Chapter 21: Wen Yu from Jiangyang Prefecture looks for his brother. “Why did they arrest you?”…
Song Linsheng pointed to the records of natural disasters, man-made disasters, and important events in Jiangyang Prefecture over the years and said to Wen Yu, "Although Jiangyang Prefecture has been plagued by floods for years, its people's livelihood, economy, and fiscal revenue are very considerable."
"From this, we can see that the officials of Jiangyang Prefecture are not just sitting there doing nothing."
Wen Yu recalled what he had seen and heard along the way, and could not help but nod in agreement with Song Linsheng's words.
"Just now, as I walked in, I saw that the government office was well-maintained. Without financial resources, it would be impossible to achieve this." Wen Yu thought for a moment and added:
"Also, the officers and soldiers in the mansion are strictly disciplined, unlike yesterday in the East Market."
Song Linsheng agreed and continued, "This just shows that the Jiangyang government is very strict. Lord Jia has made great contributions. The situation we saw yesterday should never have happened."
However, it actually happened, and Madam Wen Yu saw it with her own eyes.
Jia Ren ran the government office in perfect order, so why did he suddenly act like that yesterday? It was truly full of contradictions.
Song Linsheng opened another official record book, which recorded the current staffing configuration of the Jiangyang government office. Wen Yu didn't quite understand it, so he just listened to Song Linsheng's explanation:
"Jiangyang Prefecture is short of staff. There are no military supervisors or military advisors in the prefecture. As I just said, there is not even a military advisor..."
"So we asked Lord Mu to take charge of the household registration temporarily?" Wen Yu continued Song Linsheng's words.
"Exactly."
Song Linsheng flipped open two more pages, his slender fingers tracing across them, finally stopping at a name. He continued, "All matters related to river defense, water conservancy, grain supervision, and catching bandits are under the responsibility of the Tongzhi, Lord Jia."
"What about Chen Mian?" Wen Yu asked at the right time.
"Chen Mian was merely a clerk, in charge of sacrificial ceremonies, such as the Shangsi Festival. Now that he's in jail, Mu Jingli has taken his place temporarily."
"So, no matter what problem happened to the Yuanshui River, it has nothing to do with Chen Mian?" Song Linsheng's explanation was so coherent that Wen Yu felt as if the clouds had been cleared and the sun had been shining.
The dimples on Song Linsheng's face were faintly visible. He was always like this, never sparing in showing his smile to Wen Yu.
"Madam Wenyu is very smart."
Wen Yu touched the tip of his nose with his hand, then lowered his head for some reason. After a moment, he looked up and asked, "Then why did Jia Ren arrest Chen Mian? And why would Chen Mian surrender so willingly?"
"I guess he doesn't want Lord Jia to make things difficult for you and Ayuan. But as for the details—" Song Linsheng curled his fingers slightly, placed them upside down on the table, and tapped them lightly.
"Why not ask Chen Mian directly?"
Song Linsheng beckoned over a yamen runner and ordered him to take them to the prison to interrogate Chen Mian. Song Linsheng and Wen Yu exchanged a glance, then followed the runner side by side.
Jiangyang government office, prison.
Jiangyang Prefecture is located in the south and is surrounded by water on three sides. The climate has been rainy and humid for many years, not to mention this dungeon without sunlight.
A rotten smell came out from the ground, and the faint candlelight hit Wen Yu's face, burning her courage.
She had taken root in the Wutong Ancestral Temple for a thousand years, living in a temple of the gods, enjoying the incense of thousands of families. After transforming, she ascended to the Spring Temple, which was also a treasured place of the gods with high roofs, wide eaves and lingering blessings.
When had she ever seen such a dark, narrow, cramped and dim dungeon?
Wen Yu followed Song Linsheng down four flights of stone steps before reaching the prisoner holding area. The small space was divided into square grids by iron railings. She followed the grids and finally stopped at a corner.
"You go down first." Song Linsheng's voice was calm and composed, without any of the gentleness he showed when speaking to Wen Yu.
The bailiff took his orders and left, leaving only Wen Yu and Song Linsheng. Oh no, there was also the one imprisoned in this cell...
"Chen Mian?" Song Linsheng called out tentatively.
A thin slit in the narrow iron window allowed a breeze, letting in a faint stream of sunlight, casting a shadow over him. The man wore no outer robe, only a thin undergarment. His figure was thin, yet his back was straight. He sat on the ground with his back to Wen Yu and Song Linsheng.
Hearing the noise behind him, the man raised his hand and gently stroked his temples. After straightening his appearance, he stood up and looked back.
"You are... Mr. Song?" Chen Mian was a little surprised when he saw Song Linsheng. When he saw Wen Yu beside him, he could no longer hide his surprise.
"Madam? Why are you here?" He took two steps forward, then stopped suddenly, raised his hand and patted his untidy shirt, afraid of disturbing the two people outside the door.
"Master Jia still won't let you go?"
Upon hearing this, Wen Yu waved her hand and explained to him, "I came here with Lord Song." After that, she raised her finger and pointed at Song Linsheng, signaling to Chen Mian.
"Lord Song...Mr. Song...Song..." Chen Mian was savoring Wen Yu's words.
"You are—"
Wen Yu took over and continued, "He is the new prefect, Lord Song."
Chen Mian smiled and said, "I only knew that the new prefect's surname was Song, but I didn't know that Mr. Song was Lord Song." He clasped his hands together and saluted Song Linsheng.
"I greet the prefect."
"Have you seen it?" Wen Yu discovered the key point.
