Yi Zichuan was a dangerous but exceptionally capable collaborator.
When he learned from Xia Jianxi that the Si Pavilion Casino might be connected to the Marquis Yongchang Estate, he immediately dispatched people to investigate.
Most gambling dens and brothels surviving in Bianjing City had high-ranking officials backing them. During the Late Emperor’s reign, attempts were made to purge these so-called gambling dens and brothels, uncovering numerous cases of disregard for human life and harm to commoners.
Yet these establishments were intricately interconnected through complex networks. In the end, the Late Emperor had no choice but to adopt a stern approach with lenient enforcement.
Consequently, these brothels and gambling houses continued operating as usual. As long as no lives were lost, most officials in Bianjing City turned a blind eye.
After much deliberation, Yi Zichuan finally went to see Yuting.
Truthfully, Yi Zichuan wasn’t eager to tackle this tough nut. After all, Yuting was the only one who could endure all the tortures of the Dali Temple and still refuse to confess.
The Dali Temple preferred conducting interrogations at midnight.
When Yuting was dragged into the interrogation room, Yi Zichuan didn’t have her restrained. Instead, he provided her with a stool to sit on properly.
Yi Zichuan observed Yuting sitting before him for a long while before speaking: “Have you ever heard of the Si Pavilion Casino?”
Yuting lifted her gaze to Yi Zichuan. Her face was pale, but her eyes remained resolute: “Wang Ye, how would someone like me who stays in the inner quarters year-round know anything about gambling dens?”
Yi Zichuan knew well that extracting information from Yuting wouldn’t be easy. After long contemplation, he finally sat down opposite her: “I know you’re a death warrior. Torture means nothing to you. But everyone who serves others has their weakness!”
A flicker passed through Yuting’s eyes, yet she remained silent.
Seeing her reaction, Yi Zichuan quietly retrieved a prescription from a nearby box: “Perhaps you should take a look at this!”
With her hand bones broken, Yuting couldn’t hold the prescription herself. Qin Cang, standing guard nearby, immediately brought the paper before Yuting’s eyes. In that instant, her pupils contracted sharply.
The next moment, Yuting jerked her head up to stare at Yi Zichuan: “Where did you get this? Where did it come from!”
Qin Cang withdrew his hand and returned to his position behind Yi Zichuan.
Yi Zichuan coldly regarded Yuting before him and said quietly: “The person who gave me this prescription told me to warn you not to place all your bets on one person! And you should know – you’re not the only one who knows your weakness!”
A prolonged silence ensued.
Only after a long while did Yuting slowly raise her head: “Whether I talk or not, death awaits me either way. Why should I trust you?”
“Of course, you don’t have to trust us!” Yi Zichuan raised an eyebrow and stood up to leave.
He had anticipated this outcome. After all, someone who could withstand torture wouldn’t easily reveal everything just because of a single prescription!
“Chenguang!” Yuting suddenly spoke.
Yi Zichuan instinctively halted his steps: “What?”
“I took Chenguang to the gambling den, which is the Si Pavilion! Everyone there knows him and is aware that he’s detained in the Dali Temple!” Yuting stared at Yi Zichuan before her, enunciating each word clearly. “I can’t tell you who the mastermind behind Si Pavilion is, but you could try using him as bait!”
Yi Zichuan narrowed his eyes dangerously at Yuting.
Soon, someone came to take Yuting away.
Watching her being led off, Yi Zichuan unconsciously rubbed his thumb over the prescription slip, recalling what Xia Jianxi had whispered in his ear that day: “When someone is willing to die for another, it’s either out of conviction or because they have a weakness. What do you think drives Yuting, Wang Ye?”
At this moment, Yi Zichuan suddenly realized that Xia Jianxi was far more cunning than he had presumed.
As for Chenguang, he was the Shu Tong who had forged Kang Muze’s handwriting. Orphaned since childhood, he had been bought by Princess Yong’an from a human trafficker. Young and timid, a few threats were enough to make him reveal even that Kang Muze wet his bed until age seven.
When Yi Zichuan saw him in the Dali Temple prison, Chenguang was already terrified out of his wits, huddling in a corner all day, either staring blankly or begging for mercy.
“Has Kang Muze visited?” Yi Zichuan stood at the entrance of the Dali Temple dungeon, watching Chenguang cower in the distance as he asked quietly.
