After the heavy rain stopped, the bluestone slabs on the streets of Jiangling City were washed clean.

This rain came at just the right time; it alleviated the drought.

Long-lost smiles gradually reappeared on people's tired faces.

Near the east gate of Jiangling City, there was a government office, the famous Imperial City Guard Headquarters in Jinghu Road.

This morning, a key figure was brought here.

Once you enter the Imperial City Guard's office, dying isn't so easy, and living is even more impossible.

The Imperial City Guard has 108 ways to get Wang Quan to tell everything.

Xiao Jiangwei carefully examined all of Wang Quan's statements, which were very detailed. So far, twenty-three officials have been implicated.

The name of Liu Yuan, the commander of the Xiang Army, was listed second, while the first was Deng Yue, the judicial commissioner.

However, Wang Quan's confession alone was not enough to arrest Deng Yue and Liu Yuan.

If this had happened two years ago, Xiao Jiangwei's task would have been much easier.

At that time, the Imperial City Guard could arrest people as soon as they had a confession.

However, the Council of State had already emphasized this matter to Zhao Huan many times last year.

The judicial process in the Song Dynasty was too rudimentary, and the investigations by the Censorate and the Imperial City Guard were too arbitrary. Since Zhang Shuye was working to improve the judicial system, the corresponding procedures should also be improved.

Xu Churen brought up this matter at the morning court sessions for almost a month in a row. If the emperor didn't make a reasonable concession, both sides would probably lose face.

Zhao Huan had considered improving law enforcement procedures.

He certainly knew that his previous approach was too brutal. There are no fixed rules in warfare, and water has no fixed shape. In each period, the methods used will naturally be different depending on the situation.

Zhao Huan had also planned to improve those rules, but after all, the situation within the Song Dynasty was still not very stable.

Just like a startup, you can't regulate it using the same methods as a large company, otherwise it will be unable to move forward.

Similarly, when a company grows to a certain size, it cannot be governed using the same methods as a startup.

In Zhao Huan's view, the Song Dynasty at this time was still a transitional period between the two sides.

The major traditional forces within the country were almost wiped out, the Yan-Yun front became increasingly solid, and the Tanguts were destroyed.

The main contradiction in China has begun to shift towards economic transformation.

During this period, it is actually unnecessary to set too many rules, otherwise it will restrict the development of many new things.

However, the investigation and prosecution of officials is a different story.

Many of today's officials took office after the Jingkang Incident, and most of them belong to the New Policies faction.

Since they were part of the New Policies faction, they at least outwardly supported the emperor.

If these officials break the law, they cannot be punished or killed simply because they have confessions, as was the case before.

This will inevitably discourage capable officials from the new faction.

Humans are, after all, human beings, the most intelligent of all creatures, and the culture passed down from China respects human beings.

Forcing officials to kneel and treating people like dirt is something that barbarians did after invading the Central Plains.

Zhao Huan had also been pondering this question: should the judicial process for investigating and prosecuting officials be further improved?

Xu Churen's persistence was one reason, and the emperor's own reflections were another.

In October of the fifth year of the Jingkang era, the emperor agreed with Xu Churen's suggestion and appointed Zhang Shuye to improve the rules of the judiciary.

Therefore, the Imperial City Guard's methods of arresting people are different now than in the past.

At the very least, strong physical evidence is still needed.

"Wang Quan, where is the ledger? Tell me, and I'll spare your life!"

Wang Quan was covered in blood. His legs were broken, his knees were completely shattered, and all ten of his fingers were smashed to a bloody pulp. His thigh wounds were covered in salt.

Wang Quan's willpower was on the verge of collapse. After decades of living on the edge, he had imagined being killed by his opponents or murdered by his enemies, but he never expected to be dealt with by the government.

He didn't expect to survive. The Imperial City Guards weren't human; there was nothing they wouldn't do, only things humans couldn't imagine.

They're lying to you if they say they'll spare your life.

Xiao Jiangwei coldly replied, "In business, there are always ledgers. How can you split the profits with these people if there are no ledgers?"

"You have children and an elderly mother. They're with me right now, from last night. Don't worry, no torture was used. But if you don't talk, the wild dogs outside the city will be starving and will eat human flesh!"

Wang Quan looked at Xiao Jiangwei with the most vicious eyes, but he was helpless. He was already dead, and the only thing he couldn't let go of was his child.

That's how people are. No matter how wicked or evil they are, mentioning their children will touch their sore spot.

Some people are fierce, cruel, and even inhuman, but they are very filial to their mothers.

Wang Quan is such a person. His family was very poor when he was a child, and they almost starved to death.

When he and his mother fled famine, his mother cut off her own flesh to feed him and gave him her own blood to drink, which is how he survived.

From then on, Wang Quan believed that the world was devoid of humanity and was so cruel that it was frightening. He believed that he could only survive by becoming more cruel and stop his mother from cutting off her flesh and bleeding her.

In his eyes, no one else's life mattered except his mother's and his child's.

"At Zhanghua Tower, with Zhong Xianglan, she's someone I support. I keep the account books there..."

Zhanghua Tower was the largest brothel in Jiangling City. However, those familiar with history would be shocked to discover that more than a thousand years ago, it was a detached palace built by King Ling of Chu for his beloved concubine.

That was King Ling of Chu, who had a fondness for slender waists.

At that time, Zhanghua Tower was called Zhanghua Palace. The original tower has been destroyed, and this Zhanghua Tower only borrowed the name.

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