Wu Rong followed Mu Ying all year round and entered the palace from time to time. It was not surprising that he met several inspectors who had tipped off the news.
Before Gu Zhengchen could say a few words to Wu Rong, he heard footsteps coming from the corridor and the sound of a group of prisoners howling.
Wu Rong stood at the door and looked around, then turned around and said to Gu Zhengchen, "Your wife is here."
Jailer Sun Sheng beat the wooden bars with a fire stick to silence the shouting prisoners. He arrived at the cell where Gu Zhengchen was, opened the lock, and said to Zhang Xiwan: "One stick of incense, please tell me quickly if you have anything to say."
Zhang Xiwan was wearing a black cloak. After thanking the jailer, she looked at Gu Zhengchen in the cell and walked in. Her eyes were red and she shouted with some choking: "Husband..."
Gu Zhengchen stepped forward and handed the food box in Zhang Xiwan's hand to Wu Rong. He grabbed Zhang Xiwan's hand, which was very cold. He shook it hard and said softly: "This place is dirty and messy. It's really not a place where a young lady like you should set foot." , just let Zhang Pei and Yao Zhen come next time."
How could Zhang Xiwan feel at ease? If she didn't see Gu Zhengchen with her own eyes, she might not be able to sleep or eat well.
He choked on his desire to speak.
Gu Zhengchen watched the big tears falling from Zhang Xiwan's autumn eyes. He hugged Zhang Xiwan in his arms and gently patted Zhang Xiwan's thin back: "This time, my husband accidentally exposed a flaw and touched some officials." Profit, but it’s not a big deal. At most, if you lose your official position, I’ll take you back to Teng County to farm, and you won’t lose your life, so you can rest assured.”
Zhang Xiwan blushed a little. This was the dungeon of the Criminal Department, and there were five soldiers and others watching. She wanted to break free but was reluctant to give up, so she nodded and said, "It would be a blessing if I could go back to Teng County with my husband."
Gu Zhengchen let go of his hand and looked at Zhang Xiwan affectionately: "Let mother, sister and Qian'er relax and do whatever you have to do. Tell your father-in-law not to move around for me. He can't be involved in what's behind this." Come in."
Zhang Xiwan nodded repeatedly and took off a sachet from her waist: "There is mugwort in it, which can repel mosquitoes. My husband can't bear mosquito bites, so it's better to wear it on your body."
Gu Zhengchen opened his arms, and Zhang Xiwan hung the sachet on his waist. Seeing Zhang Xiwan's worried face, he smiled and said, "Don't worry, your majesty won't take my husband's life. I think he will return in a few days." Home."
Zhang Xiwan finally relaxed, opened the food box and took out the food inside.
Wu Rong drooled at the sight. He was also in jail. Look at Gu Zhengchen. Not only did his wife personally deliver the food, but she didn't have any scruples about it. They also had big fish, meat, and soup. How could this be seen by the censors? Not furious...
"The time has come."
Jailer Sun Sheng shouted, urging Zhang Xiwan to leave.
Gu Zhengchen sat down cross-legged, holding chopsticks, and smiled at Zhang Xiwan: "I am lucky to have a wife like this."
Zhang Xiwan smiled lightly, took the empty food box, walked out of the cell, looked deeply at Gu Zhengchen through the wooden fence, and said: "Whether it is the human world or the nine springs, Xiwan will accompany her husband to the end."
Wu Rong took advantage of Gu Zhengchen's move and used his chopsticks first. He had already gone to the dungeon, so he was welcome.
Gululu.
My stomach growled.
Gu Zhengchen looked at Wu Rong who was using his chopsticks. He raised his head and saw that the jailer was already distributing dinner, shouting "dinner" and other words to wake up the sleeping people.
Soon two jailers came over, one carrying a bucket and the other carrying a basket. Seeing that Gu Zhengchen and Wu Rong had food, they didn't say anything and walked towards the corner of the passage, where there were several black ceramic bowls.
A hard black steamed bun was thrown into the bowl. Fortunately, the force was so strong that the black steamed bun knocked over the bowl and rolled to the ground. The jailer flipped the barrel with a spoon, and the clear soup with two vegetable leaves was poured into the bowl, and the clear soup splashed out a lot.
The jailer left.
Zhao Yihui, who was wearing shackles and shackled feet, slowly stood up, walked to the corner, then knelt down, almost lying on the ground, picked up the black head with both hands, then sat there and put a little bit into his mouth. deliver.
The shackles cuffed both hands, making it difficult to eat. Every time he entered the mouth, he had to stretch his neck.
Gu Zhengchen stretched out his chopsticks, knocked the piece of fish that Wu Rong was holding onto the plate, and asked, "Can you unshackle him?"
Wu Rong glanced at it and frowned: "He should be a death row prisoner. It is easy to be released, but it is easy to cause trouble. If he is discovered by officials from the Ministry of Punishments, he may suffer more."
"It doesn't matter. This is the deepest part of the dungeon. Whether it's a jailer or an official from the Ministry of Justice, it will always take a while to get here. Let's give him a meal to relax."
Gu Zhengchen said calmly.
Seeing Gu Zhengchen's insistence, Wu Rong did not refuse. He took out a small seven-character iron bar from his waist, walked to Zhao Yihui and said, "Gu Zhixian asked us to untie it for you for a while. After eating, I'll put it on you after you eat."
