Chapter 79 Chapter 79 Prison

Zhe Rou's consciousness was floating in the chaos, not knowing where he was or when. After a long time, he was finally awakened by the pain in his shoulder.

Memories of falling into the water slowly surfaced.

That night on the Bian River, she was dragged into the water by the Qiang people. While struggling, she bumped into a piece of floating ice, which immediately cut her shoulder. She was soaked in the river water, feeling cold and painful, and she fainted immediately.

...Was she rescued? Where is this?

It was a dark night, and there were no lights in the house. Only a faint moonlight leaked in through the cracks in the lattice windows, casting mottled shadows on the damp ground. The view was dim and hazy, and it was difficult to distinguish reality from illusion.

Zhe Rou couldn't see the situation inside the house clearly, but she could tell that it was an unfamiliar environment.

She subconsciously wanted to get up, but accidentally pulled the wound on her shoulder. She gasped in pain and instinctively raised her hand to press it, only to find that someone had already bandaged it with cloth.

The old woman outside the house heard the noise, and her needlework paused. She hurriedly put down her work, lifted the curtain and went into the house. She saw that she had woken up, and turned back to call for her.

"Oh, Goddess of Heaven! Wake up! Wake up! Finally wake up! Come quickly, old man!"

Zhe Rou's mind was still confused. She turned around blankly and saw a bent-over old man walking in from outside. He took out a lighter and lightly struck it. With a "click", he lit an oil lamp on the table.

The dim light suddenly overflowed, illuminating most of the room.

Zhe Rou could see clearly that this was a dilapidated hut. She lay on a low bed made of old wooden planks, covered with a quilt filled with old linen that had a faint smell of damp fish.

The room was cramped and simple, with only a wooden table and a low stool. A fishing net and two reed hats were hung on the side earthen wall. There were no other unnecessary decorations.

"Grandma... Ahem, Grandma, where am I?"

As soon as she opened her mouth, her throat sounded as if it had been rubbed by coarse sand and gravel, becoming hoarse, rough, and dry, like a burning pain. The old woman quickly stood up and poured her a bowl of water.

"Come, drink some water first to moisten your throat."

Zhe Rou smiled weakly, took the coarse porcelain bowl with her left hand, sipped the tea in small sips, and listened to the old woman slowly telling the story of how she saved people that night.

The Bian River was the lifeline of the canal transportation system, and civilians were usually not allowed to set up fishing nets or fish secretly. However, when the river water began to thaw each year, the government relaxed its supervision, and as long as the fish did not go to the main canal, the officials would turn a blind eye.

Some poor families had a hard time making a living, so they took advantage of this opportunity to go fishing at night despite the ban, avoiding the eyes and ears of officials, and catching some fish and shrimps, which was at least a way to make a living.

That night, the old couple paddled their boat as usual, secretly casting their nets in the Bian River under the moonlight. However, just as the net sank into the water, it suddenly sank, and instead of catching any fish or shrimp, it caught a woman.

The parents-in-law were so frightened that they struggled to drag the person onto the deck. They found that she was still breathing, and then they calmed down a little. But then they saw that there was a cut on her shoulder and she was bleeding a lot. It was obvious that her life was in danger.

In the distance, they could vaguely hear the shouts of officials. The couple was fishing secretly to begin with, so how could they dare to alarm the officials? Not to mention that there was a half-dead young woman on the boat. The parents-in-law did not dare to stay any longer and hurriedly rowed the boat into the reed marsh.

The father-in-law knew some herbs, so he picked some and asked his wife to help her apply the medicine, bandage the wound, clean the wound, and take care of her carefully for more than half a month, which barely saved her life.

Zhe Rou heard the whole story and felt extremely grateful. She whispered, "Thank you, mother-in-law, for saving my life."

The old woman grinned and waved her hand.

