Li Lao Er's expression was particularly complicated. He waved his hand to interrupt him and asked, "You've been back for a few days now. Do you already know that the Northern Expeditionary Army is about to return victorious?"
"Did you and Jiayi also make contributions in the Hailan Army?"
Liu Yang nodded hurriedly, "We captured the Japanese pirate general and were originally going to go to the capital with General Tang to present him as a prisoner, but we heard that the princess was sick, so we asked for a boat and came back early."
"On the day we entered the city, we heard the Northern Expeditionary Army report their victory, and Jiayi said he wanted to cause some trouble..."
"Nonsense!"
Li Zhensheng knew his nephew was sensible, but he was even more heartbroken that his nephew had ruined the achievements he had earned through hard work. He scolded, "How could you not come home and discuss such a big matter before making a decision on your own?"
Li Lao Er glanced at the pale-faced old lady, fearing that she might be frightened into something bad, and quickly said, "Everyone, don't worry, Jia Yi is not a child anymore."
"Although this was done rashly, it was not entirely unprepared."
"Firstly, Wu Yan is a fugitive, and secondly, Jia Yi killed someone by mistake while drunk. Combined, their crimes certainly do not warrant the death penalty."
"Let's make some connections first, so that Jiayi won't suffer in jail."
"When the Hailan Army enters the capital in a few days, and the Marquis and the Fourth Prince also return, it will be easy to get him out."
"At most, his merits and demerits will cancel each other out. With this kid's abilities, he'll carve out a path for himself in less than two years!"
Everyone felt a little relieved after hearing this.
But in the end, Jiayi is still in jail.
Old Mrs. Li, barely managing to stay upright, called Tao Hongying and the others, and quickly prepared bedding and a padded jacket for Jiayi, along with some dry rations and loose silver, all of which were put into the bundle.
Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Er, along with Liu Yang and Jia Ren, the three brothers, boarded the carriage carrying their packages.
When Liu the镖头 and his wife arrived, they only had time to glance at their son before the carriage hurriedly departed.
Jiaren vaguely remembered that Lu Zong seemed to have some connections with the Prefect of Jingzhao, so he changed carriages upon entering the city and went to Lu's house to look for him.
Lu Zong took his last dose of medicine a few days ago, recovered his health, and the Li family was out of danger, so he returned to the city.
Today, Jia Xu happened to come over, and the two were talking when they suddenly saw Jia Ren coming over, which made them very happy.
Jiaren didn't stand on ceremony and explained the situation directly, then bowed and asked for help.
Lu Zong and Jia Xu were both extremely shocked.
Lu Zong said, "Jiaren, your brother is a ruthless man. That was the Empress's brother, and he killed him without hesitation!"
Jia Xu nodded vigorously, "Going back several hundred years, there wasn't a figure as formidable as him!"
Jiaren smiled wryly, "Jiayi had been drinking and hit him a little too hard. I didn't expect that young master Wu to be so easily beaten."
Lu Zong and Jia Xu were both smart people, so they didn't say anything more.
Lu Zong called over a guard and asked him a few questions.
This guard had a cousin who was the jailer in the Jingzhao Yin prison.
This is wonderful! A local official is more powerful than a distant one. With someone like this looking after us, we don't have to worry about Jiayi suffering in jail.
They set off immediately and soon arrived at the Prefectural Governor's Office.
Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Er had just visited the prefect, presented him with generous gifts, and received a promise that Jia Yi would not be subjected to torture or forced confessions.
In reality, even if they didn't bribe anyone, the Prefect of the Capital didn't intend to make things difficult for Jiayi.
From the moment he learned of Jiayi's identity, the prefect understood that this matter was a conflict between the Li and Wu families.
One was a rising star in the court, a favorite of the emperor.
The other is the Empress's maternal family. Although they've been imprisoned, the Empress hasn't been deposed yet. Who knows when she might rise again...
He can't afford to offend either side!
Handle matters honestly and impartially; take the benefits if there are any, and let it go if there aren't.
Once the battle between the two sides is resolved, the matter will naturally pass...
Winter days are short; the sun is often obscured by clouds before it sets behind the western mountains, and the world darkens.
Because the prison of the Prefect of the Capital was built underground, it was already dark long before nightfall.
Thick pieces of wood, about the size of a bowl, were erected one by one, dividing the space into small sections.
Each space contained three to five prisoners.
There were thieves, robbers, and hooligans who harassed women.
In short, although they came in for different reasons, their current status is exactly the same: prisoners.
In one of the innermost cells, a young man in black clenched his fist and kicked a burly man into a pile of rotten straw.
The burly man had messy hair and tattered clothes. He bared his teeth menacingly, looking as if he was about to pounce at any moment, yet also somewhat fearful.
Not far away, three or five prison guards stood with their arms crossed, watching the commotion with amusement.
One of the jailers said, "Who is this kid? He's got some skills!"
"They scared off all the troublemakers here in just a few moves. Could they be a notorious bandit?"
His companion tugged at him and said, "You just changed shifts, haven't you heard yet?"
"This kid is something else, killing someone in the street while drunk!"
"Murder?" The jailer exclaimed in surprise, then laughed, "No wonder, he's a ruthless man!"
"I wonder what his family does for a living. This case is no small one. We might just make a small fortune again!"
The others laughed, "We were just thinking about that too. But the kid was dressed plainly, and they searched him when they locked him up. There wasn't anything valuable. Maybe he's not worth much."
"It's okay if there's not much profit. What are we doing? We're oil pressers!" one of the guards joked, winking and saying, "Brother, you're a bit short on cash lately. How about you go easy on me and let me have a bowl all to myself?"
"Come on, everyone's broke!" His companion tugged at him, unwilling to give up the chance to make money.
Just then, a thin, old man walked in. The jailers, hearing the commotion, quickly bowed and tried to curry favor.
"Boss, what brings you here? Aren't you on the night shift?"
"Yes, boss, if you need anything, just give the order."
The old man waved his hand, signaling everyone to be quiet. Then he glanced around the cell and finally pointed to the unfamiliar man in black, saying, "That man is a hero who killed Japanese pirates in the south. His crime this time was an accident. His family sent word to us to keep an eye on him."
"You all need to keep your minds in check and not reach out recklessly, or you'll easily get yourself into trouble."
"Their family will be sending things over in a little while. Don't stop them; you'll definitely get your share of the benefits."
The jailers listened intently, their eyes darting around, their minds racing with curiosity.
One of the prison guards, relying on his thick skin, stepped forward with a grin and asked, "Boss, could you say a few more words? What's this kid's identity? If the brothers know, they can better 'treat him appropriately'!"
The old man looked around and said in a low voice, "The one who was kicked to death in the alley earlier has been identified. He's the eldest son of the Wu family who's on the run."
The eldest son of the Wu family?
Everyone gasped and stared at each other for a long time without saying a word.
Although he was a fugitive, he was still the emperor's brother-in-law! How could he be beaten to death like that?!
Everyone looked at the man in black with complicated expressions; this man was probably not going to make it!
Then the old man added another sentence.
"The man who injured someone is the son of the Marquis of Zhongshan, the grandson of the Li family of Suijintan. He has been fighting Japanese pirates in the Hailan Army and has just returned to Xindu..."
"The Li family?!"
The jailers all cried out in surprise, nearly biting their tongues.
Before they could ask any more questions, two more soldiers entered, both beaming with joy...
Served at midnight~~~
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