Chapter 5 Chapter 5 "Ordinary torture instruments are not suitable for your...
The sleeping mother and daughter were startled and both stood up, with confusion still on their faces.
"W-what?"
The housekeeper was about to cry. She grabbed Luo's arm and almost pressed her face against hers, shouting, "Oh, Madam, it's the Imperial Guards! The Imperial Guards are here!"
Luo's body swayed, and she woke up and almost fainted from fright. "Jin, why are the Jinyiwei here? Stop them quickly!"
To ordinary people, the "Jinyiwei" were like the Asuras and the King of Hell. Anyone who could mobilize the Jinyiwei would either be guilty of treason and beheaded, or be exiled.
Just as Luo and Li Susu were hugging each other, not knowing what to do, the gate of Lanyue Pavilion was finally opened from the inside. Zhao Qingyi, who had already finished dressing up, walked out of the gate gracefully with the help of her maid.
Seeing the slightly embarrassed Luo mother and daughter at the door, Zhao Qingyi raised his eyebrows in surprise.
The panicked Luo Shi seemed to have seen a shield for a moment, and without saying a word, she pushed her and said, "Go and see, what are the Jinyiwei doing here?"
Zhao Qingyi didn't move, but just slowly dusted off her clothes. "Mother-in-law, if you haven't done anything wrong, why should you be afraid of the Jinyiwei?"
The next moment, several more maids came stumbling over, followed closely by seven or eight Jinyiwei in flying fish uniforms and embroidered spring swords on their waists. The leader had a dark complexion, cold brows and eyes, and a three-inch long scar on his forehead. He looked like someone who was not to be messed with.
When that fierce gaze swept over, Luo's legs trembled unconsciously.
Zhao Qingyi remained calm and bowed slightly to the person who came over. "Captain Yang."
You actually know each other?
Several people turned their eyes to Zhao Qingyi at the same time, as if they were looking at a savior. Luo Shi didn't care that she had just insulted Zhao Qingyi yesterday, and hid behind her happily.
"My dear daughter-in-law, do you know this gentleman? Then you must have a good talk with him. Our family are all good citizens..."
The leading captain, Captain Yang, kept his eyes fixed on Luo without saying a word.
Luo Shi felt so frightened by his gaze that she simply lowered her head.
Captain Yang then nodded to Zhao Qingyi, "Last night, someone reported to the Northern Pacification Office that someone in the Li family was dissatisfied with the current emperor and had spoken ill of him. The higher-ups also sent word that the Northern Pacification Office must arrest the individual and conduct a thorough investigation. Madam Zhao, please be lenient."
Luo and Li Susu shuddered and waved their hands, "No, no, no, this... this is completely false! It's not happening!"
She is just a commoner, how dare she offend His Majesty?
Li Susu also ran over and tugged at Zhao Qingyi's sleeve, "Sister-in-law, please explain clearly to this gentleman. Our family is innocent and cannot bear this stigma. Mother, she is old, and she cannot be sent to the imperial prison!"
Zhao Qingyi remained silent, and Luo Shi also tried to persuade her, her tone extremely humble. "My dear daughter-in-law, it's all my fault, mother-in-law. I lost my mind yesterday and spoke without thinking! I was stupid and ignorant!"
As Luo spoke, she slapped herself several times and pleaded in a tearful voice, "But you know, I, I dare not have any disrespectful thoughts... If something happens to me, what will happen to my Che'er? He is also your husband..."
As if Zhao Qingyi was touched, she took a deep breath and smiled at Captain Yang. "Last night's incident was just my mother-in-law complaining about me, so I said something wrong. The Jinyiwei have spies all over the capital. I believe Captain Yang knows better than anyone what kind of people this Li family is. Whether it is a misunderstanding or not, you should be able to judge for yourself."
Unexpectedly, Captain Yang, who always had a cold face and looked difficult to deal with, nodded slightly after hearing this. "What Grandma said is absolutely true. However, since someone has reported the case, our Jinyiwei can only handle it impartially. If the rumors are false, we will release the person."
Luo looked at Zhao Qingyi hopefully, hoping that she could help her a little more. Unexpectedly, Zhao Qingyi nodded and said, "In that case, I can't stop you." Then she took a big step to the left.
