Chapter 860: Eunuch Kuang

"One can't just drift through life in a haze." Wang Youshan replied. His hair was disheveled, simply tied back with a strip of cloth, and his beard was unkempt, yet his whole body was remarkably clean. The cell even had a table and chairs; on the table sat a white porcelain teapot and cups, with a few books placed nearby. Writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone were arranged on the other side. Were it not for being in a prison, this would clearly be the study of an ordinary scholar.

If he were truly an ordinary scholar, he probably couldn't afford a study this spacious. Aside from the windows being a bit small, there was nothing else uncomfortable about this cell. Every corner was swept clean, and if one didn't sniff carefully, they wouldn't even notice any foul odor.

Moreover, the cells surrounding this one were all empty; only Wang Youshan's was occupied. In this vast building, empty and deserted, he was the sole prisoner.

"Thirteenth day of the ninth month, in the Xinyou year. Today..." Wang Youshan ground ink, dipped his brush, and began to write on the paper. After writing these few characters, he suddenly felt restless and irritated. He crumpled the paper into a ball and tossed it directly onto the floor.

When he was first arrested, Wang Youshan had not been afraid. He thought his sons had already accomplished great things. If he died, it simply meant he wouldn't be able to witness them realize their grand ambitions or see the world turn upside down. Besides, because he was implicated in factional struggles, his son Wang Zhaojing, despite his talent, had no way to pass the imperial examinations and become a Presented Scholar. His path to scholarly honor had been completely blocked by his father's troubles. Left with no choice, he had taken that other road. As a father, dying to settle this debt was acceptable.

But as time wore on, a person's mind changes. Although Wang Youshan was open-minded and magnanimous, with insight and breadth of spirit, he still couldn't help growing restless, then panicked, and began to feel afraid. Especially since everything within this Imperial Prison was sealed off, and he had no way of knowing what was happening outside—this made it even harder to stay calm.

When he was first brought in, even though those agents had thoroughly confiscated his wealth and property, he still received no decent treatment. He lived in a filthy cell. While there was no severe torture, the jailers' interrogations and the pressing questions from unidentified figures made Wang Youshan suffer greatly.

"A gentleman does not form factions, and so no one pays him any heed, no one lends a hand." A Censor thrown into prison without reason—if it had been anyone else from the Chief Surveillance Bureau, it would have long since stirred a great uproar in the capital. The pure and noble officials would have made those responsible pay dearly. But when Wang Youshan was arrested, many were happy to see it happen. After all, it vacated a position, and who knows how many people were waiting to fill it. This Wang Youshan was simply too stubborn to step aside; now was the perfect opportunity.

Sometimes Wang Youshan also wondered: if the Xuzhou incident hadn't come to light, would his colleagues and superiors in the Chief Surveillance Bureau have framed him on some charge to have him dismissed? He might have ended up in prison anyway.

They interrogated him about the true situation in Xuzhou, then forced Wang Youshan to write letters claiming all was well and asking for money. That group pressed him harder and harder. No matter how flustered and anxious Wang Youshan was, he could see this was a merciless scheme of extortion. Giving in once would mean it would never end. As for being released, that was utterly impossible. In all likelihood, he would eventually be silenced to prevent any news from leaking out.

Just when the other side was preparing to use torture, the situation suddenly took a turn. It seemed someone from the palace had intervened. The group that had been pressuring him became extremely anxious, nearly coming to blows right then and there. In the end, they could only leave in bitter resentment.

He thought he had escaped his torment, but instead he was simply moved to a different cell. His circumstances improved greatly, yet he was still not released.

His family property was gone, not a single coin left, so he couldn't bribe the jailers. He made empty promises, and the rotating jailers who heard them were tempted, but took no action. One, pressed too hard, merely sneered and said, "Don't try to harm me. You don't know who's watching over this."

These words made Wang Youshan even more apprehensive. Although he was only a Rank-7 Censor, he was experienced and knowledgeable, and naturally understood the methods of the capital's powerful figures. But what on earth was this inexplicable situation? If it were truly about rebellion, then when he was arrested, fighting would probably have already broken out in Xuzhou.

At first, he could still think things through carefully, but later, cooped up here, he was about to go mad. Wang Youshan had even lost his composure, throwing great tantrums and roaring. The jailers, however, took it in stride. After all, there was nothing he could do inside the cell. When he smashed and threw things, the jailers would curse and grumble as they went in to clean up, but they never laid a hand on him to vent their anger.

Under such treatment, Wang Youshan did not feel relieved; instead, he grew increasingly uneasy. In the Imperial Prison, receiving such kind treatment wasn't strange in itself, but such kindness would absolutely never be shown to a lone Censor with no backing and no hope of reinstatement. If one had the possibility of being restored to office, or had colleagues and friends in official positions outside, or had family willing to spend silver, then living comfortably in the Imperial Prison wasn't difficult. But Wang Youshan had none of these. To receive such treatment out of thin air was baffling.

The stories and anecdotes of the capital were varied and plentiful, covering everything. Wang Youshan had heard many tales about this Imperial Prison before. To be this comfortable, to be treated with such leniency and tolerance by the jailers, was a privilege reserved only for those few Dukes, Marquises, and Earls related to the Son of Heaven, or for some grandees within the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, or the Chief Surveillance Bureau. Otherwise, it was due to the care of a powerful eunuch from the inner court. And Wang Youshan, once again, had none of these connections.

Wang Youshan grew more and more anxious and restless. The self-restraint and bearing cultivated through study and officialdom were gradually worn away. Sometimes Wang Youshan thought of ending it all—he would find relief, and he wouldn't drag his sons down further. But he could never quite make the resolve. Sacrificing oneself for righteousness, facing death fearlessly—these things were easy to speak and write about, but when it truly fell upon one's own shoulders, they were terribly hard to do.

