Zhao Yu vaguely felt that he had dreamed a very long dream while sleeping, yet he could not recall anything from it. He looked around. He was in a stone-built room with three walls and one side made of sturdy, thick wooden bars, and no windows. There was a pungent odor inside, and groups of cockroaches could be seen scurrying past from time to time.
Zhao Yu also noticed that his body felt much lighter. The heavy feeling he used to have was gone, and his chest no longer felt oppressed. Overjoyed, he ran a few circles in the narrow space without experiencing any heart palpitations.
“Awesome, great! I can finally do outdoor activities.” This silly fellow was so happy he forgot where he was currently.
“Cao Xiaochan, come out.” The jailer opened the cell door, and a bailiff standing at the entrance shouted at Zhao Yu.
Student Zhao Yu blankly looked around. There was no one else in this small room.
“Calling me?” Zhao Yu pointed at himself uncertainly, looking at the bailiff.
“If not you, then who? Hurry up and get out, His Honor is waiting for you in the main hall.” The bailiff urged him impatiently.
Foolishly, Zhao Yu walked out and was led by the bailiff to the main hall.
The main hall had dark grey tiles and a rigorous layout, appearing solemn and dignified. The ceiling of the hall was painted with a Bagua Taiji diagram, and a plaque reading “A Clear Mirror Hangs High” was suspended directly above. On both sides of the main hall, instruments of torture such as heavy staffs and ankle squeezes were displayed. In front of the hall were two rectangular kneeling stones; the eastern side was for the plaintiff, and the western side was for the defendant. Right in the middle of the hall, upon the official desk, were the Four Treasures of the Study and various warrant arrows. A lean man of about forty years old, dressed in official robes, sat upright behind the desk. The screen behind him was painted with a sun rising from the sea illustration, surrounded by cranes flying toward the center.
Seeing the suspect brought into the hall, the bailiffs rhythmically struck their heavy staves against the floor and chanted, “Might and majesty.”
“Kneel.” The bailiff who had brought Zhao Yu to the front of the hall instructed him to kneel on the western defendant’s kneeling stone.
Obediently, the silly Zhao Yu knelt down, the hard stone striking his knees and causing a sharp pain. Seeing him kneel, the bailiff stood to the right of the official desk. Zhao Yu looked at these people, wondering if they were acting in a play, but then felt that something wasn’t right.
With a loud clack, the official slammed the gavel onto the desk and said in a raised voice, “Cao Xiaochan, according to the confession submitted by the interrogation room, you have fully confessed that on May 7th of the thirteenth year of Jingyuan, while stealing the family heirloom jade of Scholar Zhang in Willow Alley, you were discovered by Scholar Zhang and subsequently murdered his entire family to eliminate witnesses. Do you have anything else to say?”
“Ah, say what?” Zhao Yu blinked his big, watery eyes, looking at the people on the dais in utter confusion. Why couldn’t he understand what these people were saying? Furthermore, the thirteenth year of Jingyuan, what year was that? And did he even know Scholar Zhang? He couldn’t even kill a chicken, let alone murder a whole family to silence them! Zhao Yu’s mind began to spin in circles.
County Magistrate Liu, sitting high on the dais, looked at the man’s foolish expression and was overjoyed inwardly. Being foolish was great! He had taken bribes from Wealthy Benefactor Niu to make this man take the blame. He had originally given orders that once the confession was extracted, the man would be made to commit suicide under the guise of fear of crime, neatly ending the matter. To his surprise, the man hadn’t died, and he had been worried about unexpected complications. Now, it seemed he could completely rest easy; with the man being this foolish, there was no need to worry about any hiccups. County Magistrate Liu had no idea just how absurdly wrong his assumption was.
“So that means you confess?” County Magistrate Liu asked, playing along with a cheerful, buzzing calculation in his heart.
“I don’t know anything about the things you’re talking about!” Were these people going to sentence him? It was so chaotic; could someone please tell him what was going on?
