high official

Chapter 563

After all, it is at the feet of the emperor, and the soldiers of the Imperial Tomb Guard are all children of the capital, and no one dares to rebel and hurt the family.Coupled with Zhang Fu's strong aura suppression, the two finally calmly took away the commander of the Imperial Tomb Guard and everyone who was able to get close to the Xiaoling Hall.

After leaving Xiaoling, a thousand Jinyiwei came in handy, escorting more than 300 people on their way back to Beijing.Along the way, he walked extremely slowly, hurried and hurried, and finally returned to the capital before the city gate was closed.This scene also caused a lot of discussion among the officials and people in the capital, wondering what kind of big prison will be raised again.

After a group of suspects were imprisoned in a temporary cell, Wang Xian invited the British government to eat. This time, Zhang Fu did not refuse, and sat down at the table with him.Because there was no wine at the banquet, Zhang Fu couldn't help asking, "Zhongde, is it useful to bring these people back?"

"The main thing is to put on a show and let the people in the world know that the emperor is very angry and the consequences will be very serious." Wang Xian put down his chopsticks, picked up a white towel and wiped his mouth and said, "As for whether we can get something out of their mouths, that still has to be done." After review?"

"If you don't use torture, what can you find out?" Zhang Fu asked.

"There is nothing in the interrogation." Wang Xian shook his head and sighed: "After such a long time, they must have made a confession, and the pit of the ginkgo tree was flawed. They can completely reason that it was accidentally watered too much. water or something..."

"So we can only use torture?" Zhang Fu frowned, and extorting confessions by torture is not a good reputation.

"That's the only way." Wang Xian nodded.

After a moment of silence, Zhang Fu asked again: "Zhong De, plus this time, you have brought so many people back, have you thought about how it will end?"

"It's not up to the lower officials to have the final say, and the father-in-law doesn't count," Wang Xian said solemnly, "It depends on what the emperor wants."

"What does the emperor mean?" Zhang Fu frowned slightly.

"To kill the ginkgo tree in front of the Xiaoling Palace is to break ground on the emperor's ancestral grave; to assassinate the King of Han is to murder the emperor's son." Wang Xian said lightly: "When encountering such a thing, we, as ministers, can only do what we can. If you can vent your anger on the emperor's behalf, you can't turn the other way around and persuade the emperor to stop, that will only add fuel to the flames. Unless the emperor calms down on his own, out of kindness, and orders him to release people, otherwise we can only arrest more people. It's better to kill..."

"En." Zhang Fu knew that what Wang Xian said was right, and with Zhu Di's temper, if he wanted to do it himself, he would definitely kill blood.Wang Xian's current actions seem to be affecting the innocent, but they are actually protecting the innocent. It's just that ordinary people only see the appearance, and it is difficult to understand the true meaning.

Although he already had a high regard for Wang Xian, Zhang Fu still wanted to look at him with admiration at this moment. At first he thought he was just smart, but now it seems that he has the demeanor of a national scholar at such a young age.Can't help worrying for him: "It's just that other people can't understand your painstaking efforts, maybe there will be hurtful comments?"

"Thank you, Lord, for your concern." Wang Xian glanced at Zhang Fu gratefully, with a wry smile on his face and said, "It's just that Beizhen Fusi was scolded by others? If I cherish my reputation, someone will scold the emperor..."

Zhang Fu was taken aback when he heard the words, and then slowly nodded after a while and said: "Well, your heart is loyal, and the emperor really has discerning eyes."

"I'm sitting on pins and needles." Wang Xian said bitterly: "If my father-in-law can say a word on behalf of the officer and transfer me from the North Town Fusi, even if I am a soldier leading a horse for my father-in-law."

Zhang Fu saw that his expression did not seem to be fake, and thought for a while: "Of course it's okay for me to help you, but you have only been in office for a few months? You want to move? What will the emperor think? Will he feel you? Unwilling to bear the burden of hard work?" He felt a little ridiculous when he said this, if it was a hard job to be the governor of Beizhen, everyone in the world would be competing for this hardship, right?
"That's true..." Wang Xian sighed and said, "My lord, don't think that being an official is hypocritical. I am a juror, but when I was a military officer, I looked nondescript, and I became the dirtiest governor of Beizhen. It's really hard to enjoy." in."

"Well, I understand this." Zhang Fu nodded and comforted him: "You stick to it for a year or so, and if you really want to change the environment, come to me when the time comes."

"Thank you, my lord! My lord's words are in my heart!" Wang Xian stood up gratefully and said, "I will trouble my lord in the future!"

"It's easy to say." Zhang Fu laughed.

.

After dinner, Wang Xian and Zhang Fu went to the torture room. People from the third office were in charge of the torture, and Zhu Jiu was in charge of the third office.As soon as he returned to the yamen, Master Zhu Jiu didn't even bother to eat, so he threw himself into the interrogation, so when Wang Xian and Yingying came over, the place was already in full swing.

The sound of whipping whips, the sound of squeaking irons hitting meat, and the smell of scorched blood in the air were the first impressions Zhang Fu had of this place, even though he had seen something a hundred times more tragic than this on the battlefield. The scene, but it was a tragic battle between two armies, and it was completely different from this kind of torture for people who had no resistance.

