Chapter 81 Chapter 81 "I'm willing to exchange half my life's work for her..."

"Oh, my lady, I'm scared!"

"They don't eat living people."

Jasmine had seen rats eat dead people, but she was alive and the rats just crawled over her feet.

After comforting the man, Jasmine turned around and busied herself with throwing the mice out one by one.

There were several buckets, straw mats and quilts in the cell. Jasmine did not dare to throw away the straw mats and quilts, but just cleaned out the dirt and rats on the floor.

Not to mention the jailers, even the prisoners in the nearby cells were shocked when they saw what the two of them did.

One man shouted, "Young lady, are you going to settle down in prison?"

Jasmine said without turning her head: "That's right."

The rats Jasmine had thrown out had all crawled into other cells. Seeing more rats emerging from their own cell, one suspect cursed, "Hey, your rats are coming over here!"

Jasmine turned around coldly, stood in front of the iron bars, and stomped two of them to death with one foot: "It would be better to just crush them to death. If that big brother doesn't dare, just throw it over to me."

Without waiting for a response, Jasmine turned back to her work.

After a long time, a stuttering voice sounded: "Who... who said I don't dare? I've killed people before, so why would I be afraid of these little things?"

Someone started to make a fuss: "Why don't you step on it?"

“Why don’t you step on it?”

"I'm afraid of getting my feet dirty. You say you dare, but where do you step?"

"What are you arguing about!"

It was not until the jailer came over following the sound that the surroundings fell silent again.

In short, the jailer looked at Jasmine and then at the cell that the female suspect had tidied up to the point of being spotless, and he was stunned.

One of the jailers was the one who had previously been at odds with Jasmine. He was the warden. When he saw his brother about to speak, he shook his head.

Pull your brother away.

It was more than half an hour later that the warden showed up again.

The warden smiled at Jasmine, "It's quite clean."

Jasmine looked at him coldly without saying a word.

The warden signaled his men to unlock the door and said, "Come out. I'll give you a better place."

Jasmine's heart skipped a beat, and Shancha held her hand, terrified.

Jasmine didn't ask them what they were going to do. She just whispered to Shancha, "Don't be afraid, I'm here." Then she and Shancha left the cell.

They originally thought that the warden disliked them and wanted to torture them or put them in a dirtier and more chaotic cell.

It was not until she arrived at the door of the new cell and saw the clean and tidy tables, chairs and beds inside that she realized it was a really good place.

The warden didn't say anything, but Jasmine could understand after thinking about it carefully. It was probably because of He Congde or the Duke that the Jingzhao prefect did not dare to neglect her.

Jasmine couldn't help but laugh.

The current place is not very good, but she is very satisfied.

Shan Cha couldn't smile: "My dear, didn't we just clean up in vain?"

Then Jasmine couldn't laugh anymore.

She suddenly understood that the warden must have received the order to change cells long ago and deliberately wanted to retaliate against her, so he did not notify her in time.

He deliberately waited until they were done with their work before appearing.

Jasmine was furious! Sooner or later, she would have to get back at him!

Those who were sent to Jingzhao Prefecture Prison were either guilty of murder or had been powerful and influential and had their property confiscated and were exiled.

The family living on the left were the family of a corrupt official, a third-rank official who had been hanged long ago, and all his family members were imprisoned here. Since it was only their third day in prison, the family was crying non-stop.

Jasmine was able to understand them at first, but she didn't expect this family to become more and more demanding.

Now that she was here, of course she wasn't going to give in to anyone. She immediately yelled impatiently, "Are you done yet? If you don't sleep, I'll still be sleeping. If you keep howling, I'll kill you!"

Jasmine certainly couldn't kill them. If she had a way, she couldn't stay here.

But she is very good at verbal battles and scaring people.

Immediately, all the surrounding sounds disappeared.

The warden, who was planning to teach her a lesson, decided to let her go after seeing that she was not just against him but everyone else.

For several days after that, the family members did not speak loudly again.

The big guy opposite is a fearless death row inmate. Not only does he squint at Jasmine all day long, but he also speaks obscene words.

Jasmine didn't react at first. She just squatted in the corner and used the uneaten rice grains to attract the mice. When the mice came over, she picked them up by the tail and threw them into the bucket.

