Chapter 48 Li Si's Visit
Zhang Han bowed and shouted, "Cheng Kuan is just a common soldier in Xianyang City. How could he commit such a robbery? Cheng Kuan has previously claimed that he was under the command of Lord Weiyang. Therefore, I implore the county magistrate to reexamine this case!"
The county magistrate sighed inwardly, thankfully the case was still under investigation. He said, "In that case, I will investigate the entire matter. Your Majesty, please rest assured."
Two days later, the case was retried.
Cheng Kuan still refused to give in and only admitted that he was bewitched and greedy, which led him to attack the paper mill.
The Qin State's interrogation system followed the principle of conviction based on confession. If the prisoner still refused to tell the truth after repeated questioning, torture could be used.
"Come here, take him away and give him twenty lashes."
Cheng Kuan was pressed to the ground and a bamboo board was whipping his buttocks. Although he was ready to die, the pain from the board still made him scream.
After the beating, Cheng Kuan lay on the ground with his butt sticking up, unable to speak for a long time.
"My dear..." The soft and crying female voice brought Cheng Kuan back to his senses. He looked up in the direction of the voice, only to see that his wife and children, who should have been in Xianyang, had come here.
He yelled, "What are you doing here?"
The woman was crying so hard that she couldn't speak. The seven or eight-year-old child in her arms was also crying when he saw his father being beaten.
The woman wiped the tears from her eyes and choked up, "My dear, please tell me the truth! If you are gone, what will happen to us, mother and son, if we are left alone?"
"Ignorant woman, what do you know?" Cheng Kuan was a little annoyed, but when he saw the lonely look of his wife and children, tears welled up in his eyes.
The reason why he worked for Wei Yangjun was to allow his family to live a good life, but now he not only protects his family, but also implicates them.
Cheng Kuan regretted it immensely, but having come this far, there was no turning back.
I just hope that Lord Weiyang will treat his wife and children well, considering the relationship between master and servant and the fact that I sacrificed my life for him.
"My dear, I really don't understand what you said, but You'er is only seven years old. How can you bear to see him lose his father?"
The woman had heard about the situation on the way here. She didn't care about Lord Wei Yang. She just hoped that her husband could live well.
The county magistrate saw that Cheng Kuan's expression had softened. "If you are not the main culprit, you can be spared the death penalty. So you are still unwilling to confess?"
Cheng Kuan's face was full of struggle, and the pain in his buttocks seemed to be forgotten. He looked at his wife and children, then looked at the county magistrate above him, his face still full of hesitation.
Gao Sheng said, "This matter isn't a grudge between you and me. It's actually Lord Weiyang's fault. Why are you hiding it for him? Or are you sure that after you die, Lord Weiyang will thank you for not betraying him and reward your wife and children?"
"Are you sure he would do that?"
Zhang Han said directly, "When I went to pick them up, someone happened to come and cause trouble for them. If you were gone, would they be left unprotected? Do you think they could really survive in this world? Or do you want them to die with you?"
"No—" Cheng Kuan's eyes seemed to ignite a flame, "I'll tell you, I'll tell you everything!"
Cheng Kuan explained the cause and effect of the matter in detail.
After Yong paper was sent to Xianyang, it was sought after by nobles, including Weiyang Jun. Weiyang Jun relied on his title as the uncle of King Qin and was used to being arrogant in Xianyang. Although it was said that the person behind Yong paper was Changping Jun, Changping Jun actually didn't care at all. He was just a merchant in Yongcheng who took advantage of Changping Jun's reputation.
Naturally, he had no scruples and directly sent Cheng Kuan to take over the paper mill, but he hit an iron wall unexpectedly.
Zhang Han and Gao Sheng also agreed with this statement.
The county magistrate had no authority to go to Xianyang to arrest anyone, so he could only report the case to the county governor, who then handed the case over to the Supreme Court for handling.
It was three days later when Li Si received the case.
With the Queen Mother on one side and Lord Weiyang on the other, Li Si was also in a dilemma.
He could only go up and present it to King Ying Zheng of Qin.
Ying Zheng had heard about this matter a long time ago. It was he who took on the job of Changping Jun. He didn't expect that someone would be so ignorant of the consequences and dare to touch the thing he had set his eyes on.
Ying Zheng snorted coldly and folded the memorial in his hand onto the table. "Whatever the Qin Law stipulates, then that's how it will be handled. Do you really need me to teach you this?"
"Yes, I will take care of it right away."
After Li Si returned, he looked into the case in detail and even visited Changping Jun to inquire about it.
When Changping Jun Mi Qi heard this, his expression was complicated.
He didn't know what the king was thinking, as he actually let him start the paper selling business.
But after working for a long time, all the money was taken by the king, and he did not get a penny. He still had to be responsible for dealing with various troublesome matters.
Mi Qi didn't understand. The king and the queen mother were biological mother and son. Couldn't they just discuss things directly? Why did they have to go through all this trouble?
But he was clear about one thing, that is, the king did not ignore the queen mother. As for why he asked him to come forward, Mi Qi could only guess that the king was unwilling to lower himself and did not want to bow to the queen mother first.
"Li Tingwei, I'm aware of this matter. You should handle Weiyang Jun's affairs impartially. I have no objection. However, I would like to remind the Queen Mother that she is still the King's mother."
Li Si said sternly, "Thank you, Lord Changping. I now know what to do!"
After returning from Yongcheng, Lord Weiyang no longer paid any attention to Yongcheng. As he believed, the queen mother had now completely lost power. If it were not for the king, she would be worse than an ordinary village woman. How could she fight against him?
Cheng Kuan has taken all the blame. Could it be that the small county magistrate of Yongcheng dare to cause trouble for him again?
The county magistrate certainly didn't dare, but the chief judge did.
When Wei Yang Jun was captured by Li Si, he was still in a daze.
"Bold Li Si, I am the king's uncle, what do you want to do?"
Li Si stood with his hands behind his back, his eyes cold. "Lord Weiyang, you sent people to commit crimes in Yongcheng. I am here to hold you accountable."
Hearing the word "Yongcheng", Lord Weiyang dared not struggle any longer and could only defend himself, "I have already explained to the Queen Mother what happened before. It was just my subordinates who acted in my name. How can you blame me?"
"Whether it has nothing to do with you or not, I will find out after I investigate. Take the person away."
Li Si took his men to Yongcheng. He did not go directly to the county government office, but went to Liyang Palace first.
"Greetings, Her Majesty the Queen Mother." Li Si lowered his eyes slightly, concealed the coldness in his eyes, and bowed.
Zhao Yuanxi looked at the man in front of him with a frosted forehead and meticulously combed hair. Is this the future prime minister of Qin who will assist the King of Qin in unifying the six kingdoms, implementing the county system, and promoting cultural unification?
It does look like someone who is not easy to mess with.
Zhao Yuanxi nodded slightly, smiling gently, and said, "Mr. Li, please don't be so polite. I'm relieved that you can handle this matter."
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