Prison

The days passed one by one.

Before long, two months had gone by.

Chen Mu still followed his usual routine: patrol duty, then home to practice his saber.

His status as a Yamen Runner remained quite important to him. On one hand, it was his only source of income. On the other, with this identity, he could avoid trouble from hooligans, thugs, and even gang riffraff. Quitting to practice his saber was simply not an option.

One day.

After finishing his patrol, Chen Mu returned home.

To his surprise, he found that besides Chen Yue, there was someone else in the house.

"Third Aunt? What brings you here?"

Chen Mu stepped forward in surprise and looked at the middle-aged woman, whose face was heavy with sorrow.

His father had been the eldest, with one younger brother and one younger sister—his Second Uncle and Third Aunt. His Second Uncle was an idle good-for-nothing who had even been disciplined by his father before. They had barely kept in touch, and he had not even come when his father passed away.

Third Aunt was closer to them. She used to visit often, and after his father's passing, she would occasionally bring rice, flour, and soybeans. Chen Mu had always respected this Third Aunt of his, Chen Hong.

Usually, when he was not home, Chen Yue would only open the door for Chen Hong.

"Little Mu... your Third Aunt has no choice. I have to beg you for help..."

Chen Hong's face was haggard. With a headscarf wrapped around her head, she grabbed Chen Mu and began to weep uncontrollably.

Only after Chen Mu questioned her carefully did he learn what had happened. Chen Hong's son—his cousin, Zhang Hai—had gotten into trouble. Zhang Hai had inherited the temperament of that Second Uncle of his: an idle good-for-nothing who loafed around the streets and alleys all day. This time, he had encountered a beautiful woman in an alley and could not resist making lewd remarks. The woman flew into a rage. He was beaten first, then the City Guard was alerted. They seized him and threw him straight into prison without another word.

"Third Aunt, I told you long ago that times are chaotic now. With Cousin's temperament, he should have learned to restrain himself. How could he still dare to act so recklessly? I'm afraid I can't be much help with this either."

After listening to Chen Hong's rambling account, Chen Mu could not help frowning.

From the sound of it, Zhang Hai had clearly offended someone with influence. They had summoned the City Guard so easily and thrown him directly into prison. At the very least, they had connections above a Head Runner. He was only a Yamen Runner. He usually kept his head down and did not ingratiate himself with anyone. Trying to pull someone out of prison was nothing but a wild fantasy. He did not have that kind of face.

Sobbing, Chen Hong said, "I know, I know. The person Little Hai offended is said to be the fourth concubine of a young master from the South Family of the City Wall. I've begged many people already, but none of them were willing to speak for him... I only came this time to ask you, Little Mu, to put in a good word with the Prison Warden. At least let him endure this immediate hurdle. Once they forget about it, we can find another way."

As she spoke.

Chen Hong tremblingly pulled out two silver ingots from her robes, amounting to roughly twenty taels.

Chen Mu knew that Third Aunt's family was doing fairly well. Her husband was a butcher, but twenty taels of silver was by no means a small sum. Taking it out must have dug deep into their savings.

Seeing Chen Hong's tearful face, Chen Mu thought of all the rice and flour she had brought them in the past. He sighed inwardly, then finally accepted the silver. "I can only try asking. Whether it works or not, I can't guarantee."

This silver was not for him. Or rather, he did not have enough face for the Prison Warden to show Zhang Hai mercy. The twenty taels could only be passed along by him to the Prison Warden, to see whether the man was willing.

The Prison Warden and jailers were also under the City Guard's jurisdiction, one of its three branches.

They simply did not interact much in ordinary times.

Besides, in this day and age, few people who entered prison came out alive. There was no need to deliberately torment them. Just deny them food and water, and they would be dead within days. Without benefits, the jailers generally would not deliver food or water either.

Chen Hong wanted Zhang Hai to endure a few months in prison, until this matter blew over. That would probably not be easy. Yet Chen Mu had no way to persuade her otherwise, because Zhang Hai was her only son.

"Thank you, thank you..."

Chen Hong replied tremulously. For a moment, she could barely speak at all, slumping there as tears streamed down her face.

Chen Mu sighed inwardly.

If he had already become a Head Runner, this matter would have been much easier to handle. At least he could ask a Prison Warden about the exact circumstances. But his saber technique had only just reached Initial Accomplishment. Becoming a Head Runner was still far beyond him.

Zhang Hai must have been destined for this One Tribulation. He was useless in ordinary times and could not keep his mouth shut. Fortunately, he had only spoken rudely and had not laid hands on her. Otherwise, he would probably already be a corpse.

"Yue Er, keep Third Aunt company. I'm heading out."

Chen Mu spoke to Chen Yue beside him, then took advantage of the early hour to leave home again.

The South District prison was located behind the City Guard Main Division of the southern city.

Chen Mu rarely came here. Although he was also a City Guard Yamen Runner, he belonged to the Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office in the South District and did not hold a post at the City Guard Main Division. Moreover, the City Guard Main Division was quite far from the Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office.

Compared with the Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office, the City Guard Main Division was far more tightly disciplined. At the Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office, Yamen Runners would sometimes roll dice to gamble over a few copper coins when they had nothing to do. Nothing like that could be seen here.

"I heard the South District's Chief Constable is a woman with beauty that could sink fish and make geese fall. I've never seen her, though."

After entering the City Guard Main Division, Chen Mu glanced at the towering pavilion in the center. He had been in this world for two years, yet the number of times he had seen even the Runner Office of the Nine Stripes Ward Guard Office could be counted on one hand, let alone the higher-ranking Chief Constable.

