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At this point, there was no benefit in blaming others; the master would not truly deliver a pie to the mouths of the hungry.
Ye Xiaohan tucked the letter away and advised Liu Yang, "Alright, don't worry too much or blame yourself. I understand what happened. It's almost time for you to go back. If anything comes up in the future, don't bear it alone; come find me first."
She leaned closer to Liu Yang and asked softly, "Did you bring the things?"
"I did." Liu Yang handed her a bamboo basket. "It's all in here. Is it enough?"
Ye Xiaohan praised him, "Very clever! I knew you would bring something for me. It's enough; if it's not, you can bring more next time. When you come again, make sure to find Lord Ma San; he will arrange everything for you. Remember, don't act impulsively."
"I'll remember," Liu Yang said, casting one last glance at Ye Xiaohan before following the urging of Ma San to leave.
Ye Xiaohan watched his slightly frail figure as he grew, feeling a bit emotional. This boy was indeed unfortunate; he had never lived a proper life.
After sending Liu Yang off, Ma San returned to the cell and cautioned Ye Xiaohan to be careful. He was just a jail warden; if something went wrong, a single finger from above could crush him.
"Doctor Ye, please be mindful in your actions from now on. Don't let anyone catch hold of your weaknesses. If something happens to you, where will I find such an excellent doctor to treat me?"
The latter half of Ma San's sentence remained unspoken, but those who understood knew what he meant.
Ye Xiaohan smiled and replied, "Of course, Lord, you know I wouldn't dare. This is just a small token from me; I hope you won't think poorly of it. I've caused quite a disturbance here; consider this a little treat for all the lords."
The basket Liu Yang brought contained some pastries on top and some silver coins below, meant to grease the wheels within the prison. Ye Xiaohan discreetly slipped a five-tael silver ingot and some smaller coins to Ma San—just the right amount.
It wouldn’t reveal her as particularly wealthy and attract unnecessary attention, nor would it appear too shabby to fail in motivating others. As for how much Ma San kept for himself, that was his business.
Ma San hesitated briefly but accepted it without showing any emotion. Such transactions were common in prisons; this wasn’t his first time receiving such gifts. Those who wanted to live comfortably behind bars wouldn’t skimp on this life-saving money.
Moreover, their wages as guards were pitifully low; without these offerings, they might as well starve.
Ma San opened the cell door to allow Ye Xiaohan to bring in the basket and began distributing the pastries among the inmates inside. There were still some scattered silver coins left in the basket, which Ye Xiaohan shared with them.
"This is from our previous agreement. You all help me figure out how to get my family in for a visit. Today I could see my nephew thanks to all of you sisters' help; this is just a small token of my appreciation. Please accept it; life here isn’t easy, and having some extra silver is always good."
Ye Xiaohan felt indifferent towards these people. They weren't entirely bad; they even sympathized with her and helped her think of solutions. Yet if they were good people, they would bully those weaker than themselves.
Regardless of their nature, these individuals had committed crimes and ended up here; enduring hardship was part of their due punishment.
All Ye Xiaohan had to do was avoid causing any trouble with them and adding to her own problems.
The prisoners accepted her silver, and although they were not particularly friendly, they were no longer as fierce as they had been at first. The two sides managed to coexist peacefully, and Ye Xiaohan was quite satisfied with this outcome.
That night, Ye Xiaohan found herself unable to sleep again. The moon outside must have been quite round, and the moonlight was bright, streaming in through the barred window.
Unfortunately, the window was too high for her to see the moon, so Ye Xiaohan could only imagine it.
She wondered how Liu Bei was doing. He had been injured and had traveled a long way; she worried about whether his wound would worsen on the journey. Knowing Liu Bei's personality, he would likely not pay attention to such matters. He was the type who never took care of himself.
Ye Xiaohan cradled her face in her hands, staring blankly at the square window. Her mind kept drifting back to where Liu Bei might be headed. Was he seeking outside help? Who could it be? Had Liu Bei been pushed to his limits and decided not to hide his true identity any longer?
