Still Breaking Out a Prisoner (Continued)

Generally speaking, major cases involving high-ranking officials like this take at least three to four months from arrest to formal trial. If the case has a significant impact, it could drag on for one or two years. Although France, as a country that truly governs by the rule of law, has a faster and more efficient legal process than other countries, there's no reason for it to be this fast.

Su Yingbo clenched his fist and said angrily, "It was the Second Prince who put pressure on the military court. My master seems to be on the side of the Third Prince. He knew I didn't want to get involved in the struggle for the throne, so he didn't tell me."

Although Old General Wang had always complained that Su Yingbo lacked ambition, indulged in a life of pleasure, and had lost his edge, he did not force his disciple to follow suit. Instead, he kept it a secret, hoping that Su Yingbo could continue to live a peaceful life with his wife, even though he knew that his disciple, who was at the Spirit Transformation level, could bring him great benefit.

It's not surprising that the old general supports the third prince. Since he dared to risk violating military discipline and force the army to provide disaster relief and protect the people, it's not hard to understand his stance.

"The trial started in seven days and was completed in one day. The Second Prince clearly didn't want to give me time to pull strings or ask for favors. He wanted to catch me off guard. He privately sent someone to threaten me, saying that if I didn't explicitly support him, the outcome of the second trial would not change."

Threatening a Nascent Spirit Transformation cultivator poses a significant risk, but Su Yingbo is precisely the one who can be threatened. Moreover, political struggles are always ruthless and show no mercy. If he fails to seize the throne, his fate will be worse than death. Compared to that, offending a Spirit Transformation is nothing. He can simply share some benefits and apologize afterwards.

Legalist School does indeed uphold the legal system as its guiding principle, believing that all problems can be solved through the system. However, this does not mean that there is no room for backroom deals. Humans are not emotionless machines and are inevitably influenced by various interpersonal relationships.

Admittedly, the judge is an emotionless God of Law, and connections are useless against Him. However, the God of Law is not ignorant or omnipotent. He is only responsible for the courtroom; matters outside the courtroom are not His concern. These include searching for evidence and finding witnesses, which must be left to lawyers or prosecutors. If the prosecutor cannot find strong evidence, then even if the defendant is indeed the murderer, the God of Law will only acquit him, because He upholds the justice of the law, not the justice of society.

Su Yingbo's use of connections was based on the same idea: to resolve the problem outside of court, such as destroying evidence, getting prosecutors to go easy on him, or even simply changing the charge to one with a lower sentence.

The France courts are the fairest places in the Sea Continent. Once you're in court, those underhanded tactics are useless; the only weapons you can use are testimony, statements, and rigorous logical reasoning.

"Given the Second Prince's methods, the second trial is probably just around the corner and won't be delayed for long." Yan Jinghong looked at Su Yingbo with a worried expression. "You don't intend to agree to the Second Prince's offer, do you? If Senior Wang finds out, do you think he'll accept it?"

"This is the last resort. I'd rather my master resent me for the rest of his life than suffer in prison."

Su Yingbo gritted his teeth, displaying the unwavering will expected of a Spirit Transformation expert—even if the recipient of his favor did not accept it, he would still impose his will on them.

Most Spirit Transformation Grandmaster are stubborn people; those who give up easily can never become Spirit Transformation.

Si Ming was standing nearby, suddenly spoke up, "Since we can't contend with the Second Prince's power in the trial, can't we try to reduce the sentence? For example, change life imprisonment to a fixed term, a fixed term to a reduced sentence, and then release him on bail. That way, even if he's found guilty, it won't matter much. At most, he'll suffer for a while."

Yan Jinghong corrected him, "That's an amateur's way of thinking. According to France law, if bail is not granted initially, then regardless of whether the other party receives a reduced sentence later, they cannot be granted bail. Furthermore, there are limits to the amount of sentence reduction; it can be reduced to a maximum of half the original sentence. Life imprisonment is considered the maximum sentence, which is thirty years. In other words, if the second trial upholds the life imprisonment sentence, even if Senior Wang makes outstanding contributions during his imprisonment, he will still have to spend at least fifteen years in prison."

Given the old general's age, he can book a burial plot after he gets out in fifteen years. France prisons are not places that offer welfare; every year spent there will reduce his lifespan by another year.

Su Yingbo sighed, "It seems there's no other way..."

Si Ming, "Even if we really have to resort to the last resort, we shouldn't surrender to the Second Prince. Taking direct action to break him out of prison is the right thing to do." He still hadn't forgotten his initial suggestion, after all, it concerned the dignity of the wise and capable leader.

Yan Jinghong rebuked, "Your idea is the most absurd. Don't just think about momentary pleasure; consider the consequences first. Do you know what a prison break means? This is simply challenging the bottom line of the France. You must know that the law is the foundation of France, and they will never allow anyone to undermine their foundation."

"At this point, a deceptive strategy is necessary. Ultimately, this isn't just a simple military disciplinary matter, but a political struggle. In times like this, you have to use any means necessary to defeat your opponent; there's no time to consider the consequences. Take the Second Prince, for example. Didn't he consider the consequences of offending Spirit Transformation Grandmaster? Actually, he had already figured it out. If he could ascend to the throne, he could resolve the conflict with Senior Su. If he failed, he would naturally die without a burial place. Offending another Spirit Transformation Grandmaster wouldn't be a big deal."

