Chapter 118 You Don't Want Your Hand Anymore
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but step forward and walk to the prison bars.
The prison was dimly lit. Jiang Zhi tried hard to make out the man's features and found that although his figure was similar to Yan Wenkang's, his back did not seem to be straight, but rather hunched over with a sense of dejection.
She knew Yan Wenkang very well and quickly realized that this person was not him at all!
He is to be executed tomorrow, but in the prison where he is being held, there is a person who looks so much like him. Anyone can guess what they want to do!
But now the Zhongqin Earl's Mansion is in dire need of its own survival, so where would it find the strength to care about a wasted playboy?
Could it be the Third Prince?
"Turn around right now," she said coldly.
The man in the cell finally reacted. He didn't move his body, but he turned his head directly, his cloudy and dull eyes falling on Jiang Zhi, and he grinned at her.
Jiang Zhi's heart sank.
This person looks mentally challenged; he's definitely not Yan Wenkang at all!
If she hadn't come to the prison to check on things today, who would have known after the execution tomorrow that this prisoner had already been switched at birth!
Jiang Zhi felt as if a fire was burning in her heart.
How could she be willing to let Yan Wenkang go unpunished and continue to live peacefully in a place unknown to her?
She immediately called the jailer in. The jailer was also shocked to see that the prisoner had been switched and was eager to inform his superiors.
But Jiang Zhi stopped him.
"Who do you think has such great ability to silently switch people out of prison?"
The jailer thought for a moment, then suddenly realized what was going on. "Miss Jiang means..."
“That’s right. It’s very likely that your superior knows about this. If you inform him now, wouldn’t that let him know that you brought people to visit me in prison without my permission?”
The jailer broke out in a cold sweat. "Then what does Miss Jiang think I should do?"
"I don't want to implicate you, so just pretend you don't know anything about this. You also don't know I was here today." Jiang Zhi calmed down.
Then he was asked, "When was the last time you saw Yan Wenkang?"
The jailer thought carefully for a moment, "It was tonight when I brought him his prison food. He threw a tantrum then, saying that even dogs wouldn't eat the food we gave him, and told me to go find the Minister. But Yan Wenkang's treatment is the best in our prison; our food is not as good as his."
Having grown accustomed to a life of luxury, Yan Wenkang naturally found it difficult to adapt to prison life.
Jiang Zhi then realized that he hadn't been switched at that time, and not much time had passed.
"Since I delivered the prison food, has anyone else come in besides me?"
The jailer was already flustered by the incident, not to mention that Jiang Zhi was the Princess of Qinghe County, personally bestowed by the Emperor. Naturally, he dared not be negligent in the slightest and told him everything in detail.
"After that, only one prisoner was brought in by my superior. He locked the prisoner in the cell and then left. However, I was only guarding the door at the time and did not see the prisoner's appearance clearly. But I am certain that my superior came out alone and did not take Yan Wenkang with him."
Jiang Zhi frowned in thought.
They only brought people in, but didn't take anyone out.
How can we get the person replaced?
She suddenly thought of a possibility and led the jailer to the cell for him to identify, "Look at this man's build, isn't he the prisoner we just brought in?"
The jailer looked at him in the dim light and nodded. "Indeed, although the prisoner was wearing a black cloak and hood when he was brought in, his height and build are very similar to Yan Wenkang's."
Do you know where the newly arrived prisoner is being held?
The jailer shook his head. "The prison roster and the location of the prisoners are in the hands of the higher-ups. I don't know them."
Just as I expected.
The replacement has arrived, but Yan Wenkang has not yet sent him out.
With the Earl of Zhongqin's family now facing serious charges, if Yan Wenkang were to go out, a blind man like him would be unable to take care of himself and would easily be discovered.
It would be better to leave him in prison. Tomorrow, the stand-in will be beheaded, and once everything has calmed down and everyone's attention has shifted away from the Earl of Loyalty's mansion, we can send him away discreetly, without anyone noticing.
That's a really good plan.
Jiang Zhi sneered inwardly.
She said to the jailer, "You may leave now. Just pretend you know nothing about what happened today. I will take full responsibility for anything that happens."
The jailer hesitated for a long time, but he really didn't want to get himself involved in this matter and lose his job, so he cupped his hands in greeting and said, "Alright, Miss Jiang, please be careful. I'll take my leave now."
She waited until the jailer left before calling out Dark Moon and Shadow, and had them search the prison cell by cell for Yan Wenkang.
There were many prison cells in this area, and most of them housed the most vicious criminals. Seeing the three women checking each cell, they immediately became interested.
"Hehe, I've been in this business for years, and this is the first time I've ever seen a young lady from a respectable family who's not afraid of death, coming from cell to cell in the prison to search for someone. Look at her beautiful face, if I could touch her before I die, I would die without regrets."
He suddenly reached out as Jiang Zhi approached, and if Jiang Zhi hadn't been on guard, he might have actually succeeded.
Although not fatal, it's disgusting enough.
Dark Moon, standing nearby, didn't say a word. Instead, she raised her hand and slashed down, cutting off the man's wrist with a "whoosh."
"Anyone who dares to disrespect the young lady again will lose their hands!"
The once noisy prison suddenly fell into an eerie silence, with only the man's painful and miserable wails remaining.
Jiang Zhi breathed a sigh of relief.
She and Dark Moon Shadow split up to search, but after searching the whole area, they found nothing.
Jiang Zhi couldn't help but wonder if she had guessed wrong.
Just then, she discovered an extremely narrow and cramped cell.
This cell is located in the shadows around a corner, and it is easy to miss if you don't get close.
Jiang Zhi went forward to look and found a dark figure huddled inside.
He was completely covered by a black cloak, and even his head was covered by a hood. He lay with his back to the outside, and if you didn't look closely, you would think that the cell was empty.
Black cloak, hooded.
Having deduced something, she patted the bars and asked, "Who are you? Can you turn around and let me see you?"
The person inside seemed to be fast asleep, making no sound at all.
Jiang Zhi became even more certain of her guess, and her voice turned cold, "No need to pretend anymore, I know you are Yan Wenkang, I've found you."
The body only stiffened for a moment, then remained motionless.
Jiang Zhi continued, "Yan Wenkang, you know who I am, don't you? I've harmed you to this extent, yet you don't even dare to look me in the eye. Now that the Zhongqin Earl's mansion has been raided, you're hiding in this dark and gloomy prison, barely clinging to life. It's truly pitiful and pathetic."
The shadowy figure in the cell finally reacted. He struggled to his feet from the haystack, groped his way to the bars, and asked in disbelief, "What did you say? The Earl of Zhongqin's mansion has been ransacked?"
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