Just as the hardworking i Changsu was sitting deep in thought under the flower trellis, the carriage carrying ng Zhi and Xia Dong quickly made its way to Sky Prison. When they arrived at its main gate, everything seed as calm as before. As the Commander General of the Imperial Guard, ng Zhi often visited prisoners like Xia Jiang and Xia Dong and others of similar rank, so most of the prisons duty guards recognized him. Soone imdiately ca forward to greet him, politely leading him and the cloaked Xia Dong through the road to hell and into the female prison.
When they arrived before the Zhu Zihao cell, the old jailer unlocked the door, nodded his head and withdrew. After ng Zhi had taken a good look around him, he opened the cell door, bent down and walked with Xia Dong through the low hanging door, their eyes sweeping the room.
As expected, the prison cell was empty, and there was no trace of Gong Yu. Both of them exchanged a brief aningful glance, then quickly retreated outwards. As expected, as soon as they arrived at the exit at the end of the corridor, the figure of a man with a face that was as deep as water blocked their way. Cai Quan, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice.
When they ca face to face in that narrow corridor, the air around them seed to freeze for an instant, the surrounding atmosphere dark and silent. Cai Quan fixed his burning gaze on the disguised Xia Dong for a very long ti, then he sneered and said, Forgive my clumsy eyes. I cant recognize your distinguished self. Will you reveal your true identity to ?
With an awkward expression on his face, ng Zhi stepped forward and said, Theres a reason for ng mous actions that Cai da ren isnt aware of yet. Please stay calm and dont jump to conclusions.
Cai Quan said impassively, Alright. I will stay calm. Then please explain, Commander ng.
Actually..actually, its like this. As everyone knows, ng Zhi wasnt very good with words, and at this mont, he felt even more painfully awkward, his words seemingly vague and evasive. He started a few tis but nothing ca out.
Forget it, Commander ng. Xia Dong wiped off the disguise on her face, revealing her face. Just tell the truth. Youre already being put on the spot. What else can you do besides telling the truth?
Xia Dong? Cai Quans pupils narrowed, the fog in his mind becoming more dense. He had received the secret note today, hurried to Sky Prison to personally investigate it, and was furious when he found out that the person in the prison cell was indeed not Xia Dong. After dragging her to the interrogation room and rigorously interrogating her for a long ti, he still got no answers, and just when he was getting really frustrated, the old jailer rushed over to report that ng Zhi had showed up. He didnt even have ti to think about it, hurrying over quickly to block his way, and now, besides ng Zhi, Xia Dong herself was here, making him even more confused.
Why is Commander ng still hesitating? Xia Dong ignored Cai Quans scrutinizing eyes and sneered, Cai da ren is the one whos trying to get to the heart of the matter now. Its not that youre not trying to save his face. His Highness cannot fault you afterwards.
His Highness? Cai Quans eyebrows trembled slightly. Who are you referring to?
Who else can order the Commander General of the Imperial Guard around? said Xia Dong with a slight smile, Cai da ren is soone who cannot tolerate not being able to get to the root of a matter, which is why you are listening calmly for Commander ngs explanation. Its because you think that this matter defies common sense, isnt it?
Thats right. Im very baffled. Cai Quan looked directly into ng Zhis eyes, You had obviously replaced Xia Dong and removed her from the prison. I interrogated the false prisoner just now and she didnt confess that it had anything to do with you. I cant figure out why youve now brought the real prisoner back. As they say, if sothing defies common sense, it would more often than not have its own reasons. If Commander ng can provide a plausible explanation, theres no harm for this lower ranked officer to listen to it.
ng Zhi rubbed his eyebrows, his expression still a little hesitant. Xia Dong suddenly looked up and laughed, It looks like the Commander General is still afraid that His Highness would bla him. Then let explain. Maybe Ill explain it better. Cai da ren might as well listen.
Youre a criminal. I will not believe you.
Believe it or not, listen first before deciding. Cai da ren is a recognized expert in solving cris. Even the most flawless confessions are unable to escape da rens discerning eye. So why be stingy and deprive this ti?
Cai Quan looked at her intensely for a long ti, and finally nodded his head. Alright, carry on.
Xia Dong smiled slightly and half rose in a polite bow. Her tone was relaxed as she said, Its a fact that ng Zhi sent back to the prison and got caught by da ren. But he wasnt the one who secretly stole away from the prison. Thats also a fact.
Cai Quan raised his eyebrows, Such empty words are cheap.
Although Sky Prison is heavily guarded, Im not the only one who can escape from it. Cai da ren once admitted to letting soone else escape and was severely punished for it, so Im sure you rember it well?
Cai Quan understood that she was referring to Xia Jiangs escape, and his expression beca even more gloomy.
If soone could help my shifu to escape, naturally I would be able to escape too. Furthermore, Im cleverer than him. To bring soone in and leave her behind, keeping you in the dark for almost a month. Such a strategy, doesnt Cai da ren think its worthy of praise? Xia Dong chuckled, paying no attention to Cai Quan, who looked like he was about to erupt. Are you not going to praise ? Even if you dont, it doesnt matter. In any case, theres nothing to be proud of. Not long after I escaped, I was captured again.
