Zhao Chengxiao knew Qiu Yi's background and the meaning of his words, so he said, "Since these people have spoken, then Qiao'er and Ying'er's grievances are cleared. But these officials in Jiangnan are really unyielding. I'm afraid that after they know that you are back, they will come here to tangle with you again."
Qiu Yizi said nonchalantly: "It's okay, I'm not here, Brother Zhao wasn't afraid of them; now that I'm back, how can I still suffer from their losses?"
After saying this, Qiu Yizi inspected the cell inside and out. Seeing that Miaozhen Jushi, Li Shenshi and several other young nuns were all properly imprisoned, most of them were curled up and sleeping. He did not speak to them and went back to the yamen to sleep.
Unfortunately, Zhao Chengxiao's words came true and something really happened in the prison.
The next morning, when it was still light, Qiu Yizhi was half asleep and half awake when she heard someone knocking on the door and shouting, "My lord, my lord, get up quickly, something has happened!"
Qiu Yizi had just returned to the county after a long journey from the capital. He was exhausted. He heard the voices of someone calling out from outside the door and replied, "Is it the 'Iron Head Dragon'? What could be the big deal? Can you let me have a good sleep?"
Wang Laowu still spoke in a hurried tone: "Sir! It's the prefect Cai who came and said he wants to pardon the prisoners."
Qiu Yizi was shocked when he heard this: a prefect, who was also a governor of a region, actually came to his county so early in the morning to do business - you know, it takes more than half a day to travel from Yuezhou Prefecture to Shanyin County. Cai Min must have set out from the prefecture immediately after receiving the news that he had returned to Shanyin County, and rushed here overnight - it was not easy for him to be so diligent given his status.
This was indeed an urgent matter. Thinking of this, Qiu Yizi sat up from the bed and was about to get dressed and wash up, but then she thought that it would be a good idea if she could leave Cai Min alone for a while.
So Qiu Yizhi asked loudly: "Can you see clearly, is it really the prefect Cai?"
Wang Laowu replied, "I don't know any Master Cai or Master Fan. Brother Zhao sent me here to inform the Master."
Qiu Yizhi knew that although Zhao Chengxiao was a warrior, he always did things properly. Since he had confirmed it, it must be Cai Min without a doubt. However, he said, "Zhao Chengxiao said it was Cai Min, so it must be Cai Min? Go back and ask clearly, and then report back!"
Wang Laowu was a rough and clumsy man, how could he know the tricks in Qiu Yizhi's mind? He quickly agreed and ran away.
After sending Wang Laowu away, Qiu Yizi's sleepiness disappeared. Although she didn't want to get up immediately, she couldn't lie down anymore. She sat on the bed alone, thinking about how to deal with the situation.
After a long while, Wang Laowu came back and shouted outside the door: "Sir, it is indeed the prefect Cai who has come. Bring me his name card."
Qiu Yizi was secretly angry after hearing this: You, Wang Laowu, are my subordinate, why do you have the right to run errands for Cai Min
However, she couldn't say this. Qiu Yizi opened the door in her underwear, stretched out her hand, took Cai Min's name card, glanced at it, and returned it to Wang Laowu and said, "If it is really Mr. Cai, you go and report it now, and ask Mr. Cai to sit in the county government office for a while. I will come after I wash up."
Wang Laowu said "Oh" and ran out.
Seeing him in such a hurry, Qiu Yizi said unhappily, "I know you are fast, but you don't have to show off at this time. What are you in such a hurry? Walk slowly, are you in a hurry to be reincarnated?"
These two lessons are totally unreasonable. If they were applied to other people, even if they didn't make a fuss openly, they would still harbor resentment in secret.
Fortunately, Wang Laowu was a simple-minded man and didn't think of so many things. He agreed and went downstairs.
However, Shanyin was only a small county town after all. Wang Laowu came back less than a cup of tea after he left. He said to Qiu Yizi's door, "Your Excellency. Lord Cai said that he is waiting to see you in the prison."
Qiu Yizi said, "Go back and tell them what I said, saying that the prison is an ominous place and it is disrespectful to meet your superiors there. Tell them that I am waiting for you in the county government office and ask Mr. Cai to move inside the government office to talk. By the way, walk slowly and be careful."
Wang Laowu agreed again, and walked down step by step according to Qiu Yizi's instructions.
So, just to figure out where to meet, Wang Laowu ran back and forth three times. Even though he was good-tempered, he couldn't hold back his anger and said, "Sir! I've also been to government offices before. Is it so important where we meet? Look at what time it is now. If I keep walking like this, I'll starve to death."
Qiu Yizi smiled and said, "What do you know? Just run if I tell you to. When I have time to go to Jinling, I'll take you with me and have some fun in the Jiangyun Tower, okay?"
These words really touched Wang Laowu's heart. He immediately smiled, agreed and walked away.
Unexpectedly, not long after Wang Laowu left, Qiu Yizi heard a half-familiar voice: "Master Qiu is really arrogant. I have invited you so many times, but you are still resting in the room."
Qiu Yizhi was shocked when he heard this - Cai Min actually came to the back hall to meet him - so Qiu Yizhi could no longer be so arrogant. He hurried out of the room and bowed to Cai Min, saying, "It turns out that Lord Cai is here. I am sorry for not coming to greet you in person."
Cai Min was immediately furious when she heard his hypocritical greetings, and said, "I have been here for more than two hours. If Lord Qiu really wants to welcome me, I am afraid we have already reached Yuezhou City."
