Chapter 2: The First Snow (Part One)

  Seeing the two people at odds with each other, Wang Xuan couldn't help but laugh awkwardly.

  These two people have completely different personalities, I really don't understand how they ended up together.

  Zhang Xun was a blooming flower in the late Kaiyuan era, with a belly full of classics and unparalleled moral integrity and academic achievements. However, there is one thing that is hard to accept - this person always speaks and acts in a serious manner, treating others and himself according to the teachings of the ancient sages, never compromising unless absolutely necessary. Although he repeatedly collided with the world, he still refused to repent.

  Lei Wanchun, on the other hand, went to the opposite extreme. He thought he was highly skilled in martial arts and did whatever he wanted, disregarding all social norms and etiquette. If not for Zhang Xun whom he met later, he would have ended up washing his hands in a golden basin. It's likely that there would be a Lei Wanchun listed on the Tang Dynasty's Ministry of Justice's most wanted list.

  But soon, Wang Xuan understood why these two people became sworn brothers.

  Although Zhang Xun was made to lose face by Lei Wanchun in front of outsiders, his face did not show any signs of anger. He simply nodded at Lei Wanchun and dropped the matter.

  Lao Lei's words today were like a big white cloud. Seeing the two of them arguing in an interesting way, Wang Xun intentionally cheered loudly.

  "It's just a bunch of nonsense!" Zhang Zhou shrugged his shoulders and put on an air of "I'm not arguing with you guys".

  "Is that Zhang brother still babbling on about Lao Lei?" Wang Sulian asked, knowing the answer but wanting to see Zhang Zhou's embarrassed expression.

  "Fallacious arguments are also arguments!" Zhang Xun gave him a slanted glance and said sternly, "As a disciple of the Sage, I, Zhang, believe that debate is just debate. If you can't convince me now, think it over carefully and come back to debate again later. Forcing others to shut up just because you can't win an argument is the behavior of a Legalist who disrespects his parents, not something a true Confucian would do!"

  Having said that, he himself found it interesting and laughed first. Wang Xuan and Lei Wanchun also laughed. After laughing, the unpleasantness caused by different views on things was swept away, and in his heart, he felt even more that the other party was truly respectable.

  Wan Nian County government office is not far from Ping Kang Li, out of the Fangkou gate, turned a few corners, and arrived. It was just after Chen time, and local officials had not yet formally started handling official business. The vast county government office entrance was cold and quiet, with no civilians in sight, only one newly changed duty officer, leaning against the large drum at the door, his hands tucked into his sleeves, his eyelids constantly fighting.

  He quickly dismounted and threw the reins to a young servant who had caught up from behind, then adjusted his clothes and walked swiftly in front of the bailiff, making a fist and bowing. "Excuse me, sir. May I ask if Officer Sun is on duty today?"

  "Who are you looking for?" The sleeping bailiff was startled, and he picked up the water fire stick beside him and asked loudly.

  Wang Xuan smiled, grabbed the bailiff's hand, and took advantage of the situation to toss a string of copper coins into the other party's raised sleeve. "I'm looking for Sun Tou'er from the fast class. The one who just transferred in. I'm his cousin Kong Youfang, would you trouble yourself to go inside and see if he's there?"

  "Looking for Sun Tou. Wait, I'll go in and take a look!" Without lowering his head, the bailiff estimated the number of copper coins based on the weight transmitted through his sleeves. He nodded at Wang Xun, who was generous with his money, and quickly walked into the county government office.

  Wang Jun slightly shook his head, stood aside with a smile and waited respectfully. After about half a cup of tea time, Sun Ruyu, the catcher who received a large bribe from the Wang family yesterday, followed the duty officer and arrived in a daze. Seeing Wang Jun smiling and welcoming him, he was startled and quickly pulled him away a few steps, asking in a low voice: "My little ancestor! Why did you come to the yamen entrance? My master had just forgotten about you, but you still came to the yamen entrance, isn't this jumping into the net?"

  "Haha!" Wang You opened his big mouth and laughed foolishly, "As long as your uncle doesn't say anything, who else in the yamen can recognize me? Just now, I told them I was your cousin, brother, do you think we look alike?"

  "Like hell!" Sun Ruyu was so angry that he jumped up and down. "I'm just a runner in the government office, how dare I be related to Young Master Hou? Speak up, what do you want from me today?"

  "Brother Wang is really a happy person!" Wang Xuan smiled again, took out a pair of jade bracelets from his pocket, and handed them to Sun Ruyu, "Look at this bracelet, the quality is not bad? Give it to your wife or daughter, it's my heart as an uncle!"

  "It's made Young Master Hou spend money again. How can Old Sun bear the shame!" Sun Ruyu quickly glanced around, speaking politely with his mouth, but his hands moved swiftly without slowing down, grabbing the bangle and neatly hiding it in his sleeve. "As long as I can do it, I'll definitely do it. However, Young Master Hou, don't make things too difficult for me, after all, this is an official residence in the capital..."