What you an is.he was the one who caught you? Cai Quan looked ng Zhi up and down from the corner of his eyes, obviously not convinced.
Commander ng is at the forefront of the imperial defence. How would he have found the ti to capture ? Xia Dongs mouth curled slightly downwards, Soone else caught . Commander ng is just sending back.
It doesnt matter who captured you. You should have been brought directly to the ministry office, not brought back here with such secrecy, Cai Quan gazed at ng Zhi as if his eyes were like knives wanting to slice him in two. Such strange behaviour should also have a similarly strange reason?
Cai da ren is very forgetful, Xia Dong smiled and leisurely stroked the long hair by her ear. Do you rember what His Majesty wrote in his punishnt order after my shifu escaped from prison?
Cai Quans heart suddenly trembled. The words If he fails again, this will be considered a first level cri and he will be removed from his position and handled accordingly flashed across his mind, and his throat tightened.
The person who caught was a subordinate of the prince who is the new master of the Eastern Palace. It was only natural that I was presented to him the mont I was apprehended, Xia Dongs twinkling eyes looked directly into Cai Quans eyes, Cai Quan da ren is probably well aware of how much this prince values you. If I was publicly brought back, its tantamount to saying that the Ministry of Justice not only lost another prisoner, but also took a long ti to discover that a prisoner went missing. If these charges are brought against you, even if soone pleas for leniency on your behalf, even if you are not removed from your position, a demotion is inevitable. As it turns out, soone is not willing to let you be demoted. Which is why Commander ng has to be inconvenienced, to bring back to Sky Prison in such secrecy to keep this matter under cover..
Emotions warred on Cai Quans face. He gritted his teeth and deliberated for a long while. Then his eyes narrowed again, and he asked with a stern voice, If, according to you, you had been recaptured after soone helped you escape, then it should please you to see the misunderstanding between Commander ng and myself. Why have you spoken in his defence?
Xia Dong smiled miserably, raised her chin and let out a long sigh, Because my position has changed..
Position?
Yes. The purpose of my escape from prison was different from my shifus. As long as I havent killed that Chiyan traitor who caused my husbands death with my own hands, I will not be at peace. Thats why I wanted to escape, to look for shifu, to ask him where he had hidden Wei Zheng, but I didnt expect that shifu hadnt managed to find him. Then I fell into the hands of the subordinate forrly from Prince Jings mansion, and was brought before His Highness the Crown Prince. Xia Dongs gaze drifted, and her voice grew softer, In the Eastern Palace, HIs Highness told about an old matter that he had long since investigated thoroughly, and as a result, I was convinced. I began to wonder if my hatred all these years were misplaced.Xia Dong is not an indecisive person. Since I had already decided to believe His Highness, I promised him that I would return to Sky Prison to wait for the truth to be revealed, so of course I wouldnt want you to misunderstand Commander ng and continue to stay silent, but whether or not Cai da ren believes my words or not is beyond my control.
Cai Quans eyes shifted, his expression still as reserved as before. What did His Highness tell you to change your attitude so completely?
Xia Dong smiled faintly and said in a low voice, Cai da ren, the old case that I was referring to, can you not guess what it is? Forgive my directness, but this matter is too important, too heavy. Its better for you to forget what you have heard. You really shouldnt ask further.
Cai Quan suddenly recalled what he had discussed with Shen Zhui in the carriage that day, recalled the reign of terror from thirteen years ago and tightened his lips.
ng Zhi, who had been listening silently by the side, stepped forward at this mont and said, Cai da ren, even though we dont know each other very well, Ive always admired da rens upright and outstanding nature. But the Da Liang of my generation seems to be showing signs of decline, greatly lacking in good officials like yourself to aid in its restoration. Since His Highness of the Eastern Palace values you so much that he would ensure your protection, why does da ren have to be so rigid and inflexible. Wouldnt that be unworthy of his good intentions?
Cai Quan lowered his gaze, as if he was deliberating. Xia Dong and ng Zhi didnt say more, giving him space to think it over himself. After quite a while, the Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice lifted his gaze once again and said with a solemn expression, If everything you have said is true, then who was the one who sent the arrow to tip off?
His words really took the both of them by surprise. Xia Dong and ng Zhi exclaid simultaneously, not bothering to hide it.
An arrow that tipped you off? said ng Zhi in astonishnt. Those of us with His Highness who are aware of this situation are very discreet. Furthermore, Im delivering her back, not taking her out, so even though it goes against the law, its not a big matter. Who would tip you off?
