Chapter 64: Prison Investigation

“Where do you think Brother Bai is being held?” Chen Yage spoke with agitation, her eyes fixed intently on the distant horizon.

Meng Haoran replied, “He’s probably in the prison. Xu Jin wouldn’t confine Brother Li at home—neither reason nor sentiment would allow it. Yage, don’t be anxious. Xu Jin and I are good friends. Let me talk to him; perhaps there’s still hope.”

You Huan chimed in, “Exactly. I’m friends with Xu Jin as well. I’ll go with Brother Meng to speak with him. Maybe we can turn things around.”

“What? You’re both friends with him?” Chen Yage was taken aback by You Huan’s words. She’d thought You Huan went to Xu’s mansion to teach him a lesson, never expecting they were actually friends. Most importantly, she had been kept in the dark. She punched You Huan in the arm and shouted, “Why didn’t you say so earlier?”

You Huan looked at Chen Yage, aggrieved, pouting, “You never asked.”

Chen Yage realized she was in the wrong—she truly hadn’t asked—but she retorted anyway, “So you’d never tell unless I asked? Since you two are such good friends with him, go and pull some strings already.”

Meng Haoran said, “Let’s visit Brother Li first, see him in prison, and make sure he’s not suffering too much.”

Chen Yage replied, “Wouldn’t it be simpler to just ask Xu Jin to release Brother Bai? Why go through such a roundabout way?”

You Huan rapped Chen Yage on the head, grinning smugly, “Sometimes you seem clever, but now you’re being foolish. If it were that easy, wouldn’t we have settled it already? The two of us alone may not be enough; we’ll need Dujuan and Ziyan to help persuade Master Xu as well.”

What You Huan said made sense. Chen Yage fell silent for a while. Judging from the situation just now, it seemed unlikely they could secure Li Bai’s release so easily. After all, Wang Fugui’s death was an established fact. While they might not be able to clear Li Bai of murder, perhaps they could lessen his sentence. Wang Fugui was notorious for his misdeeds—he’d long deserved punishment. If they could gather evidence of his crimes, perhaps they could overturn Li Bai’s case.

Lost in thought, Chen Yage suddenly smiled to herself. Meng Haoran and You Huan were puzzled—just moments ago she’d been burning with anger, and now she was grinning happily. You Huan couldn’t help but ask, “Did you think of a good idea?”

Chen Yage replied confidently, “I’m going to get Brother Bai out of there!”

She kept her plan to herself, and Meng Haoran didn’t press her. Instead, he said, “It’s getting late. Let’s go see Brother Li in prison first.” With that, he rose to his feet, dusted off his clothes, and led the way. Chen Yage couldn’t help but sigh inwardly, thinking: truly a scholar and gentleman—so refined and proper wherever he goes.

The magistrate’s office wasn’t far from Xu’s residence. After crossing a few streets, they arrived. Meng Haoran and You Huan, familiar with the area, chose a shortcut.

After extorting a few taels of silver from You Huan, Chen Yage bought a plump chicken, a fat duck, and a jug of the finest Maiden’s Red wine, carrying them as she walked, the contents swaying with each step.

Outside the magistrate’s office stood two imposing white stone lions, their gazes so fierce that Chen Yage felt a chill just looking at them. For some reason, seeing Meng Haoran and You Huan walk so naturally and casually, she felt as though they were regular visitors here. As they entered, the guards at the gate even nodded at them politely.

Led by Meng Haoran, they twisted and turned through corridors until they finally reached the prison cells. Suddenly, Chen Yage felt her steps grow heavy, her heart uneasy.

“What’s wrong—are you scared?” You Huan raised an eyebrow, grinning as he saw her in a daze.

Chen Yage shot him a glare and strode ahead of him.

But before they could enter, the guards—who recognized Meng Haoran—blocked their way. “Young Master Meng, you can’t go in.”

“Why not?” You Huan demanded.

“Orders from the young master.”

“Xu Jin? When did he give such orders?” Meng Haoran asked, refusing to give up. He hadn’t expected Xu Jin to anticipate their visit, much less issue such a command so early.

“Our young master said Li Bai is a serious offender and cannot be visited casually. We’re only following orders, Young Master Meng. Please don’t make things difficult for us,” the guard said respectfully and sincerely.

They had their orders—defying them was out of the question. As a learned man, Meng Haoran wouldn’t force the issue, but You Huan and Chen Yage were less patient. Chen Yage protested, “Why? Since when is Brother Bai a serious offender? Did you torture him or something? Answer me!”

Seeing Chen Yage’s agitation and her urge to start a fight, Meng Haoran quickly pulled her back, comforting her, “Yage, calm down. Don’t be impulsive.”

Meeting Meng Haoran’s earnest gaze, Chen Yage gave up her struggle but glared wide-eyed at the guards, who, looking straight ahead, didn’t even notice her glare.

You Huan, who’d also been itching for a confrontation, calmed down after Meng Haoran’s words. He discreetly slipped a tael of silver into the guard’s hand, smiling, “Just a little token for your trouble. We only want to check on our friend’s well-being—the visit will be quick, and we won’t cause you any trouble.”

The power of money was indeed persuasive; the guard hesitated.

Meng Haoran caught on and swiftly added another tael of silver, reassuring, “Don’t worry. I’m good friends with your young master—nothing will go wrong. We’ll just check in and leave right away, so you won’t be put in a difficult position.”

“All right—just be quick about it. If the young master finds out, we’ll both be in trouble.” Unable to resist the lure of silver, the guards finally agreed, though torn with anxiety.

A bunch of money-grubbers, Chen Yage thought with disdain. Still, she had to admit—money certainly worked wonders.

Once inside the prison, the light grew dim, and the air was thick with foul odors, worse even than the ragged clothes she’d once worn herself. The stench was so strong the three had to cover their noses with their hands.

They walked along, peering into each cell, but saw no sign of Li Bai until they reached the innermost one, where a familiar figure suddenly appeared before their eyes.

In that moment, Chen Yage felt a sharp pain in her heart. They’d only been apart for a few hours, yet Li Bai was no longer the elegant, ethereal figure in white she’d known. His hair was disheveled, his gaze blank. He wore only a white undershirt, stained with blood, as if he’d just been whipped—the wounds still seeping fresh blood, shocking and distressing to behold.

Unbidden, tears welled in Chen Yage’s eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but not a single word escaped her lips.