After Ying Yan Long looked at her one more time, he turned around and walked towards the main entrance without a backward glance.

Along the way, in a low voice, Ying Yan Long told Steward Zhu the people he is to contact in the palace, the place where the valuable life-saving medicines were hidden and also instructed him to continue the investigation on the matters of Luo Ji Cai.  Then he said. 

“When I am not in the Mansion, the opinion of Hua Dangjia will represent my opinion.  But before the reason for me to enter the palace is clear, you should only let the people outside know that Hua Dangjia is staying in the Ying Mansion to recuperate.  Don’t let this matter get her involved......”

When Ying Yan Long finished speaking, he silently sighed in his heart and he had already reached the main entrance. 

There were about ten imperial guards at the door and they were all standing straight, facing the door with solemn faces. 

After Ying Yan Long nodded at the Deputy General, he said.  “I have troubled everyone.”

Deputy General Ji nodded and said.  “Ying Dangjia, this way please.”

Ying Yan Long walked up the black carriage that was at the side and when the carriage started to move, he took a long breath with his brows still knotted.

He knew he had not done anything wrong but in the imperial court, one can be accused of a crime with just a simple word.  He only hoped big matters become small and small matters become irrelevant so that he can return home safely to reunite with his family as soon as possible.

***#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#*#***

Three days later, Ying Yan Long who was in prison understood for the first time the meaning of the saying........it is better to be dead than to be alive!

But........he wants to live!

Because Hua Ming Zi and his family are still waiting for his return and before he had taken his revenge on Luo Ji Cai, he is imprisoned.  Even if he dies, he will not be willing........

Under cruel torture, he would always look forward to the time when he falls into unconsciousness.  At least during the time he is unconscious, he would get a temporary reprieve from the tortures........even though the time is always very short. 

Because the pain was like pushing the sky, overturning the sea which makes one wide awake!

(Pushing the sky, overturning the sea should actually read as pushing the mountain, overturning the sea.  Maybe the author wanted to give it a more dramatic effect so the word ‘sky’ was used instead of ‘mountain’.  It describes something as very extreme and strong which one is unable to resist.)

At this time, it was not known how many times Ying Yan Long had lost unconsciousness and when he woke up, he opened his eyes slightly.  There was no sound in the surroundings therefore, it indicated the interrogator had left. 

Even so, he still shrunk his body because he was not accustomed to the biting icy coldness of the palace prison and his teeth chattered uncontrollably.  Originally, his face was very majestic looking but because he was undergoing interrogation and torture, his meal of thin watery porridge was only given once a day.  His face had long thinned down and his pair of eyes had lost its luster.

In the palace prison, the punishment methods used did not harm the skin texture which was even more unbearable. 

What does it mean when skin texture is not damaged?  Every time when they interrogated him, the eunuch who knows how to use poison needles would insert them into several large veins in his body.  With that kind of bloodless method, the extreme pain he felt was like his internal organs were being crushed into bits.  It felt so painful that he almost bit off his tongue and he had even thrown up blood yesterday before passing out.

He woke up again because the eunuch poured a basin of water on him before leaving, saying that he wanted him to feel again the pain.  The eunuch also said that today, he would be back to give him another acupuncture treatment which could destroy his internal organs.  He told Ying Yan Long to confess quickly so that he would suffer less.  Today, when the long needles were inserted, his body had gone into spasms and he fainted. 

But what is it that they wanted him to confess?  The reason why he was imprisoned was due to his inappropriate conduct and he had molested Concubine Xu.

He had not done anything.  Why do they want him to admit that he had taken advantage of a moonless night of high winds* to enter Concubine Xu’s chamber and then he had turned down the light to make inappropriate moves on her? 

(Moonless night of high winds means a dark night with a sinister atmosphere suitable for criminal activities.)

Moreover, how could there be such a coincidence in this world?  The night he behaved inappropriately, there was no doctor nor were there any guards with him.  There was also no one in Concubine Xu’s chamber either and it just so happened that he had also left behind a medicine sachet embroidered with the word ‘Ying’.

Out of his calculated expectation, Luo Ji Cai had used the medicine sachet he stole from Ying Mansion as evidence to frame him.  Setting Luo Ji Cai aside, what is Concubine Xu’s intention?  She had framed him and if the Emperor detested her for being involved with other men and no longer favors her, then is she not harming others and at the same time, harming herself?  Then why is she taking such a risk? 

Thinking about this, it can only be assumed that Luo Ji Cai had incited her. 

In this way, it led him to think of another clue in the investigation he had carried out.  Among Luo Ji Cai’s friends of wine and meat, some had confidently said that Luo Ji Cai had once boasted that he was intimate with Concubine Xu.  The concubine who committed adultery with Luo Ji Cai should be about to be exposed.  He wondered how much the investigation on Luo Ji Cai selling off the Emperor’s gifts and Prime Minister Luo’s conspiracy had progressed.

