บท 4: Chapter 4: Prison
Days passed by, day after day.
Soon it was two months.
Chen Mu still followed the routine, normally patrolling and then returning home to practice his blade technique.
The identity of a constable was still quite important to him; on the one hand, it was his only source of income, and on the other, that very status protected him from the local thugs and even gang members causing trouble. It was simply not feasible to quit his job to practice blade technique.
One day.
Chen Mu finished his patrol and returned home.
But unexpectedly, he found that besides Chen Yue, there was another person at home.
"Aunt Third? Why have you come?"
Chen Mu stepped forward in surprise and asked the middle-aged woman with a worried face.
His father was the eldest child, having a younger brother and a sister, that is, his uncle and Aunt Third. His uncle was typically lazy and had even been chastised by his father. He scarcely came by, not even when his father passed away.
Aunt Third was closer; she used to often visit and, after his father's death, would sometimes bring rice, flour, and soybeans, so Chen Mu always respected Aunt Third, Chen Hong.
Usually, when he was not at home, only Chen Hong would come over, and Chen Yue would let her in.
"Little Mu... I have no other choice; I must ask for your help..."
Chen Hong, her face sallow and wrapped in a headscarf, grabbed Chen Mu and couldn't help but start crying.
Chen Mu asked carefully and learned that it was about Chen Hong's son, his cousin 'Zhang Hai', who had gotten into trouble. Like his uncle, Zhang Hai was lazy and spent his days idly loitering on the streets. This time, he had seen a beautiful woman in an alleyway and couldn't help teasing her, which provoked her anger. First, he was beaten up, and then the City Defense Division was alerted, who arrested him without a word and threw him directly into prison.
"Aunt Third, I have said before that the world is chaotic nowadays. With cousin's temperament, he should be more restrained. How dare he still engage in such rash actions? I'm afraid I can't do much to help with this matter."
After listening to Chen Hong's rambling, Chen Mu couldn't help but frown.
From the sounds of it, Zhang Hai had annoyed someone significant, effortlessly involving the City Defense Division and getting thrown straight into jail. This connection must at least be at the level of the Head Constable or above. As a mere constable, cautious and generally avoiding petty acts, thinking of rescuing someone from the prison was utterly delusional without significant influence.
Chen Hong sobbed and said, "I know, I know. The person that Xiao Hai offended is said to be the South Family young master's concubine from the fourth house. I have already pleaded with some people, but none are willing to speak on our behalf... I came here to ask if you could perhaps speak to the prison, just to get us through this rough patch until everyone forgets about the incident and another solution can be found."
While talking.
Chen Hong trembled as she pulled out two silver ingots from her bosom, roughly about twenty taels in total.
Chen Mu knew that his aunt's family was relatively well-off, her husband being a butcher, but twenty taels of silver was certainly not a small sum, suggesting she had dug deep into her savings.
Seeing the tearful look in Chen Hong's eyes and recalling the grains and flour she had brought in the past, Chen Mu sighed inwardly and finally accepted the silver, saying, "I can only try to ask, but I cannot guarantee any success."
This silver was not for him, or rather, he did not have the influence to make the prison officials show leniency to Zhang Hai. The scarce twenty taels of silver could only be forwarded by him to the prison head, to see if he was willing.
The prison head and the guards were also under the aegis of the City Defense Division, belonging to one of the three units.
However, he seldom interacted with them.
In this troubled era, those who were thrown into prison hardly ever came out alive. They needn't be explicitly tortured; simply withholding food and water would suffice to end lives within days. Without any incentives, the guards seldom bothered to provide food or water.
Chen Hong's hope for Zhang Hai to endure a few months in prison until the matter blew over seemed slim, but he couldn't offer any advice since Chen Hong had only this one son.
"Thank you, thank you so much..."
Chen Hong trembled in response, already unable to speak properly, slumping there and weeping.
Chen Mu sighed softly in his heart.
If he were already the Head Constable, this situation would be much easier to handle; he could at least ask a prison head about the specifics. But currently, with his blade technique only just reaching minor achievement, becoming a Head Constable was far beyond his reach.
It must be that Zhang Hai has this tribulation to face. Usually idle and unable to control his tongue, it was fortunate that he had only spoken inappropriately and had not physically attacked anyone. Otherwise, he would likely already be dead.
"Yue'er, keep Aunt Third company. I have to step out for a bit."
Chen Mu said to Chen Yue at his side, then took the opportunity while it was still early and left the house again.
...
The South City District prison was located behind the City Guard General headquarters.
Chen Mu seldom visited this place, and even though he was a constable of the City Defense Division, he belonged to the Ninth District City Defense Division and not the City Guard General. Moreover, the City Guard General and the Ninth District City Defense Division were quite far apart.
Compared to the Ninth District City Defense Division, where constables sometimes idly played dice and bet large coins, the City Guard General was much more stern, and such sights were unseen there.
"It is said that the Chief Constable of the South City District is a woman, said to be strikingly beautiful, though I have never seen her."
