Chapter 77

In a single night, over a hundred lives quietly departed from this world.

The guards did not intervene; Lan Yu had already been executed for treason, and all the men and women of the three clans were to be publicly beheaded as a result of his crimes, unless the emperor himself decreed otherwise. The method of their deaths was not important.

The official with a sword explained most clearly: for Lady Chang's status, choosing to commit suicide was a dignified matter for everyone, and the emperor would certainly not hold it against her. Otherwise, if Lady Chang and Lan Yu's daughters, who had contributed to the country, were beheaded in public, it would surely cause the emperor's displeasure.

In short, everyone knew that Lan Yu had died unjustly. Why was he executed in less than a day? Did it need to be said? Since he was not truly guilty of the worst crimes, the emperor naturally only cared about the outcome, not the process.

Xu Hao and the guards deeply admired the women's resolve. They spontaneously and silently searched for coffins or door panels, carefully lifting the stiff bodies hanging from the beams, placing a layer of funeral paper underneath and covering them with white cloth according to custom.

The women and maids who had not taken their own lives had already run out of tears. They begged to be given a few pieces of clothing that their mistresses and young ladies had loved, so they could dress them properly before they went to the afterlife.

However, in ancient times, clothing was equivalent to circulating currency, especially in noble families, where even a single piece could be worth twenty to thirty taels of silver. With so many eyes watching, it was not something Xu Hao and the others could decide.

In the end, Xu Hao hardened his heart and refused. Amidst the women's sorrow, he waved his hand and had the bodies carried out of the city to the Lan family cemetery for proper burial.

Xu Hao noticed Chan Chan and Juan Juan in the group of women and nodded slightly to them. The two women, who had harbored a glimmer of hope, were overjoyed.

At this moment, the madams from the brothels rushed over, charging towards the women, grabbing those with good looks and not letting go. They pulled and fought, and an old, frail grandmother was pushed and fell, causing the young girls to cry helplessly once again.

A few people stepped forward to block their path. The fattest madam lifted a white cloth, glanced at the face of a corpse, and shouted, "I will go to the palace to report you. How could you let everyone die? Oh, what a pity for this young lady's beauty, it's a waste!"

Respect the dead, a young guard could not help but draw his sword and shouted, "Can you control whether someone wants to die? Don't think we don't know about the evil business you run in the brothels, behind the emperor's back. If you dare to cause trouble, watch out for my sword."

The fat madam placed her hands on her hips and laughed coldly, "A mere guard, what are you being so arrogant about? Do you know how many high officials are eyeing these fine women from noble families? According to the law, the female relatives of criminals are under the jurisdiction of our brothels. What right do you have to lecture me? And if you let them die, it's dereliction of duty, and you will all be guilty."

Another madam added, "All of us serve the emperor, our brothels are not afraid of you little guards. What are you being so arrogant about? Be careful, one day if you get into trouble, your women might end up in our hands, and then you'll be begging and kneeling for mercy."

"Exactly," the first madam cursed, "To be honest, your master has already chosen several of the Lan family's girls and asked us to help train them. Now they're all dead, and I want to see how you will explain this to him."

The guards turned red with anger but were helpless. Only Xu Hao could not bear it and stepped forward, swiftly drawing his sword and heavily slashing the fat madam's arm. With another swing, half of another madam's ear flew off with blood.

With a clatter, Xu Hao casually threw the weapon to the ground, not even looking at the two madams who were screaming in pain. He said to his colleagues, "I will take responsibility for my actions. Send me to the Ministry of Justice prison."

In the dark and gloomy prison of the Ministry of Justice, Xu Hao was squeezed in with a group of criminals. The other cells were empty, and it was said that the death row cells were already full, with over five hundred of Lan Yu's adopted sons being the first to be arrested.

Lan Yu's current situation could be considered his own fault. Without mentioning other things, he had over three thousand adopted sons. Such a person, no matter which emperor, would not have a good end.

In his combined lifetimes, this was Xu Hao's first time in prison. However, he had heard many stories about prison when drinking, and he knew that when he first arrived, he either had to be willing to risk his life or submit and show weakness.

Prison culture has been passed down for thousands of years, and the rules are mostly the same. Indeed, the criminals saw that Xu Hao was clean and his demeanor and aura were different, and they immediately recognized him as a rich young man.

In their eyes, Xu Hao was like a swan, the sweetest and most delicious. In this place without light, his smooth and tender skin was no less than that of a celestial beauty, and he could be made to pick up soap and could be used to extort money from his family.

"Brother, where are you from?" the middle-aged man, who was the prison bully, asked with a smile.

