Love Affairs in Chang'an - Chapter 206

Chapter 206 Water Ghost Prison
“What are you shouting about, what are you shouting about? You think you’re in your own backyard!” The two jailers rushed in aggressively and slammed the door with their scabbards, causing the dust above the prison bars to fall.

Qin Mubai was about to talk to Chen Yan when she was interrupted. The cell Chen Yan was in was so far away that she could not be seen clearly in the darkness of the prison.

However, he was determined not to admit his mistake with that voice!

“Be honest, you are not allowed to talk in your cell. Otherwise, it would be uncomfortable to be dragged into an iron prison cell and held in solitary confinement!” The jailer roared at Qin Mubai and Li Ke, spat a few times and left cursing.

Qin Mubai and Li Ke exchanged glances and sat down separately. Chen Yan on the other side did not say a word anymore.

The two of them understood what was going on. They walked to the other prisoners in their cells and asked the same question.

“Brother, judging from your situation, you must have been locked up inside for a long time, right?” Qin Mubai asked a scrawny prisoner sitting in a corner.

The prisoner didn’t even move. He rolled his eyes over like a dead fish and glanced at Qin Mubai coldly like ice stones. He didn’t say a word.

Qin Mubai pondered for a moment and then said, “I have friends in the yamen. If my friend comes to see me later, I can ask him to warn Prison Child to treat you well and bring you some delicious food. If you like, talk to me.”

“Speak.” The prisoner said in a husky whisper as he regained his spirits and licked his dried lips.

“How did you get caught? How long have you been locked up here?” Qin Mubai asked.

“Last autumn, there were water ghosts in the West River Cao. I dug up a few official ships that paid the grain tax. I secretly picked up a few packets of grain for a moment and was arrested as a water ghost.” The prisoner said, “Most of the people in this cell are related to water ghosts. Didn’t you come in like this?”

Qin Mubai raised his eyebrows in surprise, “The dozens of people in this cell are all related to the water ghost case?”

“Yes, but I guarantee that no one is a real water ghost.” Said the prisoner.

“Why?” Qin Mubai asked in surprise.

“Humph!” The prisoner sneered, “Because they can’t catch the real water ghost, or they don’t want to. They can only bring some innocent people in to take the blame. They’ll be in prison for months and half a year, and they’ll be released from the synagogue before the autumn.”

“Captured and released?” Qin Mubai was puzzled, “Why did they do this?”

“It’s very simple! After all these years of causing trouble in the Xiang Province, no one can get rid of the Water Ghost. However, we have to get rid of it. If we can’t catch the Water Ghost, we can just bring some people into the prison cell. It would be great if we can force them to confess. If we can’t, then we can pretend that we’ve caught the wrong person. Anyway, the officials on the higher ups found out that they did something and didn’t eat for nothing, right?” The prisoner cursed in a low voice, somewhat indignant. “Dog officers have long been used to doing this!” Whoever was unlucky was caught as a water ghost. We locals all know that if we don’t admit defeat after entering, we can at least leave alive. If he didn’t get beaten into a confession, then he would really get stabbed in the autumn. Young man, I suppose you are also a son of a wealthy family, and don’t lose your temper–well, that’s all I have to say. Bring me a fat chicken and a pot of good wine later! ”

“That’s easy to say.” Qin Mubai paused for a moment and then asked, “The woman in the innermost room is the one who spoke to us just now, do you know?”

“I know, I know! Who doesn’t know about her? She’s famous. She’s said to be a True Water Ghost!” The prisoner was a little nervous and said in a low voice with some fear, “When the prisoners scolded him, they said that this woman had killed a dozen people on the river in one breath, and the whole river was going to be dyed red.” If it weren’t for the efforts of the state government to capture her. Aiyo, when he caught her, he was scary. His head was covered in a black cloth bag, and his body was covered in blood. Three or five men had to work hard to catch her. It was said that this female water ghost had the ability to reach the heavens and was as agile as killing a chicken! The jailers call her the Devil Woman, Dark Yaksha! ”

Qin Mubai was stuck in her heart when she heard this-Chen Yan was a water ghost in the West River Channel, wasn’t she? !

“Why hasn’t a felon in such an important case been handed over to the Chang’an Ministry of Justice for sentencing and beheading?” Qin Mubai asked.

“Then how would I know? I’m not an official!” The prisoner said, “Perhaps it’s because the new governor hasn’t been appointed yet … Alright, don’t ask me so much, that’s all I know. Remember, a chicken and a pot of good wine, it would be best to have a stewed belly …”

After finishing his question, Qin Mubai returned to his previous position near the prison and communicated with Li Ke. The news the two of them had gotten was roughly the same.

