After the favored concubine remarried, the aloof and powerful minister forcibly took her away.

Chapter 124 Should I still praise you?
The next day, after careful consideration and discussion with his family, Brother Su replied to Pei Mingxiu.

The letter was sincere, expressing the Su family's willingness to take the risk and cooperate with Pei Mingxiu to fight against the Huang family.

After all, the Su family has been under constant pressure from the Huang family for years, and now that an opportunity to change the situation is presented to them, they don't want to miss it easily.

After receiving Brother Su's reply, Pei Mingxiu felt more confident.

He then told Brother Su about his plan.

As far as Pei Mingxiu knew, Huang Xu's recent behavior was extremely arrogant.

He seemed to have successfully landed a big deal, which made him complacent and increasingly arrogant.

It is said that once a person becomes complacent, they will inevitably neglect other things.

Pei Mingxiu had clearly seen this point, so he didn't rush to make a move, but waited for the best opportunity to deliver a fatal blow to the Huang family.

Meanwhile, Xiang Ning's days in prison were extremely difficult.

Since Lord Lin was transferred from the prison, she has often been mistreated.

In order to get revenge on Xiang Ning, Huang Xu bribed someone to suppress the case and prevent it from being tried, just so that Xiang Ning would suffer in prison first.

As night fell, the prison was completely silent.

Xiang Ning leaned against the corner of the wall, tightly gripping the short knife that Lord Lin had given her earlier.

Her blanket was also taken away by the other prisoners. At this time, her black hair was disheveled, and her face, which was originally covered with yellow mud to cover her appearance, was also stained with blood. She looked extremely disheveled.

Suddenly, a splash of cold wine came in from outside, wetting her skirt. Xiang Ning pulled her leg back slightly.

"Hey, wake up."

The dim candlelight flickered, and a constable loosened his collar, his face flushed, clearly having drunk quite a bit.

He crouched down, staring intently at Xiang Ning.

Xiang Ning smelled the strong aroma of alcohol. She glanced at the constable and met his malicious gaze and his flushed, drunken face.

"Stop fooling around, it'll be bad if someone finds out."

The other constable was much more rational. He seemed to have sensed his intention and reached out to pull the drunk constable back.

“What’s wrong with that? Young Master Huang said she won’t live, and it’s her blessing to serve me before she dies.”

The more people in front of him tried to persuade him, the more enthusiastic he became.

As he spoke, he got up, took out his key, and opened the cell door.

Xiang Ning gripped the short knife in her hand tightly, unconsciously adopting a defensive posture.

She had lost count of how long she had been in prison, but she knew Shuanglu wouldn't just leave her alone.

Pei Mingxiu would never do that, but with so much time having passed and Lord Lin being transferred, she knew that something must have happened outside.

After all, Huang Xu was so arrogant.

"Come here... Ah!"

The drunken constable staggered over and grabbed Xiang Ning by the hair, about to lift her up.

The next instant, a resolute glint flashed in Xiang Ning's eyes, and without hesitation, she plunged the short knife in her hand into the drunken constable's calf, followed by his shrill scream.

"You bitch! Are you fucking insane?"

The drunken constable, his face pale with pain, cursed angrily.

“I’m just a suspect now, but if I die here, you won’t be able to explain yourselves.”

After saying this, before the drunken constable could even sit up, Xiang Ning held a short knife to her own neck.

"Get out!"

She stood there, a gap appearing in her black hair that had been concealing her face, revealing a face more beautiful than the bright moon.

The girl's eyes were filled with coldness, and when she shouted sternly, she exuded a certain authority.

The two constables were intimidated by Xiang Ning's imposing presence and dared not make any rash moves for a moment.

After a moment, the drunken constable stood up with the help of another constable, his eyes revealing a fierce look.

"Let's go quickly, if the person really dies, we won't be able to explain ourselves." They thought they could persuade the man to stay, but the alcohol was too strong, and the drunken constable didn't care anymore.

He stepped forward and grabbed Xiang Ning's wrist. With a snap, he broke her wrist.

"what you do?!"

Xiang Ning knelt on the ground in pain. A drunken constable reached out and brushed her hair aside. After hearing another constable's question, he sneered.

"You go outside and wait. Today I'll show her that I'm not afraid of anything."

Another constable hesitated, but ultimately decided not to cause trouble, gritted his teeth, turned around and left the cell, leaving only the drunken constable and Xiang Ning in a standoff.

Despite the excruciating pain, fine beads of sweat appeared on Xiang Ning's forehead, but her eyes remained stubborn and unyielding.

She glared at the drunken constable, her heart filled with despair and anger.

The drunken constable's lustful thoughts intensified as he looked at Xiang Ning's appearance.

His face was contorted with rage as he reached out to tug at Xiang Ning's clothes, muttering filthy things like, "Today I'll show you what I'm capable of."

Xiang Ning was terrified and struggled desperately, but the sharp pain in her injured wrist made it impossible for her to exert much strength.

Her heart sank into an abyss of despair, as if she could see no hope at all.

Just then, she heard footsteps outside.

The person who came had a steady and powerful gait, each step firm and solid, as if carrying an unquestionable authority.

Upon hearing the voice, the drunken constable felt a pang of unease and turned to call out, "Who's there?"

However, his answer was a dagger that seemed to be flying through the wind.

The dagger flew like lightning, pinning his hand straight to the wall.

Intense pain instantly spread throughout his body, causing him to kneel on the ground and let out a painful scream.

"Do you regret it now?"

A familiar voice rang out; through countless days and nights, his voice, as cold as ice, was always tinged with desire.

Sending her to the top but not letting her fly far, how could Xiang Ning not recognize whose voice it was? It was Pei Yanzhi.

Her already pale face turned even paler in an instant, and she felt a mix of emotions.

"Is this the life you went through all that trouble to leave me for?"

His voice seemed to echo through the years, penetrating the walls and landing in Xiang Ning's ears.

Upon hearing this, she looked up and saw a black robe. Then, he stood at the prison gate.

How can one describe the way Pei Yanzhi looked at Xiang Ning?

The ancient well was still, as if it were a stranger.

The frost and snow of the coldest winter seemed to fall on his brows and eyes. His hand rested on the hilt of the sword at his waist as he quietly watched her.

His eyes seemed to contain countless complex emotions, making them difficult to fathom.

"You, who are you?"

Before Xiang Ning could answer, the drunken constable looked at Pei Yanzhi and asked a question.

Upon hearing his words, Pei Yanzhi didn't even spare him a glance, only coldly saying, "Are you mute?"

The authority and indifference in that tone sent chills down the spine of the drunken constable, who realized that the person before him was no ordinary man.

"Yes, even if I die, I will not go back with you."

"I am not wrong to die for what I pursue."

Xiang Ning gritted her teeth, propped herself up, and in the next instant, she picked up the dagger that had fallen to the ground.

Pei Yanzhi walked up to her in a few steps, stepped on her hand, and stopped her from moving.

He scoffed, "Am I supposed to praise you?"

"How come I only discovered its potency now?"

(End of this chapter)