Chapter 28

Qiao Ling couldn’t help but sigh, and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Jiang Mai saw this and simply smiled slightly, without asking further, “I brought you some food, and Mother also prepared some things you might need.”

As she spoke, a few familiar faces appeared behind her.

Several maids went to make her bed, the pillows and blankets were new, and even an incense burner was brought in.

Zhang Yuying, carrying a food box, glanced at the situation in Lu Mengqing’s cell, then went over with understanding, bowed to him, and then placed the food and wine she had brought on the table in order.

Lu Mengqing looked at her with a hint of surprise, “Isn’t this Miss Zhang? Why…”

Zhang Yuying told him, “Miss Qiao is my master.”

Qiao Ling, with wide eyes, turned her head and corrected her, “She’s a friend!”

Zhang Yuying smiled, looked at her deeply, and agreed, “Yes, she’s a friend.”

Lu Mengqing lightly “oh”

He then glanced at the plates Zhang Yuying had placed on the table, his eyes lit up, “Miss Zhang’s sliced meat, who in the capital doesn’t know it?”

Zhang Yuying smiled, “Tomorrow, I’ll cut more and send it to you, Sir.”

Lu Mengqing listened in silence, speechless for a moment.

The atmosphere in the cell was a bit heavy, the two of them silently took a sip of wine.

After a while, Qiao Ling asked, “Is Liu Da dead?”

Lu Mengqing said, “It happened a few days ago. If he were dead, you should have received an invitation.”

Qiao Ling sighed, “What a pity!”

After thinking for a moment, she said, “But it’s good too. If he were dead, Minister Han’s crime would be much greater.”

Lu Mengqing added at this moment, “But it seems like it’s just a matter of time.”

Qiao Ling’s heart sank, “Ah?!”

She immediately said, “What about Minister Han?”

Lu Mengqing then puffed out his chest and said cheerfully, “Isn’t this my time to shine?”

“At that time, Shaoyu struck out with all his might, and Liu Da fell to the ground immediately. The officials were panicked, naturally someone went to invite the Emperor back, who had already left the court, and someone else went to invite the imperial physician.”

Qiao Ling understood and said, “The Emperor must have been very angry?”

Lu Mengqing said, “So I had to persuade him.”

“I said, Your Majesty, Minister Han is a third-rank Prime Minister, and he also holds the ‘privilege of nobility’ among the eight privileges. You should pardon him. Besides, his intention was just to playfully hit the Duke of Cheng’en, he didn’t have any intention to kill—who would kill someone in public? It wasn’t intentional, it was an accident.”

“You can forgive a scoundrel who tarnishes the reputation of the royal family outside, can’t you forgive a loyal and reliable Prime Minister?”

Qiao Ling: “…Brilliant!”

She then asked, “What did the Emperor say?”

Lu Mengqing said, “The Emperor’s facial muscles were twitching after hearing this. Maybe he thought what I said made sense, but he still said, ‘The one who committed the crime was Liu’s son, not the Duke of Cheng’en, we can’t make generalizations…'”

Qiao Ling: “Then what?”

Lu Mengqing laughed cheerfully, “Haha, I went up to him and spat on his face, saying, ‘Your Majesty, you’re shameless!'”

Qiao Ling was filled with respect and immediately poured him another glass of wine, “Well done!”

Lu Mengqing laughed heartily, about to speak, when he suddenly heard voices coming from outside, mixed with hushed inquiries and polite answers, approaching this way.

The two looked at each other.

Lu Mengqing asked, “This time, it must be for you?”

Qiao Ling pondered for a moment and said, “Probably.”

Soon, the sound of hurried footsteps came, and the warden quickly appeared. He glanced into Qiao Ling’s cell, saw no one, and was visibly startled.

Then, he looked to the side and immediately showed a very complex expression.

Ordinary people would be depressed for a while after entering prison, but you’ve already made friends so quickly, Duchess of Yue…

The warden secretly admired her, then bowed and said, “Madam Qiao, the Duke of Yue has arrived.”