Su Yingbo seemed to understand. "You mean, we should look for the Third Prince?"

"That's right. The old general is one of the Third Prince's men, and now he's being bullied by his political rivals under false pretenses. As the leader, doesn't he have an obligation to fight back? If he doesn't step up, who will want to follow him in the future?"

Yan Jinghong corrected him, "Watch your words. Don't use those 'gangster' language; it sounds like you're talking about the mafia."

Si Ming felt that vying for the throne and gangsters fighting for territory were essentially the same, the only difference being the scale and the rules of the game. However, he only thought about it for the time being and then obediently nodded in agreement.

Su Yingbo sighed, "I never thought that in the end I would still have to choose sides; I couldn't avoid it."

"Anyway, according to your original plan, Senior Su, you were going to have to choose sides. Since that's the case, why not choose someone you feel more comfortable with? Personally, I think it's more satisfying to be his opponent than to submit to the Second Prince."

Su Yingbo considered for a moment, then smiled and said, "What you said makes sense, but I once refused the Third Prince's offer of help, and now that I need his assistance, I don't know how to persuade him to help me."

"Leave this matter to me. With my silver tongue and my extraordinary literary talent, I can definitely persuade the Third Prince in the easiest way," Si Ming said confidently, patting his chest.

"Your Highness, have you heard about Old General Wang's matter?"

"I'm having a real headache over this. I have to admit, Second Brother, you've played a brilliant move. Do you have any clever ideas you can share with me?"

Han Hao looked at Si Ming with anticipation. Since the other party had taken the initiative to inquire about this matter, he must already have a perfect plan in mind.

The reason they were put on the defensive this time was partly because the Second Prince controlled the court system, and partly because Old General Wang was truly guilty. Even if the people in the disaster area thought that the General's actions should be commended, that's how France law works. There are no excuses, God of Law doesn't take "good and evil will be rewarded" into account.

"I'm planning a prison break, can you help me out?" Si Ming said readily.

"... I think I was hallucinating just now, I didn't hear clearly, could you please repeat it?"

"So, my plan is to break into the prison, snatch the person out, and escape."

Han Hao rubbed his forehead and said, "No need to explain, I know what 'prison break' means, but your method is too direct, isn't it? Couldn't you have come up with something a little more complicated?"

"The more complex the plan, the easier it is to make mistakes; the more steps involved, the lower the margin for error. So it's better to keep it simple."

"The logic is sound, but have you considered that this kind of table-flipping approach is tantamount to giving others ammunition? Regardless of whether you succeed in the end, my second brother will use it as an excuse to attack me... No, in a sense, I'll feel less pressure if I fail."

"You can't have this kind of mentality. The Second Prince is already prepared to risk his life to fight for the throne. You're still clinging to pathetic illusions, and you'll only be easily devoured by him. The benefits of a prison break are obvious. If you can ascend the throne, you can easily pardon Old General Wang's crimes. Conversely, if you fail, Old General Wang's fate won't be any worse than it is now. Since it's a win-win situation, why not do it?"

This situation is actually similar to someone who is broke borrowing money at exorbitant interest rates. If they succeed, they can make a lot of money and easily pay back all the money they borrowed. If they fail, they can lose their life and not even have to worry about being chased by creditors.

Han Hao was not so easily fooled, and pointed out the flaw. "For General Wang, it is indeed a win-win situation, but for me, it's a loss-making situation."

Si Ming, "Then let's find a way to pay less. For example, we can arrange for the Second Prince's men to protect the prisoners. While we will be wanted for disregarding the law, they will also be held accountable for dereliction of duty. In addition, we can take the opportunity to get rid of these people. Isn't that what it means to eliminate dissidents and kill with a borrowed knife?"

Murong Qing frowned and said, "Killing people is going too far. Even in political struggles, where it's destined to be a life-or-death struggle, we are not involved and shouldn't provoke people to take our own lives."

Si Ming readily agreed, "Alright, let's beat them severely, make them a burden to the Second Prince, and use them to demonstrate our strength. Is that alright?"

Murong Qing said, "I reserve my opinion."

Han Hao looked thoughtful. "Now that you mention it, there are indeed many things that can be done... But that alone isn't enough for me to take such a big risk. The matter of letting you into the imperial tomb has already been reported by some people with ulterior motives. I have fulfilled my obligations, but you haven't shown your sincerity yet, and now you want me to continue investing. This is not something a decent person should do."

His intention was to get Si Ming to offer more leverage, such as having his master or Murong Qing's master step into the limelight.

But Si Ming didn't let it slide. "You're really getting a good deal and then acting innocent. If you can rescue Old General Wang, his disciple Su Yingbo will definitely stand on your side. You'll get a Spirit Transformation Grandmaster for free, and you'll also demonstrate your power to your subordinates, proving you have the ability to protect them. At the same time, you'll give the Second Prince a good slap in the face. I don't believe you can't see the benefits behind this. If you still disagree, then pretend I didn't say anything. If morale is low and the team is hard to manage, don't blame me for not warning you."