When Meng Nanzhou emerged from the cell, he felt as though the osmanthus fragrance of this year was tainted with the moldy stench of rotting leaves. He dragged his heavy steps forward; his ankles were rubbed raw by the shackles, leaving not a patch of unbroken skin. The coarse cloth tunic on his back was a handout from the jailer, and the straw sandals on his feet had worn through, exposing his frost-blue toes.
The autumn prison felt as cold as the depths of winter. In just a few short days, it had transformed him from a dashing young gentleman into a haggard prisoner reduced to skin and bones.
Yet none of this compared to the agony in his heart. The imperial examination cheating scandal had ruined not only his own future, but the entire destiny of the Meng family.
Chapter 202