Jiang Lingyao ignored Duan Nanqi's roguery. She just said, "Master Duan, Master Yao, why don't we go and listen to the interrogation?"
I probably can't go home tonight, but... Jiang Lingyao glanced at Duan Nanqi. Since both of them were not there, there was no possibility of being exposed.
Even if Jiang Lingyao didn't admit it, is Duan Nanqi a fool?
Jiang Lingyao sighed in her heart, your majesty's marriage was indeed very accurate.
Duan Nanqi thought the same as she did, and said naturally, "That's great, that's exactly what I was thinking."
If two of the three people agree, there is no need for Lord Yao to express his opinion.
When I entered the interrogation room, the familiar screen still stood before my eyes.
Jiang Lingyao looked at the calm and composed Duan Nanqi and couldn't help but say, "This screen is really beautiful. It matches Master Duan very well."
Duan Nanqi hummed: "Thank you, Master Xiaoqiao, for your praise."
The three of them sat together behind the screen. The door of the interrogation room opened, and the person to be interrogated was a eunuch in his twenties.
The chief judge was Pei Yu, who was sitting behind a long table at the moment. His face was as gloomy as water, and his voice was slightly cold.
They had never seen this eunuch before, but they heard Pei Yu say, "He San, you are Wei Gou's right-hand man. When he is not in the prison, you are in charge of the craftsmen, right?"
He San had been so anxious about the murder case in prison that his mouth was covered with bubbles. The corners of his mouth were swollen and painful to look at. He had no suspicion in the Rong Jingui case, so he was not tortured. He was only interrogated for the first round and was not sent to the interrogation room again.
At this moment, he was sitting obediently in the chair, looking very dejected.
"Yes, Eunuch Wei is busy on duty, so I am in charge of most of the supervision."
As he said this, his face looked a little grim because his teeth hit the blister in his mouth.
Pei Yu said: "Then let me ask you, does Chen Shuangxi have any enemies in Yu Yongjian? Where were you from twilight hour to twilight hour today?"
"Reporting to the Lord, I had dinner first, and then went to see the craftsmen to see how their Buddha statues were made. The twelve craftsmen selected by Eunuch Wei can all do gilding, but among them, Zhao Cheng and Feng Shuanzi have the best skills. Especially now that Rong Jin is so expensive, only Feng Shuanzi can do the eye-dotting skills."
Pei Yu said: "Please tell me more details."
He San thought for a long time before he stammered, "I first saw the craftsmanship of several craftsmen. To be honest, it would be fine if they just helped everyone. I would be ashamed to present it to His Majesty like that. But now that Yu Yongjian is in such a state, I did not reprimand them, but even gave them some encouragement."
Most of the craftsmen in the Yuyongjian were inherited from their ancestors, which means they were born as craftsmen, of inferior status, and could only work as craftsmen in departments and bureaus all their lives.
If the nobles like it, they will give some silver as a reward, that's all.
But there are also those who have ulterior motives and want to compete to see how their skills are. If their skills are good enough to get into the prison, then they will be able to change their jobs soon.
However, people cannot be compared. There are only a few top craftsmen. It is difficult even for a skilled craftsman to create a masterpiece that is passed down from generation to generation.
Jiang Lingyao had been to the storehouse before and had seen all the useful items there that had not yet been presented to Your Majesty. However, from what Jiang Lingyao had seen, it was beyond the reach of ordinary people.
It seems that this eunuch He San has been working in the Yuyongjian for many years and has extremely high standards.
Jiang Lingyao said in a low voice, "So that's how it is."
This is also the reason why Chen Shuangxi was abandoned and Feng Shuanzi was saved.
Neither of them is a serious crime, but it depends on whether one has value. Between the two, Eunuch Wei chose Feng Shuanzi.
His craftsmanship is obviously better than Chen Shuangxi's.
He San was still immersed in his memories, and said, "I probably... probably went to the equipment room when the sun was setting. I asked a few people first, and finally asked Shuanzi and Zhao Cheng. They both had their own single rooms, and were busy in the small compartments."
The sun set at about 5 p.m., and after dinner he went to the equipment workshop and began to ask questions.
Pei Yu asked: "When you were questioning the people in front, did you see Feng Shuanzi and Zhao Cheng?"
He San hesitated for a moment, and finally said, "No, their compartments are all closed and face inwards with no windows. They are mainly afraid that someone will steal their skills. If their skills are learned by others, then they will be useless."