The old man, hunched over, slowly sat down on a low stool by the door, his rough fingers rubbing his knees. After a moment's hesitation, he spoke, "Look at the lady's impressive demeanor... I'm afraid she's the wife of some wealthy family. There was a lot of commotion on the Bian River a few days ago. Are they looking for you? If so, I'll go to the city tomorrow and deliver a message for you."

The old woman nodded in agreement, "That's right! The officials coming and going, it looks like they're going to turn the whole river upside down..." She shook her head and sighed, "This is terrible, this is terrible. If this is really my family looking for me, I'm afraid they'll be terribly worried."

Zhe Rou couldn't help but be stunned.

Judging from the movement on the Bian River, it must be Lu Chen looking for her.

But since it was God's will that he would not find her, he might as well... just leave.

In a trance, those extremely familiar black eyes suddenly emerged in my mind.

Zhe Rou clutched the corner of the quilt tightly.

She knew better than anyone that he would be miserable and sad about this, but he would eventually be able to let it go, right? If one year wasn't enough, then two, if two years weren't enough, then three... A short pain was better than a long one, and it was always better than torturing each other.

Once this thought came to mind, it grew like wild weeds and could no longer be suppressed.

Zhe Rou calmed down and whispered in denial, "Those officials weren't here for me... To be honest, I was recently widowed and kicked out by my husband's family. Now I have no relatives in the capital."

The old woman gasped when she heard this, and immediately felt sympathy and pity. Now it all made sense. It turned out that he had been bullied, and that was why he was so depressed that he jumped into the river late at night.

"Then my lady...what are your plans for the future?"

Zhe Rou pursed her lips, still on guard, and didn't tell her the truth. She only let out a faint smile, "Thank you for your concern, mother-in-law. I have some relatives in the north and south, and I can take refuge with them."

Hearing that she still had relatives alive, the old woman couldn't help but feel relieved, "That's good... That's good."

The father-in-law, who had been silent until now, suddenly spoke up, "In my opinion, the north is not feasible. My wife should go south."

Zhe Rou was stunned and asked softly, "What do you mean, old man?"

The old man said, "Last month, the Western Qiang people came to our Great Zhou and said something about wanting a marriage alliance. Did you know about this, my lady?"

Zhe Rou's heart skipped a beat. After a moment's hesitation, she cautiously replied "yes" and smiled, pursing her lips: "Of course I have heard a little about such a big thing."

The old man nodded and continued, "Yesterday, I went into the city to sell fish. I heard that there was a huge disturbance in the north... As soon as the Qiang people left our Great Zhou border, they sent someone to..."

After a pause, he raised his hand and wiped his neck, and a "click" sound came from his rough throat.

Zhe Rou's expression suddenly changed, and her fingertips unconsciously clenched the corner of the quilt. After a while, she forced herself to be calm and whispered, "Is there... such a thing?"

"That's just gossip I heard from others," the old man shook his head, looked towards the northwest, and sighed, "You never know, there's going to be another war in the north..."

Zhe Rou's heart suddenly sank, as if it was being tightly grasped by an invisible hand. The heartbeat in her chest became faster and faster, pounding against her eardrums.

The emperor slammed the memorial down on the imperial desk with a loud bang. Veins on his forehead throbbed as he shouted, "Tell Lu Chen to get in here!"

Huaizhong was so frightened that he trembled, responded quickly, turned around and went out to summon him.

Soon, Lu Chen responded to the call and came in. He stepped forward, bowed, and knelt down.

All the palace servants who were standing by held their breath and retreated. The vermilion palace door closed heavily, and only the emperor and his ministers were left in the deep and spacious hall.

The official leaned forward, staring intently at the kneeling figure on the ground, and spoke almost word by word, "Is what you said in this petition true?"

Lu Chen said calmly, "Your Majesty, what I have said is true and not a single word is false."

Upon hearing this, the official could no longer suppress his anger. He suddenly picked up the petition and threw it at him, shouting, "Do you know how serious this crime is?!"

The sharp edge of the paper brushed against his forehead, leaving a bloody mark. Red blood beads slowly seeped out and meandered down.

