The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 004 County Prison

After leaving Renji Pharmacy, Zhou Lun didn't intend to wait idly. He took Wang Tieniu and Li Shoutian to the general store and Taibai Tower in turn.

The shopkeeper, Mr. Qian, was polite, but the man was incredibly timid and absolutely refused to get involved. He stubbornly pushed back the loose change Zhou Lun offered, shaking his head vigorously, repeating the same phrase over and over: "How could such a thing be something a commoner like me should get involved in? Don't harm me... don't harm me..."

Seeing this, Zhou Lun didn't press the matter further and simply stopped talking about it, then turned and left.

Master He from Taibai Tower was not there. When asked, the waiter said that he had gone out to visit friends the day before yesterday, and the servants did not know when he would return.

After running around like this, only Manager Liu of Renji Pharmacy still held some hope. Seeing that it was getting late, Zhou Lun decided to stay in the county town for the time being and ask Manager Liu for more details the next day.

There were inns in the county, but Zhou Lun and his companions didn't stay there. They didn't have much money to begin with, and they needed to save it for trying to rescue Li Shouyi. If the three of them stayed at an inn, it would cost at least ten coins a night, which Zhou Lun couldn't bear to part with.

They went straight to the City God Temple in the city and spent the night in a dilapidated house behind the temple.

Although the conditions here are poor and there are many people from all walks of life around, Zhou Lun is not worried about that.

I've spent the night in much worse conditions when hiking before, so what's this? Besides, the three of them look like ordinary farmers, living a hard life, not rich people, so what are they afraid of? Three strong young men together, most people wouldn't dare to cause trouble. They found a spot, tidied up a bit, spread some dry grass on the ground, and spent the night there fully clothed.

The next day at daybreak, they went to a nearby house to ask for a bowl of water and filled their stomachs with the dry rations they had brought. When the sun was high in the sky, Zhou Lun and his companions returned to Renji Pharmacy and found Manager Liu.

Upon seeing Zhou Lun arrive, Manager Liu gave him a wink. Zhou Lun nodded in understanding, told Wang Tieniu and Li Shoutian to wait outside the shop, and then stepped inside.

Following Manager Liu around to the side of the shop, Manager Liu lowered his voice before speaking: "Shouyi's matter is a bit troublesome. He's currently imprisoned in the county jail. Normally, that would be fine, but this time it involves a major matter of imperial taxes. I asked Constable Zhao, and he said that without the approval of the county magistrate or the clerk, even he can't make a decision..."

"Manager Liu, please do me the favor!" Zhou Lun's heart sank. This was not good news, but he had no other choice but to beg Manager Liu for help.

Manager Liu sighed, "How could we possibly meet the county magistrate and the clerk? This old man is powerless to help with this matter. The only official I know is Constable Zhao. How about this, I'll take you to see him. If he's willing to lend a hand and speak to the higher-ups, perhaps there's still a chance."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Lun was overjoyed. Although the matter had not yet been accomplished, it was still good to have gotten in touch with Constable Zhao.

The county officials each had their own area of ​​responsibility. The most important official was naturally the county magistrate, and besides him were the county assistant, the registrar, the clerk, and the instructor.

Leaving aside the county magistrate, the county clerk was the magistrate's deputy, equivalent to the executive deputy county head in later times. The clerk was roughly equivalent to the deputy county head and head of the public security bureau. Constable Zhao worked in the express patrol unit, a position similar to the captain of both the criminal investigation and public security squads. If he were willing to help, getting Li Shouyi out shouldn't be a problem.

After thanking Manager Liu, who readily agreed, Zhou Lun left the shop to find Constable Zhao.

Zhou Lun initially thought the matter would be easy, but after meeting Constable Zhao, he realized he had misunderstood.

Manager Liu acted as a go-between, and Zhou Lun did manage to meet the person, but what Constable Zhao said made Zhou Lun's heart sink completely.

Chief Constable Zhao made it clear that releasing Li Shouyi wasn't impossible, but it would cost money. Aside from bribes to the county magistrate and the clerk, there would be expenses to cover the police station, the county jail, and even his own side. All things considered, it would come to at least thirty taels of silver, and that was only because of Manager Liu's influence. If Zhou Lun were to do it himself, no amount of money would be of any use.

Officer Zhao also told Zhou Lun that they needed to act quickly in dealing with Li Shouyi's matter. It hadn't reached the county magistrate yet, and if the magistrate found out why Li Shouyi had been arrested, it wouldn't be something that money could solve.

The newly appointed county magistrate is a second-ranked scholar who came from a family of upright officials. He is particularly concerned about the imperial court's tax policy this time. The day before yesterday, he summoned the county officials and reiterated that the tax collection must be strictly enforced to complete the imperial court's task.

At this critical juncture, once the county magistrate learns of Li Shouyi's situation, he certainly won't let him off easily, and there's a high probability he'll be used as a scapegoat. Li Shouyi might end up getting a beating and then sentenced to prison; those beatings in the courtroom are no joke—it's not uncommon for people to die after dozens of strokes.