After saying all this, He Sancai said, "Sir, I have nothing in common with Chen Shuangxi. He is a dull person who can't get anything done even if he is beaten with three sticks. He also doesn't flatter people. Why should I care about him? I don't know who has a grudge against him, but I believe you have already found out who he hates."
"Rong Jingui relies on his skills and uses the Supervision Commission to bully honest people. Chen Shuangxi must hate him to death."
It was obvious that everyone in the prison hated Rong Jingui, and everyone seemed to have a motive to kill him.
"But I can't figure out how Rong Jingui died."
He □□ has already said this much, and he is not afraid to say a few more words. He has nothing to hide, so he doesn't feel guilty.
Jiang Lingyao sat up straight, Duan Nanqi's eyes fixed, and they both looked at He San across the screen.
Pei Yu was very careful and asked immediately: "Why do you say that?"
He San said, "Your Excellency, you don't know that Rong Jingui, although he seems to be overbearing in front of Yu Yongjian and doesn't seem to care what other craftsmen think of him, he is a very cunning person. Just looking at the fact that he can call our Eunuch Wei a brother, you can tell how smart he is."
"He has always been at odds with Xu Baocai, Chen Shuangxi and others, so why would he go out for a drink with Xu Baocai?" He San said, "On weekdays, he rarely goes out of the house except to curry favor with the eunuch and other dignitaries, and he rarely goes out of the house or the back door, and he rarely goes out to the imperial guards. Why would he go out for a drink with Xu Baocai?"
Jiang Lingyao subconsciously looked at Duan Nanqi, but saw that Duan Nanqi was also looking at him.
They were sitting in a dark place, so they couldn't see each other's faces clearly. But Jiang Lingyao knew very well that Duan Nanqiao must have frowned.
They were unaware of this clue during the first review, and no one would say that Rong Jingui didn't like to go out.
That is to say, after Xu Baocai confessed, Duan Nangui had already presented the case together with Wei Gou to His Majesty, but because the case was closed too quickly, the details of the case had not yet been written, so the case has not yet been closed.
This He San must be Wei Gou's confidant, which is why he knows this detail.
He knew about it, and told the Royal Guards during the interrogation, giving them new clues.
He really tries to please both sides.
After he finished saying this, Pei Yu remained silent. This time it was Duan Nanqi who spoke.
He asked: "When did you meet Feng Shuanzi and Zhao Cheng?"
The topic changed very quickly. He San was slightly stunned before he said, "It was around the end of the evening or the beginning of the evening, or maybe even later. I went to see Zhao Cheng's Smiling Face Maitreya Buddha. His craftsmanship is similar to Chen Shuangxi's. The Buddha has a compassionate face and smiles a lot. He is very likable."
"I made a few simple comments, and then I felt relieved when I saw that he would be finished by tomorrow. So when I went to see Feng Shuanzi's Lotus-Sitting Guanyin, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed."
Duan Nanqi asked, "What are you angry about?"
He San sighed, "My Lord, you must have checked before and know that Feng Shuanzi learned the craft of inlaying gemstones and adding eyes from Rong Jingui. This is a unique skill. It is not easy to make the eyeballs bright and lively. In the past, Feng Shuanzi actually made the small pieces for Rong Jingui, but Rong Jingui still did the big pieces himself. I thought the small Buddha statue in the Eight Treasures Glazed Pagoda was only the size of a palm and should be completed quickly. Who would have thought that Feng Shuanzi still only had the eyeballs unfinished."
Come to think of it, the day after tomorrow is the Queen Mother's Centenary Festival, and there is only one day left to complete the glazed pagoda. However, Feng Shuanzi still has not finished adding the finishing touches to it, and no one knows what has delayed him.
If Zhao Cheng's Maitreya Buddha had not been made almost perfectly, He San would have definitely reported it to Wei Gou, and Wei Gou would probably have gone crazy today as well.
That is to say, He San was the last person to see Feng Shuanzi. At that time, it was already past the first quarter of the Xu hour, approximately between the second and third quarters of the Xu hour.
After that, they asked some more questions about Chen Shuangxi and then asked He San to leave.
After there was no one else in the interrogation room, Jiang Lingyao said, "If what he said is true, then Rong Jingui's behavior was actually unusual the day before yesterday when he died."
