Chapter 247 The Mastermind

The peaceful palace in the past has set off a huge wave today.

The palace soldiers surrounded the palace and no one was allowed to leave without permission.

For a while, everyone in the palace was in danger and uneasy.

Zhuo Teng received Yu Zheng's order to investigate the palace.

Mo Liang, Wu Qian and others were detained and interrogated separately, but they refused to give up on the matter of lending outside the palace.

Jiang Shu spread the word that anyone who provided clues would be rewarded with 10 taels of silver. Anyone who provided useful evidence would be rewarded with 50 silver.

As for those who confessed first, they would be given a reduced punishment as appropriate.

The servants in the mansion had been oppressed by Mo Liang and others for many years, and they had long been resentful and dissatisfied. In addition, they were tempted by the reward of silver, and people came to Zhuo Teng one after another.

Three days later, things made progress, and Zhuo Teng went to the main courtyard to report to Jiang Shu.

"Princess, I found out these based on the clues provided by the people in the mansion. In addition, Manager Liu said he wanted to confess to the princess in person."

Chu Yu presented the things to Jiang Shu, and Jiang Shu took them and opened them.

It was a record of Mo Liang and others embezzling the money of the mansion, as well as evidence of false accounting.

Jiang Shu put it down after glancing at it for a few times, got up and went to the front hall to meet Manager Liu.

Manager Liu was an inconspicuous little manager who was in charge of firewood and charcoal in the mansion.

Compared with other managers, his job was not very profitable.

Not long after Jiang Shu sat down in the front hall, Manager Liu was brought up.

"I have seen the princess." Manager Liu, who was over fifty years old, knelt on the ground in fear.

Jiang Shu looked at him and asked directly: "What do you know?"

Manager Liu was thin and anxious, and hesitantly said: "If I tell you, will the princess really let me go?"

Jiang Shu said calmly: "That depends on whether what you confess is substantial enough and what you have done."

Manager Liu hesitated after hearing this.

At this point, you still dare to challenge her?

Jiang Shu said in a cold voice: "If you don't want to confess, then go back and continue to be imprisoned. This matter will eventually come to light."

After saying that, Jiang Shu stood up and wanted to leave.

Manager Liu was anxious and said hurriedly: "I confess, I confess..."

Jiang Shu was right. This matter will eventually come to light. There is no point in wasting time.

After thinking it through, Manager Liu said truthfully: "The matter of lending outside the mansion was not originally the idea of ​​Manager Mo, but Zhang Li's idea."

Zhang Li was the manager of the back garden in the mansion.

"Zhang Li is a shrewd and smooth person, and he is very close to Manager Mo. About three years ago, Zhang Li boasted to him about making a lot of money by lending outside after drinking. He also suggested that everyone join forces to lend money and make a fortune together."

"No one cared at first, but Zhang Li repeatedly urged and used the money earned from lending to treat everyone to a few drinks, and Manager Mo and his friends began to be tempted."

"Lending requires capital, and I was excluded because I had no money. Manager Mo and his friends threatened me with the job and corruption, and I must not reveal a single word."

Because he was not involved, Manager Liu knew only this much.

It was just a matter of defrauding and embezzling a small amount of money. The crime that Manager Liu committed was not serious. But the truth is not clear, so he has to be detained temporarily and dealt with after everything is found out.

After Yu Zheng came back from outside, Jiang Shu told him about Manager Liu's confession.

"I think there is something wrong with this Zhang Li." Jiang Shu frowned.

Lending is a way to make money, why should he share money with others? Unless, he has ulterior motives.

And this Zhang Li has no relatives or friends, no background, how can a commoner have the capital and channels to lend money?

"I'll go meet him." Yu Zheng looked ruthless and murderous.

Yu Zheng would not be as gentle as Jiang Shu when judging people. But Jiang Shu was pregnant and it was not suitable for her to see blood, so he did not take Jiang Shu with him.

