Imprisonment 7

On the fourth day of her imprisonment, Wang Pan'er gradually began to adapt to the rhythm of dungeon life. After waking up to the sound of chains being dragged, she obediently joined the kiln-firing team.

The jailer had been bribed by many people, and as long as she didn't cause trouble, he basically let her have her way.

In addition, the uncle next door shamelessly delivered all the charcoal today and guarded the kiln so she could rest aside. The jailer also turned a blind eye, so it wasn't too hard to bear.

Wang Pan'er was still a little confused and asked the uncle, "Are you sure you don't need me to do it anymore?"

The middle-aged man was sweating profusely, like rain, but his nimble hands remained unaffected: "No need, no need. When your lover comes tonight, say a few nice words to me and I'll get some good food in return."

"Oh." Wang Pan'er understood. Mu Chuan had made a deal with the uncle using food, asking him to take care of her.

The older man took on the work of two people, working effortlessly with great effort.

It's no wonder that in agrarian societies, men were able to accumulate resources for survival and occupy the top of the food chain; their physical strength was definitely a natural advantage.

Seeing Wang Pan'er in a daze, the uncle leaned closer again, gossiping, "Was that girl from yesterday really your lover?"

Wang Pan'er looked at his grimy, unwashed hair and took several steps back in disgust: "What are you doing? So what if he's my lover!"

The uncle's honest face revealed a half-smile, and his eyes darted around: "I didn't realize that the young lady had such a penchant for eating certain foods."

Wang Pan'er: "..."

For so many days, people had gotten used to Mu Chuan parading around the manor in women's clothing, never considering how much gossip he would provide for those who didn't know the situation.

The backstory of Mu Chuan dressing as a woman was long and complicated, involving some secrets and personal motives. Wang Pan'er was too lazy to bother sorting out the information and explained it to outsiders, so she remained silent.

But the older man got excited and gave her a thumbs up: "Girl, you've got some skills! Such a top-notch beauty, and so virtuous, and you've managed to win her over. I'm a model now!"

Wang Pan'er's face darkened, and she forced a smile.

Seeing that Wang Pan'er wasn't completely ignoring him, the uncle felt he had managed to get closer to her and continued, "Yesterday I asked you about the Su family because I wanted to know if there was any possibility that the Su family's misdeeds would be exposed."

Has the truth come out?

Wang Pan'er glanced at the uncle suspiciously, thinking to herself, "This guy really knows the inside story."

She probed, "Are you referring to the Su family's private ironworks?"

Upon hearing this, the uncle disregarded all propriety between men and women and immediately covered Wang Pan'er's mouth with his black, coal-dust-covered hands: "Oh, Grandma, please speak softly."

He glanced around furtively to make sure no one had overheard Wang Pan'er's words before letting go of her hand. He then whispered, "They're not just involved in illegal ironworks, otherwise why would they want to silence me? If it weren't for saving my life, who would want to eat this prison food? Unlike you, I don't have people visiting me in prison or bringing you news from the outside world. I just hope the Su family falls so I can get bailed out as soon as possible."

It wasn't just private railways; there were other crimes as well.

Wang Pan'er sat up straight and began to speculate.

The uncle must have seen Su Lingzhao come looking for him, and that's why he came to test the waters. The people in this dungeon are all criminals, and there aren't many good people among them. The uncle probably wouldn't dare to easily reveal that he knows about the Su family's crimes.

Those with real skills are all at large, and even if they're unlucky enough to get caught, they'll definitely receive special treatment. The disheveled, downtrodden uncle, struggling to make ends meet, taking on all the work clearly doesn't have any real talent.

After much deliberation, Wang Pan'er decided to offer her bargaining chip: "As I've said before, I'm currently working for the imperial court. His Majesty attaches great importance to the illegal ironworks in Jinzhou, and my lover is someone he personally sent to investigate the leads. My imprisonment this time is to stabilize the current situation between the Su family and the prefect. If you know anything inside, feel free to tell us so that the Su family can confess and be brought to justice as soon as possible, and you can be released from prison to live a normal life."