Not only did he ask Yu Yongjian to purchase so much kerosene in advance, he also went out for a drink with Xu Baocai, which was unusual for him, and got drunk before the pagoda was completed.
This series of strange things led to Rong Jingui's death.
Jiang Lingyao kept muttering, "Kettering, kerosene, what does he need the kerosene for?"
Obviously, there was still a lot of fuel left, but he immediately ordered more, and the amount he replenished exceeded the previous reserve.
Duan Nanqi's eyes swept across the flickering lights, and the two of them said almost in unison: "He wants to set fire?"
The most likely use of purchasing so much kerosene is to start a fire.
Jiang Lingyao said hurriedly, "So he went out for a drink with Xu Baocai, not to discuss the final process as Xu Baocai said, but because Rong Jingui wanted to set fire, but he couldn't complete such a big operation by himself, so he needed an accomplice."
"They can't discuss this matter in prison, so they can only find an excuse to go out for a drink together."
Jiang Lingyao almost couldn't catch her breath after hearing these words. When she finished speaking, Duan Nanqi took over the conversation and said, "If they really wanted to set the fire, then the two of them must have wanted to burn down the prison, and their purpose was the same. Otherwise, Rong Jingui would definitely not be able to persuade Xu Baocai. But why did they want to burn down the prison?"
Duan Nanqi said, and then asked Yao Yuan beside him: "Sir, can we go and interrogate Xu Baocai later?"
Xu Baocai is imprisoned in Shuntian Prefecture Prison, and must be brought to Shuntian Prefecture for interrogation.
Yao Yuan nodded: "Okay."
In fact, the previous case has already been closed, and retrialing it now is just to be on the safe side.
It seems that Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi are really similar. When faced with sudden clues, both of them are determined to get to the bottom of the matter and do not deal with it perfunctorily.
After saying this, Duan Nanqi said, "Zheng Feng, take Zhao Cheng with you."
Zhao Cheng was still a little confused when he came in. He was very young and had never seen the scene of Rong Jingui's death, so he was quite scared.
Everyone looked at him, not knowing whether to sit or stand, and finally he was forced to sit on the chair by Zheng Feng.
Pei Yu asked the question again.
Zhao Cheng also answered honestly, and every sentence he said matched that of He San.
After all the questions were answered, Zhao Cheng was about to breathe a sigh of relief when he heard Duan Nanqi suddenly say, "Chen Shuangxi is dead. You will be the head of Yu Yongjian from now on. Congratulations, Mr. Zhao."
His voice was so cold that Zhao Cheng couldn't help but shiver.
But he quickly came to his senses: "Sir, the one with the best craftsmanship in Yu Yongjian is not me, but Shuanzi. He is also the best."
Zhao Cheng hesitated for a moment, then whispered, "Besides, Chen Shuangxi cheated Feng Shuanzi, but not many people know about it."
————
When people are nervous, they will fight each other for their own safety. As long as all the threatening people are dead, the remaining people are the winners.
So the King's Guards never interrogated people together; they would separate each person, let them wait alone, and then be taken into the interrogation room in fear.
No one knows whether he is a suspect.
Many times, they themselves are not sure whether they have made mistakes, crossed the line, or even been caught by the Royal Guards and cannot walk out of the interrogation room alive.
The bright red flying fish uniforms of the Jinyiwei were embroidered with golden flying fish. They were very gorgeous, but they also looked like a golden net, hanging over the heads of every suspect like a punishment from heaven.
Let them unconsciously tell everything they know.
Zhao Cheng said the first sentence and then smoothly began to say the second sentence: "The adults should also know that Chen Shuangxi stole the materials and utensils used by the supervisors and sold them in the dark alleys, but he was a man who bullied the weak and feared the strong, so he did not dare to steal when Rong Jingui and Xu Baocai were working. He only stole from Feng Shuanzi. Feng Shuanzi was short of materials every time he was on duty, so he was naturally discovered by the eunuchs, and was severely beaten and fined half a year's salary."
He said, "But Feng Shuanzi couldn't explain the reason every time, and Rong Jingui always pleaded for him. Maybe they wanted Feng Shuanzi's craftsmanship, and Rong Jingui was indeed capable, so the eunuchs didn't make a big fuss. My lord, if you were Feng Shuanzi, what would you do?"
