Exile after Divorce? Empty the Scumbag Husband First!-Chapter 346 - 338: The Dog-Crawling Anecdote

She smiled slightly and said, "Lord, since when was breakfast served in this jail? And why is it that only I get to eat while the other prisoners do not?"

Seeing that the bowl contained rare meat, those around her were immediately displeased by what Ruan Mian said.

"Indeed! Why can he eat, and why can’t we?!"

"The floods are coming, we’re on the brink of disaster, and even then, the meal distribution is still unequal?!"

A few words quickly stirred a sense of comparison among the prisoners around her.

The prison guards, unable to argue, simply raised their whips and resorted to violence, causing chaos on the scene!

The prisoners lashed out in anger, clashing with the government officers; she took advantage of the chaos to try and leave, but as she lifted her foot, a sedan chair suddenly stopped at the entrance of the jail corridor.

A middle-aged man in a dark robe got off it, blocking her way with a cold expression, holding a smoking pipe.

"Within Yu Zhou’s jurisdiction, the people have lived peacefully for a decade without any disasters! Even during the snowstorm years ago, I managed everything neatly."

"You, a Daoist who exaggerates and spreads rumors in a busy market, causing public panic, do you not realize your crime?"

Ruan Mian glanced at him, hearing this, she had already guessed; this person must be the Prefect of Yu Zhou.

She smiled calmly, about to speak, but the Prefect of Yu Zhou had no intention of giving her a chance; someone beside him suddenly grabbed her arm and forcibly covered her mouth.

Earlier, the head guard had already brought over that bowl of rice.

They exchanged a glance and advanced to pry open Ruan Mian’s mouth, intent on forcing the rice down her throat.

Ruan Mian’s eyes turned fierce, and just as she was about to bite the man’s hand, a familiar voice suddenly came from the door!

"Stop! Lord He!!"

Lord Lin hurriedly appeared, his clothes still wet.

The Prefect of Yu Zhou, seeing it was Lord Lin, suddenly sneered, "Oh, what wind blows Lord Lin to Yu Zhou? I heard no word of Lord Lin visiting today, rushing straight here to the jail, how peculiar."

He uttered these sarcastic words, his gaze suddenly darkening, and his tone turned wrathful.

"I suspected this alarmist Daoist was sent by you!! Lord Lin, what on earth are you scheming? What are you aiming at?"

"You and I have never crossed paths, now Wuheng is set up, you should just stay well in Wuheng, coming to Yu Zhou to meddle..."

"Lord He, I am not as contemptible as you imagine."

"This Daoist foresaw a great calamity, having previously prophesied in Wuheng, for the sake of the many citizens, I sent word to you, hoping to discuss this matter together."

"After all, if the rains continue, and the Linfen River’s water level rises and does not fall, then the lives of tens of thousands in both Yu Zhou and Wuheng City are at stake!"

The Prefect of Yu Zhou snorted, hurling his teacup violently at Lord Lin.

"Lord Lin, you are merely the Magistrate of Wuheng, yet you dare to extend your reach into Yu Zhou."

"Moreover, the Linfen River rises every rainy season, a natural law, never erring, and how could you, with mere words, avert a disaster?!"

"Instead, you try various ways to make us evacuate, could it be you have deeper intentions, thinking that with the heavens high and the Emperor far, no one can do anything to you?!"

He flung his arms down forcefully, raising his chin as he boasted, "We, the people of Yu Zhou, have lived peacefully for many years and will not leave even half a step!!"

"And you, a newly appointed Magistrate, Wuheng so impoverished, why would the dignified people of Yu Zhou believe just one side of your story?"

Ruan Mian saw that he was arrogant, disregarding Lord Lin completely, her gaze darkening a bit.

Nevertheless, Lord Lin still maintained his composure, trying to reason kindly.

"Lord He, as you mentioned, I am just a newly appointed Magistrate of Wuheng, without power or influence, and dare not aspire to too much."

"Today is merely..."

"Is it so?" Before Lord Lin could finish, the Prefect of Yu Zhou raised his voice sharply, sneering.

"I heard that Lord Lin was once an appointed official of the court, and there was a renowned dog crawl story. Back when I was far from the Capital City, I did not have the fortune to witness it, if I could see such a display today, perhaps I might consider your words and think about evacuating the citizens of Yu Zhou, no?"

The so-called dog crawl story suddenly reminded Ruan Mian of a passage in the original book.

Back when Xie Huai’an opposed the rebel party at a horse fair, yet was framed by them in turn.

In the original book, an appointed official stepped in for him, deliberately provoking the rebel party, leading them to make the unreasonable demand of a dog crawl for humiliation.

The official, to gather evidence against the rebels, willingly endured humiliation, pretending he was too weak to resist, crawling once around the racetrack.

Finally humiliated beyond endurance and about to end it all, Xie Huai’an coordinated with him, appearing to save him and used the incident to impeach the rebels, rallying other officials to plead for justice for him.

Thus righteously removing the rebel figures.

So, could this so-called dog crawl story be that scene from the original book?

If so, Lord Lin’s fall from being an appointed official to serving in Wuheng might indeed be a destined arrangement.

Yet the Prefect of Yu Zhou used this to further humiliate Lord Lin!

Unaware that Lord Lin did not mind losing face if it could convince the people to evacuate, wasn’t crawling like a dog such a small price to pay compared to any other actions?

Thus, as the Prefect of Yu Zhou finished his mockery, Lord Lin without hesitation got on all fours, half-crouched on the ground like a dog.

"My Lord!" Ruan Mian exclaimed sharply, but Lord Lin didn’t mind and crawled a circle on the ground.

This quickly drew the entertained laughter of the Prefect of Yu Zhou and his companions, as if they were watching monkeys perform.

"Lord Lin’s performance is quite convincing! No wonder so many officials found it so captivating back at the horse fair! Now we’re lucky to witness it, aren’t we?"

The surrounding prison guards echoed in agreement, not finding any sympathy or admiration for an official willing to sacrifice his reputation to save his people.

They merely echoed the Prefect of Yu Zhou, "Even a real dog doesn’t resemble Lord Lin as much, no?"

"Indeed, Lord Lin should bark a few times, don’t you think, brothers?"

Lord Lin’s eyes were calm as he barks twice without hesitation.

This made their whispering grow louder, and while some prisoners kept watching like a show, others were stunned.

Only Ruan Mian was deeply shaken, her emotions surging like tidal waves.

Lord Lin knew she couldn’t hold back, quickly signaling her to stay calm, waiting until he finished crawling a circle before slowly getting up.

Yet the Prefect of Yu Zhou spread his hands, saying, "Sorry, Lord Lin, after thinking about it, I still find your suggestion too ridiculous. The people of Yu Zhou will definitely not leave."