After Being Mistakenly Taken for a Fellow Traveler by Emperor Long Aotian - Chapter 31

“You!”

Though his words were casual, the man in the prison cell was in a state of utter panic. Spitting blood, he hadn’t even managed to struggle to his feet before several burly prison guards entered the cell, advancing toward him.

“Let go of me! Let go of me!” Despite being grabbed by several prison guards, the man continued to struggle incessantly, writhing as if he were a worm exerting all its might. “Do you know who I am? I’m the son of the Zhang family! The eldest grandson of the second branch! I know the county magistrate! I…”

He kept shouting, reciting a string of his own identities, attempting to intimidate the prison guards restraining him. However, no matter what he said, the prison guards remained unmoved, as firm as iron.

“Master Lu, the chair has been brought for you.”

The leading young man in crimson attire nodded slightly, while a junior attendant beside him produced a handkerchief, meticulously wiping the chair before he sat down.

Seeing that pleading or reciting his family tree was futile, the man restrained by the group turned red-eyed, cursing at the young man who sat calmly in the chair. “You’ll rot in the depths of hell, you won’t die a good death, you…”

The young man’s face remained expressionless, neither angered by the man’s insults nor excited about the impending punishment. His demeanor was cold and indifferent, as if this were just an ordinary task devoid of any emotional color.

“Since you still have the strength to curse, you might as well curse more now. In a little while, even if you want to curse, you won’t be able to.” The junior attendant standing beside him didn’t get angry either, but rather smiled as he watched the man in the cell contort his face and spew vitriol. “Master Lu, don’t you agree?”

If Zhou Cai were here, he would surely recognize the smiling junior attendant as the one who had praised him for “cleaning the floor with his knees” in front of the Zhou mansion last time. Lu Xiandao neither endorsed nor opposed him. He tapped the junior attendant’s arm with the scabbard of his sword and continued to watch the cell. “Handle it cleanly.”

“Ah—!”

A piercing scream echoed in the cell, accompanied by the sound of splattering blood. The man writhed in agony on the ground, his bloody mouth emitting continuous wails.

“Get a cloth and stuff his mouth shut,” Lu Xiandao said calmly.

Several prison guards took a cloth and stuffed it into the mouth of the writhing man. One of the prison guards, who had been chatting with Bai Yuhang, looked over and made a clicking sound.

“Do you see that? His tongue was cut out and it’s still wriggling on the ground.” The prison guard sighed. “The knife was swift, cutting it out as soon as it was said, tsk…”

Bai Yuhang, with a stalk of straw in his mouth, lazily rose from the haystack. Even he, who was usually lazy, leaned against the railing of the cell and looked out.

“Deep red attire, cloud-patterned silk, standard black-gold long knife, black soap boots…” He looked the person over from top to bottom. “From the capital… a Vermillion guard?”

The prison guard looked at Bai Yuhang in astonishment. “Wow, you even know about the Vermillion guards?”

“Wandering the world, you first need to know who you can provoke and who you can’t.” Bai Yuhang still stared at the black scabbard, his tone still lazy. “Rich but unscrupulous merchants can be provoked, lofty but impractical scholars can be provoked, corrupt petty officials can be provoked…”

He casually listed seven types of “provocables”, and finally nodded toward the other side. “People like that over there, they can’t be provoked. Specially appointed by the court, directly under the emperor, they can casually chop off your head, it’s great, I want to be that imposing too.”

Although he said so, there was no trace of admiration in his tone; instead, he continued to chew on the stalk of straw and reclined back onto the haystack.

“You’re so smart, how come you got caught in the marquis’s house?” The prison guard mocked him. “You talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?”

“No choice.” Bai Yuhang crossed his legs, swaying his toes. “People slip, horses stumble. Saying it right doesn’t mean you won’t do it wrong…”

The man’s screams gradually weakened, as if he had exhausted all his strength. Bai Yuhang closed his eyes, hearing the junior attendant over there say to the prison guards, “Take care of these two in the prison.”

The prison guard nodded and bowed, “Yes, we understand the master’s orders.”

“This prison is filthy; it’s not unusual for a few people to die from illness. Don’t drag it out too long, so as not to infect the others in the prison.” The junior attendant’s tone carried a hint of implication.

“Yes, yes.” The prison guard nodded in understanding. “I understand, sir.”

Bai Yuhang switched legs, sighed deeply, and closed his eyes, chewing on a straw stem. Suddenly, a series of footsteps halted outside his cell.

“I heard you speaking over here earlier,” a faint voice rang out.

Bai Yuhang opened his eyes to see the leader of the group clad in deep red robes standing outside his cell, looking down on him.

“Official, it’s a misunderstanding,” Bai Yuhang was adept at acting submissive in crucial moments and immediately knelt, “I admire the official’s demeanor and couldn’t help but speak some flattering words. I meant no offense…”

The leader of the red guards stared at him, making Bai Yuhang feel a chill run down his spine.

“What has this man done?” the leader shifted his attention to the prison guard and began to inquire.