He only knew that Rong Jingui was killed by Xu Baocai, and he also knew that Chen Shuangxi might have died today. They were investigated because of Chen Shuangxi's death.
But he naturally didn't know how these people died.
Everyone knew that Chen Shuangxi knew Feng Shuanzi's identity, and he probably used this as a pretext to make Feng Shuanzi bear the blame for the swindling of materials. Rong Jingui wanted Feng Shuanzi to work for him, so he could only manage the affairs for him.
Zhao Cheng continued to talk for a while before saying, "I was working in the workshop. My Maitreya Buddha was about to be finished. It only needed to be polished once before it could be put into production. That's why I was working in the workshop. The other craftsmen should be able to hear me."
Grinding makes a sound, so it's easy to find out even if there are no doors or windows to see.
At this point, Zhao Cheng had nothing more to say, so the Jinyi Guards took him out. Duan Nanqi whispered a few words in Pei Yu's ear, and Pei Yu followed the captain out.
But in the interrogation room, Jiang Lingyao seemed to be thinking about something.
"My Lord, I find this a little strange."
"What?" She received responses from two voices, one on the left and one on the right.
Jiang Lingyao paused for a moment before saying, "Master Yao, Master Duan, judging from the clues we have today, the one who actually intended to kill both of them should be Feng Shuanzi, right?"
Duan Nanqi nodded: "That's right, but his whereabouts the day before have been investigated, and there are countless witnesses, so he is not a suspect."
He had motive, but he couldn't kill, so he was not suspected in the first case.
Jiang Lingyao nodded and said, "That's right, but sir, don't forget what Chen Shuangxi said."
Duan Nanqi paused for a moment, his eyes darkened slightly, and after a moment, he said, "Chen Shuangxi said that Feng Shuanzi was greedy and afraid of death, so he changed his name and became a craftsman for Yu Yongjian. Then... he must keep his job in Yu Yongjian no matter what."
Duan Nanqi's voice was very calm. If an outsider heard what he said, they would be shocked, but at this moment, everyone in the interrogation room was not surprised.
Duan Nanqi said, "Only Chen Shuangxi testified that he changed his name, and there is no evidence. Such a trivial matter is not worth investigating by the Jinyiwei."
In other words, the Imperial Guard can investigate or not, because there is no real evidence. As long as Chen Shuangxi's confession is not recorded, it will be like nothing happened and everything will be fine.
This is also why Chen Shuangxi's theft case could not be dismissed, because when the Jinyiwei were investigating the Rong Jingui case, they had already found out that he had been to Tonghua Lane. This action of his was to be used as an alibi for Rong Jingui's case, and therefore could not be erased.
Moreover, there had been many thefts in the prison before. Taking these two factors into consideration, Wei Gou decisively gave up Chen Shuangxi and went to great lengths to save Feng Shuanzi.
"Then, what will Feng Shuanzi, who was saved by his superiors at all costs and who is greedy and afraid of death, do?"
Jiang Lingyao asked herself and answered: "He will not do anything unnecessary. He will stay in the Yu Yong prison and do his best to complete Wei Gou's requirements and make Yu instruments more exquisite than Rong Jingui, so that the emperor will be satisfied and Wei Gou will also be satisfied."
But Feng Shuanzi didn't.
Not only did he fail to be the first to make the Buddha statue, but even when Zhao Cheng was almost finished, he still hadn't added the finishing touches. Didn't this make Wei Gu disappointed in him?
Once is fine, twice is fine, after a long time, will Wei Gou find a better craftsman from other states? Even if there is no evidence, Wei Gou will not send him to His Majesty. If he wants to abandon him at that time, it will only take Wei Gou a word.
If he wanted to live well and according to the craftsman status he had worked so hard to obtain, he should perform well and make Wei Gou feel that it was worthwhile to keep him.
But Feng Shuanzi's behavior pushed himself into the abyss.
Duan Nanqi said at the right time: "Either he doesn't know how to do the eye-dot painting, or... he just doesn't have the time or the energy to make Buddha statues."
Either way, it sounds deadly.
The two looked at each other, and Duan Nanqi said, "This time, why not let Lord Qiao judge it?"
If there was something abnormal about Feng Shuanzi, he would definitely be extremely wary of the Jinyi Guard, and he should have considered his answer in advance. His interrogation was the most difficult.
Suddenly switching to Jiang Lingyao, who is not very familiar with interrogation methods, might have a miraculous effect.