“Impudent! The confession and the coroner’s report submitted by the interrogation room are right here, so you cannot deny it.” County Magistrate Liu slammed the gavel again, trying hard to widen his squinty eyes.
“Your Honor, didn’t you just ask me if I had anything to say?” Zhao Yu wanted to roll his eyes. Hadn’t he just been asked if he had anything to say? When he spoke, why was it suddenly considered impudent? This world was so strange; where on earth had he been brought?
“Do not resort to sophistry. Now that the evidence is conclusive, after the prisoner review on the 20th, you will be executed immediately.” Seeing that the man still wanted to say something, County Magistrate Liu had no wish to continue wasting time on a dead man walking. The necessary procedures were now complete, and he figured he could adjourn the court.
“Your Honor! Your Honor, good news! The thief who stole the tribute items has been caught within the county!” At this moment, a bailiff rushed in with an excited expression, reporting breathlessly.
“Really?” County Magistrate Liu immediately stood up from his chair.
“It is 100% true. Chief Constable Wang is escorting him over now and ordered your humble servant to rush ahead and report to Your Honor.”
“Congratulations, Your Honor! Felicitations, Your Honor! A promotion and a rise in wealth are just around the corner.” The advisor on the side tactfully led the gathered bailiffs in congratulating the county magistrate.
“Quickly, quickly accompany this official to take a look.” The magistrate walked out eagerly.
Left behind and turned into a transparent background character, Zhao Yu was completely dumbfounded. What kind of situation was this again, and what was he supposed to do? Damn it, why had everyone just abandoned him like that?
After stepping outside, the advisor remembered that a fool had been left behind in the main hall. He instructed a bailiff to go inside and lead Zhao Yu back to his cell.
Returning to the place where he had originally stayed, Zhao Yu finally had time to properly examine his body. First, he patted his chest, very well, he was still a man. Then he looked at his hands; there were quite a few calluses on them, indicating he wasn’t some pampered young master, but his skin was nonetheless fine, delicate, and translucent.
This body felt remarkably healthy. It was completely different from his own broken-down physical vessel, and he was quite satisfied with it. However, this body was destined to be separated from its head in just twenty days. It was simply too much of a pity, such a terrible waste. Hearing everyone call him Cao Xiaochan, could it be that he had been reborn into this person’s body? Did this mean that the modern version of him had already died? And where had this original person gone?
As for death, he wasn’t afraid of it at all. Before his rebirth, he had often hovered on the edge of death, so there was nothing to fear. He was just worried that his family back home would be deeply saddened to know he was gone. Zhao Yu sat on the pile of straw with his knees hugged to his chest, thinking of his family from his previous life.
“Get in.” At that moment, someone was shoved inside.
“You expect me to live in a place like this?” A low, melodious voice entered Zhao Yu’s ears. He raised his head to look. Right at the entrance of the cell, a remarkably handsome man bound in iron chains was frowning deeply as he looked at the cell.
“You think you’re staying at an inn?” A bailiff tried to step forward and shove the man into the cell, but the man dodged out of the way.
“Go on, clean this place up for this young master, and bring some new bedding over.” Treating the place as if he were a guest visiting someone else’s home, the man ordered the bailiffs around as if they were his personal servants.
“Behave yourself! You are a prisoner awaiting trial right now.” The bailiffs swarmed forward, wanting to teach this oblivious criminal a lesson.
The man smiled seductively. With a slight shake of his body, the iron chains fell to the ground with a clatter as if by magic. His fingers danced as he tapped the pressure points of several bailiffs, then he picked up the folding fan at his waist and gently fanned himself. With an air of righteous indignation, he declared, “You lot accused me of being a major criminal without any proof, lacking both official documents and evidence. This young master’s innocence is self-evident, and I have no wish to make things difficult for the likes of you, but that doesn’t mean this young master is someone to be bullied.”
Watching the man’s dashing movements and his powerful aura, Zhao Yu’s eyes twinkled with stars. He thought to himself what an amazingly cool person!