Lu Chen let the blood flow, his eyelashes drooping, his expression calm and composed, "I acknowledge my guilt."

"You know?" The emperor laughed in anger, his whole body trembling with rage. He pointed a trembling hand at his face. "If you truly knew your guilt, how could you have the courage to confess to me? Do you think I can let you go and not punish you?!"

He was originally most worried about Mingqi's impulsive and strong character, and that he might do something stupid like killing people to vent his anger. So he specifically ordered him to be under house arrest and kept under close watch. He also sent the Qiang people away from the capital early while they were still rescuing people from the Bian River.

But who would have thought that while one was being watched, the other went crazy. Not only was he bold enough to intercept and kill the envoys, but now he even dared to openly enter the palace and surrender himself!

The official felt his temples throbbing, his anger rising to the top of his head, and he felt dizzy, with the shocking words in the urgent report constantly appearing in his mind.

As Li Baoji was about to leave the border of the Great Zhou, he was ambushed and killed at night. His body's limbs were all broken, his head was missing, and his body was covered in blood and flesh, making it difficult to look directly at. The murderer's methods were extremely brutal and cruel, which shows how deep his resentment and hatred were.

The official grew angrier as he pondered this. He lowered his head and searched for a moment, then, with trembling hands, he picked up the inkstone and smashed it down, cursing, "You're completely mad! This isn't just a personal grudge between you and your family! Li Baoji died lightly, but have you ever considered the unrest on the border and the stability of the country? Who will shoulder the responsibility for such a huge issue? Ah! Even if I skin you alive, it wouldn't be enough to appease the situation!"

The blood on his forehead dripped down his brow bone, spreading a scarlet patch in front of his eyes. Lu Chen lowered his eyes and spoke slowly.

"I pursued them all the way to Western Qiang territory before I took action. On the surface, I have nothing to do with the Great Zhou. Li Baoji has been engaged in a long-standing feud with his uncle. His death will undoubtedly spark suspicion and internal strife among all parties in Western Qiang. The Western Qiang king is old and ill, and likely unable to suppress the rebellion. Chaos is inevitable in Western Qiang.

The Huqi people are adjacent to the Western Qiang and have always lived a nomadic life. Last year, there was heavy snow, and this spring there may be no grass for cattle and sheep to eat. However, there is a lot of grain stored in the northern border of the Great Zhou Dynasty. If necessary, the grain can be used as bait to drive away the tigers and devour the wolves.

The Qiang people have harassed our borders and humiliated our people. Negotiating peace is a helpless move. If our dynasty can seize this opportunity to wipe out the royal court, a single battle could ensure twenty years of peace in the northern border."

The official's eyes moved slightly.

"If something unexpected happens during this time, and the Western Qiang rebel, the emperor can hand me over to the Western Qiang to kill or slice me up, and they can do whatever they want with me. This is also a way to pacify the situation."

After a pause, he calmly raised his head and decisively concluded, "If I die, the northern border will be stable."

After hearing what he said, the official's tense shoulders relaxed a little. He slowly leaned back and snorted coldly, "That's a very thorough plan..."

The emperor glanced sideways downward, rubbing his fingertips against the armrest of the armchair for a moment before asking, "If that's the case, why don't you wait until the situation in Western Qiang becomes clear before making any plans? Are you so eager to confess your crimes? Are you expecting me to skin you alive?"

Lu Chen leaned forward and kowtowed, his Adam's apple rolling. He said in a deep voice, "I only seek justice."

"Justice?" The official was so angry that he laughed. "I've already asked you to kill someone, what justice do you still want?"

"According to my investigation, Li Baoji's actions were instigated by the Third Prince. I, a humble minister of the Qiang Liao tribe, can take my own life, but the Third Prince's crime still requires the emperor's judgment."

The official suddenly clasped the armrest tightly. After a moment, he narrowed his eyes and leaned forward. "What did you say?"

