Meanwhile, the master and servant pair in the cell had just been brought over from the Demon Suppression Division yamen, only to be thrown into the Kaifeng Prefecture jail.
Looking at the dim dungeon and the flickering torchlight, Wang Chen could hardly process what had happened.
Did that murderous woman truly just discard them at Kaifeng Prefecture like this?
On the journey here, the two of them had suffered endless agony.
By day, they had to stay right at the killer's heels; lagging even a step behind brought agonizing abdominal pain, as if insects were gnawing at their hearts and livers.
At night, they slept together in the open. Leave aside being hungry or thirsty—with only the cheapest dry cakes and cold water to consume—even when nature called and they needed the latrine, they had to beg repeatedly just to get a moment's reprieve.
Living such days, Wang Chen felt as though a blade hung over his head, ready to drop at any second. Food lost all flavor, and the terror in his heart grew deeper with each passing day.
As a scholar of refined learning who had never lifted a finger for manual work, he had now been forced to perform every kind of filthy chore—feeding horses, washing clothes, and emptying nightstools.
Wang Chen naturally felt burning indignation, yet he had no choice but to swallow the humiliation and endure.
—He feared that if he pushed her too far, that female demon would fly into a frenzy, gouge out his heart and liver to eat with her wine, and Nan Zhi might even clap her hands and cheer!
What a pity for his hands, meant only for holding brushes and grinding ink, to now be forced to serve a butcher's daughter!
At this thought, a hint of ruthlessness crossed Wang Chen's face.
Now that he was away from that murderous devil, things would be much easier.
Once he freed himself, he would immediately write a letter to his father-in-law to grab control of that butcher's family first. Then he wouldn't have to fear this butcher's daughter spouting any more nonsense!
At this thought, he suddenly stood up, tidied his tattered clothes, and yelled toward the outside:
“Someone come! Someone come! I want to see your superior officer! I am a scholar of this dynasty, and by law, scholars are exempt from imprisonment! That you blindly lock me up here—are you not betraying imperial grace and spurning the words of the Emperor himself?!”
...
Outside, a group of jailers was drinking wine and eating meat.
In all these years, they had only ever seen the Demon Suppression Division snatch prisoners from Kaifeng Prefecture's hands. They had never seen those people eagerly send prisoners over.
With nothing to do in the jail, a few off-duty jailers sat at the bottom of the dungeon drinking and eating meat, chatting as they indulged.
Drinking on duty was strictly forbidden, but the dungeon was cold and damp, and year after year, it took a heavy toll on their limbs. Thus, their superiors turned a blind eye to it.
—Besides, with the head jailer watching, sharing a single pot among more than a dozen men was hardly enough to get drunk; it barely moistened their lips.
Though it was no fine liquor—just cheap booze costing three to five copper coins a pot—chewing on dried tofu and peanuts alongside it made the flavor wonderfully satisfying!
Right in the high spirit of their drinking, the head jailer suddenly pointed at the master and servant from the Wang family and spoke:
“Aiya, you see, if a man lives long enough, he really encounters all sorts of strange things! In the past, we've only seen the Demon Suppression Division snatch cases from our Kaifeng Prefecture. When have we ever seen them send convicts to our jail!”
“Hah! How could the Demon Suppression Division be so kind-hearted? If you ask me, eight or nine out of ten it's a case bound to offend important people, which is why they rushed to throw it into our Kaifeng Prefecture—everyone in Bianjing knows that there's no case our Lord Bao doesn't dare handle! Come, come, drink, drink!”
The head jailer glanced at the speaking jailer and let out a cold snort:
“Offend people? Is there anyone the Demon Suppression Division doesn't dare offend? Don't you know? Last month, Little State Uncle Cao publicly harassed a common woman on the street, only to run right into a demon suppressor from the Demon Suppression Division. He was nearly whipped to death! Who is Little State Uncle Cao? He is the uterine brother of Her Majesty the Empress, and the second younger brother of State Uncle Cao! Her Majesty the Empress currently oversees Feiluan Pavilion, while State Uncle Cao holds authority over the Demon Suppression Division as Arrest General! Yet any ordinary demon suppressor dared to lash Little State Uncle Cao with a whip, and after the whipping, State Uncle Cao actually promoted that demon suppressor! Tell me, is there anyone in this world a demon suppressor wouldn't dare provoke, or any case they wouldn't dare take on?”
