by Feng Yue
Since it did not pertain to them, some also joined in, yelling, “Yeah, get out!”
“Yeah, go get the warden for the duke!”
“Lord Ye doesn’t eat this sh*t!”
“Yeah!”
The other guards grew uncomfortable. Even banging on the bars could not make the group of b*stards stop. Instead, it resulted in a new round of insults.
The guards exchanged glances before they all looked at the same person. That person spat onto the ground and cursed. “Me again?” After muttering some complaints, he turned and left.
Soon, a large group of guards rushed into the prison cell. The leader was a fat man with a monocle. Expression dark, he pointed at a few who were yelling the most dramatically. Some strong jailers rushed in, dragged the prisoner out, and beat him up in front of everyone. Even some bones were broken.
Silence finally returned to the prison.
Ye Qingxuan’s cell door was opened.
The fat man with a monocle tugged on his shoulder strap and walked in. Ferocity flashed past his eyes but he quickly replaced it with forced kindness.
“Mr. Ye, what are you doing now?” He studied Ye Qingxuan. Glancing at the plate tossed into the corner, he understood something.
“Does the food not suit your taste?” he asked with a smile. “I’m sure it’s because the lower men don’t understand the rules. You have a high status. The prison warden specifically hired a chef to make food just for you. Apparently, the olive oil in there is imported from Burgundy. I don’t even get to eat that food.”
“Don’t compare me to dogs like you.” Ye Qingxuan’s expression was disdainful and he did not hold back. “I am a duke! Look at this sh*t! Put some pieces of beef and pretend it’s burdock? Throw in some fish and pretend it’s seafood stew? Where’s the wine before the meal? You want me to drink this cheap *ss watery thing?!
“How can you even bring me something so oily? You want me to get indigestion? And look at this sweet pepper fish or whatever it is. You think you just need to throw pepper on a baked fish? You think I’m a beggar?” He raged like this for a full ten minutes, turning this specially designed meal into something even beggars would look down on. The fat man’s expression grew more and more uncomfortable.
Ever since Ye Qingxuan was locked in here, there was not a moment of peace. The orderly prison had become ruined just because of him. He threw giant tantrums every day too. No one knew where his bad temper came from. He never looked anyone in the eye and all his words were horrible. Each sentence burned. If he was a regular prisoner, he would have been sent to get ‘educated’ long ago. But he was here because of something big!
Apparently, he was a troublesome thing who had been locked up in the Judgement Tower. After being free for a few days, he got involved in the pope’s assassination and committed a high-class felony.
Many people had an eye on this case.
But it would be okay if that was it. There were many ways to mess with someone in prison. The jailers could think of dozens easily but this b*stard was a duke!
An Eastern duke!
Someone who would become royalty!
Not many people in the Sacred City had a higher status than him!
A noble with Deva’s blood, the future sword bearer of Anglo, the suspected assassinator of the pope, the sky who was connected with the Revolutionaries…all of these identities were headache-inducing.
Technically, someone so important should not be locked up here. However, the Judgement Tower just so happened to have collapsed. The big figures up there had the great idea to just toss him here without any orders except a document. They were just supposed to look after him.
But look after him? How?!
The prison ward only had a viscount behind him—and even that was bought with money! They did not dare to hit or yell at Ye Qingxuan. They could only clean up a prison cell and give him nice food and drinks, treating him like some lord.
The prison ward had had many heart attacks these past few days. This was a few lifetimes of bad karma! He would definitely not show up for these things so the fat deputy was the one bore the brunt.
It was horrible!
He had been so free before Ye Qingxuan came! None of the prisoners dared to cause trouble before him but ever since Ye Qingxuan appeared, they became harder and harder to control.
Seeing how angry Ye Qingxuan was, all his pent-up anger exploded as well.
