Chapter 65: Imprisonment (Middle)

  Tonight the starlight is dim, and the bright moon has no light. The sky seems to have a thin layer of black fog covering it, making the night sky look somewhat oppressive.

  It's precisely on a night like this that the most suitable thing to do is... something bad.

  At this moment, Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao were carefully studying the terrain map of Tianlao in Jiang Xia's room at Xiangyang Mountain Villa. Tianlao, as its name suggests, is a place directly supervised by the Ministry of Punishment and the Supreme Court. Ordinary prisoners have no chance to enter this prison, and those who can enter are either extremely evil or powerful figures with great influence.

  Throughout history, Tianqiao Prison has been known as one of the most heavily guarded prisons, and in reality it is indeed so.

  Jiang Xia carefully examined the terrain map of Tianlao several times, and also remembered the location where Li Dongyang was being held. To be honest, he now admired Zhu Houzhao with all his might, such information should be top secret, yet he had managed to get it all for him.

  Jiangxia also asked Zhu Houzhao what method he used, and Zhu Houzhao said in one sentence: "Money can make ghosts push mills." This directly made Jiangxia lose the idea of continuing to ask.

  Jiang Xia shook his head as he put away the map of Tianlao's terrain, saying: "The defense of this heavenly prison is really too strict, it's harder to get in than to ascend to heaven."

  "What? You want to give up? That's your master, are you just going to watch him die?" Zhu Houzhao thought Jiang Xia was about to give up and couldn't help but persuade him.

  Jiang Xia glanced at Zhu Houzhao and reached out to knock on his head, saying: "I'm going to rescue you, why are you in such a hurry? I've said before that I'd give up. The situation is very simple now, forcing our way into the heavenly prison would be suicidal, so we need to come up with another plan."

  "An alternative? What alternative?" Zhu Houzhao asked with a smile.

  "This method is......" Jiang Xia's face was mysterious, he looked around and then leaned his head close to Zhu Houzhao's ear. Zhu Houzhao quickly stuck his ear over, and Jiang Xia suddenly said loudly: "The method is that I haven't thought of a method yet!"

  Zhu Houzhao immediately covered his ears and said discontentedly, "I didn't think of a way, so I didn't think of it. Why are you being so loud? Don't blame me for not reminding you, tomorrow the Imperial Guards will be interrogating Li Daren, if we don't rescue him tonight, it will be even harder to save him tomorrow."

  "What did you say? The Brocade Guard is going to bring Master to trial tomorrow?" Jiang Xia thought for a moment, his eyes lit up and he smiled suddenly.

  He thought for a moment and asked Zhu Houzhao: "Do you know where we can get two sets of Jin Yiwei clothes?"

  "I know." Zhu Houzhao nodded.

  "Oh? Where?"

  Brocade Guard.

  "This isn't nonsense, is it?" Jiang Xia couldn't help but want to pat Zhu Houzhao's head again, and Zhu Houzhao subconsciously hugged his head. However, Jiang Xia suspended his hand in mid-air, thought for a moment, then nodded: "Right, you're right, this garment must be taken to the Brocade Guard."

  Jiang Xia took a large stack of treasure notes from the room, opened the door and walked out shouting: "Zhong... Bin!"

  Zhong Bin, holding a precious sword, immediately jumped down from the roof and stood in front of Jiang Xia. Jiang Xia waved a large stack of silver bills in his hand: "Make a deal with you, go to Jin Yiwei with us to get two sets of clothes back, the higher the position the better, must bring the waist card. If you agree and do it, these silvers are all yours."

  Zhong Bin glanced at Zhu Houzhao without batting an eye, and Zhu Houzhao nodded slightly. Zhong Bin immediately took the precious note from Jiang Xia's hand and put it in his bosom, then said calmly: "Alright, deal."

  Zhong Bin really took Zhu Houzhao and Jiang Xia to the Jin Yiwei Yamen, after climbing over the wall and going in, he didn't take long to come out. When he came out, Zhong Bin was holding a bag of things in his hand, and also holding two knives.

  Zhong Bin opened the package and threw it to Jiang Xiaodao one by one: "Feiyu clothes, Xiu Chun arrived, and there is also a waist card. One is deputy thousand households, and one is the chief flag. Should be enough for you to use?"

  Jiang Xia caught those things one by one, and he nodded excitedly: "Enough, enough, you little devil is really meticulous, even the owner's dagger was stolen. It's a pity that such a good talent doesn't go to be a thief."

  Zhong Bin's black hair was messy and unkempt, without a care for Jiang Xia.

  Jiang Xia looked at the notice board outside the Jin Yiwei yamen and saw that the notices posted on it had the Jin Yiwei's crimson seal.

