Chapter 108 Imprisoned

Chapter 108: Imprisonment

Cheng Ge's eyes were caked with chicken blood, and he might have hit too hard just now.

His head was now throbbing a little. He blinked hard until he could barely make out the old man in front of him.

He parted his lips slightly, and the other man quickly leaned in. "Lord Wu, I have proof of corruption by Liu Xianyue and others hidden on my stomach. Present it to the Emperor immediately.

Also, there's a hidden room next to Liu Xianyue's bedchamber containing his ill-gotten gains. Do not let him return to get rid of the evidence.

Lastly, plead with the Emperor to keep my family in Yuanzhou safe and... save my life." With that, his eyes shut and he passed out.

"I knew I shouldn't have acted so convincingly," Cheng Ge thought.

Wu Zhongzi never expected Cheng Ge to actually have evidence. He quickly pulled himself together and, together with the others, formed a protective ring around Cheng Ge.

...

"CRASH!!!" With a loud crash, Zhou Mingqi slammed the evidence of crimes onto the ground.

His chest heaved, fury about to explode.

"Fine! Just fine!" His voice echoed through the hall, unable to mask the anger.

"These are all my fine ministers, incorruptible officials! I never knew this was how officials served!"

Wu Zhongzi and the others knelt below, prostrating themselves, not daring to meet Zhou Mingqi's wrathful gaze.

Wu Zhongzi raised his head and called out loudly: "Your Majesty, I beg you to issue a decree to arrest the corrupt officials immediately, so as not to disappoint Scholar Cheng's wholehearted loyalty!"

His voice resonated in the hall, full of earnestness.

The others echoed: "Your Majesty, please order the arrest of the corrupt officials!!!"

Their voices intertwined in the empty hall, forming a mighty wave that surged toward Zhou Mingqi.

Zhou Mingqi stared at the evidence, pacing behind his desk.

Finally, he looked up at the four-character plaque "Rectitude and Brightness" hanging behind him.

Wu Zhongzi and the others stood half-crouched, ready to die in the hall if needed.

No destruction, no construction. Destroy first, then build.

"Issue my decree: The Imperial Guard, together with the Three Judicial Departments, are to arrest everyone involved.

Seal their mansions, confiscate the stolen goods, and send them to the imperial prison. Anyone who resists will be executed summarily!"

Zhou Mingqi's command boomed with authority.

Wu Zhongzi and the others kowtowed and cried, "The Emperor is wise!"

...

At the third quarter of the Yin hour, the capital was still immersed in inky darkness. The clatter of hooves echoed down the long street.

Every door was bolted, the night watchman's gong silent. Crows cawed from the treetops.

At the Residence of the Director of the Ministry of Revenue

A dozen guards from the Imperial Guard kicked open the crimson gates. Crossbows fired first, hitting the alarm bells under the eaves.

Before the estate's guards could draw their swords, Xiuchun sabers were at their throats.

"By order of the Northern Depot—" The guard unfurled the yellow silk imperial edict; the cinnabar seal glowed blood-red under the torches.

"Zhang Ming'en, Director of the Revenue Bureau, guilty of embezzling tax silver and smuggling salt permits—seize him now!"

Agents from the Northern Depot streamed in. Zhang Ming'en stumbled out of his room in his underclothes.

He caught sight of the guards hauling three iron-strapped camphor chests out of his study. When the lids were forced open, the chests were crammed with gold and silver—a blinding display.

"Injustice! This is a setup! I want to see the Emperor!" Zhang Ming'en knelt and shouted.

A guard sneered, "You'll get plenty of chances to yell injustice in the imperial prison. Take him away!"

Zhang Ming'en was escorted into a prison cart, still shouting his innocence all the way.

At the same time, the mansions of other implicated officials were also being searched. The entire capital was swept by this storm.

For a time, the capital was gripped by fear and suspicion; everyone felt at risk.

Cheng Ge woke up three days later. He stared at the brick ceiling, momentarily disoriented.

His head still throbbed slightly. He reached up and felt a thick bandage—obviously, it had been well dressed.

Before all this, he had prepared carefully, secretly hiding fish bladders filled with chicken blood in his hair.

If the drum-beating didn't work, he would stage a death remonstration—the most drastic gamble.

A brutal, bloody scene—historically, fewer than five percent of such death remonstrations succeeded.

High risk, low reward. If he misjudged it, he'd really be dead.

He pressed his head wound a few times. It seemed he had only some cuts and a concussion, plus he'd passed out from emotional stress, which caused the coma.

Cheng Ge got up from the bed and looked around. High walls enclosed him, with only a tiny vent for air.

A heavy iron door, secured with a large padlock, faced him.

Confused, Cheng Ge rushed to the iron door and yelled, "Anybody there?"

The moment he spoke, footsteps echoed from down the corridor, drawing nearer.

A jailer walked over quickly, followed by a physician carrying a medicine box.

"Master Cheng, you're awake!"

The jailer hurriedly opened the door, and the physician bowed slightly and entered.

"Let me have a look," said the doctor, stepping forward to take Cheng Ge's pulse.

Cheng Ge obediently held out his hand and asked the jailer, "Where am I?"

The jailer gave an apologetic smile. "Master Cheng, this is the Imperial Prison."

Cheng Ge: "..."

Cheng Ge's heart sank. This prison was no joke.

Now the Imperial Prison—the Zhaoyu—falls under the Northern Town Guard Office, specifically reserved for holding high-ranking officials and members of the royal family.

Inside, there are eighteen kinds of brutal tortures that terrify people, from scraping flesh off bones with iron brushes to pouring boiling oil into the anus, and plucking ribs like playing a pipa (a lute-like instrument).

Its infamy is such that rumors say the mortality rate exceeds eighty percent, earning it the reputation of "ten in, nine never out."

Had I been inexplicably thrown in here? Are they gonna torture me now?

"Why am I imprisoned here? Has His Majesty bought Liu Xianyue's slander and decided to punish me?"

The jailer scratched his head. "I don't know, sir. I only follow orders from above. But Liu Xianyue and the others have also been placed in the Imperial Prison."

After finishing the diagnosis, the physician said, "The young master is fine—just needs rest and recovery."

Just then, footsteps echoed from the end of the corridor. Cheng Ge looked closely and saw Lü Rou and Lin Nanshu.

Cheng Ge hurried forward, and the two sides gazed at each other through the iron gate. He nodded at Lin Nanshu.

"Master, Lü Rou is late. Have they hurt you?" Lü Rou knelt outside the gate.

Holding Cheng Ge's wrists, tears streamed down her face like a dam had burst.

"Don't cry. I'm fine." Cheng Ge crouched down and wiped her tears away. "How is Cui Ji? Is he caught up in this mess?"

Lü Rou shook her head, hiccupping several times. "The prince is okay.

Yesterday, he came to the prison, but you were out cold, so he stayed a few hours and left.

The army leaves for the north today. He's probably setting off now."

Hearing this, Cheng Ge's head spun. "What time is it?"

Lü Rou sniffled and quickly replied, "It's already 3:30 AM."

"Holy shit!!!" Cheng Ge shot up. "I promised Cui Ji I would see him off."

Turning to the jailer, he shouted, "Hey man, can you let me out quick? I'll be back!"

The jailer looked troubled. "Master Cheng, I can't just let you go—it's orders from above."

Cheng Ge scratched his cheek anxiously. "Damn it. Now I'm definitely getting blacklisted for breaking my word."

Lin Nanshu reached out and brushed his hair back and whispered, "Muyu, don't panic. I'll go to the palace right now and beg the emperor to let you go."

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