Xu Hao had already taken off his guard uniform and was now wearing a prison uniform with a large "prisoner" character. He deliberately waved his sleeve and said with a smile, "I am a guard before the emperor, a loyal and brave knight, the third son of the Wei National Duke. The Prince of Yan, the Prince of Dai, and the Prince of An are my uncles, and the Princess of the Qin family is my sister-in-law. The entire city's princes are my good brothers. Most importantly, I am not afraid of death. I just injured two officials from the brothels. Do you believe I can take all of you on, and we won't stop until one of us is dead?"

This deliberate exaggeration of his status shocked all the criminals. Among them, there were some from noble families, but none as high-ranking as this one.

No one should provoke the royal family; any sensible person would understand this. The middle-aged man asked uncertainly, "With your status, you should be sent to the Imperial Clan Office, not the Ministry of Justice prison. Why are you here?"

"Damn," Xu Hao suddenly realized. Indeed, if it hadn't resulted in a death, he could have gone to the Imperial Clan Office, and his status was just enough. The Imperial Clan Office was the highest-ranking office, and the head of the clan was Prince Qin Zhu Song, and the left head was Prince Yan Zhu Di. What a mess.

The middle-aged man carefully observed Xu Hao's reaction. Seeing his regretful face, he realized that Xu Hao was not pretending and immediately gave up the idea of bullying the new arrival. People in the capital knew how to read the situation, and in a place where the powerful were as numerous as dogs, one needed to have some discernment to survive.

Not just him, but all the criminals automatically treated Xu Hao as someone to be respected from a distance. Of course, if Xu Hao could not prove his identity over time, the suffering he would face would be ten times worse.

Xu Hao was not sure when his family would come to visit. On the way, he had asked a few colleagues for help, and from their united response, he believed they would promptly inform the guards like Wang Hu.

At this moment, an elderly man with a refined and scholarly demeanor walked over and sat down, asking, "Young master, what exactly happened outside? Why are we all locked up together?"

The others perked up their ears. Xu Hao smiled bitterly and said, "As a guard, I know clearly, but I cannot say. In a day or two, you will understand. The cells are all prepared to hold people."

"Oh!" The old man understood and sighed, "It seems there is another major case. I remember the three major cases of the past, when the prison was so crowded that it was unimaginable. People were squeezed so tightly that they couldn't even stand, and every day, some couldn't bear it and died. It was too tragic."

Damn! How many times have you been in prison? Xu Hao immediately had great respect for the old man, recognizing him as a seasoned veteran.

The entire prison was filled with a foul stench. The chamber pot was overflowing with feces, and fortunately, there were no flies. The wet and tattered straw mats were full of holes, and lice were everywhere.

Xu Hao was respectfully invited to the upper seat, the driest place, where a fresh breeze from the skylight blew in.

At this moment, his family, having bribed the guards, came to offer some words of comfort and brought a new silk quilt and several food boxes, confirming Xu Hao's status.

Xu Hao couldn't eat, and he generously said, "Leave one bottle of wine for me, and you can share the rest."

The others were overjoyed and thanked him. Under the middle-aged bully's allocation, the food and wine were distributed according to the hierarchy in the prison. The seven or eight habitual thieves and those who had insulted women, as well as a few old and weak, had no right to eat.

This place did not allow for any talk of righteousness. Xu Hao watched the prison's rules and drank his wine alone.

This night was particularly difficult. Xu Hao had experienced similar situations before, having been squeezed in trains during student holidays and the Spring Festival travel rush. At that time, he had vowed never to take the train again.

But now, hearing the disturbing snoring and the pungent smell, Xu Hao began to miss the crowded train carriages of the past.

Hugging the silk quilt, Xu Hao finally calmed down and regretted his impulsiveness. There were many ways to punish those despicable madams after the fact.

Moreover, his luck was bad. If it hadn't been for this critical moment, any superior officer could have protected him. Any soldier knew that no superior would fail to protect their subordinates; otherwise, they would have no authority and could not lead troops.

Last night, Lady Chang, who had committed suicide, had said, "The night is long." Xu Hao began to understand the bitterness in those words. Reflecting on the entire incident, he suddenly realized that he had become someone who could easily draw his sword and kill over trivial matters.

Power can make one lose oneself. Having lived a life of privilege, he no longer saw some people as human beings, which was terrifying.

However, to avoid being preyed upon, power was necessary. He needed to strive for a balance, having the means to protect his life and family while not abusing power to take lives lightly.

Xu Hao, trapped in prison, woke up with a start!