“Mr. Ye, you are still a criminal. Don’t cross the line!” The fat man paused and his expression turned cold. “Otherwise…”
“Otherwise what?” Ye Qingxuan laughed. He rose and walked to the fat man. Bending down, he looked down at him. “I’m an important criminal. Important, you understand?” He pointed at his face, his expression arrogant. “If anything happens to me, can you take responsibility? Otherwise? What can you do to me? Am I a criminal? No sh*t! Otherwise, dogs like you will never have the right to even stand before me.” His words practically gave the fat man a stroke. His expression was as dark as the bottom of a charred pot. His facial muscles convulsed and his eyes turned bloodshot.
“Hit him! Hit him!” The other prisoners were excited again. “Wild pig, hit him! What you scared of?”
“Don’t be scared! Hit him! He’s just a duke!”
“Are you even a man?”
The man shook in anger. He pointed at Ye Qingxuan. “You! You-”
“Sir, don’t act rashly. Please don’t act brashly!” The other guards ran over to stop him. “You can’t hit him! We-we…we’re a civilized prison!”
“Civilized my *ss!” the fat man roared as he struggled. “Let go! I’m gonna kill him today!”
He used too much power in his anger. The guards could not hold on to him! He rushed forward but then froze. He looked back in frustration, his eyes saying, stop me! You b*stards! Why aren’t you stopping me?
The guards were mindblown. They all thought you want to struggle, huh? Why didn’t you just let us stop you?
In the awkward silence, the sound was the prisoners guffawing. The fat man’s expression kept changing but he was frozen in place.
This was the most awkward moment in his life!
Thankfully, someone ran over and murmured something in his ear. The fat man stared at the newcomer as if he was a ghost and nodded.
“Are you sure?”
“Yes!” Then the fat man sighed deeply. He massaged his face and put his face down. A fawning smile appeared miraculously. The smile was so strange that Ye Qingxuan, who was purposely making drama, knitted his brow and felt a chill.
“Mr. Ye…” The fat man rubbed his hands enthusiastically like an old man. “That was a misunderstanding! A misunderstanding!”
“Misunderstanding?” Ye Qingxuan frowned. “I don’t think so. I was purposely yelling at you stupid fatty. Are you a man? If you are, take me on yourself!”
“A misunderstanding! It must be!” The fat man stuck his face forward. “Those dogs are bad at taking care of you but someone like me would never dare to even touch a strand of your hair! If you’re angry, hit me! Please don’t keep it in.”
What the f*ck? It was Ye Qingxuan’s turn to be mindblown.
“What is wrong with you all? How can you make Mr. Ye eat this sh*t?” The fat man started yelling at the guards.
Then he plastered a smile on and turned around. “What would you like to eat? You can tell me any of your requests and I’ll do my best to satisfy them. You won’t be mistreated at all!”
Ye Qingxuan was utterly confused. Was he this guy’s dad? No, he probably would not even treat his own dad this well. Ye Qingxuan studied the man for a while but he could not guess what the man was thinking.
But since he said that, Ye Qingxuan decided to not hold back. He waved. “Don’t bring your chef out for humiliation. For the main course, I want truffle burdock cooked rare and with pepper sauce from the White Pine Restaurant. For the appetizer, I want smoked squid. Then I want red wine and cheese baked oysters and caviar. I want�
��”
He recited all the trademark dishes of the Sacred City’s famous restaurants in one breath. Ye Qingxuan did not care if they could actually get him the dishes that even archbishops needed to preorder. Finally, he waved his hand.
“Oh, and for the soup, I’d like vegetable broth from the south to help with my digestion.” Done speaking, he side-eyed the fat man. “Did you memorize it all?”
“Yes.” The fat man smiled earnestly without any hint of annoyance. He looked as if Ye Qingxuan was his father. “Don’t worry, we will get it settled for you!”
“Wait!” Ye Qingxuan called out. “I am in a bad mood these days. I don’t have a good appetite. Hire some musicians to play music for me so I can relax.”
“Okay!” The fat man nodded. “No problem!”
Ye Qingxuan was taken aback. Things felt even weirder so he decided to keep going. Waving a hand, he said, “The lighting is bad and it’s damp so my appetite is even worse. Bring me somewhere with better lighting and air circulation.”
“Okay!” The fat man nodded without complaint. “Where would you like?”
Ye Qingxuan huffed. “I think the prison warden’s office is pretty nice. Why don’t you let me go there?”
