Li Baozhong and Zhang Lianjiu could not help but feel discouraged.
An Guogong said: "Since you two scoundrels dare to fabricate your identities, how can you trust what you say?!
Tell me quickly! Who instigated you? Why did you lie? You must all be summoned truthfully, otherwise you will be severely punished!"
Then he said to Yan Yu and Yang Yin: "What you two gentlemen said before is true. It seems that such a tricky person will not confess honestly without being punished."
The two people did not dare to be as tough as before, and said seductively: "These unscrupulous people are really hateful! I didn't expect them to have the courage to fake their identities!"
There was a reason why they were like that before. As soon as this incident came out, public sentiment became one-sided.
When most people hear about such a thing, they will take it for granted that the fifth prince must have done too much evil and forced the people to file a complaint.
After all, bullying has been the norm since ancient times.
What's more, the defendant is the current prince, so it is even more obvious.
Therefore, before the trial even started, the people in the capital had already concluded the case.
If the presiding official shows even the slightest bit of favoritism, he will be regarded as a coward and a traitor. Not only will he be scolded by his ancestors for eight generations, but he will also be made into a short story and passed down by word of mouth.
In addition, these two people also received the news in advance and thought that the fifth prince had also been found guilty in the emperor's mind.
In this case, why don't they act like upright officials?
It not only won the hearts of the people, but also won the approval of the emperor.
In addition, the most important thing is to show loyalty to their backers.
In official circles, the most important thing is neither talent nor official reputation.
Instead, stand in line. If you don't stand in line, you will die, and if you stand in the wrong line, it will be the same.
They hug the thickest legs and the thickest waist, and what they want is to be foolproof.
Because of this, they dared to be so explicit.
I thought it was a sure thing, but the situation suddenly reversed.
Of course, Duke An Guo knew what the two men were thinking, but he just urged: "Master Yang, you should issue a punishment lot!
But in my opinion, it’s better to use a clamp for torture. The most it can do is clamp off the legs, but it won’t kill the person.
After all, we have to stay alive to find out the details."
At this time, Yang Yin had no choice but to throw down the punishment stick, and the yamen servant immediately put the sticks on Li and Zhang.
Speaking of which, these two people can be regarded as tough guys. Even if they were covered in cold sweat in pain, they did not say a word.
But no matter how hard they are, they still can't stand it.
Duke Anguo asked the court: "You who came to Beijing to complain, the identities of the two leaders have been exposed now. If you want to suffer less physical pain, just do it quickly.
Otherwise, you will suffer the death penalty together, but no one will endure the punishment for you."
As soon as these words came out, someone immediately shouted: "The villain is willing to plead guilty! I just want to die quickly!"
"Anyone who is willing to tell the truth should kneel down in front of you," An Guo said. "But you only have this chance. If you don't know how to cherish it and make it up, no one will pity you anymore."
The remaining dozens of people all knelt in front: "Sir, we are actually heavy prisoners. Li Baozhong and others said that as long as we dare to go to Beijing to complain, our sentences will be commuted and released. Not only will we no longer have to go to jail, but we will also get money."
Take the money.
We people are extremely destitute and have no regard for conscience and law, so we followed them and did this unscrupulous act."
"Actually, none of us are refugees, and there is no such thing as having our wives and daughters taken over, or our money and food being withheld.
This is what they taught us. We had practiced it for many days before arriving in Beijing. Some people even pretended to be officials to interrogate us, for fear that we would make mistakes later."
"Even the Wanmin Blood Book was a forgery. We were brought here from Longxi by carriage, and we were dropped off a hundred miles away from the capital."
The more they talk, the uglier some people's faces become.
Duke An Guo just pretended not to see it, and asked people to record the confessions one by one, and also asked these people to sign and sign.
I turned back to look at Li Baozhong and Zhang Lianjiu. Their legs were bloody and bloody, and they were lying on the ground with pale faces.
An Guogong's original intention of torturing the two of them was not to make them confess, but to deter others.
Now that the goal has been achieved, he said to these two people: "You two scoundrels who ignore the law! Even if you don't say it, you can find out what is going on. What you have committed is a serious crime that will punish the nine tribes, but if you
If you are willing to tell the truth, I will ask the Holy Spirit for instructions to leave one alive for each of your families. Will you tell it or not?"
In fact, these two people knew in their hearts that the situation was over, and they knew that they were blameless, so they just kept talking to the end.
But I didn't expect that An Guogong would actually make this condition again.
Although only one person can live, it is better than not living at all.
"My lord, is it inappropriate to do this?" Yan Yu immediately interjected, "How can the laws of the imperial court be changed at will?"
Of course he knew that only the confessions of two people were the most important. As long as they didn't tell, some things would not be conclusive.
Although the fifth prince cannot be convicted, as for other matters, we must try to leave room for him.
"Master Yan, things can be done according to authority. Besides, there has been a saying of committing crimes and performing meritorious services since ancient times." An Guogong smiled, "Now that the Holy One is here, why don't we ask for instructions."
Yes, the emperor is sitting behind the screen, and he sees everything that passes by.
Because of this, Yao Tai and Ma Zhong, who were watching, never acted rashly from beginning to end.
"Three gentlemen, the Holy Father has said that if these two people tell the whole truth, their family can be spared." Shang Qiyan came out from behind the screen and delivered the emperor's oral instructions in front of everyone.
"Li Baozhong, Zhang Lianjiu, can you two hear clearly?" An Guogong said, looking at the two people crawling in the hall.
"Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness! Thank you, Your Majesty, for your kindness! Long live Your Majesty!" The two of them kowtowed like garlic.
"As soon as the fifth prince left Longxi, Cao Shuo, the military envoy of the Longxi Army and Horse Division, found the two of us.
He is considered a high-ranking official in the local area, and we people usually can't get along with him no matter what.
But that day he suddenly called us to his house for a drink, and during the dinner we treated each other like brothers.
Naturally, the two of us don’t know anything about the north, south, east, west, and we are willing to go through fire and water for him.
He told us that there was a fortune that was astonishing, and only those with courage and knowledge could get it, and asked us if we were willing to do it?
As long as this matter is completed, after we change our names, we will be able to work in the Military and Horse Division and become a fifth-rank official.
How could the two of us not agree? He then invited another person to come. From the accent of that person, it was clear that he was from the capital. Cao Shuo called him Master Kuang.
Master Kuang claimed that he was from the Ma family, the same Ma family as the Minister of Household Affairs.
These two people taught us to pretend to be refugees and bring people to Beijing to complain, saying that the fifth prince acted in a perverse way during the disaster relief in Longxi, causing the people to suffer.
The Wanmin Blood Letter is indeed a forgery. Whatever we say and do, we have practiced it many times in advance."