The other prisoners thought she was afraid and endured it. After all, how could a weak girl fight against a murderer?

Two more days passed.

That day, after the jailer delivered the meal and left, the prisoners had finished their meal. The big guy had nothing to do, so he leaned on the straw mat and looked at Jasmine blatantly.

Jasmine walked up to the iron bars and asked, "Are you full? If not, would you like to take this portion from me?"

The prisoners thought she was trying to please the big guy, and the big guy thought so too. He smiled maliciously and said, "It's true that I'm not full, but it's you, my beautiful lady, that I want to eat."

The big guy grabbed the iron bars, his eyes glowing green.

Coincidentally, Jasmine threw the rice ball in her hand and hit the big guy right in the eye.

The rice balls mixed with vegetable soup suddenly got all over the big guy's face.

The big guy was wiping his face with his eyes closed, and Jasmine immediately poured some soup into the aisle, and the soup hung on the iron railing opposite.

Jasmine then calmly brought a clean bucket, approached the iron bars, and kicked it over. Suddenly, the inside became dark, and the rats and insects, their eyes green from two days of hunger, scurried toward the cell across the street.

The big guy couldn't open his eyes and didn't react for a while until he realized something was crawling up his trouser leg and onto his body. It was too late then.

The large man was seen jumping and screaming around the cell. He slipped and fell. The ensuing scene was horrifying.

Even the prisoners who were used to big scenes couldn't bear to watch it.

The warden's eyes changed even more when he looked at Jasmine.

Jasmine sat on the bed, looking across at the opposite side leisurely.

Shan Cha, who had not expected that her wife could stand up to any hardship in prison, was extremely impressed. While massaging her wife's legs, she hummed at the other side of the cell.

After getting used to the cell these past two days, her good mood returned. She was certainly in a better mood right now.

Jasmine knew she would be in jail for a long time, and her child would be born there. Therefore, whether it was the jailers or the inmates nearby, Jasmine would get along with them if she could, but if she couldn't, she would let them know that she was not to be trifled with.

After five days, Jasmine had become familiar with everyone.

She knew what crimes the prisoners across from her had committed and that all the other prisoners knew her.

Jasmine didn't hide anything, not only did she not hide her identity as a murderer, she also portrayed herself as extremely cruel and terrifying. For example, if someone tried to assault her, she would just cut him dead with a pair of scissors.

"Either I die or that bastard dies. Of course, it's better if the bastard dies. Right?"

None of the prisoners said a word.

Jasmine not only calmly recounted how she committed the crime, but also told about how she escaped after the crime and met Duke Yan.

"Aren't you curious about why I didn't get the death penalty when I killed someone?"

Some people thought she was being too slow and couldn't help asking, "Could it be that Duke Yan protected you?"

Someone else said, "Impossible. How could Duke Yan protect a murderer? She is just a concubine, not the Duke's wife."

"She's the Duke's wife, and she might be sent to the government. The Duke is as strict and stern as his name suggests."

Jasmine then spoke up, "It's certainly not the Duke. In his eyes, I'm a liar and a murderer, and he only hates me. I was able to escape death because I was pregnant. The Qi Kingdom doesn't execute pregnant women who have committed crimes."

"Then this child..."

"Of course the child is the Duke's. But even if it wasn't, I wouldn't die. Please take good care of this child in the future."

“…No problem.”

"must……"

Today's plan was a complete success.

What Jasmine didn't know was that the Duke was standing quietly in a corner, accompanied by the Governor of Jingzhao Prefecture, watching her.

The Jingzhao prefect smiled and said, "Don't worry, my lord. My concubine is doing well in prison."

"I can see it. It's more than good."

The reason why the Duke made the trip was because he knew the prison was dark and scary, and he was worried that she was weak and frightened, so he wanted to comfort her in advance.

But now it seems that he was worrying too much.

The Duke turned around and strode towards the prison gate, followed closely by the Prefect of Jingzhao.

When they got outside, the Jingzhao prefect followed them and asked, "Did the Duke investigate thoroughly? Forgive me for being so nosy, but if the Duke wants to save my concubine, you can start from here."

The Duke stopped and turned to look at him. "I have found out that someone deliberately brought Qin the trafficker and his two companions to Kyoto and leaked... Qin Baixiang's identity. But that doesn't mean Qin Baixiang is innocent."

