Chapter 209: Ten Ambushes (Six)

In the dim prison corridor, a rapid clatter of footsteps was clearly audible.

"Hey? Who are you?"

"How dare you! This is the Assistant Administrator of Jingzhou!"

"Assistant Administrator!" the jailers hurried to bow.

"The Assistant Administrator is here! Clear the way ahead!"

The guards' shouts echoed through the narrow corridor, reverberating endlessly.

On both sides, jailers stepped aside to bow as Le Zhan strode past, his pace urgent, jade pendants Prince Prince Jingling with each step.

A legal official hurried to catch up: "My lord, rest assured. Though I know no details of this case, with the Chief Clerk absent, no one dares touch the Wang clan of Langya."

Le Zhan did not slow his step, his expression troubled: "Even so, once imprisoned, one is at the mercy of others—inevitably at a disadvantage. Do you not recall the Marquis of River River Jiang's words: 'I once commanded a million troops, yet how could I know the power of a jailer?'"

"My lord, it should be this cell."

They spotted a solitary interrogation chamber, separated from the row of others by some distance. Four jailers guarding the door stepped forward as they approached.

One jailer bowed deeply, fists clasped: "May I ask who these esteemed lords are?"

The legal official asked bluntly: "Is the young master of the Wang clan of Langya inside?"

The jailer hesitated slightly, then replied: "Yes."

"Open the door."

"My lord, are you intending to..."

"This is Assistant Administrator Le, and I am Bai Guan, Registrar of the Nanjun Legal Bureau. Open the door at once—the Assistant Administrator wishes to see the young master!"

The jailers hurried to bow, then hesitated: "But without the Chief Clerk's order..."

What Chief Clerk? Liu Yin won't hold that post much longer.

Le Zhan cut him off with a wave of his hand; four guards surged forward like released arrows, pinning the jailers against the wall.

Nearby jailers rushed over at the noise; Bai Guan stepped forward, barking:

"Stand still! The Assistant Administrator is personally inspecting this case—how many heads do you have to defy him?"

All the jailers froze; someone had already run to report to Liu Yin.

Le Zhan did not glance around; he walked straight to the chamber. The jailer, held by guards, trembled as he unlocked the cell door.

Inside, the feast halted instantly. The men who had been clinking cups and laughing fell silent, all turning toward the door.

Outside, Le Zhan and his men stared in shock and confusion, eyes wide...

Confused... if you're confused, join in...

"Zhiyan, you know how to enjoy yourself—even in prison, you dine at Xiangxue Tower. Truly a remarkable man! Hmm... their smoked fish roe is delicious—I always order it when I come."

Le Zhan ate with pleasure; Zong Rui was inwardly alarmed. Earlier, Xiangxue Tower had delivered two sets of dishes; Wang Yang had taken only one to eat. Zong Rui had wondered what the second set was for, assuming it was an overorder—never imagining it was meant for a new guest!

Even more thoughtful: the new set consisted almost entirely of cold dishes, ideal for pairing with wine, avoiding the problem of food cooling and losing flavor. Sigh... this man possesses unfathomable wisdom—ten moves ahead, versed in ancient and modern wisdom, adept at adapting to circumstance, calm even in chains. He will rise far indeed... The Wang clan of Langya has produced another genius...

Le Zhan was in high spirits: "I've lived decades, but drinking in prison is a first. Fascinating! Let's play a drinking game!"

Everyone except Zong Rui agreed.

Le Zhan beamed: "Since we're in prison, let's make it fresh. Each person recites two lines of five-character verse—each line describes a crime."

Everyone laughed, calling it cunning; Zong Rui frowned: "How can this be allowed?"

"It's a game—what's wrong with it? We're not actually committing crimes." Le Zhan turned to Bai Guan: "You're the legal official—reciting verses about crimes won't violate any law, will it?"

Bai Guan hurried to reply: "As long as it's not too taboo, it's perfectly fine."

Le Zhan said to Zong Rui: "See? It's just a drinking game—why be so rigid?"

Zong Rui still refused: "This game is indecent!"

"You're in prison now—what's decent or indecent? It's settled. Whoever breaks the rule drinks three cups!"

Zong Rui disliked it, but Le Zhan was his superior in rank and elder in age. Besides, everyone else was joining—he couldn't spoil the mood, so he said no more.

Le Zhan exclaimed: "I'll go first!"

He tapped his chopsticks thrice against his cup and recited: "Break in to steal treasures, slash to rob on the road."

Wang Yang said: "Impressive—you start with robbery."

The table laughed. Zong Rui's face was stern: "If you've already stolen the treasures, why rob on the road too?"

Everyone paused, then burst into uproarious laughter.

Le Zhan waved it off laughing: "Bad men do everything." He nudged the man to his left: "Quick, your turn!"

The local official reluctantly replied: "Sneak into the neighbor's yard and steal while they're asleep."

