The concubine was charming and alluring, and the ruthless prince coaxed her day and night.

Chapter 52 Only by going with the flow can one find a way out.

"what!!"

A pitiful scream echoed in the dark room.

Those locked in the dark room couldn't help but raise their heads and look out through the small window in the wall, but the window was too small and the world outside was too dark, so they couldn't see anything.

That's terrible. I wonder how long this one will last?

In a short time, Xu Jiaojiao's hands were covered in blood and flesh, with warm drops of blood rolling down her fair wrists, winding downwards like blood-red plants growing in reverse, which were particularly glaring in the dark room.

The pain was excruciating; Xu Jiaojiao's face turned as white as paper, her forehead was covered in beads of sweat, and her whole body trembled uncontrollably from the intense pain.

Seeing that Xu Jiaojiao was in so much pain that she was about to faint, Tian Chunhua slightly raised her hand, signaling the maid to stop.

She stepped forward, looking at Xu Jiaojiao's hands with pity: "Such beautiful hands, it would be such a pity if they were ruined like this..."

Xu Jiaojiao lay on the ground, slightly raised her head, and looked at Tian Chunhua with a mocking expression: "If you kill me, you'll be buried with me. Is it worth it for you to work so hard for your master?"

Tian Chunhua's eyelashes trembled, and her gaze subconsciously swept over the two maids standing next to Xu Jiaojiao, a bitter feeling rising in her heart.

But what can she do?

Zheng Antong said that as long as she could kill Xu Jiaojiao this time, she would find a way to save her own life and would no longer make things difficult for herself.

Although she knew Zheng Antong's words were unreliable, she had no other choice.

She let out a soft breath: "Just confess, why make things difficult for yourself?"

Xu Jiaojiao would naturally not confess to something she hadn't done. She noticed Tian Chunhua's subtle expressions and understood that Tian Chunhua had been forced into it.

She stopped arguing with Tian Chunhua, because there was no need.

Moreover, angering Tian Chunhua would only make her feel worse. All she could do now was hold on until the prince returned.

Xu Jiaojiao straightened up and said calmly, "I didn't do it, I won't confess."

Tian Chunhua frowned almost imperceptibly: "Why be so stubborn?"

Seeing that Xu Jiaojiao's hands were almost exposed to the bone, and that if she continued to squeeze them, her hands would be completely ruined, Tian Chunhua still felt a little reluctant.

She softened her tone: "The outcome is already decided. Rather than suffer endless torment, it's better to die a peaceful death, at least with dignity."

Xu Jiaojiao smiled and looked at Tian Chunhua meaningfully, as if saying to herself or to her: "If you surrender so easily before even fighting, I will die with regrets even if I go to hell."

You say my fate is sealed, but only I can decide my own destiny; no one else's opinion matters. To you, this might be a catastrophe, but you are not me, so how can you know I can't escape my current predicament?

Tian Chunhua was shaken and momentarily lost in thought.

It seems that she has always passively accepted her master's arrangements and has never resisted like Xu Jiaojiao.

So Xu Jiaojiao was able to dodge the open and hidden attacks in the inner quarters time and time again not because of good luck, nor because of Prince Chen's favor, but because she had been trying to resist.

But is resistance really useful?

With people like Zheng Antong wielding immense power, how is their resistance any different from a mayfly trying to shake a tree?

Perhaps the only way to survive is to go with the flow?

Tian Chunhua fell into self-doubt.

Seeing that she remained silent, the maid beside Xu Jiaojiao gave Tian Chunhua a warning look: "Why waste so much time talking to her? Just grab her hand and make her press her fingerprint on it, won't that be enough?"

Tian Chunhua's breath hitched, and she came to her senses.

Looking at Xu Jiaojiao's bloodied hands, she moved her lips but didn't speak.

After a moment, she looked away and laid the confession out in front of Xu Jiaojiao: "Go ahead and do it."

Upon receiving the message, the two maids grabbed Xu Jiaojiao's hands and pressed them onto the confession.