“No problem! Please wait a few minutes and we’ll clean it out for you immediately!” This fat guy was so agreeable that he definitely had problems!
Nearing the end, he was even worried he did not do enough and asked, “Do you have any other requests?”
Ye Qingxuan was speechless. It felt more and weirder. What was wrong with these guys? Why did they act like he was their father?! Was this an illusion?
No way!
Speechless, Ye Qingxuan glared at the fat man. “Are you messing with me?”
The man smiled.
-
A few minutes later, the guards took care of him as if he was his father and helped him out of the cell. They undid all shackles and even took off the musician restraints on his wrists and legs. Then they politely brought him to the prison warden’s office.
On the way there, Ye Qingxuan saw the prison gate in the distance open. Dozens of carriages raced in. Dozens of people began carrying in cooking equipment. The room beside the prison warden’s office had been emptied and turned into a kitchen. It was a lively scene.
A dozen top-class chefs who usually did not care for any nobles were now nervously creating the dishes Ye Qingxuan had ordered. Someone else brought over the vegetable broth made from the main restaurant. The entire way to the prison, it simmered over a small stove so that it would not cool at all. When it was poured into the bowl, the smell was mouthwatering.
Ye Qingxuan was even more suspicious that he was in some weird illusion. When he walked into the prison warden’s office, he was completely shocked.
The original office desk and even an entire wall had been removed. The floor was covered in a thick handwoven Caucus rug. The wall had been knocked out within a few minutes and replaced with a floor-to-ceiling window. There was a piano in the corner. A robed musician nodded politely to Ye Qingxuan and sat down to play a gentle melody. The warm afternoon sunlight shone in, falling onto the white tablecloth. The silver utensils radiated with gentle light.
A bottle of high-quality red wine covered in condensation was in an ice bucket. The thick red wine in the decanter had a rosy and beautiful glow. The chair before the table was made of ebony. It had been maintained perfectly with a well-oiled shine.
Everything was ready. It was all waiting for Ye Qingxuan to sit down.
However, there was someone unexpected sitting behind the table.
“Ye Qingxuan, does this treatment satisfy you?” The old man sipped his red wine with an elegant poise. The afternoon sunlight fell onto him, giving him a sacred halo.
“You?” Ye Qingxuan was starting to think there was something wrong with his eyes.
The man was the head of the Sacred City nobles, the leader of the Ecclesiastical Order, the current controller of the Sacred City, the future pope…Ludovic!
486 Ludovic
It had been a week.
Ye Qingxuan had sat in jail, waiting for news all this time.
Perhaps one day late at night, someone from the Scared City would bring him out, stick him into a black carriage and let him disappear from this world. Maybe he would be brought to trial in front of all countries and be executed according to the results. Or, he would just spend the rest of his life here in obscurity.
He would age here until he would be thrown out because of some political interests, live a difficult life, and die somewhere.
Although Ye Qingxuan had imagined all kinds of accidents, he had made up his mind to break out immediately after collecting enough information in a few days. But never did he think of this situation. In a way, it could be said to be the worst.
Ye Qingxuan did not think that Ludovic just came here to have a lunch with him.
“Take a seat, Ye Qingxuan.” Ludovic pointed to the chair before him. “It’s not proper to have a guest stand up for dinner.”
Ye Qingxuan did not restrain himself. He unabashedly pulled the chair to sit down, calmly gazing at the old man across. “You talk about courtesy here in a prison? Is the nobility so detailed?”
“The details are embodied in every aspect, child.” Ludovic was like a kindly old man with a mild tone. Compared to him, Ye Qingxuan was indeed a kid. Ludovic was more than five times older than him.
Ye Qingxuan frowned without replying.
Ludovic casually raised the glass. “For example, eating is an art.”
“Is it?” Ye Qingxuan lightly asked, “It can help you eat better?”
Ludovic heard his sarcasm but shook his head. “You are too young. Young people always eat and drink too much but have no idea about the collocations of food.”
The waiter came up and poured the red wine for the two. Ye Qingxuan frowned. This was not the Fontainebleau that he ordered.