Qiao Ling was shocked, “Ah?!”

She added, “Call me madam!”

Then she quickly got up and went to meet him, “It’s so cold in here, did he wear thick clothes? Why didn’t anyone persuade him…”

Lu Mengqing laughed from the side, “You two haven’t even met yet, but your relationship seems pretty good—I wasn’t wrong, have you met?”

Qiao Ling shook her head and said, “No.”

Leaving Lu Mengqing’s cell, she looked up and heard very faint footsteps coming from the steps above.

Although it was summer, the dungeon was cold. Jiang Mai was wearing a fox fur, but she still had an elegant and graceful presence.

Her delicate fur revealed a jade-like face. In the dim yellow light of the oil lamps in the dungeon, she seemed to be radiating a faint glow.

Like a fragile and beautiful orchid in a secluded valley.

Graceful and elegant, her appearance was like a flowing stream.

Qiao Ling was stunned.

This was the first time they had truly faced each other.

Her lips moved, and she blurted out, “Why did you lift your veil yourself?”

The orchid across from her gently exhaled, surveyed the dungeon, and finally turned her gaze to her face.

Her voice was soft, but also helpless, “What have you done…”

Qiao Ling couldn’t help but sigh, and lowered her head in embarrassment.

Jiang Mai saw this and simply smiled slightly, without asking further, “I brought you some food, and Mother also prepared some things you might need.”

As she spoke, a few familiar faces appeared behind her.

Several maids went to make her bed, the pillows and blankets were new, and even an incense burner was brought in.

Zhang Yuying, carrying a food box, glanced at the situation in Lu Mengqing’s cell, then went over with understanding, bowed to him, and then placed the food and wine she had brought on the table in order.

Lu Mengqing looked at her with a hint of surprise, “Isn’t this Miss Zhang? Why…”

Zhang Yuying told him, “Miss Qiao is my master.”

Qiao Ling, with wide eyes, turned her head and corrected her, “She’s a friend!”

Zhang Yuying smiled, looked at her deeply, and agreed, “Yes, she’s a friend.”

Lu Mengqing lightly “oh”ed.

He then glanced at the plates Zhang Yuying had placed on the table, his eyes lit up, “Miss Zhang’s sliced meat, who in the capital doesn’t know it?”

Zhang Yuying smiled, “Tomorrow, I’ll cut more and send it to you, Sir.”

Lu Mengqing smiled and thanked him, then invited her and Jiang Mai to join him, “Since we’ve met, why not have a drink together?”

Before the two could speak, Qiao Ling refused, “It’s a bit cold here, the Duke might not be able to handle it.”

She then said seriously to Jiang Mai, “Everything is fine here, I have food and a place to sleep, and Minister Lu is keeping me company. I haven’t suffered at all. You go back quickly, three days is very short, it will be over in a blink of an eye.”

Jiang Mai looked at her with gentle eyes, “Do you regret it?”

Qiao Ling immediately shook her head, saying firmly, “No regrets!”

A faint smile appeared on Jiang Mai’s face, “That’s good.”

He bowed politely to Lu Mengqing.

The slender figure, bending over like a bamboo, looked at Qiao Ling one last time before turning to leave.

Zhang Yuying lagged behind a few steps, reluctantly saying, “Is there anything you need, lady? Otherwise, I’ll stay here and take care of you…”

Qiao Ling said, “If you stay here, who will slice the fish for me? Go, go!”

Zhang Yuying found it both funny and a bit helpless, and finally said, “I’ll come see you tomorrow.”

Qiao Ling was already waving to her, “See you later!”

The people from the Duke of Yue’s Mansion left. Lu Mengqing ate his fish and asked Qiao Ling, “How did Miss Zhang end up here?”

Qiao Ling shouted, “Save me some!”

Then she quickly returned to the table, eating and telling him about her connection with Zhang Yuying.

