bestfiction Chapter 181 They're all idiots!
Chapter 181 They're all idiots!
In the blink of an eye, the officials had already gone upstairs.
The leader, with piercing eyes, scanned the area and spotted Zhang Gong. His expression darkened, and he raised his hand, saying, "Take him away."
The madam and Yueqin were so frightened that they took a few steps back and huddled together tightly.
Zhang Gong was roughly lifted up by two officers, and the pain in his body seemed to make him a little more awake.
He looked at the officials holding him with a dazed expression and said, "Who are you? Let me go!"
The officer looked at him and sneered, "Lord Zhang, you are suspected of cheating and falsification. We are ordered to arrest you."
"Forget about your official hat, you should be thinking about how to save your life."
Zhang Gong was taken aback when he heard this.
He was dragged along by the constables for quite a distance before his drunkenness completely wore off. Recalling what he had said while he was drunk, his face turned ashen.
It's over, he's done!
Zhang Gong's legs trembled uncontrollably, his mind a jumble of thoughts as he tried to find a glimmer of hope.
"I'm innocent! I'm innocent..."
He was sweating profusely and shouted at the head constable with all his might.
The officer, annoyed by his chatter, glanced at him and said coldly, "Lord Zhang, you'd better save your energy to explain to the Minister of Justice."
Zhang Gong's face turned ashen, and all his strength seemed to be drained away in an instant.
Zhang Gong was escorted to the Dali Temple's dark prison.
The news quickly reached Prince Xuan's ears.
Enraged, Prince Xuan smashed half of the porcelain in the main hall and roared, "That fool! I specifically sent someone to warn him to behave himself and stay home these next two days, but he still took the money I gave him to patronize prostitutes!"
The advisors exchanged glances and then spoke up to reassure them.
"Your Highness, please calm down."
Prince Xuan was furious and couldn't calm down. He gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with malice, "If he can't withstand the torture, he'll betray me..."
Although Emperor Wenjing neglected state affairs, he could not tolerate anyone who tampered with the imperial examinations. Prince Xuan felt a chill run down his spine at the thought of the consequences if Emperor Wenjing found out about this.
He stood up abruptly, his face filled with a sinister killing intent. "He cannot live!"
Several advisors said in unison, "Your Highness, now is not the time to act!"
Prince Xuan wouldn't listen at all and simply shook his head, saying, "No need to persuade me anymore, my mind is made up!"
The advisors sighed inwardly, and one of them cautiously suggested, "Your Highness, why don't you ask Prince Qi for his opinion?"
Zhang Gong was imprisoned in the Dali Temple's dark prison. Breaking into the Dali Temple's dark prison to kill someone was no easy task. Once someone was caught red-handed, it would be like walking into a trap.
Upon hearing the name "Prince Qi," Prince Xuan calmed down considerably. He suppressed his impatience and instructed his trusted aides, "Go to Prince Qi's residence."
The trusted confidant quickly withdrew, and Prince Xuan strolled to the entrance of the main hall, raising his eyes to gaze at the pitch-black night.
Not a single star could be seen in the pitch-black sky; the night was like a gigantic monster, seemingly about to devour the Prince Xuan's mansion.
The previous nights had been filled with a full moon and countless stars, but tonight the moon and stars are completely obscured by dark clouds, with only a few faint rays of light occasionally piercing through.
Even the various insects in the grass seemed to have their throats choked, and the occasional chirps they made sounded hurried and uneasy.
Prince Xuan gazed at the inky black night, his brows furrowed, and waves of unease washed over him.
The lights in the Prince's mansion flickered in the night wind, casting shimmering shadows on the walls like menacing ghosts.
It seemed to be dragging him into an abyss of no return.
After waiting for an unknown amount of time, a noise came from the gatehouse.
The trusted aide who went to the Qi King's residence brought back only one sentence from the Qi King: "Observe the situation calmly and do not act rashly."
Upon hearing this, Prince Xuan felt a surge of anger rising to the top of his head.
