On the other side, Sun Jian was dragged into the imperial prison. The walls, over a meter thick and filled with sand and mortar, completely blocked any possibility of escape. Furthermore, the prison was entirely staffed by Zhang Rang's men, making bribery exceedingly difficult!
Sun Jian heard cries of pain along the way, but his expression remained largely unchanged. However, his greatest fear was castration. If the news were to spread, how could he lead the thirteen commanderies of Jiangdong!
As Sun Jian was forcibly pinned to the ground, Zhang Rang, seated in the central position, watched coldly. "A true hero. Others fear death upon entering my prison, but you seem unfazed."
"I've lived on the edge my whole life. Afraid of death? Dream on!" Sun Jian struggled free from the restraints, rising to his feet and shouting, "You want me to surrender? Bah, impossible!"
"Very good, very good! I need talented individuals like you!" Zhang Rang grinned, pointing at Sun Jian. "Don't worry, a quick slice and you'll be rid of your impurities. I have plenty of ways to make you loyal to me."
Sun Jian's face darkened, and he quickly asked, "What exactly do you want to do!"
"What I want to do is perfectly clear to you," Zhang Rang chuckled. "To enter the palace and serve His Majesty. This is a favor many people would beg for!"
Sun Jian stared intently at Zhang Rang, then suddenly spat, cursing, "You power-hungry fool! The Great Han will eventually fall because of people like you!"
Zhang Rang smiled, wiping the spit from his face, and said genially, "You have plenty of strength, and I need precisely such talent. Rest assured, I will satisfy you!"
With a gentle wave of his hand, Zhang Rang's disciples and grand-disciples surged forward, surrounding Sun Jian. Soon, they pinned him down. One of them roared, "How dare you disrespect the Ancestor! Today, we'll show you whose territory this is!"
"Be careful," Zhang Rang said softly, stroking Sun Jian's face. "Don't disfigure him. It'll be difficult to make the deal then!"
"Don't worry, Ancestor. We understand," a young eunuch said obsequiously. "You just watch the show."
Zhang Rang sat down in his chair, watching the young eunuch punch and kick Sun Jian. After a while, the young eunuch stomped on Sun Jian's chest. "The Ancestor shows you mercy out of magnanimity. Now, you're in our hands!"
Sun Jian felt aches all over, his face grim. After a long pause, he bellowed, "Are you not afraid of His Majesty's wrath for such audacity!"
"His Majesty, hahahaha," Zhang Rang picked up his teacup and took a slow sip. "His Majesty is busy with state affairs and would not concern himself with such trivial matters. Moreover, you are but a commoner. I have served His Majesty for so many years; he would not make things difficult for us over you!"
Sun Jian's heart stirred. If these brats were to rough him up, his reputation would be ruined. He sneered, "What if I were not an ordinary citizen? What then!"
"The kin of that scoundrel Lu Bu, what then? Ever since the King of Chu was enfeoffed, a yoke has been placed upon them. While they appear glorious on the surface, they are in dire straits. Do they dare oppose Emperor Ling openly? That's a fool's dream!" Zhang Rang said coldly!
"What if I am not from the King of Chu's faction?" Sun Jian said with a smile. "I will make you kneel nine times and send me out!"
"Even if you were from a noble family, I wouldn't fear you," Zhang Rang snorted. "His Majesty is tired of the noble families; he wishes to kill them all!"
"Ancestor, why waste words? Let's get to it. I really want to see how he reacts," the young eunuch urged, his face smirking. He rubbed his hands together and slowly approached the eunuch.
"Fine, he's all yours." Zhang Rang pushed a wooden tray with various knives on it. "Take your time, don't make it too easy for him."
"The Ancestor spoils me," the young eunuch knelt on the ground, letting Zhang Rang stroke his head. "Among my brothers, I am the most clumsy. I just can't seem to learn!"
"Go," Zhang Rang said, half-closing his eyes and reclining on the armchair. "You all know what to do!"
Instantly, some held Sun Jian down, while others began to attack.
"Sorry, brother!" the young eunuch said with a wide grin. "I'll personally apologize to you later!"
This was not the elite of Ye Feng's men. Sun Jian shook himself, and the young eunuch knelt on the ground. "Ancestor, he!"
"Fool! If you can't even handle such a small matter, how will I entrust these tasks to you in the future?" Zhang Rang roared. "I'll have to do it myself!"
Sun Jian stared coldly at Zhang Rang. As Zhang Rang approached, he kicked out. Zhang Rang was sent flying, and after lying on the ground for a while, he slowly got up.
"Ouch, ouch, my lads!" Zhang Rang cried out. However, having witnessed the previous incident, no one dared to approach easily. "Lads, quickly! Go kill him! I will reward you handsomely!"
"Ancestor, shouldn't we… finish him?" the young eunuch asked, confused. He mimed the action of using a knife. "I want to try!"
