Chapter 50 050 She deserved to be scolded, but she also heard every complaint he made…

Xiao Yu was imprisoned by imperial decree. No matter which connections the Xiao family used, it was useless. They could only inquire about Xiao Yu's food and lodging in the prison.

When Xiao Yu was imprisoned during the imperial examination, firstly, the weather was warm enough that he wouldn't be cold or hungry in the prison, and secondly, his family had no idea why the emperor was angry, so they dared not visit him or make any arrangements. Now it was the dead of winter, and even if the prison provided prisoners with warm cotton clothes and braziers, how good could the prisoners' belongings be?

Regardless of how previous dynasties managed prisoners, Emperor Yongcheng was a benevolent emperor. In the early years of his reign, he promulgated laws requiring prisons in all prefectures and counties to ensure that prisoners would not freeze to death in winter. Prisoners with families were to be provided with cotton clothes and charcoal by their families, while prisoners without families or whose families were poor were to be provided with winter clothes and braziers by the prison.

Madam Deng was distressed that her son had no time to attend to anything else, so Yang Yanzhen and Li Huaiyun helped her make a list of all the items that the Marquis's residence wanted to send to the prison.

After Deng calmed down, she followed her youngest daughter-in-law to Shensi Hall, where Xiao Yu's belongings were kept.

After a year of getting along, Luo Fu had become very close to her two sisters-in-law, but that was limited to chatting about everyday matters. This time, Xiao Yu dared to suggest that deposing the crown prince was too serious. Behind the eldest sister-in-law was the prime minister, the head of the civil officials, and behind the second sister-in-law was the Duke of Dingguo's family, the wife's family of the crown prince. So, just now at Wanhe Hall, Luo Fu deliberately acted like a block of wood for a long time, as if she didn't care at all about her husband in the prison cell, and even complained that he had implicated her.

At this time, only the mother-in-law was by their side. Chaosheng, Ping'an, and others were also the couple's confidants. Luo Fu asked Ping'an to bring a ten-pound thick cotton quilt, a similarly thick and warm mattress, a mat to insulate against the damp cold of the straw mat, and two hot water bottles for warming hands and feet, as well as two pairs of cotton boots, five pairs of thick socks, four towels, two boxes of face cream, and a comb...

Deng: "...Isn't this too much? It might not be good if word gets out?"

Luo Fu scoffed, "Your own son, don't you know his character? By the way, bring him a washbasin, a foot basin, and a chamber pot from home too, he thinks the prison cell is too unclean."

Deng: "...They could take it, but would the jailers be willing to go through all that trouble for him?"

Luo Fu: "Last time, when he was penniless, a jailer kindly helped him. This time, you and Father should give him some more money, and we guarantee that your son will be well taken care of."

Madam Deng was willing to spend the money, but when she thought about how comfortable her son was in prison, she became angry again: "Before, I thought it was too harsh when your father called him a debt collector, but now I want to call him a debt collector too. Why did he have to go to prison instead of having a peaceful life? How could I have given birth to such a troublesome child? He not only torments us parents, but he also makes you live in fear."

Luo Fu looked at Ping An packing his bags and said listlessly, "Forget it, why talk about this? After the New Year, I don't know if he will be imprisoned or exiled. We may never see each other again once he leaves the capital. When you visit him in prison, think more about his good points and save yourself from scolding him. Let him leave more peacefully."

Deng: "..."

The mother sat down and cried. Luo Fu thought for a moment and asked Chao Sheng to go to the study in the front yard to get two books that Xiao Yu usually liked to read, and asked Qing Chuan to go to the market to buy a few pounds of dried meat for Xiao Yu to chew on.

Picking up the list and looking at it, Luo Fu added a copper lamp and some oil. The cell was definitely not as bright as outside, so as not to damage Xiao Yu's eyesight.

With so many people in the mansion, things were packed up quickly. However, Xiao Rong said that they should go to the Dali Temple prison during the last half hour of the day when visiting was allowed. This made it seem as if they had struggled and hesitated before deciding to care for their troublesome son, rather than rushing over to comfort him as soon as he angered the emperor and the crown prince.

