Chapter 1 of 10

Chapter 1

17 min read4,266 words

"Someone says this place is the netherworld. We are like the ghosts in the Yama's hall, nonsense, it's clearly nonsense! This is a gross and irresponsible slander from those who do not understand us! Such prejudice and misunderstanding make us, who work hard and fulfill our duties, feel deeply aggrieved."

The speaker was dressed in a light blue prison guard uniform, wearing a lacquer cap slightly larger than his head, a worn red sash around his waist, and a pair of white-soled black-faced straight-leg boots that didn't quite fit. His attire clearly marked him as a prison guard.

However, he stood in the dark, sunless cell of the Xuan No. 1 prison in the Beijing Ministry of Justice, addressing the newly incarcerated officials with a humble demeanor, as if he were a young apprentice soliciting business at the "Spring Breeze Tower," lacking only the towel over his shoulder.

He was quite young, in the transition from adolescence to adulthood. He was of average height and build, with a face that was above average in appearance, but his willow-leaf eyebrows made his eyes particularly lively. His lips, with their clear lines and diamond shape, gave him a rosy and white appearance.

He smiled gently, as innocent as a maiden: "My name is Ye, Ye Xiaotian. I started hanging around in the prison when I was three years old and officially took over my father's position at the age of sixteen, becoming a guard in the Xuan No. 1 prison. It is now the eighth year of the Wanli era, and I have been serving the imperial court for three full years. Thanks to the appreciation of the prison warden, I am now the head of the Xuan No. 1 prison. I have a pure and good nature..."

Just as Ye Xiaotian was boasting, a prison guard in his thirties quickly approached him, whispering in his ear: "Boss, someone is causing trouble, complaining about the poor food and damp bedding. What should we do?"

Ye Xiaotian slightly turned his head and asked in a low voice: "Which blind fool dares to act tough in a place like this?"

The prison guard replied in a low voice: "It's Guan Yun, the former Deputy Director of the Dali Temple."

Ye Xiaotian asked: "Do you know his background?"

The prison guard said: "He embezzled 50,000 taels of silver. The Chief Minister personally approved his arrest, and his backers were also caught. There's no hope of him getting out."

Ye Xiaotian nodded and glanced at the newly incarcerated officials, his smile still serene. His voice, soft and clear, was only audible to the prison guard beside him.

"These corrupt officials, during the Hongwu era, embezzling 60 taels of silver was enough to have their skin flayed. Now, embezzling 50,000 taels, they still dare to complain. Do they think this prison is a place for them to enjoy their old age? They are truly being given too much respect. Since he finds the bed uncomfortable, let's put him in the empty cells at the end of the prison, where he can sleep on a pile of straw like a pig. Give him one steamed bun and a bowl of water a day, just enough to keep him alive."

The prison guard worriedly said: "Boss, what if he commits suicide?"

Ye Xiaotian sneered: "A person who still fusses in a place like this is unlikely to commit suicide. You don't need to beat him or scold him; just leave him alone. When he finally gives in, make him clean the latrines for a month. I don't believe I can't handle him!"

The prison guard smiled sinisterly and left to carry out the order.

Ye Xiaotian cleared his throat, facing the newly incarcerated officials, his smile as gentle as a spring breeze, his voice warm and friendly: "Gentlemen, you were all high-ranking officials, enjoying fine clothes and food. Even though you have fallen to this state, you are still noble. I, Ye Xiaotian, will take good care of you, making you feel at home in the Xuan No. 1 prison."

Ye Xiaotian bowed with a smile, his eyes sweeping over the group, ensuring that each "spectator" was acknowledged. He then walked away with a composed demeanor, like a patriarch inspecting his estate.

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The Ministry of Justice prison, commonly known as the Heavenly Prison, is divided into four sections: Heaven, Earth, Xuan, and Yellow. The Xuan section houses officials who were imprisoned due to financial crimes, most of whom were extremely wealthy. Therefore, the Xuan section is the most lucrative part of the Heavenly Prison.

However, the place where officials are imprisoned is not like an ordinary prison. A person who is a prisoner today might be reinstated tomorrow. Moreover, even in prison, officials have a different status from ordinary prisoners. If any of them commit suicide or self-harm, the prison guards will be in trouble.

On the other hand, if the guards indulge them, allowing them to abuse their power and collude with outsiders, they will also be in trouble. Therefore, being a prison guard in the Heavenly Prison is a difficult job, and being the head of the prison is even more challenging. It requires exceptional skills to manage these cunning people.

Ye Xiaotian took over his father's position at the age of sixteen and became a guard in the Xuan No. 1 prison. In just three years, he became the head of the prison, demonstrating his considerable skills.

Usually, when new officials are incarcerated, the guards introduce them to the prison conditions, and Ye Xiaotian does not need to appear personally. However, two months ago, Liu Fenghui, the head of the Ministry of Revenue, submitted a memorial to the emperor, accusing two major evils in the capital: one, the county magistrates and their subordinates plundering the people; and two, the nobles and high-ranking officials seizing the people's interests, leading to poverty and hardship.