Before he could finish, a slap landed on the young eunuch's face. He spun several times before stopping, quickly kneeling on the ground. "Ancestor, you can hit me or scold me, but please don't anger yourself!"
"Fool! None of you can touch him. It would be better to kill him and be done with it. Call those people in!" Zhang Rang ordered furiously.
"Ancestor, those people were painstakingly brought from Jiangdong at great expense. If they are lost, it would be a significant loss. Please reconsider, Ancestor."
"Reconsider my foot! Quickly, someone! Kill him!" Zhang Rang was already furious and didn't care about the consequences. He smashed a teacup to the ground, coldly roaring, "Kill him, kill him."
Hearing that people from Jiangdong were arriving, Sun Jian felt more confident and said smugly, "Don't you want to know who I am? You can't afford to offend me!"
"Even if the King of Heaven himself came, you would still die today!" Zhang Rang roared, directing his subordinates to approach Sun Jian with long spears and shields.
Sun Jian leaped up, stepping on a spear and flinging several of them away. He said coldly, "Just the few of you? Not enough!"
Zhang Rang's face turned ashen. He hit a young eunuch several times on the head. An idea struck him, and the young eunuchs slowly maneuvered, their spears moving away.
"We've met, though in conflict. If you have any last wishes, state them. If I can grant them, I will," Zhang Rang said with a smile. "As for who is behind you, I am quite curious."
"Hmph, I didn't expect you to be afraid of anything!" Sun Jian shook his head. "I'm hungry and thirsty. Prepare something for me."
The young eunuch was about to retort but was glared at by Zhang Rang. He slapped him and roared, "Why aren't you going? You useless creature!"
"Yes, yes," the young eunuch hurried off. Soon, a jar of wine and a roasted lamb leg were placed before Sun Jian. Sun Jian, feeling in control, ate heartily and drank deeply. Before long, he felt dizzy.
"You, you!" Sun Jian felt the world spinning. "I am Sun Jian, of the Sun family of Jiangdong!"
"I'm your father too! If you're Sun Quan, I'm Liu Bang!" the young eunuch blurted out in his excitement.
"Come here, come here," Zhang Rang said with a smile. "This matter was handled beautifully. You deserve a reward."
"Thank you, Ancestor. It's my duty," the young eunuch hurried over, clasping his hands together, his eyes fixed on Zhang Rang's hand as it reached into his pocket.
"You deserve to die!" The next moment, Zhang Rang's gaze turned sharp, and the young eunuch lay on the ground, mumbling, "Ancestor, what did I do wrong!"
Zhang Rang stood up and announced loudly, "Listen well, you brats. I don't care what you do, but if any of you dare to speak nonsense and insult His Majesty, don't blame me for showing no mercy and dealing with you all."
"We understand, Ancestor," another young eunuch hurried over. "Ancestor, finish him. Do we still need those people?"
"Let them in. I've spent so much money on them; I need to see their skills!" Zhang Rang said urgently. He cut the ropes binding Sun Jian with a dagger. In the worst-case scenario, he had one last resort.
Besides, he wanted to see if Sun Jian was truly from the Sun family of Jiangdong.
Zhang Rang tapped the table with four fingers, staring coldly at Sun Jian.
Emperor Ling's distrust of the noble families was true, but one faction was an exception: the Jiangdong noble families. They had not raised arms and had even maintained their territory.
They were, in essence, a sword Emperor Ling used to counterbalance Ye Feng. If Sun Jian were killed by him, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"What are you waiting for? Tell them to hurry in!" Zhang Rang roared. At that moment, three men slowly entered, bowing slightly. "We wonder why the inner attendant has summoned us three brothers. What are your commands?"
"Have any of you three seen someone from the Sun family of Jiangdong? Here is one. Identify him." Zhang Rang's tone was flat as he pointed at Sun Jian.
One man stepped forward, having observed closely. Sweating profusely, he said, "If the inner attendant asks us three brothers to deal with Sun Jian of the Sun family, we are powerless."
"Are you sure he is Sun Jian?" Zhang Rang's mouth twitched slightly. "Do you know the consequences of deceiving me?"
"I saw him once. I will not be mistaken. If the inner attendant does not believe me, he can check if he has the Sun family's jade pendant. That will naturally confirm his identity!"
Zhang Rang's fingers moved slightly. The newly appointed young eunuch, Xiao Duo Zi, hurried to Sun Jian's side and unhesitatingly reached into his robes. He pulled out a jade pendant and carefully presented it to Zhang Rang.
Zhang Rang examined it back and forth for a long time. It was indeed as described. His hands trembled slightly. "You brats, take him to the bed and care for him well. Notify me as soon as he wakes up."
"Also, summon renowned doctors immediately. Drag them here if you must. If they cannot cure him, I will make them all pay with their lives. Hurry!"
"The three of you, have some wine first." Zhang Rang's fingers trembled slightly as he stood up and placed wine before the three men!