  "I know, I know, it's a small matter!" Wang Xun smiled and nodded, "I have a friend surnamed Yuwen, who was caught by the government office yesterday morning for some reason. We wanted to go in and take a look at him, can Brother help us out?"

  "What?" Sun Ruyu curled his lips, the leek leaves on his teeth clearly visible. "He's a wanted criminal ordered by the Prefect of Beijing, you're not..."

  She reached into her sleeve, wanting to take out the jade bangle and return it to Wang Cong, but ultimately couldn't muster up the courage. After hesitating for a moment, she stomped her foot and said in a low voice, "Go to the side door of the yamen behind, the one near the big prison. I'll go make some arrangements, and you can find me there in about an hour."

  Wang Jun nodded silently, took Zhang Xun and Lei Wanchun with him, turned around and left. After leaving the gate of the government office dozens of steps away, he slowly walked along the wall to the back door. Not long after that, the door was slightly opened from inside, Sun Ruyu's head poked out, whispering: "Cousin, hurry up! Follow me, don't look around and don't say a word!"

  The three of them were overjoyed and quickly flashed into the yamen, following Sun Renyu. They first passed through a small garden, then wound their way behind two high walls of bluish-gray color, under an iron net full of copper bells, to the gate of the prison.

  "This is my younger cousin!" Sun Ruyu nodded to the prison head and dodged to one side. Wang Xun immediately understood, walked forward, and quickly stuffed a pair of small silver ingots into the other's sleeve. The prison head's eyes lit up instantly, like a wolf seeing prey in the middle of the night, shooting out two cold glints. Then, like an old acquaintance who hadn't seen each other for many years, he patted Wang Xun on the shoulder and smiled politely, "Since you're Sun Head's younger cousin, then you're one of us. Follow Sun Head inside, but be quick, don't delay too long, brothers are all taking risks!"

  Wang Xun nodded and followed Sun Ruyu, quickly entering the prison gate. On the other side of the door, the difference between inside and outside was immediately like two different worlds. Along the entrance, a stone path that had been there for who knows how many years led deep into the prison, with filthy water flowing on top and filth covering the ground everywhere. Two rows of thick wooden bars stood opposite each other, behind which countless prisoners with disheveled hair and dirty faces stretched out their hands and loudly cried out to the guards at the entrance.

  Since childhood, Wang Xun, who had been dressed in brocade and eaten jade food, had never seen such an array. He was suddenly fumigated by the smell of the prison cell, almost vomiting out the mutton soup and baozi he ate last night. After barely suppressing the annoyance in his heart, he looked around and saw that the cells behind the railing were divided into small compartments by earthen walls, each compartment holding either four or five prisoners or only one person. Although they were all imprisoned, their treatment was vastly different.

  That cage held four or five prisoners, with only a pile of straw for them to sleep on. Moreover, most were far away from the ventilation windows of the prison, dark and without sunlight. On the other hand, the cages that held one prisoner had bedding, tables and chairs, all complete. In some individual cages, even books, paper and pens were neatly arranged.

  The restraints on the prisoners were also varied. Some didn't have any shackles at all, some only had an iron chain symbolically wrapped around their neck, and others had handcuffs and fetters that never left their side. The most miserable one was a person whose head, two hands, and two feet were tightly locked onto a wooden board with five holes, the whole body lying in the mud pit, slowly gasping for air while lifting his neck. When hearing someone passing by in front of him, a hint of longing gaze appeared in his wide-open eyes. If this continues, he probably won't survive for more than two hours and will become disabled if not dead.

  Seeing this scene, Zhang Xun could no longer hold back the anger in his heart, raised an eyebrow and said loudly: "I didn't expect that even the great prison of the capital would be so filthy!"

  "Hey, a group of prisoners, it's already good enough that they have tiles on their heads to keep out the rain, can't they be allowed to stay in an inn?" Sun Renyu said in a low voice, not bothering to argue with Zhang Zhou and Wang Chun, who were likely either wealthy or of noble birth.

  Zhang Xun, however, refused to accept this sentiment. He pointed at the prisoner who was being led away like a sacrificial animal and asked in a low voice: "What crime has he committed? Do you want to torture him like this? What if he dies? Is there no justice under the emperor's rule?"

  "Wasn't that the rule you set?" Sun Ruyu didn't expect Zhang Zhou, who looked refined and courteous, to be so unreasonable. He furrowed his brow and responded in a low voice, "Don't worry, he won't die from being caged for three days and nights. This is a well-known punishment that's been used for hundreds of years. The yamen deals with those who don't know the rules this way. Who told him to be so poor and yet still break the law? If we treated those who are willing to spend money and those who aren't the same, wouldn't all the brothers in the capital have to go hungry?"

