Guide to traveling through the Northern Song Dynasty

"Qin Hui hasn't confessed yet?"

"He has been silent. He neither admits nor denies. He sits there as if he has lost his soul. Do you want to be tortured?"

"Don't torture to force a confession. After all, he is still a minister. Just wait and don't let him sleep. Let's see how long he can hold on."

"yes!"

Through the ages, torture has always been a legal method.

The Song Dynasty followed the laws of the Tang Dynasty and prohibited the use of torture methods on people over seventy years old, under fifteen years old, as well as people with disabilities and pregnant women. All other criminal suspects can be punished. If someone is accidentally killed, officials will have to pay a fine. Too many kills will affect performance evaluation.

The "Laws of the Ming Dynasty" directly prohibits torture to extract confessions!

But the officials below still had to judge the case, so they came up with various methods to prevent the suspects from leaving any scars after being tortured.

Fatigue interrogation also quickly became popular and has become a repertoire of yamen at all levels.

In the dim interrogation room, Qin Hui's eyelids were fighting and he was about to fall asleep.

An official from the Ministry of Punishment walked up and down, without shining a light on his eyes or shouting loudly, he found a way to keep Qin Hui from sleeping.

He grabbed Qin Hui's right hand, pricked the fingertip with a thin needle, and then pinched his finger to release a few drops of blood.

There is an acupuncture point on each of the ten fingertips of a person, collectively called Shixuan acupoint. It is usually used by traditional Chinese medicine for first aid. One injection can revive people from coma or shock.

Even in modern times, acupuncture at Shixuan points can buy rescue time for patients with stroke, hypertension, and cerebral hemorrhage.

This official from the Ministry of Punishment, after pricking one Shixuan point, then stabbed three Jing points on his arm and palm one after another.

"Um!"

Qin Hui groaned and woke up suddenly, feeling extremely tired but unable to fall asleep.

The official chuckled and said: "Qin Xianggong, I advise you to be honest. Prick the Shixuan and Twelve Jing points in different orders. When combined with each other, the effect will be extraordinary. Even if you finish pricking these acupoints, you still can't do it. There are other acupuncture points that can be stabbed, so don’t force me to use all methods.”

"My children are all underage," Qin Hui said weakly, "I need a promise. After I confess truthfully, I can save their lives. At least, I must pass on the incense of my Qin family."

The official said: "This dynasty does not kill young children."

Qin Hui shook his head: "I will expose many people, and their relatives and friends may secretly retaliate. My children may die one day."

The official said angrily: "I have already said that I will not kill young children, how can I give you a guarantee?"

"I want the official to personally guarantee it. I only trust the official now." Qin Hui's attitude was firm.

Qin Hui in this time and space had biological children, three sons and two daughters.

The official was furious: "Just take your time and see how long you can stay awake!"

After another two hours, Qin Hui was stabbed awake several times, and he finally confessed: "General Affairs Minister... Min Zishun."

When the name was spoken, the official almost jumped up in shock and ran outside in a panic.

Qin Hui forced a smile, closed his eyes and leaned on the chair. He was finally able to sleep for a while.

The chiefs of the Three Law Divisions were interrogating other suspects and soon received news one after another.

Not caring to continue the interrogation, they immediately gathered together to discuss what to do next.

What to do?

Let's serve it cold.

Hurry and report to the emperor!

After Min Zishun was recalled to the capital, he initially served as the left minister of the Ministry of Personnel, and then was transferred to the minister of Cangchang of the Ministry of household affairs.

Cangchang Shilang, commonly known as Cangchang Shangshu, is responsible for managing the treasury and Cangchang. Even without relying on official documents from the Ministry of War, the forbidden troops near Cangchang can be mobilized directly.

This year, Min Zishun was transferred to the Tongzhengyuan envoy.

Although the grades of these three official positions have not changed, their actual power is getting bigger and bigger. The next step is to join the cabinet and become the prime minister.

