The darkness of the prison was like an invisible chain, tightly entangling Gao Changgong's heart. He didn't know how long he had been imprisoned. The pain and silence day after day made time meaningless. Since the last meal was delivered, even the jailer had not appeared. There was only heavy air in the prison, which was suffocating.
Suddenly, a slight sound of footsteps broke the silence. Gao Changgong looked up suddenly and saw a black shadow standing silently outside the cage. The man was wrapped in a black cloak, revealing only a pair of calm and firm eyes. Those eyes were like bright lights in the darkness, emitting a light that could not be ignored.
"Who are you?" Gao Changgong asked in a deep voice, and his vigilance arose spontaneously. He had been imprisoned for a long time and no longer easily believed anything in front of him.
The man in black slowly took off his cloak, revealing a gentle but firm face. It was a familiar face, and Gao Changgong recognized it almost immediately.
"It's me, Bai Lian." Her voice was gentle and firm, with a hint of imperceptible eagerness.
Gao Changgong was stunned, and then he was shocked and confused. "Bai Lian? How did you get here?"
"I'm here to save you." She said no more, took out an iron key from under her cloak, gently inserted it into the lock of the prison door, turned it a few times, and with a faint click, the chain loosened. The prison door slowly opened, and Bai Lian stood in front of the door, looking at Gao Changgong.
Gao Changgong walked out of the cage slowly, his eyes full of questions. "How did you get in? This prison is heavily guarded, how could it be possible..." Before he finished speaking, a heavy footsteps suddenly came from behind, and the atmosphere in the prison became tense in an instant.
He turned around abruptly, and the familiar indifferent face of the jailer appeared in front of them. That was the jailer he almost thought would never appear again. Gao Changgong instinctively clenched his fists and looked at the jailer vigilantly.
"Don't worry," Bai Lian whispered, with a trace of sadness in her eyes. "He is a helper."
Gao Changgong was a little stunned, and the jailer walked silently in front of them, holding a set of jailer's clothes in his hand. "Put it on and you can get out." The jailer's voice was hoarse and low, with a hint of fatigue and helplessness. He handed the clothes to Gao Changgong, then grabbed a handful of powder from a container and rubbed it on his face, "This is coal ash, use this to cover your face." Gao Changgong took the clothes, his heart filled with mixed emotions. "Why did you help me?" He couldn't help asking, his eyes full of inquiry. The jailer was silent for a while, as if considering how to answer. "I have nothing to lose." He said, with unconcealable pain in his voice. "My son disappeared on the battlefield at the border, and his life and death are unknown. I am already living in despair. If I rescue you, the court will be stable again, and maybe there will be a chance to find him, or at least keep him safe." Gao Changgong was silent for a moment and changed into the jailer's clothes. Bai Lian stood aside, watching everything quietly, as if he had anticipated every link of the jailbreak plan. "Take advantage of my shift change, you go now." The jailer whispered, his voice hoarse but firm. He led them out, his steps steady and calm, as if he had accepted the impending fate.
When he reached the exit of the prison, Gao Changgong stopped, turned around and said to the jailer: "You come with us, you still have a chance to survive."
The jailer shook his head gently, his eyes full of determination. He pulled out a short knife from his waist and looked at Gao Changgong firmly.
"If I don't die, my family will be executed when the news of your escape spreads." He whispered, his voice full of pain and helplessness. "I would rather die here, so that they will think I was killed by the jailer, at least they can be saved."
Gao Changgong frowned, his heart full of complicated emotions, but the jailer's eyes were firm and fearless. He had made all the decisions.
"Help me find my son. If he is still alive... please take care of him for the rest of his life and don't let him suffer." The jailer's voice trembled, but his tone was still firm, "This is my only request." Gao Changgong felt as if something was pressing down on his chest. He nodded vigorously, his eyes full of painful promises. The jailer smiled slightly, then raised the dagger and stabbed himself in the heart without hesitation. His body trembled suddenly, and then slowly fell down with a look of relief on his face. The blood quickly dyed the ground of the sky prison red, and the air was filled with a tragic atmosphere. Bai Lian sighed softly, pulled Gao Changgong's sleeve, and whispered, "We must leave immediately." Gao Changgong took a last look at the jailer lying in a pool of blood, and his heart was full of sadness and anger. He had no time to mourn for the jailer. The only thing he could do now was to survive and fulfill his unfulfilled wishes.