How Deep Are the Red Maples? Chapter 55: The Imperial Prison

Gu Yu strolled into the kitchen. A cook near the entrance saw him and blinked in surprise. “Sir, what brings you here?”

Gu Yu furrowed his brow. “Why is everything taking so long today? Captain Zhou is starving, so he sent me to see what’s holding things up.”

The cook had no idea which Captain Zhou he meant, but seeing Gu Yu’s impatient expression, he didn’t dare ask. He smiled obsequiously. “Just look, sir. Every stove is going full blast. No one’s slacking off, I assure you. How about this? The meat buns have just come out of the steamer, still piping hot.” He pointed to several large bamboo steamers behind him. “I’ll pack a couple for you to tide you over.”

Gu Yu gave a noncommittal grunt. The cook hurried to fetch a food box and lifted the lid of a steamer. A cloud of steam billowed out. Gu Yu swallowed. He’d been hiding in an alley on watch since the afternoon and hadn’t had a chance to eat. The cook quickly filled the food box with meat buns and handed it to him. “Here you are, sir. Have these for now. Once the meal’s ready, we’ll deliver it to the various offices.”

Gu Yu picked up the food box and turned to leave. The cook let out a breath of relief, then turned and called out, “Come on, everyone, put your backs into it! Don’t let the officers go hungry!”

As Gu Yu emerged from the kitchen, two Embroidered Uniform Guards came toward him. They towered more than a head above him. The Guard selected men for their imposing physiques, so the yamen was full of strong, robust fellows. Among them, Gu Yu truly felt like a chicken in a flock of cranes.

The two men were speaking in low voices. Gu Yu stopped in front of them and clasped his hands in greeting. “Pardon me, brothers. I’m Gao Tiancai. May I ask you something?”

The men paused, then returned his greeting politely. Gu Yu lifted the food box between them and scratched his head. “Captain Zhou told me to fetch some food and take it to the Imperial Prison. But I only arrived a few days ago, and I got lost on my way out of the kitchen. Do either of you know how to get to the prison?”

The two men looked him up and down. For an instant, Gu Yu felt like prey caught in the gaze of a hawk. He forced himself to meet their sharp eyes. After a moment, one of them pointed southeast. “Southeast corner. Don’t turn off the path. You’ll come to an open area; cross the plaza and you’ll be there.”

“Thank you, brother.” Afraid that staying any longer might give him away, Gu Yu thanked them and walked past.

“Which Captain Zhou did you say?” one of the men called from behind.

Gu Yu turned. “Zhou Qingbai.”

The man gave an “Oh,” and waved him on. “Go ahead.”

Gu Yu quietly breathed out the tension he’d been holding and headed in the direction the man had indicated. Along the way, he passed row upon row of buildings. Unlike the Shuntian Prefecture yamen, many of them were still brightly lit at this hour, with shadows moving behind the windows and voices drifting from within. Every so often, two or three Embroidered Uniform Guards crossed his path. Seeing the food box in his hands, they courteously made room for him. Their friendliness dispelled his earlier misgivings. He was beginning to believe he could face the real Guards without flinching.

After walking for some time, he reached an open space. In the distance stood a massive building, its walls of dark gray stone exuding a chilling aura in the gloom. A small plaza lay before the Imperial Prison, with several thick stone pillars rising from its center. A gust of cold wind swept up behind him, raising gooseflesh and a sheen of sweat across his scalp. He hid the food box in the shadow of a tree, steadied himself, then crossed the plaza and climbed the broad stone steps.

Six soldiers in embroidered fish-scale uniforms paced before the prison gate. As Gu Yu approached, one of them stepped forward. “Show me your waist token.”

Gu Yu took it from inside his robe and handed it over. The soldier looked it over, then glanced up at Gu Yu’s face. “You’re new around here.”

Gu Yu nodded and managed a faint smile. “I’ve been here half a month.”

The soldier smiled back. “Ah, a greenhorn. What brings you here so late?”

“Captain Zhou Qingbai still has questions about the case,” Gu Yu said. “He ordered me to bring Tang Haiqiu and Li Fu in for questioning.”

The soldier looked troubled. “Brother, it’s not that I’m trying to make things difficult for you. We have rules: prisoners must be questioned inside the Imperial Prison. To take them out for questioning, you need an extraction order signed by Lord Shen.”

Gu Yu’s heart gave a jolt, but his mind raced. “Captain Zhou knows the rules, of course. But he’s so overwhelmed right now he can barely spare a moment, or he wouldn’t have sent a greenhorn like me to fetch the prisoners. Dozens of lives are at stake. A single moment’s delay could cost them all. I’ll make sure the order is issued as soon as this is over. I won’t leave you in a difficult position, I promise.”

The soldier’s expression turned grave. “Come with me.”

The cases handled by the Northern Bureau were often bizarre and mysterious. And because they tended to involve large numbers of people and far-reaching consequences, each was usually assigned to a dedicated team, so information was not shared. The soldier understood the implication behind Gu Yu’s words.

The Imperial Prison’s massive doors rumbled open. Gu Yu followed two soldiers inside, and a damp, stifling heat, mingled with waves of foul odor, engulfed him. The prison was heavily guarded, impervious to fire and water, its fetid air thick with pestilence. Torches hung from the walls, their flames weak and wavering in the breeze. The three men’s shadows danced along the walls, giving them an eerie aspect. Screams and sobs rang clearly in Gu Yu’s ears, though he couldn’t tell where they came from. It suddenly struck him that this was the dreaded Hall of the King of Hell, a place that made all the capital tremble. Only now did he realize he had reached the very heart of the capital’s most sinister quarter.

The officer in charge led the way with a torch, down a passage that sloped underground. Most of the prison cells, it turned out, were below ground, where conditions were even worse. Rats and cockroaches scurried everywhere, and the stench of blood hung heavy in the air. The ground beneath their feet was wet; he couldn’t tell whether it was standing water or something else. Suppressing his revulsion, he followed the soldiers down the corridor between the cells. Through the gaps in the thick wooden bars, in the torchlight, he could see prisoners in tattered uniforms, their hair disheveled and faces filthy. Some sat or lay on the floor; others faced the wall with their backs to the bars.

At the sound of their approach, the prisoners raised their heads. Under the gaze of countless eyes, the three men continued to the depths of the prison. The gaoler stopped and raised his torch. “Tang Haiqiu! Li Fu! Come forward!”

Gu Yu’s hands clenched at his sides. Half hopeful, half anxious, he watched the two men rise from a pile of straw and help each other toward the cell door. Their prison clothes were stained with blood. In just a few days, they had become gaunt and haggard. Several deep lash marks marred Tang Haiqiu’s once handsome, clear-featured face, erasing every trace of his former bearing.

As the officer opened the cell door, he said, “You two, go with Flag Officer Gao. Captain Zhou has urgent questions for you.”

Only then did the two men look toward Flag Officer Gao. In the torchlight, Gu Yu met their eyes, his expression solemn. When Li Fu recognized his face, he froze and blurted, “You…?”

“Cough, cough. We shall obey the officer’s orders,” Tang Haiqiu said quickly, pretending to cough as he stopped Li Fu.