Xu Jiaojiao was already injured, so naturally she couldn't struggle against him.

As the handprints appeared on the confession, the two maids released their grip, and Tian Chunhua squatted down to pick up the confession.

Seeing the bloodstains on the confession, Tian Chunhua parted her red lips slightly: "If this isn't the end, then I wish you could have your wish fulfilled and escape alive..."

If Xu Jiaojiao can truly escape this calamity, then she will believe that fate can be fought against.

But does she still have a chance to fight back?

Xu Jiaojiao fell to the ground, giving a stubborn yet painful laugh: "Thank you for your kind words."

Tian Chunhua glanced at Xu Jiaojiao one last time before turning and leaving.

For some reason, she was more interested in seeing how Xu Jiaojiao would struggle than in trying to survive.

If she could, she hoped that Xu Jiaojiao could live. It seemed that only in this way could she see a glimmer of hope in this dark and hopeless palace.

Leaving the dark room, Tian Chunhua brought her confession to Mingkun Courtyard, where the princess had just gotten up from her nap.

Upon hearing that she had returned, the princess glanced at the water clock and said, "Tian Shi is quite fast."

Granny Wang stepped forward and handed the princess a cup of refreshing tea: "Should this old servant let her in?"

The princess took the tea, sipped it, and said, "No rush, let her wait a while."

Under the blazing sun, Tian Chunhua stood in the courtyard of Mingkun Courtyard for almost half an hour, her forehead covered in a fine layer of sweat, before Granny Wang finally called her inside.

The princess lazily raised her eyes to look at her: "What is it now?"

After bowing respectfully, Tian Chunhua presented the confession: "Your Highness, the Xu family has been summoned."

"Oh?" The princess was not very interested, but she glanced at Wang Mama as if it were a formality: "What did you confess? Let me see it."

Granny Wang took the confession and laid it out flat in front of the princess.

The first thing you see is that bloody handprint.

A hint of unusual pleasure and excitement flickered in the princess's eyes, but she quickly suppressed it.

She quickly glanced at the confession, then said calmly, "According to the rules, Xu was guilty of witchcraft and should be beaten to death. However, Xu is someone the Prince cherishes, and it would be inappropriate for me to make this decision on my own."

Hearing that the princess did not intend to punish Xu Jiaojiao, Tian Chunhua became anxious and even raised her head to look at the princess without regard for etiquette: "Your Highness, the facts are right in front of us. Even if the prince returns, he will not be able to find any fault with you."

The princess narrowed her eyes and gave Tian Chunhua a dangerous look: "Are you teaching me how to do things?"

Tian Chunhua's throat tightened, and a layer of cold sweat instantly broke out on her back: "This concubine dares not!"

The princess frowned in annoyance: "Wang Mama, Xu has been using witchcraft to harm the prince. This is an act of insubordination and disrespect. I hereby order her to be hung upside down in the garden. The prince will deal with her upon his return, as a warning to others."

Logically, if Xu Jiaojiao's witchcraft was confirmed, the princess should have ordered her to be executed. However, the princess only humiliated her by hanging her upside down, which showed that she had no intention of taking Xu Jiaojiao's life!

The princess's attitude was not like this before she went to interrogate her. How come the princess's attitude changed after she brought back the confession?

Tian Chunhua was anxious because she couldn't explain herself to Zheng Antong.

The princess glanced at her and immediately ordered her to leave: "Concubine Tian has rendered meritorious service in finding the true culprit of the witchcraft affliction. She is hereby rewarded with one hundred taels of silver and a box of gold, silver and jade artifacts."

Granny Wang chimed in, "Concubine Tian, ​​aren't you going to thank the emperor?"

Tian Chunhua frowned slightly, but there was nothing she could do to change the princess's decision.

After expressing her gratitude, she left Mingqian Courtyard in a daze. If Xu Jiaojiao is not dead, then she will be the one who dies!

Walking on the bluestone path, Tian Chunhua was troubled. Suddenly, something occurred to her, and a glimmer of hope flashed in her eyes. She then strode towards Millennium Courtyard…