Lu Mengqing was filled with respect, “To risk offending a royal prince to save someone, how can she not be considered a righteous person!”

He immediately raised his cup to toast her, “Just for this, Madam deserves to be called ‘madam’! I’ve made a friend in Madam Qiao, I’m sticking with you!”

Qiao Ling, slightly tipsy, accepted this praise, and then she couldn’t help but express her anger, “The Lord Cheng’en’s son is no good, but is the Prince of Lu any better? Han Xianggong could strike Liu Da in court, but who will strike the head of the one who protects the Prince of Lu?!”

If anyone else were sitting in front of her, they would probably have stepped forward to stop her, but this time, it was Lu Xing, Lu Mengqing, not someone else.

So, after sighing, he turned the conversation back to Han Ye, courtesy name Shaoyu, who had been dismissed and confined for his outburst in court, “You should remember, I said earlier that the reason Shaoyu was dismissed was because of that strike in court?”

Qiao Ling immediately said, “What about the real reason?”

Lu Mengqing asked her back, “Do you know that throughout history, the Emperor governs the country, officials manage affairs, and political thinking has undergone several changes?”

Qiao Ling pondered for a moment, and shook her head in confusion, “Minister Lu, that’s a bit too broad of a topic…”

Lu Mengqing gave her the answer, “Twice.”

“The first time was when people broke free from the chaotic worship of gods, the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, ancestors, witches, fairies, and demons, and constructed a self-consistent political theory system. The core of this system was ‘the interaction between Heaven and man, the theory of the five virtues and their cyclical succession.’ The Emperor was the Son of Heaven, and he gained the legitimacy to rule the people from a realm that was absolutely beyond human.”

“The second time was many years later. Several famous scholars of the Confucian school criticized Buddhism, Daoism, the Yin-Yang School, and even the theory of omens, advocating for the removal of theological ideas from the present world. They constructed a new system—’the theory of the King’s benevolent government.'”

“In short, politics is a human affair, it has nothing to do with gods. Instead of focusing on those ethereal gods and ghosts, it’s better to focus on ‘human beings’ themselves. This is also a great ‘benevolence.'”

Qiao Ling listened intently, even stopping her chewing. When she saw Lu Mengqing stop eating and put down his chopsticks, she asked, “What does these two changes have to do with the real reason why Minister Han was dismissed?”

Lu Mengqing’s expression was a bit heavy, but more than that, it was admiration.

After swallowing the fish in his mouth, he told Qiao Ling, “Because Shaoyu, as the leading scholar of the current generation, intends to initiate a third change.”

Qiao Ling followed the train of thought of the first two changes, and she understood, “The first time was to use gods to determine the Emperor’s position in the world, the second time was to remove gods from the political system, and now Minister Han Xianggong wants to initiate a third change…”

“Minister Lu means that this upcoming change is the real reason why Minister Han was dismissed.”

“And the reason why you mentioned this is because you talked about the illegal acts of the Prince of Lu and the Duke of Cheng’en’s son, and how the nobles and royal relatives protect their crimes…”

Qiao Ling thought about this, and her eyes suddenly lit up, “Could it be that Minister Han wants to separate the Emperor from the political system?!”

Lu Mengqing was truly surprised!

“Madam Qiao!”

He was speechless, and he called out again, “Madam Qiao!”

Qiao Ling was still amazed by Minister Han’s extraordinary idea, “It’s a pity that I didn’t know such a person existed before, otherwise, I would have visited him long ago!”

Lu Mengqing looked at her intently, and then burst into laughter, “Wonderful, absolutely brilliant! I thought you didn’t understand these things before, but I just mentioned a few things, and you were able to unravel the threads and actually figure it out—it’s ridiculous that many scholars who know a lot about this, firstly, they dare not imagine this, and secondly, even if they hear it, they will sternly rebuke it, lest they be accountable by the emperor questioning in the future.”

