After all, they were under the emperor's feet, and the soldiers guarding the imperial mausoleum were all descendants of the capital, so no one dared to rebel and harm their family. Coupled with Zhang Fu's strong aura to suppress it, the two of them finally took the imperial mausoleum away calmly.
The commander of the guard and the palace supervisor can approach everyone in the Xiaoling Palace.
After leaving Xiaoling, a thousand guards came in handy, and escorted more than 300 people on the journey back to the capital. The journey was extremely slow, and they hurriedly hurriedly and slowly arrived before the city gate closed.
Returned to the capital. This scene also caused a lot of discussion among the officials and people in the capital, wondering what kind of prison was about to arise.
After imprisoning a group of suspects in a temporarily prepared cell, Wang Xian invited the British princess to have a meal at the Yamen. Zhang Fu did not refuse this time and sat down at the table with him. Because the emperor's official was present, there was no wine at the table.
After taking a few bites of his rice bowl, Zhang Fu couldn't help but ask: "Zhongde, is it useful to capture these people?"
"The main thing is to show off and let the world know that the emperor is very angry. 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 anything out of their mouths, that depends on
Let’s talk about it after a trial?”
"If there is no punishment, what can be found in the trial?" Zhang Fu asked.
"Nothing can be found in the trial." Wang Xian shook his head and sighed: "After such a long time, they must have made a string of confessions, and the pit of the ginkgo tree was defective. They can completely deduce that it was accidentally watered too much.
Water and the like
"So we can only use torture?" Zhang Fu frowned. Extorting confessions by torture is not a good reputation.
"That's all." Wang Xian nodded.
After a moment of silence, Zhang Fu asked again: "Zhongde, plus this time, after you have captured so many people, have you thought about how it will end?"
"This is not something that the lower officials have the final say, nor does the Duke have the final say," Wang Xian said sternly, "It depends on the emperor's wishes."
"What does the emperor mean?" Zhang Fu frowned slightly.
"Killing the ginkgo tree in front of Xiaoling Hall is breaking ground on the emperor's ancestral tomb; assassinating the King of Han is murdering the emperor's son." Wang Xian said calmly: "When encountering such a thing, we ministers can only do our best.
We can vent our anger on behalf of the emperor, but we cannot persuade the emperor to stop, as that will only add fuel to the fire. Unless the emperor calms down his anger, shows kindness to others, and orders his release, otherwise we can only arrest more people, which is better than
Better to kill someone..."
"Yes." Zhang Fu knew that what Wang Xian said was right. With Zhu Di's temper, if he wanted to do it himself, he would definitely kill him in a river of blood. Wang Xian's current actions may seem to be affecting innocent people, but in fact they are protecting innocent people.
It's just that ordinary people only see the appearance and find it difficult to understand the true meaning.
Although he already had a high regard for Wang Xian, Zhang Fu still had to look at him with new eyes at this moment. At first, he thought he was just very smart, but now it seems that he actually has the demeanor of a national scholar at such a young age. He couldn't help but worry for him and said: "It's just
If others don’t understand your painstaking efforts, I’m afraid there will be some criticism, right?”
"Thank you for your concern, sir." Wang Xian glanced at Zhang Fu gratefully, with a wry smile on his face and said, "Isn't it just that Beizhen Fusi is scolded by others? If I cherish my reputation, someone will scold the emperor..."
Zhang Fu was stunned when he heard this, and after a while he nodded slowly and said: "Well, your heart is loyal, and the emperor really has a sharp eye for pearls."
"But I'm sitting on pins and needles." Wang Xian said bitterly: "If you can say a word for me, sir, and transfer me away from Fusi, Beizhen, I would even be willing to work as a soldier leading horses for you."
Zhang Fu saw that his expression didn't seem to be hypocritical, and thought about it: "Of course it's okay for me to help you, but you have only been in office for a few months and you want to move? What will the emperor think? Will he feel bad for you?
Are you unwilling to work hard without complaining?" He thought it was a bit ridiculous to say this. If being the governor of Beizhen Fusi Town was a hard job, everyone in the world would be competing to suffer this hardship, right?
"That's true." Wang Xian sighed and said, "Master, please don't think that lowering your official position is pretentious. I am originally a civil servant, but being a military attache seems to be neither fish nor fowl, and I am in the most filthy position of Beizhen Fusi. It is really difficult to enjoy it.
"Well, I understand that." Zhang Fu nodded and comforted him: "You have to hold on for a year and a half. If you really want to change your environment, come back to me then."
"Thank you very much, sir. I will take these words to heart." Wang Xian stood up with gratitude and said, "Don't bother me in the future."
"It's easy to talk about." Zhang Fu twisted his beard and smiled.
After dinner, Wang Xian and Zhang Fu went to the torture room. The people in charge of the torture were the people from the Third Division, and Zhu Liu was in charge of the Third Division. As soon as they returned to the Yamen, Zhu Liuye didn't even bother to eat, so he threw himself into the interrogation.
Well, when Wang Xian and the British Duke came over, the place was already in full swing.
The crackling sound of the whip, the squeaking sound of the iron burning flesh, and the smell of burnt blood filling the air were Zhang Fu's first impression of this place, even though he had seen things a hundred times more tragic than this on the battlefield.