The Duke's last words made the Jingzhao prefect worried. What did the Duke mean by this?

He must have wanted to save Qin Baixiang, otherwise he would never have come today, and he would not have investigated the matter of Qin the trafficker and the other two accepting bribes.

Upon hearing that the Duke of Guo was visiting today, the Jingzhao prefect was incredibly excited. He thought the Duke of Guo was there to ask him for a favor. When the Duke of Guo said he wanted to see Qin Baixiang in prison, the Jingzhao prefect accompanied him without a word.

Now he's saying Qin Baixiang isn't innocent. If he's not innocent, how can he be saved?

Could it be that he was using his status as a Duke to force me to release Qin Baixiang?

It's not impossible. As the prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture, such small matters are always easy to resolve.

Thinking of this, the Jingzhao prefect laughed again: "My Lord, just do what is in your heart. I will stand behind you and serve you wholeheartedly!"

The Duke did not expect that the Jingzhao prefect had guessed it before he said anything and even expressed his willingness to cooperate.

The Duke sighed and reached out, patting the Jingzhao prefect on the shoulder: "Thank you, Your Excellency."

Half an hour later.

The prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture stood in the Daming Hall. Of course, he did not come here on his own initiative, but was dragged here by the Duke!

The prefect of Jingzhao had a vague idea of ​​what the Duke was going to do, but he couldn't believe it.

How is that possible?

When the Duke said he would be stripped of his title, promoted to General of the Cavalry, and sent away from the capital, the Jingzhao prefect thought he was hallucinating. His legs went weak.

If he had known that he was here to do this, he would not have entered the palace even if a knife was put to his neck.

Afterwards, His Majesty will definitely blame him for causing the court to lose a great general. He should be done with!

The prefect of Jingzhao Prefecture hurried to help the bewildered His Majesty persuade the Duke: "Duke, please don't be impulsive. We can talk it out. You are the pillar of Daqi. The people need you, and His Majesty needs you. You must not do this!"

The Duke looked at His Majesty with a solemn expression, "I beg Your Majesty's permission."

His Majesty simply stood up and walked away from the imperial desk, standing face to face with the Duke, and sternly scolded him: "Stop talking nonsense. She's just a woman, why are you doing this?"

The Duke felt ashamed and lowered his eyes, saying, "I know I have failed Your Majesty, failed Daqi, and failed the thousands of soldiers who followed me. I feel guilty."

His Majesty was so angry that he pointed at him and was speechless for a long time. After a long time, he slowly said, "Since you don't want your aunt to go to jail, then it's not difficult. I will issue an order to release your aunt from prison."

"Absolutely not." The Duke looked at His Majesty solemnly. "Your Majesty is the ruler of a country. How can you break the law knowingly? It is a fact that Qin Baixiang committed a crime."

“But you…”

"I am willing to exchange half of my life's achievements for her worry-free life. Please grant me your permission." The Duke said prostrating himself.

His Majesty looked down at him coldly and squeezed out a few words from between his teeth: "Do you really have to leave?"

"I have made up my mind."

If he asks again, he will lose face as a king.

His Majesty is not afraid of losing face, but he knows that this person is a stubborn donkey, and once he makes up his mind, he will probably not go back.

His Majesty was so angry that his chest seemed to explode.

After a long time.

"Go away." His Majesty turned his back and didn't look at him again.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

The Duke thanked him, bowed, and left quickly.

The prefect of Jingzhao quickly glanced at the angry emperor, and without much hesitation, followed the Duke to retreat.

On the way out of the palace, the Duke paused, waiting for the Jingzhao prefect to approach. He said solemnly, "I'll go see the prefect after I finish my current business. I'll trouble you to explain the whole story to His Majesty today."

The Jingzhao prefect really wants to blame him! You, Duke Yan, can just walk away, but what will he do?

The Jingzhao prefect finally managed to suppress his impulse and replied dejectedly, "My Lord, please do as you please."

The Duke nodded and walked forward again.

It was impossible to hide this matter from the old lady and the others. The Duke had already made up his mind and returned to the mansion to call the old lady and several other families, including the third master and his family of three.

Everyone in the Duke's Mansion gathered together.