Jiang Lingyao was a little surprised. She did not agree immediately, but looked at Yao Yuan inquiringly. When Lord Yao nodded at her, she said, "Then I'd better obey your command."
Therefore, the seats in the interrogation room were changed. Jiang Lingyao sat at the main seat, Duan Nanqi sat at her deputy, and the other Jinyi guards and Yao Yuan hid behind the screen.
The pressure of being watched can also make suspects feel confused.
Soon, Zheng Feng brought Feng Shuanzi in.
He still looked as timid as he had on the night Rong Jingui died, and walked in tremblingly like a frightened rabbit.
When Zheng Feng coldly asked him to sit down, his knees went weak and he almost fell to the ground.
After he sat down, Jiang Lingyao spoke: "Feng Shuanzi, I heard that you have a grudge against Chen Shuangxi?"
Feng Shuanzi was startled. Perhaps Jiang Lingyao was too direct and straightforward, so he was unable to answer for a while.
Jiang Lingyao frowned slightly, and Duan Nanqi beside her slammed the table hard like an adjutant who took advantage of the power of his superiors.
"When the master asks you a question, answer it immediately!"
Jiang Lingyao was startled by him. She unconsciously moved to the left, her voice still very gentle: "Don't be afraid, I am from Shuntian Prefecture, not a captain of the Jinyiwei. You can tell me what you want."
One is the red-faced actor, the other is the white-faced actor; they can perform their scenes seamlessly without any prior practice.
Feng Shuanzi looked at Jiang Lingyao with gratitude. He stammered, "I do hate him, but I won't kill him."
Jiang Lingyao said softly, "Why? If someone bullies me like this, I will never let him off easily, like Rong Jingui or Chen Shuangxi."
Jiang Lingyao sighed: "You are so young, but you have such a hard life."
Such politeness and kindness made Feng Shuanzi's eyes red all of a sudden: "Sir, you are so kind."
As Feng Shuanzi spoke, he lowered his head and wiped his tears, stammering, "But I wouldn't kill them. I still have to learn the craft from my master, and Master Chen often takes care of me on weekdays, so how could I kill them? Besides, I wasn't in prison at the time."
As Feng Shuanzi said this, Jiang Lingyao turned her head and glanced at Duan Nanqi.
Duan Nanqi glanced at her, reached out to pick up the wooden stick, and slammed it hard on the table.
It hurts just to clap your hands.
"Feng Shuanzi, I have already found out. Although you were in the weapon workshop today, there was no sound in the room, and there is a window in the single room. You are the only one who has the opportunity to leave the weapon workshop and set up the murder scene."
Frightened by his words, Feng Shuanzi's tears that he had held back began to flow again.
He sat there trembling, but said nothing.
Jiang Lingyao tried to smooth things over, saying, "Don't be anxious, sir. Let's ask them one by one."
Feng Shuanzi could only stammer, "Sir, I was worried about the final finishing touch at the time. I was afraid that if I didn't do it well, it would make Eunuch Wei angry, so I was thinking in my single room. As for the others, I... I really didn't see them."
He started crying, "I really didn't kill him, really!"
Duan Nanqi sneered and changed the subject: "Feng Shuanzi, let me ask you, do you know the art of inlaying gems and adding finishing touches?"
Feng Shuanzi's body froze.
Jiang Lingyao took over the conversation and said, "Shuanzi, we have already found out everything. Your master's hands are shaking due to years of drinking, so he can no longer do the eye-opening independently. But he couldn't let go of his position as Yu Yongjian, so he brought you back."
Jiang Lingyao did not give Feng Shuanzi a chance to speak, and said slowly: "Therefore, he decided not to give all the skills to you. Each time you do half, and the part that requires steady hands is given to you. Am I right?"
Feng Shuanzi lowered his head and remained silent.
Jiang Lingyao sighed: "Many people in Yuyong Prison think that you did the finishing touches for them, but in fact you don't know all of them. You want to stay in Yuyong Prison, but you insist on this skill. Otherwise, Eunuch Wei would not keep you. He might as well keep Chen Shuangxi."
But if Chen Shuangxi died, Feng Shuanzi would still be of some use.
However, Feng Shuanzi raised his head at the right time and said, "Sir, you are wrong. I have indeed learned the art of dotting the eyes. My master's hands have been in bad condition for a long time. He can't even hold a wine glass steadily, let alone a welding tong."
