With a warehouse full of supplies, I stood alone as king in this chaotic world, gun in hand.

"Xu Qinghe's kidney is the best match for His Majesty. What capital crime did he commit before?" Nangong Wu asked Bei Chenyan about this person's situation.

Upon hearing this, Bei Chenyan took out a file from a bookshelf.

"Xu Qinghe was a bandit from Ji County. He was thirty years old. Four years ago, his wife was forcibly taken by a local bully who also beat his one-year-old son to death. So, he took a knife and killed the bully. After killing him, he ran up the mountain and became a bandit."

Later, the mountain was surrounded by the imperial court, and Xu Qing was captured after being shot in the leg with an arrow.

"If we take one of his kidneys, he can still live. Why don't you talk to him?" Nangong Wu said.

"Let's talk?" Bei Chenyan understood her meaning and instructed Zhang Qing to bring Xu Qinghe up.

The three death row inmates are locked in the dungeon of the East Palace; they will be brought here soon.

Just as Zhang Qing left, Wei Yang came in to report: "Your Highness, Young Master Qi has arrived!"

"Qi Changgeng? What's he doing here?" Bei Chenyan looked up at the door.

"Oh! Your Highness, it seems you don't welcome me here!" Qi Ziyang, dressed in a silver brocade robe, stepped across the threshold and walked in, gently waving a fan in his hand.

Bei Chenyan looked up at him. "Weren't you busy with your wedding? How come you have time to come here?"

"No matter how busy I am, nothing is more important than Your Highness's affairs." Qi Ziyang cupped his hands in greeting, but when his gaze fell on Nangong Wu's face, his eyes lit up. "This is the divine physician you found? Could she be Princess Runing?"

"Young Master Qi, it's an honor to meet you!" Nangong Wu looked at Qi Ziyang's noble attire and knew he was definitely more than just a subordinate of Bei Chenyan.

Upon hearing Nangong Wu's familiar voice, Qi Ziyang's face lit up with surprise. He took a few steps to stand before her and said, "Princess Runing, it really is you."

"Hey! If you're going to talk, just talk. Why are you standing so close to people?" Bei Chenyan grabbed Qi Ziyang's hand and pulled him away.

"You stingy person, I just had a long-awaited reunion with the princess and we were just chatting." Qi Ziyang was speechless.

Nangong Wu glanced at Bei Chenyan. "Aren't you going to introduce him?"

"Qi Changgeng, courtesy name Ziyang, is the second son of the Duke of Zhenguo and also my study companion. He is currently the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review," Bei Chenyan introduced her.

Nangong Wu was slightly taken aback, not expecting Qi Ziyang to have such a strong background. "Young Master Qi is a handsome and talented young man with great potential."

Those who could serve as the Crown Prince's study companions were no ordinary people.

Not only must the candidates be exceptionally intelligent and precociously learned youths, but they must also be scions of prominent families or descendants of renowned officials, and be of upright character, knowledgeable in etiquette, and virtuous. This was also a way for the emperor to cultivate future political connections and confidants for the crown prince.

Qi Ziyang covered his lips with his fan and chuckled, "Your Highness, please don't praise me too much, or His Highness the Crown Prince will get jealous."

"Looks like you've got a lot of free time." Bei Chenyan glanced at him indifferently.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ziyang immediately put on a serious face, "How could I be idle? My injuries have just healed, and I'm busy preparing for the wedding."

Bei Chenyan picked up his teacup, took a small sip, and then asked, "So what brings you here today?"

"I came to the palace to see you because I heard that you had invited a divine doctor and what happened at the Prince Jing's residence." Qi Ziyang's gaze swept over the two of them.

He felt that what happened at Prince Jing's residence was related to them.

"We did it." Bei Chenyan didn't hide it from him.

"Well done!" Qi Ziyang quickly closed his fan. "I knew the 'thief's' style was just like Princess Runing's, and I was right."

"You can't expect anything good to come out of a dog's mouth." Bei Chenyan frowned at him. "You can leave now."

"Look! Your Highness, you value beauty over friendship. You've brought the princess here and abandoned me, your friend. We've been through thick and thin together for over a decade!" Qi Ziyang feigned heartbreak.

Just then, Zhang Qing brought Xu Qinghe up.

"Kneel down!"

Zhang Qing kicked Xu Qing in the back of the knee, and Xu Qing immediately knelt down.

Nangong Wu sized up Xu Qinghe. He was about the same height as the Emperor of Nanqi, and had a hideous scar on his face. He looked very fierce.

"What's your name?" Bei Chenyan asked.

"Don't you already know who I am? Why ask?" Xu Qinghe looked like he was ready to die.

Zhang Qing shouted, "How dare you! This is His Highness the Crown Prince! How dare you speak so disrespectfully..."

"You may all step back!" Bei Chenyan gestured for the guards to leave.

Xu Qinghe glanced at the two people seated at the head of the table. "His Highness the Crown Prince summoned me. Do with me as you see fit!"

Ever since the Crown Prince had several small tubes of blood drawn from them, the jailers suddenly treated the twenty-odd people much better, feeding them well and even letting them take a bath and change into nice clothes.

Later, the three of them were sent here, where they were given beds to sleep in and meals including fish and meat.

But he felt it was definitely not a good thing.

Bei Chenyan raised an eyebrow slightly. "I can give you a chance to live."

Xu Qinghe was taken aback, his eyes filled with doubt.

"Let me tell you the truth!" Bei Chenyan said slowly, "We want one of your kidneys, but don't worry, a person has two kidneys, and removing one kidney will not have much of an impact on the body."

"If you agree, I, the Crown Prince, can pardon your crimes and give you a sum of money to ensure you a worry-free life from now on."

"Can you really pardon me?" Xu Qinghe was still skeptical.

He has already been sentenced to death and will be beheaded next month. Even if you cut off his head now, let alone take one of his kidneys, he will still deserve his fate.

Bei Chenyan nodded, "Okay, that's a blessing from your kidney. Once your kidney is removed and you've recovered, you can leave. We'll give you a sum of money then."

"I don't want money, I only ask Your Highness to give my dead wife and children justice. I, a sinner, will die without regret." Xu Qinghe suddenly kowtowed to him.

Bei Chenyan frowned slightly. "Didn't you already kill that bully and avenge your wife and children?"

"This humble citizen only killed that beast," Xu Qinghe told him what had happened.

"The rich man's son forcibly took my wife away and even threw my one-and-a-half-year-old son to his death. When I went to the government to report the case, I was instead beaten fifty times by the county magistrate."

I was bedridden for half a month before I could get out of bed. I went to the rich man's house to demand an explanation, and they threw my wife out and gave her back to me.

My wife was beaten black and blue by them. I carried her home and found out that she was pregnant again, but that beast had made her lose the baby. The rich man's family even thought it was bad luck and forced her to work.

"My wife was taken away for half a month and tortured by them for half a month. She didn't make it through that night and died..." Xu Qinghe sobbed as he said this.

"My wife owed them nothing! Why did they treat her like this? My two children are gone just like that, I'm not having it! But I have nowhere to seek justice, so I could only kill them to avenge my wife and children. It's just a pity I couldn't kill those two old beasts!"