Occasionally, Wang Youshan would also wonder: could it be that Zhao Jin and the others had stirred up so much trouble in Xuzhou that the court was forced to act cautiously? But could the situation in Xuzhou possibly contend against the entire realm? Would the central court even care about a mere Xuzhou? When his thoughts reached this point, Wang Youshan himself would dismiss them. It was too preposterous; thinking about it was useless.

As the days passed, Wang Youshan couldn't help but mock and pity himself. If he hadn't lost his head, thinking that the situation the younger generation had created might have a great future, and joined in their reckless folly, how would he have ended up in this state today? All those audacious and reckless acts—if he had only advised them a few times, or urged them not to display their sharpness so openly, he wouldn't be where he was today. "Reaping what one sows" and "courting self-destruction"—both phrases fit him perfectly.

"Thirteenth day of the ninth month, Xinyou year..." Wang Youshan wrote the opening on the paper again, but he couldn't continue. With a sigh, he crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it away.

By this point, Wang Youshan even wished he didn't receive such good treatment. Because in his old place, there were other imprisoned criminals around; he could chat and talk with them. He wouldn't be all alone here, with jailers who never exchanged a word with him.

Perhaps he should get some wine and food, get thoroughly drunk again today, and then muddle through until tomorrow. At least that would make it a bit easier to endure. Wang Youshan knew that if this continued, he would become a useless drunkard, but he was finding it harder and harder to control himself.

Footsteps? Having spent so long in this solitary cell, Wang Youshan was very sensitive to sounds. And this wasn't the sound of the jailers changing shifts, because more than one person was coming.

What for? A surge of excitement rose in Wang Youshan's heart, followed immediately by terror. Were they coming to deal with him? Were they coming to kill him? Wang Youshan's body couldn't help but tremble. When it came down to it, he was still afraid of death, terribly frightened. He still wanted to see his only son again, still wanted to return to Xuzhou. He never should have come back that day...

Just as his mind was racing with wild thoughts, he saw a man carrying an armchair over, placing it right in front of the wooden bars of his cell. The man looked like an attendant or personal servant. It probably wasn't someone coming to deal with him. Then this was...

A middle-aged man in a red robe sat down in the armchair. It had been so long since he'd seen anyone other than the jailers. Wang Youshan couldn't control his agitation, staring at the other man with a loss of composure and propriety.

By all appearances, he was a shrewd civil official long accustomed to the bureaucratic world, and his bearing matched perfectly. But coupled with the feature of a pale, beardless face, his identity was almost obvious. This was some figure from the Twenty-Four Offices of the inner court. With such attire and manner, he was at the very least a Junior Director.

Wang Youshan's heart sank steadily. The Eastern Depot had arrested and imprisoned him, and those who could command the Eastern Depot were naturally the eunuch officials of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Now another eunuch official had come—could it still be to deal with him?

Paying no mind to Wang Youshan's wild thoughts, the red-robed eunuch official who had arrived was observing Wang Youshan with keen interest, though his expression carried a hint of poorly concealed disappointment.

"Sir Wang looks to be in good spirits. It seems you haven't suffered much here," the eunuch said, speaking up.

"I... I... having come to this place, what does it matter how I look? How should I address you, Gonggong?" As soon as Wang Youshan spoke, he realized his voice had gone hoarse. Hearing the other's tone was relatively mild, he asked a question in return.

"My surname is Kuang. I serve in the Ritual Chamber. Sir Wang may call me Xiao Kuang," the eunuch official said with a smile.

Wang Youshan had been sitting in his chair, but upon hearing this, he hurriedly stood up to offer a greeting. Through the wooden bars, he said very politely, "So it is Eunuch Kuang. Forgive my lack of respect."

The Ritual Chamber was the Ritual Chamber of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the place responsible for the evaluation, reward, punishment, and promotion of all eunuch officials and palace staff. Alongside the Document Chamber, it was one of the most confidential and critical offices within the Directorate of Ceremonial. To be serving there at this age meant he was destined to become the Director of some inner court agency in the future, and very likely to become an Attendant Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial or even higher. Being here was like being in the Hanlin Academy of the outer court—the Hanlin Academicians there were the future top figures of the Grand Secretariat, the Six Ministries, and the Chief Surveillance Bureau.

After this identity was announced, although the two men were about the same age, their status and positions were worlds apart. Wang Youshan dared not be negligent, but his heart grew even more uneasy. Why had such a high-ranking eunuch come here? Just how was he going to be dealt with?

"Sir Wang, there's no need for such formality. This isn't a formal court session. How about we address each other as brothers? I shall call you Brother Wang, and you can call me Brother Kuang," Eunuch Kuang said very gently.

Wang Youshan was even more dumbfounded, not knowing how to respond. Eunuch Kuang smiled and said, "Brother Wang, I've heard that your esteemed son is a young talent, erudite and learned, having passed the Provincial Examination in Yingtian Prefecture at an early age, and was even one of the Five Classics Top Candidates. That is truly remarkable!"

Hearing his son Wang Zhaojing mentioned, Wang Youshan's heart seized up, but he grew considerably calmer. He didn't say much, merely shaking his head with a bitter smile and replying, "Eunuch Kuang, you flatter him too much."

Thanks to old friends "Jiang Feng Wang Tong Li Meng, Kun Kun Yang, Yuan Heng Li Zhen, Wu Liu Lang, User Hua Xiao Yun Bai" for the tips, thanks everyone for the subscriptions and monthly tickets, thank you all, asking for monthly tickets at the start of the month!