The old lady looked at the Duke with suspicion: "What's the important matter, Erlang?"

The Duke got straight to the point: "Zi Fu met with Your Majesty this afternoon and mentioned his resignation."

The old lady rubbed her ears and asked Madam Qian to help her rub them. She said distressedly, "I don't know why, but I've been having tinnitus and hallucinations these past two days."

The others looked at the Duke in shock.

The old man's voice changed: "Second... Second brother, what did you say? Did I hear correctly? Resign? Resign from what position?"

The Duke spoke again: "Relinquish the post of Grand General and assume the title of Duke."

Everyone was even more shocked.

The old lady heard it clearly this time. She turned her head slowly, her face flushed and blue as she glared at the Duke: "Erlang, are you joking?"

"Zi Fu is serious."

"Why? Why are you doing this?"

Seeing the old lady excited, the Duke and Nanny Qian supported her at the same time.

The Duke did not mention Jasmine, but only said, "Zi Fu is tired and wants to rest."

The old lady shook her head and cried, "You are the only one holding up this Duke's Mansion right now. If you leave, how will we, an orphan and a widow, survive? Oh, and there's also your marriage to the Marquis of Changping. You should also be satisfied with Miss Wan. The Marquis of Changping will never allow their legitimate daughter to marry someone without official title or wealth."

"Zi Fu has spoken to His Majesty about cancelling the engagement, and His Majesty has agreed. Tomorrow, Zi Fu will personally visit the Marquis of Changping's residence to ask for forgiveness."

The Duke grasped his stepmother's hand and said, "Mother, you have been very helpful in managing the Duke's Mansion over the years. I believe I will need you more in the future. Zifu has suggested to His Majesty that my eldest brother inherit the title. I will trouble you to take care of it from now on."

There was another uproar among the people present.

The eldest young lady's wife was naturally delighted. Upon hearing this, she cried out, "Oh my God!" and embraced the bewildered old man, crying, laughing, and dancing. It was only after the maid reminded her that she realized where she was.

The eldest young lady's wife then stood up straight, her face still showing uncontrollable joy.

The Fourth Young Master's wife's face turned cold. This matter had so easily fallen on the eldest master's head. If the Fourth Master hadn't been imprisoned, the title would have been his.

She is so unlucky.

The title would never fall to the Third Master, and who became the Duke had nothing to do with the Third House. But the Third Young Master's wife still looked down on the First Young Master's wife, who reeked of money. She hoped the Master would have the nerve to kick the First Young Master's wife out and bring the beautiful woman from outside into the house.

The Third Young Master's wife was thinking about sending two beautiful concubines to the Master someday. She would make the arrangements when she got home.

The Third Master was surprised for a moment, then looked indifferent.

The old lady glanced at the eldest young lady's wife, pointed at the eldest master, and said without caring about anything else, "You know what your eldest brother is like. How can I rely on him? How can I hand over such a huge Duke's Mansion to him!"

The Duke looked at the eldest master seriously and said to the old lady, "My eldest brother is sincere and filial. I believe he can do well."

The eldest master looked at the Duke in disbelief. Even his own wife didn't believe him, and the fourth master actually said he believed him.

He could feel that Lao Si was sincere. The old man couldn't help but redden his eyes and said excitedly: "Lao Si!"

The old lady was about to say something else when she saw the Duke take two steps back and kneel on the ground: "Zi Fu bids farewell to mother."

Everyone thought the Duke was tired of the shackles and wanted to be free. But they didn't expect that he didn't intend to stay in the Duke's Mansion.

"Duke, do you want to live in another mansion?" The Third Young Master's wife couldn't help but ask.

Everyone looked at the Duke, who said, "Leaving Kyoto City."

The Third Young Master's wife seemed to be thinking about something.

The old lady slumped in the chair, looking at the Duke with heartbroken heart, not daring to think about the future of the Duke's Mansion.

The eldest young lady's wife asked, "When does the Duke plan to leave?"

The master tried to pull the eldest young lady, but was pushed away by her.

The anticipation on the eldest young lady's face was overflowing.

The old lady was very angry.

The Duke replied seriously, "Three days later."

The Third Young Master's wife didn't want the First Young Master's wife to get too carried away, so she said, "Three days... how can that be enough time? Not to mention the Duke's Mansion, there's also the court that needs to be handed over. I'm afraid His Majesty won't be able to release them, right?"

