Meanwhile, the master and servant in the cell had just been transferred from the Demon Suppression Division and thrown into the Kaifeng Prefecture prison.
Looking at the dim dungeon and the flickering torchlight, Wang Chen found himself unable to process the situation.
Did that murderous wretch truly just dump them here in the Kaifeng Prefecture?
On the journey here, the two of them had truly suffered immensely.
During the day, they had to stay within a step of that wretch. If they lagged behind even slightly, their stomachs would twist as if insects were gnawing at their hearts.
At night, they slept in the same place. They were not allowed to be thirsty or hungry, forced to eat only the cheapest dry crackers and cold water. Even when they needed to use the latrine, they had to beg repeatedly just to get a moment of relief.
Living like this, Wang Chen felt as though a blade was hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment. He lost his appetite, and the fear in his heart grew with each passing day.
As a scholar who had never lifted a finger for manual labor, he had now done every kind of filthy task imaginable, from feeding horses and washing clothes to cleaning nightstools.
Wang Chen naturally felt a deep sense of indignation, but he had no choice but to endure the humiliation for the sake of his future.
He was terrified that the female ghost would lose her mind one day and rip out his heart to go with her wine. At that time, Nan Zhi would probably even clap and cheer!
It was a pity for his hands, which were meant for holding brushes and grinding ink, to now be serving this butcher's daughter!
At this thought, a hint of ruthlessness inevitably appeared on Wang Chen's face.
Now that he was away from that murderous wretch, things would be easier.
Once he was free, he would immediately send a letter to his father in law. Once he had that butcher's family under his thumb, he would no longer have to fear whatever nonsense this butcher's daughter might say!
With this in mind, he suddenly stood up, straightened his tattered clothes, and shouted toward the outside.
“Someone! Guard! I want to see your superior! I am a scholar of the current dynasty. According to the law, I should not be thrown into prison! You have confusedly locked me up here. Is this not a betrayal of the heavenly grace and a slight against the words of the Emperor?”
...
Outside, the jailers were drinking and eating meat.
In all these years, they had only seen the Demon Suppression Division snatch people away from the Kaifeng Prefecture. They had never seen them voluntarily send a prisoner over.
With nothing to do in the prison, the jailers took advantage of the free time to sit at the bottom of the cells, eating meat, drinking, and chatting.
Drinking was technically forbidden while on duty, but the prison was damp and cold. Over the years, their legs and arms could not take it, so the superiors turned a blind eye.
In any case, the head jailer was watching. A single pot of wine was shared among a dozen men. Forget getting drunk; they could barely moisten their lips.
Though it was not good wine—just cheap stuff that cost a few coins a pot—when eaten with dried tofu and peanuts, the taste was truly wonderful!
As they were enjoying themselves, the head jailer suddenly pointed at the Wang master and servant.
“Hey, tell me, if you live long enough, you really do see everything!”
“In the past, we only saw the Demon Suppression Division snatching cases from our Kaifeng Prefecture. When have we ever seen them sending a criminal to our cells?”
“Hah! The Demon Suppression Division is not that kind. In my view, it is likely a case that is too easy to offend someone, so they hurried to dump it on our Kaifeng Prefecture.”
“Everyone in Bianjing knows that there is no case our Lord Bao dares not handle! Come, drink, drink!”
The head jailer glanced at the jailer who spoke and snorted coldly.
“Offend someone? Is there anyone the Demon Suppression Division dares not offend?”
“Do you not know? Last month, Little State Uncle Cao was harassing a woman on the street. Who would have thought he would run into a demon suppressor from the Demon Suppression Division? He was nearly whipped to death!”
“Who is Little State Uncle Cao? He is the biological younger brother of Her Majesty the Empress and the second younger brother of State Uncle Cao!”
“Her Majesty the Empress currently oversees the Feiluan Pavilion, and State Uncle Cao holds the Demon Suppression Division as the Arrest General!”
“Yet a mere demon suppressor dared to whip Little State Uncle Cao. After the whipping, State Uncle Cao even promoted that demon suppressor!”