Besides clothing, utensils, and dry rations, Deng also had the kitchen prepare a food box filled to the brim with delicious meals. Seeing that it was almost time, Deng sent someone to Shensi Hall to inform her youngest daughter-in-law to come over. Visiting prisoners wasn't something to be proud of; it was enough that her eldest and second sons and their spouses came to see them off. There was no need for them to go; a large group would be too conspicuous.

The maid went and returned quickly, stammering, "The Third Madam said that she finds the prison gloomy and cold, and is afraid of having nightmares alone at night, so she told you and the Marquis to go instead."

Xiao Rong was not happy. What did his daughter-in-law mean by this? She didn't even visit her own husband. Was she trying to sever ties with him?

Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin both frowned. No matter how unlikeable he was, he was still their own brother.

Deng didn't care how unpleasant her youngest daughter-in-law's words were. She had personally witnessed her daughter-in-law adding many things to her third son that she, as his mother, had never even considered. If this wasn't caring for a man, then she, as his mother, was probably a fake.

"Why are you all so stern? The things we gave to our third son were all arranged by us, his mother and his wife. Besides verbally expressing concern for him, what have you done?"

Deng cast a sharp glance at the father and his two sons, causing Xiao Hu and Xiao Lin to lower their eyes. Xiao Rong didn't dare to say another word: "...Let's go."

Dali Temple Prison.

When Xiao Yu was first brought in, Lin Bangzhen, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, didn't even know him yet, but he still arranged a quiet cell for him, far away from ordinary prisoners. This time, because they had been investigating a case together and were already quite familiar with each other, Lin Bangzhen specially asked the prison warden to choose a cell for Xiao Yu with a window that let in sunlight. He also instructed the prison guards to try their best to meet Xiao Yu's requests, as long as they weren't too unreasonable.

Although the prison warden was not a high-ranking official, nothing in the prison escaped his notice. Knowing that Xiao Yu had acquaintances in the prison, he allowed the prison guard who had previously looked after Xiao Yu to continue taking over Xiao Yu's prison.

The jailer, Hao Nian, was only in his early twenties and a native of the capital. He had been selected to work as a jailer in the Dali Temple prison because of his uncle, who worked as a yamen runner in the Jingzhao Yin (Prefect of the Capital). The job sounded undignified, as he spent his days dealing with all sorts of prisoners in the cell, but at least he received a government salary, easily earning five hundred copper coins a month, which was considered a coveted job by ordinary people.

Hao Nian was not tall, had a naturally yellowish-black complexion, and was fairly robust, but he was not good at interacting with people and was often disliked by his uncle as a "silent type".

Hao Nian, usually so reserved, stood outside the cell, watching the top scholar, stripped of his official robes and dressed in prison clothes, bend over and drag a pile of straw mats to a sunny spot. Looking at those long, slender, fair hands that seemed to be used to holding a pen, he couldn't contain his curiosity and asked in a low voice, "Why did you come in again?"

Xiao Yu was surprised by his attempt to strike up a conversation. While continuing to move the straw mats, she smiled faintly and said, "You'll find out in a few days. It's okay if you don't."

The top scholar didn't say anything, and Hao Nian didn't pry. Before leaving, he asked, "Is it still a basin of water every morning?"

After the straw mat was moved, Xiao Yu clapped his hands and looked at the kind jailer outside, asking, "Will this cause you any trouble?"

Hao Nian shook his head and pointed outside, saying, "The prison warden asked me to take good care of you. This time, I'll bring you some hot water."

Xiao Yu bowed and thanked him.

With nothing to do in the cell, Xiao Yu spent his days working on the straw mat. Wherever the sunlight streaming in through the window moved, he would move the straw mat there, managing to keep a large area of ​​straw mat relatively dry.