“In that case, the Xiangzhou Prefecture’s government has long been accustomed to inaction and prevarication.” Li Ke said angrily, “This is really strange. In such a peaceful and prosperous era, there are such vile bandits gathered in such a crowd!”

“The forest is unavoidably mixed, while the mountains and rivers are filled with mud. There’s nothing strange about it.” Qin Mubai knitted his brows and said, “The water ghosts in the West River Trough are so blind that they must be exterminated. Before that, we have more to do.”

“That’s right. The officials of the Xiang Province are actually so corrupt and incompetent. This is truly beyond my expectations! I don’t believe that they can’t deal with just a few water ghosts with the strength of a prefecture? Clearly, someone purposely opened the door wide and tolerated collusion.” “Don’t let me find out, or I won’t let him off!” Li Ke’s eyes flashed with killing intent.

“What if … like in Jiangzhou, a large number of officials commit crimes?” Qin Mubai shook his head with a bitter smile. “In my opinion, this place in Xiangzhou has also become a common phenomenon. Both the government and the military have shown some tolerance and indulgence towards the water ghost. There must be an exchange of interests between them. As long as we find out this point, it won’t be difficult to solve the problem from the root.”

“That makes sense.” Li Ke nodded his head in agreement, “This trip to the miniature clothes is really rewarding-by the way, how did Chen Yan become a water ghost?”

“I don’t know either!” Qin Mubai heaved a sigh of relief and knitted his brows. “The words of the prison and the prisoner cannot be completely trusted. I firmly believe that Chen Yan is not such a person. How could she be reduced to a wicked water ghost? We can only investigate this matter after we get out. At the very least, we need to give her justice!”

Li Ke smiled faintly, “You seem to be very nervous, and you still have some heartache?”

Qin Mubai was stunned for a moment, then turned around and leaned against the wooden pillar of the prison door, ignoring him.

“Haha!” Li Ke laughed strangely, “You really are a life-threatening peach blossom. Even if you come to prison, you can meet Hongyan’s confidante!”

“Peng peng peng–”

The jailer rushed in again and loudly knocked on the prison pillar. “Do you really want to die? Do you believe that you will be thrown into the secret chamber of the iron prison to receive a portion of your sins?” He shouted angrily.

Li Ke curled his lips and sat down with his hands crossed in front of his chest without saying a word, but he still laughed foolishly at Qin Mubai.

After a long time, the light in the cell dimmed, and it was about evening. When the jailer came to deliver the food, a few hard steamed buns that could smash a person’s head into a bag were thrown in and landed directly in the haystack. Even though they were hungry, Qin Mubai and the others could not eat such a pig’s food, so they only drank some water and gave the steamed buns to the other prisoners.

“I’m guessing that Quan Wanji and the others should also arrive at the Prefecture.” Li Ke leaned his head against the wall, licked his lips and rubbed his stomach, “I’m really hungry …”

Qin Mubai teased him, “How is it? I can’t stand this crime anymore, right? I just came to visit the cell in private. It smells dirty and hungry. Are you unhappy? Haha!”

Li Ke grinned angrily and awkwardly, “That’s right. I didn’t eat a good welcoming banquet and hid in this prison to suffer. I’m really full … Eh! My stomach rumbles when I say’eat ‘.”

Xue Rengui and the others laughed out loud. Yuwen Hongtai couldn’t bear it anymore, so he jumped up and shook the cell door with all his might, shouting, “Prison boy! Son of a bitch, call your steward over!”

The entire cell seemed to tremble slightly, and many people couldn’t help but cover their ears.

Yuwen Hongtai still shouted and struggled to shake him, but there was not a single cell left to deal with him. He was annoyed. He used his black bear-like body to charge into the cell door. He knocked it seven or eight times in a row and actually knocked the iron nails of the cell door loose. With a single force, he removed the entire cell door.

“Hahaha!” Yuwen Hongtai shouted proudly, “It’s open, it’s open! Go out and find a restaurant, it’s delicious!”

The prisoners were all dumbfounded, and many people immediately began to shout, “Hero, hero! Let us out!”

Originally, he didn’t think that Yuwen Hongtai would do anything that would cause trouble for him, but now Li Ke was also shocked. He hurriedly stretched out his hand and called out, “Yuwen Hongtai, come and sit down! Originally, you were innocent, but now you are escaping from prison, just like charging into the government, you are a felony of exile!”

Qin Mubai also chuckled, “Blackie, why don’t you be righteous and rush out of the cell to get some good wine and dishes for us to eat together?”

“Uh” Yuwen Hongtai was stunned. He hurriedly threw the prison door and sat back down. He cursed, “I still want to keep this head for a few more days. If it is cut off, it will never grow back.”

“Haha!” Everyone burst into laughter, and the cell was filled with laughter.

