In the dark Imperial Prison, Ji Chenggang, the Commander of the Imperial Guard, stood outside the cell.
He wore black, standing in the corner, silent.
The couple were busy talking, neither noticing him.
It wasn't until he couldn't help but chuckle that they looked over.
The moment she saw him, Su Xiaoqi knew they weren't truly imprisoned.
No wonder her case hadn't even been reviewed by the Emperor before she was sent directly to the Imperial Prison.
It turned out they weren't there to suffer, but for convenient care.
"If you need anything, just say the word. Since you're here, there's no need to be polite."
Judging by Ji Chenggang's tone, it sounded as if his establishment wasn't the Imperial Prison but some grand estate.
Su Xiaoqi smiled and shook her head, indicating she wanted nothing.
Bringing Shen Yun to them was more than enough.
However, Shen Yun was not polite; he had a small bed brought in and even ordered a banquet from the Zui Feng Tower.
The couple spent the night in the Imperial Prison.
While they enjoyed themselves leisurely inside, those outside who didn't understand the situation were frantic.
Du Yiyi was the most agitated.
Several times, she nearly couldn't control herself and was about to storm the palace to see the Emperor.
However, she was ultimately stopped by Du Wenqian and her mother, Yu Rong.
"Don't get involved in this for now," Du Wenqian spoke to Du Yiyi with a rare serious tone.
Du Yiyi refused, crying out that Xiaoqi was her cousin and she couldn't abandon her.
They couldn't ignore it either, or she would write to their third aunt in Bei Chu.
"Nonsense, don't you know who your sister Xiaoqi is, and who your brother-in-law Shen Xuzhi is?" Du Wenqian admonished.
Du Yiyi understood. She recalled the look Su Xiaoqi had given her in the palace.
She vaguely began to grasp the situation.
Though she didn't yet know the specifics of the scheme.
But with this realization, she instantly felt a little more at ease.
"If you truly want to do something for your sister Xiaoqi, go find the Grand Princess who is close to her.
We have no influence in this matter, only the Grand Princess does." Du Wenqian offered his suggestion.
Du Yiyi took his advice and immediately rode out.
At the entrance of the Du residence, someone was already watching. Upon seeing Du Yiyi rush out of the house, someone immediately went to report.
Meanwhile, the Du mansion welcomed guests.
The butler ushered them in, and Yu Rong personally received them.
"Eldest Sister, why have you come?"
"I heard Xiaoqi was in trouble. Yesterday I didn't go to the palace, but to a temple. What exactly happened?"
Yu Wan looked anxious.
However, Mr. Gu remained quite calm, looking at Du Wenqian and saying, "Wenqian, what is the explanation for this matter?"
"It's simple to explain, yet complicated to elaborate.
But for now, it's hard to say, we have to wait for news from above." Du Wenqian said with some helplessness.
This incident was purely unexpected.
Shen Yun had not discussed this matter with them beforehand.
Even now, they weren't entirely sure if this was Shen Yun's plan or if he had truly fallen into a prison predicament.
Therefore, he couldn't explain it clearly to Mr. Gu for the moment.
"My Lord, no matter what, we must step forward." Yu Rong also wanted to save Xiaoqi.
She was even pregnant.
Yet she was confined to the Imperial Prison.
Although she hadn't been there, its reputation preceded it, and not in a good way.
She knew that those held there were mostly death row inmates.
In short, once someone went there, they either died or were imprisoned for life.
In any case, since its establishment, no one had ever emerged from the Great Liang Dynasty's Imperial Prison unscathed.
So when she learned Xiaoqi had been imprisoned, it was impossible not to worry.
Even her composure in front of Du Yiyi had been an act.
Her heart was filled with anxiety.
"Inquire for news everywhere, but be sure not to act rashly," Du Wenqian cautioned.
Mr. Gu lowered his head in thought, remaining silent.
He was silently deducing the reasons behind Shen Yun's actions.
Logically, Su Xiaoqi was implicated in the concubine and dragon fetus incident, but Shen Yun shouldn't be affected.
Following normal reasoning, it was understandable that he couldn't leave his pregnant wife unattended and chose to stay in prison with her.
But they all knew him too well.
His primary duty should have been to maintain the current situation and then find a way to clear Su Xiaoqi's name.
Instead of being imprisoned with her.
If he didn't have absolute confidence, he would never risk both their lives.
"Inquiring for news is fine, but don't act rashly," Mr. Gu stated.
Thus, the Du family and the Gu family mobilized.
The Duke of Yu's mansion was also not idle.
Yu Changfeng had been investigating the assassination attempt on Su Xiaoqi by the Ning Prince's mansion.
He had made some progress, but before he could report, this incident occurred, making him suspect more.
"Go to the Shen family and tell the in-laws not to worry, we have everything under control," the Old Madam instructed her grandson.
Yu Changfeng nodded in agreement.
He hurried to the scholar's mansion.
The interior was somewhat disordered, but not for long, as Liang Jingtang, the heir of the Xiang Prince's mansion, brought guards to maintain order.
When Yu Changfeng arrived, he was in the courtyard, helping Shen Mingzhu address the household staff.
The gist was that they shouldn't think that their masters were in trouble and take the opportunity to fish in troubled waters.
Not to mention that the charges against the Shen couple had not yet been finalized.
Even if they were truly guilty, the Shen family still had him to rely on, and they wouldn't be allowed to act presumptuously.
Liang Jingtang, usually appearing flippant,
Now that he was serious, his face was solemn, and his handsome features exuded a hint of killing intent, making people truly hesitant to make any rash moves.
This effectively quelled the unrest. Shen Mingzhu waved her hand, and everyone dispersed to their tasks.
As she turned, she saw Yu Changfeng, who had been standing there for a while.
"Second Brother Yu." Shen Mingzhu, having often accompanied Su Xiaoqi to the Duke's mansion, was very familiar with Yu Changfeng and greeted him proactively.
"We know about the situation. You don't need to worry. Continue with your work as usual; your elder brother and sister-in-law have us now."
Shen Mingzhu nodded with teary eyes.
She was both worried and touched.
Since her brother and sister-in-law had gotten into trouble, this was the tenth group of people who had come to comfort her.
She didn't know why, but those who came seemed to share her thoughts; even though her brother and sister-in-law were imprisoned,
Everyone believed they would be fine.
Of course, these two were the most thoughtful.
With their encouragement, Shen Mingzhu found the spirit to face the situation.
After a word of caution, Yu Changfeng had other matters to attend to and left for elsewhere.
Meanwhile, Liang Jingtang directly sent for Shen Zhao to be brought back and, under the guise of being his friend, stayed in the front courtyard of the Shen residence.
Before the matter of Shen Yun and Su Xiaoqi was settled, no one would be allowed to touch the Shen family.
His resolve was firm, and it indeed gave Shen Mingzhu great courage.
At this moment, it truly felt like a demon-revealing mirror.
Some stood by watching the spectacle, some offered their concern, and some even thought of kicking them while they were down.
But with Liang Jingtang present, he blocked all of it.
Shen Mingzhu looked at his tall, receding back and inexplicably felt the sense of security her elder sister-in-law had once spoken of.