Qiao Ling poured him a glass of wine with interest, “Please tell me more, Minister Lu?”

Lu Mengqing held the wineglass, but didn’t drink it immediately. He pondered for a moment before slowly saying, “Shaoyu, he wants to establish a regime based on laws and regulations, with people’s livelihood as its foundation. In the beginning, to stabilize people’s hearts, he won’t abolish the emperor, but he will sideline the Emperor, making him a symbol of the country. The real ones in charge of government affairs will be the Prime Ministers…”

“Will not. Depost.The. Emperor”

“Just.Sideline.The.Emperor.”

Qiao Ling was speechless, “I guess the Emperor won’t be touched by the fact that he wasn’t abolished…”

Lu Mengqing shrugged, “I think so too!”

Their eyes met, and they both laughed.

After laughing, Lu Mengqing became a bit gloomy, “The Emperor has probably been dissatisfied with this for a long time, but he has been holding back. This time, he took advantage of Liu Da’s incident to act out. Even though Shaoyu won’t be imprisoned, he will inevitably be exiled from the capital. I’m currently in prison, I don’t know when I can leave. That day in court might be our last farewell.”

He looked up again and laughed, “Never mind, let’s not talk about this, let’s drink!”

The wedding ceremony at the Duke of Yue’s Mansion was a complete disaster.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that it was unprecedented, at least it was unheard of.

Actually, it’s hard to imagine anyone else doing this in the future…

But to be honest, the Duke of Yue’s Mansion didn’t really lose face. When people outside talked about it, they would say that the Duchess of Yue was a person of character—at most, her actions were a bit excessive.

But for Li Wenhe and Xiao Jiang, the public opinion wouldn’t be so forgiving.

It was too crazy.

The kind of crazy that would make people think about it until the end of time, and still not understand why they did it.

Qiao Ling went to Jingzhao Prison with Tai Shu Hong, the people of the Duke of Yue’s Mansion were sweating profusely as they entertained the guests. In a place where no one noticed, Li Wenhe and Xiao Jiang, along with the Marquis and Marquis of Huaian, left the event.

The Marquis of Huaian was comforting Xiao Jiang, but Xiao Jiang couldn’t find any words to respond. She felt a splitting headache!

The two sides exchanged a few words and then parted ways.

To be honest, Li Wenhe really wanted to find a secluded place, dig a hole, and bury Xiao Jiang!

But out of a last bit of reason, he forcibly restrained himself, his face wooden, he called for a carriage, and went home, exhausted.

The gatekeeper of the Li family was surprised to see his master and mistress returning so early. It was already dark, and they hadn’t even noticed the melon seeds and sticky clothes on Xiao Jiang’s head.

They just greeted them, puzzled, “Master, why are you back so early?”

Li Wenhe slapped him, “Get lost!”

The gatekeeper was stunned, feeling wronged, but he didn’t dare to say anything. He quickly lowered his head and opened the door.

The steward came out to greet them, also puzzled, “The wedding banquet is over already?”

Li Wenhe slapped him again, “Get lost!”

The steward covered his face, dumbfounded.

The concubine who was always favored in the main house also came over. She had noticed the mess on Xiao Jiang’s head and face, and couldn’t help but feel a bit gloating, “Oh, sister, what happened? You…”

Li Wenhe gave her a slap, equal to all creatures, “Get lost!”

The concubine was stunned, she covered her face and said aggrievedly, “Master, why…”

Li Wenhe slapped her again, “Get lost! All of you, get lost!!!”

The steward, who was looking around the courtyard in grievance, quickly slipped away as if nothing had happened.

The concubine stayed where she was, her eyes rolling. She could see that Li Wenhe was in a bad state, and she didn’t dare to act cute. She timidly took a few steps back, and after going out the door, she walked quickly away.

Li Wenhe sat down in the hall, exhausted.

Xiao Jiang sat numbly on another chair next to him.

They finally cried together.

After a long time, Li Wenhe finally forced himself to go to the study—he was going to submit a petition to retire.