Zhang Fu looked at Wang Xian's unsightly expression again, and believed what he said earlier.

"My lord, my lord." Seeing these two people coming, Zhu Jiu, who was being tortured, came to meet him.

"Did something happen?" Wang Xian asked.

"They admitted that they watered too much half a month ago." Zhu Jiu replied, "The ginkgo trees lost their leaves ten days ago, and they watered them again."

"Who gave the order?" Wang Xian asked in a deep voice.

"It's the deputy director of the Jingu Supervisor who is in charge of flowers and trees." Zhu Jiu said in a low voice: "But as soon as something happened to those ginkgo trees, he committed suicide in fear of crime. It is said that the Emperor Taizu detained him for questioning."

"Is it suicide?" Zhang Fu frowned.

"The corpse has already been experienced." Zhu Jiu nodded and said, "It is undoubtedly a suicide."

"It's good to die, it's over once and for all." Wang Xian snorted and said, "In this way, no one knows whether he committed suicide in fear of crime, or if he was afraid of drawing someone out."

"Yes, my lord. They all put the blame on the head of the Niu deputy chief, saying that he was in a daze in those days, and he was probably haunted." Zhu Jiu said.

"Oh, it turned out to be a hell." Wang Xian smiled and said, "The guards of the Imperial Tomb are strictly guarded, and there are records of personnel entering and leaving, right?"

"There are records." Zhu Jiudao: "Before returning in the afternoon, the subordinates have already got it."

"Okay!" Wang Xian praised: "Master Jiu is indeed a veteran!"

"Thank you, sir, for your compliment." Zhu Jiu said with a faint smile, "I have been checked just now, and the deputy chief executive Niu left the imperial mausoleum seventeen days ago, that is, on February [-]th, and the recorded whereabouts were to go to Beijing to collect it." supplies." After a pause, he said, "However, he did not go back with the team that afternoon, but returned an hour later than the others."

"What's the reason?" Wang Xian asked in a deep voice.

"Waiting to ask." Zhu Jiu said, pointing to the two trembling little eunuchs in the corner of the room, "They are the attendants of Niu Manshan." He said with a fierce stare and said, "Quickly tell me, why did Niu Manshan do it that day?" What!"

"Well, that day is the day when the 24 Yamen collects fees. My father doesn't want to meet those people because they are so taunting..." The little eunuch was frightened and replied repeatedly. "So I found a teahouse to listen to an opera and have tea, but I ran into an acquaintance and insisted on buying him a drink. My father didn't want to go at first, but he couldn't stand it, so he sent the two of us back first, and went by ourselves Let's drink!"

"He sent you back, what if he gets drunk?" Zhu Jiu asked coldly.

"This villain doesn't know. In the past, my father always took us with him when he ate wine." The little eunuch hurriedly said: "My father is a good man, and it is a face to have someone waiting on the side."

"Then who invited him to dinner, do you know him?" Zhu Jiu asked again.

"I don't know..." "I know..." The answers of the two eunuchs were different this time, so Zhu Jiu turned his attention to the little eunuch who said he knew him. He was my father’s companion when he was in the Siyuan Bureau.” He explained: “The Siyuan Bureau is the most inconspicuous of the 24 yamen, in charge of all the vegetables, melons, fruits and planting in the palace. My father used to be in it. In charge, I went to the Jingu Supervisor later."

"You know that person?" Zhu Jiu asked.

"I don't know him, but I met him once when I went to the city last year. My father turned around and complained to me that the man used to be his subordinate, and now he doesn't take him seriously." The little eunuch swallowed and said: "It is also said that the Jingong prison is a place waiting to die..."

"What's that person's last name?" Zhu Jiu asked.

"It seems to be... surnamed Chen." The little eunuch thought about it and replied.

"Come over tomorrow morning with the signboard of the steward of the Siyuan Bureau." Wang Xian, who had been listening, gave an order, rolled his eyes and said, "But Niu Manshan is dead, and the surname Chen probably won't wait for us to find him."

"Could it be that this line is also broken?" Zhang Fu frowned.

"Don't you feel it, my lord? Our opponent is clearly strong enough to overshadow the sky with one hand. Even though we worked hard to find clues, the result can only be like this." Wang Xian reached out to snuff out a candle, and the candle went out suddenly , but then sneered and said: "But if people don't know, unless they do nothing, that person's feet are exposed!"

"You mean?" Zhang Furuo realized something: "You want to cover it up?!"

"That's right." Wang Xian nodded, and continued to ask: "After Niu Manshan went back on the thirteenth day, what's unusual? Well said, let's deal with it lightly!"

"Yes, yes, yes," the little eunuch who said he didn't know the surname Chen just now hurriedly said, "Godfather, oh no, after Niu Manshan went back that day, he seemed to have lost his soul and hid in the house all day long." , didn’t go out to eat, we brought him food back, and when we came to clean up the dishes, the food was hardly touched.”

"He still drinks all day long. Drinking is not allowed in the Jingu Prison. Even if the manager can drink, he does it secretly." Another little eunuch rushed to answer: "But he is also drunk in broad daylight. Rumu, this was not possible before.”

(End of this chapter)