jail
"Da, da, da, da."
Before he arrived, his voice preceded his arrival. The sound of the wooden cane striking the floor was slow and heavy, yet Lin Yi detected a hint of irregular urgency in it.
The elderly woman, her hair already silver, leaned on her cane, panting heavily. The jewels on her head swayed wildly with each breath, and her wrinkled lips opened and closed several times, but she was so angry that she didn't know where to begin.
The steward of the Liu family, who had been kneeling upright, disregarded etiquette upon seeing the old woman and rose to help her up.
Just as he stood up, the old woman shouted, "The Prefect has ordered you to kneel, so kneel!" She then tried to prostrate herself, but Yue Mingzhang quickly waved his hand, and a guard immediately stepped forward to stop him.
The old woman was agitated, her fingers trembling uncontrollably as the guards supported her. She glared fiercely at the culprit sitting comfortably on the stool beside her, ready to tear off all pretense of civility: "My Liu family is powerless and weak, and in this Mingzhou City, we are the kind of people who can be bullied at will. Today, even if I have to risk my life, I will seek justice!"
Lin Yi finally realized that she had acted inappropriately. She was only concerned with bluffing and had not considered the feelings of the deceased's family. If she put herself in their shoes, if her own loved one had just passed away and the suspect was sitting in a corner in court without any remorse, she would probably be furious too.
She was secretly annoyed; what she had just done was truly despicable.
Realizing her mistake, she could no longer sit still. She stood up, bowed respectfully to the woman, and said softly with her eyelashes lowered, "I'm sorry... please accept my condolences."
Upon hearing this, Liu's mother became even more furious. Despite being a respected "old lady" in the Liu family for many years, she could not control her temper and wanted to tear apart these murderers who had used their power to kill her grandson and daughter-in-law.
She struggled desperately to break free from the guards supporting her, but the difference in strength was too great. The seventy-year-old woman cried out, "You...you let go of me!"
"Don't hurt my mother! -- Don't do anything, don't do anything!" Master Liu ran a few steps and snatched the person from the guards' hands, large beads of sweat dripping down his forehead.
"Pah! I'm not your mother! How could the Liu family produce such a coward like you? Your wife and your child died. Even if his enemies are powerful, can they cover up everything?!"
Liu's mother was furious. She raised her cane several times, almost hitting Liu the wealthy man, but she stopped herself. Instead, she pounded the ground with her cane, one blow after another, striking the hearts of everyone present. Apart from feeling sympathy for an old man who had lost his son, they all realized that things were probably not going to end well today.
Master Liu's face turned pale, but he still bowed to Yue Mingzhang and said, "Sir, I apologize for the trouble caused by my family matters."
Human life is at stake, and two lives have been lost. When the dispute reached a stalemate, he only said it was a family matter. Did he intend to just let it go?
Yue Mingzhang was surprised, and sure enough, he heard him continue, "Human life is up to fate. We will not pursue this matter further. Please release these people, sir."
?
? ? ?
Not only Yue Mingzhang was puzzled, but no one could have guessed how things would turn out. They all thought that this person was so heartbroken that he had lost his mind.
Liu's mother turned her head in disbelief, unable to believe that her son had said such words. After a long pause, she said, "Do you know what nonsense you're spouting! Not pursuing the matter? I want them to pay with their lives!" With that, she knelt on the ground, her silver hair falling beside her ears. "Your Honor, please have mercy! The murderers must be brought to justice!"
"mother……"
Yue Mingzhang watched the farcical argument below the hall with a mixture of scrutiny and observation, and even pondered why he had encountered such a bizarre situation on his very first day in office.
Unable to find a solution, he could only marvel at the extraordinary feng shui of Mingzhou City, a place teeming with hidden talents. He cleared his throat, and despite his confusion, his face remained impeccably clear and impartial. "A life has been taken. Regardless of whether the victim pursues the matter, the state government will handle the case and ensure that the truth is revealed to the world."
"Sir, this is a family matter. Could you please return the body first? The most important thing right now is to ensure that Madam is properly buried." A hint of sorrow appeared in Master Liu's eyes, but for someone who had suddenly lost both his wife and son, this reaction was far too calm. Not only calm, but it was as if his grief-stricken appearance was a way of masking some other unusual emotion.
Yue Mingzhang concluded that there must be something hidden behind this matter.
Just as he was about to detain the suspect in the case to await trial with sufficient evidence, the vermilion gate, a symbol of majesty and power, creaked open again.
"It seems I've arrived at just the right time. This court hearing is quite lively today." His voice was clear, with a touch of noble languor and teasing.
Lin Yi, who had been standing awkwardly, was caught off guard by the many changes in her life. She was unsure whether to sit or stand and was wondering if she should kneel down again when she heard the sound. She turned around abruptly and saw Xie Chengnan smiling with his eyes crinkled, leaning against a pillar like a cat that had caught a mouse and was playing with it.
His appearance and tone clearly indicated that he wasn't there to rescue anyone, but rather to watch the spectacle. Yet, the moment Lin Yi heard that voice, the tension that had been building up inside him inexplicably relaxed.
Once that string loosened, she was shocked to realize that although she seemed calm and composed, she had actually been putting on a brave face all along. It was hot in the summer, and her clothes were thin. Her back was already damp, but she didn't know if it was from the cold or the heat. She only felt that her hands and feet were ice cold.