Seeing that Wang Pan'er could mention the smuggled iron, the uncle concluded that she must know the inside story, and since the Su family had managed to imprison her in the dungeon, she couldn't possibly be in cahoots with them. Having suffered enough in the dungeon, the uncle gritted his teeth, made up his mind, closed his eyes, and said, "Then tonight, let me personally have a talk with you, my lover."

“Okay.” Wang Pan’er agreed, and then, without any guilt, moved away from the hottest part of the kiln, sat down, and began to slack off.

She drank a bowl of thin porridge with very little rice in the morning, and at noon, she was too hot to eat around the kiln. She didn't want to eat cornbread in the evening, and now that the sun is setting, her stomach is rumbling loudly, eagerly awaiting its arrival.

Fortunately, not long after nightfall, Mu Chuan arrived carrying two food boxes.

As soon as Mu Chuan appeared, the uncle leaned over the fence, eagerly anticipating his extra meal.

Mu Chuan prepared a delicate four-dish-and-one-soup meal for Wang Pan'er as always, while the uncle's meal was much more bland, consisting of a large bowl of oil-splashed noodles with some casually prepared home-style vegetables as toppings.

However, the food on the estate was excellent. Even the home-cooked meals were comparable to what a lazy person would eat during the New Year, not to mention the generous portions.

The uncle wasn't picky; he smacked his lips and watched Mu Chuan pick up the large bowl of noodles glistening with red oil, his mouth practically watering.

Mu Chuan glanced at him and asked Wang Pan'er, "How was today?"

Wang Pan'er took Mu Chuan's left arm and sat down, watching Mu Chuan set out the dishes with his right hand: "That's great! Thanks to you, I don't have to do any chores myself!"

Mu Chuan gave a haughty snort, and only after receiving Wang Pan'er's approval did he carry a large bowl of noodles to the other side.

The uncle was extremely hungry and ate in a very uncouth manner, making loud, slurping noises. This angered Mu Chuan, who said, "Keep your voice down, or you'll disturb my Pan'er's meal."

"Alright!" the uncle readily agreed, trying not to make a sound, while eating and looking up to observe the unusual young couple eating together.

Mu Chuan not only brought Wang Pan'er four dishes and a soup, but also a lot of nuts and melon seeds in a sachet: "Take these with you when you go to work, and eat them secretly when no one is watching, so you won't go hungry during the day. Cheng Xi also prepared a lot of pastries for you, but the dungeon is damp and I was worried that rats and insects would eat them and they would be unclean, so I didn't bring them with me."

Wang Pan'er ate her fill of food, her cheeks bulging, and looked at the thoughtful Mu Chuan with a beaming smile.

After rummaging through the food box, Mu Chuan pulled out a pair of thick strips of cotton cloth from his sleeve.

While Wang Pan'er was eating, he lifted her calf and tied a strip of cotton cloth around her ankle: "Yesterday I saw that your ankle was chafed by the iron chain, so I specially asked Xiaoyao to sew it for you over the past few days."

They even noticed this detail.

Wang Pan'er crossed her legs and looked at the ankle brace wrapped around her ankle, feeling extremely satisfied.

So what if I'm in jail? I have two younger sisters and someone I love. It's so much more comfortable than the original owner's life in Wangjia Village, and much more interesting than her bland life in modern times.

She finished her meal happily and said to Mu Chuan, "The uncle next door used to be a shop assistant at the Liuyun Chamber of Commerce. He stumbled upon their secret ironwork and was about to be silenced by Master Su. That's why he used the charge of theft to hide in jail. He has something to say to you."

Mu Chuan tilted his head slightly and raised the corner of his mouth: "You're really something."

Then he immediately stood up, walked over to the uncle, leaned down and sat down, saying to the uncle, "Tell me, what do you know?"

The middle-aged man had finished his noodles. After a moment of silence, he realized he had no leverage to negotiate with anyone, so he could only plead, "I have only one request."

Mu Chuan gestured for him to speak: "Please speak freely."

The man pulled a brass key from his pocket: "I don't trust the jailers. I hope you two young ladies will use my house key as a token and ask someone to inform me after the Su family falls from grace."

