Captain Yongli grumbled and complained about the inconvenience of having to go to the prison early in the morning. He had wanted to first report to the palace to inspect the new barracks under his command. "You chose a man off the street, so now don't be surprised that he's bringing you trouble!" he chastised MeiLan. But in his own mind, he was also curious. He had approved of Emilian. He had seemed to be a young man of noble character. He agreed that his sudden disappearance was suspect. Also, MeiLan was pleading with him with those big, blue eyes that even seemed a little watery, like she might burst into tears if he denied her this request. In the end, he couldn't say no.