It was indeed a bit too lively. Yue Mingzhang nodded almost imperceptibly in agreement, then realized what was going on and coughed lightly: "Young Marquis, you've come here today, perhaps with some insightful opinion?"
Xie Chengnan shrugged. "I'm not here to sit in on the proceedings. I'm here as a family member." He pointed at Qiu Qingye. "Unfortunately, the person involved in the case is my wife."
Yue Mingzhang was somewhat surprised. "So you've come to plead for me?"
"Of course not." Xie Chengnan put away his casual joke. When he wasn't smiling, his brows became somewhat stern and serious: "Since this involves human life, it cannot be treated as an ordinary case. If the trial is unsuccessful, he should be imprisoned first to await further proceedings."
...
The victims did not pursue the matter, but the perpetrator's family demanded that the law be enforced impartially.
Wang Chunsheng had probably never seen his eyes widen like this in his entire life. He looked at Young Master Xie in disbelief, then at Qiu Qingye, and when no one was paying attention to them, he couldn't help but whisper in Qiu Qingye's ear, "Are you two having marital problems? I can prescribe some medicine—if we can get back safely."
Lin Yi remained silent, observing Xie Chengnan's unusually serious demeanor, wondering what his true intentions were. She stared intently at Xie Chengnan's face, trying to discern any hints he might be giving her, but only detected a hint of smug provocation.
She squeezed her eyes shut, telling herself it must be her emotions, and that it must be her imagination.
...
Thanks to Xie Chengnan, half a month after Xinglin Medical Clinic opened, it didn't make much money, but all the staff were hastily imprisoned, which can be described as sharing the hardships together.
The previous prefect had embezzled public funds and made a lot of money by mistreating prisoners. When Yue Mingzhang took office, he ordered people to start renovations. Several empty prison cells were started at the same time, so housing was in short supply. Same-sex criminals who had committed minor offenses were all put in the same cell.
Lin Yi and his group had just arrived, so they skipped the gender distinction altogether.
For most of them, this was their first time in prison, and they were as anxious as ants on a hot pan, pacing back and forth. Only two were exceptions. Erhei looked at his master, then at Qiu Qingye.
The reason Wang Chunsheng was so calm was probably because doctors are known for their detachment from worldly affairs, as his master always was. But Qiu Qing's calmness was also somewhat perplexing.
Just a moment ago, she was arguing that those who hadn't been convicted shouldn't kneel in worship. But the next moment, she willingly let herself be locked up, without even trying to fight for it.
After much thought, Erhei concluded that the only reason the person in question was so wealthy was because they wouldn't actually be punished.
Before he could think any further, his stomach growled.
The boy was at a crucial stage of growth and hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day; he was starving. Just then, the jailer came to deliver food. He first handed Wang Chunsheng a cornbread ball mixed with vegetable leaves, then distributed them to everyone in the cell. Just as he was about to take a big bite himself, he heard Wang Chunsheng say quietly, "Aren't you afraid it's poisoned?"
Startled, Erhei shuddered and rolled to Lin Yi's feet.
She picked it up, wiped off the dry grass clinging to it, and broke the vegetable ball open; there was nothing inside. She sighed and said, "Don't worry, we'll be fine since we're all locked up here."
They're already locked up in jail, what else can be considered a crime? Must they be convicted and executed?
Seeing Erhei's blank expression, Lin Yi thought that she hadn't explained it clearly enough, so she added, "Don't worry, the young marquis will come to save us."
The group silently munched on their dumplings, their eyes darting between each other, but none of them spoke.
Although they didn't speak, they both had their own thoughts—judging from the way the young marquis had acted just now, he hadn't spared the young marquis a single extra glance, which didn't seem like a loving couple at all.
Lady Hou, however, was completely unaware. She broke open each dumpling to examine it, and without exception, there was nothing there. She then checked the earthenware bowl used for delivering water, but there were no notes or messages stuck to the bottom.
She even winked at the passing jailers, but they ignored her.
Wang Chunsheng covered his face, clearly unable to bear the sight: "Even if you two have a strained relationship, there's no need to act like this..."
Lin Yi found him somewhat inexplicable, but didn't really care.
She was certain Xie Chengnan wouldn't let this matter rest. But she couldn't fathom how he would handle it. To be honest, she didn't know much about Xie Chengnan. Those old-fashioned methods of passing messages in TV dramas seemed useless.
Just as she began to doubt whether Xie Chengnan really hadn't left any backup plans, the man swaggered in through the main entrance.
"Young Marquis, please come in."
It was midnight, and through the ventilation hole in the corner of the wall, a few stars could be seen. After a night of heavy rain, the sky was unusually clear.
Xie Chengnan, dressed in a black robe, followed behind the jailer and entered with a slight nod.
It wasn't until the jailer unlocked the latches on their cell doors, the chains clanging, that Lin Yi blinked and met his gaze, confirming that the man had truly arrived.
He wasn't there to deliver a message or ask someone to take care of her; he genuinely came to see her.
Incredibly vibrant.
Lin Yi smiled sincerely.
Xie Chengnan bent down and stepped into the small cell, saying with disdain, "This place is really not good. People become stupid after staying here for a short time."
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