Convict Bing: "Lord Li Gong flatters me too much; I am old now. I fear this departure might be my last, and I won’t come back. Lord Li Gong, still in your prime years, our Jiangzhe will still look up to you in the future!"
Convict Jia: "Liu is right; he is young, capable, and a disciple of a high official from the Ministry of Revenue. His reinstatement is but a trifle!"
Convict Yi: "If our young brother here were to soar to the skies one day, don’t forget the ’schoolmate’ bond we share today!"
Convict Bing: "Hahaha, what Official Mei says is indeed true! Even a wooden window is a window. If it weren’t for those treacherous scoundrels’ arrogance, how could we have had the chance to dwell in the same room?"
Convict Yi: "Let the record show clearly, let the record show clearly... You convicts responsible for labor and punishment, bring wine here quickly. If you know what’s good for you today, we can show mercy in the future and spare your lives!
A convict raked his fingers down the wooden window, pointing at the Embroidered Guard ensign who was outside in the corridor overseeing the distribution of food and bellowed.
With a superior and domineering attitude, he seemed as if he was adorned in official robes, sitting high in the court, commanding the lives and deaths of tens of thousands.
"Pfft."
The ensign, who had been watching and holding his arms for a while, finally couldn’t help but let out a laugh, saying in a peculiar tone: "I’ve lived for a good part of my life, yet this is the first time I’ve seen someone who can enjoy such a joyous meal while facing execution..."
"Hahaha..."
Several Embroidered Guards, who had also been holding their laughter for a long time, burst into laughter together.
One guard even imitated the convict who had just spoken, in a mocking voice: "Your Excellency’s insight is profound; in the future, we Embroidered Guards will look up to Your Excellency!"
"Yes, yes, the bond we share here is just like schoolmates’. If Your Excellency ascends smoothly to high positions in the future, don’t forget us, your poor brothers making merry in hardship!"
"Let the record show clearly, let the record show clearly!"
A bunch of jerks laughed so hard they rocked back and forth.
The dull hum of the dark prison suddenly seemed to quiet down, leaving only their gleeful, unrestrained laughter echoing back and forth.
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"Plunk."
A slice of ham from a convict’s chopsticks silently hit the ground.
He suddenly snapped back to reality, flipping his dinner plate in rage, stood up, and slammed the cell door, screaming: "I am a graduate appointed by the late emperor, an official commanded by the imperial court. You cannot execute me without the joint trial of the three judiciary departments!"
The impotent roar of anger awakened several other convicts shocked by the disastrous news as if the sky had fallen and the ground had crumbled beneath them.
They stood up one by one, frantically banging on the door, introducing themselves.
"I am a graduate appointed by His Majesty in the eighth year of Xiping, a disciple of the Emperor. Even if I am guilty, how could you, mere labor and punishment convicts, be fit to kill me?"
"I am the kinsman of the Minister of Revenue, Geng Jingzhong. If you harm me, Minister Geng will certainly not spare any of you..."
"I still have important case information to disclose, I have important case information to disclose..."
For a moment, the cell was filled with the sounds of banging on the door, flipping tables, roaring, wailing, and pleading, one after another.
Louder than the cries of hawkers at a temple fair.
"Look at this broken mouth of yours!"
The ensign supervising the food distribution annoyedly patted his forehead and solemnly said: "Let me make it clear first, each person only gets one portion, okay? There are people keeping track outside. If you flip your food, you won’t get replacements!"
At that moment, those few convicts who had previously been furiously angry in secret for not having more meat in their meals, thinking it was because their official positions were too low and their connections too weak, even allowing mere prison guards to humiliate them... nearly all of them almost burst out laughing.
"Eat, eat, eat; eat yourselves to death!"
"Weren’t you acting all important just now? Continue with your airs!"
"The imperial envoy didn’t oppress me before he came, and you still oppress me even after he arrives. Was the imperial envoy’s visit in vain?"