Rather than waiting for the Duke of Yue’s Mansion to join forces with the Duke of An Guo’s Mansion to dig up some of his dirty deeds and send him to the West, it was better to take the initiative, at least he could maintain some dignity in the end.

His actions weren’t slow, but compared to the concubine, he was still a step behind.

After being slapped, the concubine felt something was wrong—it was such a big day, the Duke of Yue’s wedding, and her family, as the official in-laws, came back so early, and they all looked like they were about to lose their souls. Wasn’t that strange?

She felt something was wrong, thought for a moment, and decisively started packing her things. She took her savings, the silver notes and gold bars, and left the mansion through the side gate that night.

She decided to investigate.

If nothing happened, she would come back.

If something really happened, she would run away with the money!

She wasn’t a slave, she could find food anywhere!

Gongsun Yan saw this from the rooftop and couldn’t help but laugh, “This sister is quite capable, she can do well anywhere.”

Someone next to him asked, “Sword, should we capture her?”

Gongsun Yan laughed, “She hasn’t done anything bad like murder or arson. Why would you capture her? Besides, we’re not the Jingzhao Prefecture.”

Someone next to him couldn’t help but mutter, “She’s not a peaceful person, she’s stirred up trouble several times. Otherwise, the Li couple wouldn’t be in this mess…”

Gongsun Yan scoffed, “Is Li Wenhe a blank piece of paper? Whatever the concubine paints on him, he becomes? Would he go and die if the concubine told him to?”

He actually admired the concubine a bit, “Since Heaven didn’t give her a good background, there’s no reason to forbid her from being a little cunning.”

He had someone stay here to watch the Li family, and he went down to talk to the concubine.

After a while, he came back with a strange expression.

Someone next to him asked, “What did she say?”

Gongsun Yan said, “I asked her, ‘Sister, do you need me to find you a job? A reliable one.'”

Someone next to him was very interested and asked, “What did she say?”

Gongsun Yan’s shoulders couldn’t help but shake, his laughter started to wobble, “She said, ‘Thank you, young master, but working from dawn till dusk is too tiring, I just want to get something for nothing!'”

Someone next to him: “Hahahahahahaha!”

Li Wenhe drafted a petition to retire, sat in silence for a long time, finally called the steward over, and instructed him to pack his things, preparing to return to his hometown.

The steward knew that he was in a bad state tonight, and he didn’t dare to say anything else. He agreed repeatedly and went to take care of it.

The petition to retire was approved very quickly, almost at the fastest speed.

Li Wenhe wasn’t surprised, he was just exhausted. He took his family and left for his hometown on the third day after the incident.

Oh, there was a small accident along the way—the concubine ran away and never came back.

Li Wenhe: “…”

Li Wenhe didn’t feel like saying anything.

The blow he had experienced was too great, what was a concubine running away, it was a mere cloud.

Gongsun Yan followed them westward, and he didn’t find it boring. He just felt that Xiao Jiang’s current state was a bit strange.

The change happened more than twenty days after they left the capital. At that time, there was a heavy downpour, and the Li family had to take shelter in an abandoned inn. Unexpectedly, a group of bandits had also arrived there to take shelter from the rain…

When Gongsun Yan rushed over, the bandits had already been killed by a Taoist priest. He couldn’t help but be surprised, by the Taoist priest—before entering, he hadn’t even noticed that there were other people in the inn besides the Li family!

The world was vast, there were so many talented and extraordinary people. Gongsun Yan was not very surprised to suddenly see that there were mountains beyond mountains.

The Li family, however, frowned and said nervously, “Master, we are eternally grateful for your help, but no matter how grateful we are, we can’t…”

They looked sideways, their faces showing fear.

Because the Taoist priest was not alone. Behind him, he was carrying a rosewood coffin!

A rainy night, a desolate mountain, an abandoned inn, corpses everywhere, and a Taoist priest carrying a coffin…

It was truly chilling.

