High Martial Arts Three Kingdoms: The Incompetent Strategist

"Three thousand taels isn't expensive. Ruyan is our top courtesan here." The madam seemed to be keen to close the deal and began to explain the market rates for this line of work to Tang Ke.

"Alright, stop now. Just pretend I was never here today." Tang Ke picked up the silver notes on the table and tried to stuff them back into his pocket.

At this time, the purchasing power of three thousand taels was roughly equivalent to more than a million yuan before he transmigrated. It was really painful to spend that money to redeem a stranger from a brothel.

Ruyan took a box from under the bed and opened it; it was full of gold and silver jewelry.

"Mother, I've saved up some money over the years, about a thousand taels of silver. Would you mind if I pooled it together with the young master?"

The madam's eyes reddened slightly: "You silly child, as long as you're willing, what's impossible? But if you empty your savings, you'll have no way out later. You'd better think it through."

"I've thought it through. Someone like me won't have a good future staying here."

Tang Ke sheepishly put the two thousand taels back on the table. Having said all that, the madam knew she couldn't keep him, so she readily took out Ruyan's indenture and burned it, and even gave her a huge luminous pearl as a gift.

This hero-saves-the-damsel-in-distress scenario was completely different from what Tang Ke had imagined. He left the brothel and headed north, feeling sullen and unhappy.

When the Imperial Guards saw that he had brought out a prostitute, they dared not ask any questions. They felt ashamed, as the illustrious reputation of the Imperial Guards of the Han Dynasty was likely to be completely ruined under his leadership.

"Does the young master live in the north of the city?" Seeing that he didn't speak, Ruyan finally couldn't help but ask.

"West of the city."

"Where are you taking me, young master?"

"I'll send you out of the city so you can go back to Jizhou to find your sister."

Upon hearing this, Ruyan reined in her horse and turned back.

"Hey! What's going on?" Tang Ke quickly spurred his horse to catch up.

"Back to the Grand View Garden."

"You're crazy! We finally rescued you from this hellhole, and you're jumping back in?"

“I am a weak woman. I can still survive in the brothel. Sending me to Jizhou alone is no different from sending me to my death. Besides, if I wanted to go to Jizhou with my sister, I would have gone with her that day. Why wait until today?”

Tang Ke was so focused on playing the hero and rescuing the damsel in distress that he hadn't considered such details, so he could only ask helplessly, "Then what do we do now?"

Ruyan stopped her horse and smiled slightly: "Unless I'm going to your house, I'll go back to Yihong Courtyard."

"It's not very convenient for me there, and the conditions aren't good either."

“What’s inconvenient about it? I won’t cause you any trouble, and I don’t need you to marry me formally. I’ll serve you three meals a day. As for the conditions, if you can stay, I can stay.”

"Aren't you afraid I'm a bad person?"

“What kind of bad person would someone be to rescue a stranger from a fire pit based on just one meeting? Young Master is a good person, Ruyan knows that.”

Seeing Tang Ke hesitate, she pretended to head towards the Yihong Courtyard.

"Never mind, let's stay here for now and figure things out later."

Tang Ke reluctantly agreed, immediately feeling utterly overwhelmed...

In the dimly lit and enclosed room, two masked men sat facing each other, the air thick with a sense of oppression and tension.

In the dim light, the shadows of the two people swayed on the wall.

"You actually failed?"

"We were almost there when Cao Hong suddenly appeared, so we didn't make another move."

"With your strength, even these two combined wouldn't be a match for you."

"That's hard to say."

"I heard that He Jin gave the Imperial Guards to him?"

"Yes, after Guo Sheng left the He residence, he took over the command of the Imperial Guards."

"Strange, why would they entrust such an important force as the Imperial Guard to someone of unknown origin?"

"Perhaps it was the Empress's idea, after all, he had saved her life, or perhaps He Jin truly had no one else to rely on, since his right-hand men were still unconscious."

What has he done since taking command of the Imperial Guards?

"What's going on? Does going to the brothel to redeem a woman count?"

"..."

"Brother Yuan, do you want me to get rid of him? I've already taken your money last time, so I won't charge you extra this time!"

"No rush, let's wait and see. Maybe he can help us out."

As the predecessor of the later Embroidered Uniform Guard, the Imperial Guard held a superior position in the central garrison army. They were responsible not only for patrolling outside the palace and during the emperor's travels, but also for arresting and punishing criminals, and could act expediently when necessary.

After Tang Ke took over the command of the Imperial Guards, he quickly understood why everyone hated privilege while simultaneously enjoying the pleasure it brought.

Although he was only acting as the leader, he was practically unhindered in Luoyang, right under the emperor's nose.

After settling Ruyan in, it was already late at night.

He tossed and turned in bed, unable to fall asleep. Knowing that insomnia was inevitable, he simply pushed open the door and went out.

"My lord, you're still up so late?" asked the guard standing outside the door.

"Take me to the imperial prison."

Immediately someone brought over a horse.

The night was quiet, and the sound of their horses' hooves seemed particularly jarring.

No one dared to question it, and those who dared to roam the streets after curfew were definitely not people that ordinary people could afford to offend.

Tang Ke had often seen the term "imperial prison" in novels or on television before, but had never formed a direct understanding of it.

When he actually stepped into this daunting place, he realized what a living hell was.

In the dim light, the prisoners behind the iron bars huddled together. These once powerful kings and generals had become livestock to be slaughtered here. Their eyes were empty and desperate. The air was filled with the pungent smell of blood and decay, making it almost suffocating.

On the walls, tattered clothes hang from iron hooks, and occasionally remnants of flesh and blood can be seen, telling the story of the endless suffering and torment that the people here once endured.

In the narrow corridor, the prison guards held barbed steel whips, their expressions cold, their shadows elongated like ghosts under the lights.

Those prisoners who cried out for justice were occasionally whipped, letting out shrill screams and struggling helplessly.

The walls of each cell are covered with countless red scratches, the result of the prisoners' despair and anger recorded in their blood over countless days and nights.

Tang Ke's heart raced, each step felt like stepping on a thousand blades. The scene before him was incredibly shocking. What power did those ancient people imprisoned in the imperial prison possess to penetrate this boundless darkness?

Walking deeper into a cell, the dim, flickering candlelight illuminated a figure huddled in a corner.

The moment Tang Ke saw him, he couldn't help but gasp. In just a few days, Zhang Rang was already dressed in rags, looked haggard, and seemed to have aged decades.

Just a few days ago, he was a figure of immense power in the Han Dynasty, almost second only to the emperor, but he ended up in such a state because he was caught up in this treasonous incident.

His case is still unresolved, and the prison guards haven't dared to torture him yet, just to be on the safe side, but the mental torture alone is enough to make him suffer.

Moreover, very few people from here can actually leave, and the treatment they receive is unimaginable.

When Tang Ke entered, a hint of doubt flashed in his eyes, followed by a glimmer of hope.

He used all his strength to climb to the iron bars, and in a trembling voice, he humbly whispered for help.

"Lord Tang, please save this old servant! This old servant has truly been wronged. I have been loyal all my life, yet I have suffered this unexpected calamity. It is truly pitiful! If you can save this old servant from this sea of ​​suffering, I will serve you faithfully from now on."