Zhufeng followed Yu Zheng to the dark room and brought Zhang Li out.

"I have seen the prince." Zhang Li was in his thirties and was strong and healthy. He was not flustered when he saw Yu Zheng, but bowed politely.

Yu Zheng stared at him and asked loudly: "Who are you? What is your purpose in coming to the palace?"

Zhang Li was shocked when he heard the words, and there was some confusion and panic in his eyes, but he quickly calmed down and pretended to be panicked and said: "I don't know what the prince is talking about?"

"Don't know? Humph!" Yu Zheng sneered and glanced at Zhufeng.

Zhufeng understood and ordered people to punish him.

The guards quickly brought the punishment bench, stripped Zhang Li's outer clothes, pressed him on the bench and punished him with a stick.

"Prince...ah! "Zhang Li's face changed drastically, and he wanted to say something, but the punishment had already fallen.

After twenty strokes of the stick, Zhang Li's face turned red, and cold sweat dripped down his forehead.

"Do you know now?" Yu Zheng asked sullenly.

Zhang Li felt cold and painful, and his teeth chattered as he said, "The prince wants me to... confess what?"

Yu Zheng glanced coldly at Zhang Li who refused to give in, and said calmly, "Mo Liang, Wu Qian and others have confessed to the loan outside the mansion. They were instructed by you."

"This one thing alone is enough to take your life. What's the point of hiding the rest? "

Zhang Li's mind was shocked after hearing this.

Mo Liang and the others confessed?

This bunch of idiots, don't they know that confessing means death!

Seeing that Zhang Li didn't say anything, Yu Zheng lost his patience and waved to Zhu Feng.

Zhu Feng picked up a bowl of chili oil, tore off Zhang Li's clothes, and poured the chili oil on his torn back.

"Ah!" A pig-like howl rang out, and Zhang Li hugged the torture bench in pain, shaking like sieve chaff.

The screams spread to other dark rooms, and Mo Liang and others were terrified.

"I'll ask you again, who are you?" Yu Zheng asked solemnly.

Zhang Li knew that if he didn't tell a name today, Yu Zheng would not let him go.

But if he said it, Yu Zheng would not let him go either.

After weighing it, Zhang Li gritted his teeth and said: "I am Zhang Li... the manager of the back garden of the palace... "

"Have backbone and follow the wind." Yu Zheng's face was as cold as ice.

The harder Zhang Li's mouth was, the more powerful the person behind him was.

Zhufeng had someone bring a water tank, dragged Zhang Li in, filled it with cold water, and added ice.

Zhang Li was shivering violently from the cold, his head shaking uncontrollably.

After waiting for a while, Yu Zheng stood up and walked to the water tank, giving an ultimatum: "Even if you don't tell me, I will find out sooner or later. But if you confess, you will suffer less torture, and I can return you to your master."

What Zhang Li did was not enough to shake the people behind him, Yu Zheng just wanted to find out for precaution.

Zhang Li's frozen head was unusually clear, and at this moment he had only one thought, he didn't want to be frozen to death!

Yu Zheng always kept his word, and Zhang Li decided to take a gamble.

"I say... I say..."

In just a quarter of an hour, Zhang Li was almost frozen stiff, his breath was weak, and his speech was intermittent.

After listening to the confession, Yu Zheng had someone drag Zhang Li out of the water tank.

Zhang Li felt that the blood in his body had coagulated, his body was stiff and he didn't obey, he lay on the ground like a dead fish.

Yu Zheng glanced at him and sat back in the chair.

Since the interrogation had begun, Yu Zheng simply went all out and interrogated Mo Liang, Wu Qian and others.

With Zhang Li's confession, Mo Liang and others were proven guilty, and it was meaningless to keep talking tough.

"Your Majesty, please spare my life, we will confess..." Mo Liang and Wu Qian gave up resistance.

However, Yu Zheng was angry and didn't want to let them off so easily. He ordered his men to beat them with twenty sticks before he heard their confession.