Hearing that Qin Hui confessed Min Zishun, Zhu Ming couldn't help but be stunned: "How many did he confess?"

"That's it." Wei Liangchen said.

Ju Ming ordered: "Have a good interrogation. The more detailed the questions, the better. Don't let this guy bite randomly."

"I obey!" Wei Liangchen bowed and resigned.

Ju Ming’s words have two meanings:

First, you can investigate Min Zishun, but don't arrest him for the time being. If you arrest the wrong person, the consequences will be bad.

Second, when important officials of the imperial court are involved, one must be extremely cautious to prevent Qin Hui from biting him randomly.

Forty minutes later, Qin Hui was awakened by a needle prick again.

All the chief officers of the Three Law Departments are here.

Wei Liangchen slapped the wood in shock: "Min Yintai is an old friend of His Majesty, and we went to Beijing together to take the exam, and passed the exam in the same year as Jinshi of the former Song Dynasty. In order to survive, you dare to bite others randomly, and you want to add more crimes to your crimes and die more." Is it ugly?”

Qin Hui slept for a while, regained his energy a little, and asked: "Do you dare to check him?"

Wei Liangchen said angrily: "When you confess to important officials of the imperial court, you must provide evidence. Otherwise, if you confess to all the princes in the court, should we arrest everyone? If you say that I am also guilty, do I have to try myself?" Own?"

"How many of you gentlemen are clean? Do you really dare to catch them?" Qin Hui smiled mockingly.

Pan Lianggui even forgot to use the gavel, and directly slapped the table with his hand and shouted: "As long as you can produce evidence, I will arrest even the Prime Minister!"

Qin Hui was silent and no longer arrogant.

After a long time, Qin Hui spoke again:

"Feng Youlai, formerly a doctor in the Literary and Selection Department of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, has now been promoted to the right political officer of Shandong Province and is in charge of the province's industrial and commercial affairs in Shandong."

"He is the brother-in-law of Min Zimao, a younger brother of the Min Zishun clan. He joined the army after His Majesty captured Quanchuan. The year after Min Zishun was transferred to the Ministry of Civil Affairs, he promoted Feng Youlai to the capital."

"Feng Youlai helped me arrange some officials. He also sent people to the Ministry of Works to ask me to take care of them."

Pan Lianggui asked: "Do you have any financial dealings?"

Qin Hui shook his head: "No. I have never even seen him alone. I only occasionally send my confidants to treat him to drinks."

"You can collude after drinking alcohol? Who would believe it without money exchanges?" Pan Lianggui said angrily.

Qin Hui said with a smile: "I was the minister of the Ministry of Industry at the time, and he was a low-ranking official selector. How could we dare to have money exchanges? He helped arrange the positions of the people I wanted to promote. He wanted to send them to make money. Just put it in my work department. It’s just a convenience for each other. There’s no need for anyone to send money to anyone.”

Wei Liangchen asked: "Who are the people Feng Youlai has arranged for you?"

Qin Hui began to confess his party members:

"Zheng Yinian, the son of former Song Prime Minister Zheng Juzhong, and the grandson of former Song Prime Minister Wang Gui. This man is related to me. Once he was transferred to Guangxi to serve as an official, but he was afraid of the miasma and was unwilling to take up the post. So he asked me to help find a way. I’ll send someone to contact Feng You again.”

"After the two parties reached an agreement, Zheng Yinian was transferred to Shaanxi to work as a government judge. Feng Youlai also sent a confidant named Yao Xu to the Ministry of Industry, and I transferred him to Jiangnan to return the land to the lake."

"That bastard Yao Xu is so greedy. He dares to act recklessly even though it is a national policy to return farmlands and lakes. If the cronies I sent had not been cautious and stopped him at the critical moment, this guy would have been beheaded long ago!"

Wei Liangchen asked: "Zheng Yinian also committed corruption and perverted the law?"

Qin Hui said with a smile: "What do you think?"

Wei Liangchen continued to ask for details, and Liu Daming, the minister of Dali Temple, quickly took notes.