As Xiao Rong, Deng Shi, and Chao Sheng and Qing Chuan, carrying bundles and food boxes, followed Hao Nian this way, they saw a familiar figure wearing a drab gray prison uniform, leaning against the fence with his back to them, his head tilted back as if enjoying the last rays of the setting sun.

Xiao Rong and Deng Shi: "..."

The chaotic footsteps startled those whose shoulders and above were exposed to the sun. Xiao Yu turned her head and recognized her parents' faces through the gaps in the fence. The bittersweet smile on her face vanished instantly, and she turned away to tidy herself up.

Deng silently shed tears, and Xiao Rong's chest also felt tight. Even if it was a debt collector reincarnated, it had been his son for more than 20 years and was his child.

Hao Nian unlocked the cell door and reminded him to come back and lock it in a quarter of an hour, implying that the family only had a quarter of an hour to reunite.

Chaosheng and Qingchuan opened the bundle and quickly made the bed for Third Master.

Xiao Yu recognized the cotton quilt. It was early winter when the maids took out the winter quilt to air it out because the weather was nice. The lady liked the pattern of the quilt very much and said that she would use it to cover herself at night. However, after covering herself for a while, she felt hot and her cheeks turned red. She asked him to go to the cupboard to get a thinner quilt.

"Fu'er prepared these for you. Even though she didn't come, she was afraid that if she saw you suffering, it would be painful for both of you to see you cry." Seeing her son lost in thought while looking at the quilt, Madam Deng explained softly on behalf of her daughter-in-law, "And those dried meat, meat jerky, copper lamps, and books, Fu'er thought of them all."

Xiao Yu vividly recalled the night he was paraded through the streets as the top scholar, when he complained to his wife and she smiled and scolded him for deserving it.

She scolded him for deserving it, but she remembered every grievance he recounted.

Xiao Yu knelt down, his eyes red, and apologized to his parents: "Your son is unfilial and has caused you both worry."

Deng lowered her head, hugged her son, and cried. She didn't know what punishment awaited her son after the New Year, so she couldn't bring herself to scold him.

Xiao Rong couldn't bear to see his wife cry. He turned around and took two steps toward the prison door. With his back to his son, he said sarcastically, "You've done all the work you need to do. What's the use of kneeling down? Blame us for giving birth to you and raising you. We deserve to worry about you for the rest of our lives."

Xiao Yu remained silent.

Two warm drops fell onto the sleeve of Deng's left arm as she held her son. Noticing the slight weight, Deng paused in her crying, then launched into a tirade against her husband: "This son is mine, I gave birth to him and raised him. If you don't care, then leave. Don't disturb our reunion. Just hearing you speak is bad luck!"

Xiao Rong: "..."

He stormed out, only stopping after taking a dozen or so steps.

After laying out the quilts and arranging the copper lamp, chamber pot, and other items, Chaosheng and Qingchuan wisely left, leaving the prison cell to the mother and son.

"Don't listen to your father's stubbornness. He loves you just as much as I do." After scolding her husband away, Deng spoke highly of him to her son.

Xiao Yu hugged his mother's shoulders and smiled, "I know, every time I see Father kneeling before the entire court because of me, my heart aches for him."

Deng burst into tears.

With time limited, Xiao Yu whispered to his mother, "Before impeaching the Crown Prince, I wrote a letter of divorce to Fu'er. If the Emperor punishes me with exile after the New Year, and if Fu'er asks to leave after some time, please do not make things difficult for her. Let her take the betrothal gifts with her as compensation on my behalf. If Fu'er is willing to stay, please pretend you never heard of this, and especially do not tell Father."

Madam Deng was startled, realizing that her son had been prepared to die when he impeached the Crown Prince, and tears streamed down her face once more.

"Alright, Mother promises you. Don't worry, whether Fu'er leaves or not, Mother will take care of her as her own daughter. At least no one in the Marquis's mansion will be able to bully her, not even your father."

-----------------------

Author's Note: Xiao Rong: [Clown][Clown][Clown]

Here they are! 100 little red envelopes, see you tomorrow!