"Wait and see? How can we wait and see? If the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review interrogates Zhang Gong tomorrow and he implicates me, I'll be finished!"
"If we don't silence them tonight, how will we have time tomorrow?!"
The advisors earnestly advised, "Your Highness, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review did not interrogate Zhang Gong overnight. Perhaps he is waiting to see if anything unusual happens tonight. If you send someone to silence him, wouldn't that be playing right into their hands?"
"Impossible!" Prince Xuan was completely trapped in his own thoughts.
Only by killing Zhang Gong, leaving no one to testify, can we be absolutely certain of success.
The Prince of Xuan's eyes revealed madness. He clenched his fists and paced back and forth in the hall, his hurried footsteps seemingly about to spark from the ground.
"Zhang Gong must die tonight!"
……
Dali Temple Dark Prison.
The dark prison is where serious criminals are imprisoned, and it is heavily guarded. To kill someone in the dark prison is by no means an easy task.
In the dark prison of Dali Temple, Zhang Gong trembled in the darkness, the deathly silence around him making his heartbeat echo like thunder in his ears.
Once he's in the Dali Temple's dark prison, it will be difficult for him to leave unscathed.
If he confesses, he might suffer less physical pain, but if he does confess, Prince Xuan will certainly not let his family off the hook...
Thinking of his wife and his youngest son, who had just turned three, Zhang Gong felt waves of regret welling up inside him.
He shouldn't be greedy for money and momentary pleasure!
He regretted it. It was just a momentary lapse of judgment. If he had another chance, he would never set foot in a brothel again and would definitely live a good life with his wife.
Zhang Gong huddled in a corner, covering his face and sobbing, filled with regret.
Meanwhile, outside the Dali Temple's dark prison, a group of men in black moved like ghosts through the night, avoiding the city's patrols and gradually closing in on the prison.
Above the sky, the moonlight was completely obscured by dark clouds, and the surrounding houses were only vague outlines in the darkness, like silent giant beasts.
As they approached the Dali Temple, the surroundings were exceptionally quiet, with only the soft sounds of their breathing and footsteps.
The leader of the men in black suddenly stopped and made a hand gesture.
Two members of the group silently disappeared into the darkness.
Less than a quarter of an hour later, the previously silent Dali Temple prison was suddenly filled with the sound of hurried footsteps, accompanied by panicked shouts from the jailers:
"Fire! The prison is on fire!"
The fire started in the outermost cells. The fire spread rapidly, and a strong smell of tung oil filled the air. The prisoners inside the cells excitedly rushed to the door and shouted loudly.
Some prison doors were mostly burned down, and some prisoners broke through the doors and escaped.
The Dali Temple's dark prison instantly descended into chaos, with flames soaring into the sky and thick smoke billowing out.
The guards shouted for help to put out the fire while trying to maintain order and prevent prisoners from escaping.
However, the fire was fierce, and they were overwhelmed.
Amidst the chaos, seemingly unnoticed, several men dressed as prison guards deftly avoided the panicked crowd and guards, heading deeper into the Dali Temple's dark prison.
The other guards at Dali Temple were busy fetching water to put out the fire and chasing after the escaped prisoners, and it seemed that no one paid any attention to these few people.
At the same time, Zhang Gong coughed violently as the acrid smoke poured in, feeling both fearful and hopeful.
Why would the Dali Temple's dark prison catch fire out of nowhere?
Could it be that Prince Xuan sent someone to rescue him? At the thought of this possibility, Zhang Gong trembled with excitement and rushed to the prison gate, searching for something.
The next second, several figures appeared in his line of sight, heading straight for him.
Zhang Gong was overjoyed and was about to speak when he saw that the people opposite him had also seen him, and their previously expressionless faces instantly revealed a cold killing intent.
Zhang Gong's mind went blank for a moment, and he caught a glimpse of a sharp weapon flashing by.
He suddenly realized what was happening.
These people didn't come to save him; they came to kill him and silence him!