It was a scene, but it was a tragic battle between two armies, which was completely different from this kind of torture of people who had no ability to resist.
Zhang Fu looked at Wang Xian's ugly face again and believed his previous words even more.
"My lord, sir." Seeing these two coming, Zhu Liu, who was being tortured, came over to meet them.
"What's wrong?" Wang Xian asked.
"They admitted that they overwatered half a month ago." Zhu Liu replied: "The ginkgo trees lost their leaves ten days ago, so they watered them again."
"Who gave the order?" Wang Xian asked in a deep voice.
"He was the deputy director of the palace superintendent in charge of flowers and trees." Zhu Liu whispered: "But as soon as something happened to those ginkgo trees, he committed suicide out of fear of guilt. Everyone said that Emperor Taizu detained him for questioning."
"Is it suicide?" Zhang Fu frowned.
"The corpse has been inspected." Zhu Liu nodded and said, "It is undoubtedly a suicide."
"It's good to die, once and for all." Wang Xian groaned and said, "In this way, no one knows whether he committed suicide out of fear of guilt or because he was afraid of bringing out someone."
"Yes, sir. They all put the blame on the deputy general manager Niu, saying that he was in a daze in those days, and most likely he was possessed by a nightmare," Zhu Liu said.
"Oh, it turns out that you have seen a ghost." Wang Xian chuckled and said: "The imperial mausoleum guards are strictly guarded, and the entry and exit of personnel are recorded, right?"
"There is a record." Zhu Liudao: "Before returning in the afternoon, my subordinates have already obtained it."
"Okay." Wang Xian praised, "Sixth Master is indeed a veteran."
"Thank you for the compliment, sir." Zhu Liu smiled faintly and said, "We have just checked. Deputy Manager Niu left the imperial mausoleum seventeen days ago, that is, February 13th. His recorded destination was to go to Beijing to collect
Supplies." He paused and said, "But he did not go back with the team that afternoon, but returned an hour later than others.
"What's the reason?" Wang Xian asked in a deep voice.
"Just waiting to ask." Zhu Liu said, pointing to the two little eunuchs shivering in the corner of the room and said: "They are Niu Manshan's followers." He glared fiercely and said: "Tell me, why did Niu Manshan die that day?
What
"Well, that day was the day when the twenty-four yamen collected fees. My father didn't want to meet those people because they were so taunting..." The little eunuch was already frightened and replied repeatedly. "So he went to a teahouse to listen.
We were having tea together, but we met an acquaintance and insisted on inviting him to a drink. My father didn’t want to go at first, but he couldn’t stand it and insisted on inviting him, so he sent us back first and went to have a drink by himself.”
"He sent you back, isn't he afraid of what if you get drunk?" Zhu Liu asked coldly.
"This little guy doesn't know. In the past, my father always took us with him when he had wine." The little eunuch said hurriedly: "My father is a very respectable man. It's important to have someone around to take care of you."
"Do you know who invited him to dinner?" Zhu Liu asked again.
"I don't know..." "I know..." This time the two little eunuchs had different answers. Zhu Liu turned his attention to the little eunuch who said he knew him. The eunuch shrank his neck in fear and whispered: "That person seems to be
He was my father's companion when he was in Siyuan Bureau." He also explained: "Siyuan Bureau is the most inconspicuous of the twenty-four yamen. It is in charge of vegetables, fruits and gardening in all parts of the palace. My father used to work in Siyuan Bureau.
I worked as a headmaster there, and later I became a supervisor of the shrine."
"Do you know that person?" Zhu Liu 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 that man used to be his subordinate, but now he doesn't take him seriously anymore." The little eunuch swallowed and spit.
"They also said that the Palace Supervisor is a place where you wait to die..."
"What's that person's last name?" Zhu Liu asked.
"It seems...the surname is Chen." The young eunuch thought for a while and replied.
"Send the message to the steward of the Siyuan Bureau tomorrow morning." Wang Xian, who had been listening, ordered, rolled his eyes and said, "But Niu Manshan is dead, and the man named Chen probably won't wait for us to find him."
"Could this line also be broken?" Zhang Fu frowned.
"Master, haven't you felt it yet? Our opponent is clearly powerful enough to cover the sky with one hand. Even if we work hard to find clues, the result can only be like this," Wang Xian stretched out his hand to extinguish a candle, and the candle suddenly went out.
, but then sneered and said: "But if others don't know, unless you don't do anything, then your flaws will be exposed."
"You mean?" Zhang Furuo said with some realization: "You want to hide the truth?"
"That's right." Wang Xian nodded and continued to ask: "What happened to Niu Manshan after he returned on the 13th? I'd say give him a lighter sentence."
"Yes, yes," the little eunuch who just said he didn't know Chen rushed to say, "Dad Yu, oh no, after Niu Manshan went back that day, he seemed to have lost his soul and hid in the house all day.
, he didn’t even go out to eat. We brought him food, but when we came to clear away the dishes, the food was almost untouched.”
"He also drinks all day long. Drinking is not allowed in the palace prisons. Even if the people in charge can drink, they drink secretly." Another young eunuch also rushed to answer: "But he was also drunk in broad daylight.