Jinyi Spring

Chapter 87 Rescue from Imperial Prison
The burly man said coldly, "Be honest, don't tell anyone about this. If anyone asks, just say your daughter was taken to see a doctor."

Just as Shaoyao was about to retort, Feng Chuchen solemnly said to her, "Be good."

An ordinary horse-drawn carriage was parked at the entrance of the alley, and the driver's face was half-covered by a straw hat.

Feng Chuchen got into the carriage, and the carriage started to trot.

On the carriage seat was a set of light green silk robes, a brown belt, two pairs of black shoes, and a brown cloth hat—the kind of attire worn by servants of wealthy families.

There is also a white cloth strip that is half a foot wide and two feet long.

She was allowed to put on the clothes and hat, but this long strip of cloth...

Feng Chuchen picked up the cloth strip and thought for a while before she understood.

She twitched her lips, wondering who had ordered this thing to be prepared.

Feng Chuchen first removed her earrings, then took off her outer jacket and undershirt, and tied her chest tightly with a cloth belt. She then put on the undershirt, put on her servant's clothes over them, and put on her hat.

Fortunately, she was thin, and her clothes were loose, so her slightly protruding breasts were not visible.

There were two pairs of shoes, one large and one small; the larger one was barely wearable.

With a mask on, she felt like a teenager even without looking in the mirror.

She knew even more clearly that what happened today was extraordinary, and that her life was in danger.

The carriage stopped at a secluded courtyard.

The courtyard was extremely quiet, with only the sound of horses' hooves pounding in place and a few birds chirping.

Feng Chuchen got off the carriage and followed the driver's gestures to get into another luxurious carriage.

This is Shangguan Ruyu's personal carriage, with an ornately carved canopy, spacious and comfortable, with the seats facing forward and the doors opening to the side.

His other servant, Songyan, personally drove the carriage.

Sitting in the carriage was Shangguan Ruyu, dressed in the robes of an imperial physician, with a medicine box beside him.

He stared at Feng Chuchen's face, scrutinizing her closely, his eyes filled with amazement. His gaze lingered briefly on her chest before he nodded in satisfaction.

He said, "Not bad, he looks like a young man, but he's too handsome. Today you're my servant, so be discerning."

Feng Chuchen pointed to her earlobe, "I have pierced ears."

She hoped this vulnerability would stop her from doing what she was doing.

Shangguan Ruyu said, "The light is dim, and it's hard to see clearly from a distance."

He smirked again and said, "I have a good reputation. It's perfectly normal for me to find a handsome young servant and have him pierce my ears. As long as you don't speak, no one will think you're a woman."

Feng Chuchen had nothing to say.

Shangguan Ruyu's expression became even more serious as she explained the purpose of her trip.

“We’re going to the imperial prison to rescue Wen Qian; he’s dying. Don’t you know CPR? See if you can revive him, or at least give him a little more time.”

He then described Wen Qian's current situation. Upon entering the imperial prison, he was immediately tortured. The torturers deliberately wanted him dead; although there were few external injuries, he was already unconscious.

Yesterday, when Shangguan Ruyu went to treat his injuries, Wen Qian briefly regained consciousness and, when no one else was around, whispered to him, "For the sake of our past relationship, do me a favor. I'm not going to live, and I want to see Ming Shanyue alone."

Ming Shanyue was sent to the capital, and Deputy Commander Xue personally came to the imperial prison to interrogate him, with the aim of preventing Wen Qian from saying anything he shouldn't have.

Shangguan Ruyu said, "Ming Shanyue is away on official business and we don't know when he will return. May I convey his message?"

Wen Qian looked at him, opened his mouth but said nothing, and closed his eyes.

Coincidentally, Ming Shanyue returned to the capital this morning and went directly to the imperial prison, where Wen Qian was already unconscious.

Deputy Commander Xue believed Wen Qian would never wake up again, and unwilling to take responsibility for deliberately killing Wen Qian, so he didn't go to the imperial prison today. Although he didn't go, he must have planted spies there.

Therefore, we need to be especially careful.

After hearing Wen Qian's symptoms, Feng Chuchen was certain that he had been beaten and was suffering from abdominal or intracranial hemorrhage. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was ineffective and was only making the condition worse.

He said, "CPR is useless for this kind of injury. I can only try acupuncture." He then wondered, "Some imperial physicians who are good at acupuncture can do it to keep him conscious for a moment. Why did you have to call me and make it so mysterious?"

Shangguan Ruyu said, "He wants to see Ming Shanyue in secret. He doesn't even want to tell me. It must be a secret he doesn't want anyone to know. How could he dare to call the imperial physician? Besides, with such a serious injury, even if the imperial physician went, it might not be effective."

This means that Feng Chuchen's medical skills were even better than those of the imperial physicians.

He further instructed, "Remember, you must keep a distance of more than half a zhang from Ming Shanyue."

Feng Chuchen nodded.

It turns out that Ming Shanyue also discovered this secret.

