Liu Zhang turned around, the corners of his lips curled up. He deliberately sent away the jailer and guard beside him and said coldly, "His Majesty already knows about this matter. You still have the General's Mansion, a pair of children, and an elderly mother behind you. Commander Ye, please think it over carefully."
Ye Qingshan was stunned, staring at Liu Zhang's back with a burning gaze, and sneered, "Young Master Liu is in charge of the Dali Temple. Everyone says you are upright and honest, and you can't tolerate any injustice. So you are afraid that I will betray your father?"
Liu Zhang turned around, gripping the prison doorpost with both hands, and asked nervously, "Did my father collude with you?"
"Hahaha, the plan to kidnap Prince Shen was exactly what they came up with. I was just their thug. If we're to accuse someone of anything, your Liu family is the mastermind behind the murder of the prince."
"So, the incident in the outer city and the brothel where you assassinated the crown prince was also under their orders?"
"Yes, if your father had not promised the marriage between your sister and my son, and had not helped me make up for the deficit of 300,000 taels, why would I work for them?"
Ye Qingshan looked up at Liu Zhang and threatened in a deep voice, "If the charge of murdering the Crown Prince is proven, your father and the Third Prince will be implicated."
Liu Zhang pretended to panic and opened the cell door. He took two steps back in despair and shook his head, saying, "No, it's impossible, it's impossible..."
"So, Master Liu, are you going to protect your father, or are you going to insist on pushing this old man out?"
Liu Zhang stopped in front of the prison door and said in a deep voice, "Commander Ye, are you planning to fight to the death?"
"Of course I don't want to be destroyed, but if your Liu family refuses to protect me, then I will be destroyed as well."
"Your Majesty has already ordered a thorough investigation into this matter. My father and the Third Prince can't just say they'll protect me. Furthermore, since they're under scrutiny by His Majesty, they certainly can't come to see you.
You should confess the details of the kidnapping case, and I will see if I can plead with His Majesty on your behalf."
Ye Qingshan snorted lightly, thinking that in the end, Liu Zhang would still make him confess, and once he confessed, he would be admitting his guilt.
They might get rid of the Liu family and then take advantage of the situation to put all the blame on General Ye's Mansion. At that time, they will definitely raze the General's Mansion to the ground in order to put an end to the matter.
Seeing that he was unwilling to confess, Liu Zhang advised, "You were caught on the spot by the Crown Prince's men, and Prince Shen has been rescued. Marquis Tingnan seems to be taking this kidnapping case very seriously and has been putting pressure on His Majesty."
The prince was punished with fifty lashes for this.
You will not be able to escape death no matter what. Even if you betray my father and the third prince, the general's mansion will not end well.
It would be better if you could explain the whole story of the kidnapping. Perhaps I could come up with a plan for you."
When Ye Qingshan heard Liu Zhang say that Prince Shen had been rescued, he felt something was wrong. If Prince Shen could testify, he would definitely not be able to escape the crime of kidnapping the prince and murdering the crown prince.
Even if there is a way to get away with the crime of murdering the prince, Marquis Tingnan will definitely hold on to this matter.
"Prince Shen was rescued?"
"Well, he's still unconscious."
Ye Qingshan said cautiously, "What countermeasures can you offer? How can I be sure that you are not trying to exonerate your father by tricking him into confessing, or to take advantage of his misfortune or even destroy his father's legacy?"
"So, Commander Ye has no evidence to prove that my father planned the kidnapping?" Liu Zhang breathed a sigh of relief and stood still.
Ye Qingshan was shocked and said quickly: "Of course I have evidence. The land deed for the 300,000 taels he gave me is still there. He can't escape the case of corruption and collusion."
Liu Zhang panicked again, lowering his head and muttering, "Three hundred thousand taels is indeed a huge sum. Where did my father get three hundred thousand taels..."
Seeing that he was hesitant and embarrassed, Ye Qingshan took the initiative and said, "Master Liu, you should think it over carefully. You can't be too rigid. What if you work diligently in the Dali Temple and are selfless?
Once your father's corruption case comes to light, will His Majesty still consider you a good official? By then, your position as the Supreme Court Justice will surely be lost, and all the officials of your Liu family, big and small, will be strictly investigated and suppressed.
If I were to accuse the Liu family of colluding with the Third Prince and plotting to murder the Crown Prince, your Liu family's fate might be even worse than that of my General's Mansion."
Liu Zhang quickly grabbed the prison door and asked anxiously, "Then what do you want me to do?"
"You must find a way to keep me safe, otherwise I will betray everyone!"
"You are in the Dali Temple prison!" Liu Zhang threatened angrily, "Your confession may not reach His Majesty!"
Ye Qingshan was stunned for a moment, then laughed and said, "Then why don't you just kill him to silence him? Your father is being tried by the three courts, and His Majesty must have been targeting you for a long time!"
Liu Zhang showed an expression of being provoked by him. He was silent for a moment, and then said coldly: "The most I can do is protect your whole family."
Ye Qingshan's expression changed slightly, and he pressed on, "How can you protect my General's Mansion?"
Liu Zhang replied, "Commander Ye, while Prince Shen is still unconscious, I will secure an opportunity for you to see His Majesty. Whether you can refute it depends on you.
Give me the evidence of my father's corruption and collusion, and I will protect your entire family."
Ye Qingshan was full of suspicion and could not guess Liu Zhang's purpose. At this moment, the thirty-tael contract seemed to be his life-saving straw. How could he survive if he handed it over?
He was silent for a long time, then said, "Let me see His Majesty first."
Liu Zhang hurriedly said, "When Commander Ye sees His Majesty, he must not betray my father."
"If you can protect my General's Mansion, I will naturally not betray the Three Emperors."
"Okay, I'll write a memorial to His Majesty requesting a personal audience. You'd better come up with a way to exonerate yourself and not bring trouble upon the Liu family.
I will join forces with several senior officials from the Ministry of Justice and the Ministry of Personnel to do my utmost to protect you."
Liu Zhang continued, instructing, "Commander Ye, from this moment on, you must never confess your guilt. Aside from requesting an audience with His Majesty, you must not discuss the details of the case with anyone, and you must not trust anyone's promises."
Ye Qingshan nodded, thinking about what excuse he should use to shirk responsibility and protect himself after meeting His Majesty.
What should we do if Prince Shen wakes up?
Liu Zhang did not stay in the prison for long. He slowly walked out of the dark cell and went straight to the gate of Dali Temple.
In the sunlight, his face was filled with an unfathomable coldness, and a sneer quietly crept up the corners of his mouth.
The masked gunman must die.
"Lord Liu, are you going back to the villa? When I came to pick you up just now, I saw the eldest lady's carriage going to the villa. Maybe she was coming to see you." Wushuang stood beside the carriage and saw him coming out of the Dali Temple, and hurried to meet him.
"Well, let's go back."
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