Song Linsheng nodded, "Yes, Master Chen and I met once at the Wutong Ancestral Hall." Song Linsheng also returned the greeting to Chen Mian, and then introduced him:
"This is Madam Wenyu."
Chen Mian was neither humble nor arrogant, and his words and actions were measured. He greeted Wen Yu again.
This back and forth between the two of them took quite a while. Wen Yu was grumbling inwardly: it was a good thing for mortals to observe etiquette, but it was a little too slow.
Wen Yu simply got straight to the point, "Then why did Lord Jia arrest you?"
Chen Mian's face darkened a little, and half of his face was sunken in shadow.
"I don't know."
Song Linsheng raised his hand to stop Wen Yu from asking further questions. Silence enveloped the three of them for a moment. When the atmosphere was at its quietest, Song Linsheng slowly spoke:
"That day at the Wutong Ancestral Temple, it was your wife who accompanied you to burn incense, right?" Song Linsheng mentioned the day they first met.
Chen Mian looked up and met Song Linsheng's gaze without saying a word.
"I've seen your household registration file. Your wife Zhibai has been married to you for many years and is very loving." Song Linsheng spoke slowly, "Besides, when I saw her that day, she was clearly..."
"What will happen to her if something happens to you?"
Chen Mian's tense expression began to relax, and as Song Linsheng's words fell, his last line of defense collapsed.
He considered his words carefully, "I'm now in a dilemma. No matter what I choose, it's a dead end."
It is reasonable for Song Linsheng to want to make some political achievements when he first arrived in Jiangyang and was ordered by the emperor, but the power of Lord Jia should not be underestimated.
If he were alone, he would have no fear at all and would tell the whole truth even if it cost him his life. But now, Zhibai... he didn't want Zhibai to suffer.
Wen Yu's eyes flickered between Song Linsheng and Chen Mian. What Chen Mian said seemed a bit nonsensical.
"According to what Co-magistrate Jia said, the water conservancy works on the Yuan River were blocked because you failed to fulfill your responsibilities and neglected to supervise them."
"Do you plead guilty?"
Chen Mian fell silent again, blending in with the shadows of the dungeon.
He neither wanted to confess nor to say more.
Wen Yu was puzzled. Yesterday at the East Market, Chen Mian had been fiercely defiant and unwilling to yield. How could he be so silent after just one night?
What's more, Song Linsheng was right in front of him. A newly appointed prefect, he was still a prefect, and his words were more effective than those of Lord Jia. Why didn't he tell him the whole story and let Song Linsheng make the decision for him?
"You..." Wen Yu was about to ask why, but Song Linsheng raised his hand to stop her.
"Chen Mian, take care of yourself. I will get to the bottom of this matter."
"By then, right and wrong, good and evil will be self-evident." He couldn't get to the bottom of it right now, so Song Linsheng didn't intend to continue forcing Chen Mian here.
Song Linsheng turned around and asked Wen Yu to follow him out. He walked in front and led the way for Wen Yu.
Just as the two of them were about to disappear around the corner, Chen Mian's voice came from behind them.
"My Lord! Why don't you go to the Yuanshui River and see for yourself..."
Song Linsheng paused, and without replying, he walked out.
After leaving the dungeon, Song Linsheng stood outside the dungeon threshold and stretched out his hand to help Wen Yu out.
"Be careful." He warned.
Wen Yu was thinking about what Song Linsheng and Chen Mian had just said, and the doubts in her heart came out.
"What did you just say?"
Song Linsheng waited until Wen Yu was steady before explaining to her, "Mrs. Zhibai must be Chen Mian's wife. I saw them together at the Wutong Ancestral Temple that day."
"I see."
"And... Lady Zhibai is pregnant, and it looks like she's already full term. If something happens to Chen Mian at this time..." He was worried that someone was using this as a threat, so Chen Mian was unwilling to say more.
The case was minor, but the pregnant woman and baby were a major concern. If Zhibai and her child met with misfortune...
"That White Lady must be terribly worried. I see Chen Mian is in the East Market buying rouge. I guess he's going to give it to his wife, right?"
Chen Mian had gone missing the moment he went out to buy rouge and hadn't returned all night. How worried Lady Zhibai must have been! Wen Yu's heart was also hanging in the air.
"That's about right. But since Chen Mian has always been working in the mansion, why didn't Lady Bai come to ask about it?" This was exactly what he felt strange about.
From what I saw that day, Chen Mian's wife was clearly a cheerful, lively and teasing sister. If Chen Mian disappeared for no reason, she should go to the government office to ask for him.
It was hard to tell what was wrong, and this doubt kept lingering in Song Linsheng's mind.
"She won't come! We can go over there!" Wen Yu lifted her skirt and ran forward, turning back to call Song Linsheng to catch up quickly, after all, she didn't know the way.
Song Linsheng shook his head and slowly followed Wen Yu. "After I looked at Chen Mian's household registration, I asked Xi Yan to look for him along the streets and alleys where he was registered."
After Xi Yan sent Wen Yu to the government office, he set off for Chen Mian's residence. He should have the result by now.
Wen Yu was shocked. Why did Song Linsheng always think ahead of her? Before she came to the mortal world, she had promised the immortal tree that she would help him and protect him, and would not let his fate be ruined too much.
Now it seems that she is being taken care of by Song Linsheng everywhere.
Wen Yu was just thinking when the sound of washing the inkstone came from far away and reached her and Song Linsheng.
"Young Master! Madam Wenyu!"
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