Chapter 66 Night Raid on the Prison
The third wave of people were Bai Xuan's subordinates.
They were a seasoned镖队 (bodyguard teams) accustomed to traveling the roads. These people, who didn't rely on fixed travel permits, often had to maintain good relationships with local government offices, thus giving them a reason to inquire at the offices.
After giving a large sum of money to an old constable who enjoyed drinking, they received several cryptic messages—
The owner of "Hongsheng Su" is the father-in-law of the patrol inspector of Hezhou.
To put it nicely, he was the father-in-law; to put it bluntly, his daughter had been sent to be the mistress of the patrol inspector of Hezhou. The owner of Hongsheng Su was very good at making money; he had many "daughters," which he often used wisely, to bully and oppress others.
Yang Shou is imprisoned in the death row cell for... offending a noble person. He's not going to get out unless he provides his prescription.
The old yamen runner was willing to reveal information and even let them meet. He kept asking about the prescription, but he kept blocking any other information and gave vague answers.
An unusual silence fell over the private room of the teahouse.
Qi Chengming felt something was off, but he had no experience. Even this strange feeling he had now came from the solemn expressions of the other two people in the private room.
Young Master Wen spoke first, his tone very confident: "This old yamen runner is bait."
Qi Chengming: "?"
Bai Xuan seemed to be able to connect with his thought process, and affirmed seamlessly: "Did you hear that? He didn't reveal anything else, but he made Hong Sheng Su's backing clear, and he was willing to let the caravan members meet Yang Shou, hoping that we might persuade him to give us the prescription."
Qi Chengming understood.
This isn't a trap; it's just a precaution. The fact that Yang Shou is imprisoned shows he definitely didn't want to be there, but what about his family? What would they do to save him? Even if they were heartless, wouldn't Yang Shou worry that Hong Shengsu's men would continue to target his family?
His ailing wife, whose illness couldn't be delayed any longer, his elderly mother, his young son...
So far, the old yamen runner guarding the man is just waiting for someone to plead for mercy so he can clearly convey his demands: either give him the prescription or die.
It's that simple.
"What should we do?" Bai Xuan, lacking experience, looked around blankly and asked.
As a businessman, he had inherited Old Master Bai's shrewdness in maneuvering, relying on a combination of kinship and bribery to forge connections between officials and merchants. Therefore, in this respect, he quite understood the development path of Hong Sheng Su's boss. But…
The Bai family has a pure and upright family tradition, so they would never do such a heinous thing as stealing someone else's prescription and falsely accusing them.
“We…we have to see what he wants,” the Second Young Master Wen said slowly, glancing at Qi Chengming.
Wen Zhongnan is usually a chivalrous and righteous man, and he handles similar situations on his own. He already has some solutions in mind. But this time is different; this time, the victim is Wuyou's cousin.
Wuyou, or rather Wuyou's cousin, that young soldier who fought for the country but met a bad end, has the right to make his own decisions.
"You said it depends on his wishes...?" Qi Chengming realized something, and his words slowed down, with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Don't tell me it's the one I'm thinking of—" Bai Xuan was a little out of breath. He covered his forehead and looked at the two people around him, as if asking for help.
"I see you two are quite looking forward to it!" Young Master Wen laughed loudly with ill intent. He suddenly lowered his voice and emphasized each word as if telling a mysterious story, "Yes, it's breaking into the prison at night."
Qi Chengming: "...!!"
Bai Xuan: "...!!!"
He actually said it! He really spoke of the heinous crime of beheading so casually.
"Don't make that face. We're not breaking into a prison. And do you really think this is such a difficult thing to do? Don't think all county governments are as clean and serious as the Liuzhou County Government."
As Wen Er finished speaking, a cold laugh suddenly escaped his throat. He explained with the same calm tone as if he were remarking on the beautiful weather, arms crossed, with practiced ease.
"It's easy to get into the county jail; even death row inmates can be easily switched. As long as you have money or power, you can bribe the yamen runners and make them as quiet as if they were dead. Even special cases like Yang Shou's."
"Let me say this first, you have to take me with you." Qi Chengming could already imagine how Uncle Huang would try to persuade him, but he keenly realized that Young Master Wen had a reason for making this suggestion.
This is not the best option.
This afternoon, the镖队 (bodyguards) went to the prison and met with Yang Shou. Why can't they be the ones to take the risk tonight? Even if it's not them, which veteran, or even any of the three men's subordinates, couldn't take on this task? Why must these three main figures take such a risk? Why make a prince, a promising young master, and a wealthy merchant who lives a life of leisure take unnecessary risks?
Are you kidding me?
This is not only not the best option, but also the worst solution.
But Qi Chengming didn't point it out. Instead, he felt his blood boiling, and an eager excitement made him want to follow Young Master Wen on an adventure, to make a ruckus like a wandering knight.
Bai Xuan closed his eyes with a look of grim determination, muttering weakly, "...I'm fine with anything, but if you're planning to go, you can't leave me behind."
Wen Zhongnan smiled slightly: "..."
He was the one who understood best how bored and lonely Wuyou was, and he was also the one who understood best that Wuyou, with her noble status, shouldn't have anything happen to her.
But if he were to treat Wuyou like a prince because of those concerns, sitting in a magnificent palace like any other high-ranking person, he knew that was not what Wuyou would like. He even suspected that Wuyou's death in his previous life was largely due to the pent-up frustrations accumulated in his heart in his early years.
Let's go out and relax.
Take him on adventures. As long as it's safe, some "exciting" adventures that he finds "exciting" are good for his physical and mental health, aren't they?
Wen Zhongnan was clear on one thing—no matter what, he would not let Wuyou get into trouble while he was away.
Unless he's dead.
...
It was the dead of night.
