Jinting Han people

Chapter 126 Seeking Help from Zu Ti (4k)

Perhaps in the eyes of others, leaving Anle Mansion and accompanying Sima Wei on his final journey was a wrong decision in Liu Xian's life, and he would pay a heavy price for it.

But for Liu Xian, this was an inevitable choice. The moment Sima Wei appeared in front of his mansion, he could no longer avoid him.

Because whether from the perspective of a friend or a monarch, this is his unavoidable responsibility.

In the past, he approached Sima Wei. To put it nicely, it was to serve the country. To put it bluntly, it was because he was attracted by Sima Wei's power. Especially after he offended Jia Mi, he hoped that the King of Chu could help him. Both Sima Wei and Liu Xian knew this very well.

However, Sima Wei did not despise Liu Xian or reject him. On the contrary, he was happy to help Liu Xian without any reward, and trusted Liu Xian, arranging him to be with the prince far away from him.

To be fair, even if they were living in a different place, Liu Xian himself could not guarantee whether he had such magnanimity.

But Sima Wei was indeed such a person. Perhaps one could say he was confused, that he didn't understand human nature, and that he didn't understand politics. But as a friend and as a lord, he was indeed impeccable.

If Liu Xian abandoned such a person simply because he had fallen on hard times and lost his power, avoiding him like the plague, this would undoubtedly violate the principles of loyalty and filial piety, and be contrary to basic human nature. Putting aside how others would view him, he himself probably couldn't say that he had upheld his integrity.

So even though Liu Xian knew that this trip would affect him, he still went ahead without hesitation. He even felt a little comforted in his heart. After all, Sima Wei coming to him was undoubtedly a recognition of Liu Xian's personality and character.

Of course, the world doesn't appreciate this kind of thing. Back when his mother, Zhang Ximiao, was still alive, Anle Gong Liu Xun would get drunk and go crazy, cursing into the void: "In this world, people are just lazy and greedy! People are just treacherous! People are just hypocritical! There are thousands of bad things people can do, but no matter what, never do good! Otherwise, you will be ridiculed and laughed at. Look, you are just a short-lived fool!"

Liu Xian certainly didn't want to be a fool who died in vain. He wanted to live and prove to his father that he could be a much better person than his father, living a wonderful and long life.

But this is not something that can be done by one person. As my mother said before she died, a hero is a hero not only because he is outstanding himself, but also because he meets people who can help him become a hero.

Duke Anle didn't believe there were such people in this world, but Liu Xian didn't think so. Looking back on his short nineteen years, he felt that he had met many people he admired and trusted. Among them were his mother, his teachers, his lover, his friends...

Although his time in Luoyang had its ups and downs, Liu Xian could generally say that he had received love from many people, and he had followed his teacher's instructions and reciprocated with the same affection. Liu Xian thought, he should be able to trust them.

Jia Mi was right: success or failure always depends on the size of one's power. But power is not something that is innate; the foundation of power is people's hearts and trust.

Therefore, Mencius said, he who wins the hearts of the people will win the world.

Next, Liu Xian could only hope that his friends would come to rescue him.

Before leaving Anle Mansion, Liu Xian's instructions to his wife were simple, consisting of only a few words. He said, "After the turmoil subsides, immediately go to the western suburbs to find Zu Shizhi and let him make the decision! No matter what he says or does, treat him as if he were me and do everything he says!"

Over the years, Liu Xian has made many friends and has many elders with whom he has a good relationship, but if he has to choose one of them to rescue him from prison, Liu Xian will only choose Zu Ti.

It wasn't for anything else, but simply because Zu Ti was the person Liu Xian most resembled himself among all the people he had met in Luoyang. It wasn't just because Zu Ti was courageous and capable. It was also because he felt out of place in this world, and he was also angry at this world with its distorted yin and yang.

But this was just Liu Xian's idea. On the very night he was imprisoned, the Anle Mansion also received the news. The entire family was terrified and gathered together to discuss countermeasures. At this time, Shang Rou brought up Liu Xian's plan, and the family members in the mansion were all amazed.

This is not difficult to understand. They had heard of Zu Ti's name, but they had only heard of it. Compared with Liu Xian's other good friends such as Wang Dun, Zhou Xi, Meng Guan, etc., Zu Ti was just an unknown person who served as the chief clerk in the Sili Xiaowei Department and was not worth mentioning at all.

Upon learning of this, Anle Duke Liu Xun immediately denied it, saying, "Bi Ji is truly foolish. Why doesn't he go directly to the Crown Prince? Besides the Crown Prince, who else can protect him now?"

Liu Yao said, "It might not be enough to just ask the Crown Prince. For now, we should go directly to Jia Mo and the others and see if we can get a word in with the Queen."

Fei Xiu also suggested, "Let's find Shi Chao! Didn't he have a good relationship with Bi Ji in the past? Ask him for help and ask Duke Lu to intercede for him. Maybe he can be saved."