Le Zhan said: "Repeated word, repeated crime—drink three cups!"

In poetry, repetition falls into three cases: intentional echo for rhythm; natural, unforced integration that enhances meaning; or careless, jarring redundancy.

The previous line clearly fell into the last category. Though the man knew his verse was poor, he defended: "The man was evil—he stole, robbed, then stole again!"

Everyone urged him to drink; he downed three cups.

The next man continued: "Set fire to enemy's home, dig up graves to disturb the underworld."

Everyone praised it; Zong Rui sighed and shook his head.

The official on the right recited: "Forge coins with lead, destroy contracts to seize land."

Zong Rui snorted. Le Zhan asked why. Zong Rui replied: "If this man were under my jurisdiction, I'd have him punished by law!"

Everyone laughed, bowing to Zong Rui in mock respect.

The game continued; Bai Guan offered: "Kill and bury in dark alley, destroy family, silence all."

No one laughed. Everyone drew a sharp breath. Le Zhan said: "Bai, your line is harsh..."

Bai Guan grinned apologetically: "I couldn't think of anything else—just forced words."

Everyone assumed he'd made it up, seeing his cheerful face. Only Wang Yang glanced at Bai Guan with thoughtful silence.

The next man was a deputy from the Assistant Administrator's office, surnamed Sun, Le Zhan's wife's cousin, father of Le Xiaopan's cousin Sun Duo. He sipped wine and said: "Morning: flee without paying for courtesans. Night: deceive and take advantage of women."

The table erupted in laughter, calling him a scoundrel. Though Sun hadn't broken the rule, "public outrage cannot be defied"—he was forced to drink three cups.

It was Zong Rui's turn. He did not recite, but drank three cups himself: "Though this is just a game, a gentleman guards against small evils and avoids indecent speech. I cannot join this game. But since I'm here, I'll abide by the rules—I drink these three cups as self-punishment."

Everyone exchanged glances, silent. They found Zong Rui too rigid, his words unpleasant. It was just wordplay—why make it moral? If you wanted to lecture, fine—but why invoke "a gentleman"? Are you the only gentleman? Are we all not gentlemen just because we play along?

Le Zhan said: "Don't overthink it. Mingshen is just like this—he's not hinting at anyone. Let's take it as heartfelt advice and not dwell on it. Though the crimes in the verses are fictional, if we ever encounter them in reality, as officials of the court, we must fulfill our duty—root out evil, protect the people."

Everyone agreed, even Zong Rui nodded. The once lively drinking game now carried a solemn tone.

Le Zhan changed tone: "But the game must continue. Zhiyan, your turn."

All turned to Wang Yang, wondering how he could respond after Zong Rui's "no indecent speech" remark.

Wang Yang paused, then tapped his chopsticks lightly in the air and recited slowly: "Drunk by willow-lined shore, asleep beneath apricot blossoms."

Everyone froze. Only Zong Rui applauded—no indecent speech! Zhiyan was just like him!

Le Zhan said: "Beautiful lines—but they don't break any law. Still, you must drink!"

Wang Yang looked innocent: "They do. This verse describes a man who committed all the crimes you just listed, then got drunk and fell asleep."

The entire room roared with laughter.

Zong Rui couldn't help smiling.

Le Zhan took the recorded verses from his attendant, laughing as he read:

"Break in to steal treasures, slash to rob on the road."

"Set fire to enemy's home, dig up graves to disturb the underworld."

"Forge coins with lead, destroy contracts to seize land."

"Kill and bury in dark alley, destroy family, silence all."

"Morning: flee without paying for courtesans. Night: deceive and take advantage of women."

"Drunk by willow-lined shore, asleep beneath apricot blossoms."

When laughter subsided, Le Zhan glanced back, puzzled: "Time's up—why hasn't he released him yet?"

Wang Yang said: "He won't release him."

Everyone was startled. Le Zhan widened his eyes: "What? He promised to release him after the paperwork! He dares not?"

"Without encirclement, he'd flee. Now that he's fully surrounded, he has no choice but to make a desperate move."

Inside the prefectural prison, over fifty jailers, clerks, and porters stood armed in the courtyard.

Liu Yin, sword at his side, stood on the steps, his gaze sweeping the crowd like a hawk's. His voice was cold and stern: "Are all present?"

A man stepped forward, loud and clear: "Report, Chief Clerk! All available personnel are here, awaiting your orders!"

"Good. You've served me many years—I need not speak long. Success: great reward. Failure: severe punishment. Anyone who disobeys my command—I will execute him!"

All replied in unison: "We obey your orders!"

"Tian He."

"Your servant is here!"

"Take your men and guard the prison gates. No one enters or leaves! Remember—no exceptions! Anyone who forces entry—arrest them!"

"Yes!"

"The rest—follow me!"