Chapter 110: Imprisonment
The cell was dark.
The irritation that flashed across Lu Qian's eyes did not escape Song Lingyi's notice.
Although I don't know why he kept it a secret, there must be a reason. This man has a bad temper and has made many enemies in the capital. This wave of imprisonment is what he deserves.
"Since you are innocent, we will release you after the Pacification Office has investigated thoroughly," she said.
"It's not that easy." Lu Qian glared at her, his eyes sharp and lazy. "It's the order of His Royal Highness the Crown Prince to arrest me. What if he drags out the case and is unwilling to let me go?"
"How is that possible?" Song Lingyi retorted subconsciously.
Xiao Mingyi wasn't that kind of person. Xunxiang was a forbidden incense, and arresting Lu Qian was a matter of public duty, not a personal vendetta. Furthermore, they didn't interfere with each other's affairs, so why would Xiao Mingyi do this out of boredom?
Seeing her defending the prince like this, Lu Qian's expression changed slightly.
How is it impossible?
Not to mention that a few months ago, he knew that the dead girl was the cousin of the Duke's Mansion, but he didn't tell the prince; just say that the prince had been looking for someone for so long, and now he turned around and got engaged to Pei Zhao, how could the prince sit still?
Maybe he wanted to use this to get the dead girl to come to the palace to beg for mercy.
"Don't think too highly of others, or you might get eaten up."
Song Lingyi's eyebrows curved, and she patted the shackles between them, mockingly saying, "You're talking about yourself."
If you don't take precautions when doing business, you will be exploited.
"..." Lu Qian had a cold face and nothing to say.
The atmosphere inexplicably became quiet.
Song Lingyi stopped talking nonsense and sighed, "Everyone in the family is very worried about you. My uncle and the old lady both want to rescue you, but the case is still under investigation, and they are powerless..."
"Um."
Lu Qian uttered a word lightly, but his expression was restrained, without the awkward feeling from before. The dark circles under his eyes and his drooping eyelids made Song Lingyi feel a little lonely.
Perhaps she was used to the arrogant and unruly look of the young man in front of her, and now she saw him trapped in the imperial prison and looking a little down and out, she felt uncomfortable.
"Miss Song, Miss Song..."
Amidst the silence, a faint cry was heard from the cell next door.
Song Lingyi looked in the direction of the sound and saw Chu Yizhou with his head stuck in the middle of the cage, trying hard to look over here.
Chu Yizhou smiled heartlessly: "What good things did you bring? Don't just focus on A Qian, share some with me."
"What are you sharing?" Lu Qian said angrily, "Are you missing an arm or a leg? You're sharing the medicine. Do you think it's your meal?"
"Isn't there a food box? What delicious food is in it?" Chu Yizhou ignored Lu Qian's ridicule, his eyes full of the food box.
Song Lingyi took out the porridge and side dishes from the food box and distributed some to Chu Yizhou. She said politely, "I thought you would be tortured, so I prepared soups and dishes that are easy to digest..."
Seeing these two completely different attitudes, Lu Qian was furious. If there wasn't a wall between them, he really wanted to kick Chu Yizhou.
There were footsteps in the corridor.
"Miss Ali, it's time to go."
Song Lingyi didn't want to cause trouble for Xuanfeng, so she left the medicine to them and quickly left the imperial prison with him carrying the empty lunch box.
As I stepped out of the heavy wooden door, the moist earthy smell hit my nose.
The sky was gloomy, and even after being released from the imperial prison, Song Lingyi still felt depressed.
Hongju was waiting quietly beside the carriage. When she saw her daughter coming out, she immediately went to greet her with an umbrella.
"Miss, I have seen the young master. Is he okay?"
Song Lingyi nodded sullenly: "He and Chu Yizhou have not been punished yet. The case is still under investigation and they will not be released for a while."
Hongqi breathed a sigh of relief when she heard this.
"It's good that he didn't get tortured. The young master has delicate skin and tender flesh, and the Jinyiwei are ruthless. If he were tortured, I'm afraid he wouldn't be able to bear it."
After saying that, seeing that his girl still looked bitter and resentful, he asked softly, "What's wrong with the girl?"
Song Lingyi took a deep breath and shook her head, "Let's go back first."
The master and servant immediately boarded the carriage, which was shielded from wind and rain, and gradually warmed up.
Song Lingyi leaned against the wall, the words of the old lady and Lu Qian kept echoing in her mind, and she seemed to be lost in thought.
"I'm afraid that this time, my face won't be enough."
"My arrest was ordered by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince. What if he drags out the case and refuses to release me?"
My uncle is a powerful figure, and there are countless eyes on the Lu family. Moreover, the pretty boy was imprisoned because of a frame-up. If someone with ulterior motives continues to stir up trouble, wouldn't the pretty boy be in danger?
…
It was almost noon when we returned to the Duke's Mansion.
The servants in the mansion were busy and silent, and the atmosphere was solemn.
Song Lingyi couldn't wait to inform the Duke and his wife of Lu Qian's condition, hoping that her aunt would worry less and recover faster.
"Cousin, you really went to the Imperial Prison. Is it scary in there?"
Lu Yu's innocent words aroused the suspicion of the Duke and his wife.
The Pacification Office is not an ordinary government office. My niece has no official position and is a woman. Even if she has a relationship with the Duke's Mansion, the Jinyiwei should avoid suspicion. How could they let her in to visit the prison?
The couple looked at each other.
Lu Tanwei cleared his throat and asked, "Lingyi, please tell your uncle how you ended up in the Pacification Office."
Song Lingyi's dark eyes rolled slightly as she feigned innocence, "I happened to run into the deputy commander of the Pacification Division at the door. He saw me carrying so many bags and it was raining so hard... He probably felt sorry for me and let me in, but I only stayed for a short while."
Deputy commander of the Pacification Division?
Lu Tanwei thought about it carefully and realized that the man's name seemed to be Xuanfeng, and he was the prince's confidant. Thinking back to the engagement banquet, when the prince intervened to break up a fight between several girls, he sensed something was wrong.
"Lingyi, do you know His Royal Highness the Crown Prince?"
"..." Song Lingyi's heart tightened at the question, and she narrowed her eyes and smiled, "Uncle, have you forgotten? My father led troops to support Danyang County, and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince even said that he admired my father's righteousness."
"That's not what my uncle was talking about." Lu Tanwei frowned slightly, with an intriguing expression on his face. "Apart from this matter, have you and His Royal Highness the Crown Prince ever had any contact?"
Song Lingyi's face froze slightly, and she forced herself to remain calm, "No, he's the crown prince, living in the imperial city. How could I, a captain's daughter, have the chance to meet him?"
Seeing that there was no change in her expression, the Duke and his wife did not think about it any further.
But the Duke and his wife were easy to fool, but the old lady was not. In the afternoon, I went to pay my respects and told her about my visit to the prison at the Zhenfu Division. The old lady said sternly, "The deputy commander is a close minister to the Crown Prince. I heard he's very decisive and never shows mercy. How could he possibly let you into the Zhenfu Division?"
"Tell grandma honestly what's going on."
Facing the old lady's penetrating gaze, Song Lingyi felt immense pressure. After a moment's deliberation, she said, "Before, in Qingshi Town, His Royal Highness the Crown Prince saved me from the hands of thieves. It was only after arriving in the capital that I learned he was the Crown Prince."
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