  Jiang Xia looked at it for three minutes before pulling Zhu Houzhao back to the Xianyao Mountain Villa. In the kitchen of the Xianyao Mountain Villa, Jiang Xia found a radish. Zhu Houzhao stood beside Jiang Xia and watched as he used a small knife to carve the large radish into a large seal.

  Jiang Xia wrote a decree immediately afterwards and stamped it with the imperial seal.

  After doing all this, Jiang Xia said to Zhu Houzhao: "Alright, let's set off."

  Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao arrived at the Tianlao Gate in a horse-drawn carriage. After getting off the carriage, Zhu Houzhao's face turned red with excitement. This was his first time doing something like this, and the thrill of it all left him speechless.

  Jiang Xia pulled Zhu Houzhao over and whispered, "In a moment, don't say anything, just follow me closely, and try to look natural, don't let anyone see through us."

  After finishing speaking, Jiang Xia walked towards Tianlao, and Zhu Houzhao also hurriedly followed up.

  The entrance of the heavenly prison was naturally guarded by four people, standing on both sides. Jiang Xia glanced at the four men lightly and took out his waist card from his waist, shaking it as he said: "By Lord Ye's order, to immediately bring in the prisoner Li Dongyang for a midnight trial!"

  "Yes! Sir." Two of the four guards ran to roll up the ropes, and thus the heavily barred gate slowly rose.

  Jiang Xia pulled Zhu Houzhao along and walked into the Heavenly Prison. Upon entering the Heavenly Prison, they walked straight for ten meters before reaching a door, which was locked. Behind the door sat an official who was sleeping and snoring loudly. Two other officials were standing guard, but they were also on the verge of falling asleep, propping themselves up with their long spears.

  "Cough, cough..." Jiang Xia coughed twice and said loudly: "Is there anyone who has asthma? If so, come out and let out a loud shout."

  The three bailiffs immediately woke up and saw Jiang Xia and others wearing flying fish robes with embroidered spring knives. How could they not understand their identities? The three of them immediately bowed to Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao, saying: "Participating in adults."

  Jiang Xia said somewhat impatiently: "Open the door, we have come under the orders of our superior to interrogate Li Dongyang through the night."

  "Ah... sir, I apologize for the offense, but the rules of this prison require that any prisoner brought up for examination must have a written order from a superior officer. Do either of you have one?" one of the bailiffs said.

  "Are you blind? Can't you see our identities? Do you have the qualifications to look at the token of authority from the Jin Yiwei Zhen Fu Shi?" Jiang Xia shouted loudly.

  Zhu Houzhao pulled Jiang Xia according to the previous agreement between the two, and advised: "Others are also doing their job, why should we make it difficult for them." After finishing speaking, Zhu Houzhao handed over the fake imperial edict in his hand to the yamen runner to take a look.

  Due to the pressure from Jiang Xia, the official didn't dare to look at it for long, and after scanning the contents briefly, he saw the large red seal of the Zhen Nan Town Pacification Commissioner again. The official nodded and immediately returned the warrant in his hand to Zhu Houzhao, saying: "Sorry to keep you waiting, I'll open the door now."

  When the yamen runner opened the door, Zhu Houzhao was overjoyed. He didn't think that Jiang Xia could deceive these heavenly prison runners with something carved out of a radish.

  After Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao entered the heavenly prison, Zhu Houzhao curiously looked around. Jiang Xia pulled his sleeve and said to the officer who opened the door: "What are you still dazing about? Lead the way."

  "Yes." The bailiff responded with a single word and led the two forward, passing through three checkpoints. With the bailiff leading the way and Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao wearing genuine waist plaques, they traveled unimpeded.

  Before long, the two of them walked past a prison area and saw in front of them a wide exercise yard. On the other side of the exercise yard was a passageway, which clearly led to another prison area.

  The jailer brought Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao to the entrance of the passageway, then stopped in his tracks. "Two nobles, I'm just a lowly prison guard. The three provinces' heavenly prison is managed by the governor's office, my status is too low to enter. The prisoner Li Dongyang is being held in the fourth cell of the Heavenly Character Pavilion inside, I've brought the two nobles this far."

  "Alright." Zhu Houzhao nodded and waved his hand for the prison guard to leave.

  Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao exchanged a glance, nodded to each other, and then walked towards the three provinces' Tianlao prison. As soon as they passed through that wide exercise ground and reached the passageway, Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao immediately encountered two prison officials who blocked their way.

  "The prison guard on the left said: 'The heavenly prison is heavily guarded, ordinary people are not allowed to enter at will!'"

  This prison officer spoke with much more confidence than the previous one, as if he hadn't recognized the flying fish robes on Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao's bodies, not giving them any face at all, full of official tone.

  "Hmm, the little Tianlao's prison officer is quite bold, isn't he? How dare you speak to me in such a tone? Don't you know that I am from the Brocade Guard?" Jiang Xia said with a cold smile.

