Chapter 153: Wind Full (4)

The Chief Justice’s prison was profoundly dark.

Prisons were inevitably dim, and although spring had arrived, the place remained bitterly cold. The deeper one ventured into the cells, the more oppressive the chill became. Occasionally, large rats scurried in the corners or hid among the straw scattered on the cell floors, their sharp teeth and beady eyes quite alarming.

The last time Qi Ying came here was four years ago to visit Chancellor Shen, with whom he had only met a few times. Even through the bars of the prison door, that lord spoke to him about the hardships faced by noble families, displaying remarkable foresight and earnest words. Qi Ying knew then that he was right, but at the time, he never imagined that everything would come crashing down on the Qi family so quickly. In just four short years, he now found himself visiting his blood brothers.

How unpredictable life was—such developments evoked even Qi Ying’s sighs.

The presence of the current prime minister naturally prompted the prison guards to lavish flattery and fawning attention upon him. One wonders if they would still have been so enthusiastic had they known this esteemed man had just been stripped of his power by the emperor.

However, the prime minister did not request an escort, dismissing those who offered to guide him. Alone, he walked deep into the prison.

Qi Yun and Qi Ning were not held in the same cell. Qi Ying first located his eldest brother.

Qi Yun, the Right Vice Premier, was the legitimate son of the Qi family, holding a prestigious second-rank official position. He had always lived a life of dignity and honor. Yet when Qi Ying found him, he was disheveled, covered in wounds, sitting against the wall with his eyes closed. Nearby, remnants of food were being devoured by two large rats.

His body bore numerous overlapping scars, clearly inflicted during torture—though not as severe as Xu Zhengning’s wounds from his time in Northern Wei, they were nonetheless shocking to behold.

Qi Ying clenched his fists tightly.

He called out to his brother through the bars, but Qi Yun seemed unresponsive, leaning against the wall without moving or speaking. If not for the slight rise and fall of his chest, Qi Ying might have thought him already...

His brows furrowed deeply. Suddenly, he heard Qi Ning’s voice echoing nearby, calling repeatedly, “Second Brother? Is that you, Second Brother? Second Brother, are you here? —Second Brother! Second Brother!”

His voice was filled with excitement, reverberating through the cold, empty depths of the prison. Qi Ying glanced once more at his eldest brother, who still showed no reaction, seemingly feverish and unconscious. His brows knitted even tighter.

He naturally wanted to exchange a few words with his eldest brother before leaving, but his visiting time was extremely limited. Unable to linger further, he turned to find his third brother, Qi Ning.

Qi Ning’s cell was also nearby. Qi San was in a sorry state, though his injuries were far fewer than his elder brother’s. Consequently, he was merely much thinner, with no other significant issues. It seemed the prison officials had received instructions from above—they knew Qi San was not crucial. What mattered was forcing the Right Vice Premier to confess and sign, making it easier to corner the Qi family. Thus, all the torture was directed at Qi Yun, allowing Qi Ning to escape relatively unscathed.

Although Qi Ning hadn’t suffered physical harm, his emotional turmoil was extreme. Having grown up pampered, he had never endured such suffering. Now, upon seeing his second brother, he burst into tears, reaching through the bars to clutch desperately at Qi Ying’s sleeve, repeatedly crying out, “Second Brother, save me!” Gone was the resentment he had harbored toward his second brother over the past year.

Amid sobs, Qi Ning cried loudly, “Second Brother, listen to me! Let me explain! This wasn’t my idea—it was Fu Ran! The Fu family framed me! I didn’t have that kind of money; they lured me step by step into borrowing it! Yes, I admit I lost my mind and stole Elder Brother’s seal to borrow money, but—but I never took thousands of acres of land! Absolutely not! The Fu family added their own forcibly seized lands to my account! Second Brother, save me! I’ll never dare do it again—I’ll obey you completely from now on, I swear…”

His words tumbled out chaotically, his sobs heart-wrenching, tears streaming down his face, making him look utterly wretched.

As Qi Ying gazed at him, memories surfaced of his childhood with Jing Kang. Each time after being punished by their father, Jing Kang would cling to his sleeve and cry loudly, just as Qi Ning did now, repeatedly pleading, “Second Brother, save me.”

Qi Ning was his younger brother, and in his eyes, perhaps forever a child with an incomplete mind. He could forgive and care for him, but how stern were the laws of the nation? How cruel were the machinations of men? Who else would show him the same leniency?

There was no escaping this calamity, and worse, it had dragged their eldest brother into it.

But could all this truly be blamed on Qi Ning?