Zhou Lun understood perfectly what Zhao the constable was saying; he knew exactly what Zhao wanted: money. With money, everything would be fine; without it, he wouldn't release the man. As for threatening him with the county magistrate, the threats of beatings and imprisonment, it was all just a bluff. But Zhou Lun dared not test the waters. If he offended Zhao the constable and the man really made a scene, things would get complicated.

But where could Zhou Lun find thirty taels of silver?

The money I saved up, along with the help of Wang Tieniu, Li Shoutian, and the clan elder Li Shiyan, totaled only seven taels.

Upon arriving in the county town, in an effort to pull strings and find connections, Manager Liu gave him three qian of silver. He had also bought some gifts when he met Constable Zhao, spending over three hundred wen. Now, all things considered, Zhou Lun only had six taels of silver left, far short of the thirty taels Constable Zhao wanted.

Left with no other choice, Zhou Lun could only plead earnestly, saying many kind words, hoping that Constable Zhao would show leniency and let Li Shouyi go. As for the thirty taels of silver, he really couldn't come up with it right now, but he promised to give five taels first, and the rest would be owed. He would figure out a way after Li Shouyi was released. If all else failed, Li Shouyi still had a few acres of poor land, and he would sell everything he owned to scrape together the silver.

Upon hearing this, the previously amiable Constable Zhao's expression instantly changed. He looked Zhou Lun up and down with a cold smile, his expression clearly saying, "Do you think I'm stupid?"

Releasing people without receiving any money? Absolutely not. As for selling land to raise money, in previous years Officer Zhao might have agreed, but now it's almost a famine year, the crops are about to fail, and the land will soon be worthless. Doesn't he know that?

In short, it boils down to this: bring the money, and we'll release them. Without the money, there's nothing to discuss.

Looking at Zhao the Constable's despicable face, Zhou Lun wanted nothing more than to rush up and punch him hard, making his face splatter. But circumstances forced him to act against his will; he knew that doing so would not only be futile and fail to rescue Li Shouyi, but would also put him in danger. Helpless, he could only suppress his anger and continue to smile obsequiously, pleading with Zhao the Constable to show mercy.

But the final outcome was already predetermined. With nothing but money in his eyes, Constable Zhao was unwilling to give in easily. He became impatient with Zhou Lun and tried to send him away. Left with no other option, Zhou Lun had to settle for second best, suggesting he visit Li Shouyi in prison. But a visit also cost money, and Constable Zhao immediately quoted two taels of silver. Zhou Lun was furious, but he gritted his teeth and agreed, paying the silver before finally seeing Li Shouyi in prison.

The county prison was gloomy, dark, and damp, with terrible conditions. Li Shouyi, who was imprisoned inside, looked like he had suffered a lot, and his condition seemed to be not good.

"Big brother!"

"Second brother? What brings you here?"

"Brother, what happened... Did they beat you up?" Seeing Li Shouyi's bruised and swollen face, covered in injuries, with blood seeping from many places, Zhou Lun's heart tightened, and tears almost fell.

Li Shouyi grinned, feigning nonchalance, and said, "It's nothing, just a minor injury. It's just to loosen my bones. By the way, what brings you here? Is something wrong in the village?"

"I came to see you. Everything's fine in the village, brother. Please stay here and don't worry. I'm trying to figure out how to get you out of here. Just bear with it for now..."

Li Shouyi smiled but said nothing more. He knew in his heart that once you're in a place like this, getting out won't be easy. Looking at Zhou Lun, whose eyes were red and whose face was full of anxiety, he felt more relief than anything else. He hadn't misjudged his brother; he was a man of loyalty and righteousness.

Zhou Lun wiped away his tears, turned and slipped some loose silver into the hand of a jailer, begging him to take good care of Li Shouyi in prison. The jailer naturally stuffed the silver into his pocket, laughing and saying it was a small matter; as long as there was silver, he guaranteed Li Shouyi wouldn't suffer anymore. If Zhou Lun gave him more, not only would he ensure Li Shouyi's comfort inside, but he could even arrange a feast at the Taibai Tower and find a prostitute at the Yihong Courtyard to send to Li Shouyi.

After thanking the jailer, Zhou Lun spoke a few more words to Li Shouyi, his words essentially telling him to rest assured that he would work around the clock to get him out as soon as possible.

The time for the visit was quickly approaching, and the jailer urged Zhou Lun to leave.

Before leaving, Zhou Lun took a deep look at Li Shouyi, who was smiling at him, clenched his fist, and then turned and left with the jailer.

Once outside, the sunlight was blinding, a stark contrast to the dark and damp prison they had just been in.

Zhou Lun strode forward, the sound of the prison door closing echoing behind him. He didn't turn around, and quickly left the place.

Once outside the gate, Wang Tieniu and Li Shoutian, who were waiting there, eagerly came up to greet him and anxiously inquired about Li Shouyi's situation.

"We'll talk about it when we get back..."

This wasn't the place to talk. Zhou Lun gave them a wink and quickly walked in one direction. Half an hour later, they returned to the back of the City God Temple where they had camped the day before. It was daytime now, and there weren't many people around, so Zhou Lun lowered his voice and told Wang Tieniu and Li Shoutian about Li Shouyi's situation.