Нis choрstiсks раusеd for a momеnt, thеn he nonсhalantlу rеsumеd рiсking uр food. "Аnd?" Yin Gezhi asked.
"The Crоwn Рrincе is cаutiоus аnd didn't sаy muсh. I suрроsе he wаnts to see whаt I'm сaрable of." Sitting dоwn beside him, Fеng Yue watсhеd him. "Вut this рiесе of informаtiоn is useful. Тhеrе was sоmething I соuldn't figure out, аnd this nеws helрs explаin it."
Yin Gezhi continuеd еаting, his eуes signaling for hеr tо gо on.
"Lоgiсаllу, thе fаmilies оf militаry сommаnders arе usuallу quitе mоdest. Еvеn with sоmе bribes, it shouldn't be еnough for Zhao Lin to sрend moneу like watеr. Yet, nоt оnly did Yоung Master Zhao lavish countless rewards at the Dream Return Pavilion, he also paid a high price to redeem He Chou. Mama Jin extorted him for two hundred taels of gold. He actually managed to produce it, and in gold ingots, not silver notes."
Tapping her fingers lightly on the table, Feng Yue's eyes glinted. "Such extravagance—where did the money come from? But if the Zhao family has a good relationship with the office of the Three Judicial Commissioners, then it all makes sense."
The office of the Three Judicial Commissioners was a place of gold and silver. Although on the surface its head maintained an air of incorruptibility, those who managed the books rarely kept their hands clean. Seeing how fat Zhu Laicai had become, the pickings at the office of the Three Judicial Commissioners were clearly plentiful.
After finishing his meal, Yin Gezhi set down his bowl and chopsticks. He offered no opinion on her words, instead saying slowly, "Since you're here, why don't you accompany me on a trip to the prison of the Court of Judicial Review."
The prison of the Court of Judicial Review? Zhu Laicai? Feng Yue flicked her handkerchief and smiled. "Alright."
He glanced sideways at her, his gaze falling on her red gauze dress. Yin Gezhi frowned.
Half an hour later, Feng Yue, now dressed as a respectable woman, followed the First Prince Yin to the Court of Judicial Review.
An Shichong was waiting at the entrance. Seeing them arrive, he bowed. "Master."
"Have you practiced your morning lessons?" Yin Gezhi asked.
Feng Yue thought to herself that such a master was far too strict, asking about his pupil's studies the moment he arrived.
But An Shichong wasn't the least bit annoyed. On the contrary, he was delighted. "I have. I followed what Master taught me and have benefited greatly."
"Very good." With a slight nod, Yin Gezhi stepped into the government office, glancing back to glare at the still-dazed Feng Yue.
Feng Yue snapped back to her senses and immediately lifted her skirt to follow.
"Your Lordship has arrived?" Someone inside the office came to greet them, bowing. "The Minister is not in today. He instructed this subordinate to attend to you all."
"No need for trouble, we're just here to see someone," An Shichong said. "Zhu Laicai from the residence of the Three Judicial Commissioners has been transferred over, correct?"
"Yes, he's in the cells. Please follow me, everyone." The bailiff bowed. "As soon as the Minister received the case, he had the judicial officers interrogate him through the night. The verdict was decided this morning, and the prisoner has been moved to a death row cell."
Yin Gezhi was very pleased. "Truly worthy of the Court of Judicial Review."
An Shichong smiled. "The Minister of Justice is busy with his duties. When faced with a case with such conclusive evidence, he naturally wouldn't delay. Master can rest assured."
Following behind, Feng Yue thought, Your master won't rest assured at all. He's surely prepared a mountain of knives and a cauldron of boiling oil for the person who dared to harm him. He would never let him off with a simple beheading.
Inside the dim prison cell, Zhu Laicai paced back and forth agitatedly, the iron chains dragging with a clatter.
He didn't understand why he was here. He was the bookkeeper for the office of the Three Judicial Commissioners! He was under the Minister's protection, doing what the Minister wanted. Logically, even if he was accused, how could the testimony of a mere courtesan be enough to convict him? Even with Yin Gezhi's backing... what was Yin Gezhi? A mere hostage prince. Could he possibly twist the arm of the Three Judicial Commissioners?
The Minister had said he would save him. He had waited, but instead of release, he was sent to a death row cell?
What in the world had happened outside?
Clang— The iron chain on the wooden bars was unlocked. Zhu Laicai spun around in terror to see Miss Feng Yue from the Dream Return Pavilion enter with a lamp, smiling at him. "Sir."
His pupils shrank. Zhu Laicai stumbled back in fear until he was pressed against the wall. "You... are you a person or a ghost?"
"You jest, Sir. I've done nothing wrong, nor have I been convicted. How could I become a ghost?" Stepping into the cell, Feng Yue said, "I heard you were to be beheaded, so I came to see you. Having taken your silver, it's only right that I see you off."
Beheaded? Zhu Laicai's eyes widened, the fleshy jowls on his face twitching. "Impossible. How could I be beheaded!"
Giving him a puzzled look, Feng Yue pointed to the wooden plaque hanging outside the bars. On it was a single, blood-red character: "Death."
"You don't know yet? The Three Judicial Commissioners has been ill lately. I hear he's recuperating at home and not seeing any visitors. Even when the Minister of Justice sent someone to gather evidence, he said your act of poisoning had nothing to do with the office of the Three Judicial Commissioners and that the Minister of Justice could handle it as he saw fit. So, this morning, you were sentenced to immediate execution, to be carried out in half a month. The office of the Three Judicial Commissioners raised no objections."
How could this be? Zhu Laicai shook his head. "You must be lying to me!"