The Dali Temple Assistant Minister put away the scroll in his hand, shaking his head with some pity. “Not even a servant from Yong’an Wangfu has come. His crime isn’t serious, and he has no connection to those assassins. I sent officers to Yong’an Wangfu, telling them that fifty taels of silver would secure his release. Pity he didn’t have a good master! Unlike Yuting in the next cell—people keep asking whether she’s dead or alive!”
Yi Zichuan rubbed his fingers together, narrowing his eyes dangerously. “You mean someone’s inquiring about her fate? Do they want her alive or dead?”
The Assistant Minister immediately grasped his meaning. “Who knows? The enquirers are elusive—here one moment and gone the next when I step out. Perhaps they don’t care if she lives or dies, only fear she might say something she shouldn’t.”
“I’ll pay the fifty taels for the boy. As for Yuting, take extra care—don’t let her die too easily.” Yi Zichuan patted the Assistant Minister’s shoulder. “Release him to me. I need him for something.”
“The Dali Temple doesn’t extend credit!” The Assistant Minister took a full set of keys from his drawer and led Yi Zichuan’s men forward. “Payment upon delivery—you know our rules better than I do, Wang Ye.”
Soon after, Yi Zichuan’s personal guard Qin Cang brought Chenguang over.
Chenguang seemed thoroughly broken, his knees giving way at the sight of Yi Zichuan as he knelt on the ground. “Wang Ye, I truly didn’t know! I was just tempted by the fifty taels! I never imagined Yuting would dare collude with rebels! I swear I didn’t know!”
Yi Zichuan stared at Chenguang for a long time. Of course, he knew this young man was being used, but right now he needed his help: “Whether you colluded with your faction or not, I don’t know, but I can offer you a chance to leave this place—it’s up to you whether you take it!”
Chenguang’s eyes immediately lit up: “Yes, yes! If it means leaving this place, I’m willing to serve Wang Ye like an ox or a horse for the rest of my life, as long as Wang Ye can take me away from here!”
The Dali Temple dungeon was no place for humans. Every day, he could hear heart-wrenching screams from outside.
If he was unlucky, he might even see bloodied people dragged past him. That terror and the despair of an uncertain future filled his entire being day after day.
When he first arrived, he had hoped every day that the Heir would come to rescue him. But after waiting so long, all he received was the message: “Yong’an Wangfu will never accept a traitor!”
Chenguang knew he had been completely abandoned by Yong’an Wangfu. The Heir he had pinned his hopes on had utterly given up on him.
For him now, as long as he could leave this place, he was willing to do anything without hesitation!
“Si Pavilion Casino—this place shouldn’t be unfamiliar to you, right?” Yi Zichuan looked straight into Chenguang’s eyes, enunciating each word clearly.
Chenguang’s face instantly turned ashen. Of course, Si Pavilion Casino was no stranger to him.
As a Shu Tong who had always been dutiful over the years, the monthly allowance from Yong’an Wangfu, though modest, was enough for an orphan like him who had signed a lifelong indenture and had no family. His life, while not joyful, had been peaceful and content—until Si Pavilion Casino destroyed everything!
“I know that place. The first time I went to Si Pavilion Casino, it was Yuting who took me there!” Chenguang pressed his lips tightly, a surge of anger rising in his heart. “That place is a den of jackals. Once you enter, they won’t let you leave without stripping you of everything!”
“This Wang needs you to go there again for me.” Yi Zichuan leaned slightly forward, his gaze unwavering. “Just go and gamble lavishly a few times. Not only will I take you out of this hellhole, but I’ll also secure you a decent position so you can live stably for the rest of your life.”
Chenguang grew uneasy. “Is it really just about going there to gamble a few times?”
“Exactly. You only need to go once.” Yi Zichuan raised an eyebrow. “Don’t worry, I’m not the kind to abandon someone after crossing the river.”
After only a moment’s hesitation, Chenguang agreed. “Alright!”
The Dali Temple Vice Minister was already Yi Zichuan’s man, and Yi Zichuan hadn’t spoken behind his back. Staring at Chenguang, the Vice Minister expressed surprise: “You agreed without even asking why? Aren’t you afraid Wang Ye might just sell you out?”
Chenguang lowered his head with a bitter smile. “I’m just a servant not even worth fifty taels. Even if Wang Ye really wanted to sell me, how much would I fetch? Besides, anything is better than staying in this hellhole, living a life neither human nor ghost, trembling every day at the sight of those bloodied figures, not knowing if they’re dead or alive!”
The dungeons of Dali Temple could well be described as a living hell. No one who had ever been there could easily recount the scenes they witnessed within its walls.