As Chen Mu entered the City Guard General headquarters, he glanced at the towering central tower. It had been two years since he came to this world, and even the number of times he had seen the Prefecture Chief of the Ninth District City Defense Division could be counted on one hand, let alone the Chief Constable above him.
In the spacious City Guard General headquarters, constables occasionally passed by, but all of them walked with their heads down and a solemn demeanor, not whispering or looking around.
Chen Mu also lowered his head slightly and discreetly bypassed the front half of the General headquarters, making his way to the prison located at the back.
Upon reaching the prison, however, the atmosphere changed.
In a room next to the prison, a few guards were gathered, playing dice.
Compared to the solemn City Guard General office, the prison was much more relaxed, and it was rare for anyone to visit on any ordinary day.
"Brother, is there something you need?"
A prison guard, upon noticing Chen Mu in his officer attire, raised his head and asked.
Chen Mu, pretending not to notice several others gambling, said, "I'm looking for the head guard."
"Oh, Head Wei is inside,"
the prison guard said, pointing in a particular direction.
Chen Mu thanked him, the man simply waved his hand nonchalantly and continued his dice game with his colleagues.
Walking along the corridor and passing a few steps, Chen Mu entered a rather clean and tidy room, but the room was filled with rows of shelves loaded with various torture instruments, which was somewhat intimidating.
Head Guard Wei Nan was sitting in a chair, eyes closed in meditation. Hearing someone enter, he opened his eyes slightly.
"Officer Wei."
Chen Mu greeted the head guard with a bow.
The head guard's position was essentially equivalent to that of a Head Constable, also ranking as his superior.
"Hmm."
Upon seeing Chen Mu in his officer's garb, Wei Nan casually acknowledged him.
Chen Mu stepped forward, briefly explained Zhang Hai's situation, then handed over the twenty taels of silver that Chen Hong had given him.
"Oh."
Wei Nan took the silver, weighed it in his hands for a moment, and after thinking, he slipped it into his sleeve, saying, "There has been a word from above regarding this Zhang Hai, to give him a hard time. However, seeing as his family are so sensible, I'll ensure his meals are kept aside. But I can't guarantee what might happen to him after a month or two."
In those chaotic times, most notorious criminals caught outside were usually executed on the spot. Very few made it to prison, where mostly those from wealthier families who constantly sent bribes were kept.
As a head guard, unlike the officers who worked outside, he mostly relied on such dealings to earn silver.
"Your word is enough,"
Chen Mu said with a smile.
Had he not come today, Zhang Hai's situation would likely have been more than just suffering; with random application of torture and starvation for several days, he might have lost half his life, or even faced death.
Although these twenty taels of silver could not free the man, they ensured he wouldn't lack food or water for at least a month. But even after this storm passed, freeing him would still be a challenge for the Chen Hong family and wouldn't be easy.
"The man is inside, let Liu Si take you to have a look."
After taking the silver, Wei Nan gestured dismissively, seemingly unwilling to converse further with Chen Mu.
Chen Mu bowed and excused himself. After exiting, he quickly found Liu Si, who without a word, led him deeper into the prison. As they descended several more steps, the environment turned significantly darker and damper, a fetid, moldy stench pervading the air and causing great discomfort.
"Here."
Liu Si pointed to the fourth cell.
The first three cells each held a man, ghostly and emaciated, who didn't speak or move upon seeing Liu Si and Chen Mu. Were it not for their oil-green eyes moving, they might have been mistaken for dead.
In the fourth cell, a figure lay in a pile of tattered straw, rather portly, with numerous bloodstains on his body.
"Cousin?"
Chen Mu approached and called out softly.
The figure, previously motionless in the straw, finally stirred weakly, looking confusedly at Chen Mu for a while before recognizing him, and weakly said, "Is...is that you, Chen Mu? Quick, get me out of here..."
"Aunt asked me to relay a few messages to you."
Chen Mu, not reacting immediately, relayed the messages from Chen Hong first, then explained the current situation, "...For now, you'll just have to endure here for a bit."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Hai immediately showed a look of despair, "You, you can't just leave me to die...my family has sent you quite a bit of rice and flour, I never stopped them, and my mother was even considering match-making for you recently, you can't do this..."
Chen Mu remained silent.
He actually wasn't very fond of Zhang Hai. Even the original 'Chen Mu' didn't get along well with him, as it seemed Zhang Hai never thought highly of 'cousin Chen Mu,' and even after becoming an officer, he regarded him as doomed to a poor officer's life just like his father.
But thinking of Aunt Chen Hong, Chen Mu stayed silent for a while before saying, "You've offended someone powerful, I can't do much, and neither can your aunt and uncle. You just have to get through this moment, and maybe you can hope for a turnaround."
With that,
Chen Mu turned and walked away.
Zhang Hai was left lying there, listlessly muttering, 'What use was sending them all that rice and flour, what use is it being a poor officer these days...'
Chen Mu's father had been an officer all his life and died poor, unable to even afford his own funeral expenses, which had to be managed by his mother, Chen Hong. Her side of the family, all impoverished and broken, had long advised her against maintaining contact.
If only they had saved more money to bribe the right people, perhaps they could have rescued him.
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