Lu Chen raised his head, meeting that deep, scrutinizing gaze. He slowly straightened his back and spoke each word with a coldness as iron: "The Third Prince harbors a grudge against Mingqi. To this end, he has disregarded the safety of the country and the reputation of the royal family. He instigated foreign invaders and used my first wife as a pretext to provoke a fight between Mingqi and the Qiang Liao tribe. My wife has done nothing wrong. I must demand justice for her."

Upon hearing this, the official's body completely froze, and the fingertips in his sleeves were clenched until they turned slightly white.

It's not that he hadn't thought that the third brother would do something to that woman and make things difficult for Mingqi. Naturally, he was also happy to see what the outcome of the fight between the two brothers would be.

But he never expected that the rebellious son would be so indiscriminate.

"Since I have committed this crime, I deserve only death. However, my wife suffered this misfortune innocently, and her injustice must be redressed. Trade my life for justice for her." After a pause, Lu Chen knelt again and kowtowed heavily, "I hope the emperor will understand..."

As soon as the words fell, the hall fell into silence, and only the official's slow breathing could be clearly heard.

After a long silence, the emperor suddenly snorted coldly and said sarcastically, "Since you have such audacity, why do you need me to judge you? Commander Lu is so capable, why not sneak into the Third Brother's house at night and kill him with a single blow?"

Lu Chen simply said, "I dare not."

"It's not that I don't dare, but that I don't want to." The emperor sneered, narrowing his eyes slightly and sneering, "If I wasn't worried about my mother still being alive, I would probably collect not only the news of Li Baoji's death, but also the news of the third brother's death."

Lu Chen lowered his eyes and said nothing.

The emperor's eyes examined him for a long moment, then he finally nodded. "I need to investigate this matter in detail. If the Third Brother is truly guilty, I will not show any leniency." He raised his head and called out to the outside of the hall, "Someone come here."

Armor rubbed against each other and made a clanging sound, and the imperial guards on duty responded and came in.

The emperor lowered his eyes to look at the kneeling figure in the hall, stared at him for a moment, and then gave an order in a deep voice: "Lu Chen has been disrespectful in front of the emperor and has spoken recklessly and offended his superiors. He will be temporarily detained in the Imperial City Office to await punishment."

Having thus obtained what he desired, Lu Chen remained calm, bowed his head in greeting, and stood up to retreat with the imperial guards.

The hall fell silent again.

Seeing that it was getting late and dusk was gradually falling, the emperor was silent for a long time. He turned around and called Huaizhong, "Where is Mingqi? Is he feeling better today? Go, ask him to come and have dinner with me."

Huaizhong's expression tensed slightly. After a moment's hesitation, he whispered, "This servant thinks he's recovered... Just now, just now the young prince came... and waited outside the palace gate for a while. Now, I don't know where he has gone..."

"Asshole!" The official's face suddenly changed, and he slammed the table and shouted angrily: "Who allowed him to come? Why didn't you stop him?!"

Huaizhong was groaning in his heart. It was obvious that the emperor was concerned about the little prince's illness and had relaxed his measures, allowing the ancestor to move around freely. How could he have the courage to stop him?

But she couldn't say these words out loud, so she could only kneel down and kowtow to admit her guilt. "This servant deserves death! Please calm down, sir..."

The emperor ignored him and called out, "Go and bring Xie Yunzhou to me!"

Not long after, the imperial guards hurried in to report, "Your Majesty, half a cup of tea ago, the young prince said he wanted to return to the Duke's Mansion and has already left the palace through the Donghua Gate!"

Suddenly, everything went dark before the official's eyes.

That little beast has been practicing martial arts since he was young and has an extraordinary hearing ability. I'm afraid he heard every word of the conversation in the palace just now. Now he suddenly makes an excuse to leave the palace. What he is going to do is simply obvious!

"Chen Sui! Where is Chen Sui?!" The emperor slammed the table in anger and shouted, "Take people to the Third Prince's house immediately and stop that bastard for me! Go!"