Li Ke smiled bitterly and said, “Alright, let you make some noise. Perhaps someone will recognize us and let us out … Ah, I’m asking for trouble! What a private interview, it’s not fun at all!”

Qin Mubai chuckled and thought to himself, Li Ke is still so good at playing with treasures, and now he has learned to release smoke bombs. He deliberately acted a little irritated and made people laugh … Actually, he was more stable than anyone else, as calm as Mount Tai, not in a hurry, not in a hurry. This was the opposite of Li Shimin’s. Li Shimin was a monarch, even if he really did something wrong, he couldn’t openly admit his mistake. Li Ke, on the other hand, never forgot to disguise himself by showing off his weakness and playing tricks on his treasures.

Who would dare to be a father and who would dare to be a son … Perhaps, the Li Shimin from twenty years ago was exactly what Li Ke was like now, right?

The jailers at the entrance of the prison were frightened to the point of being frightened. All of them wielded their swords as if they were facing a great enemy. There were also people who ran to report in panic that someone wanted to escape from the prison!

In the main hall of the secretariat office, the new Governor of Xiang, Shi Quan Wanji, sat upright and chatted with the local officials of Xiang Prefecture. As he spoke, the jailer ran over to report and described the situation in the prison. Quan Wanji immediately slapped his thigh and jumped up, “Ah, that must be His Highness and the others! The one who wanted to escape from the prison must be Yuwen Hongtai! How many people in the world could be like him?”

“Ah?!” “Your Highness, are you in the Xiang Prefecture’s prison?”

Wu Facao, who had grabbed Li Ke and the others and put them in prison, immediately turned pale, “No, it can’t be …!”

“What are you waiting for? Hurry up and take a look at the cell!”

…

With hurried footsteps and noisy voices, a group of people rushed into the cell. Under the illumination of the torch, Quan Wanji’s face flushed red, and then instantly turned ashen.

“You guys did a good job!!!” He roared.

“Ah? Is it really His Highness?!” Wu Facao and the others were completely dumbfounded.

“Hurry up and let him out?”

Yuwen Hongtai rushed out first and shouted with his big eyes wide open, “That little thief called Zhao Chong, come out for Grandpa! Grandpa wants to tie you up behind the horse’s butt and walk around the city!”

“Woo–Hero, spare me!” Zhao Chong panicked and knelt down to kowtow. The others also knelt down in panic.

Qin Mubai and Li Ke walked out of the prison, smiled at each other, and shook their heads.

Secular officials, mediocre officials! … Why is the general of Xiang Prefecture so bad? !

Li Ke did not get angry on the spot. Instead, he gently waved his hand and said to Quan Wanji, “Chief Quan, tell them to wait in the main hall. If there’s anything else, let’s go there and talk about it. Don’t be embarrassed in front of these prisoners.”

The officials trembled neatly, and their hearts were filled with bitterness, “Miserable!” ! The more calm you are, the angrier you will get. It seems like we will suffer!

With that, Li Ke left with Yin Yang and Xue Rengui.

Yuwen Hongtai was still furious. He stared at Zhao Chong and refused to let go. He wished he could lift him up and give him a good beating to relieve his anger.

The officials and generals stood up from the ground and walked out with their necks shrunk.

“Blackie, you stay.” Qin Mubai did not leave and said.

“Oh, good.” Yuwen Hongtai rolled his eyes twice and kicked Zhao Chong’s butt, causing him to stagger and almost pounce on the spot.

“Haha! Look at you shouting arrogantly at us! You motherfucker! Bah!” Only then did Yuwen Hongtai calm down and curse hatefully. Zhao Chong didn’t even dare to turn his head and ran away.

Qin Mubai was still standing in the prison. He glanced inwards and hooked his fingers at the two shivering prisoners standing at the side.

“Young … Young Master, do you have any instructions?” Prison Master didn’t know how to address Qin Mubai, so he could only cautiously and timidly say.

“This is the new Commandant Zhechong of Xiang Prefecture, the son-in-law of the emperor’s grandfather, the third young master of the Qin Shubao Clan-Qin Mubai, General Qin!” Yuwen Hongtai shouted angrily.

The eyes of the two prisoners straightened up on the spot, and their mouths opened wide, almost drooling.

Qin Mubai was amused. She shook her head and smiled, “You guys open the innermost cell immediately and invite the female prisoner out. I want to talk to her. Also, get the prisoner in that cell a fat chicken and a pot of good wine. Well, it’s best to make a pot of stewed belly.”

‘”Uh” Jailer was stunned for a moment, as if he didn’t react.

“What? Is there a problem, or is it impossible?” Qin Mubai raised an eyebrow.

“This lowly one will do it immediately!!!”