Chapter 25 Imprisoned [VIP]

Chapter 25 Imprisoned [VIP]

Chapter Summary: He's just a little fox!

In late summer, the county jail was as stuffy as a steamer during the day, but at night, the stone walls were damp and cold, and the straw was moldy and smelly, making it feel like an airtight coffin.

"Buzzing"

"rustling"

In the innermost cell of the county government jail, a single candle flickered on and off.

At the entrance to the moldy prison cell, a bowl of swill-like prison food lay overturned, attracting swarms of flies and moths to buzz around, and rats and cockroaches to scurry about, creating quite a scene.

In a dark and damp corner, Pan Yue sat curled up on a stone couch, hugging her knees, staring motionlessly at the ever-rising, cold moon outside the half-arm-wide window. Her thoughts, however, were like willow catkins, scattered and incoherent.

Li San with a broken leg, Uncle Wang who vanished into thin air, Wu Da who "defected at the last minute"...

Everything that happened during the day flashed through my mind like scenes from a movie, every single day and event vividly present before my eyes...

The hands that were wrapped around his knees tightened even more.

Pan Yue pondered and pondered, trying to find some clues.

Xu San from Yanzitang, Li San from the steamed bun shop, Wang Po from Zishi Street...

It's possible that she had a falling out with only a few people, but they were just ordinary folks. Who among them had connections to the highest levels of society, and why did they resent her so much that they were willing to join forces with Li San and Wu Da, even resorting to false testimony and lies, just to put her to death?

The attitudes of the county magistrate and the clerk were equally unusual.

During the interrogation, he appeared serious and methodical, seemingly completely believing what they had said. Yet, he didn't rush her to confess or sign anything, nor did he subject her to severe torture. He simply threw her into the county jail and ignored her for half a day...

Was it out of consideration for Wu Song's feelings, or was there another reason?

"...My lord?!"

"Why did you come in person, sir? If you have something to ask of me, you could have just sent someone to deliver a message..."

"..."

"Thank you so much, sir! Thank you so much, sir!"

All around, there was a constant commotion of rolling around, sleep talking, and snoring. Pan Yue was filled with anxiety when suddenly, the lamplight flickered outside the door, followed by intermittent voices.

It was as if an official had arrived uninvited, which startled the guards, who hurriedly stood up and accepted the wine, meat, and food, exchanging pleasantries incessantly.

Not long after, the lights in the prison cell suddenly came on.

A jailer carrying a torch fawned over them as they came to greet them.

One light, one heavy, two footsteps approached from afar.

The damp, chilly air that brushed against her face suddenly carried a faint, sticky, and pungent scent of perfume. Pan Yue subconsciously held her breath, and her eyes, hidden in the shadows, flashed.

That effeminate air... Ximen Qing?!

Pan Yue's face darkened as she suddenly tightened her arms around her knees, clearly understanding the cause and effect.

Who has connections that allow them to persuade Li San, entice Wu Da, and influence the county magistrate?

Who resents her to this extent, or misses her to this extent?

With a thud, the torch embedded itself in the wall, and flames instantly blazed outside the prison gate.

Pan Yue's heart was in her throat, her whole body stiff and tense.

"twitter"

"rustling"

The cockroaches and rats were terrified and momentarily disoriented, before scattering in all directions.

The jailer bowed and scraped, spouting a lot of auspicious platitudes, before his hurried footsteps faded into the distance.

"Madam Pan?"

Before Pan Yue's heart, which had been hanging in mid-air, could settle down, a figure suddenly appeared from outside the door with a thud, growing larger and larger along the narrow, mottled stone wall until it occupied every corner.

A cold wind blew, the torches flickered, and the shadows suddenly transformed into distorted shapes.

She was trapped inside and unable to break free.

"How have you been?"

Ximen Qing's laughing, lewd voice followed immediately.

