TGCFNM -Chapter 335 Locked Up in the Dali Temple

Even after following Mei Gao out of the Song residence and walking a bit, Chu Ling still didn’t understand why this was happening.

She and Master Wan had only beaten up some people. If it was considered “assembling a crowd,” it would have been those people assembling it. So why were they being locked up in the Dali Temple?

Chu Ling patted Mei Gao on the shoulder. “Why are you locking us up in the Dali Temple?”

Mei Gao looked helpless. “Master Chu, I’m now the deputy commander of the Imperial Guards. Can you not hit me?”

Chu Ling withdrew her hand. “Fine. Then tell me—why are we being locked up?”

Mei Gao instinctively pointed backward. “Master, don’t you know what you did? You and Master Wan beat nearly thirty Imperial Guards. You left them bruised and poisoned, and they’re going to be locked up too.”

“Then why the Dali Temple? Why not the government office, let the prefect handle it?” Chu Ling tapped her own chest. “We’re helping the weak. We have a clear conscience and aren’t afraid of being judged.”

Only then did Mei Gao realize that Chu Ling was asking why they were being sent to the Dali Temple instead of the prefect’s office.

“Something happened recently. The prefect’s office prison is full. The prefect is completely overwhelmed and doesn’t know what to do. So you and Master Wan will be held in the Dali Temple for a few days,” Mei Gao explained. Seeing the worried look on Chu Ling’s face, he added, “Actually, the Dali Temple’s prison hasn’t been used in a long time. But this incident is serious, so some people were temporarily sent there. The place is clean and quiet.”

Chu Ling looked at Mei Gao with a worried face. “The cook in my residence makes amazing meals. I won’t get dinner tonight. Can they send food from outside?”

Mei Gao: “…Master, if you don’t like being locked up, then why did you go beat people in the street?”

“I just arrived in the capital today. After lunch, I came to the Song residence to deliver a message. I didn’t expect to run into someone bullying others,” Chu Ling said, spreading her hands innocently.

Mei Gao froze in his tracks, then suddenly exploded, shouting hysterically, “Master, you just arrived in the capital today, and you’ve already caused trouble!”

Wan Sanjin glanced at the surrounding townsfolk and poked Mei Gao’s arm. “Lord Mei, Lord Mei, watch your image, watch your influence.”

Mei Gao closed his eyes and exhaled deeply. “Master Chu, the Prince Rui will know about this.”

Chu Ling awkwardly smiled and changed the subject. “I heard the Song family was dismissed from office. What happened?”

Mei Gao’s expression tightened, and he lowered his voice. “It wasn’t just the Song family. Several families were dismissed. But since no lives were taken, they’re fine. The situation in the court is changing rapidly. Who knows what might happen next?”

Chu Ling crossed her arms and fell into thought.

Beside her, Ghost Scholar said, “Changzhou was originally a place Prince Rui wanted to seize. Mei Gao was sent there too. Now he’s back in the capital, suddenly made deputy commander of the Imperial Guards, who answer directly to the emperor… How did Prince Rui manage that?”

Chu Ling was also curious how Prince Rui had managed it.

After all the lessons from Ghost Scholar along the way, Chu Ling understood that the emperor was not just indulgent and immoral, and the empress dowager was terrifying—but Prince Rui’s man had been assigned to the emperor’s personal guards… Isn’t the emperor afraid Prince Rui might assassinate him?

“We’re here.” Mei Gao’s voice broke Chu Ling’s thoughts. After explaining things to the Dali Temple’s jailer, he had Qi Gui and the others brought in first. Then he pointed at Chu Ling and Wan Sanjin, giving a few more instructions.

“Master Chu, I’ll leave first. Prince Rui will come to protect you, so please wait patiently,” Mei Gao said, then mounted his horse and rode off.

The jailer approached and bowed to Chu Ling. “Master, please follow me.”

Chu Ling returned the bow, then, with Wan Sanjin and the jailer, walked into the prison.

Chu Ling sized up the Dali Temple prison in front of her. It was huge, apparently three stories high, with the lower two levels underground—dark and sunless, giving off a cold, gloomy feeling. The jailer seemed to be leading them to the first level, which was on the surface, dry and surprisingly clean.

The jailer walked ahead silently; not a single footstep could be heard. Only the keys hanging from his waist clinked, producing a crisp sound.

“On the way here, I heard Master Mei say that this prison hasn’t been used for a long time,” Chu Ling glanced downward and asked curiously.

The jailer smiled, his eyes glinting with a dark sharpness as he looked down briefly. “Yes, it hasn’t been used in a long time, almost abandoned. And now another batch of people has been thrown in.”

Chu Ling smiled faintly. “I thought the capital would be different from the provinces. Turns out, quite a few people get into trouble here too.”

“You’re wrong, my lord. The more so in the capital, the more people commit crimes,” the jailer said, pointing the way forward. “Almost there. They’re all confined over there. It’s crowded, so ghosts aren’t easy to encounter.”

“Ghosts? Ghosts!” Wan Sanjin jumped, grabbing Chu Ling’s arm. “What do we do? Su He isn’t here!”

Chu Ling tried to pry Wan Sanjin’s hand off, but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t. She had no choice but to look at the jailer and ask tentatively, “Have you seen any ghosts, jailer?”

“Never seen one. Just lots of dead bodies. The Yin energy is heavy—it’s uncomfortable, that’s all.” The jailer smiled, but his drooping, triangular eyes sent a chill down her spine.

Chu Ling chuckled. “Then you should let me take a look. I’m a doctor.”

“You, my lord, are a civil official… and yet you can serve as a military officer and treat illnesses?” The jailer laughed.

Chu Ling raised an eyebrow. “Naturally. I’m quite skilled. I even once administered acupuncture to Fu Qingyu… Wait, Master Wan, are my eyes playing tricks on me? Did I just see your Qingyu?”

Wan Sanjin froze, then jumped forward, grabbing the wooden prison door. “Qingyu, what are you doing here? Did you get beaten too?”

“Beaten?” Fu Qingyu walked over slowly. “No. This time there was a problem with the imperial examination, and all the students were arrested.”

“All the students?” Wan Sanjin was stunned. Only then did he look inside the cell—and found many familiar faces.

Chu Ling hurried a few steps forward. She looked at Fu Qingyu, then at the two brothers, Shangguan, against the wall, along with Nangong Yuankang, Ye Bisi, Lu Zheng, Sun Yang, Yang Huaishan… and the person next to him must be Lu Anming…

All the students were arrested—what else could it be for?

“Cheating on the exams?” Chu Ling’s eyes widened, and she kicked the cell door hard. The chains rattled violently.

Sun Yang shouted, “Lord Chu Ling, the imperial exam is the Spring Session! It’s not until next spring!”

Chu Ling went, “Oh,” and pulled her foot back. “You should’ve said so earlier.”

Shangguan Cheng muttered angrily under his breath, “Spring Session… it’s in spring, and I didn’t even know…”

“Shangguan Cheng, what are you mumbling about?” Chu Ling narrowed her eyes and glared.

Shangguan Cheng quickly ducked behind Shangguan Shi, pushing him forward. “I didn’t say anything, my lord. You must have misheard.”

Lu Zheng looked around, then blinked blankly. “Everyone knows Lord Chu Ling?”

Shangguan Cheng poked his head out. “A few recognize him, some probably don’t. After all, there are more than thirty people in here. He can’t have beaten them all, can he?”