After the first transaction was interrogated, they were asked about their second transaction.

"Duan Fu, my fellow countryman, is Mi Fu's son-in-law. At the beginning of the Ming Dynasty, this man worked as an idle official in the Hanlin Academy. After being idle for several years, he couldn't stay idle anymore, so he asked me to help him with his work. He found many people , I’m not the only one looking for him,” Qin Hui said with a very provocative smile, “He should have also looked for Wei Yingshi.”

Hearing the name "Wei Yingshi", the officials of the Sanfa Department breathed a little heavier.

When Ju Ming was an official in Jinzhou, he encountered a drought. Qian Chen was ordered to buy grain from the Wei family.

After Ju Ming occupied Hanzhong, he was short of food and smuggled food from Xiangyang direction, and it was the Wei family who helped to bridge the gap. The Wei family is even an information transfer station. News from Huainan and Henan are first sent to the Wei family for summary.

Wei Yingshi followed Shi Yuangong in intelligence in the early days, and also served as the first military intelligence officer, equivalent to Shi Yuangong's confidant and successor.

He was ill for several years and was seriously delayed in his promotion, but now he is still the right minister of the Ministry of War.

Wei Yingshi was not only a member of Shi Yuangong, but also had a very good personal relationship with Qian Chen.

Pan Lianggui asked: "How can Duan Fu have a relationship with Wei Shilang?"

Qin Hui smiled and said, "He is Mi Fu's son-in-law. Wei Yingshi's grandfather was close friends with Mi Fu when he was young."

Pan Lianggui asked again: "Are you sure that Duan Fu has financial dealings with Minister Wei?"

Qin Hui thought for a while: "I'm really not sure whether he sent money or gifts. But Wei Yingshi must have helped deliver the message, because when Duan Fu was out, he got a very fat job. This is not my credit, I Just helping to find an ordinary official position."

Not bad, not bad, not bad!

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If it was just because of family ties, there was nothing wrong with saying hello.

Although Wei Yingshi was only the right minister of the Ministry of War, his involvement was too wide.

He is not only Shi Yuangong's confidant and successor, not only has a close personal relationship with Qian Chen, but he is also related to those noble military officials!

Wei Liangchen asked: "After Duan Fu was released, did he still have contact with you?"

Qin Hui said: "We had no contact with each other originally, but when he was transferred for the second time, he happened to be Fan Tong's subordinate. Of course you know Fan Tong, we were classmates at the time. In terms of friendship, Fan Tong was close to you at that time. Is it closer? He didn’t come to you to ask for a relationship? "

Wei Liangchen was furious: "Tell me the facts of the case!"

"You should avoid this case, right?" Qin Hui said with a smile, "You, me, and Fan Tong are all classmates and old friends from the same hometown. Even Duan Fu is from the same hometown as you, how could you not know him?"

Everyone looked at Wei Liangchen.

Wei Liangchen stood up slowly and bowed to the other officials: "You continue the trial, I will go into the palace to ask for your Majesty's instructions."

Pan Lianggui looked at Qin Hui: "Continue."

After Qin Hui began to confess, he gave up completely, looking like he was breaking a jar. He was no longer afraid and nervous, and became more and more relaxed, and even yawned: "I am very sleepy, and my mind is confused. If I don't get some sleep, I may make mistakes and omit things."

The trial will take a long time, and Qin Hui really deserves a good rest.

Pan Lianggui said: "As you mentioned, except for Wei Shilang, all of them are working as local officials at this time. Please tell me that two officials in Beijing come out and you can go to bed."

Qin Hui yawned again and said completely, "Those officials from the Ministry of Industry who joined before I transferred to the Ministry of Household Affairs can be arrested and interrogated at will. Haha, except for the Yellow River Department, the rest are my people."

"Son of a bitch!"

Pan Lianggui was furious. Qin Hui was so arrogant and hateful that he corrupted half of the Ministry of Industry on his own.