Yamen Runners occasionally walked back and forth through the spacious City Guard Main Division, but they all kept their heads lowered as they walked, wearing solemn expressions. No one whispered among themselves or looked around.

Chen Mu lowered his head slightly as well, quietly circling past the front half of the General Office and arriving at the prison in the rear.

The moment he reached the prison, however, the atmosphere changed again.

In a room beside the prison, several jailers were gathered together, rolling dice.

Compared with the grave and solemn City Guard Main Division, the prison was instead much more leisurely. Hardly anyone came in during ordinary times.

"Something you need, brother?"

Seeing Chen Mu dressed as a Yamen Runner, one of the jailers raised his head and spoke.

Chen Mu acted as though he had not seen them gambling and said, "I'm looking for the Prison Warden."

"Oh, Warden Wei is inside."

The jailer pointed in a direction deeper inside.

Chen Mu thanked him. The man merely waved carelessly, then went back to rolling dice with his colleagues.

Following the corridor inward and passing several flights of steps, Chen Mu arrived in a relatively clean and orderly room. Yet several rows of racks stood inside, covered with all sorts of torture instruments, making the place rather frightening.

The Prison Warden, Wei Nan, sat in a chair with his eyes closed, resting. Hearing someone enter, he opened his eyes to a narrow slit.

"Warden Wei."

Chen Mu bowed to the Prison Warden.

The Prison Warden's status was roughly equal to that of a Head Runner. He was also Chen Mu's superior.

"Mhm."

Seeing Chen Mu dressed as a Yamen Runner, Wei Nan answered casually.

Chen Mu stepped forward, explained Zhang Hai's situation, and then handed over the twenty taels of silver Chen Hong had given him.

"Oh."

Wei Nan accepted the silver and casually weighed it in his hand a few times. After thinking for a moment, he tucked it into his sleeve. "Someone higher up did give instructions about this Zhang Hai. He was to be made to suffer a bit. But since his family knows how to behave, we'll leave him his daily food and water. As for what state he'll be in after one or two months, I won't guarantee anything."

In these chaotic times, bandits and the like caught outside were generally executed on the spot. Very few were sent to prison. Those locked up here were mostly people from families with some means, the sort who kept sending in money.

As a Prison Warden, Wei Nan could not compare with Head Runners who worked outside. He could only rely on this sort of thing to make silver.

"With your word, that's enough."

Chen Mu said with a smile.

If he had not come today, Zhang Hai would not merely have suffered a little. A few torture instruments applied at random, followed by several days of hunger, and half his life would have been gone. Dying outright was also entirely possible.

These twenty taels could not get him out, but at least he would not lack food and water for the next month or two. Even after the storm passed, however, getting him released would still give Chen Hong's family plenty to worry about. It would not be easy.

"He's inside. Have Liu Si take you to see him."

After accepting the silver, Wei Nan waved his hand. He seemed unwilling to say anything more to Chen Mu.

Chen Mu bowed and took his leave. Once outside, he quickly found Liu Si. Liu Si said nothing and led him directly into the prison. After descending several levels of stairs in succession, the surroundings immediately became dark and damp. A rotten, moldy stench filled the air, making it extremely unpleasant.

"There."

Liu Si pointed toward the fourth cell.

In the first three cells were three men who looked neither human nor ghost, emaciated to the bone. When Liu Si and Chen Mu entered, they neither spoke nor moved. If not for their greasy green eyes turning toward them, they would have seemed almost no different from corpses.

In the fourth cell, someone lay sprawled atop a heap of tattered straw. He was rather fat, with quite a few bloodstains on his body.

"Cousin?"

Chen Mu stepped closer and called softly.

Zhang Hai, who had been lying there completely motionless, finally lifted his head unsteadily. He stared at Chen Mu blankly for a while before recognizing him. In a weak voice, he said, "It's... it's Chen Mu. Hurry, hurry and get me out..."

"Third Aunt asked me to bring you a few words."

Chen Mu did not respond. He first passed on the words Chen Hong had asked him to deliver, then explained the current situation. "...In short, you can only endure some hardship here for now."

After hearing that, Zhang Hai immediately revealed a somewhat desperate look. "You... you can't just stand by and watch me die... My family brought you so much rice and flour. I never stopped them. My mother was even thinking of arranging a marriage for you not long ago. You can't do this..."

Chen Mu fell silent.

He did not think much of Zhang Hai. Even the former "Chen Mu," judging by his memories, had not gotten along well with Zhang Hai. Zhang Hai seemed to look down on Chen Mu as his cousin. Even after Chen Mu became a Yamen Runner, Zhang Hai had thought he would probably be like his father: a poor Yamen Runner for life, of no use to anyone.

But thinking of Third Aunt Chen Hong, Chen Mu was silent for a while before finally saying, "The person you offended has influence. There's nothing I can do. Neither can Third Aunt or Uncle. You can only endure this hurdle. Perhaps then you may yet wait for a turning point."

As he spoke.

Chen Mu turned and walked out.

He left only Zhang Hai lying there with lifeless eyes, muttering, "What was the use of bringing them all that rice and flour? What use was a poor Yamen Runner in times like these..."

Chen Mu's father had served as a Yamen Runner his whole life, yet in the end he had still been a poor Yamen Runner. There had not even been money for his funeral after he died; it was Zhang Hai's mother, Chen Hong, who had arranged it. Her relatives were all poor, shabby households. He had long told her not to associate with them.

If they had saved more money and used it to grease the right palms, perhaps they could have gotten him out.