Chapter 2 Young man, let's save each other
Thinking of this, Gu Wan became anxious.
Because when she was transferred from the inner prison to the Tiekan Temple Prison, she saw Xie Ci, who was covered in wounds and unconscious. He was thrown into a car with several seriously injured people. His hands were still shackled, and the shackles were covered in blood. The wounds were so deep that the bones were visible. He was blown away by the wind and snow, his blood had dried up, his face was flushed red and blue, and he was motionless as if he was dead.
It is said that when he was carried out of the inner prison cell, he was still mumbling and struggling, so the officers simply chopped him with a knife to prevent him from talking nonsense after leaving the room and causing them unnecessary trouble.
The Xie family case has been settled by imperial decree.
Xie Ci, I am fifteen years old this year, two months away from sixteen.
This was once the most proud and unbridled young master of the Duke's mansion, a man of both literary and martial talents, exceptionally gifted yet remarkably mischievous. Young men from the Five Tombs vied for headbands, countless red silks spun for a single song. Born in the year of the Marquis of Loyalty and Bravery's rise to Duke of Jin, his life was filled with flowers and brocade, his life as passionate as the golden plaque inscribed by Emperor Taizong in the Xie family ancestral hall, "Generations of Loyalty and Goodness."
He started to learn at the age of three and could recite the Thousand Character Classic by heart. When he was five, he hired a teacher, which made the teacher so angry that he cried loudly. However, before he was twelve, the teacher resigned, saying that he had nothing in his mind and could no longer be taught.
After that, the Duke of Zhongyong's Mansion did not continue to hire literary tutors.
The smart little Xie Ci sat at his father's desk and told his father seriously that he didn't want to be a scholar. He said that his third brother couldn't even lift a chicken and was very useless. He raised his head and said that he wanted to be a military man and become a general on the battlefield like his father and brother.
Xie Xinzhong agreed.
Because Xie Ci was more talented in martial arts than literature, although he was naughty since childhood, he worked hard under the encouragement of his father and brother, training in the hottest days of summer and the coldest days of winter. He said that he learned to read in order to read military books.
The tall and slender young man with a tight waist rode a fast horse through the streets, and he went out every day to do justice and fight for justice.
He was naughty and unrestrained, dressed in fine clothes and riding a horse, with a flamboyant look. He played with crickets and listened to operas. When he heard the pipa music that was exciting, he would clap his hands and cheer and spend a lot of money.
Afterwards, he was chased and beaten by his father or brother all the way, and was scolded for being ignorant of the sufferings of the world and the hardships of his ancestors, and being a little bastard.
It has become a common sight on the streets of Beijing, and a topic of conversation among neighbors after dinner.
He was born with excellent looks. In the original owner's memory, he had long black eyebrows, a widow's peak on his forehead, thick eyeliner, a prominent nose, dark and clear pupils, and a skin as white as jade, like a rose stained with frost, rich and rosy.
But his thick, dark eyebrows resembled his father and brother, adding to his heroic spirit, and his handsome facial features had a bit more firmness.
But he didn't like his white skin, so he went out in the sun in his shorts every day, and his skin became as white as wheat.
He said proudly that this was the skin color a general should have.
He also put on the silver armor specially made for him by his father and brother, put on a helmet, held a silver spear, and stood in the sun. He really looked like a young general.
In the original owner's memories of the last few years, what he recalled most was this proud and unrestrained young man who shone like the sun.
And Gu Wan had also seen him with his own eyes.
This young man, who had lost his arrogance since his father and brother were imprisoned, stayed at home without leaving. On the day when the imperial guards broke into his house, he was wearing a tight black cloth suit and holding a silver spear to block the door.
"My family has never collaborated with the enemy!!"
The young man screamed and the silver spear swung with great force.
Gu Wan had just climbed out of the well and was trembling as he ran back to the courtyard in the last bit of time when he heard the sound.
She looked back and saw that in the gap between the door and the pillar, there were armored soldiers standing there with long swords drawn. A young man was holding a silver spear with a red tassel, and blood was splattered five steps away.
It's a pity that he didn't become a general in the end.
As he was about to reach adulthood, he was also tortured and eventually died of illness in prison with scars all over his body.
…
The fine iron gate at the end of the corridor opened with a "creaky" sound, and a middle-aged officer with a big belly and wearing a dark blue officer's uniform came in with a roll of names tucked under his ribs. The two officers on duty immediately greeted him.
Gu Wan glanced over there.
She carefully untied the cloth that covered the wound on her head, and after digging through her messy hair for a while, she pulled out two sparkling ruby earrings.