  The prison guard said indifferently, "What's the point of seeing it? Our Tian Prison is directly under the Ministry of Punishment and has nothing to do with your Embroidered Uniform Guard. Don't put on airs in front of me. If you want to go in, show me a warrant first."

  Jiang Xia snorted and shook his head, saying: "You're quite bold, thinking that I, an old man, can't handle you? Let me tell you, if I wanted to investigate your identity, it would be as easy as turning my hand over. At that time, I'll give those aunts and sisters-in-law of yours some charges like treason or harboring fugitives, and see if you're still so arrogant today."

  "You..." This suddenly made the prison guard lose his momentum.

  Jiang Xia burst out laughing and then suddenly shouted loudly: "What are you still dawdling for? Take me to see Li Dongyang, delaying my important matter, even if you have ten lives it won't be enough."

  Jiang Xia spoke while Zhu Houzhao handed the warrant to the prison officer, who whispered: "Don't get angry, our Vice Captain is just a hot-tempered person."

  The prison guard didn't dare to look at them again, nodded and stepped aside to indicate that Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao could pass. Jiang Xia patted the prison guard's hat and shouted loudly: "What are you pretending to be a wooden stake here? Lead the way!"

  The jailer did not dare say more and turned around to lead the way for Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao.

  Zhu Houzhao did not expect that all this would go so smoothly. The Tian Prison, which was said to be the most heavily guarded in the world, had allowed him and Jiang Xia to enter with such ease. However, Zhu Houzhao also secretly thought about the many loopholes in the Tian Prison and where they were located. He had already decided that once he left the prison, he would summon the Minister of Justice to discuss how to improve it.

  The prison officer led Zhu Houzhao deep into the San Sheng Tian Prison, and Jiang Xia found that this San Sheng Tian Prison was much more heavily guarded than the previous prison district. Almost every five steps, there was a guard standing guard, and along the way, they passed through more than twelve doors.

  At last, the prison guard led Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao to a dark cell. The prison guard lit the torch on the wall, and the view suddenly brightened. The prison guard patted the door of the cell and said: "Hey, hey, hey, get up, the master of Jin Yiwei wants to ask questions."

  Li Dongyang, wearing a gray robe, stood up from the bed in his cell. Thanks to Zhu Houzhao's order, Li Dongyang had not suffered any physical punishment and looked relatively well spiritually.

  Li Dongyang was shocked to see Jiang Xia first, and then he saw Zhu Houzhao, the surprise in his eyes couldn't be dissipated. However, Li Dongyang was a clever person, as soon as he saw their brocade clothes and fish-scale armor, he almost guessed the whole thing, and walked over without revealing any expression.

  Jiang Xia was slightly excited, and he said to the prison officer, "Open the cell door, I want to take the prisoner back to the Nan Town Fu Si for interrogation."

  "It won't do," said the jailer firmly. "To take a prisoner out of the heavenly prison, we must have a document from the Ministry of Punishment or an order from the Temple of Great Justice. Without one of these two things, we cannot hand over the prisoner to you."

  "Is it a Ministry of Justice document? Are you saying I don't have one?" Jiang Xia thrust his hand into his bosom, and suddenly he pulled out a document and slapped it forcefully on the neck of the prison officer.

  This palm knife was cutting the Jade Pillow Hole, which is easy to make people faint. Unfortunately, because Jiang Xia's true energy was not enough, this palm knife didn't have much strength and couldn't knock out the prison officer. The prison officer suddenly reacted that Jiang Xia and Zhu Houzhao were there to rescue the prisoner. He opened his mouth ready to shout loudly, but suddenly a scabbard hit him hard on the back of his neck, and the prison officer immediately fainted to the ground.

  Jiang Xia looked up and saw that it was Zhu Houzhao who had just done that. At this moment, Zhu Houzhao's excited face turned red.

  Jiang Xia stretched out his right thumb and said, "Well done."

  Then Jiang Xia immediately took out a silver hairpin from his bosom, he used the silver hairpin to poke at the keyhole twice, and the lock was instantly opened by Jiang Xia.

  Zhu Houzhao asked: "With so many guards outside, what can we do?"

  Jiang Xia glanced at the prison officer on the ground and said, "Master, change this man's clothes, shave off his beard, and have him come with us. Since he has already arrived, let's take a gamble."

  Li Dongyang looked at Jiang Xia and shook his head, sighing: "You shouldn't have come. I had already made up my mind to die. Why did you have to come and muddy the waters? If I leave with you today, I might be able to survive, but that would truly make me a treacherous minister. Alas... never mind, since you've already come, how can I not go with you?"

  "It's okay, just go out first and think of a countermeasure later." Zhu Houzhao said with a smile.

  Li Dongyang looked at Zhu Houzhao and was immediately at a loss for words, both laughing and crying.