“Tell me, is there anyone in this world a demon suppressor dares not provoke, or any case they dare not handle?”
In the city of Bianjing, there were two great profligates. One was Little State Uncle Cao, the youngest brother of the current Empress, and the other was Pang Yu, the youngest son of Grand Preceptor Pang and the Marquis of Anle.
Because of their similar family backgrounds and being born into wealth, these two were constantly competing in secret. They would fight over who was wealthier or more powerful.
If one spent a hundred thousand strings of cash to hire a songstress, the other would wave his hand and book the entire Fan Tower for a grand feast.
In short, they were two of a kind who frequently troubled the people of Bianjing. It was said that over a dozen petitions impeaching these two brothers in law reached the Emperor in a single day.
However, the Emperor had a gentle nature and doted on them. He would only give them a light scolding, and no one dared to press the matter further.
Whipping Little State Uncle Cao in public, and the demon suppressor was not punished but promoted instead?
The Demon Suppression Division truly had some influence.
The crowd could not help but agree, and they began to speculate on what crime the Wang master and servant had committed to provoke the Demon Suppression Division and be sent to the Kaifeng Prefecture.
They had barely spoken a few words when they saw Wang Chen leaning against the cell door, shouting loudly.
“...According to the law, I should not be thrown into prison! You have confusedly locked me up here. Is this not a betrayal of the heavenly grace and a slight against the words of the Emperor?”
The group was stunned for a moment. Then, they looked at each other, and seeing Wang Chen's tattered, raglike clothes, they burst into laughter simultaneously.
“Hahahaha, a scholar? With your wretched appearance, you dare to call yourself a scholar?”
“Hahaha, then I might as well say I am the God of Literature descended to earth!”
“Look at him, dressed like a destitute beggar, and he dares to claim he is a scholar. Why do you not just say you are a first rank official of the court?”
“This man must be scared out of his wits to be talking such nonsense!”
The head jailer chewed on a piece of duck meat and said cheerfully:
“Come, come. You say you are a scholar, so 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.
Wang Chen had been forcibly brought here by Nan Zhi. How could he have anything to prove his identity?
“I am absolutely a scholar! I am a native of Dingyuan, with ancestral roots in Shanyin. Lord Qi of the Northwest Circuit Bureau of Military Affairs is my wife's very own first cousin!”
But he refused to give up and pointed urgently at the cheap wine on the table.
“Do you know the Immortal Brew that is worth a thousand gold? That is the fine wine produced by my Wang Family Distillery! My family also has a distillery in Bianjing. You can go there yourself and ask the manager!”
“If that is not enough, please send a message for me to the manager of the Wang Family Distillery. Tell them to quickly write home and find someone to save me!”
“Once it is done, there will be a heavy reward. At that time, whatever fine wine you all wish to drink, my Wang family will provide it all!”
These words made the head jailer feel half convinced. Seeing how certain this man was and how he provided so many details.
Moreover, everyone in Bianjing knew the name of the Immortal Brew. The man's words did not sound like a lie.
Just as he was about to speak, he saw a tall imperial guard standing at the door, his red official uniform striking to the eye.
“Guard...”
The head jailer was about to call out, but Zhan Zhao shook his head and made a gesture.
That was right!
If what this man said was true and he really was a scholar, then it would be problematic whether they released him or kept him.
If the matter was investigated later, the high ranking officials would be fine, but lower officials like them would be the ones held responsible.
It was better to play dumb until things were clear. At most, they could apologize later.
“What scholar! What scholar! Get back there and keep dreaming your daylight dreams!”
“If you are a scholar, then I am the Prime Minister! Watch him closely. If he makes any more noise, gag him!”
The head jailer caught the hint immediately and shouted loudly.
“Forget a message, not a single word is allowed to leave this place! If you do not want to lose these uniforms, do not say I did not warn you!”
“Alright, you guys keep drinking. I am going out to take a leak!”
With that, the head jailer slipped away. He turned the corner at the end of the path and indeed saw the smiling Zhan Zhao.
Rate on N.U.