That's clever; one lock for one key, making it very difficult for others to forge this token.

Mu Chuan took the keys: "This is a small matter. I estimate it will be within the next few days. If you can wait, you can explain after you get out of prison."

Seeing Mu Chuan's tone, the uncle breathed a sigh of relief; "No, since I've promised to let you know, the time doesn't matter."

He suddenly lowered his voice: "Master Su and Prefect Zhao not only smuggled iron, but also built a bridge to bribe important figures in the capital."

Mu Chuan and Wang Pan'er already knew about this, so they weren't surprised. It was the uncle's turn to be shocked: "You even knew about this?"

Wang Pan'er replied, "Whether it's smuggling or bribery, it involves a wide range of people. Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws. As long as we are determined to investigate, it's only a matter of time before they are exposed."

Mu Chuan asked, "Did you hear who they were bribing?"

The middle-aged man shook his head: "I only heard them call him Mr. Seven Orifices."

Wang Pan'er frowned: "They're using code names, which are very difficult to decipher."

Mu Chuan thanked the uncle for the clue, promised that the two of them would definitely get him out of the dungeon, and then pulled Wang Pan'er back to the corner of her cubicle.

“It’s not difficult,” Mu Chuan suddenly said.

Wang Pan'er didn't react: "What?"

Mu Chuan repeated, "Deciphering it isn't difficult."

Wang Pan'er rested her hands on her knees, tilted her head and looked at Mu Chuan: "Then tell me."

"The purpose of using a code name is to let acquaintances know your identity. Concealing your identity from strangers often has a certain meaning or symbolism."

"Similar to when you give yourselves a pen name?"

"More or less." Mu Chuan nodded, then analyzed, "When you hear 'seven orifices,' who comes to mind? This person is closely related to you merchants."

Wang Pan'er tentatively asked, "Bi Gan, the God of Wealth?"

Mu Chuan gave her a satisfied look: "It was him. After he was killed by having his seven-aperture exquisite heart removed, his wife gave birth to a son and went into seclusion in the forest. He was given the surname 'Lin' by King Wu of Zhou. Therefore, this Mr. Seven Apertures is most likely a descendant of the Lin family."

Wang Pan'er was fascinated by Mu Chuan's extensive knowledge, her eyes sparkling: "Wow, you're amazing! How do you even know all this?"

"When I have nothing to do, I like to read some unofficial histories and miscellaneous books. I have a broad understanding, but not in-depth knowledge." There are countless students, and Mu Chuan is not a top student. He felt a little ashamed when he was praised. "But luckily I am a jack-of-all-trades, so this solved the mystery."

Wang Pan'er found Mu Chuan's appearance extremely adorable, so she cupped his face and rubbed it, asking, "Are there any high-ranking officials with the surname Lin in the court?"

Mu Chuan went through the names of officials of the third rank and above in his mind: "No, but the wife of the Minister of Revenue is surnamed Lin. The reason why His Majesty sent me to Jinzhou to investigate secretly is because the Minister of Revenue was hesitant to report the Ministry of Works' accounts."

"The problem lies in the Ministry of Works' accounts. If the Ministry of Revenue is trying to frame us, then the relationship between the two ministries will be extremely tense."

“Your deduction is correct, but the cause and effect are reversed, so it can only be considered a guess.” Mu Chuan’s expression darkened. “But whether it is the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Revenue, or other high-ranking officials, the existence of people who run private ironworks is detrimental to His Majesty.”

"You said before that His Majesty is a wise ruler, so we must quickly find a way to make him aware of the danger."

"Sigh." Mu Chuan put his hand on Wang Pan'er's shoulder and sighed, "Passing the message on to the Emperor is no easy task. This time, with an imperial envoy coming, we are only able to do so thanks to Li Qingyan for delivering the letter to our teacher."

Wang Pan'er grasped Mu Chuan's hand in return: "Then there's no need to rush. With Master Su and Prefect Zhao about to fall from grace, you can set off to return to the capital immediately."

Mu Chuan took her hand that covered his face, kissed it, and said earnestly, "You promised me that you would come back to the capital with me for a trip. You must keep your promise."