Qi Chengming was woken up from the bed with some difficulty. He was dazed for several seconds before he realized where he was.
Not on his soft royal bed, not in his familiar main room, they were now in Hezhou.
Qi Chengming had been having trouble sleeping in his new bed for most of the night, tossing and turning for a long time before finally falling asleep. Now, being woken up in the middle of the night... Qi Chengming sat up unsteadily, feeling like his brain had turned to mush. He guessed he hadn't slept for more than two hours...
"Here you go." A familiar voice rang out.
Qi Chengming had no choice but to take a cold handkerchief handed to him. He pressed it to his face and shuddered, suddenly snapping back to reality: "Hiss... thank you."
There were several people moving about outside the main room. Inside the room, where a candle was lit, two figures stood in the pitch-black night. They were the ones who had just woken him up and thoughtfully prepared a cold compress.
The Second Young Master Wen changed out of his usual colorful silk robes and instead wore a white outfit. Bai Xuan looked similar; although both white clothes were neither reflective nor eye-catching, they were definitely not clothes suitable for nighttime travel.
Qi Chengming was speechless for a moment: "You... what's going on?"
"Look carefully, this is plain clothes." The Second Young Master Wen kindly explained basic common sense to a certain prince who lacked common sense. "Only common people wear plain clothes, which are undyed and can only be worn in their natural color, which is white. If we wear clothes in more inconspicuous colors, that would be counterproductive, because ordinary people simply do not have the financial means to buy dyed clothes."
"Shouldn't we be showing our fists?" Qi Chengming retorted, his gaze sweeping over Bai Xuan and the Second Young Master Wen. And those two… Bai Xuan was alright. But the Second Young Master Wen's refined and aristocratic air, cultivated since childhood, made any clothes seem insignificant.
"That's the goal." Wen Zhongnan spread his hands with practiced ease.
If they were dressed smartly and brazenly stormed into the jail, they would look like unruly brats. But if they were dressed in plain clothes, they would each exude an imposing and authoritative aura. This, in turn, would better intimidate the constables. You see… Wen Zhongnan was very clear about one thing:
The best deterrent is the speculation that remains in the enemy's mind.
...Finally, Qi Chengming also changed into a half-new set of cloth clothes. He felt a little uncomfortable in them and couldn't help but shrug his shoulders without saying a word.
Perhaps because he had lived a life of luxury since transmigrating, or perhaps because he had never worn such poor linen clothes in modern times, his skin felt burning and was chafed painfully as he moved.
"I'm not used to it either," Bai Xuan said quietly. He was pampered and spoiled; even when he accompanied Qi Chengming on incognito visits, he had never dressed this poorly.
"Everything is ready, let's go," Uncle Huang reported calmly at the door. This meant they had dealt with the officials in charge of the curfew in Eshan County.
The group no longer had the privilege of riding horses or carriages, but instead walked quietly along the base of the wall, having to reach their destination on foot.
The cold winter air is especially biting at night; even a light breath chills you to the bone. Looking up at the sky, it's terrifyingly dark. The environment that makes one feel exceptionally expansive during the day takes on a completely different form at night, becoming eerily terrifying in this excessive silence.
Leading Qi Chengming was the Second Young Master Wen, followed by the timid Bai Xuan. Further ahead and behind were the three men's men, but since it was nighttime, not all of them would come—that would be too conspicuous. Only five or six people accompanied them, with a few of them staying outside to provide backup, only taking two people with them inside.
"..." Qi Chengming walked quickly, his head bowed low, his feet numb from the cold inside his boots. After walking for a while, a slight sweat began to seep from his back.
He took a deep breath, feeling excited all over; every cell in his body and every drop of blood was boiling.
This is the excitement before doing something big.
Who wouldn't be excited? This is a night raid on a prison!!
Then, we arrived at the county government office.
Qi Chengming became solemn, just like Bai Xuan, not daring to breathe loudly, calmly staring at the Second Young Master Wen, preparing to follow him.
In the darkness, his companion, barely visible, stepped forward and whispered something. The small door behind the county government office… opened, opened…
They started moving again and filed in.
Qi Chengming: "..."
He couldn't hold back any longer and asked in a low, breathy voice, "...Wen Er, have we... come in?"
"Hmm." Young Master Wen was not hiding anything good. He responded with a cool and aloof tone, sparing with his words, but it was obvious that there was still a hint of laughter in his voice.
After turning one corner, and then another, the air became chilly, and we began to descend the steps.
The silence was broken; faint sounds of conversation drifted from ahead. The candlelight flickered in the distance.
A room appeared. Inside, an old constable was drinking, two middle-aged constables were gambling on an earthen stool, and several others were fast asleep in the corner under their bedding. Behind them was a gate with bars and a passageway—this was the prison.
Then, both the old and young constables heard the commotion and looked over.
Qi Chengming: "..."
He should have been on edge, because each of them had been discovered. But for some reason—perhaps it was a sixth sense—he didn't feel nervous at all.
really.
The next moment, the constables withdrew their gaze and continued drinking, gambling, shouting, and laughing, making the three of them seem like invisible people, creating a very frightening scene.
Young Master Wen didn't speak, but led them further inside. He walked straight through the constables to the gate with bars, gently pushed it open—the lock was loose, the gate wasn't locked, and he slipped inside.
Next up is Qi Chengming, who has a blank expression.
"..." The scene was too bizarre. Bai Xuan silently followed behind, all the tension and danger turning into helplessness and exhaustion.
Okay, okay, sure...
There was absolutely no danger.
What a waste of all that excitement, worry, and anxiety he had for half the night!
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Author's Note: Wen Er Gongzi - A bird mom who coaxes two novice martial arts players out to play an adventure game!
(Only one chapter tonight!)
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