—The two major playboys in Bianjing were Little State Uncle Cao, the youngest brother of Her Majesty the Empress, and Pang Yu, the Marquis of Anle, who was the youngest son of Grand Preceptor Pang.
Because of their similar backgrounds and noble origins, the two secretly competed with each other in flaunting wealth and influence.
If one spent one hundred thousand strings of cash to book a singing girl, the other would wave his hand and rent out Fan Tower to throw a lavish banquet.
In short, they were birds of a feather, causing no end of misery to the people of Bianjing on ordinary days. It was said that a dozen memorials impeaching the Emperor's two brothers-in-law were submitted every single day.
However, the Emperor possessed a mild temperament and doted on both of them, contenting himself with mild reprimands whenever the matter arose, preventing anyone from pursuing it further.
Whipping Little State Uncle Cao in public streets, yet that demon suppressor was not punished and was even promoted instead?
The Demon Suppression Division truly possessed formidable clout.
The crowd could not help agreeing, and they began speculating on what crime Wang Chen and his servant had committed to provoke the Demon Suppression Division and end up being sent to Kaifeng Prefecture.
They had barely exchanged a few words when they saw Wang Chen leaning against the cell door, shouting at the top of his lungs:
“...By law, scholars are exempt from imprisonment! That you blindly lock me up here—are you not betraying imperial grace and spurning the words of the Emperor himself?!”
The group froze for a moment, then looked at one another. Taking in Wang Chen's rag-like, tattered clothes, they all burst out laughing in unison:
“Hahaha! A scholar? A wretched figure like you dares to say he's a scholar?!”
“Hahaha, then I might as well say I'm the God of Literature descended from Heaven!”
“Look at him, dressed like a destitute vagrant, claiming to be a scholar! Why don't you claim to be a first-rank high official of the court while you're at it?!”
“This fellow must have gone mad from fright to spout such nonsense!”
Chewing on the duck meat in his mouth, the head jailer chuckled merrily:
“Come, come, come! You say you're a scholar—where is your travel permit? Where is your household registry? And where is the entry permit you used to enter Bianjing?”
—Naturally, he had none of these.
Wang Chen had been forcibly bound and brought here by Nan Zhi in the first place, so how could he possess anything to prove his identity?
“I am a genuine, undeniable scholar! I am a native of Dingyuan, with my ancestral home in Shanyin, and Lord Qi of the Northwest Circuit Bureau of Military Affairs is my wife's direct blood cousin!
Do you know the 'Immortal Brew' that cannot be bought even for a thousand pieces of gold?! That fine wine is produced by my Wang Family Distillery! My Wang family also has a distillery here in Bianjing—go ask the manager there yourself!
If that won't do, I beg you to pass a message to the manager of the Wang Family Distillery, telling them to send word home immediately and find people to rescue me!
Once it's done, there will be a generous reward! Whatever amount of fine wine you wish to drink, my Wang family will present it all to you!”
Hearing this, the head jailer felt half-skeptical and half-convinced, seeing how confidently the man spoke and how many specific details he provided.
Moreover, everyone in Bianjing knew the famous name of "Immortal Brew," so the man's words did not sound like a lie.
Just as he was about to speak, he caught sight of an upright imperial guard standing at the doorway, clad in an eye-catchingly bright red official uniform.
“Guard Zhan...”
Just as the head jailer was about to greet him, Zhan Zhao shook his head at him and made a hand signal.
Right!
If what this man said was true and he really was a scholar, keeping him or releasing him would both prove troublesome.
—If this were investigated later, the superiors would suffer no harm, but lower officials like them would be implicated.
It was better to feign ignorance while knowing the truth, and after everything was investigated clearly, at worst they could just offer an apology.
“What scholar?! What scholar?! Get back in there and keep dreaming your daydream!
If you say you're a scholar, then I'm the Prime Minister! Keep a close eye on them! If he makes any more noise, gag him!”
The head jailer instantly caught on and shouted at the top of his voice:
“Not just messages—not a single word is allowed to leak out! If you don't want to lose these uniforms, don't say I didn't warn you guys!
Alright, you boys keep drinking, I'm going outside to take a leak!”
With that, the head jailer slipped away quickly, turning the corner at the end of the stairs, where he indeed saw Zhan Zhao standing with a smile in his eyes.
Rate on N.U.
