Chapter 6: Should We Storm the Prison?

  "Sister Su, let's have some fruit to fill our stomachs?" Although it wasn't even noon yet, she had been tormented enough the night before and this morning hadn't even had a few mouthfuls of thin porridge. Having been pampered for years, Ye Shao was already starving.

  "Don't worry, since he's been able to get in, he'll have a way to get out." Ye Zhaosheng could understand Su Hongniang's current mood. Whether her brother could escape or not was all dependent on this moment, and it seemed like there wasn't much of an appetite for food now.

  Seeing Su Hongniang not responding, Ye Zhao gave Luo Ajiu a look, and Luo Ajiu rolled his eyes but had no choice but to go out and shout for Da Chahou, actually his stomach was already growling loudly.

  Pea shoots yellow, broad bean rolls, donkey rolling, Sajima and other colorful Manchu pastries filled the table, sweet fragrance wafting, tempting colors, making one's mouth water at a glance.

  Ye Zhaolong praised the large teapot's broken silver, but the large teapot grinned with a mouthful of yellow teeth and said: "Master, help me arrange a stir-fried liver dish from Ba Xian Ju outside the front gate? Hire a horse-drawn carriage quickly! I'll hold it in my arms, guaranteed not to let the wind blow on it."

  Ye Zhao shook his head and waved his hand, and the big teapot hurriedly retreated.

  Ye Zhaohelped Su Hongniang eat the pastries in her dish and said, "Even if you're in a hurry, you still have to eat something, right? Your body is the capital of rebellion, isn't it?"

  Su Hongniang looked at Ye Zhaoyi with a seemingly smiling yet not quite smiling expression, making Ye Zhaoyi feel uneasy in her heart. She knew that this beautiful and fiery woman was capable of killing without batting an eyelid, and her oily mouth and slippery tongue were probably even more unwelcome to Su Hongniang, so she hastily shut her mouth tight.

  ……

  Da Chun returned this time without making any noise, and Ye Zhao's heart sank, fearing that things had gone wrong.

  As expected, as soon as they entered the house, Da Chun's face turned ugly and he scolded: "These bastards don't even know who they're relying on for their power, they have no shame!"

  "Lao Liu, what's going on?" Just as Ye Zhao asked the question, Su Hongniang almost held her breath, and for the first time, a look of tension appeared on her pretty face.

  Da Chun sat down, tilted his head and gulped down a bowl of tea, then wiped his mouth and cursed: "Damn those bastards said that Su Lao Da is a habitual offender from Guangxi, it's been verified, he even confessed himself, he's a serious offender, we don't have the right to bail him out, now he's been sent to death row."

  Saying that, Hua Da Chun looked at Ye Zhao with a puzzled expression: "Brother, who asked you to do this? Are they trying to harm you?"

  Ye Zhao bitterly smiled and shook his head. It seemed that Su Lao Da had unknowingly revealed his true identity, and this little life was now in danger.

  Dachun didn't accomplish anything, so he picked up a wine jug and poured himself cup after cup, drinking with a "glug glug" sound, clearly feeling somewhat stifled.

  Su Hongniang sat quietly for a while before standing up and softly saying: "I bid you farewell."

  Ye Zhaoyi was taken aback and hastily stood up, following Su Hongniang to the door, asking in a low voice: "Su Niangzi, what's going on?"

  Su Hongniang's face didn't show a hint of sadness or anger, and she said calmly: "As you said, it's all clear now. If things can't be done, I won't blame you. However, please pass on a message to that Sixth Master: if he sees him again, it will be a case of 'in comes the white blade, out goes the red blade', no need for further discussion."

  Ye Zhaixin's heart skipped a beat, but he also admired Su Hongniang for keeping her word. Although it seemed that Da Chun was the one who had put his brother in a desperate situation, she still followed their agreement and didn't immediately turn against him to settle scores.

  "Sister Su, don't even think about breaking into prison, that's a dead end and won't work out." Ye Shao had watched too many TV dramas and was actually worried that Su Hongniang would get a hot head and try to break into the Ministry of Punishment's great prison.

  Su Hongniang didn't make a sound, it seems that this wise and clever girl, when faced with her brother's life or death, probably had crazy thoughts swirling in her mind.

  Ye Zhaolong sighed, forget it, forget it. It seems that from now on, the peaceful days of strolling and flying kites are gone forever.

  "Sister Su, don't be muddled in your thoughts. I'll take care of this matter for you. Whether it succeeds or not is still better than you recklessly putting yourself in harm's way."

  Su Hongniang looked at him with surprise, wondering what kind of tricks this little rascal was thinking of.

  Ye Zhao made a silencing gesture, sat back down at the table, reached out to hold down Da Chun's wine cup, stared at him unwaveringly for an instant, and said in a low, measured tone: "Su Lao Da's matter still needs to be taken care of."

  Dachun was not in a clear state of mind all day, and he was thinking about where to go to smoke some opium. Ye Zhao's words had startled him at the time, but he was an unscrupulous person who didn't care about anything. What rebellion? In his heart, it was just a concept without any meaning. It wasn't as if he was going to be executed or anything. It was better to rob the Imperial Guard Headquarters and show off. During Jiaqing's reign, hadn't an ancestor of San Shu Ye's family smashed the Infantry Headquarters?

  "I'll go and gather the brothers from the mounted archery camp! Let's beat these Han traitors until they're defeated, then I'll ask Seventh Master to speak to the Emperor on our behalf, accusing them of not knowing their place and treating good people like thieves!"

  Kan Da sprang up, his sleeves rolled up and ready to take action, but Ye Zhao was at a loss whether to laugh or cry. He hastily reached out to pull Kan Da back down and said: "You, don't be reckless! If this matter gets out of hand, we'll be the ones who are in the wrong. Not just us brothers, even our elders won't be able to bear it. This can't be done openly, so here's what we'll do: find a corpse to send in and secretly switch it with the dragon, then report that the prisoner died suddenly in jail. No one will suspect a thing. As for the specifics, you discuss it with Rui Si'er and figure out who to get to help."

  Ye Zhaoming knew that Da Chun's temperament was not suitable for this kind of meticulous work, and with Rui Si'er taking care of it, it would be a different story. It would definitely be handled quickly and efficiently. If it weren't for the fact that Da Chun had connections in several government departments, he wouldn't have wanted to get him involved in the first place.

  Dachun nodded repeatedly, from young to old, he was most convinced by Ye Zhao and listened to Ye Zhao's words the most. There was only one thing, Ye Zhao nagged him about quitting smoking until his ears were numb, but he just couldn't quit.