"If you don't believe me, I can add the finishing touch to the Buddha statue in front of you."
While he said this, he kept his head down, as if he was still afraid of people.
But Duan Nanqi did not dwell on this. He suddenly asked, "Feng Shuanzi, let me ask you, where were you when Rong Jingui died?"
Feng Shuanzi had just turned the tables, and now he seemed a little relaxed. Without thinking, he said, "Sir, the day before yesterday, after dusk and before midnight, I had dinner with Yu Yongjian, and then went to the Liyuan with other apprentices to listen to opera. We listened to the southern opera, and when we arrived, they were just singing the third act. I remember..."
Feng Shuanzi said: "I remember listening to the song "Dream in the Garden".
When he said this, Jiang Lingyao raised her eyebrows slightly, and she smiled again, "I also like to hear this piece of music."
Feng Shuanzi smiled shyly, and Jiang Lingyao looked at Duan Nanqi: "Sir, what else do you want to ask? This little apprentice obviously doesn't have the time to commit a crime."
Duan Nanqi's face was cold and he looked very scary. His eyes were so gloomy that Feng Shuanzi immediately lowered his head and dared not say anything.
Duan Nanqi asked, "Feng Shuanzi, how do you know that your master died after sunset?"
————
Duan Nanqi's question was so sudden that Feng Shuanzi was startled. For a moment, everyone present saw the shock on his face.
It was the guilt after being caught with a braid, the surprise at having made a confession during interrogation by the Royal Guards, and the panic that was difficult to conceal.
He finally got scared.
When she realized that he seemed to be the real murderer, Jiang Lingyao guessed that Feng Shuanzi was also a master of acting. He could perfectly hide himself in the shell of a poor apprentice, playing the role of a timid and obedient punching bag day after day. Until today, he sat in the interrogation room without revealing the slightest flaw.
Even Jiang Lingyao couldn't help but admire him.
But even though Duan Nanqi and Jiang Lingyao worked together to trick Feng Shuanzi into revealing his true identity, he still managed to come to his senses after being caught off guard and startled.
He lowered his eyes, clasping his hands tightly on his knees: "Sir, I just happened to be in the theater at that time, I didn't know that the master passed away at that time."
His voice was very soft, and he seemed very nervous: "Zhou Yongjian gave us a day off that day, but he didn't say that we couldn't go to the opera."
"But what if it doesn't work?" He finally asked a rhetorical question.
Duan Nanqi looked at him steadily, ignoring his question. He just fiddled with the book in his hand and whispered to Jiang Lingyao.
Jiang Lingyao listened very carefully; the two seemed to be discussing the case seriously.
For a moment, the only sounds in the interrogation room were the two of them whispering to each other. Their voices were neither loud nor soft, but if one tried to listen carefully, one would find that none of their conversations were clear.
Feng Shuanzi pinched the fingers on his knees hard in his palms.
But Duan Nanqi said, "Wait for Pei Yu."
Jiang Lingyao said, "Okay, what do you want to ask?"
Duan Nanqi said: "Ask the question again."
Therefore, Jiang Lingyao started asking the same questions again, but this time, Feng Shuanzi's answer was slower than the first time.
When a person is interrogated, his first answer is usually well thought out. In other words, if he is really a suspect, his first answer will be flawless.
But Duan Nanqi's interrogation skills were more advanced. He cooperated with Jiang Lingyao, one playing the red cop and the other the white cop, to lower Feng Shuanzi's guard, and then casually asked new questions.
Faced with a series of questions, Feng Shuanzi subconsciously gave what he thought was the most correct answer.
Which answer is the most correct for the murderer? Either he is not a suspect at all, or he did not have the time to commit the crime. There are only two points.
However, only the three judicial officials, Wei Gou and his men knew the cause and time of Rong Jingui's death. Duan Nanqi used this small joint to pry open Feng Shuanzi's mouth.
Only the murderer knows the actual time of death.
But a confession is just a confession after all. Even if the Imperial Guard can use the confession to decide the case, it does not suit Duan Nanqi's personality.
He likes to be absolutely sure.
Therefore, there was a second round of interrogation.
The second round of interrogation is several times more difficult than the first round. The suspect's answers must not only be similar to those in the first round, but also cannot be exactly the same, because except for memorized answers, no one's answers will be the same twice.