For a moment, there were many different opinions and nothing could be decided. Cao Shangrou was upset and confused. She simply left the hall, called Zhang Gu over, and asked, "A Tian, do you know where Zujun lives?"

Zhang Gu had accompanied Liu Xian on several visits to Zu Ti, and he knew the location of both the courtyard in the western suburbs and the dormitory in the Sili Mansion. He immediately replied to the mistress, "Young Madam, I know it clearly."

Shang Rou immediately took out the Zhaowu Sword from her room and instructed Zhang Gu, "Use this sword as a token of trust. Invite Zujun here immediately. Tell him it's urgent and ask him to bear with me."

Such a statement was extremely important, but there was no consensus in the palace, which made Zhang Gu hesitate. He asked, "But my lord and the others..."

Shang Rou said, "With too many people, nothing can be accomplished. How long will it take for the argument to reach a conclusion? This is my husband's arrangement. You must go immediately!"

Zhang Gu did not dare to delay and immediately took his horse and set off in the dark.

Because the imperial guards were paralyzed after the recent chaos, and the court was busy apprehending the King of Chu's followers, it had no time to manage other matters. Therefore, there was no martial law in Luoyang at night. Zhang Gu had no trouble getting to the Sili Xiaowei Mansion.

When he arrived, the Sili Xiaowei Mansion was packed. Since the Sili Mansion handled most of the capital's affairs, arrests, confiscations, and inventory were all handled there. Zhang Gu simply took advantage of the situation and walked straight in, asking people for information about Zu Ti's whereabouts.

The result was both laughable and sad. Zu Ti, the chief clerk of Sizhou, did nothing on such a busy night, but was snoring in his bed. When Zhang Gu knocked on the door, he could even hear Zu Ti snoring in the room.

After his sweet dream was broken, Zu Ti stood up and muttered the first words: "Who is this pig intestine eater who dares to disturb your sweet dream?"

This made Zhang Gu doubt Liu Xian's decision: he seemed to be a cynical and careless person. Would it really be useful if the young master asked him for help?

But having come this far, Zhang Gu couldn't return empty-handed. He could only follow Shang Rou's instructions and, holding the Zhaowu Sword in front of the door, he respectfully said, "I'm from the Anle Mansion and have something important to discuss with Master Zu."

Zu Ti, draped in his nightgown, opened the door and used the candlelight to illuminate Zhang Gu's face. After a moment's recognition, he asked, "Aren't you one of Huai Chong's followers? Why are you here?"

"Master Zu, my son asks you to save his life."

Upon hearing this, Zu Ti's demeanor suddenly changed. He raised his eyebrows slightly, and the lazy look on his face disappeared. Then, a terrifying glint appeared in his eyes. He took the Zhaowu Sword and asked, "What happened? Tell me in detail."

Zhang Gu immediately recounted Liu Xian's experiences and predicament that day, adding, "My young master says he's imprisoned and needs help to escape. But there are only a handful of people in Luoyang capable of such a feat, and you're the only one he can rely on for life and death."

After Zu Ti learned the whole story, his eyes brightened up completely. He said, "Wait a moment." Then he immediately packed up his clothes and changed into a military uniform, which was eye-catching.

Originally, Zu Ti looked like a lazy, carefree scoundrel, with a strong air of chivalry. But after a little dressing up, he looked smart and capable. With just the word "go", he immediately rushed to the Anle Mansion. When Zu Ti arrived at the Anle Mansion, Liu Xun and the others had not yet reached a conclusion. Zu Ti did not care about their quarrel. Seeing the crowd of twenty or so people in the hall, he simply waved his hand and said, "Why do you need so many people? Those who know would think we are rescuing people, and those who don't would think we are attending a court meeting!"

After saying that, he drove out most of the people in the hall, leaving only Cao Shangrou, Zhang Gu, and Xi An.

Then he asked Shang Rou, "Sister-in-law, how long has Huai Chong been in the court? Is there any latest news? Are there any specific charges?"

Cao Shangrou shook her head slightly and said, "Huai Chong advanced two hours ago, and other than that, there is no other news."

Zu Ti frowned and said, "It's not possible to have no news. Tomorrow morning, I must go to the Supreme Court to find out. Different crimes require different methods of rescue."

"Once I get the news, I'll have my own ideas for saving people."

Zu Ti's words were decisive and had an unquestionable magic. Originally, Shang Rou and the others felt a little frightened, but when they saw Zu Ti's resolute face, they gradually calmed down and felt that this was not a big deal.

So Zu Ti stayed at the Anle Mansion. At dawn the next day, before the hour of Mao, Xi'an went to the Supreme Court and back.

When Xi An returned, he was quite happy. He said, "The Supreme Court said that the young master is not guilty of any crime. Let us wait for the result and notification."