  "Nonsense!" Zhang Xun was so angry that he was about to refute again, ordering Sun Ruyu to release the prisoner who was almost beaten to death. However, Lei Wanchun pulled him aside and smiled apologetically at Sun Ruyu. "My friend here reads too many books and is a bit unclear about things!" Lei Wanchun said, pointing to his own head. "He's read too seriously and has gone silly, got it?"

  Considering the jade bangles, Sun Ruyu didn't bother to argue with the other party. He smiled and quickened his pace. A moment later, they arrived at the deepest part of the prison, pointing to a dark cell where one couldn't see their fingers. He said in a low voice, "This is where you'll be locked up. It's under the strict orders of the Jingzhao Prefect, don't blame me. I'll go out and inform my brothers first, come back to find you all in an hour. Everyone must leave on time!"

  Having said that, he handed the lantern in his hand to Wang Xuan and quickly turned around and left.

  Wang Xun bowed his head in gratitude, then slowly lifted the lantern towards the inside of the cage. Suddenly seeing the light, the prisoner inside the cage was startled and quickly retreated backwards. The iron chains on his hands and feet clanged loudly.

  "It's me, Zida. I've come with Lao Lei and Lao Zhang to see you!" Wang Xuan felt a pang in his heart and quickly identified himself in a low voice.

  "Second Brother?" Yuwen Zidao responded dazedly, then rushed over like a baby seeing its biological parents. He grasped the prison bars with both hands and cried out loudly: "Second Brother, you've finally come! I knew you'd definitely think of a way to rescue me. Hurry up, hurry up and get me out of here! If it's two more days, they'll torture me to death!"

  "Have they tortured you?" Seeing the bloodstains all over Yuwen Zidao's body, Wang Xun felt a pang in his heart and suppressed his overwhelming anger to ask.

  "Hmm!" Yuwen Zida's tears fell in streams, this time, it was no longer fake. "He asked me two questions and hit me with a board twice. That County Magistrate Zhang said that if I didn't confess again, next time he would use the wooden stick to torture me!"

  "Heavens!" Wang Xuan took a deep breath of cold air, "What did they force you to confess? Did you confess?"

  "Not yet!" Yuwen Ziduo shook his head vigorously, fearing that Wang Xun would not believe him. "Those things, I haven't done any of them, how dare I confess? If I did, I'd definitely be beheaded within half a month!"

  Wang Xuan and Lei Wanchun, Zhang Zhou looked at each other, judging from the injuries, Yuwen Zida might have really endured the two major punishments. With a few points of admiration, he asked in a low voice: "Who did you offend, what crime did they want you to confess?"

  Yuwen Zida hesitated again, then whispered: "I don't know who I offended either. They made me admit to forming a gang and committing murder, robbing civilians on the street; taking orders from someone and insulting government officials; and also bullying people with power and occupying their land. Second brother, I didn't do any of it, I really didn't do anything!"

  Anything can be a capital offense, especially with the four words "at someone's instigation". Zhang Zong heard his heart tighten, stepped forward half a step, lowered his voice and emphasized, "Zi Da, as long as you haven't done it, no matter how painful it is, you have to endure. I am Zhang Zong, listen to me, this case of yours has some evil intentions. If you still want to live, think carefully and tell Erlang the truth, who is the person behind your back?"

  "No, no!" Yuwen Zida looked around nervously and instinctively denied it.

  "Let's go, let this kid get beaten to death!" Seeing this, Yuwen Zida still refused to tell the truth. Wang Xun was furious and picked up the lantern, turning around to leave.

  "Second brother, second brother! I'm really innocent!" Yuwen Zida saw the situation and hurriedly hugged the railing, crying loudly. "Second brother, don't go! If you leave, I'll really die here!"

  "Whether you die or not, it's none of my business. Doesn't Wang have a friend like you? Tell me, who instructed you to humiliate Li Bai? What kind of business did you and Jia Lao Da collaborate on?"

  When Wang Jun reported all of Jia Laoda's nicknames, Yuwen Zida shuddered again, looked around in all directions with his head held high, and peered into the dark to see if anyone else was still locked up. He pointed to both sides with his hand, then said loudly: "Second brother, don't force me. I, Yuwen, do things alone and take responsibility alone. Even if I die, I won't implicate others!"

  Seeing Yuwen Zhi in this state, Wang Xun finally understood what he was worried about. He leaned his ear over and said in a low voice: "I don't care who you're connected with. But today, you must tell me who you're helping. Otherwise, if he's not willing to come forward to save you, there are at least a hundred ways for you to die unjustly in the yamen!"

  "I, I..." Yuwen Zhi muttered to himself, gritting his teeth, responding in a voice that was almost impossible for anyone to hear, "Second Brother, I didn't intentionally try to deceive you earlier. It's just that I didn't want to drag you into this. The person behind Jia Laoda is surnamed Zhu, and he runs a southern goods store at Xishi Kou. As for the mastermind behind him, everyone in Chang'an knows!"