These two rubies are very valuable. Due to the poor cutting and polishing technology in ancient times, most rubies are dark and not translucent. The two rubies on her hands that are as gorgeous and bright as hers must be natural, very rare and precious. This is the dowry of Princess Yongjia. It was left to her by her mother when the original owner decided to stay in the Marquis' Mansion.
Gu Wan was in a hurry at the time, and she fell in love with the pair of earrings at first sight. She quickly stuffed them under her bun, and then the imperial guards broke into the courtyard.
Her head was injured by the original owner when she jumped into the well. It still hurts like a fire, but fortunately the damage to the skin is not deep. It is swollen like an egg, but Gu Wan believes that since she has climbed up, the hematoma will eventually be absorbed naturally.
She couldn't care about this now. She had to find a way to save Xie Ci. He must not die of illness!
As long as he didn't die of illness, the subsequent situation would be much better.
As for the future, let’s deal with these messy things first.
Gu Guan observed quietly for two days, and finally she chose a middle-aged captain named Cao Zuchang.
In the prison, young newcomers dare not take money, for fear that one of their families will turn against them and suffer the consequences. However, it is common to see old hands taking money but not doing anything. It is like meat on the chopping board, and it is difficult to have equality and respect.
This Cao soldier was big and strong, and he controlled the young jailers like the tip of his own arm. Wherever he went, they all bowed and nodded. He must be very capable. Moreover, when he was doing the routine count of the number of prisoners every day, Gu Wan could always smell the smell of fermented glutinous rice wine that people drank all year round. It was extremely unpleasant, and it was obvious that he was a veteran prison guard.
However, he had one good point, which was that he never took advantage of the female prisoners.
Places like Zhongdu Prison would occasionally lock up these beautiful ladies, whose delicate skin, fair complexion and beautiful appearance were the ones that the jailers had dreamed of but could never touch in their entire lives. Many officers would take the opportunity to take advantage of them.
Gu Guan observed carefully and found that this person had never done this before.
Yesterday, a young girl bumped into him a few steps away, and her brains splattered on the upper of his shoe. He even kicked her. He frowned in disgust, but glanced at the beautiful face that was half-open and half-closed with blood, tears, fear and despair, and finally cursed and ordered someone to drag her away.
In this women's prison, there were people who committed suicide by hitting their heads against pillars every day. There were too many police officers who cursed and kicked the corpses while carrying them or whose clothes were stained with blood, and some even molested the corpses.
At least Captain Cao has some bottom line.
Gu Wan looked around and finally chose the one she wanted to take another look at, but there was no time left.
Firstly, she was afraid that Xie Ci would die from the pressure, and secondly, the imperial decree had already been issued, and they could not stay in the prison outside Tiekan Temple for long. The original owner's vague memory was that she had only stayed in Tiekan Temple for about four or five days, and it was already the second day.
Gu Guan steeled her mind and stood guard in front of the gate, holding two ruby earrings. When Cao Zu came to their cell door with a long roll of roster, Gu Guan rushed forward and slid to her knees. She screamed in pain, but knees were nothing compared to survival.
If he could help, Gu Wan would thank his whole family.
Captain Cao shook the two rubies in his palm and held them up to the light, feeling very satisfied. He glanced at Gu Guan, who quickly retracted his thick cloth embroidered shoes and the fine cotton inner garment under his standard old gray coat.
Captain Cao didn't bother to consider whether Gu Guan was clever or not. After a moment's thought, he tucked the ruby into his waistband. Amidst the clamor and stares, he leaned closer and, in a voice only heard by the two of them, nodded his chin slightly. "Do you see that cell at the very end of your row? That's right, over there. The blue bricks at the very corner of the wall are loose and haven't been repaired yet."
"Behind the wall, there is a dry canal. Climb to the end of the canal and your husband will be there."
Gu Guan was stunned and looked back quickly.
…
This is not quite the same as the script she expected.
But Gu Guan was thin, and she estimated that she should be able to pass through the wooden fence separating the cells.
She frowned, sat back, and after a while, whispered something in Xie Ersao's ear.
Mrs. Xie immediately turned her head to look at her. They looked at each other for a while, and Mrs. Xie nodded.
Gu Guan hesitated for a moment, and finally decided to go for it. After all, this life was a reward, and if it ended up in such a miserable state, she would rather not continue with it.
Late at night, the officer on duty was already drowsy sitting at a square table beside the big iron gate. The entire cell fell silent, the sobbing gradually stopped, and was replaced by faint snoring. After another half hour, even the faint "hissing" sound of turning over could no longer be heard.
Gu Guan quietly got up, and under the cover of Mrs. Xie, she took a deep breath and slipped into the cell next door through the gap in the fence. She quickly lay down and curled up on the ground to sleep like the people in the cell next door.