Thinking of those elusive men in black eased some of her worries.
If Liu Bei had indeed gone to those men in black, at least he wouldn't be in too much danger. However, being alone out there still made her uneasy.
Setting aside thoughts of Liu Bei, Ye Xiaohan tilted her head and followed the movement of the moonlight.
This direction must lead back to the residence, right? She wondered how Liu Yang and Qi were doing. With such a major incident occurring suddenly and all the adults in the family disappearing, would Qi be scared and crying?
She also worried about whether Liu Wen and his wife were still lingering at the Liu household. As long as they remained there, Ye Xiaohan couldn't feel at ease. That ruthless couple could even resort to poisoning; she truly feared for everyone's safety.
Fortunately, Li Yi was still at home. Good people are rewarded for their kindness; if she hadn't helped others before, the Liu family would have descended into chaos without anyone capable of making decisions.
From now on, she needed to do more good deeds—performing acts of kindness daily and accumulating virtue.
Ye Xiaohan's mind was a jumble of thoughts as she pondered various matters throughout most of the night until she finally dozed off for a brief moment in the early hours.
The next day, while she was anxiously waiting and feeling bored, Liu Yuan appeared again, fanning himself as he approached her.
"Miss Ye, it's been a while! Are you getting used to life here?" Liu Yuan asked with a self-satisfied smile on his face as he looked down at Ye Xiaohan from above. This feeling made him think he was superior.
Moreover, after being locked up for several days, even if Ma San had been secretly looking out for her, it couldn't compare to being at home. Her clothes were only casually arranged; water was scarce, and she had barely washed her face.
Although Liu Yang had visited yesterday, to avoid exposure, Ye Xiaohan hadn't let him bring any change of clothes. If Liu Yuan found out that Liu Yang had come by, everyone involved would suffer consequences.
Ye Xiaohan remained seated on the floor and looked up at him with a smile. "Where in life do we not meet again? As long as I can see Young Master Liu here, I feel accustomed no matter where I am. I wonder if Young Master Liu is also considering staying in this cell?"
"Oh, I forgot, this is the Women's Prison Cell, and Liu Gongzi cannot stay here." Ye Xiaohan suddenly seemed to realize this issue, her face filled with confusion as she asked, "Liu Gongzi, how did you get into the Women's Prison Cell? Did you take a wrong turn?"
Liu Yuan observed her continued arrogance, showing no awareness of her status as a prisoner. His earlier confidence had been dampened by half. Fortunately, he still held a trump card, unafraid that Ye Xiaohan would not obediently admit her mistakes.
"Ye Xiaohan, stop pretending to be crazy. If you oppose me, you better weigh your own worth," Liu Yuan said, tossing an item to her. "Take a look for yourself. If there are any unfamiliar characters, this young master can read them for you."
Ye Xiaohan picked up the item; it was a thin piece of paper. Upon opening it, she found that its contents were anything but thin—they were shockingly heavy.
It was an official notice detailing the crimes committed by Ye Xiaohan, concluding with the verdict.
Three days later, at noon—execution!
Ye Xiaohan stared at the document that appeared to strictly follow protocol. As the person involved, she had neither been summoned to court nor signed any confession.
The ability to bypass these procedures and directly reach a verdict could only be attributed to Liu Yuan, the county magistrate's son; no one else could have done this.
Previously, Ye Xiaohan had always thought Liu Yuan was despicable and shameless, but she never expected him to stoop to such depths. For his own selfish desires, he framed her, ruined her reputation, and now disregarded justice while abusing his power.
Although Ye Xiaohan tried her best to control her expression, the anger and disgust she felt toward Liu Yuan still seeped through in subtle ways. Liu Yuan had been watching her closely and naturally did not miss these signs.
He did not dislike this feeling; in fact, he found it somewhat exhilarating. What he hated most was Ye Xiaohan's disdainful gaze toward him, as if his very existence held no value at all.
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