“In response to your question,” the prison guard replied obediently in front of these court hounds, “this man is a habitual offender from Qingzhou City, claiming to be a bandit. He regularly steals from wealthy households, rarely getting caught except for a few times ending up in jail. This time he had the audacity to steal from Marquis Hou’s residence, and it’s his third offense, sentenced to thirty years…”

The leader of the guards nodded thoughtfully, then turned back to Bai Yuhang.

Bai Yuhang’s hair stood on end even more.

The leader of the hounds kept staring at him, as if studying something. Bai Yuhang dared not move, but his mind started to wander.

Could it be… he’s interested in his reputation as a bandit and wants him to do something for him? Like… stealing military secrets from the neighboring Northern Wei?

If that were the case, should he decline and then accept later, or discuss conditions before accepting?

“I see,” the leader of the guards said coldly, “Get in there and retrieve the item he hid in the haystack.”

One of the guards followed his gaze and said, “Yes!”

Bai Yuhang was dumbfounded as the leader of the guards confiscated the tools he had used to escape from the cell. The leader then instructed the prison guard, “Since he’s sentenced to thirty years, let him reform properly and make sure he doesn’t escape again. Next time he enters or leaves, remember to strip him naked and search him.”

“You!” Seeing the guards in deep red leaving, Bai Yuhang exclaimed in frustration, leaning on the iron bars, “You red guards…”

The leader of the guards turned back.

Bai Yuhang: “…You are truly wise and perceptive!”

With that, he gave a sincere thumbs-up.

The leader of the guards turned away.

Finally, the guards left. Bai Yuhang sighed, lying back on the haystack.

“You still think you can pull this off,” the prison guard, who had enjoyed the spectacle, squatted down to mock him, “You won’t escape from here. Just sit tight and serve your thirty years.”

Bai Yuhang rolled his eyes. The prison guard continued, “Be honest, even the God of Heaven can’t get you out of here!”

“Tsk, when I was a kid, I had my fortune told, and the fortune-teller said I’m destined for luck, like a fish finding water, turning bad luck into good. Sooner or later, I’ll rise to the top,” Bai Yuhang said, “Just wait, it’s only a matter of time for me.”

The prison guard chuckled, “You? Stop daydreaming!”

Zhang Lingsu hugged the box of medical books, crouching in the room, refusing to go anywhere. She was still wearing the red wedding dress forced upon her, stuffed into it by several rough maidservants who couldn’t care less about her small, frail frame, unable to resist the strength of these women used to rough work.

Her mouth gagged with cloth, hands and feet bound, she was forcibly shoved into the bridal sedan. The sedan jostled along, while she struggled inside, whimpering, while the sedan bearers outside chatted, mentioning how her cousin and his wife “married” her off to the old cripple from the north of the city!

Zhang Lingsu knew about that old cripple from the north of the city. His previous wife was also a young girl, but she was beaten to death by him! Unable to endure it, that girl jumped into the well!

Her cousin and his wife actually wanted to sell her to such a household just to snatch the medical books!

Throughout the journey, Zhang Lingsu struggled relentlessly, her heart and eyes filled with despair. Biting down on the cloth in her mouth, she thought, if she couldn’t escape it, she would rather end her own life than be touched by that old cripple!

Amidst this despair, the bridal sedan was intercepted. With a jolt, Zhang Lingsu’s head hit the sedan. Her hairpins were all askew, and at that moment, the sedan’s curtain was lifted with a “whoosh”.

In her most miserable moment, Zhang Lingsu saw the crimson-clad guards outside opening the curtain.

“Lord Lu, is the person okay?” someone outside asked.

“Not dead, still alive,” he glanced at her and concluded.

In her extreme fright, Zhang Lingsu was sent back to her own courtyard by the group of crimson-clad guards in their entirety. If what happened a few days ago was a nightmare, then what happened in the next two days was a fast-paced dream.

They first went to the Zhang family—rumor has it that even the Prefect was trembling when they arrived, let alone the County Magistrate who relied on him. Before Zhang Quan could say a word, he was slapped by the Prefect he relied on, knocking out his teeth. The box of medical books also returned to her embrace that day.

The next day, her cousin and his wife were looked down upon, and the old cripple slipped and fell into the well due to drunkenness—ending up with the same fate as that girl he had abused in the past. No one knew why he was in the mood for drinking in such circumstances, nor did anyone dare to ask.

On the third day, which is today, she huddled in the corner with the medical books, a female crimson-clad guard sitting beside her—she had tried to comfort Zhang Lingsu, but to no avail, almost intimidating her, so she gave up.

The door curtain of the room was lifted again, Zhang Lingsu raised her eyelids and saw the crimson-clad guards walking in.

“Your cousin and his wife died in prison after being bitten by rats,” the leader said lightly, “What are your plans for the future?”

Plans for the future…?

“You can return to the capital, or stay here, start a family, and build a career…”

“I won’t stay in Qingzhou!” Zhang Lingsu suddenly said.

The leader paused and said, “Then return to the capital. The Emperor has decreed that you can study at the Imperial Hospital as a female physician…”

“I won’t go to the capital either.” Zhang Lingsu shook her head.

“Then where do you want to go?” the leader asked.

“West Zhou.” Zhang Lingsu bit her lip, tears streaming down her face, “I have completed…”

“I have completed, the prescription left by my grandfather!”