The inforr accused you of exchanging the criminal and didnt ntion that you would send her back.. Cai Quan spoke as he pondered this, Maybe soone knew that Xia Dong had escaped, and also knew that Commander ng visited the Sky Prison often under imperial orders, and combining the two together, wrote the secret note. It was only natural for to investigate after receiving the letter, and after investigating, find that Xia Dong had actually been replaced. There arent many who pass through the Sky Prison so it was easy to make Commander ng the pri suspect. Its just that they hadnt anticipated that the runaway Xia Dong would actually be brought back today in secrecy.
Xia Dong chuckled and said, Commander ng, it sounds like you were the primary target. Think properly, what enemies might you have?
Speaking of which, Cai Quan, who was still rigorous in handling the matter, turned his gaze back to Xia Dong and said, Im afraid youll still have to explain how you escaped back then.
Are you looking to fix any loopholes in the Sky Prison? Xia Dongs smile was relaxed, Actually its very simple. The inner prison jailer does not keep watch all the ti. We only needed to identify one who loves his drink and arrange for soone to invite him for drinks. After we got him drunk, we exchanged his clothings and disguised soone as him. As soon as the sky turned dark and the light was dusky, the imposter entered the prison. Since all that the guard on duty saw was the old jailer, he didnt investigate further, thus making entry a possibility..
Cai Quan snorted coldly, But there are two keys. For it to work, two jailers must unlock the door simultaneously.
Who said so? Its also possible if one jailer holds two keys. Xia Dongs reply was as light as a feather, Keys cannot be taken out of Sky Prison, which is why the first entry was for the purpose of making a mold of the key, nothing else. The drunk jailer suspected nothing after waking up. After a few days, we targeted a second jailer and applied the sa strategy.
And you found another jailer who loves his drink?
Even if he wasnt one who loves his drink, its not a problem. A rap on the back of his head produces the sa effect as getting drunk. Xia Dong was so focused on what she was saying that she didnt notice as Cai Quans expression grew darker. Of course, when entering as the second jailer, we had to bring along the substitute prisoner. This was a little more challenging but it wasnt impossible to find a pretext, for example, saying that the false jailer was bringing a friend in to visit a prisoner or sothing like that. Because its taking soone in, not out, the guard on duty would let him through as a favour. By this ti, the false jailer had two keys in his hands, so he could take advantage of the darkness within the prison to unlock the cell door, make an exchange and bring out. As long as the guard on duty at the gate didnt realize that the person that was brought in and out were two different persons, the operation was a success. If, after waking up, the jailer who was hit on the head felt that sothing was amiss, he wouldnt necessarily think it had anything to do with Sky Prison. Furthermore, there are so many prisoners in Sky Prison, and nobody was missing, so why would he cause a commotion trying to locate the problem? If he was lucky, things would remain as they were, and if he wasnt, then at least it would be noticed only the next day. In any case, I had already left, so why bother?
So you escaped. Then what about the person who stood in for you? Cai Quan snorted coldly (again), How is that Gong Yu from Miaoyin Hall related to you?
Cai da ren, said Xia Dong as she pushed back the hair on her forehead, Did you know that Xuanjing Bureau has its own spies?
The muscles on Cai Quans cheeks suddenly twitched. Gong Yu is one of your spies?
Thats right. The identity of all Xuanjing Bureau spies are kept secret. Other than the Director and the spies contact persons, nobody else knows who they are. I had once saved Gong Yus life before, so she is willing to do anything for . Shes a most useful spy.
No wonder, muttered Cai Quan to himself, A musician.the head constable said that she actually possessed martial arts skill and wasnt soone who was weak.
ng Zhi took the opportunity to say, Cai da ren, since Xia Dong is back, the real prisoner was not lost so this matter can remain concealed. I dont think theres any need to further interrogate Gong Yu, since she is after all just one of Xuanjing Bureaus subordinates, so let handle it. If she remains with the Ministry of Justice, it might cause you more trouble.
Cai Quan didnt respond imdiately. He cald himself down, considering in detail what the both of them had said from beginning to end. Not finding any loopholes, he grunted Ng and said, Alright. After Xia Dong returns to her cell, I will hand Gong Yu over to you.
Xia Dong smiled nonchalantly, followed behind a warden assigned by Cai Quan, and entered the prison cell without looking back. Cai Quan couldnt help worrying and personally went in to make sure she was well shackled. Then after strictly admonishing her again, he stepped out and sent soone to fetch Gong Yu.
Perhaps because she hadnt been under interrogation for a long period, or perhaps because Cai Quan wasnt one to abuse instrunts of torture, Gong Yu was rely dishevelled and grimy in appearance, nothing more. There were no obvious traces of maltreatnt on her. After looking at her, though his face didnt reveal it, he felt very relieved.
After wrapping the young woman tightly from head to toe in the cloak previously worn by Xia Dong, ng Zhi turned towards Cai Quan, took his leave and walked out with Gong Yu. Just as he was about to walk out of the gate, Cai Quan suddenly called out from behind, Wait a mont. ng Zhis heart jumped. He paused in his steps and slowly turned around, holding his breath.
Commander ng, please convey my gratitude to His Highness. said the Shangshu of the Ministry of Justice with a faint smile.
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