The Duke: "Three days is enough."

Everyone was truly baffled. Why was he leaving for no reason and in such a hurry?

After the Duke left, the old lady couldn't help crying and wailing.

Several young ladies came forward to persuade her, especially the eldest young lady, who said with a happy face that she and the Duke would be filial to the old lady in the future.

The Duke that the eldest young lady refers to is naturally the Master.

The old lady was too lazy to talk and asked Nanny Qian and Tao'er to help her back to the yard.

The eldest young lady also took the master's hand and returned to the compound. She had to celebrate! She would be the Duke's wife in the future.

Something she had thought was impossible in her lifetime had actually happened to her. She had to go back and write a letter to her family to let them know. Her parents, brother, and sister-in-law would surely be happier if they knew.

The Fourth Young Master's wife felt that this life was unbearable. The Duke was gone, and the title of the Great Border Guard General was gone. How could the master, with his status as a court official, be compared with the Duke?

The Duke's Mansion will probably fall into decline within two years.

What would she do then? She was young, she had no children, and she would have nothing.

"Have you received any reply from my parents?"

Ting'er shook her head.

"Go again. Tell them about the situation at the Duke's Mansion."

...

Seeing that the carriage was heading towards the Imperial City, the Third Master quickly lifted the curtain and shouted, "We're going the wrong way."

Driver: "It was my lady's request."

The Third Master suddenly looked at the Third Young Master's wife.

The Third Young Master's wife said calmly, "I plan to go see Jasmine."

The Third Master was puzzled: "Before, she was the Duke's concubine, and you could have just flattered her, but now she's a murderer, and even the Second Master doesn't care about her, so why are you going there?"

"How did Third Master know that the Duke wouldn't care?"

Without waiting for the Third Master to speak, the Third Young Master's wife chuckled again and said, "For someone as greedy as me, of course I only approached her because there was something to gain."

The Third Master was puzzled: "What do you mean?"

The Third Young Master's wife said, "I suspect the Duke's departure has something to do with Jasmine."

The Third Master was thinking about her words, when he suddenly thought of something and looked up at the Third Young Master's wife: "You are not."

These three words are very decisive.

The Third Young Master's wife immediately understood what the Third Master said and disagreed. "How does the Third Master know it's not true?"

...

Not everyone could enter Jingzhao Prison. Especially since Jasmine was convicted of murder. The Third Young Master's wife wasn't allowed to visit her, so she simply asked the guards what she could bring in, and then had them deliver it to her.

A change of clothes, facial cream, and a thick coat. Food couldn't be brought with her; that was all the Third Young Master's wife could think of.

She will come over again while the person is still in prison, before she gives birth.

But just one day later, the third young master's wife heard something else on the street.

Hearing the words "Duke", the Third Young Master's wife naturally leaned over. Then she heard something extraordinary.

The Duke is really doing this for his concubine!

In order to save his aunt, he gave up his title and his bright future.

Is he crazy?

The Third Young Master's wife shook her head again to deny it. The Duke was not crazy. He just cared too much about the concubine, right?

Although she had thought of it earlier, the Third Young Master's wife still couldn't figure it out. To the Duke, Jasmine was just a concubine.

In this world, perhaps only Yan Ke would do such a stupid thing as to abandon his honor and power for a concubine.

The news that the Duke was going to give up his power and leave his hometown spread throughout Kyoto in a blink of an eye.

On the second day, the Duke planned to go to the Marquis of Changping's Mansion, but was blocked at the door by the people.

More and more people gathered and asked the Duke to revoke his order.

"Why is this happening, Duke?"

"Don't leave, Duke. Everyone needs you!"

The Duke stood in front of the mansion gate, knowing that he had to give everyone an explanation.

"I, Yan, am ashamed of everyone's kindness and unworthy of standing before you."

The people looked at each other, not understanding why the Duke said that.

The Duke then continued, "My concubine has committed a crime, but I cannot bear to see her suffer in prison for the rest of her life. I am willing to sacrifice half my life's merits in exchange for her freedom. I beg you to agree to this."

As the Duke spoke, he stretched out his hands, bent his waist, and bowed deeply towards the front.

All the people immediately knelt on the ground.