Manbao cheerfully said, "We have a friend who ca from Jianzhou, especially bringing so local specialties. I wonder if Lord Tao recognizes him, Lord Fu from Jianzhou, the Provincial Governor."
Tao Yi’s eyes flashed slightly, "Is he the in-law of the imperial censor Yue?"
He did not know Fu Liang, but he knew Yue Wei. After Yue Wei’s earth-shattering collision, as a vice minister in the Ministry of Justice, he naturally had to investigate the matter.
He needed to determine whether the remonstrance was truly from Yue Wei’s conscience or if soone bought him off. Then he found out about the trouble at Yue Wei’s ho, as well as Yue Wei’s in-law’s recent arrival in the capital.
At that ti, he glanced over the files briefly, noting that Zhou Man frequently visited the Fu Family. He even took a closer look, but to this day, he couldn’t confirm whether Yue Wei’s pillar-colliding remonstrance was of his own volition or if he was in cahoots with Zhou Man and his group.
Recalling the personal delivery of the petition by Ji Xiang and Lord Tang, Tao Yi did not decline, accepted their gifts, and then took them into the prison to release the detainees.
Contrary to what Manbao and his companions expected, that section of the prison not only held the Xiang Family brothers but also Bapo and Qiu Niang, hmm, each locked in separate cells.
Tao Yi waved his hand, ordering the jailer to open the doors and bring out the people. Seeing their gaze fall on Bapo and Qiu Niang, he explained, "Previously, we needed to interrogate them and collect evidence, so the two missed the autumn executions. Now in the prison, all those condemned to death have been executed, and those exiled have been sent on their way, only these two are left."
Manbao and party: ...
Manbao glanced at Qiu Niang with a hint of compassion, "Qiu Niang has also contributed to the cause, can she avoid the death penalty?"
Bapo, sitting on the other side, imdiately clung to the cell door and said, "Little healer, I too have made contributions, can I avoid death as well?"
Manbao gave him a look and was about to speak with a frown, but Bai Shan had already indifferently said, "Forget it, you have four lives on your hands, including one that’s a public servant."
"That public servant wasn’t a good person, he wasn’t chasing to bring in for justice. I’ve thought it over, and he might have wanted to kill to silence , afraid that I’d spill their secrets."
Bai Shan said, unimpressed, "What secrets of theirs do you know that they would fear you revealing your secrets?"
He didn’t believe that a minor jailer from Maozhou would know anything about a rebellion.
Bapo had no idea why, but seeing that these high-ranking officials delayed his autumn execution because of the issues in Qijia Village, it was clearly sothing significant.
Completely ignorant of why he had been brought out, Xiang Chao, nervously carrying Xiang Mingxue, ca out and saw the three still tangled up with an unknown prisoner, he angrily said, "What are you doing idly chatting when the fire’s practically igniting your behinds?"
Manbao: "Where’s the fire? We can leave now, what’s the rush? Oh, we forgot to tell you, Brother Xiang has been pardoned; we can go ho now."
Xiang Chao widened his eyes and after a mont of excitent, he was speechless: ...How could they forget such important information?
Manbao nodded to Qiu Niang, who was looking at her, then turned around and left.
Bai Shan and Bai Erlang helped lift Xiang Mingxue while Xiang Chao felt a lighter burden on his back and almost tripped. Disgusted, he said, "Stop lifting, stop lifting, our Second Young Master isn’t that heavy."
He could carry him out on his own.
In the main hall, Tao Yi took out the docunts for the jail head to sign. After the jail head verified the identities of Xiang Chao and Xiang Mingxue, they too signed and stamped their nas, then he waved for them to leave.
Liu Gui brought the carriage around, helping to lift Xiang Mingxue into the vehicle.
As all five of them got on, they realized the carriage seed a bit cramped.
So Manbao looked at Bai Erlang, and Bai Shan looked at Bai Erlang as well.
Bai Erlang: ...
Gathering his energy and grunting, he then got out of the carriage and sat beside Liu Gui on the shaft.
Xiang Chao now anxiously asked, "What about our people from the Xiang Family? Why hasn’t Sixth Young Master Xiang co to receive us?"
Bai Shan replied, "Oh, they live far away. Lord Tao sent soone to Changqing Alley to inform us. We ca over imdiately after receiving the ssage, and soone has already gone to notify Sixth Young Master Xiang. They should be waiting at my ho right now."
Xiang Chao finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, Xiang Ming, known as Mingxue, asked, "Was my royal pardon obtained through your pleading?"
Manbao said, "How could we have such a capability? We asked the Crown Prince and so ministers in the court to plead on your behalf."
Xiang Mingxue said, "...Isn’t that still you guys pleading for ?"
Bai Shan cleared his throat and said, "The process of pleading was a bit complicated. Let explain it to you slowly, and when you get out later, make sure not to spill the beans."
So he told him the fabricated story they had concocted. Of course, the story was too long and they had only just begun when they returned to Changqing Alley. However, the vivid descriptions left not only Xiang Chao but also Xiang Mingxue astonished, to the point where they even doubted if it was really about them.
Xiang Chao, feeling doubtful, touched his chest and asked, "Was I really that brave when I escaped with the Second Young Master?"
Bai Shan and Manbao nodded together, "Yes, you were."
Bai Erlang then stuck his head in from outside the curtain and said, "Right, I’ve decided to write this story down and sell it to the bookshops to spread it around. You guys don’t mind using your experiences for my writing, do you?"
Bai Shan advertised on behalf of Bai Erlang, "His handwriting isn’t bad, and his literary style is quite good. Most importantly, the three of us ca up with the story together, and it’s based on your experiences, so don’t worry, the story will be good."
Manbao nodded repeatedly, "Everyone really loves this story. Once it’s written, he can even give you guys so money."
Bai Erlang generously waved his hand and said, "Money is a trivial matter; just a bit, I want to create it!"
Bai Shan and Manbao did not argue with him, "Okay, it’s all yours."
Seeing that they didn’t seem to care at all, Bai Er then pushed his luck, "Then, is it possible not to include your two nas and just use my na alone?"
Bai Shan was not pleased, "The story was thought up by the three of us, and I mostly made it up. It’s already good enough that you get to create it, and now you want it all to yourself?"
Manbao added, "Exactly, we’re not asking for a share of the money because you’re going to write it."
"I don’t care about the money, I’ll give you the money, just give the credit."
Manbao then looked at Bai Shan, and Bai Shan also hesitated for a mont, just a brief mont, then nodded, "Okay, it’s settled then, you won’t have a penny."
Bai Erlang, delighted, his eyes nearly squinted shut, waved his hand and said, "Money, I’ve got plenty of it, I’m not like you guys who spent all your savings. Now that I’m not getting a cut of the money, you two discuss the profit sharing among yourselves."
Then he retracted his head back outside, let the curtain fall, and cheerfully planned how he was going to start writing when he returned ho that evening.
The story told verbally and the story written down are different, the literary style needs to be polished.
Manbao looked at Bai Shan, and Bai Shan looked back at Manbao, their gazes exchanged for a mont, and then they both turned their heads to look at Xiang Mingxue.
Xiang Mingxue: ...
Shouldn’t such an act of impersonation and secrets be discussed quietly? Why discuss it in front of him?
Moreover, to give up the authorship just for such a small amount of money, that’s... just too shaless!
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