Chapter 57 Prince of Lingnan Appears, Rescues from Prison

Chapter 57: The King of Lingnan Appears to Rescue from Peril

Qin Jiao and Cong Shuang went together to the side hall to pray for a peace knot. The peace knot was bright red, a tiny one, and Qin Jiao carefully tucked it into his robe.

Thinking that it was almost time for the midday meal, Qin Jiao led Cong Shuang along a small path. This path, with few monks and rarely any pilgrims, was a shortcut to the refectory.

Qin Jiao and Cong Shuang walked quickly. "Sister, be careful, there's a dirt pit ahead... Mmm!"

Before Qin Jiao could finish speaking, someone covered his mouth. He felt a firm press on the side of his neck, and then Qin Jiao instantly lost his voice and his whole body went limp.

Finally, darkness came before his eyes as someone put a cloth sack over his head, scooped him up, and threw him over their shoulder!

The attacker moved swiftly, and Qin Jiao had no chance to resist. His heart pounded like a drum, and in an instant, his blood ran cold!

Who had kidnapped him? And what about Cong Shuang?

Qin Jiao couldn't move or speak. The person carrying him moved quickly, and Qin Jiao's empty stomach hurt fiercely from the jostling.

Fortunately, the kidnapper didn't carry him for too long; after a short while, he was set down.

Qin Jiao knew he was in a room, having heard the sound of a door opening earlier. Footsteps sounded, and then Qin Jiao heard a "creak" as the door was closed again—the kidnapper had left.

Because of his childhood experiences, Qin Jiao absolutely hated enclosed, dark environments. The fear of the unknown and the oppressive dread of confined spaces made it difficult for him to breathe.

Not long after, Qin Jiao heard a young man's voice: "Go on in. I've prepared a gift for you."

"A gift?"

Xie Nai said nothing, looking puzzled at the man in black.

"Trust me, you'll like it. Go on in!"

The man in black smiled mysteriously and shoved Xie Nai into the room, even thoughtfully closing the door behind him.

Xie Nai walked into the room with a face full of suspicion. After just a few steps, he froze.

On the blue brick floor, a slender young man was slumped. The upper half of the young man's body was covered by a cloth sack, revealing wrists as white as jade. The Fengxue Bracelet hung loosely on his hand. Because of fear, the young man's slender body trembled slightly.

It was Qin Jiao.

Xie Nai instantly understood what Shen Fuqing meant by "gift."

Cursing Shen Fuqing in his heart repeatedly, Xie Nai strode quickly toward Qin Jiao.

"Don't come any closer!"

Qin Jiao suddenly realized he could speak. He had overheard the voices from outside. "Gift"—that didn't sound like anything decent. Qin Jiao roared hoarsely, his voice trembling with fear and anger: "Get away!" But the man had already come forward and picked him up without hesitation.

"Don't touch me! Let me go!"

Qin Jiao shouted loudly. Suddenly, the cloth sack over his head was yanked off. "You... Xie Nai?"

Qin Jiao stared blankly at the person before him.

After a moment, he confirmed that the man in front of him was indeed Xie Nai, whom he hadn't seen for half a month. The young master's anger flared: "Xie Nai! How could you have someone kidnap me!"

Qin Jiao was both indignant and shocked. "You've been watching me?"

"You misunderstand."

Xie Nai's voice was calm but carried a hint of irritation. At that moment, he wished he could drag Shen Fuqing over and give him a good beating.

"Liar!"

Hearing the choked sob in Qin Jiao's voice, Xie Nai looked down at the young man.

The young man's clothes were in disarray, with a few strands of hair fallen to his ear. Startled, his beautiful eyes were alarmingly red, brimming with reflexive tears, looking utterly pitiful.

"I'm not lying."

Xie Nai unsealed Qin Jiao's pressure points. The young master angrily turned to leave, but Xie Nai quickly blocked his way.

"Let me go!"

Qin Jiao furiously threw himself at Xie Nai, who stood his ground without flinching, letting him vent.

After a long while, Qin Jiao's emotions settled. Seeing that the young master had stopped struggling, Xie Nai said, "Are you not angry anymore?"

Of course, Qin Jiao was still angry. He shouted, "I'm leaving! Where's Cong Shuang? Where did you take her!"

"Let me ask."

"You—you're still trying to fool me!"

Thinking Xie Nai was trying to evade the question, Qin Jiao was furious. He shoved Xie Nai away and made to leave.

Xie Nai caught him from behind, his long arms encircling the young master's slender shoulders, refusing to release him.

"Xie Nai! What exactly are you trying to do!"

Xie Nai didn't answer. His eyes were as cold as deep pools of ink jade, and his arms around Qin Jiao were firm and unyielding.

Just as the two were at a standoff, Luo Yue's urgent voice came from outside the door:

"Your Highness, something's wrong! The young master has gone missing!"

Then the young male voice Qin Jiao had heard earlier, spoke up: "Don't worry. I've already sent the eldest son of the Qin family to your prince. They're probably having fun right now~"

Luo Yue: ???

What are you talking about?

Qin Jiao: ???

The young man glanced at the closed door, then looked at Xie Nai, through gritted teeth: "Who's that outside?"

Xie Nai: "...Shen Fuqing."

Shen Fuqing, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was about the same age as Xie Nai and a very well-known figure in the capital.

But he was famous not for solving cases perfectly or seeking justice for the people, but for his "madness."

The Court of Judicial

On one hand, she hated the weakness and cruelty of her husband; on the other, she loathed the scoundrel's utter lack of conscience. Finally, after much deliberation, the shopkeeper's wife took the case to the authorities!

Shen Fuqing took over the case and found that the scoundrel was cunning. The scoundrel claimed that he hadn't killed anyone himself, so at most he would only serve a few years in prison. The dog meat shop owner also argued that he was innocent, making no mention of his intent to conceal the murder.

The dog meat shop owner and the scoundrel kept bickering, neither willing to confess.

In the end, Shen Fuqing gathered over twenty infants who were just teething. He stripped the dog meat shop owner, blindfolded and bound him, and then poured a large amount of honey all over his body. He let the infants lick and bite the shop owner. The shop owner, already guilty and terrified, his mental defenses crumbled instantly under the attack of so many infants.

Qin Jiao was still in the capital at the time. When he heard about Shen Fuqing's method of handling the case, he felt that this man was truly insane!

Such torment would traumatize not only the dog meat shop owner, but also the twenty or so children involved.

As for the scoundrel, he fared even worse. Shen Fuqing gathered many stray dogs, starved them for five or six days, then poured a pot of boiling hot oil over the scoundrel before throwing him into the pack of dogs. The smell of human flesh drove the dogs instantly mad. It was said that by the time the scoundrel was rescued, there was barely any flesh left on his body.

In the end, both the dog meat shop owner and the scoundrel confessed in this "Dog Killing Case," and Shen Fuqing's reputation as a madman spread like wildfire.

...

----------------------------------------