In ancient times, the powerful and wealthy seized power step by step.

The secret chambers of the Imperial Guard prison were originally built specifically for monitoring and spying on prisoners.

Inside the secret room, one could hear the conversations of the prisoners, even their whispers could be heard clearly.

However, the people in the prison cell could not hear the sounds from inside the secret room. Even if they made a loud noise, not a sound could be heard. Therefore, Shen Xu spoke with great confidence and without any concealment.

Unlike the gloomy, damp, and terrifying prison cell, the secret room was bright and dry, furnished with a desk, tea and snacks, chairs, bookshelves, and a small couch for resting. Apart from the lack of windows, it was not much different from an ordinary person's study.

Gu Zhao and Shen Xu arrived a quarter of an hour earlier than Zhu Qingyu. Each of them sat in a grand chair like an old monk in meditation, listening to the sounds coming from the prison cell.

Shen Xu specially invited Gu Zhao today to wake his brother up, to make him see through Madam Zhu's true colors, and not to be as foolish as he was back then, unaware of his own deception.

Years have passed, but beautiful women still use the same old tricks to deceive people.

Back when he was imprisoned, he was in the exact same situation as Zhang Jingyan is now.

His fiancée first asked someone to send him medicine, and then used her connections to visit him in prison.

Shen Xu and his fiancée were betrothed by their parents, and the two had only met a few times before, so they didn't have any deep feelings for each other.

So when something happens to his family, even if she ignores him, he won't blame her.

But she was such a weak woman, yet she still cared about him at that time, and even dared to come to the imperial prison. He was so moved at the time. He thought to himself that he should not delay such a good girl, so he wrote a letter of annulment before she came.

His fiancée arrived as promised, bringing him food. After exchanging a few pleasantries, she burst into tears and begged him to call off the engagement.

She pleaded tearfully:

"Please, spare my life, okay?"

Shen Xu then realized that all her previous kindness towards him had been for a purpose, and that her elaborate efforts to visit him in prison were all for the sake of obtaining the annulment of their engagement.

Even so, Shen Xu didn't blame her at the time. Survival is a human instinct, and there's no need to be harsh on her.

If that's the case, then so be it; if that's the case, then so be it.

He had already given her a way out, so why did she have to go to such lengths to kill him? Not only did she poison the medicine he sent, but she also turned around and married the man who had wiped out the Shen family.

She treated him this way, and even when she died at his hands, she showed no remorse, daring to beg him to spare her life before she died.

"I really had no choice at the time, I was in a difficult situation."

History always repeats itself. Over the years, in the Embroidered Uniform Guard, when disaster struck, Shen Xu witnessed too much betrayal from his relatives and the ugliness of human nature.

Every time I encounter it, I feel indignant again for my foolish and naive self from back then.

With each encounter, Shen Xu grew more and more disappointed in people.

He was originally a lively person and didn't want to be alone. He wanted to have a wife and children and to have a lively home like he used to. But as time went by, he found himself surrounded by noble ladies in the capital, but he didn't trust any of them and didn't dare to marry any of them. He could only live a solitary life.

With the irrefutable evidence laid out before him, Gu Zhao sat to the side, yet sighed:

"Chongshu, you don't understand her. I actually hope she came for the divorce papers."

What does that mean? What did Gu Zhao mean by that?

Although Shen Xu was certain that Zhu Qingyu had come for the divorce papers, Gu Zhao's confident words still unconsciously fueled some unrealistic expectations in his heart. Perhaps this time, things would be different.

To Shen Xu's disappointment, Zhu Niangzi's calm voice came from the prison cell:

"OK."

Shen Xu looked at Gu Zhao, his face full of mockery:

"I don't know her? Ha, you've been fooled by her."

Before she could finish speaking, Madam Zhu's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, and she began to berate people:

"You've got some nerve these days, Master Zhang! Not only do you dare to falsify account books behind my back, but you also want a divorce! I've traveled thousands of miles just to come here and ask for a divorce! If you're so capable, then get out of prison! If you can get out, I'll divorce you eight hundred times a day, how about that?! Are you, Master Zhang, some kind of reincarnated candle spirit? Burning yourself to light up others all day long, thinking you're so great, huh? Are you sick in the head?!"

After spending so much effort and finally meeting her, all she says is that she wants a divorce.

What? Now that the divorce is over and there are no more worries, he's going to die?!

Zhu Qingyu was really angry at Zhang Shen. The more he cursed, the more excited he became, and the louder he cursed, the more uncontrollable he became.

The secret room was essentially an amplification chamber, where even whispers could be heard clearly, let alone the increasingly loud curses from Madam Zhu in her rage.

The barrage of insults, falling on the ears of the two people in the secret room, was like a thunderclap from a clear sky, crashing into their ears and making them tremble with fear, even causing the teacups on the tea table to buzz.

During this time, Zhang Shen weakly tried to defend himself:

"Qingyu, it's me."

Zhu Qingyu gave him no chance at all and roared:

"Shut up! Lie down!"

Shen Xu didn't know whether Zhang Shen had lain down or not. The furious voice slammed into his ears, almost knocking him to the ground, and the teacup in his hand nearly flew out of his hand.

Shen Xu looked at Gu Zhao in horror. Why was this young lady so fierce? What was going on?

Gu Zhao remained calm and continued:

"I told you, you don't understand her."

Just like him, he had never been fortunate enough to see her like this.

In front of him, she always pretended to be obedient and feigned gentleness. Even when forced by him to be close to him, she remained calm, composed, and quiet, as if nothing was a big deal to her, as if she didn't care what happened.

She had never been as open and passionate with him as she was with Zhang Jingyan today. Beneath that rage lay her protection and love for another man.

The other man was her rightful husband.

Gu Zhao had to admit that her sincerity and love were something he had never experienced before.

He suddenly felt a pang of regret; he really shouldn't have come today.

Even if he had never come, he could still be satisfied with her feigned affection, fantasizing that he could be with her forever, indulging in the self-deception that the fake could become the real.

But now that he has witnessed her sincere devotion to another man, how could he be content with merely having that superficial, perfunctory affection?

She said, "If I were a good match for you, how could I not be tempted?"

He was completely smitten by her words, and racked his brains these past few days, all to find a suitable match for her.

He originally thought that he wanted to marry her in a way that was equal to her social standing, and that it was for her sake.

But now he has to admit that it was more for himself than for her.

Between him and her, he needed a legitimate title more than she did in order to openly and honestly win her heart.