Chapter 49 Interrogation (Part 9)

Ling Wei took in Sun Man's reaction and sneered inwardly.

This was exactly the effect she wanted. Zhao Ying's presence and statement were tantamount to telling Sun Man: We won't fall for your ultimate threat of the emperor's private treasury.

We are not afraid to hear it; in fact, we are prepared to label your accusations against the emperor as slander against His Majesty.

“Sun Man,” Ling Wei stopped beating around the bush, her voice turning cold, “I will ask you one more time: where did the ore from the black mine that did not enter the national treasury ultimately go? With whom did it go? Where are the account books?”

Sun Man remained silent, his lips pressed into a pale line.

Once it's documented in black and white, confirming that the money flowed into the inner court and tarnished His Majesty's reputation, that would be a true catastrophe, dragging not only her down with her but also those behind her.

The fact that Ling Wei and Zhao Ying were so unafraid to talk about it only made her more hesitant to reveal anything.

Time ticked by in the stalemate, and only suppressed breathing could be heard in the hall.

Ling Wei looked at Sun Man's stubborn resistance and suddenly laughed.

She leaned back in her chair and spoke slowly and deliberately: "Record it."

The clerk picked up his pen.

Ling Wei's voice was steady: "Sun Man, the prefect of Fuling County, secretly gathered and trained disabled men who were not afraid of mental strength, and privately hoarded gunpowder for mining, plotting something sinister."

Investigations revealed suspicious activity, including the alleged use of privately-run military units and the spying on key mining locations, suggesting possible involvement.

Treason.

The moment those two words were uttered, the air in the entire lobby seemed to freeze.

Zhao Ying's eyes widened suddenly as she looked at Ling Wei in disbelief.

My God, Fifth Prince, this charge is far too harsh and extreme!

Corruption and oppression of the people are worlds apart from premeditated rebellion. The former might result in losing one's official position and being exiled, while the latter... is a heinous crime that will lead to the extermination of one's entire family and eternal infamy! It will be recorded in the annals of history!

Sun Man was completely stunned. His composure vanished, leaving only boundless fear and absurdity.

She looked up abruptly and cried out, "Injustice! I had no such intention! Those disabled men were just miners! I did not train a private army! I did not!"

"No?" Ling Wei sneered. "Then let me ask you, how are you any different from soldiers when you imprison them and keep them under strict guard?"

Disabled men are not afraid of mental strength. With a little training, they become natural soldiers. Forcing them to work overtime is no different from training them.

Where did the bandits in Xishan get their gunpowder? Did you supply it to them to cover your tracks and divert attention?

You keep saying you can't remember where the ore went, so where did the ironware you smelted from your illegal mines end up? Were you secretly forging weapons and armor?

The barrage of questions gave Sun Man no chance to catch his breath or argue his point.

Each question pushed her one step closer to the abyss of "treason," and logically, it formed a terrifying chain.

Sun Man trembled violently, cold sweat pouring down his face.

She knew Ling Wei was fabricating charges, but these charges were too terrible, too terrible for her to bear!

Embezzling silver from mines and getting involved in palace intrigues—perhaps she could gamble on the higher-ups covering it up for the sake of appearances, or on a system of checks and balances that would give her a sliver of hope.

Treason... This is a capital offense with no room for leniency!

There's no need for any irrefutable evidence; just a slight connection is enough to drag someone into an abyss of no return.

And once this crime is proven true, not only her, but also her family, her students and friends, and everyone associated with her will be uprooted and forever nailed to the pillar of historical shame, to be cursed for all eternity.

Seeing her unfocused gaze, Ling Wei softened her tone, but it carried an even deeper chill:

"For some people, your life is a living handle, a ticking time bomb."

If you die, especially if you die on charges of treason... then many things can be completely pinned on you, this traitor, and that will be the end of it all, clean and simple.

"Do you think it's more reassuring to let you take this secret to your grave, or to keep you alive and living in constant fear?"

Sun Man's eyes widened suddenly, as if he were seeing the desperate situation before him for the first time.

Yes... she knows too much.

Hoping for protection from higher-ups? Faced with charges of treason, who would dare to protect her? Who would be willing to protect her?

They probably wish they could silence her immediately and throw all the blame on this "traitor"!

Sun Man felt a bone-chilling cold rush from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. Looking at Zhao Ying's eyes, which had been filled with shock but gradually turned to pity, her last bit of resistance vanished completely.

She collapsed to the ground, like a lump of mud.

“...I...I'll say..."

Ling Wei nodded slightly to the clerk beside her, whose palms were also sweating with surprise at the exchange:

"It's on record."

The interrogation has ended.

When Sun Man was carried out, his whole body looked as if his spine had been removed, and his toes dragged two crooked marks on the ground.

Her eyes stared blankly ahead, devoid of any life, just two stagnant pools.

Ling Wei didn't look at her again.

She took the stack of ink-stained confessions, flipping through them page by page, her gaze lingering on a few key points for a moment, her face expressionless.

After reading it, she laid out another sheet of paper, picked up a pen, and dipped it in ink.

Illegal mines, collusion between officials and criminals, the tragic plight of disabled miners, the web of illicit profit transfers... line after line falls on the paper.

After writing, it was placed in an ordinary official seal, sealed with sealing wax, and stamped with the seal.

Then, she took out another specially made envelope, a darker color. This time, she paused longer, wrote more slowly, and carefully chose her words:

"Your subject Ling Wei respectfully reports: The Xishan case involves the transfer of mineral resources. Upon investigation, some traces have been found to have a vague connection with the procurement of goods by the Imperial Court."

"This matter involves the inner palace, and I dare not act on my own initiative, lest rumors tarnish the imperial family's reputation. Therefore, I have sealed and attached relevant excerpts of the testimony, humbly requesting Your Majesty's judgment."

Then, she picked up the original record and carefully cut out a few passages about the interrogations in the inner court with a knife.

The paper was cut neatly, folded, placed in a special envelope, sealed with wax, and stamped with the prince's private seal.

Two envelopes, one thin and one thick, were placed side by side on the table.

"Qing Shu".

"exist."

"Arrange for the most reliable person to deliver this urgent message 600 li (approximately 300 kilometers) day and night. This letter must be delivered directly to the Empress's desk, and must not be passed through any government office or by any person along the way. If there is any obstruction... you know what to do."

"clear!"

Qing Shu carefully put away the envelope, turned around, and strode away.

The room fell silent again. Ling Wei leaned back in her chair and let out a long sigh.

Sending everything directly to the emperor was to preserve the last vestige of dignity for the royal family, and also to leave room for maneuver for oneself.

Moreover, deep in her heart, she still retained her trust and judgment in her mother.

She didn’t believe that Emperor Jinghe would need to fill his private treasury in such a bloody way. If her mother really knew or even tacitly approved, why would she send her, the toughest of her children, to the Western Hills?

Sending this letter directly to the Emperor is a gamble.

It's a gamble on the mother's bottom line as an emperor, on her clarity as a monarch, and also on a subtle tacit understanding between mother and daughter.

She let her mother see it first, and then she continued doing what she was supposed to do.