After listening to Jia San's words, Chen Zhaoci asked him, "Lord Jia San, if Boyuan goes to the Ministry of War, where will he be placed?"
Jia San replied, "General Zheng will be placed in the Ministry of War's prison."
Chen Zhaoci asked curiously, "Does the Ministry of War still have a prison?"
Jia San explained, "The Ministry of War has its own prison, which is a place specifically for detaining people who desert in the face of battle or violate military discipline. It is located inside the Ministry of War compound."
Chen Zhaoci thought for a moment and said, "Who are usually guards in the Ministry of War prison? Are they also yamen runners from the Jingzhao Prefecture?"
Chen Zhaoci knew that in the capital, the Jingzhao Prefecture had its own prison, the Dali Temple had its own prison, and the Imperial Palace also had a prison, but he did not expect that the Ministry of War would also have a prison.
Jia San thought for a moment and said, "The soldiers guarding the Ministry of War's prison are the Ministry of War's own soldiers. The Ministry of War is a rather special entity among the Six Ministries, and many of its departments are unique to it."
Chen Zhaoci nodded and then said, "Lord Jia, could you perhaps find someone inside to keep an eye on Gu Boyuan for us?"
Jia San quickly bowed and said, "Madam, this is indeed difficult to handle. The Ministry of War's prison is not a place that just anyone can enter."
Chen Zhaoci sighed, realizing he had no choice but to think of another solution.
Chen Zhaoci made a lot of pills overnight and bottled them for Zheng Boyuan. When Uncle Yu saw Chen Zhaoci's porcelain bottles, he sighed and said, "I will go to the capital with you. If anything happens to the child, I can lend a hand."
Chen Zhaoci was naturally extremely grateful. His senior brother Yu was an expert in pharmacology and had a great grasp of the medicinal properties of herbs. With him around, he could help Chen Zhaoci and his sister come up with solutions to some problems they couldn't handle.
Xu Zhi didn't sleep all night. The next day was the seventh day of the month. The clerk from the Ministry of War arrived at the manor early, carrying the official document from the Ministry of War.
Xu Rao came over last night. After carefully reading the document, he said to the officers who came to arrest the man, "Gentlemen, please have a seat. We'll help you pack up a bit more."
The head constable bowed politely to Xu Rao and said, "Lord Xu, it is my duty. Please bear with me. Before entering the Ministry of War prison, all personal belongings must be placed separately."
Xu Rao cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Sir, my health is poor, and I need to take medicine daily. May I bring these medicines to the prison to collect them every day?"
The constable looked at the men around him, thought for a moment, and said, "I need to go back and report to the officials in the Ministry of War before making a decision."
Chen Zhaoci came out from inside, carrying a tray in his hand. With red eyes, he said to the constables, "My son-in-law escaped death this time. I exhausted all my strength to bring him back. He still needs to take these medicines daily. Please help me out, gentlemen, considering how difficult it is to treat and save lives."
The manager had already stuffed several pouches into the arms of the constables. One of them picked up a pouch and gently squeezed it. Feeling that it was light, he knew it contained silver notes, and his attitude immediately improved.
The leader bowed deeply to Chen Zhaoci and said, "Madam Xu is so righteous in saving countless of my comrades. I will do my utmost to help General Zheng."
With the assurance of the leading constable, the family helped the still very weak Zheng Boyuan to the prison cart outside.
Knowing that a prison cart would be used to pick him up, Xu Zhi, along with Bai Ying and several other maids, made a new cotton-padded coat for Zheng Boyuan last night, adding thick new cotton. They also brought him a bundle containing a new cotton robe, so that he could cover himself if it got too cold.
Zheng Boyuan didn't say anything, just watched Xu Zhi busy doing this and that. He knew very well that once he was in prison, some people wouldn't let him enjoy himself like this. He was bound to suffer inside, but he didn't know how far those people would go.
After the prison van had driven away, Xu Zhi leaned on Chen Zhaoci's shoulder, her eyes red, and whispered, "Mother, what kind of people are there? They just can't stand seeing the country peaceful and prosperous, and they have to make others unhappy."
Chen Zhaoci didn't reply, but patted her hand and said, "It's getting late, let's pack up and go back to the capital. If anything happens, we can go there immediately from the Ministry of War's prison."
After returning to the capital from the manor, Xu Zhi didn't go anywhere. During the day, she guarded the gate of the Ministry of War, and at night she went home to wait for news. Unfortunately, for some reason, no matter who inquired, not a single piece of information was revealed from the prison of the Ministry of War.
Xu Zhi kept comforting herself that no news was good news, but she was still worried about Zheng Boyuan's health. She held on with all her might and didn't collapse. Chen Zhaoci and Xu Rao, on the other hand, felt very sorry for Xu Zhi.
After Xu Rao finished his official duties, the Marquis invited him to his study.
After Xu Rao sat down, the Marquis asked, "Did Xiao Jiu go to the Ministry of War gate again today?"
Xu Rao nodded and said, "Of course I went again."
He frowned and said, "We can't just let Xiao Jiu run wild like this. Has His Majesty told you how Bo Yuan will handle this?"
Xu Rao shook his head and said, "I don't know why, but this time the Ministry of War is handling Bo Yuan's case on its own, and even the Court of Judicial Review is not allowed to interfere. I asked some acquaintances about it, and they said that the people in the Ministry of War have received the Emperor's order not to leak any information to the outside world. I don't know what the Emperor is planning this time."
The Marquis thought for a moment and said, "Didn't we say earlier that we would just have Boyuan come back to go through the motions before sending him to another place?"
Xu Rao recalled the information she had inquired about from Chen Wufu during the day and said, "Eunuch Chen said that His Majesty has his own ideas and told us not to rush. If Xiao Jiu wants to go to the Ministry of War, let her go. We shouldn't stop her."
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