Luo's mother and daughter were shocked. Before they could say anything, two Jinyiwei came forward and grabbed Luo on the left and right. Li Susu was forced to hide aside, watching the scene with tears in her eyes.
"No, I am innocent! I am innocent!"
Imperial prison! That was an imperial prison. Just hearing about it was enough to scare her to death. Luo couldn't imagine herself being imprisoned in there, being tortured. Driven by the desire to survive, she was like a hen struggling desperately, trying every possible way to break free from the Jinyiwei.
Before she could break free, Captain Yang stepped forward and plucked the gold hairpins and pearls from her hair. "According to Daliang law, officials below the sixth rank, their families, and civilians are forbidden from wearing gold jewelry. Anyone caught wearing gold jewelry will be flogged fifty times, fined, and taken away!"
It was not known whether Mrs. Luo was afraid of death or felt sorry for the gold jewelry she had saved with great difficulty, she immediately burst into tears with her face raised. Li Susu was also frightened and her face turned pale, and she was at a loss.
In the early years, the laws in Daliang were strict, and there were even old cases where people's homes were confiscated for wearing gold bracelets. However, during the Dingxi period, His Majesty was enlightened, wealthy businessmen emerged in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas, and people lived a prosperous life. Many wealthy landlords' wives dared to wear gold jewelry in private, and the government often turned a blind eye and did not pursue the matter. Unexpectedly, it became a handle for them.
Mrs. Luo cried bitterly, "My dear daughter-in-law, please beg for mercy! I am stupid and don't know these etiquette rules! Heaven is my witness, I have no intention of being disrespectful or presumptuous!"
Zhao Qingyi pretended not to hear and let the Jinyiwei take the person away. Until the figure completely disappeared from the horizon, Li Susu leaned against the pillar and slid down dejectedly.
Tears overflowed from my eyes unconsciously, "It's over, it's over..."
The other maids didn't know what to do and could only look at Zhao Qingyi, the only relatively calm person in the Li family.
Even if you don't know anything else, just seeing that the ferocious captain was respectful and polite to the grandmother, you can tell that the grandmother is a powerful person who can control the situation.
Li Susu struggled, tugging at Zhao Qingyi's sleeve and nearly kneeling down. "Sister-in-law, you know that captain, please be kind and ask them to be lenient. My mother knows she was wrong and won't dare to do it again! That prison is like a death cave. She's too old to bear it!"
Zhao Qingyi pretended to be helpless and sighed, "I have no say in the Li family, and you and mother-in-law have different ideas. If I say too much, I will make you unhappy like I did yesterday. But I think it's a good thing that I was quick yesterday and removed all the things that shouldn't be left in your and mother-in-law's rooms. Otherwise, if the Jinyiwei investigated today, I would have to go to the imperial prison."
"From now on, I will obey you in everything!"
Li Susu didn't even think twice and said firmly, "As long as sister-in-law is willing to come forward to rescue mother, you will have the final say in the family from now on!"
If not Zhao Qingyi, who else could they turn to? The Li family had long since fallen on hard times and had no roots in the capital. The only person they could rely on now was Zhao Qingyi, a noblewoman from a prominent family. With her around, they still had some connections that could be used to make things easier.
This was exactly what Zhao Qingyi had been waiting for. She pondered for a moment and sighed, "Well, my father once did a favor to Captain Yang. I've prepared a generous gift and come to visit, hoping to help my mother-in-law suffer less in prison."
Having said that, Luo Shi had to suffer no less.
When Luo arrived at the gate of the imperial prison and was pushed into the corridor, the damp and moldy smell mixed with the smell of blood suddenly choked her throat, making her feel nauseous again.
At the urging of the jailer, she had to walk deeper into the corridor. The crackling torches on both sides reflected the layers of bloodstains on the wall. The grooves of varying depths still contained blackened nails and flesh.
Luo felt his scalp tingling, and he seemed to be able to hear the squeaking sound of the prisoner scratching the wall with his hands as he was dragged into the cell.
Captain Yang walked in front and kicked open the iron bars of the dungeon. Luo was then pushed in.
"Judging from the way the old lady dresses, she must be a respectable person. Ordinary torture instruments would probably not appeal to her."