Pan Yue, her fingers, which were slightly deformed from holding her knees tightly, suddenly curled up. She quickly composed herself, her brows furrowed, and moved her stiff body before turning over and getting off the bed, slowly raising her head.

Even when visiting the prison in the middle of the night, the wealthy and elegant Ximen Qing still wore a brocade robe and had a smug smile on his face.

Seeing her wary expression, Ximen Qing wasn't surprised. He raised his left eyebrow slightly, looked the cell up and down, and said, "This cell is dilapidated and shabby, it's really inappropriate! My lady, you're suffering!"

Before Pan Yue could respond, he suddenly took half a step forward, picked up the roast chicken he had been holding for a while, and said casually, "Would you like to try the roast chicken with yellow wine from the restaurant under Lion Bridge?"

Roast chicken?

The aroma of wine and meat, along with the lingering stench and mold accumulated over the years in the prison, filled Pan Yue's nostrils, making her feel nauseous and want to vomit.

Hmph!

Before she could even swallow the discomfort inside, Pan Yue felt a chill run down her spine when she noticed the undisguised, malicious gaze directed at her from outside the door.

After a moment's thought with a composed face, she suddenly raised her head, meeting Ximen Qing's direct gaze, and went straight to the point: "I've long heard that this place is bustling with activity, and that Lady Yinlian is devoted to you, sir... Sir, you are unparalleled in wealth and beauty, you could have any kind of wife you desire, so why do you have to pick a fight with a common woman like me?"

"Madam Pan is being unjust; you are mistaken!"

Ximen Qing suddenly approached.

The oil lamp by the door was pulled by a gentle breeze, its light casting shadows on his face, swaying from side to side, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, making his half-smiling face appear even more sinister and terrifying.

"Silver is inferior to gold, so how can a silver lotus compare to a golden lotus?"

Seemingly oblivious to the fleeting look of horror in Pan Yue's eyes, Ximen Qing lowered his gaze and stared at Pan Yue, a slight smile playing on his lips.

"I pride myself on having seen countless women, yet none have ever captivated me like you, my lady… From our first meeting at Qingchen Academy, I was instantly smitten; from our second glance at Lion Bridge, I was haunted by longing; from our three encounters at the Purple Stone Street, my soul was bound to you… My heart is truly sincere, my lady, why not grant my wish, and there's no need for further…"

Every word seemed to express deep affection, but when it reached Pan Yue's ears, it only sent chills down her spine.

It's not an illusion!

Ever since the summer banquet, the feeling that someone was following her intuition, which kept popping up in her mind, turned out to be no illusion!

She thought she would never have anything to do with Ximen Qing again, but it turned out that her every move was being watched by him all along...

As if amused by the fleeting panic in her eyes, Ximen Qing's eyes trembled with intimacy as he suddenly leaned forward and continued, "For no reason at all, she's imprisoned... a delicate flower thrown into a ditch, it's truly heartbreaking!"

Reluctance?

Pan Yue's hands, hanging by her sides, clenched and unclenched, her heart burning with rage.

After staring at Ximen Qing for a long time, she suddenly relaxed her clenched fist and said in a deep voice, "Wu Da, what did you promise him?"

"Wuhan University?"

Ximen Qing was taken aback, seemingly unable to understand why Wu Da was still on her mind.

"My wife is intelligent."

Their eyes met, and Ximen Qing suddenly understood. He stroked the jingling jade pendant at his waist and slowly said, "Don't you understand yet?"

Pan Yue's expression darkened slightly.

Things that are closely related to her and Wuhan University...

"A steamed bun shop?!"

Pan Yue suddenly looked up, her expression seemingly incredulous.

"Just as the people of the county said..."

Ximen Qing stroked the jade pendant, his eyebrows and eyes smiling, his gaze sparkling.

"My wife's heart is as bright as the moon..."

...

After an incense stick has burned.

After saying a lot of things, some affectionate and some threatening, Ximen Qing looked up and saw that Pan Yue still had her eyes downcast and refused to give in. He became impatient and angry.