Shangguan Ruyu fanned her peach blossom eyes, "Strange, why is Ming Shanyue keeping a distance of more than half a zhang from you?"

Feng Chuchen looked dumbfounded. "If you don't know, how would I know?"

"Then why did you agree?"

"How could I dare to disagree with what he said?"

Shangguan Ruyu was speechless.

He asked Ming Shanyue, and Ming Shanyue's explanation was, "I don't like that girl and don't want her to get close."

Shangguan Ruyu knew this was nonsense, but couldn't think of any other reason.

Arriving at the imperial prison a little over three-quarters of an hour later, the guard opened the carriage door, glanced inside, bowed, and said with a smile, "Lord Shangguan, please."

He was thinking to himself, "I wonder which prisoner is going to be in trouble next."

The servant boy they brought this time was even wearing a veil, looking rather effeminate. Even if you only saw his eyes, you could tell he was extremely handsome.

Lord Shangguan is truly blessed with good fortune in love.

The carriage stopped in front of a row of houses.

Feng Chuchen jumped off the carriage carrying his medicine box. Seeing that Shangguan Ruyu hadn't followed, he remembered that he was Shangguan Ruyu's servant. He quickly grabbed a footstool from the front of the carriage and placed it there. Shangguan Ruyu then got off.

He even glared at her, implying that she wasn't doing a good job as a servant.

Feng Chuchen looked around. The setting sun was sinking in the west, and the twilight, like diluted blood, enveloped the rows of houses, making it particularly eerie.

Even before anyone entered the house, screams could be heard coming from inside.

Feng Chuchen was so frightened that she almost dropped her medicine box.

Shangguan Ruyu whispered, "Calm down, they're torturing people inside."

Seeing that Feng Chuchen hadn't moved, he hissed, "Go." Then he raised his voice and said, "You ungrateful wretch! Duan Yan said you were brave, but you're scared now? How are you going to follow me in the future?"

The jailer at the gate chuckled softly.

This guy's acting is really good.

Feng Chuchen had no choice but to follow him through that heavy iron gate.

A strong, pungent odor, a mixture of rust, blood, sweat, and some indescribable putrid smell, filled Feng Chuchen's nostrils and throat, suffocating her.

The space before me opened up, but it was far from bright, like a huge, bottomless stone cave. There were no windows; the only light came from a few torches stuck in the walls.

The air was stagnant, carrying a distinctive chill and dampness, along with a nauseating warmth.

In the heart of this hell, a human figure is firmly bound to a thick, eerily glowing iron stake. The person is covered in blood, shirtless, and his tattered trousers are beyond recognition. His head droops limply, and his disheveled hair obscures his face, with only thick drops of blood trickling down from the ends.

One jailer was administering torture, instructing another jailer beside him. "Watch closely, kid, it has to be like this... the force should penetrate deep enough to hurt the tendons and bones, but it won't damage the root cause..."

The voice carried an almost cruel excitement.

The prisoner let out another agonizing scream, sharp enough to pierce eardrums, yet heavy enough to crush one's heart.

Ming Shanyue was also there.

He glanced back quickly at Feng Chuchen, as if he hadn't seen her at all. His gaze lingered briefly on Shangguan Ruyu before he turned away indifferently.

He stood upright like a pine tree, wearing a blue official robe embroidered with flying eagles, a black winged crown, and black boots.

The flickering torchlight cast shadows on his sharply defined profile; his straight nose and the way he stood with his hands behind his back gave him an air of aloofness and detachment reminiscent of a fantasy hero from a comic book.

However, he was not a transcendent immortal being; his eyes were filled with an extremely sinister chill, and his lips were deeply downturned, making his nasolabial folds exceptionally prominent and adding to his brutal and violent aura.

If he was dissatisfied with the jailer, he would personally step forward to administer the torture and ask all sorts of questions he wanted to know.

Feng Chuchen lowered her eyelids and heard the painful wails. She felt that Ming Shanyue and the jailer were two man-eating demons, perverts.

She huddled against the wall, her medicine box lying on the ground, her legs trembling and even her teeth chattering.

She had always considered herself a strong and bold person, and knew how cruel torture was, but seeing it in person still sent chills down her spine and terrified her.

Previously, Feng Chuchen was afraid of Ming Shanyue simply because she feared his revenge, not because she was afraid of him as a person. But now, she was terrified of him, thinking he was a demon, a pervert, a ruthless and inhumanly cruel man.

Even if the prisoner is utterly wicked, he shouldn't be treated like this, and she shouldn't be allowed to witness the execution.

Feng Chuchen felt that she had suffered great psychological trauma, and that in her previous life she would have needed a long period of psychological counseling to recover.

Shangguan Ruyu watched with great interest, even going over to check the prisoners' injuries. Her eyes were very close to the wounds, and her gentle, flower-like smile clashed sharply with the cruel and bloody scene.

He wasn't wearing a mask, only occasionally covering his mouth and nose with a white handkerchief.

He once said that the smell of blood was much better than any other smell.

This person is a pervert.

Feng Chuchen couldn't take it anymore, so she ran out of the room, took off her mask, and started vomiting.

