Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 452 - 288: Sent to Prison

Ying Xuan saw Gu Chengyu walking quickly towards him, and judging by his attire and scholarly demeanor, he figured this must be Gu Chengyu.

"Stop! Are you Gu Chengyu?"

Gu Chengyu stopped not far from them, "I am indeed!"

Seeing him confirm, Ying Xuan promptly called people to arrest Gu Chengyu.

Jiang Shaohua saw Ying Xuan ordering someone to bring out the chains, and hurried forward to stop him, "Wait a moment! There’s no need for that. Gu Chengyu is still under investigation, so using those is inappropriate."

Ying Xuan glanced at Jiang Shaohua, feeling quite odd. Could it be that Gu Chengyu had backing?

However, such things are common in officialdom. Since his superior had spoken, he didn’t need to play the villain.

Gu Chengyu looked over at Jiang Shaohua. He had never met this person and did not know on whose instructions he was being so considerate towards him.

Two soldiers grabbed Gu Chengyu’s arms and led him aside. Gu Chengyu coldly watched these people search everywhere, while the servants in the residence were terrified and screamed, and the doorkeeper trembled in fear.

Li Zhuang and the others stood silently by. The search didn’t last long, just over half an hour. In truth, Gu Chengyu and company had already hidden all the valuables, so there wasn’t much worth searching for.

In the end, over a hundred soldiers returned to the front courtyard, and Gu Chengyu keenly noticed that some soldiers had bulges on their chests. "Two officials, I found no evidence related to the fraud case in the residence."

Ying Xuan nodded, "Lord Jiang, in that case, should this person be detained in Dali Temple, or?"

Gu Chengyu was taken away by the Military Department. He was very cooperative and did not protest, which greatly puzzled Ying Xuan and others. They had never seen such a calm prisoner before. Could it be that he was confident that nothing would happen once he was in jail?

The doors of the two neighboring houses were tightly shut. Despite the commotion, not a single person came out to see.

Gu Chengyu had already written a letter earlier and left it with Ming Mo. Once his second sister learned of the news, she would certainly come to the residence to find him, and after reading the letter, she’d understand.

Sitting on a pile of hay in the cell, Gu Chengyu hadn’t expected that after watching others lie here just last night, it would be his turn today.

However, this time it wasn’t the Heavenly Prison, but an ordinary cell. He had already looked around upon entering, and compared to the watchfulness in the Heavenly Prison, the guards here were quite lax.

There was a musty smell in the jail, and Gu Chengyu even saw a rat scurrying past a corner. Two other people had just been locked in the two cells next to his, and by their attire, they seemed to be candidates like him. 𝘧𝓇ℯ𝑒𝓌𝑒𝑏𝓃𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭.𝒸ℴ𝓂

"Why did you arrest us? I didn’t cheat, I’m innocent!"

Gu Chengyu rubbed his temples. This person had been shouting for justice since he was brought in, and for almost half an incense stick of time, he would shout every now and then, giving Gu Chengyu a headache.

Gu Chengyu really wanted to advise him to save his strength. Once his throat went dry, these constables guarding them wouldn’t give him water.

"What’s with all the noise? Stop or we’ll use torture." The constable, tired of the incessant wailing, yelled fiercely.

"I’m being wronged, I demand to see your superior. I am an Imperial Scholar, after passing the Imperial Examination I am to become an official. Dare you lay a hand on me?" This person initially didn’t speak, probably startled by the constable.

Unexpectedly, before long he said these words. Gu Chengyu wondered if he had studied himself into idiocy. Those who ended up in this cellroom were those with shallow roots; those noble sons never even got here, most had their suspicions cleared during the search at their residences.

As they ended up here, if they could prove their innocence, of course, they could still participate in the Imperial Examination. What if they came in but couldn’t get out?

Gu Chengyu was thinking in his heart, hoping Hu Maoqing would act quickly. Nobody wanted to be inside this damn cell. The thought of having to stay for at least two more days made Gu Chengyu feel hopeless.

In fact, Gu Chengyu was unaware that the Emperor had inquired about him earlier, and Kuang Zhao Ying intended to ask him a few questions, just going through the motions, and then release him. No other way around it, the Emperor had praised his writing. How could you claim he cheated without offending the Emperor?

Originally, he had planned to merely question him a bit like those noble sons, leaving him at home without taking him back to the jail. However, as Gu Chengyu was the top candidate, failure to arrest him would likely set off dissatisfaction among the people.

After a while, the jail door opened again, and to Gu Chengyu’s surprise, Min Feng was also placed in the opposite cell. He was somewhat surprised. Did Kuang Zhao Ying not fear offending Xia Qing?

Min Feng noticed Gu Chengyu and was not surprised. He had already known the rankings of the examination, and Gu Chengyu had taken first place. However, Min Feng’s entry was merely procedural, and he’d be released within a day.

Yin Kun was very worried upon learning that Gu Chengyu had been imprisoned. Just after the morning assembly, he quickly sent someone to Dali Temple to establish connections and ensure Gu Chengyu suffered less.

Although Gu Chengyu said there was a method for him to get out in two days, Yin Kun was still concerned that Gu Chengyu might be tortured in the cell.

"Senior Brother Sun, something’s wrong! Chengyu has been taken to the jail." Ye Zhiqiu had already heard that out of the top twenty candidates, only three weren’t caught; the rest had all been imprisoned.

The news had already spread on the street. Gu Chengyu’s reputation was already prominent, and the word of his arrest spread rapidly.

Sun Xian hadn’t gone to the street early in the morning today. He had visited Gu Chengyu’s residence yesterday, and Gu Chengyu told him that Senior Brother Sun would help, but he never imagined hearing about his arrest today.

Gu Wan was playing in the courtyard with Xiao Baozi when she heard the news and almost fainted.

"What did you say? Xiao Bao was arrested? How could this happen? Didn’t he tell me that at most he’d have to retake the examination once?"

Gu Wan still found it hard to believe. She didn’t grasp the darkness of officialdom and firmly believed that Xiao Bao wouldn’t cheat. Therefore, she hadn’t previously thought this matter too serious.

The thought of Xiao Bao entering the jail made Gu Wan feel like the sky was falling. She wept bitterly, beginning to feel helpless.

"Brother Xian, don’t you know some official families? Perhaps you could ask them for help! Xiao Bao mustn’t be in trouble!"

After over a decade together as siblings, although she once envied the affection their parents had for her younger brother, Xiao Bao’s kindness she always recalled with gratitude.

Now that Xiao Bao was in prison, she had to figure out how to save him no matter what. For the first time, Gu Wan felt resentment towards the imperial examinations, wishing Xiao Bao hadn’t pursued them, and thus avoiding today’s misfortune.

Sun Xian let out a bitter laugh. If there were a way, he would have gone to help. But asking anyone wouldn’t work in this case—not even Zhu Pang and the others. If they could do something, Gu Chengyu wouldn’t have been taken away.

Sun Xian thought of Gu Chengyu’s Grand Senior Brothers and decided it was better to seek them out than not, hoping they could lend a hand.

"Then bring out everything from home. To ask for help, there must be something to offer. Without silver, how could it work?"

"Sigh!" Gu Wan, without even wiping her tears, hurriedly went into the main house to bring out all the silver at home.