"Buzzing"

Some moths, oblivious to their own mortality, charged headlong into the torch embedded in the wall, and with a snap, turned into a wisp of smoke, dissipating without a trace.

Pan Yue was staring blankly at the torch when, with a clang, Ximen Qing, seemingly annoyed by the moth, suddenly lunged forward, his eyes wide as copper bells, gripping the prison door and shaking it back and forth!

"Bang! Clang clang clang!"

"Have you thought it through? Do you want to come back with me and live a life of luxury, or stay here and grow old and die alone?"

The mold and ash on the wall dripped down, falling onto the torch and turning into shimmering, dazzling sparks.

Seeing that Ximen Qing had shed his disguise under the blinding firelight, Pan Yue gasped, her gaze hardening.

"A peaceful world!"

She stared coldly at the astonished Ximen Qing and said in a deep voice, "Is there no law here?"

"The law?"

With a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, Ximen Qing took a half step back, as if he had heard a great joke. He looked Pan Yue up and down, his shoulders trembling and his cheeks flushed red.

"The law..."

Muttering the words "the law," Ximen Qing paced around the prison cell twice, hands behind his back, before stopping. His gaze towards Pan Yue held a mixture of mockery and pity. He slowly said, "In this peaceful world, my lady, how could I possibly appear before you openly in the dead of night? Look at the others in the cell; how are you different, safe and sound?"

His eyes suddenly trembled.

Pan Yue felt as if a bucket of cold water had been poured over her head, making her heart tremble slightly. She supported herself on the stone bed, unable to recover for a long time.

"Please wait, sir!"

"Sir, please take this lantern and come again another day..."

"..."

Fawning farewells drifted from afar.

With a creak, the door closed, and the surrounding firelight vanished abruptly.

After a burst of laughter and commotion, the prison once again returned to its former cold, desolate state, with cockroaches scurrying around.

Pan Yue sat alone in a dark corner, watching the full moon gradually fade into the distance, its pale light lingering. Her mind was still churning with thoughts, unable to find peace for a long time.

She was not unaware of the collusion between officials and merchants, the mutual protection among officials, and the rampant corruption in the world of "Water Margin"... She tried her best to avoid Wang Po and Ximen Qing, so how did things still come to this?

Now that she has all the witnesses and evidence, how can she save herself?

Before anything could be clearly understood, hurried footsteps echoed again in the cramped, dimly lit corridor.

Pan Yue's back stiffened, and she suddenly collapsed onto the damp, cold stone bed, pretending not to notice.

"...My wife?"

The newcomer stopped in front of the prison gate, pressed his hand against the door, peered around, and whispered, "Madam Pan!"

Chief Lin?

Upon recognizing the human voice, Pan Yue suddenly sat up, her eyes lighting up.

"Lindu..."

"Shh!"

Before she could get close, Lin, the head constable, hurriedly made a shushing gesture. Then, he widened his eyes, looked around to make sure no one was watching, and then beckoned, reaching into his robes as he softly said, "My lady hasn't eaten all day, she must be hungry. I have two steamed buns here, my lady, have some to eat first!"

Steamed bun?

Pan Yue paused when she saw the familiar oil paper package in his hand.

Completely oblivious, Lin, the head constable, opened the oil paper package and said, "Don't be afraid, madam! Now that Ximen Dalang needs your help, the magistrate will certainly not order anyone to use force! I have already written to Wu, the head constable, hoping that he will return as soon as possible after reading the letter and plead with the magistrate on his behalf..."

Wu Song?!

Pan Yue strode forward, her words of concern already on the tip of her tongue, but upon hearing the words "come back soon," her clear pupils trembled slightly, and her throat tightened.

"Chief Lin, you..."

She suddenly frowned, looked Lin, the constable, up and down, and said hesitantly, "Risking the risk of offending Master Ximen and the magistrate to go to such lengths for me, is that... to be on good terms with Constable Wu?"