Li Wenhe rebuked his family, “Shut up! Can’t you see that Master saved our lives?!”

He then bowed to the Taoist priest, expressing his gratitude endlessly.

The Taoist priest ignored him, found a place that wasn’t leaking, placed the rosewood coffin, and then said, “I like quiet.”

Li Wenhe was startled at first, then he understood, “Master, rest assured, we will definitely not disturb your meditation…”

The Taoist priest shook his head, “No, I mean, you have to leave.”

Li Wenhe: “…”

Outside, thunder roared, and heavy rain poured down.

Li Wenhe opened his mouth to speak, “Master…”

The Taoist priest put his hand on the hilt of his sword, his tone emotionless, “Don’t leave, and I’ll kill you.”

Li Wenhe didn’t even stutter, he decisively said, “We’ll leave, we’ll leave!”

But the Taoist priest spoke again at this moment.

He pointed at Xiao Jiang, “Leave her behind.”

Li Wenhe was shocked, he opened his mouth to speak, but the Taoist priest had already said to Gongsun Yan, “You came for her, didn’t you?”

Gongsun Yan was briefly stunned, then stepped forward and bowed deeply, “Please teach me, Master!”

Gongsun Yan took Xiao Jiang and left the abandoned inn.

Only the Taoist priest and the rosewood coffin he was carrying remained in the inn.

Outside, the rain poured down heavily, and the wind howled.

The Taoist priest’s voice softened.

He put his hand on the coffin and whispered, “We’ve arrived at Hezhou, Qiying.”

Somewhere in Hezhou.

The sound of bells rang out, countless gears began to turn in an orderly manner, a document was passed through a secret passage, going through twists and turns, and finally, it was sent to its destination.

Capital of God,West Market.

The accountant put on the crystal glasses hanging around his neck, and opened the document handed to him by the clerk, as if he were reading a casual book.

“Puppetry that can control souls…”

He couldn’t help but sigh, “The legacy left to them from ancient times is truly too abundant.”

Shendu, Jingzhao Prison.

Qiao Ling was a talkative person, and Lu Mengqing was the same. Qiao Ling loved to eat, and Lu Mengqing did too.

They had already talked about enough worrisome things. After talking about Minister Han, they tacitly decided not to mention it again. They drank and changed the topic to something else.

The young man named Xiao Xi, who delivered wine and food to Lu Mengqing, stood outside the cell, looking helpless.

Seeing that his madam was unusually cheerful since she was imprisoned, he just sighed silently, then delivered the Zuixingbai he had prepared for her.

After they finished drinking, the young man delivered the fine wine sent from the Duke of Yue’s Mansion.

Inside the cell, the two were tipsy and chatting enthusiastically.

Lu Mengqing said, “This Zuixingbai is actually a good wine, but it’s not as good as the Jiuzhou Chunse I had in the south…”

Qiao Ling said, “I’ve had some really good monkey wine back home!”

Lu Mengqing was envious, “Monkey wine? It’s a rare treasure!”

Qiao Ling said enthusiastically, “I know how to brew it. I’ll brew some for you when I get out of prison!”

Lu Mengqing said, “Good wine needs good spring water. There’s no good spring water near the capital.”

Qiao Ling said, “My master brought me a jar of Huishan Spring Water!”

Lu Mengqing’s heart was moved, “That’s the famous water of the world!”

He then took advantage of his slight intoxication and recommended himself, “I make a mean pancake. I’ll make some for you when I get out of prison!”

Qiao Ling was doubtful, she asked with a slur, “What’s so good about a pancake?”

“That’s where you’re wrong!”

Lu Mengqing immediately said, “I learned this method from someone else. You sift the flour finely, add a bit of lard, a bit of white sugar, roast the mountain walnuts until fragrant, grind them into powder and add it in, and finally…”

Qiao Ling said, “Fry it in a pan?”

“Haha, I told you you didn’t understand!”

