Just as the shift was changing at the Qingshui County prison, Meng Yun'er and Feng Zicai paid two qian of silver and were able to enter the prison smoothly.
After Feng Zicai went inside, he stopped at the corner of the stairs. "Yun'er, after you go in and talk to Uncle Meng and your elder brother, don't forget what I told you on the way. This concerns our future, understand?"
Meng Yun'er nodded gently, without thinking much, and walked all the way to the depths of the prison. Looking at the disheveled and frail father and son inside, her eyes instantly reddened. "Father, brother, Yun'er has come to see you!"
"Yun'er?" The man turned his head at the sound of her voice. When he saw the familiar face, his crazy eyes cleared up a bit. "Yun'er?! It really is you. You've finally come. I thought I would never see you again!"
In the innermost part of the cell, Meng Fu lay on the ground, only opening his eyelids to glance at Meng Yun'er before slowly closing them again, showing absolutely no emotional fluctuation.
Meng Yun'er wiped away her tears. As she got closer, she noticed that both men were covered in injuries, even having several teeth knocked out. "Father, elder brother, what happened to you? Were you beaten by those yamen runners?"
"No, it was all done by the inmates in the jail." Meng Yongfu shook his head, revealing a large gap in his teeth, and simply said this, not wanting to talk about it anymore.
After the prisoners learned that he was the murderer, they all beat him with all their might. The yamen runners were afraid that they would be beaten to death and they would not be able to explain themselves, so they put him in a separate cell.
"Yun'er, you've come at the right time. Your father only has to live tonight. After I die tomorrow, please collect my body, buy a sturdy coffin, and bury me on the hilltop behind our house. The view is expansive from there, is that alright?"
Meng Yun'er felt a pang of sadness upon hearing this. "Father, what are you saying? What are you talking about death? Father is still young. Why are you saying such unlucky things?"
"Fallen leaves return to their roots, but Father's life is now coming to an end." The man smiled sadly, and a hint of tenderness finally surfaced in his dark eyes.
"I was wrong in the past. I failed to treat you equally, and you suffered a lot of grievances when you were a child. Now I know I was wrong. I only wish that you, Yun'er, can bury me properly. That would be the end of our bond in this life. Will you promise me?"
His son was unreliable and was exiled to Gucheng to dig up the city wall for ten years. If he was lucky, he might survive; if he was unlucky, he would probably die in Gucheng. Even if he survived, after ten years, he would probably be reduced to ashes.
Now, the only person we can count on is this daughter.
Meng Yun'er shook her head, "No, I will definitely rescue Father and Brother. What murder and theft? It was all Su Hua who framed you, wasn't it? Father, quickly tell me the whole story. I saved Princess Mingzhu not long ago. With Princess Mingzhu backing me up, I will definitely not let Father and Brother die in vain!"
"What did you say! You saved Princess Mingzhu?" Meng Yongfu exclaimed in disbelief.
In the corner, Meng Fu, who was lying on the ground looking utterly hopeless, turned his head and stared at her. "Is what Yun'er said true? Or is she just saying this to comfort us?"
In the past, they would never have heard of Princess Mingzhu, but after running a noodle shop in Qingshui County these past few years, it's hard not to know her.
At the corner of the stairs, Feng Zicai, who had been eavesdropping, suddenly brightened up. This Princess Mingzhu was the only daughter of the Emperor's younger brother, Prince Yan, and a true member of the royal family.
He was pampered from a young age, and even the title of Mingzhu was personally bestowed by the emperor on the day of his birth.
If Meng Yun'er is truly Princess Mingzhu's savior, how can the Meng family not rise again?!
In this way, the Su family is completely outmatched.
Meng Yun'er wiped her eyes and said reproachfully, "Why would I scare you? Princess Mingzhu is in our Shanghe Village right now."
"If Father and Elder Brother tell me the whole story, and it's true that Su Hua wronged you, I can definitely help you overturn the case, and even put Su Hua in jail."
Meng Yongfu shifted his gaze somewhat uncomfortably. "This matter is a bit complicated. My father has already signed the confession, and Magistrate Qin has already given a firm order."
Meng Yun'er's heart skipped a beat. Could it be that he really did commit murder and seize Fang because of his vague words?
"Little sister, this Princess Mingzhu is far superior to the county magistrate. Regardless of the truth, you should quickly make her order Magistrate Qin to release us." Meng Fu said with a sneer.
"I've had enough of being in jail, I don't want to stay here anymore."
Upon hearing this, Meng Yun'er's heart sank to the bottom, and all the previous bitterness turned into anger. "How could you be so foolish? Why did you have to kill someone? If you kill someone, you'll be stuck with the name of a criminal for the rest of your life. What's the point?"
Feeling embarrassed by the criticism from his juniors, Meng Yongfu sneered, “If I hadn’t taken the noodle recipe, where would I have gotten the money to build you a new house, buy you new clothes, and eat fish and meat every day? I’m afraid the whole family would still be sleeping in a thatched hut right now!”
"It's the Zheng couple's fault! I only wanted to borrow the noodle recipe, but they just wouldn't let go."
Meng Yun'er was shocked and furious. It turned out that their good life over the past three years had all been obtained by stealing from others, and even the noodle shop she had always been proud of belonged to someone else.
“Sister, Father only killed two ordinary people. Wealthy families execute countless people every day. What’s the big deal?” Meng Fu smiled shamelessly.
"The princess comes from the royal family, she will surely understand. Talk to her nicely and ask her to release us quickly."
After we leave, I'll have the princess arrange a job for my brother; he also needs to go to the capital.
This matter-of-fact attitude infuriated Meng Yun'er. She subconsciously recalled Feng Zicai's earlier words and pondered for a long while:
“Father, although I saved Princess Mingzhu, the royal family has many rules, and such favors are rare. It’s not appropriate to ask her for help with something as important as saving you and my elder brother without even asking.”
Meng Yongfu was completely confused. "I don't understand what you mean."
“These past few days I’ve been washing clothes for people day and night in Tangshan Prefecture, and I’ve only earned a few hundred copper coins. It’s not even enough to buy a decent gift.” Meng Yun’er sighed. “Father, where did you hide the money you earned outside? You need to tell me so I can take some out to help the princess.”
To save people, you must first secure the family's money.
Otherwise, by the time they come out, her good brother will probably have taken all the remaining belongings.
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