"Mr. Yue, it seems a bit excessive for you to say such things now. How can you dismiss our words as nonsense? What we're saying is clearly constructive. If you don't believe us, we'll tell you the plan." These individuals became agitated, surprised that the other party didn't believe them.
"Please be quiet for a moment. I'll have someone bring some peanuts and wine. You can all have some to eat and drink. We can talk while we drink, as many matters are settled over a table with wine," Yue Hengyi said with a smile, then waved to the nearby prison guards to fetch wine and food.
"It's great that there are peanuts. Peanuts are fantastic with wine. I can drink all night with just peanuts," someone exclaimed excitedly upon hearing this, as having peanuts to accompany their drinks was simply wonderful.
Soon, soldiers delivered what Yue Hen needed: several bottles of white wine, a plate of peanuts, and a substantial dish called "Zilong Tuo Pao."
The dish known as "Zilong Tuo Pao" was actually fried eel. However, the skin of these eels had been removed. These eels were quite slender, resembling young dragons, hence the name "Zilong Tuo Pao," which was associated with Zhao Zilong.
"I never expected to eat meat while in prison. This is truly our good fortune! If I had known this was how one could eat, we would have committed more offenses and come in earlier," someone exclaimed in awe upon seeing the wine and food.
In many places, there was no longer any grain, making it very difficult to get through the New Year. Yet, by being imprisoned once, they could enjoy such a feast. Life was truly like a play; if they had known about this treatment, they would have entered prison long ago.
However, Yue Hengyi calmly responded to their current theories, saying, "Do you think you can eat in prison because of whom? It's all thanks to me!"
Yue Hengyi did not want these people to commit offenses frequently in the future, so he directly stated the truth. So many people had starved to death in the current situation that prisoners were generally not provided with any decent food. Being able to avoid starvation was considered fortunate.
It was heard that in some places, simply being caught and sent to prison was tantamount to a death sentence, as these individuals would often become food for others. After all, a prisoner dying in jail was a minor matter, not worth mentioning.
Upon hearing Yue Hengyi's words, these individuals immediately came to their senses and said, "We were just joking earlier. We wouldn't seek trouble at a place with legal rights to inflict harm like a prison. I heard that someone was arrested simply for eating dumplings without soy sauce!"
"Really? Is there such an absurd thing in the world? To be arrested and imprisoned for something as trivial as not dipping dumplings in soy sauce?" Yue Hengyi's interest was piqued as he listened to them. Could such a preposterous thing truly happen?
At this moment, through his conversation with these individuals, Yue Hengyi had come to understand their situation. It seemed they were not simply madmen; if they were, they wouldn't possess such clear and logical language.
Now, Yue Hengyi wanted to know their true intentions and why they insisted on finding him.
These individuals sat behind the iron bars, conversing with Yue Hengyi through the railing. They seemed to be speaking volubly, recounting folk tales with vivid descriptions.
"In fact, in all laws, harming others is an act that is not permitted. After all, every place emphasizes harmony. However, there is one place that has long been neglected: the prison. Here, management personnel can punish people arbitrarily based on their mood. And most of the people here are criminals, so no one would plead for them. Consequently, the physical punishments inflicted by these managers appear perfectly legitimate!" said a man in his forties.
Yue Hengyi nodded and said, "That's not wrong. I've seen quite a bit of the world and visited many prisons. The inmates there truly have no rights at all; they aren't even treated as human beings."
The individuals behind bars continued to speak, "Therefore, the legal right to inflict harm is also a form of power. When someone possesses this power, they can profit from it. The fellow I mentioned who was arrested for not using soy sauce was simply very unlucky. When he was eating dumplings outside, he was seen by some prison staff. They then wanted to make a quick buck, so they arrested him and extorted a large sum of money from him."
"So that's how it is. This is truly terrifying. Whether one is caught depends not on the law, but on whether they've been targeted. How ridiculous! But don't worry, after our conversation, I'll have you released. Just be careful in the future not to be targeted!" Yue Hengyi said helplessly.
However, Yue Hengyi did not believe that such a thing would happen in Yanjing. Since its reconstruction, everyone had been working diligently! It was absolutely impossible to extort others, let alone fabricate charges and arrest people arbitrarily!
"Mr. Yue, why do you think we know this story?" these individuals suddenly asked.
"How could I possibly know that? You probably heard it from someone else, right? It's not possible that one of you is a firsthand witness, is it?" Yue Hengyi popped a peanut into his mouth.