Lu Mengqing said smugly, “You need a flat pan, clean the pebbles and lay them out, brush them with oil, and bake the pancake on top! In the end, the surface of the pancake will be uneven, crispy on the outside, and soft and fragrant on the inside—add Shaoyu’s chicken stew, it’s unmatched in the world!”

Qiao Ling listened to him, imagining it in her mind, her mouth watering, “It must be delicious!”

Lu Mengqing agreed emphatically, “It’s really delicious!!!”

Qiao Ling was distressed, “Too bad I can’t eat it!”

Lu Mengqing, drunk, stood up and said, “I’ll go make some for you right now—Xiao Xi, go start the fire!”

Xiao Xi: “…”

Don’t drink if you’re in jail, and don’t go to jail if you drink!

He was truly helpless, “Madam, it’s too late, it’s not convenient.”

Lu Mengqing angrily said, “My friend wants to eat, it’s never too late—go start the fire!”

Xiao Xi: “…”

Qiao Ling was touched, she stood up suddenly, “Brother, I’ll call you brother from now on!”

Lu Mengqing’s voice got louder, “Xiao Xi, go start the fire!”

Xiao Xi: “…”

Xiao Xi looked at these two drunkards and sighed sincerely, he had to break it to them, “Madam, stop it, we’re in jail.”

Lu Mengqing was heartbroken, “Ah?!”

Qiao Ling was heartbroken, “Ah?!”

The two of them sat back down, dejected and sad.

Xiao Xi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

After a while, Xiao Xi suddenly heard Madam Qiao, tipsy and slurring, say, “Brother, you’re really no good. I don’t want to call you brother anymore, you can call me big sister, and I’ll call you second brother.”

Xiao Xi listened from the side, and a cross-shaped flower bloomed on his forehead.

Lu Mengqing was a beat behind, confused, “Ah?!”

Qiao Ling said, “When I came in, I remembered how many levels I went down, how many turns I took, how many steps I walked, but I don’t know their patrol schedule, I also don’t know the Shendu guard’s patrol schedule…”

Lu Mengqing, tipsy and slurring, said, “I know. We don’t have any serious crimes, so they’re not very strict here. There’s a two-hour gap at night. I also know the Shendu guard’s patrol schedule…”

Qiao Ling, tipsy and slurring, said, “I also don’t know how to get to Minister Han’s house…”

Lu Mengqing, tipsy and slurring, said, “I’ve never been to Jingzhao Prison before, I don’t know how to get to Shaoyu’s house from here, but Xiao Xi must know!”

Xiao Xi: “…”

Help me, oh my god!!!!

Don’t start making escape plans out of nowhere!!!!

And don’t drag innocent people into your escape plans, oh my god!!!!

In the middle of the night.

Han Shaoyu cranked the well, pulled up a bucket of cold water, and with a dark face, wanted to throw it on the two drunkards.

Xiao Xi quickly stopped him, “Madam Han!”

He said, “Go back quietly, maybe you can cover it up. If your clothes get wet, people will see it when you go back, and it will be difficult to explain…”

Madam Han also persuaded, “Oh, they’re just being sincere!”

Han Shaoyu, with a dark face, took two bowls from the room, filled them with cold water, and poured them over their heads.

Qiao Ling shivered, sniffed, and looked around suspiciously.

Lu Mengqing mumbled, “Shaoyu…” Then he suddenly woke up!

Qiao Ling was shocked, “This is Minister Han?!”

Lu Mengqing subconsciously replied, “Yes, this is Shaoyu…”

Qiao Ling exclaimed, “Oh my!” She looked at the somewhat simple courtyard around her, and in addition to her surprise, she was filled with admiration, “Minister Han looks so refined, I didn’t expect him to dare to break into the prison!”

Xiao Xi: “…”

Madam Han: “…”

Han Shaoyu: “…Hey!”

Han Shaoyu was furious, his anger flared, “Don’t talk nonsense!!!”