No noble family in Jiangzuo was without its share of hidden filth—the Qi family was already considered one of the cleaner ones. Every household concealed secrets, so why had the Qi family’s misdeeds come to light? Simply because the emperor willed it. Qi Ning was merely a pawn in someone else’s hands.

Rather than blaming his third brother, it was his own fault—he hadn’t foreseen this, hadn’t taken better care, and thus brought this great disaster upon the family.

Qi Ying’s gaze grew darker.

“Jing An.”

Qi Ning, who had been crying, suddenly heard his second brother call his name. He immediately looked up, his tearful eyes fixed on his brother, who lowered his phoenix-like eyes and said, “I will definitely save you and Elder Brother. Wait patiently, but remember one thing—do not mention the Fu family again, not a single word.”

His voice was low, his expression both compassionate and sorrowful, causing Qi Ning’s tears to flow even more freely.

His second brother… How could he have ever harbored resentment toward him?

He had always treated him so well…

Deep down, Qi Ning trusted his second brother and knew he genuinely cared for him. Alas, blinded by a momentary lapse in judgment, he had fallen into the Fu family’s trap, dragging the entire family into ruin.

Overwhelmed with regret, he could only nod repeatedly at his second brother, saying, “Second Brother… I’m sorry, I’ve wronged our family, I…”

Unable to continue, he buried his face in his hands and wept again.

His second brother said nothing more, only patting his shoulder gently through the bars.

A light tap, no different from their usual interactions at home—just like when he failed to memorize a book or wrote a poor essay and was scolded by their father. At such times, his second brother would give him a gentle pat on the shoulder, seemingly without deep meaning, yet it always reassured him.

I don’t need to be afraid—I still have my second brother.

My second brother will save us.

He definitely will.

By the time Qi Ying returned to the main house, it was already late at night, quiet and still, with all sounds hushed.

He shouldn’t have returned so late, but after leaving the Chief Justice’s prison, he had arranged for someone to enter and tend to Qi Yun’s injuries, which took considerable effort and negotiation with the prison officials, delaying his return. The Chief Justice’s prison could only be entered once; after leaving, he couldn’t re-enter. Thus, he only heard from the doctor that Qi Yun had regained consciousness, taken medicine, and begun to recover from the fever, though Qi Ying hadn’t had the chance to speak with his eldest brother.

Thankfully, his eldest brother was improving and out of danger.

Though Qi Ying returned late, the house was brightly lit. Except for his father and grandmother, who were still bedridden, everyone else had gathered in the main hall waiting for him.

Knowing that his eldest sister-in-law was pregnant and unwell, Qi Ying, fearing she would worry herself sick, withheld the severity of Qi Yun’s condition, simply saying he had grown thinner but was otherwise fine. Hearing this, his sister-in-law seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, her complexion improved slightly, though she still couldn’t help but cry, repeatedly thanking Qi Ying, “Jing Chen, thank you…”

When a mother cried, her children naturally followed suit. Little Hui’er sobbed pitifully, clinging to Qi Ying’s leg and repeatedly thanking him, “Thank you, Uncle.” Qi Ying consoled the child while replying to his sister-in-law, “Sister-in-law, there’s no need for thanks—it’s all part of my duty.”

Beside them, Yao Shi comforted her daughter-in-law while also on the verge of tears. At this moment, her fourth son asked Jing Chen, “Second Brother… how is Third Brother? Is he alright?”

Due to the Spring Examination incident, Qi Si had also quarreled with his second brother for a while. However, being a broad-minded person, he soon let go of his grievances. Moreover, the Zhao family had relented and agreed to marry Zhao Yao to him. Having gotten what he wanted, he naturally no longer cared about the events surrounding the Spring Examination, and things returned to normal with his second brother.

Recently, amidst the chaos, Qi Si had undergone some changes.

He had always been playful, rarely burdened by responsibilities, his thoughts solely occupied by his beloved Yao’er cousin. Originally, he was about to fulfill his long-held wish—they had exchanged birthdates and were awaiting an auspicious day for the wedding. But then disaster struck the family, throwing everything into disarray. Initially, the Zhao family only postponed the wedding, but after seeing the eldest brother imprisoned and the father fall ill, they outright canceled the engagement.

Once frequent visitors to the Qi household, they now kept their distance, fearful of any association with the family.

Qi Si wasn’t foolish—he just chose not to dwell on certain matters. Deep down, he had long known the Zhao family’s true nature, always opportunistic and calculating. He had assumed only his uncle and aunt behaved this way, believing his beautiful and charming Yao’er cousin would never stoop to such pettiness. Yet, in times of adversity, people’s true colors emerged. The Yao’er cousin he had adored for years immediately shut him out once his family fell into trouble, even formally writing a letter to sever ties, vowing never to see him again.

