GBP Chapter 479 Two Cellmates
Chapter 479 Two Cellmates
In the dim cell, Ji Anni raised her eyes tiredly. The weak light squeezed into her eyes, causing a slight stinging sensation in her eyeballs. Fortunately, she was imprisoned in the cell of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, not in the dungeon. The dungeon was pitch dark and damp. However, there was always some light coming through the skylight, letting Ji Anni know that it was already dawn.
Last night was particularly long. Tormented by pain and despair, even if she closed her eyes, she was always tortured by various thoughts and could not fall asleep. Yun Zhen's departure became an unsolvable knot in her heart, as if it tightly entangled her internal organs and made her whole body numb with pain.
The morning sun fell into the dungeon. Ji Anni looked at the spots of light on the ground, her mind was blank. Although it was blank, various images kept flashing in her mind. She recalled the first time she came to this era and met Yun Zhen. That beautiful silver-haired man, his smile and every move, instantly captured Ji Anni's heart. She had to believe that it was love at first sight.
Yun Zhen is Ji Anni's only support in this era. It seems that as long as Yun Zhen is there, there is hope no matter what she does. But now even he has disappeared. Not only does she suddenly feel that the hope of returning home is almost slim to zero, but even her own life and the meaning of survival have become confused. Ji Anni can give up returning to her original world for Yun Zhen, but this awareness is shattered because of Yun Zhen's departure. Yun Zhen is the reason why she stays in this world, and now even this reason has disappeared, as if the road ahead is shrouded in fog, and she can't see clearly, and dare not take any step in any direction.
But even though she was depressed, Ji Anni knew that she had a new responsibility. That was what she promised Xue Lan, to build a new society. People would no longer hurt monsters, monsters would no longer hurt people, and people and monsters could live together in peace and harmony. Although she had promised Xue Lan and persuaded her to give her power to her so that she could be reborn, she didn't know how to start. Especially now that there was no one to teach her or discuss things with her and she was isolated and helpless, Ji Anni felt that no matter what she did, she would not be able to succeed.
As all these thoughts surged, Ji Anni fell asleep and woke up from time to time, spending endless days, nights, days, nights, days, nights in a daze... For three whole days, she didn't eat anything, nor did she move an inch. She curled up in the corner like a corpse, letting her thoughts tangle and the pain pierce her heart. Before she knew it, it was already the fourth day.
It was still early in the morning when the light was still coming through the skylight. Ji Anni heard footsteps coming from the direction of the prison gate. It seemed that a guard was escorting a woman. When she heard the sound before, it was mostly Shui Furong, Tian Ning and other people who wanted to visit the prison, but they were all blocked outside the prison gate without exception, and no one could walk down the corridor. But now, the footsteps were getting closer and closer.
Although she couldn't see the person coming, Ji Anni could vaguely sense a familiar aura. She struggled to open her eyes and tried her best to focus. After a while, a figure passed by her. The figure was also wearing a white prison uniform, with disheveled hair and a somewhat embarrassed look. His bare feet covered in mud slowly walked under Ji Anni's eyes - it was Huarong.
Ji Anni opened her eyes wide instantly, and her chaotic consciousness immediately recovered 80%. But she had not eaten for three days, so she had no strength to stand up. She just opened her eyes as wide as possible and watched Hua Rong walk past the prison door separated by iron bars. When she walked to the middle of the prison door, Hua Rong suddenly turned around and glanced at Ji Anni in the corner.
The moment their eyes met, Ji Anni could read a hint of deep meaning in Hua Rong's eyes, which made her suddenly realize: Hua Rong was locked up on purpose, what on earth did she want to do? Even Princess Tianning, Shui Furong, and Concubine Gan could not enter the prison, but Hua Rong did.
Only she could come in because she used a method that ordinary people did not dare to use - she did not come to visit the prison, but was imprisoned together with him.
What a brave girl, she still does things by any means necessary, and dares to use unconventional methods, even if it means self-harm. Ji Anni smiled tiredly in her heart. With the addition of another cellmate, her mood became more complicated. If she were like Huarong, maybe her fate would be different. Huarong became strong only after losing all her family members, so what about me? After dying once and losing everything, can I become like her?
There was a clang from the cell next door, and then Hua Rong could be heard walking into the prison. After the guard roughly locked the cell door, he yelled "Be quiet" and left. He ran very fast when he passed by Ji Anni's cell door, as if he was very afraid that Ji Anni, the monster, would suddenly jump up and eat him in one bite.
After the footsteps faded away, Ji Anni slowly crawled to the wall near Hua Rong, knocked on the wall gently, and asked, "Hua Rong?"
Hua Rong responded, "My Lady."
