The Great Rebel at the End of the Ming Dynasty

Chapter 007 Unexpected

"Don't move! Behave yourself or you'll lose your life!"

Zhou Lun, who had been smiling obsequiously just moments before, now had a face as cold as frost. He pressed the dagger against the jailer's Adam's apple and warned the man who was instinctively trying to struggle.

The jailer froze instantly; he never dreamed such a turn of events would happen. In the blink of an eye, his life was in Zhou Lun's hands. The blade pressed against his throat, the chill seeping into his bones, terrifying him to the point that his face turned ashen and his legs trembled uncontrollably.

"This... young man... what are you doing?"

"What are you doing? Isn't it obvious?" Zhou Lun sneered, "Break them out of prison! Rescue them!"

The jailer trembled with fear, nearly wetting himself on the spot. He stammered, "Young man, this...this is no joke. I urge you not to do such a thing. A prison break...that's a capital offense!"

"What? You're still trying to scare me with these things now?" A cold glint flashed in Zhou Lun's eyes. "Let me tell you the truth, I never intended to turn back since I dared to do this. You better behave yourself, and maybe I'll spare your life. Otherwise, if I accidentally slip my hand across you, hehe, you'll have to consider the consequences yourself."

"Yes, yes, yes... Brother, you'd better hold on tight! I'm just trying to make a living. You can take your men and leave, but please don't hurt me!"

While begging for mercy, the jailer's eyes darted around as he plotted his escape. But when he caught a glimpse of the other two jailers, who were already subdued by Li Shoutian and Wang Tieniu, his heart sank completely.

Oh no! We're doomed!

Damn it, how could I have run into something like this? When did these cowardly peasants start daring to do something so dangerous? For so many years, I've never heard of anyone breaking someone out of prison, not even in the prefectural city! Why did this have to happen to me?

He was terrified, and kept cursing the police officers in his heart. If it weren't for Zhao's men arresting Li Shouyi, and Zhao's exorbitant demands for thirty taels of silver from Zhou Lun, forcing him into this situation, how could he have ended up like this?

These peasants toil all year round, barely earning two taels of silver. Thirty taels! That Liu fellow really dares to ask for it! He's pushed them too far! Even a rabbit will bite when cornered, and a dog will jump over a wall when cornered; now he's the one who's suffering!

He only cared about cursing others, but he didn't think about the beaming face he had when he accepted Zhou Lun's money. Isn't that just human nature?

However, Zhou Lun didn't have time to let the jailer ponder any life lessons. After controlling the man, rescuing Li Shouyi as soon as possible was the most important thing.

He took out the rope he had prepared beforehand and tied the three of them up tightly. He then searched the jailer for the key and took out all the loose silver and copper coins that the jailer had hidden in his pocket.

It has to be said that the three jailers actually had quite a bit of money on them, plus the loose silver Zhou Lun gave them today, totaling five taels. So, by all accounts, Zhou Lun actually made a profit.

He took the key, opened the cell door, and released Li Shouyi from inside.

When Li Shouyi came out, he was still in a daze. He never expected Zhou Lun to be so bold as to break him out of prison. Even those two rascals, Li Shoutian and Wang Tieniu, had gotten involved and committed this capital crime together. How could they dare to do that?

But now, he felt mostly gratitude and emotion. His sworn brother was truly exceptional. How many people in this world would risk such a danger to rescue him?

Moreover, Li Shouyi was not a stubborn person. He knew that once the arrow was released, there was no turning back. Since the deed was already done, it was too late to regret it, so he might as well go all the way.

"Brother, quickly change into these clothes." Zhou Lun helped Li Shouyi out and handed him a set of old clothes that had been prepared in advance.

During his time in prison, Li Shouyi had suffered a lot, and his clothes were now filthy and tattered. He couldn't go out like this; let alone sneak out of the city, he would be spotted as soon as he stepped onto the street.

Li Shouyi nodded, quickly changed his clothes, washed his face, and tied his disheveled hair back into a bun. After tidying up, Li Shouyi finally looked less conspicuous. But Zhou Lun was still not satisfied. He had come prepared and directly stripped one of the jailers of his clothes, making Li Shoutian put it on and pretend to be a jailer.

It wasn't that Zhou Lun didn't want to impersonate someone, but his 1.85-meter height was simply too conspicuous. In this era, he would stand out like a crane among chickens on the street. Wang Tieniu was burly, but his height wasn't suitable either. Of the four, only Li Shoutian, with his average build, was the most suitable.

After changing his clothes, Li Shoutian looked no different from a jailer. As long as no one got too close to examine his face closely, he could easily pass for one. There were three of them when they came, and there were still three when they left, with an extra jailer accompanying them, which seemed perfectly reasonable.

