Chapter 204: Chapter 94 Master and Servant_2
Qi Chuan hesitated, "This..."
Fan Zhenglian gave a mysterious smile, "Though I have fallen into such a state where complete exoneration is impossible, there is still room for maneuver in how this case is adjudicated. You, not being part of the officialdom, wouldn’t know that saving me is but a word away for those people of high status."
"The Grand Preceptor’s Mansion is my last resort," said Fan Zhenglian.
He took a step back, sipped some hot wine, and his eyes shone brightly in the dimly lit prison cell.
When he had dealt with that young man surnamed Lu cleanly, he had done a favor for the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion, yet he didn’t forget to keep an ace up his sleeve. He didn’t deliver that young man’s letter to the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion; instead, he had kept it secretly for himself.
Handled poorly, the item could be a death warrant, but used wisely, it could be a lifesaver.
Now that he was at the end of his tether, whether he died sooner or later, it would be better to struggle first and think about the rest later.
Qi Chuan wanted to say something more when the voice of the prison guard urging from outside rang out, "Time’s up—"
Fan Zhenglian glanced outside, then said to Qi Chuan, "Go, and don’t forget what I’ve told you."
He responded, packed up the empty food basket to take away, and as he was about to leave, Fan Zhenglian stopped him again.
"Xiaochuan," Fan Zhenglian didn’t dare to meet Qi Chuan’s eyes, his tone full of guilt, "these years, I have let you down."
Qi Chuan’s body shook, he said nothing, and quickly stepped outside.
Once out of the door, he stuffed a piece of silver into the hand of the prison guard, who weighed it and looked somewhat pleased, glancing at him, "You’re a good servant, still coming to visit the prison in such circumstances."
The words "good servant," once unheard, now seemed piercingly harsh to the ears. Qi Chuan left the Department of Criminal & Justice with his head down as a strong wind started to blow outside.
The wind, sharp as knives against his face, made him walk aimlessly, thinking about Fan Zhenglian’s instruction to go to the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion, his heart in turmoil.
Fan Zhenglian intended to play his last card by asking for help from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion, attempting a desperate turnaround. However, Qi Chuan knew that the situation outside was even worse than what Fan Zhenglian imagined.
In recent days, wherever he went, almost everyone was talking about the examination scandal. The higher-ups decided to launch a thorough investigation, and there were even rumors that they would retroactively probe into whether anyone involved in past examinations had cheated.
Feeling like a thief with a guilty conscience, he was constantly jumpy, plagued by nightmares of being arrested.
If they started investigating retroactively and found something on Fan Zhenglian, it would inevitably lead to him as well, and with Jiu’er still so young, her entire life would be ruined if such a father was exposed.
In fact, after Fan Zhenglian was imprisoned, others had approached him. Fan Zhenglian, having made many enemies over his years as an official, meant that if he defected to another, he would have to use Fan Zhenglian as his token of loyalty.
For some reason, he recalled the words of the female doctor from Renxin Medical Hall.
"The ship is sinking, won’t you hurry and escape first?"
Qi Chuan’s steps faltered.
In the dim prison, Fan Zhenglian, whether through sudden realization or something else, had called him "Xiaochuan" and said "I’m sorry."
If it were the old days, perhaps they would bury the hatchet, as those who share hardships often grow closer than others. After all, he had truly been grateful to Fan Zhenglian in those years and had sworn lifetime loyalty to him.
It’s just that it’s now.
It’s a shame it’s now.
If feelings were the same as when first they met, then in the end there would be no bitter hearts. But that apology came too late, and the resentments between master and servant had grown deep.
When a ship is about to sink, the smart ones always flee first. Not wanting to go down with the ship, he would have to find his own path to survival, at any cost.
Even if it meant using a former benefactor as a stepping stone.
The cold wind blew, chilling him to the bone, Qi Chuan steadied himself, clenched the food basket, and hurried into the bustling crowd.
...
The wind in Shengjing grew colder with each passing day. As September arrived and the dew turned cold, the wild geese in the north began to fly south.
The geese flew over the noble estates of Shengjing, their passing spreading the leisurely gossip of the marketplaces throughout the city.
Two days ago, a message began circulating silently among the common folk, claiming that the criminal imprisoned for the examination scandal, Fan Zhenglian, had deep connections with the current Grand Preceptor’s Mansion. Now, in trouble, he was said to be buying off prison guards in jail and asking for messages to be sent to Grand Preceptor Qi, hoping for help.
This rumor was baseless and absurd, and at first, everyone thought it was just some mischief-maker spreading lies. After all, there was little contact between an Examiner Official and a Grand Preceptor with significant sway in court politics—Fan Family was frankly out of their league.
Yet the rumor was described so vividly, some even said they had seen the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion’s carriage at Fan Family’s gate a few years back. Gradually, the gossip spread and worsened, claiming that Fan Zhenglian was actually a man under Grand Preceptor Qi, in collusion with the Ministry of Rites, that he was the one carrying out such deception, all under orders from the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion. After all, controlling the examinations meant holding power over half the court of the Liang Dynasty. Those seeking official positions, after providing substantial bribes through Fan Zhenglian, could then gain glory and wealth.