After lying there for about ten minutes, she slowly moved on the ground. When she reached the edge, she stood up and took a deep breath.
After going from one room to another for almost an hour, she finally arrived at the last one.
The last cell was a tool room, which contained food bowls, lamps, lamp oil, brooms, etc. There was also a pile of blood-stained rags and gray prison uniforms thrown in the corner.
Gu Guan hurriedly moved the broom and the pile of cloth away, and took a closer look. Sure enough, the glutinous plaster at the base of the wall was peeling off and had pits and holes. It had been soaked by years of rain and snow, and there was a crack.
She carefully selected the brick that had fallen the most, and used her fingers to shake it from the gap, successfully removing half of the brick. She pushed the remaining half to the opposite side, and it also fell down.
After the first brick was taken out, the rest were much easier. After Gu Guan took out about ten bricks, the rest could no longer be taken out. She estimated that she should be able to crawl in with difficulty.
She lay down and carefully put her head in to take a look. There seemed to be a small yard opposite where warehouse items were stored. It was quiet. Without thinking twice, she pushed herself in.
She quickly crawled over, jumped up and clapped her hands and knees, then turned around and crawled back halfway, and carefully pulled back the broom, cloth and other things to block the hole.
Gu Guan finally stood up. This was a small courtyard. The heavy snow had finally stopped for several days. Gu Guan calculated the days and found that today was the first day of the first lunar month. The wind brought a faint smell of firecrackers. The snow clouds were blown away by the strong wind, and a ray of hazy moonlight poured down. The air was very cold, but very fresh.
This was the first time that Gu Guan had seen the moon clearly in the sky since she came here. Even though it was just a small frame of sky, she couldn't help but feel happy.
As long as you are alive, there is always hope.
Gu Guan encouraged himself and quickly began to survey the environment and look for culverts.
The yard is very small. I peeked through the window and found that it was a small storage for firewood. It was used a lot in winter, so the firewood was piled up full. People came and went every day without even locking the door, but no one was there now.
She searched for a while and soon found the dry canal that Captain Cao had mentioned.
Gu Guan found two sewer openings on the ground. The one on the left had obvious traces of water flowing into it after digging through the snow. The one on the right might not have been designed in the right position, so the accumulated water could not flow in. There was a layer of dust and dead leaves under the snow.
——A good prison would not build a dry canal. The original sewer design was probably unreasonable. After the renovation, the original section was blocked at both ends and abandoned as a dry canal.
After Gu Guan figured it out, she went into the house, picked up a dead branch and went straight to the right. The manhole cover was made of bluestone with iron tenons and was very heavy. She took great pains to finally lift it to the side. There was a layer of broken branches and leaves inside.
It was not deep, far from the modern sewers. Probably only a thin person could crawl in on his knees. Behind her was an iron fence, which was sealed with blue bricks. She thought about it, wiped it clean with snow using the wooden bowl she brought with her, scooped a large bowl of clean snow, and carefully crawled in holding it.
At first, there were dead branches and leaves, which made a "crunching" sound when she pressed her elbows and knees. Gu Guan held her breath and tried to move her hands and feet as lightly as possible. Soon, there was nothing left. It was dark, and something was rustling around. It even hit her knee, and Gu Guan hit it. The mouse squeaked and ran away screaming. She continued to crawl, holding the bowl.
She climbed to the end and found the lid on her left, half lifted up, with a slight breeze passing by her ears.
Huh?
Gu Guan seemed to understand a little bit. It seemed that this was not only a dry canal, but also a ventilation hole.
She slowly leaned over and looked around for a while, and soon discovered that this was a sick cell.
A very unpleasant smell, unique to injured patients, hit my nose, as well as the smell of blood. The sounds of many people struggling and groaning were intermittent.
Gu Wan's heart suddenly calmed down.
It seems to be correct.
This is it.
Captain Cao was a really good man. He took the money to do the job and did not deceive her.
…
Gu Guan observed for a moment and found no officers. It was New Year's Day, and it was impossible for these sick and dying prisoners to escape.
She moved the lid slightly and jumped out.
This was a large prison cell, with stale straw covering most of the floor, and people lying all over the place, some covered in blood, some with pus and high fever. Gu Guan even saw a man who might have been there for a long time, with white spots wriggling on his wounds.
She felt a chill and quickly walked around.
Gu Wan quickly found Xie Ci.
He was locked up in a small, solitary cell at the end of the room, the only one with a fine iron door. Perhaps he was skilled in martial arts, so the guards were concerned and took precautions.
But given Xie Ci's current condition, there is absolutely no possibility of anything happening.