A jailer at the gate walked over and chuckled, "Such a handsome young man shouldn't be looking at these things..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was kicked in the buttocks; it was Shangguan Ruyu.

He cursed, "You son of a bitch, how dare you spout such nonsense about my people? Get lost!"

The jailer was so frightened that he took a few steps back and begged for mercy, "Lord Shangguan, spare my life! I dare not do it again."

Her eyes were still fixed on Feng Chuchen.

Shangguan Ruyu kicked him twice more, "Where are you looking? How dare you look at my man? Believe me or not, I'll gouge your eyes out and feed them to the dogs."

The jailer was so frightened that he quickly turned his head to the other side.

After spitting out, Feng Chuchen wiped her mouth and straightened up, already wearing a mask.

Shangguan Ruyu said, "Let's go, we'll come a couple more times. When Duan Yan and Song Yan first watched the torture, they were even less skilled than you."

The two went inside, and Ming Shanyue turned back to look at Feng Chuchen again.

Luckily, we were far enough away that I didn't vomit on him.

Before long, the man's wailing stopped abruptly, and his head drooped down.

Ming Shanyue waved to the jailer and said coldly, "That's enough for today. Drag him back."

He then said to Shangguan Ruyu, "I still have questions to ask. We can't let him die."

Shangguan Ruyu nodded and followed the two jailers carrying the prisoners inside.

Feng Chuchen picked up the medicine box that had fallen to the ground, and followed closely behind with trembling legs, one hand still holding onto the damp and uneven wall.

She heard footsteps behind her; it was Ming Shanyue's, about ten feet away.

The prisoner was thrown into a cell. Shangguan Ruyu and Feng Chuchen went in, while Ming Shanyue and two jailers stood at the cell door.

The cell was dark and damp, with only a few beams of twilight filtering in through holes in the wall, except for the light from the torches in the corridor.

Shangguan Ruyu squatted down and said to Feng Chuchen, "Get disinfectant, white medicine powder, soft cloth, silver needles..."

Feng Chuchen's legs were weak, and she had to use all her strength to squat down so that she wouldn't sit on the ground.

She opened the medicine box and, trembling, hesitantly took out the things Shangguan Ruyu needed.

The prisoner was treated personally by Shangguan Ruyu; Feng Chuchen did not intervene.

Although Shangguan Ruyu used rather heavy-handed methods, she still basically met the standards of a surgeon.

At the door, Ming Shanyue lectured the jailer, "To torture a prisoner, you must make him wish he were dead, make him vomit what he needs to say, not just shut him up. If Wen Qian dies, see how I deal with you."

The voice was as cold as ice, eerie and terrifying.

The jailer bowed repeatedly, "I understand, I'll be more careful with my strength next time..."

About fifteen minutes later, Shangguan Ruyu stood up and said to Ming Shanyue, "It's all taken care of. It's just superficial wounds. He won't die."

Ming Shanyue nodded, then pointed to the opposite cell and said, "Go check on Wen Qian again. He still has a lot to say. We can't let him die."

Shangguan Ruyu shook her head and said, "He's doomed. Even a celestial being couldn't save him."

"Let's go take another look."

As Ming Shanyue spoke, she gave the jailer a cold look.

The jailer shuddered and bowed, pleading with Shangguan Ruyu.

"Lord Shangguan, please save Wen Qian. I drank too much wine yesterday, and my skills are lacking, so I made a mistake."

Feng Chuchen realized that the jailer was one of Deputy Commander Xue's men. He wanted Wen Qian dead, and Ming Shanyue and Shangguan Ruyu were putting on an act for him.

Shangguan Ruyu reluctantly went to the opposite cell, followed closely by Feng Chuchen, who was carrying a medicine box.

Wen Qian lay on the haystack, his clothes intact, with few external injuries and no smell of blood, but his head was swollen like a pig's head, his face was red, and he had a high fever.

Although Feng Chuchen had visited the Wen residence many times, this was the first time she had seen Wen Qian, and she could no longer recognize his original appearance.

She knew it was time for her to step in.

She took deep breaths to calm herself, knowing that her next judgment and action could not be wrong and had to be done in the shortest possible time.

Shangguan Ruyu was busy with Wen Qian, but Wen Qian didn't react at all.

He turned around with an air of seriousness and said, "Lord Ming, he can't be saved."

Ming Shanyue's icy voice asked, "Is he completely dead?"

"Not quite dead yet."

Ming Shanyue's voice was impatient, "If they're not completely dead, keep trying to save them."

Shangguan Ruyu was quite helpless. "This is really difficult. I'm going to tell my uncle and aunt that you're bullying me..."

Ming Shanyue ignored him and stepped into the cell. She stopped half a zhang away from Feng Chuchen, blocking the jailer's view.

The jailer wanted to come in, but another jailer pulled him back and whispered to him how to administer the torture, as if he wanted to pass on all his experience to him.

Shangguan Ruyu nudged Feng Chuchen with her arm, meaning it was her turn.