Ji Anni asked in a weak voice, "Why were you locked up?"
Hua Rong said, "When I was helping my aunts clean the Renhe Hall this morning, I accidentally broke a teacup that my ancestor liked. I refused to admit my mistake and had an argument with my aunts, so they sent me to the Imperial Household Department. I was convicted by the doctor from the Criminal Department of the Imperial Household Department, so I was locked up. By the way, this teacup is something that is destined for your Majesty. Do you remember that when you first entered the palace, the princess taught you etiquette?" Hua Rong did not show any grief over being imprisoned. Instead, she reminisced about the past with Ji Anni in a relaxed tone.
After hearing Hua Rong's words, Ji Anni suddenly remembered that when she first came to this world and was learning etiquette in Renhe Hall, Princess Tianning always came to find fault. At that time, the princess asked her to kneel down with a teacup full of hot water, and asked Hua Rong to add water beside her. It turned out to be that cup. Although it was a period of suffering, I miss it a little when I think about it now. At that time, those people, those things... Now thinking about it, it is already very far away.
With Huarong's cautious character, she would never break it rashly. She must have other intentions by doing this. Ji Anni, who had gradually figured out Huarong's character, immediately guessed her thoughts and asked, "You did this to come in and see me, right?"
Hua Rong did not comment and changed the topic to another direction: "Does your Majesty remember the eunuch Chang from the Ministry of Internal Affairs? He was a close friend of my father and took good care of me even after my father passed away. I don't think I mentioned his identity to your Majesty, but he is actually the doctor of the Criminal Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the one who sentenced me to prison."
When Yun Zhen was taken to the execution ground because of his affair with Concubine Baogui, Hua Rong took Ji Anni to ask the eunuch Chang of the Ministry of Internal Affairs for news about Yun Zhen. So that's how it is. If he is the doctor of the Fourth Criminal Division, he must know everything about the prisoner. Ji Anni suddenly remembered the eunuch Chang. Although she had only met him once, he left a deep impression on her. Compared with other eunuchs, his back was always straight, so Ji Anni felt that his position should not be low.
At this time, Hua Rong continued, "I begged him in advance, and then deliberately broke the teacup and quarreled with my aunt, so that he locked me up here. The reason was just as the queen expected. I just wanted to see the queen and talk to her."
Ji Anni smiled softly, her smile was extremely haggard. She asked in a weak voice: "Why do you want to see me? What else do you want to say? Do you still think I can become the queen now?" Ji Anni has not forgotten Hua Rong's betrayal. It was Hua Rong who handed Ji Anni, who had turned into a fox, to General Kang Qingyuan for disposal. If Xiaoxue had not brought Zhuang Xiaomeng and Changsun Mingri to rescue her, I am afraid Ji Anni would have died in the hands of the general.
Ji Anni has always been unable to guess whether Hua Rong is a friend or an enemy. At first, she came to her side to help her become the queen and then destroy the An family. But later, too many things happened. Ji Anni felt that Hua Rong had changed her mind a long time ago, but why did she always appear when she was vulnerable? Ji Anni once thought that she could be friends with her, but after seeing that she could hand herself over to the general without hesitation, she felt childish.
"Your Highness, the Queen Mother has passed away. The An family's power is no longer what it used to be. It is in a precarious state. You have been locked up here for three days. You probably don't know how terrible the flood outside is. Even the Sifang Hall where maps are stored and the Leshou Hall where birthday banquets are held in the palace have collapsed into ruins. Moreover... the ancestral hall near the Renhe Hall has also had its roof damaged by the heavy rain. If the heavy rain doesn't stop, it will probably collapse in a few days. The collapse of the hall is a big deal... If we really want to investigate, the first to bear the brunt is probably the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Because the renovation of the hall last year was all handled by the Ministry of Internal Affairs."
At this point, there was a hint of abnormal smile in Hua Rong's voice, as if she was very much looking forward to the mourning hall being destroyed by heavy rain and floods as soon as possible.
"Huarong, what do you want to say?" Ji Anni felt a chill in her heart.
Hua Rong said: "The palaces collapsed everywhere, of course, not only because of natural disasters, but also because of man-made disasters. The head of the Internal Affairs Department is the Queen Mother's brother An Chenghuan, who accepted bribes and embezzled money. Most of the things he arranged were against his conscience. This is an open secret in everyone's mind. But he is in a high position and no one dares to touch him. If the mourning hall had not been renovated by him, I am afraid it would not have been able to withstand this rainstorm. Now is an opportunity given to us by God. Eunuch Chang has already collected evidence of his corruption. As long as the emperor seriously investigates it, he will definitely lose his official hat..."