Daughter of aristocratic family

Chapter 403 Questioning
The leader of the gang is a man who is brave and fearless, and the second and third in command are the same. However, their military advisor is a man who knows how to adapt to the changing times.

Without waiting for the torture, he kept shouting, "I confess, I confess everything. I am a good man. I was forced to become a bandit. Sir, I want to make amends for my crime."

Shen Rui, who was involved in the interrogation, was dumbfounded and couldn't believe that he confessed so easily.

Yun Hao had expected this. He could tell at a glance that this man was a coward. If he was scared a little, he would spill everything he knew.

"What's your name?" Yun Hao asked in a deep voice.

"My name is Zhu Liang. I used to be a private school teacher in Zhujia Village, Pu County." Zhu Liang answered hurriedly, fearing that he would be punished if he spoke slowly.

Yun Hao nodded and asked, "How much do you know about the situation of the bandit leader and the other leaders?"

"The bandit leader is named Zhang Biao. He is an extremely vicious man with hundreds of men under his command. He often robs passing merchants in the nearby mountains and forests."

"The second in command is called Niu Tou, a strong man with great strength. The third in command is called Taoist Wu Wei, who is highly skilled in martial arts and ruthless."

"All three of them are desperate criminals who are not afraid of death and are very difficult to deal with."

"The fourth leader is Zhang Wangshi, Zhang Biao's wife. Although she is a woman, she is scheming and good at planning. She is also quite prestigious in the gang. She manages the money and rarely shows up."

Shen Rui was stunned. He originally thought that Zhu Liang was just an insignificant character, but he didn't expect that he knew so much.

He looked at Yun Hao, but saw that Yun Hao's face was calm, as if he had already expected all this.

"What about you? What is your status in the gang?" Yun Hao asked.

"I, I..." Zhu Liang avoided his gaze.

"You don't want to talk anymore. Do you want to taste the torture instruments?" Yun Hao looked at him coldly, his tone revealing an unquestionable majesty. "Or do you think those minions won't reveal your identity?"

Zhu Liang said with a sad face: "Sir, I am a military advisor, but I was forced to do it. I didn't want to do it. Sir, I also persuaded them to do good and helped some villagers who were robbed."

Yun Hao and Shen Rui did not interrupt, but listened quietly to his explanation.

As a military strategist, he helped the bandits plan the robbery, which is a heinous crime. As for what he said, even if it is true, it cannot cover up his crimes.

Zhu Liang spoke for a while, but found that Yun Hao and the others were looking at him in a mysterious way, so he couldn't continue.

"Tell me, how did you know our whereabouts?" Yun Hao has always suspected that there is a traitor among the guards.

Zhu Liang swallowed his saliva after hearing this. In order to fight for a chance of survival, he said honestly: "Sir, we know your whereabouts. Someone informed us in advance."

"Oh? Who is it?" Yun Hao's eyes narrowed, with a hint of coldness in his tone.

"It's Master Liu." Zhu Liang replied.

"What?" Shen Rui stood up suddenly, "This is impossible."

Master Liu had been with him for several years, and he had great trust in him. He really couldn't believe that Master Liu would betray him.

"My lords, everything I said is true. It was indeed Master Liu who informed us." Zhu Liang insisted.

"Master Liu has been with me for many years. If he really betrayed me, I would definitely not have failed to notice it." Shen Rui was unwilling to believe it.

"Master Liu's favorite concubine is Zhang Wang's cousin. She gave birth to Master Liu's only son." Zhu Liang said this to prove that what he said was true.

Shen Rui was stunned. He really didn't know about this. He only knew that Master Liu had a favorite concubine, but he didn't know that this concubine was related to Zhang Wangshi. Although Master Liu was his master in public, he secretly obeyed Zhang Biao.

Although Shen Rui did not expect that Master Liu, whom he had trusted for many years, would betray him, he quickly calmed down and said, "Sir, I will send someone to capture Master Liu right away."

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate." Yun Hao felt that it was too late to arrest people now, but he did not stop Shen Rui.

Shen Rui left in a hurry, and Yun Hao continued to interrogate Zhu Liang, "Where is their lair?"

"In Shimenling. The terrain of Shimenling is steep and easy to defend but difficult to attack. They chose it as their hiding place." Zhu Liang smiled flatteringly, "I can lead the way for you, sir."

"How many people are still in the nest?" Yun Hao asked.

"Knowing that the adults came from Beijing, Zhang Biao was afraid that he could not win the battle, so he brought more people with him, seventy-one in total, and forty-two remained in the old nest." Zhu Liang usually stayed in the old nest, and this time Zhang Biao brought Zhu Liang with him so that he could ask for advice more conveniently.

"Sir, I am willing to make amends for my crime and beg you to spare my life." Zhu Liang knelt on the ground and kowtowed frequently.

Yun Hao did not respond to him. Zhu Liang felt uneasy, not knowing whether this gentleman would spare his life. "Take him away. We'll talk later."

Although Zhu Liang confessed many things, they were all his one-sided words, and he still had to interrogate those minions to confirm them.

Just as he was interrogating the henchmen, Shen Rui hurried back, his face full of anger, "Sir, Master Liu ran away."

"As expected." Yun Hao said calmly

Shen Rui asked: "Sir, what should we do next?"

Yun Hao looked at him. "Zhang Biao's remnants are still entrenched in Shimenling. There are more than 40 of them. We must catch them all in one fell swoop to prevent them from continuing to cause trouble to the neighbors."

"Your Excellency is right. I will arrange the personnel right away." Shen Rui stepped out.

Yun Hao asked his men to continue the interrogation, and he had to write a memorial to inform the court about the suppression of the bandits.

This memorial was sent to the capital. After reading it, Prince Zuo not only did not commend Yun Hao, but also accused him of acting on his own, disregarding the overall situation, and privately mobilizing troops.

Prince Zuo wrote in his reply: "The matter of suppressing the bandits should be reported to the court, and the court should make the decision. You went to southern Fujian to inspect the coastal defense, and you should not cause trouble."

"His Majesty has arrived!" The announcement from the eunuch outside the palace interrupted Prince Zuo's thoughts.

He quickly put down his pen, stood up and went out to greet him, "Your Highness, I greet you. Long live your Highness."

"It's getting late, why haven't you left the palace yet?" asked the emperor.

"Your Majesty, there are many memorials today. I have little experience in handling state affairs, and it takes some time to review and approve them, which is why it has been delayed until now." Prince Zuo replied respectfully.

The emperor nodded slightly, walked to the desk, glanced at the pile of memorials on the table, frowned slightly, "Are these all from today?"

"Your Majesty, these are the reports sent in from all over the country today. I am reviewing them one by one." Prince Zuo replied.

The emperor didn't say anything. He picked up the memorial that Yun Hao had submitted.

Prince Zuo stood aside, watching the emperor's expression. He saw him frown, and the corners of his lips curled up slightly.

"Pa." The emperor put the memorial back on the table and clapped his hands heavily.

"Your Majesty, although Yun Hao's suppression of bandits is a matter of benefit to the people, he privately mobilized troops, which is extremely disrespectful. I think he should be severely punished." Prince Zuo took the opportunity to make a suggestion.