Emperor Wanli took the memorial seriously and immediately issued an edict to investigate the internal treasury and reduce the people's burdens. He also ordered the three judicial departments to strictly investigate the illegal activities of officials and nobles. As a result, the Heavenly Prison received a group of new inmates, over ten officials in total. Ye Xiaotian took this matter very seriously and personally attended to them.

"Little brother, the Western astrology book you brought last time, I have studied it thoroughly and gained much insight. Come, let me give you a reading."

As Ye Xiaotian was about to leave, a voice suddenly called out from a nearby cell. At the same time, a withered arm reached out through the wooden bars, waving enthusiastically.

The wooden bars were made of thick logs, with layers of cracked old paint exposed after the new paint peeled off, silently declaring their age. The gap between the bars was only as wide as a hand, but the face of the official seemed to slip through effortlessly.

He looked old and gaunt, with a dirty, wrinkled prison uniform that almost obscured its original color. His head was almost bald, with only a few white hairs stubbornly standing on his pink scalp.

This bald old man was named Yang Lin, a former Deputy Director of the Ministry of Personnel. As an official who managed other officials, he had once been very powerful. However, he was now a prisoner, and due to his involvement with some influential figures, he had not been sentenced even after three years in prison.

Yang Lin was always fascinated by mysticism. During his time in office, he had little time to study it, but in the past three years, he had nothing to do in prison and spent his days studying the I Ching and the Art of War. He became increasingly obsessed with these mystical things, leading to a somewhat eccentric personality. The prison guards and inmates called him "Master Yang the Mystic."

Whenever Master Yang the Mystic gained new insights, he always wanted to test them on someone. Unfortunately, the guards and inmates were not interested in his ramblings, so Ye Xiaotian became his only test subject. He tried bone reading, fortune-telling, face reading, and analyzing birth dates, all on Ye Xiaotian.

Ye Xiaotian did not really believe in his ramblings, but he always pretended to be interested and squatted down in front of Yang Lin.

If any of these officials, especially those not yet sentenced, were to die, Ye Xiaotian, as the head of the prison, would be held responsible for dereliction of duty. Therefore, he always tried to give them a reason to live.

Yang Lin had no hope of escaping, and the only question was when he would die, depending on the power struggles of the influential figures above. Since he had no chance of being acquitted, even his family no longer visited him, leaving him with nothing to live for.

For such a person, abuse and punishment would only hasten his death, and good food and drink would not motivate him to live. Fortunately, he was interested in mysticism, so Ye Xiaotian catered to his interests by collecting many books on the subject for him. Yang Lin's current obsession with mysticism was partly due to Ye Xiaotian's encouragement.

Ye Xiaotian squatted down at the cell door, feigning enthusiasm: "Master Yang, have you gained new insights? Indeed, you are a great man. I heard from a Western missionary that the zodiac system based on the solar calendar is difficult for us Easterners to understand."

Yang Lin stroked his sparse beard and said proudly: "I have extensive knowledge. The Western zodiac system is far inferior to our Chinese I Ching. What is there to not understand? Come, come, tell me your birth date and time."

Ye Xiaotian cooperatively recited his birth date and time. Yang Lin immediately fell into deep thought, muttering: "Let me convert your birth time to the Western calendar..."

After a while, Yang Lin's expression brightened: "I have it! According to your birth date, you are a Gemini. Geminis are very clever, but they have a dual nature: yin and yang, complementary and contradictory. They possess both good and evil, happiness and sadness, gentleness and cruelty. Complex, complex..."

Yang Lin shook his bald head, and Ye Xiaotian, as a good listener, asked: "So, what is my fate?"

At that moment, a refined and clear voice came from a nearby cell: "Little Ye..." Business was calling, and Ye Xiaotian quickly gestured for Yang Lin to stop, hurrying over and rubbing his hands with a smile: "Minister Huang, what can I do for you, sir?"

Minister Huang fished out some loose silver and passed it through the cell door, saying slowly: "Please buy me a braised pork knuckle from 'Tianfu' and a roasted chicken from 'Tougu Xiang.' Make sure the pork knuckle is finely sliced and the chicken is freshly cooked. For the wine... let's go with huadiao, at least five years old."

"Sure thing! Please wait, I'll be right back."

Ye Xiaotian took the silver, feeling that there would be plenty left after buying the food and drink. He didn't expect to make a small profit just before his shift ended. As he walked out, his steps were lighter.

Guarding the high-walled courtyard of the Xuan No. 1 prison, dealing with the fallen officials, intimidating, coaxing, and deceiving them, and making a little extra money, this was Ye Xiaotian's daily happy life. He thought such "good days" would last a lifetime, but he didn't realize it was his last day in the Heavenly Prison.

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