After they finished packing, the time it takes for an incense stick to burn had passed. It wasn't safe to linger here. Zhou Lun sized up Li Shouyi and Li Shoutian, who had changed their clothes, and after confirming there were no flaws, he beckoned to them. Ignoring the cries from the prisoners in the other cells demanding their release, the group headed straight out. Li Shoutian, disguised as a jailer, led the way with Zhou Lun, while Wang Tieniu supported Li Shouyi as they followed behind. Li Shouyi had suffered in prison; although his injuries weren't serious, he still walked somewhat unsteadily. With Wang Tieniu's help, he appeared to be walking normally.

As Zhou Lun walked, he smiled obsequiously and chatted with Li Shoutian, looking exactly like he was trying to please the jailer.

The group left the county prison without incident. When they reached the vicinity of the gate, the two guards on duty looked up and casually asked, "Are you leaving already?" Zhou Lun nodded repeatedly and went forward to slip a few copper coins to them.

While urging Wang Tieniu and Li Shouyi on, Li Shoutian turned halfway around and mumbled a few words of urging. The two servants didn't think much of it and happily stuffed the copper coins into their pockets.

Just a few more steps and they would be completely out of the gate, when suddenly someone walked in from outside and bumped right into Zhou Lun and his group.

"Why is this guy here?"

Zhou Lun recognized him at a glance as Constable Zhao!

He cursed his bad luck inwardly. He had taken ninety-nine steps out of a hundred, and was about to escape, when he had to run into this plague. Why did this guy have to come to the county jail of all times?

But there was no way to avoid it now, so Zhou Lun could only bite the bullet and step forward, forcing a smile as he greeted him.

"Master Zhao..."

"Huh! It's you?" Constable Zhao looked closely and recognized Zhou Lun. Then he glanced at Li Shoutian, who was standing to the side with his head slightly lowered and dressed as a jailer. His face immediately darkened.

"Are you here to visit your elder brother?" Officer Zhao asked with a sneer.

"Thanks to you, Master Zhao, I'm bringing some things to my elder brother today. It's hardly a visit..." Zhou Lun quickly explained.

"Sending gifts? Heh..." Constable Zhao sneered, his face quite unpleasant. What's the difference between sending gifts and visiting someone? This kid actually bypassed him and directly connected with the jailer? Coming to the county jail in secret, he clearly doesn't take him seriously.

The first time Zhou Lun came to the county prison, he had asked Constable Zhao for a favor and received a full two taels of silver. Now, bypassing him meant he wouldn't get any benefit at all? Would the silver that should have been his bet be divided up by these prison guards? How could he swallow this insult after being taken as a kickback?

"What audacity! Daring to sneak into the county jail without my permission? Where are Ma Lao and his two companions? What kind of authority does he have over the county jail? Tell him to get out here!"

Constable Zhao, his anger flaring, launched into a tirade, pointing at Li Shoutian and demanding that Ma Laosan, the jailer in charge of the county prison, come out to see him. He was determined to give Ma Laosan a good talking-to today; such a breach of protocol wouldn't be over until he received an explanation!

This sudden turn of events left Li Shoutian somewhat bewildered. This imposter dared not speak, much less raise his head, and could only mumble a vague reply. Before he could decide whether to brace himself and drag Officer Zhao to the prison to deal with him and the other jailers, or to send Zhou Lun and the others out first, Officer Zhao had already sensed something was amiss.

"Wait! Who are you? I've never seen you before! Raise your head!"

Officer Zhao, though greedy and ruthless, was still a man of honor and possessed a certain level of vigilance. The man in the jailer's uniform was a complete stranger. The police station and the county jail were close by, and he'd dealt with these people frequently over the years; he knew everyone from top to bottom. But this man before him seemed increasingly suspicious. He hadn't heard of any new hires at the county jail recently, so who was this person?

Suspicion arose, and Officer Zhao immediately became alert, his right hand involuntarily reaching for the iron ruler at his waist.

"broken!"

Zhou Lun, Li Shouyi, Li Shoutian, and Wang Tieniu all felt a sudden jolt in their hearts, and their expressions changed.

Once Li Shoutian looks up and Zhao, the constable, sees his unfamiliar face, he will immediately know what happened. At that point, Zhao only needs to shout or even take action, and even if they can quickly subdue the other party, it will be too late.

In a flash, Zhou Lun no longer hesitated. He absolutely could not let Constable Zhao react in time, nor could he let the situation get out of control.

There is no other way.

Just as Constable Zhao reached for the iron ruler, his attention completely focused on Li Shoutian, Zhou Lun suddenly pushed off with his foot and pounced like a cheetah.