Zhao Yihui heard the click sound, and the shackles were separated. The heavy feeling on his shoulders disappeared, and his hands relaxed. He looked at Gu Zhengchen: "You don't even know who I am or what crime I have committed. Why do you do this to me?"
Gu Zhengchen pointed to the fish and vegetables on the ground: "Even if you have committed a heinous crime, I will just drag you out and kill you. Just eating a meal does not mean that the laws and regulations will forgive you, but I think the food is a bit too much and I can't finish it." It’s a shame to waste it.”
Zhao Yihui glanced at the sumptuous meal and snorted coldly: "I will not join in with the corrupt villain, let alone accept the food you are waiting for!"
Wu Rong laughed out loud and looked at Gu Zhengchen: "You'd better change your temper. The craftsman of the Baochao Tiezhi Division perjured himself and said that you whipped him. It would be better for you. You didn't say a word of reprimand, and even gave him any You want to be a good person, but no one treats you as a good person."
Gu Zhengchen shook his head bitterly, ignored Wu Rong's sarcasm, and said to Zhao Yihui, "How do you know that I am a corrupt villain?"
Zhao Yihui looked at Zhengchen as if he were an idiot: "At the beginning of the founding of the country, the people's power was withered and the emperor was simple. But it's not good for you. You are like a big fish and meat after being imprisoned. You can be said to be greedy and full of greed. People like you, If it’s not greedy, what is it?”
Gu Zhengchen sighed, moved his chopsticks, took a bite of the fish, tasted the taste, and said with satisfaction: "I don't agree with this. Do you know that this fish probably cost my family thirty or forty pennies. "
Zhao Yihui took a bite of the black cornstarch, which made his teeth tingle, so he had to chew a little bit: "Who in the official position dares to spend thirty or forty cash on a meal? With your appetite, you can't spend more than a hundred cash a day. One month is three guan of money! Ordinary people's family of five can only spend five guan of money in a year. You actually eat more than half a year's rations for ordinary people in one month. This is either corruption or extravagance. Anyone who eats the people's fat should be killed. !”
Gu Zhengchen glanced at Zhao Yihui: "You are wrong. A month's rations for the Gu family roughly cost seven guans. Then have you ever thought about whose hands the seven guans spent went to?"
Zhao Yihui was stunned for a moment and said angrily: "You are greedy for money, and you ask where the money went? Haha, it's ridiculous. Of course it was squandered by you to satisfy your own desires! It's really an eye-opener for a traitor like you to be caught!" "
Gu Zhengchen looked up and saw that there was no sky here, not to mention it was dark outside. If it weren't for the lights hanging outside the corridor, you probably wouldn't be able to see anyone. How could the sky open your eyes?
"You just said you were squandered by me, but you still didn't say who got the money you spent."
Gu Zhengchen continued to ask.
Zhao Yihui was dissatisfied and ignored him at all.
Gu Zhengchen sighed, called the five soldiers over to continue eating, and then said: "A gentleman is poor, that is the style of a gentleman, but if the country is poor, how can the country last long, and how can the common people survive? You just have to You have seen my squandering and waste, but have you ever thought about it. Every time the Gu family buys vegetables, the vegetable farmer will have income. Every time he buys fish, the fisherman will have income. Every time he buys a pound of meat, the butcher will have motivation. Pig farmers don’t have to worry about selling their pigs!”
"In your eyes, squandering money is shameful, but have you ever thought that if no one buys vegetables, the vegetable farmers will have nothing, if no one buys fish, the fishermen will no longer be able to live, and if no one buys pork, the butchers will starve to death. The pig farmers can only kill the pigs and eat them themselves, without bringing any profit! Every time the Gu family squanders seven guan of money, they feed dozens of small businessmen, peddlers, and common people!"
"If this country is full of rotten people like you, who say they are honest and keep their mouth shut because they are poor, then how can the people get other income, and how can the various industries survive? How much do you expect them to survive with only a meager piece of land? Year? If there is any natural or man-made disaster, the whole family will starve to death! Commodities are the same as money. Only when they are circulated can they create value! If you don’t understand anything, you will always criticize. Is this what a gentleman is like you? "
Zhao Yihui's face looked a little ugly. He was scolded by a corrupt villain, and he felt indignant: "Such sophistry is just to excuse your corruption! You have been locked up in this dungeon, and you still want to escape the crime. Can’t do it?”
Gu Zhengchen took a mouthful of rice, suddenly remembered something, and looked at Zhao Yihui: "You don't know who I am?"
Zhao Yihui shook his head.
Gu Zhengchen frowned: "So, you have been in this dungeon for at least a year. Who are you and what crime have you committed?"
Zhao Yihui looked at Gu Zhengchen with some confusion: "How did you know that I will be detained here for at least a year?"
Gu Zhengchen smiled bitterly.
Wu Rong burped and patted his belly comfortably: "He is the newly promoted man from Quanzhou County in the imperial court last year. It can be said that no matter whether they are officials in Beijing or officials from other places, everyone knows about this person."
"Male from Quanzhou County?"
Zhao Yihui stared at Gu Zhengchen: "Who did you offend? That you were given a death title by the court?"
Gu Zhengchen put down his bowl and chopsticks and said helplessly: "I have offended too many people. I think I have offended most of the Yushitai now."
Wu Rong nodded repeatedly: "Yes, he pulled out the censor's teeth. The two censors..."