Hateful!  In the first place, he should not have taken everything upon himself.  At least, he should have let Xue Wen or Hua Ming Zi know about some of the matters.  Ying Yan Long tightened his eyes and tried to think a bit more but his weak body could not respond to him and his eyelids slowly drooped........

“Mealtime!”

A loud shout from the wooden bars floated over.  Ying Yan Long forced his eyes to open and saw a young eunuch kicking the wooden bars*. 

(In ancient times, the prison cells are formed with wooden bars on three sides and a wall.)

“Why are you still there?  Hurry, come over and take your food!”

When Ying Yan Long heard him, immediately he used all his strength to crawl over to the door.  Previously, the eunuch had thrown down the food and walked away.  This time, why did the eunuch called him to pick up his food?........  The eunuch may be one of his people.

(One of his people here does not actually mean his own people but people who work for the ministers or dignitaries who are on his side.)

“Why are you calling him?!  Just throw down the rice!  Do you think he is still the Ying Dangjia who can call the wind and summon the rain?!”  The prison guard who was responsible for guarding the palace prison shouted a few steps away.

“Are you still not holding out your hand to take the food?!  Do you want me to feed you?”  The eunuch shouted again.

Ying Yan Long saw the eunuch gave him a wink, immediately he took over the bowl of clear porridge and a black flat pill fell from the eunuch’s sleeve directly into the clear porridge.

After the eunuch and Ying Yan Long exchanged a glance, the eunuch turned around and left without any expression.

Before moving back further into the prison cell, holding the bowl of clear porridge, Ying Yan Long lifted his head to drink up the porridge and the medicine lest an accident occurs.  When the medicine reached his throat, he tasted the special light hot taste and felt it spread inside him.  It was the “Baicao Jiu’ Pill, a medicine from the Ying Medical Halls which could counter ordinary poison. 

Before the eunuch could enter to deliver the meals, it was necessary for him to go through a body search.  Fortunately, the medicine was of similar color with the embroidered pattern on the eunuch’s clothes, therefore the medicine was camouflaged as the pattern on his clothes and he was able to bring it in.

If it is possible to deliver medicine to him, so it means the situation outside is now properly controlled.  Hua Ming Zi and Steward Zhu should have done everything.  It is just that it is very exhausting for her since she is not completely healed yet and she has to take responsibility for all this. 

Fate makes fun of people.......he thought he would protect her but who knew.......

Ai........

After drinking the bowl of porridge, he lay back on the ground and thought about what he might encounter in the future.

He had been in the palace for three days but the Emperor had refused to see him.  Either something must have happened to Mei Yi Wen or he is no longer alive.  The Emperor must be angry with the Ying Medical Halls or he is so sad that he is not in the mood to care for anyone, so he handed him over to other people.

As the Emperor had still yet to select his Empress, the harem was naturally under the control of Luo Ji Cai’s sister.  So it was not surprising that he was given this treatment.

However, not everything is without a chance for a turnaround.  If the Emperor is to give the ‘Baifan’ Pill to Mei Yi Wen, he can at least be able to stay alive for a while longer and perhaps he will be able to live until the next Baifan Pill comes out next year.  As long as Mei Yi Wen stays alive, he will have a chance to live.

At this point, Ying Yan Long suddenly felt relieved.

Because the procedures for the production of Baifan Pill are extremely complicated.  Except for a 70-year-old elderly Herbalist, only he knows the process.  If the Emperor wants to keep Mei Yi Wen alive, then the Emperor must keep him alive as well........

Now is the time to see whether the Emperor will come to his senses first or if he can stay alive in the palace prison longer.

He felt very regretful now.  At that time, he was afraid that Hua Ming Zi would be troubled and he was afraid Xue Wen would gossip, bungling up the matter, so he did not mention anything about him investigating Luo Ji Cai and did not explain the matter to them.  For him to be trapped in the palace prison, it must have something to do with Luo Ji Cai.  He did not know when Hua Ming Zi receives the news from Steward Zhu, would she be able to connect up all the clues in the shortest time possible and get him out of prison to teach Luo Ji Cai a lesson that he deserves..........

He could only blame himself for being too conceited and only thought that he could perform well.  Like a tiger that had fallen into the plains*, he could only wait to be rescued by others.......

(The actual words should be ‘tiger falls in flat land’ means the powerful losing power.  It describes a tiger whose natural habitat is the mountains so he is powerful in the mountains but once on flat land, the tiger will be powerless and is easily caught by hunters.)

“You’ve eaten, so it seems you have the strength to speak the truth......”

Behind him, the stern voice made Ying Yan Long jumped up.  He stiffened his body and listened as the chain was released to open the door.  His face turned pale and waited for the next wave of ‘better to be dead than to be alive’ interrogation.