After Han Ran finished his report, he bowed and withdrew.
In the vast Yangxin Hall, only the sound of Emperor Jingming gently tapping the sandalwood backrest remained.
Emperor Jingming belatedly realized: that Prince Yan had been fined a year’s salary, yet he casually took out 10,000 taels of silver. This boy was quite wealthy.
This thought flashed through his mind but was quickly dismissed.
After all, it wasn’t a significant issue.
The Seventh Prince using 10,000 taels of silver to regain a good reputation was quite a bargain.
Prestige could sometimes sway public opinion.
As Han Ran left the palace, seeing that it was already late, he prepared to return home directly. Unexpectedly, his subordinate, the Pacification Commissioner, was waiting not far away and quickly approached when he appeared.
Seeing the Pacification Commissioner’s troubled expression, Han Ran frowned and asked, “What happened?”
Without a major incident, the Pacification Commissioner wouldn’t wait for him outside the palace gates.
The Pacification Commissioner lowered his head and said reluctantly, “Sir, the Wu Miao grandmother and granddaughter have disappeared.”
“Disappeared?” Han Ran thought he had heard a joke.
The Wu Miao pair were no longer in the small shop on West Market Street but had been taken to the prison by the Brocade Scale Guard after receiving the Emperor’s approval.
Now the Pacification Commissioner was telling him that two living people had just vanished from the imperial prison, a place specifically for holding major criminals?
“Are you joking?”
Despite the cold winter, the Pacification Commissioner’s forehead was covered in sweat.
He didn’t bother to wipe it off and said with his head bowed, “Sir, they have disappeared. When it was discovered, the prison door was wide open, the lock undamaged, and the guard was found unconscious nearby, still holding the key…”
As Han Ran listened, his expression grew increasingly grim: “Are you saying that our people used the key to open the door and let them out, and all the guards along the way turned a blind eye to them?”
The Pacification Commissioner nodded with difficulty.
“Absurd!” Han Ran could no longer contain himself and was kicked out by the Pacification Commissioner.
The Pacification Commissioner didn’t dare dodge and let the heavy kick land on his body.
After kicking him, Han Ran closed his eyes briefly, trying to calm his nearly explosive emotions: “Explain the situation to me in detail.”
The Pacification Commissioner described every detail, and finally, looking cautiously into Han Ran’s eyes, he said, “Sir, I’ve heard that people from the Southern Frontier have many peculiarities. Could it be that the old woman knows witchcraft?”
Han Ran raised an eyebrow: “Do you even know what witchcraft is?”
The Pacification Commissioner shook his head.
“Then why are you talking nonsense!”
“Sir, what do you think we should do now—” the Pacification Commissioner asked fearfully.
Han Ran wanted to kick him again, but noticing the guards outside the palace gates from the corner of his eye, he restrained himself and said coldly, “Follow me to report to the Emperor!”
The Pacification Commissioner, resisting the urge to cry, followed Han Ran towards the palace gates.
“Your Majesty, Commander Han requests an audience.”
Emperor Jingming was startled.
Hadn’t Han Ran just left? Why was he back again?
This wasn’t good; his eyelid started twitching again.
By now, Emperor Jingming didn’t care whether it was his left or right eyelid twitching. He had concluded from experience: that whenever his eyelid twitched, it surely meant bad news.
“Let him in.”
As soon as Han Ran entered, he knelt: “This subject has failed in his duty and requests punishment from Your Majesty.”
Emperor Jingming wasn’t even surprised. He wearily rubbed his temples: “Tell me what happened.”
“The Pacification Commissioner just reported that the Wu Miao grandmother and granddaughter have disappeared.”
Emperor Jingming was so shocked that he forgot to close his mouth. After a while, he asked, “Didn’t you take them back to your office?”
Han Ran lowered his head, feeling his face thicken with shame at this moment: “They disappeared from the prison…”
“Han Ran, did you forget to close the prison door?”
Han Ran heard the frustration in Emperor Jingming’s sarcastic tone and, swallowing his shame, recounted the situation.
After listening, Emperor Jingming didn’t react for a long time.
He couldn’t react; if he didn’t calm down, he would order Han Ran to be chopped up.
Normally, he wouldn’t mind having such an incompetent official executed, but appointing a new Commander of the Brocade Scale Guard meant another person would know about his green cloud issue…
Emperor Jingming couldn’t bear to think about it; thinking about it made him want to chop someone up personally.
“Get out of my sight!”
Han Ran thought for a moment, then lowered his body and began to roll on the ground.
Seeing this, the Pacification Commissioner hurriedly followed suit.
Watching the two men roll out, Emperor Jingming was so angry that he spun around several times, kicked over several small stools, and then headed to the Empress’s quarters.