"What benefit is there in lying to you?" Feng Yue pouted and set down the food box in her hand. "I came to see you out of gratitude and to inform you of the situation outside. If you don't want to hear it, then I'll just leave."
With that, she turned and exited.
Darkness returned to the surroundings. Zhu Laicai slumped against the wall, still muttering, "Impossible, impossible..."
But thinking it over, if the Minister truly wanted to save him, how could he still be here? It was just an attempted murder of a hostage prince. That prince had no power or influence, who would help him? Even if the Crown Prince wanted to oppose the Minister, as long as he refused to confess, there should have been a chance of survival.
Yet he had already been sentenced to immediate execution.
Recalling his master's way of doing things, Zhu Laicai finally had to face a fact—he had likely been abandoned by his own master. But why? He had been so loyal. Was it just because he was convicted that the Minister couldn't even be bothered to save him?
In a dark environment, it was easy for one's thoughts to run wild, growing worse and worse. Yin Gezhi watched him from the shadows, watching him struggle in agony until he finally let out a broken roar, "Aaargh—"
It was about time. Brushing his sleeves, Yin Gezhi turned to An Shichong beside him. "Go take a walk around this office. Have someone show you the way. The Marquis said the Minister of Justice treats you like his own son. You should familiarize yourself with this place so you can bring gifts and pay your respects properly in the future."
That made sense. An Shichong nodded and cupped his hands. "Then Master, please wait for me at the side gate. This disciple will return with you."
"Alright."
The righteous young man left without hesitation. Watching him go, Feng Yue sighed. "He's too honest. He didn't even ask why you aren't leaving."
He shot her a sideways glance. Yin Gezhi reached out and pinched her chattering mouth, signaling her to be quiet, before heading toward the cell.
"Officer." Feng Yue smiled sweetly and tugged on the jailer's sleeve. "I've brought some pastries for you as well. That man doesn't have much time left, and I'd like to ask you to take good care of him."
With that, she dragged the man out to eat pastries.
The cell area fell silent. Yin Gezhi walked noiselessly to Zhu Laicai, like a man-eating specter in the dead of night. His face was in shadow, only his eyes faintly gleaming.
Zhu Laicai looked up listlessly. The moment he saw that face, he let out a sharp scream.
However, there were far too many people screaming senselessly in the death row cells every day. No matter how he shrieked his throat raw, no one outside would come.
"Why were you so impulsive?" Looking down at him, Yin Gezhi said, "Just because you ran into me at the Dream Return Pavilion and knew I had requested Feng Yue, you were in such a hurry to poison me?"
Having reached the peak of fear, he was now fearless. Zhu Laicai took a few gasping breaths and said angrily, "If I wasn't in a hurry to poison you, should I have let you go? Your residence is impenetrable. It was naturally simpler to kill you at the Dream Return Pavilion."
"That makes sense," Yin Gezhi nodded slightly. "But you failed, and I didn't die. You are going to die. Do you know why?"
Why else could it be? Zhu Laicai sneered. "Your Highness sought help from the Crown Prince. If the Crown Prince wants this servant to die, then this servant can only die."
"Wrong." Yin Gezhi shook his head. "The one who wants you dead is not the Crown Prince. After all, I wasn't seriously harmed and recovered in less than two days."
If not the Crown Prince, who could it be? Zhu Laicai looked up at him, his eyes filled with confusion.
Bending down slightly, Yin Gezhi's gaze was profound as he stared at him and enunciated each word, "You have quite a lot of things on your hands. If any of it were to be leaked, your master might not be able to keep his official's hat, and might even lose his life. Tell me, with your master's cautious nature, would he not take such a perfect opportunity to kill you?"
A chill ran through Zhu Laicai's heart, and he was struck dumb.
He had just considered this possibility, but hearing it spoken aloud by someone else, he still felt a profound coldness.
So many years of loyalty. He had secretly smoothed over so many accounts for the Minister, concealed so many secrets he didn't even dare speak of in his dreams. And now, he was to be silenced just because he knew too much?
"Did Your Highness come here to kick a man while he's down?" Having figured out the connections, Zhu Laicai leaned against the wall and gave a bitter laugh, his eyes slightly bloodshot.
"Why would I need to do that?" A hint of compassion suddenly appeared in his eyes. Yin Gezhi's tone softened, like a gentle breeze that instantly dispersed the gloomy air in the cell. "The one who wanted to harm me was the person behind you. You were merely acting on someone's orders, dying in someone's place."
"It's just that I feel some sympathy for you. Your son is only five months old, and he's about to lose his father."
Zhu Laicai's heart clenched. He looked up at him in alarm. "Your Highness?"
"Don't be nervous. I just think it's a pity for you," Yin Gezhi said gently. "Your son is so adorable, wearing those little red tiger-head shoes, carried on his wet nurse's back. He can't even talk yet, hasn't even had the chance to call you 'Father'."
Trembling all over, Zhu Laicai stared at him with wide eyes. "Your Highness, even if this servant is guilty, my family shouldn't be implicated!"
"What are you so flustered about?" Yin Gezhi said. "Am I that kind of ruthless person?"
Aren't you? Zhu Laicai gritted his teeth, pushed himself up to kneel properly, and kowtowed twice with loud thuds. "If Your Highness needs this servant for anything, please speak directly. Do not involve my child!"
"Although I have no intention of harming your child," Yin Gezhi straightened up and said matter-of-factly, "since you wish to help me, it would be impolite to refuse."
In the dim cell, the iron chains rattled with the man's trembling. The First Prince Yin looked down at the person before him, his eyes filled with pity.
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