Captain Yang lifted a soft whip made of nine strands of rawhide from the salt water bucket. His rough fingertips deliberately stroked the tiny barbs on the tip of the whip. "This is a nine-tailed whip, only found in Ryukyu. It's used to punish ladies who hold imperial decrees. This old lady has overstepped her bounds more than once. Using this is a sign of respect for you."
His face looked even more terrifying against the backdrop of the torches in the Imperial Hell. "Don't underestimate it. With one lash of the whip, the more precious the clothes, the more intact the flesh will be..."
—
That evening, Zhao Qingyi had wine and food prepared and sent to the Northern Pacification Office. He then took off the mutton-fat jade bracelet on his wrist and stuffed it into Captain Yang's hand.
In fact, Luo's crime was not serious. The current emperor was young and open-minded, and was not strict about it. It all depended on how the people below wanted to act. As long as the benefits were in place, such minor crimes were easy to solve.
The next day, Luo was released, but when he came out, he looked as if his skin had been peeled off. He was emaciated and looked dazed. His hair, which was not thick to begin with, was a mess. There were red marks on his wrists from being bound by ropes, and the backs of his arms were covered with whip marks.
When she saw Li Susu at the gate of the imperial prison, Luo's eyes filled with tears and she threw herself into her daughter's arms and cried miserably.
Tan Yue didn't want to waste time, so she lifted the indigo curtain and a pleasant scent of agarwood wafted out from the car.
"Old lady, get in the car."
When Luo came out, she heard from the Jinyiwei inside that it was Zhao Qingyi who paid money to bribe people to save her from imprisonment. However, although she could escape the death penalty, she could not escape the living punishment and still had to bear ten lashes from Captain Yang.
Still at the gate of the imperial prison, Luo Shi did not dare to shout, and endured the pain as she hunched over and got into the carriage.
"Mother-in-law, take care of your wound."
Without even raising her head, Zhao Qingyi's fair fingertips moved half an inch from the gilded incense burner. The incense that had just been lit inside dispelled the bloody smell that was coming from Luo's body.
After the carriage started moving, Zhao Qingyi spoke slowly, "After returning home, I hope my mother-in-law will hand over the housekeeping cards to my daughter-in-law."
Luo, who was in pain all over, immediately woke up and said, "No!"
Zhao Qingyi was silent for a moment, then glanced over with clear eyes. Li Susu, who was sandwiched in between, took a deep breath and secretly tugged at the corner of Luo's clothes.
"mother……"
Li Susu kept winking at us, "Sister-in-law is doing this for our own good. Look at this disaster, luckily it didn't implicate my brother..."
She was counting on her brother to rise to prominence so that she could marry into a wealthy family in the future.
Seeing Luo's miserable state, Li Susu would recall what Tan Yue had reminded her of that day in Lan Yue Pavilion. She would suddenly feel lucky that she had moved the things in her room out, otherwise, she might be the one to be imprisoned today.
Compared with money, life is of course more important. What's more, being arrested and imprisoned is really shameful. She is still an unmarried girl and always has to consider her own marriage.
"Pooh!"
Mrs. Luo glared at her daughter with a look of dismay. "I think this disaster is most likely caused by her! And you still offer her up as a sacrifice?"
She pointed at Zhao Qingyi, her chin slightly raised, "No matter what you're planning, if you want to take over the family power, forget it!"
What a joke! Being the head of the household is her lifeblood.
The things in the house were moved out, but the shops and farms were still in her hands.
Even if she was unwilling to admit it, Luo knew that the Li family's survival depended on Zhao Qingyi's dowry. Once she gave up the power to manage the family, she would have to hand over the shop, which was all hard-earned money.
Zhao Qingyi was not in a hurry either. He took the celadon cup handed to him by Tan Yue next to him. Mist was rising from the Junshan silver needle in the cup.
"It's not that I want to fight for power. If I think the Li family can prosper under your leadership and you can help my husband, I have nothing to say."
Luo choked, but she refused to bow her head and snorted coldly, "My son, I will naturally consider him, it's not your turn..."
Before he could finish his words, the carriage suddenly stopped, causing Luo and Li Susu to stagger and almost hit their heads against the wall of the carriage.
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