Everyone smiled happily when they heard this. After all, the fact that there was no charge meant that there was room for redemption. Considering that Liu Xian really didn't leave any evidence, everyone couldn't help but think that maybe they were making a big deal out of nothing and that Liu Xian would be released in a few days.

However, Zu Ti's reaction was completely different. Upon hearing the news, his face suddenly changed drastically. He even went to Xi An to confirm again and again, then muttered, "Guilty is guilty, not guilty is not guilty. How can someone who is innocent be imprisoned in the imperial prison? He's trying to trick me!"

He immediately analyzed Jia Mi's true intentions and said to Shang Rou, "Sister-in-law, be prepared. He's imprisoning someone without any crime. This is either a bribe or a mortal enemy. Jia Changyuan is not short of money, so there is no other possibility except to frame him."

Cao Shangrou was quite puzzled. She asked, "If there is no crime, then torture cannot be used. What can Jia Mi do?"

Zu Ti had been in the Sili Prefecture for a long time, so how could he not know the ins and outs of this? He explained, "Sister-in-law, there are many ways to kill people in this world. Not everything has a cause and effect."

"You can kill people with charges, and you can kill people even without charges."

"For example, some prisoners were sent to the prison, and then a conflict arose, and someone was accidentally beaten to death during the fight."

"Or they might bribe the jailer, poison someone's food, and then claim they died of the plague in prison."

"Or maybe they could just execute him in prison without anyone noticing, and have someone else serve time in jail. After a while, they'll hand you a fake, inhuman corpse. Who would recognize it?"

Shang Rou panicked immediately after hearing Zu Ti's detailed and realistic account. She was so frightened that she could almost see Liu Xian's tragic death. She quickly grabbed Zu Ti's arm and asked, "Brother Zu, since you know all this, you must have a way to deal with it, right?"

Zu Ti hesitated for a moment, then came up with an idea. He immediately ordered, "Sister-in-law, go to the East Palace now and ask to see the Crown Prince."

"Are you asking the prince to come forward and guarantee someone?"

"You can say it, but don't force it. The Crown Prince doesn't have much power right now, so it's highly unlikely he'll be able to do it. Go, and insist on being persistent. Make sure the Crown Prince helps you get the chance to visit the prison twice a day. It's not difficult; as long as the Crown Prince steps in, it'll definitely be possible."

"Visiting the prison?"

"Yes, visit him," Zu Ti said cautiously. "As long as we can visit him every day and bring Huai Chong food and drink, Jia Mi won't have the opportunity to poison him. We can also know Huai Chong's latest situation, leaving Jia Mi no reason to take action."

Shang Rou thought about it and realized that it was true. Although Jia Mi might have other means of harming others, they were at least greatly restricted after the prison visit. It was not like now when everyone was in the dark, making Jia Mi feel fearless.

But this is only a temporary solution, not a permanent one. She then asked, "Is there any way to rescue my husband directly?"

Zu Ti sighed softly and said, "There are only two ways to save people, but neither is a good choice."

"Why do you say that?"

"Huai Chong came to me because he had prepared for the worst. If the other path didn't work out, he wanted me to be quick and make the simple choice."

"Simple? Isn't simple good?"

"Hahaha..." Zu Ti laughed rather smugly, patted his belt lightly, and then twirled his beard and said, "If you think it's a good idea, I can start gathering people now. After I make a plan, I'll go break the prison within five days!"

It turned out to be a prison break! Cao Shangrou pursed her lips in disbelief, gathered her sleeves, and looked Zu Ti up and down. She suddenly remembered that the man before her was the same one who had robbed Jingu Garden with her husband, and he was just as daring.

Zu Ti naturally knew that this was a choice he had to make. If he had not really had any other options, he would not have done so. So he did not say more about this matter, but instead talked about another solution:
"The other way, which is very cliché, is to ask someone to act as a guarantor and intercede for you."

"Plead for mercy, but didn't my elder brother just say that the prince's share was not enough?"

Zu Ti did not answer immediately, but looked out the window at the bright sunshine in the courtyard. After a long while, he said, "The prince's weight alone is not enough."

"But intercession always leads to factions. Even Emperor Ling of Han was so determined, but it was useless when faced with factions. The Empress has just taken over as regent, and she is far inferior to Emperor Ling of Han. As long as we can gather enough people, we don't have to worry about her giving up."

"After all, no matter how vicious a wolf is, it won't provoke a docile elephant."

At this point, Zu Ti turned around and said to Shang Rou, "Sister-in-law, you go and ask to see the prince first and find a way to visit him in prison. As for finding someone to intercede for him, I'll do that."

After saying that, he left in a hurry.

Zu Ti appeared very steady and reliable when he made his promise. But Shang Rou knew that this was not something that could be easily accomplished, and she fell into panic.

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(End of this chapter)