"Thick calluses on the palm and base of the right hand?" Chen Jin's eyes quickly swept across the record, then fixed on a certain place. He frowned and spoke with some doubt.
Zhang Hua's body lay there quietly, with a white cloth covering his face, retaining the last bit of dignity.
Hearing Chen Jin's question, the coroner immediately stepped forward and carefully unfolded Zhang Hua's right hand. "Replying to Eunuch Chen, it is exactly!"
Chen Jin stepped forward and leaned over slightly to observe more carefully. Scholars who hold pens and write all year round usually develop calluses on the second section of the index finger and the base of the ring finger of their right hand.
However, the situation before us is completely different.
He looked at Zhang Hua's left hand again, and saw that the palm, tiger's mouth and each knuckle were smooth and flat, with no trace of calluses.
"You two, come in!" Chen Jin spoke to the jailer standing outside the door.
"Put your hands out!"
The two jailers didn't understand what was going on, but they did as they were told.
Chen Jin observed carefully and found that their palms were indeed similar to Zhang Hua's, with a thick layer of calluses covering the palms and knuckles.
One of the clever guards immediately explained, "All jailers are required to carry swords and practice daily, so thick calluses form on the palms of their right hands. Left-handed people also tend to develop thick calluses on their left palms."
"Of course, this also happens to people who wield knives all year round, such as butchers and blacksmiths..."
Jingzhao Yin Li Zhengxuan has already found out that Zhang Hua is a rich farmer from Yuanshui County, Qianzhou. Three generations of his family are clean and there is no doubt about it. This is the only information obtained in the capital. If he wants to investigate further, he will have to leave the capital.
"Draw Zhang Hua's appearance carefully, ensuring it is true to life. Once completed, have the Jingzhao Yin send it to Yuanshui County in Qianzhou. Have Zhang's family and those who knew Zhang Hua identify it and confirm whether it is the same person."
"Yes, sir!" the jailer of the imperial prison answered respectfully.
Zhang Hua’s matter ended here for the time being. Chen Jin’s gaze turned to the dark end of the cell.
As for Yan Boxi, he no longer needed to ask any more questions. One could even say that this man's life and death no longer depended on his confession, but was entirely in the hands of His Majesty.
…
At this time, Hong Yingrong was in the imperial palace and did not dare to move around freely. As night fell, Chang Bao, the chief eunuch of Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing, came to summon her.
"Madam, you are well," Chang Bao reported respectfully. "The Empress Dowager and His Majesty invite you to the Qianqing Palace for questioning."
Hearing this, although Hong Yingrong felt a little tired, she couldn't help but feel anxious. She knew very well the importance of this questioning in front of the emperor. It was the critical moment for her to clarify the whole story and resolve the misunderstanding.
In the night, palace lanterns sway, and light and shadows are mottled.
When Hong Yingrong stepped into the Qianqing Palace, she saw that the hall was brightly lit and magnificent. Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing and the Emperor were already sitting on the throne, with solemn and deep expressions.
She did not dare to be negligent and knelt down to pay her respects, saying, "Your humble servant, Hong, pays respects to the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty. May the Empress Dowager and Your Majesty be blessed with good health and happiness."
The Queen Mother nodded slightly, motioned for a seat, and stood up to answer.
After expressing her gratitude, Hong Yingrong carefully sat down on the seat given to her. She knew that although she seemed calm at the moment, every word she would say next might have a bearing on life and death, honor or disgrace.
Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing spoke slowly, "I know everything about the Spring Examination. You must answer truthfully and not hide anything... Of course, I will not let anyone wrongly accuse the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion." After saying this, she glanced at Emperor Li Longze meaningfully.
Hong Yingrong's heart trembled, and she nodded and said solemnly, "Your Majesty, the Queen Mother, please understand. I will tell you everything I know."
In the following time, the Empress Dowager and the Emperor took turns asking questions, and Hong Yingrong answered frankly, stating everything she knew.
She spoke sincerely and respectfully, neither exaggerating nor avoiding the question. As she answered, the expressions of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor gradually relaxed.
Lu Fengqing gently eased the tension in his shoulders, his tone revealing a sense of relief. "The fact that the wife of the Marquis of Xingyuan reported this matter promptly demonstrates her clear conscience and upright conduct. What do you think, Your Majesty?"
"It is still unclear how the test questions were leaked from the imperial palace. I cannot so rashly pardon the Xingyuan Marquis's family." Li Longze frowned slightly and put on a cautious attitude.
Lu Fengqing turned to explain to Hong Yingrong, "Old Madam, you may not know this yet, but Your Majesty has thoroughly scrutinized every record of anyone from the East and West Palaces who entered and exited the Hall of Heavenly Purity! Even the two maids from my palace who were sent to bring Your Majesty ginseng soup were brought to the Hall of Supreme Harmony and caned."
"Your Majesty, you are worrying too much. You must say it was a few palace maids. Concubine Liu is now pregnant with the Dragon Heir, and the heir is precious. But she also stepped into the Qianqing Palace to pay her respects to me a few days ago. I have also confined her and her palace maids to the Lin'an Palace and will interrogate them in detail. I will not show any partiality."
"It seems that I have worried too much. Your Majesty is wise and treats everyone in the palace equally!" Lu Fengqing raised his voice, as if mocking himself.
There had long been rumors in the court that the Queen Mother was manipulating government affairs behind the scenes and was unwilling to relinquish power; while His Majesty was biased towards his in-laws, which created a rift between them and the mother and son.
However, when Hong Yingrong witnessed the conversation between the most noble mother and son in the Great Zhou Dynasty, she felt that the rumors might not be true, and she began to have a different opinion in her heart.
After Chen Jin returned to the palace, he reported all the circumstances of the interrogation in the imperial prison to Li Longze, and then conducted a series of detailed investigations in the inner palace.
At this moment, he was in the study of the Qianqing Palace, trying to find clues here.
Faintly, the voices of the Queen Mother and His Majesty came from the direction of the main hall. Hong Yingrong's voice was steady and calm, and her answers were well-reasoned, which made him feel a little relieved.
Chen Jin turned around and his eyes fell on the bookshelf in the imperial study. He meticulously checked every book that Li Longze had recently read. Suddenly, he had an idea, as if some intuition was guiding him.
Then he quickly took out the "Book of Documents" which recorded the "On Rewarding Loyalty and Honesty" and turned the pages eagerly, fearing that he would miss something.
His eyes quickly locked onto the location of this sentence. Sure enough, there was a faint crease there, which seemed to be a mark left by Li Longze when he was flipping through the book.
However, when Chen Jin's eyes moved to the back cover of the book, the stains on it made him ponder for a long time, and he fell into a dilemma.
He realized that the discovery in his hands was like a double-edged sword.
If we report this to His Majesty, then the culprit behind the leak of the Imperial Palace's inner court examination questions will be found, and all the problems will be solved.
But at the same time, this will also put Li Longze in a passive situation. Chen Jin can't figure out at this time, what choice will the Emperor make at that time?
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