Chapter 1308 - 3: Prison Visit (2)
Even if he has to dig three feet into the ground, he must find that female thief!
But he doesn’t know what she looks like, and the Capital City is so vast. Searching like this without any leads is like finding a needle in a haystack.
While Shen Junshan is searching, Yun Chu finds out that her mother and brother are imprisoned in the Ministry of Justice Prison.
She wants to visit them, but she fears alarming others and exposing herself.
She is outside the Ministry of Justice Prison thanks to Cai Die’s sacrifice.
She doesn’t want such a sacrifice to be in vain.
Yet, she hardly understands what happened: her father is gone, she can’t see her mother, and she feels uneasy.
Yun Chu decides to take the risk.
She buys some small dishes her mother loves, dresses as a man, and carries a food box to the Ministry of Justice Prison.
The Ministry of Justice Prison mostly holds death row prisoners and is much stricter than other places.
In other government offices’ prisons, it’s not hard to meet someone with a bribe, but at the Ministry of Justice Prison, it’s much harder.
Yun Chu gives ten taels of silver, but the prison guard just glances and has no reaction.
Yun Chu then takes out a silver ingot from her bosom and says, "I kindly ask the prison guard brother to show some leniency."
The prison guard frowns and asks, "Who do you want to see?"
"Lord Li," Yun Chu replies.
Only then does the prison guard accept the silver ingot, saying, "You can only visit for a quarter of an hour."
Yun Chu nods repeatedly.
Only then does the prison guard let her through.
The prison guard leads Yun Chu into the Ministry of Justice and directly to Lord Li’s cell.
Yun Chu takes a look and says, "This is not the Lord Li I want to see."
The prison guard looks at Yun Chu, "There is only one Lord Li in our prison."
Yun Chu slaps her forehead and says, "I might have remembered wrong, prison guard brother, I am already inside, please allow a little more leniency."
The prison guard looks at Yun Chu suspiciously, "You don’t even remember who you’re here to visit?"
"My master sent me," Yun Chu says embarrassedly.
"I don’t have a good memory, but I remember the face of that official."
The prison guard suspects Yun Chu’s visit isn’t well-intentioned.
Yun Chu has no choice but to open the food box, take some dishes with her hand, and eat them to prove that the food isn’t poisoned.
After eating the food, she takes out another five taels of silver from her bosom and sneaks it to a different prison guard.
Although it’s only five taels of silver, it’s for just this one guard.
It’s not like at the main gate, where it was for all the jailers to share, and there were so many that each got only a little.
With money, the talk becomes easier, so the prison guard leads Yun Chu onward.
Yun Chu walks quickly because the guard outside won’t allow her to stay long; the more she dawdles, the less time she has to see her mother.
The Ministry of Justice Prison is very large, and Yun Chu becomes increasingly anxious as she walks, searching for a long time until she hears a muffled groan.
The sound is somewhat familiar; it is her second brother’s.
Yun Chu follows the sound and from a distance sees her second brother lying on the bed, whipped, unable to bear the pain.
Yun Chu’s eyes suddenly well up with tears.
Not just because her second brother has been beaten and wounded, but more importantly, because of her mother.
Madam Wen Yuan’s prison clothes are also stained with blood, and her face is terrifyingly pale.
Yun Chu restrains her steps and does not rush over to call her mother.
She discreetly wipes away her tears.
The prison guard turns around and asks, "Did you find the person?"
"Found, found," Yun Chu replies.
Saying this, she carries the food box to the cell opposite Madam Wen Yuan and says, "This is the official my master sent me to find."
The prison guard is speechless, "This is Lord Qian!"
What Lord Li, wasn’t she just wasting time?
But he hasn’t lost out, with five taels of silver as a guide fee; more people like this would be great.
The prison guard knocks on the door and says, "You only have a quarter of an hour to talk, then you have to leave."
Yun Chu thanks him repeatedly.
Yun Chu squats down, takes out the dishes from the food box, and hands them into the cell.
Lord Qian is somewhat puzzled, surprised that someone would come to visit him?
The food in the Ministry of Justice Prison is terrible, and a plate of roast chicken is brought out with a very tempting aroma.
Even if it’s poisoned, he’d rather be a full dead ghost.
Since entering the Ministry of Justice Prison, he hasn’t thought about getting out alive.
Lord Qian grabs the roasted chicken and asks, "Will you visit me again next time?"
Yun Chu nods.
"Next time, bring me a jug of baijiu," Lord Qian says unceremoniously.
Yun Chu has no mind to deal with him; seeing the prison guard walk away, she turns around to look.
Madam Wen Yuan recognizes her daughter at a glance, and tears stream down her face.
Cai Die, who is in the same cell with Madam Wen Yuan, with red eyes, says, "Could you give us something to eat?"
Yun Chu opens the food box, and beneath it is a plate of braised beef.
It’s her mother’s favorite dish.
Yun Chu hands it over to her.
Cai Die supports Madam Wen Yuan to the front of the bars.
No one speaks; only Cai Die takes the dish and says, "The young master is truly kind-hearted."
Madam Wen Yuan knows her daughter is not here to visit Lord Qian, but to see them.
She only looks from a distance to avoid being found out.
Yun Chu not only brought food but also golden sore medicine. She didn’t know her mother had been whipped, but the Ministry of Justice Prison is notorious for torture.
Those who enter rarely escape without punishment. It’s not easy to get in, so it’s better to be prepared.
Taking the chance to pass the dish, she discreetly hands over the medicine.
Yun Chu retreats to beside Lord Qian’s cell, watching Madam Wen Yuan, fighting to hold back her tears.
Lord Qian finishes the entire roast chicken, still craving more.
The taste was indescribably delicious.
He wonders which residence sent this servant with food: how can one give their food to others so casually?
Lord Qian doesn’t dare ask, as he’s counting on a next delivery.
"The braised beef is also good; I’ll try it next time," Lord Qian suggests tactfully.
He once enjoyed endless delicacies.
Now he has to beg to eat a plate of braised beef.
Yun Chu can tell, and she nods, "I’ll bring you food."
The time’s up, and the prison guard comes to urge, "Time’s up; you have to leave now."
Yun Chu doesn’t dawdle because she wants to come back a second time.
After tidying up, Yun Chu turns to leave, but before going, her gaze lingers on Madam Wen Yuan, unwilling to move away.
Instead, Madam Wen Yuan turns away first, fearing she might lose control and harm her daughter.