"This is only one of them."

Seeing the doubt in her eyes, Lin Dutou shook his head slightly. As he spoke, a blush suddenly appeared on his face that seemed disproportionate to his burly stature. He lowered his eyes and said, "Furthermore, my lady, you may not know, but Yue Niangzi of the Lotus Embroidery Shop is actually my betrothed!"

Yue Niangzi?

Pan Yue was taken aback for a moment, but quickly understood and smiled, saying, "Madam Yue is beautiful and intelligent. Commander, you are very fortunate!"

Lin, the head constable, chuckled twice and pushed the steamed bun in his hand forward, saying sincerely, "To be honest, my lady, I heard that it was I who brought you to the county office. A-Yue couldn't wait to eat and rushed to the county office, and she gave me a huge scolding! She repeatedly warned me that if my lady suffers even the slightest grievance, she will hold me responsible! My lady, the matter is still unresolved, so in any case, please take good care of yourself!"

Understanding their intentions, Pan Yue suddenly lowered her eyes, pondered for a moment, and gently nodded, saying, "Captain Lao Lin, please give my regards to Lady Yue!"

"good!"

Time flies, ten days have passed in the blink of an eye.

Despite the daily care and hospitality of the two constables, Lin and Zhu, Pan Yue remained burdened with worries, growing weaker day by day.

Fearing that Ximen Qing would lose patience, turning a wrongful conviction into a death sentence; fearing that he wouldn't be able to see Wu Song one last time, and that he wouldn't be able to reveal his true feelings, turning a life-long separation into a death one...

She feared that his impulsive nature might lead him to repeat the mistakes of the wandering monk in "Water Margin" upon hearing of her ordeal; she feared that he would die unjustly in prison, the truth never revealed, and "Jinlian" would ultimately be tainted and trapped in a ditch...

The same time in the county government office study.

The magistrate was sipping his new tea and appreciating the calligraphy and paintings by famous artists that Ximen Dalang had just sent when a servant rushed in to report that Wu Dutou, who was supposed to be on the road, had somehow managed to return to the county office after traveling overnight and riding at full speed!

"puff!"

The magistrate spat out most of his fresh tea and hurriedly tidied his desk, thinking to himself that he might as well use this as an excuse to postpone the audience. But then, with a clang, the study door was pushed open, and the dusty, travel-worn Wu Dutou barged in without a care.

The magistrate squinted subconsciously, recognizing the figure under the eaves against the sunlight. He waved for his servants to leave, then stepped around the desk, greeted him with a broad smile, patted him on the shoulder, and looked pleased.

"Captain Wu is back! Did your journey to the capital go smoothly? You must have had a long and tiring trip, please take a seat!"

Upon being ushered into the hall, the magistrate shook his hand and subtly sized him up.

"smoothly!"

Songsong, unfamiliar with social niceties and insincere, and genuinely concerned for Yunyun's safety, pulled out the token given to him by the other party from his sleeve, presented it to the magistrate, and hurriedly said, "Your Honor, Yunyun..."

"Stop talking!"

The magistrate's eyes lit up. He snatched the receipt from the man's hand, quickly tucked it into his sleeve, and before the man could speak, stroked his beard, feigning contemplation, and said, "Commander Wu has been running around for months on my personal matters. I should have been lenient, but times have changed..."

He looked out over the corridor, his mind racing for a moment, then said with a troubled expression, "Officer, you may not know this, but ever since Wu Da said those things in front of the county government that day, rumors have been flying everywhere!"

"Rumors?" Songsong suddenly stood up, his eyes filled with anxiety. "But please enlighten me, sir, what kind of rumors could possibly affect your judgment in a case?"

"Public opinion is a fearsome thing!"

The magistrate suddenly turned around, his back to Qingzhao, his features indistinct.

Before anyone could press him further, he suddenly sighed and slowly said, "Some say you're impulsive but honest, but ever since you met that alluring woman, your behavior has been completely different..."