“You know what?” Ludovic lightly said, “Actually, the most precious thing about smoked salmon is the succulent fragrance. Fontainebleau is good just because of its rareness. Otherwise, the taste will be destroyed.
“Taste it. I’ve helped you pair it with the best wine from the Anglo Royal Winery wine, the most suitable for the table. The brewers call it the knight because it smells like a knight, escorting without affecting the taste of the food.”
He cut a piece of salmon and put it in his mouth. He was graceful while dining and even when drinking.
“It’s so good. The last time I tasted it was sixteen years ago. I didn’t expect that I can still taste such delicious food after so long. Please deliver my thanks to Mr. Plan, whose craft has made me taste the essence of food.” The second half was said to the waiter. The waiter nodded and left. The chef must be ecstatic to receive praise from Ludovic.
But Ye Qingxuan didn’t care. “Aren’t you an ascetic monk?” he asked, “I’m afraid it’s not good to be so indulgent.”
Ludovic smiled, slowly shaking his head. “Child, you are not well-informed. My ascetic career ended yesterday. There is nothing else in this world worth my penance.”
A newspaper was put before Ye Qingxuan. It was just printed this morning. On the front page was the biggest news. Archbishop Ludovic would be the next Pope. After the next day, he would be the new Kind of Red, the shepherd of all sentient beings, the agent of God in the world.
That was the worst news. Ye Qingxuan glanced at it and tossed it aside.
“I know what you’re thinking.” Ludovic lowered his head, tasting the dishes, and said lightly, “Abraham was rescued but he still can’t leave the emergency room yet. Don’t worry, I won’t let him die. Now he has been put into the Mithril Cellar to be frozen. You can expect him to live a long time, maybe longer than you.”
The Mithril Cellar was a grim prison or a depository for all musicians. The musicians who committed a felony but could not be killed for a variety of reasons were sent there, frozen up after many processes. Then they w
ould fall into slumber and in the coffin until the day the Sacred City found a way for them to redeem themselves and be woken up again. But most people would die quietly in the long sleep and disappear silently.
“Bai Xi is with Hermes, rest assured.” When talking about Bai Xi, Ludovic couldn’t help sighing. “She is really a clever little girl. The slightest action could drive her away. I wanted to bring her here today to meet you.”
Ye Qingxuan was silent but his eyes turned cold and dangerous.
Ludovic did not perceive this. He just picked up the raw oysters and oyster knife that had just been served and said enthusiastically, “Don’t let the food down. Enjoy the lunch, Ye Qingxuan.”
With a snap, the oyster’s shell was pried open, exposing the white soft meat inside. It filled one’s mouth with luscious sweet juice.
The taste of life was delicious.
-
This was perhaps the most exquisite meal Ye Qingxuan had ever had. But he could taste nothing.
Ludovic seemed to really have come here to enjoy lunch. He chatted about what had happened in the Sacred City these days with humor and occasionally told small jokes. No hostility or malice could be seen from him. Instead, it was a pleasure.
Ye Qingxuan could not refrain from thinking that maybe Ludovic could still earn a lot if he just accompanied dinners.
Soon, the lunch was finally finished. The table was cleaned up. The pianist finished, saluted, and departed.
The waiter served a box of cigar and a knife with matches.
Ye Qingxuan did not wait for Ludovic’s enthusiasm. He picked one up directly and cut it open casually. He did not care that the way he was spoiling the treasure would distress many smokers. He was too lazy to even use a match. Putting a finger to the cigar, a flame lit up. The smoke swirled in the air.
Ludovic just smiled. He did not comment on his rude behavior but slowly struck a match to heat the cigar.
After two matches, the cigar was lit. The smoke curled up and blurred his face.
“Let’s get down to the business, Ye Qingxuan. I think you may not be able to wait any longer.”
“No, I like chatting with you.” Ye Qingxuan chuckled. “I am not anxious at all, really. It’ll be better if you take me to take a hot bath and sauna. We can talk to each other frankly and finally go to drink in your private club and chose some beautiful girls together to spend your last day before the throne, leaving a precious memory.”