He was covered in blood, his prison uniform was soaked, and his hands were handcuffed and shackled, and every time he moved, the shackles made a jingling sound.
He had a high fever and was struggling, mumbling. He seemed to hear the sound of straw being trampled, and suddenly turned over with force.
He seemed to have seen a figure before, a figure that was so shadowy. This young man who used to be proud and uninhibited with bright clothes and angry hair, now had disheveled hair and a face covered in blood and tears. He struggled and rushed over, and the shackles and chains hit the iron fence, making a clanging sound.
He struggled to reach out and grab Gu Wan's ankle. He cried, tilted his head back, blood mixed with tears, "My family did not collaborate with the enemy--"
"No! No!..."
His voice was hoarse, as if the sand had been repeatedly ground to blood. The cuckoo cried at night. He crawled and grabbed Gu Wan's hand with his other hand, "Do you believe it? Do you believe it?"
He murmured, tears streaming down his face.
He was unconscious and didn't even recognize Gu Wan.
The two were actually not very familiar with each other. One lived in the outer courtyard and was unrestrained in his behavior, while the other lived in a relative's home and was raised in seclusion. He was delicate by nature, and boys and girls did not sit at the same table when they were seven years old.
On the day of the wedding, she had her period, so they did not consummate the marriage.
To be honest, he was reluctant to get married. The young man jumped up and down and said, "Why should I marry an orphan? I want to marry a lady from a noble family and the most beautiful one."
Later, they were forced to get married. The young man in red pulled off the red hydrangea on his chest and said reluctantly, "From now on, you must follow the rules and manage the affairs of the courtyard. Do you hear me?"
The subtext is, in this case, I will reluctantly tolerate you.
The boy took off all the ringing things, spread out the quilt, occupied one side of the bed, and fell into a deep sleep.
These not very happy past events became the most vivid and beautiful memories of the original owner in the dark years that followed.
Gu Wan was not a little girl, she knew that since Xie Ci had accepted his wife, the Xie family had a clean family tradition, and both father and son stayed with their wife, if it weren't for this accident, the original owner would probably have lived a happy life.
Xie Ci will also grow up. Perhaps when he recalls these old things in the future, he will smile knowingly and apologize to his wife.
Unfortunately, there is no if.
"Do you believe me? The Xie family didn't collaborate with the enemy. Do you believe me?..."
He murmured, his lips were completely white under the dried blood, and it was unclear whether the color on his face was blood or tears.
"My father has been devoted to his duties all his life, and so has my brother, and so has he..."
Gu Wan couldn't help but feel a little uncomfortable. She hated to see loyal and good people being wronged. Now that all the people were dead, what was the point of clearing their names?
She said, "I believe it. I believe it all."
As soon as she said this, Xie Ci burst into tears.
He suddenly lost strength, fell to the ground, curled up his body, and burst into tears.
It whimpered miserably, like a wounded little animal.
Gu Wan let out a long breath and stood for a moment. She squatted down and lifted Xie Ci's shoulder. "You have to stay alive, only then will there be hope for your family!"
"You still have your sister-in-law, nephews, nieces, and mother!"
You can't die, you can't survive, they will die sooner or later!
And died miserably.
Gu Guan shook Xie Ci's shoulders vigorously. She didn't want to treat a seriously ill patient like this, but she had no other choice.
She lowered her voice and spoke into his ear.
When Gu Guan mentioned sister-in-law, nephew, niece and mother, Xie Ci paused, and the chaos in his fever seemed to be suddenly split open by someone.
He suddenly turned his head and looked at Gu Wan.
His eyes were very beautiful, with thick and long eyeliner, slanted and raised, gorgeous and delicate, and clear eyes, stained with brown and tears, like a rose that had been weathered by frost.
His tears flowed down, mixed with blood and tears.
"You're right, aren't you?"
Young man, let’s save each other, okay?
The author has something to say:
The young men of Wuling competed to tie their hair, and the red silks were countless for a song - from the song that everyone knows, "Pipa Xing"
This time it’s a growth-type plug-in!
(I wrote a long paragraph later but deleted it because the character attributes involve spoilers. If I spoiled it, it wouldn’t be so interesting. I’ll talk about it later, A Xiu. Hehe)
Finally, thank you to all the babies who waited and supported A Xiu, love you~ Bobo!! (づ￣3￣)づ
…
Also, thanks to 46372295, Liang Xiongxiong, Zen, Mu Yinqian, Houston's Love, 28642974, Xiao Liuzi, Lan Ze Duo Fang Cao, and Dun Dun for throwing the mines!
And all the great ones who irrigated Wenwen with nutrient solution!!
See you tomorrow then! Ah Xiu will go update the extra chapter of Demon Lord first, haha
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