Just then, a weak male voice came from a nearby cell, "Hey, you all, this is going too far! I kindly shared my experience earlier, hoping some of you would sympathize with me. But now, you're eating and talking, making fun of my plight. This is excessive!"
It turned out that the person arrested for eating dumplings without soy sauce was imprisoned next door to these individuals. Yue Hengyi looked into that cell and saw a disheveled man who now looked like a filthy beggar. His clothes were tattered, insufficient even to ward off the cold. It was unclear how long he had been imprisoned; he likely had lice all over him.
Yue Hengyi's mood soured immediately. He had thought such a thing couldn't happen in Yanjing, but now he saw that it was indeed happening there. It was absurd that he was completely unaware of it. If he hadn't happened to visit the prison, this matter might have continued indefinitely.
"How long have you been imprisoned?" Yue Hengyi couldn't help but ask.
"Two years and three months! I don't remember the exact dates. What, Mr. Yue, do you want to help me?" the man asked mockingly, with a hint of derision on his face.
"That's right, I do want to help you now. You were wrongfully arrested by others; you've suffered unjust charges. If I hadn't known about this, I wouldn't have done anything. But now that I do know, I will restore your fairness and justice!" Yue Hengyi said earnestly.
Yue Hengyi himself had once been wrongly accused, so he deeply understood the feeling of being falsely accused. When a person is suddenly burdened with baseless charges, despair engulfs their heart, and they constantly hope for vindication. However, in reality, they are often repeatedly wronged. By the time a case is finally cleared, it is often too late for the wrongly accused.
Therefore, Yue Hengyi wanted to rekindle hope in the man, not let him die miserably in prison.
However, the wrongly accused man then said, "I came all the way from the south because I learned that He Qiuan had recovered Yanjing. I originally intended to offer him advice. But as soon as I arrived in Yanjing, I was arrested. I thought He Qiuan would be desperate for talent, but I encountered this. I'll tell you directly now: when I get out, I will oppose him. I mean what I say. Even so, do you still want to let me go?"
Yue Hengyi had not expected the man to reach such an extreme. He had previously been full of anticipation and wanted to realize his ambitions in Yanjing, but after being wronged and extorted for two years, he had developed a deep animosity towards He Qiuan.
Despite this, Yue Hengyi firmly stated, "One matter at a time. Your desire for revenge against He Qiuan is your business, but the unfair treatment you've received is also a fact. I will let you go. Additionally, you can tell me the name of the person who wronged you!"
Yue Hengyi also had his own principles and could not abandon his beliefs. Since the man had been wronged, it was only right to restore his innocence and freedom. He could not abandon his ideals based on a single threat.
After hearing Yue Hengyi's words, the man was silent for a moment and then said, "Yue Hengyi, you are a good person. But let me give you a piece of advice: even with great strength, you can still be thwarted by schemes and tricks!"
Yue Hengyi nodded and said, "I understand that. Thank you for your reminder. May I ask your name?"
The man said calmly, "My name is Xie Mu'an. I will be going to Yuzhou later. I like to side with the victors. In my opinion, He Qiuan will ultimately fail. He is a good person, but his subordinates do not obey orders and are duplicitous. Although such things also exist with Shen Feng to some extent, he has cultivated his core team from the orphanage and considers every step carefully. Therefore, in ten years, Shen Feng's position will be very stable, but He Qiuan's may not be. I advise you to leave him as soon as possible!"
Upon hearing the man's words, Yue Hengyi nodded and said, "I understand your meaning. You are advising me to switch allegiance, but I cannot abandon the suffering people here. I will not leave He Qiuan now. Furthermore, I will offer him advice regarding his shortcomings!"
"Then I can only remind you of one thing: He Qiuan is not a qualified leader because his control over his subordinates is too weak. Everyone is only gathered around him out of necessity. He can neither provide his subordinates with a goal to strive for nor ensure fair distribution of benefits. Therefore, he will face a huge crisis in the future. That's all I have to say!" Xie Mu'an finally warned Yue Hengyi.
"Thank you for your reminder. I will keep this in mind. I will remind him to pay attention to managing his subordinates!" Yue Hengyi said.
Afterward, the man who had been wrongly imprisoned for over two years was finally released from prison. The prison guards who had arrested him were promptly taken outside and dealt with. When these scoundrels were executed, no one pleaded for them, not because they were particularly righteous, but because the other inmates feared that pleading might bring trouble upon themselves, and thus they remained silent.