The magistrate glanced up and met Wu Song's gaze as he looked back. He coughed lightly, straightened his clothes, and continued as if nothing had happened: "Furthermore, I heard that on the day your pancake shop opened, Xiao Si and a few others caused trouble at your shop. You claimed to be some kind of celestial being descended to earth?"

Songsong was taken aback and was about to explain when the county magistrate waved his long sleeves, adopted the demeanor of an official, and said in a deep voice: "A couple of days ago, some people from the county reported this matter to the county government, saying that you relied on your past merit in killing the tiger and the favor of your superiors to play tricks in front of the county, causing fear among the people and discord among neighbors!"

The magistrate slowly sat down in the hall, picked up his teacup and took a small sip before saying, "I have already suppressed this matter for you because of your meritorious service on your mission to the capital. As for the rest..."

The magistrate gently set down his teacup, looked him in the eye, and said emphatically, "Wu Song, don't blame me for disregarding our past relationship, but it's best to stay out of that woman's business! If you want to have a long career in this county, remember the four words: 'keep your own business'..."

As the sun sets, the main street in front of the county is still bustling with people.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Captain Wu?!"

Songsong suddenly raised her head, looking blank.

He didn't know when he left the county government office or how he ended up on the street. When he came to his senses, he found himself in the middle of the long street.

Some mischievous children, just like yesterday, ran up to him, only to be pulled back by their parents. Their eyes darted away as they chased each other and shoved each other. Some neighbors pointed and whispered at him, but when they met his gaze, they turned away in silence and scattered again...

Some lovers argue endlessly, then become sweet and affectionate again; some charming young men flirt with their wives, only to fall flat on their faces...

Arguments, laughter, gatherings, partings, love, joy, sorrow... the bustling street corner remains as lively as ever, and the mundane world continues its usual hustle and bustle.

Songsong stood still, gazing into the distance towards Jingyanggang.

He was born of nature and was the only little fox on Jingyang Ridge to develop intelligence. What did the hustle and bustle of the human world and its rules have to do with him?

Yunyun was happy in the human world, but he was not; he came down the mountain for Yunyun, but now that Yunyun is gone, what meaning does the human world hold for him?

Why not return to Jingyanggang, where foxes and deer sleep together every day, accompanied by pine breezes, clouds, and flowers...

But why...?

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and Songsong unconsciously furrowed her brows.

Why are you so heartbroken?

Why does a warm, throbbing spot in my chest feel like it's been gouged out, a sharp, unbearable pain, leaving me utterly helpless?

The evening breeze caresses my face, accompanied by the longing and calls of loved ones far away.

He looked up at the verdant mountains bathed in the magnificent sunset, his eyes filled with bewilderment.

There is no calendar in the mountains; a hundred years pass in an instant. Wandering the mortal world is but a few months. Why...?

Why can't he seem to recall how he spent those hundred years in the mountains without Yunyun?

He suddenly lowered his eyes, pressing down on his uneasy, involuntary heart.

It seemed that just thinking of the word "Yunyun" made his heart feel as if it were soaking in a honey that was both sour and soft, thick and astringent, stirring up a restless, fluttering sensation, yet also filled with fear, anxiety, and trembling unease...

"Nothing like that..." Songsong suddenly raised her head.

Without clouds, not only the human world, but even Jingyanggang, and even the blooming flowers of Dongpo in March, all seem to have lost their five colors, turning into a dry, uninteresting, and unsightly black and white.

significance……

What is the significance?

Meaning is only relevant to people; what does it have to do with others?

He is a little fox.

He's just a little fox!

He was convinced that Yunyun was worthy of everything in the world. Since the human world could not accommodate her, he would bring her back to Jingyanggang!

The distant mountains are magnificent, and the setting sun is awe-inspiring.

Having made up his mind, Songsong suddenly straightened up and ran wildly towards the county jail.