Qiu Yizi seemed not to hear the sarcasm in Cai Min's words, and said flatteringly: "It's all the fault of those servants who don't know what's going on. They only come to inform me now. Besides, it's really rude to meet Lord Cai in the prison. How about we talk in front of the hall?"
Cai Min waved his hand and said, "No need. I am here on the orders of the Governor, Lord Yin, to pardon the prisoners imprisoned by Lord Qiu. Since Lord Qiu has already gotten up, come with me to the prison!"
When Qiu Yizi heard him say this, he thought: Cai Min, this old fox, is no less cunning than Yin Chengliang. With just two short sentences, he has completely pushed all the responsibilities to others.
So he pretended to be embarrassed and said, "Isn't this a bit inappropriate? The case hasn't been closed yet, and I can't bear the responsibility of letting the main culprit go just like that!"
Cai Min glanced at Qiu Yi, took out a note from his pocket, and said, "This is Lord Yin's order, take a look."
Qiu Yizi took it and looked at it. It was indeed written in Yin Chengliang's pretentious small regular script. The note was written in an incoherent manner, with only one sentence: "Ask Shanyin County Magistrate Qiu Yizi to release the relevant prisoner immediately." But it was flawless.
Qiu Yizhi sneered when he saw it, but did not return the note to Cai Min. Instead, he carefully hid it in his arms as a proof for the future, and said, "Even if it is Lord Yin's order, I dare not obey it. After all, the king's law is ruthless, and Lord Yin must obey it."
"Haha, the king's law?" Cai Min laughed dryly and said, "Does Lord Qiu also know the king's law? I heard that you appeared in a brothel in Jinling City a few days ago. I sent people here many times, but I didn't see Lord Qiu. Could it be that you stayed there all day and night and only came back yesterday?"
Qiu Yizi laughed and said, "Master Cai, how could you imagine me to be so shameless? I didn't go to a brothel, but I went to do something important."
"Humph!" Cai Min also laughed, "What a 'major matter'. Aren't you afraid that the Jiangnan Qingliu will impeach you? Not to mention that staying in a brothel is harmful to an official's health, just the four words 'absent from duty' will ruin your future."
Qiu Yizi didn't care about the insignificant future of a seventh-rank county magistrate. Moreover, he had explained the matter in detail to the emperor, the prime minister, and several princes during his visit to Beijing. Now, let alone impeaching him for such a trivial matter, even accusing him of treason would be meaningless.
Therefore, Qiu Yizhi smiled very easily and said, "That's right, that's right. Since Lord Cai thinks that I have violated the law, you can naturally impeach me to the higher authorities and the court. Similarly, I think that what you are doing is not in accordance with the rules, so I can temporarily disobey your orders."
Cai Min has been an official for twenty years and has always prided himself on his ability to control his subordinates. All his subordinates are wary of him, except for Qiu Yizi, who appeared out of nowhere and does not take his immediate superior seriously.
Seeing Qiu Yizhi's reckless look, Cai Min really wanted to kick him to death. The muscles on his face twitched with anger, and he cursed: "You... you... you immature boy, don't refuse a toast and drink a penalty!"
Qiu Yizhi started his career very early. At a young age, he followed Zheng Rong on the battlefield. He had heard this insult countless times and no longer took it to heart. So he said, "Since that's the case, Lord Cai, please don't waste your time here. Please go back to Yuezhou government office first. I'm still waiting here to read your masterpiece impeaching me!"
Cai Min became even more angry after hearing this, and pointed at Qiu Yizhi's nose and scolded: "Don't be so complacent! Let me tell you, I am not unprepared for this trip. I have already notified General Xu of Yuezhou Prefecture, and he is going to bring troops here!"
Qiu Yizhi was shocked when he heard this, and asked hurriedly with wide eyes, "What? You actually sent the government troops here?"
Seeing that he was finally panicking, Cai Min couldn't help but feel proud, so he said, "Since you are scared, why don't you take me to the cell to release the prisoner? I will forgive you for what you did before."
Unexpectedly, Qiu Yizi seemed not to hear Cai Min's words. He picked up his sword and other things from the table and shouted loudly: "Jiming! Jiming! Come with me to the prison!" Then he ran towards the prison.
Yuchi Jiming had already gotten up and was practicing martial arts in the back garden. When he heard Qiu Yi's call, he hurriedly followed him and headed towards the prison.
The Shanyin County Prison was just a stone's throw away from the county government office. Qiu Yizi ran in a hurry, and in a short while, he was outside the prison.
However, outside the cell, apart from Zhao Chengxiao and a few of his personal soldiers who were confronting about twenty yamen runners brought by Cai Min, there was no one else - presumably it was the General Wang mentioned by Cai Min who had not yet arrived here - Qiu Yizi immediately breathed a sigh of relief when he saw this, and quickly walked to Zhao Chengxiao's side.
When Zhao Chengxiao saw Qiu Yizhi coming, he made up his mind and said, "Sir, we followed your orders and did not let them in."
Qiu Yizi nodded and said, "Well done. Cai Min just told me that he has transferred General Xu, the General of Yuezhou Prefecture, to come here. He might want to bring troops to rob people. We can't be careless about this. Immediately send a few capable soldiers to the county government to transport food and water, and be prepared for a long-term confrontation."
Zhao Chengxiao was originally a bandit leader and had been in battle for a long time. He knew the meaning of Qiu Yi's words very well. He agreed and immediately called "Iron Head Jiao" and seven or eight other people to go to the county government to transport water and rice. (To be continued)