu Xiang said, "Princess, that's different."
　　"What's different!" Meng Zhaiyue half-knelt down, stretched out her hand to grab his collar, under this sudden approach, the blooming flower fragrance on her body broke through the bloody air. "Tell me, what's different?!" She was crying
　　so much, her voice was so hoarse, but he couldn't raise his eyes, couldn't look her in the eye.
　　Xu Xiang said: "This maid is really disabled. But you... just met the wrong person, Your Highness will always be perfect, and will not be flawed because of others."
　　Meng Zhaiyue slowly let go of her hand and fell to the ground.
　　She didn't care about letting the ground stain her skirt, and covered her face with her hands. The pain that surged like a flood surrounded her. Meng Zhaiyue finally got a second opinion about "chastity" from the man, and finally found the sharp weapon to pierce through injustice in the barriers of feudal concepts.
　　But this weapon pierced through herself first.
　　The princess cried in front of him, unable to control her tears. Du Yuewan, who was standing beside her, quietly approached, held Meng Zhaiyue's arm, and wiped the tears from her face.
　　Xu Xiang's hand hanging by his side moved, but finally fell back.
　　After about a moment, Meng Zhaiyue stood up with the support of Aunt Yuewan. Her eyes were red, and there was a layer of teeth marks on her lips. She only glanced at Xu Xiang, turned her head and said, "You said you don't deserve it, but you just don't want to. Xu Xiang, let me tell you, there is no such thing as worthy or unworthy in this world, only willing or unwilling." "
　　Compared with you, those corrupt scholars who talk about morality and righteousness but actually humiliate and kidnap others are incomplete. And you are complete."
　　After saying these words, Meng Zhaiyue lifted her skirt and turned away.
　　Xu Xiang finally raised his head and looked at her back.