How swiftly fortunes and relationships could change.

In the past, such a betrayal would have devastated Qi Si. But now, with the family in crisis and his father and brothers suffering, he no longer had the luxury to indulge in romantic woes. Instead, he began to realize his responsibility to the family.

He had to grow up… He couldn’t rely entirely on his father and brothers anymore.

He needed to help his second brother shoulder this immense burden.

Growing up sometimes happens in the blink of an eye—a fleeting moment where one suddenly understands their responsibility to someone or something. This was what was meant by opportunity. Such changes might be subtle, but traces could often be found. For instance, Qi Si’s eyes now carried a gravity and determination they had never possessed before.

Seeing this transformation in Qi Si brought Qi Ying a sense of comfort. However, he understood that growth wasn’t achieved overnight, so he didn’t expect his fourth brother to share the burden. He simply patted Qi Si’s shoulder and said, “Jing An is fine. Take care of yourself and leave the rest to others.”

Qi Si was intelligent and naturally understood his second brother’s meaning. At the same time, he began to despise his own weakness—how useless he was! In this time of upheaval, he could only panic like a three-year-old, waiting for his second brother to rescue him.

If only he had held some official position, if only he had cultivated connections, if only he hadn’t wasted his time drowning in frivolous romantic pursuits, then now…

It was his fault!

Qi Si was overwhelmed with grief and anger but had no time to express it before a servant hurried in to report that the young master of the Han family had arrived and was waiting in the corridor, wishing to see the second master.

The young master of the Han family… Han Feichi.

Upon hearing this, Qi Ying’s eyes flickered slightly, though not noticeably. After a moment of contemplation, he bent down to hand Hui’er to his sister-in-law, then turned to his mother and said, “Mother, I’ll go see Zhongheng. I’ll be back soon.”

Since the Qi family’s troubles began, their gates had been deserted, with no one daring to visit. Now, this young master of the Han family had come. Though his purpose was unknown, it was certainly rare. Yao Shi was momentarily moved, saying, “Why not invite Zhongheng inside for a seat? He can at least have a cup of tea.”

Qi Ying thought for a moment and replied, “No need. Knowing Zhongheng’s temperament, he likely wouldn’t appreciate a grand reception.”

That was true.

The young master of the Han family was known for his unpredictable nature—reckless, bold, and disdainful of formalities. Inviting him into the main hall to pay respects would only complicate matters.

Yao Shi realized her oversight and quickly nodded in agreement, saying, “Alright, go ahead.”

Qi Ying nodded at his mother and turned to leave the main hall.

Under the corridor, the night air was cool as water. Han Feichi stood tall, waiting there. Upon hearing Qi Ying’s footsteps, he snapped out of his thoughts and turned to look toward the entrance of the Qi family’s main hall, calling out, “Second Brother.”

This young master of the Han family was infamous in Jiankang—a notorious troublemaker. Born into privilege and blessed with extraordinary talent, he was wilfully disobedient. Even when forced by his father and elder brothers to take the provincial examination, he dared to submit a blank paper publicly, leaving everyone stunned.

He was a carefree noble son, perpetually appearing nonchalant and dissolute. Yet now, his face was solemn, his demeanor grave, devoid of any hint of jest or playfulness.

He watched Qi Ying approach from the main hall, quickly stepping forward to meet him. His expression was serious, his gaze sharp, and he refrained from unnecessary words, asking only one question: “Is there anything I can do to help?”

Han Feichi’s reputation for recklessness preceded him, earning him the title of Jiankang’s top spoiled brat, burdened with every conceivable bad reputation. Many had forgotten that he was once hailed as a child prodigy. Only now, as he revealed his serious side again, did people recall—Han Zhongheng had once been the most outstanding descendant of the Han family. His clan elders were so impressed by his innate talent that they named him “Feichi.”

For a dragon destined to soar, it could never remain confined to a mere pond.

At this moment, he neither inquired about Qi Ying’s well-being nor his family. He fully understood that such questions were futile in times of collapse. He simply asked, “Is there anything I can do to help?”

If you say it, I will do it.

Through blades and swords, through thorns and brambles, without hesitation.

Seeing his seriousness, Qi Ying’s expression remained open, and he simply shook his head.

Han Feichi frowned but didn’t doubt that Qi Ying was being polite. He could read the caution in his second brother’s eyes and pressed further, “Then what does Second Brother plan to do now?”

The night was long, and a sudden gust of wind stirred, unsettling the hearts of those present.

Qi Ying’s countenance, however, remained as steady as mountains and rivers, though his gaze upon Han Feichi carried a hint of complexity.

He spoke only one word:

“Wait.”