What's more, Feng Shuanzi had already revealed his flaws during the first interrogation.
Therefore, when Jiang Lingyao asked the last question, Feng Shuanzi was already sweating profusely, with cold sweat on his forehead.
Jiang Lingyao looked at Duan Nanqi and asked one last question: "Feng Shuanzi, where were you when Rong Jingui died?"
This time, Feng Shuanzi took a longer time to think.
When everyone thought he could not answer for a long time, he finally spoke with a hoarse voice: "The afternoon before yesterday, after work ended at about twilight hour, I went to the dining hall with a few apprentices to eat. After eating, I secretly left Yu Yongjian and went to the theater in the south of the city. I remember the theater was called Man Tang Chun. At that time, they were performing the third act of Dreams in the Garden."
Feng Shuanzi paused and continued, "We kept listening until the second watch. We were afraid of running into the night watchmen on the way back, so we missed the finale and returned to the prison."
This answer is more detailed and precise than the first one. All the details are included in it, making it impossible to find any fault with it.
He described his movements throughout the night to show everyone that he was unable to commit the crime.
Jiang Lingyao nodded: "This time the answer is very good. This is the perfect interrogation result."
Feng Shuanzi's shoulders relaxed and he seemed to be relieved.
Jiang Lingyao then asked, "Since you don't have time to kill Rong Jingui, what about Chen Shuangxi? Can you testify for yourself?"
Feng Shuanzi's face was covered with cold sweat again. He bit his lips tightly, biting them to pieces: "My lord, I have answered."
Jiang Lingyao smiled gently: "Sorry, I was so focused on listening that I forgot to take notes. I have to trouble you to answer again."
They asked a lot of questions and the interrogation lasted a long time. By the time of the second round, nearly half an hour had passed. Even though the Jinyiwei did not torture Feng Shuanzi, he could no longer bear it.
Therefore, when he heard that Jiang Lingyao had forgotten the record, for a moment, he was so angry that he felt like he was drowning in a pile of rage. A rare, undetectable viciousness flashed in Feng Shuanzi's eyes.
Duan Nanqi added viciously at this time: "Just answer when I ask you, why are you talking so much nonsense, do you want to be punished?"
Feng Shuanzi lowered his head.
When he raised his head again, his eyes were much calmer: "My Lords, I... I don't know."
Jiang Lingyao frowned, "Why don't you know? Why don't I recall for you? The last time I asked you this question, you answered, 'I was in the workshop at the time, and I was in my own room the whole time. It wasn't until Eunuch He came to check on the Guanyin sitting lotus statue I made that I realized it was already evening and past dinner time.'"
Jiang Lingyao asked him calmly, "Is that right? Please say it again now."
Feng Shuanzi said, "I... I went to the workshop after noon today because the statue of Guanyin sitting on a lotus has not been completed. I was very anxious, so I was busy in the workshop. However, I was concentrating on the details, so no one outside could hear any noise."
He took a deep breath and continued, "Then Eunuch He came to check on me one by one, and I realized that it was already past dinner time. And because I hadn't finished the eye-dotting, Eunuch He was not very happy and looked very unhappy."
Jiang Lingyao suddenly asked a completely unrelated question: "When does Eunuch He usually come to inspect the workers?"
Feng Shuanzi was slightly stunned, and he answered subconsciously: "Usually after dinner, he only has time to check the work at that time."
As soon as he finished speaking, the door of the interrogation room opened. Pei Yu walked in quickly, stood behind Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqi, and then handed the paper in his hand to the two of them.
He bent down, his thin lips opening and closing, as if reporting something.
For a moment, Feng Shuanzi felt his heart beating like a drum.
The flesh around his cheeks twitched slightly, as if he was a dead fish that was suddenly flipped onto the shore and could only struggle in vain while twitching.
Pei Yu took a long time to report. He lowered his head, but his narrow eyes looked at Feng Shuanzi sinisterly.
By the time he finished telling the whole story, Feng Shuanzi's heart ached.
He clenched his hands tightly, the pain in his palms had become numb, and he didn't even realize that his palms were covered in blood.
It seemed like an eternity had passed, almost like a lifetime had passed in the blink of an eye, before Jiang Lingyao and Duan Nanqiao raised their heads together and looked at Feng Shuanzi.
Feng Shuanzi shuddered uncontrollably.
But at this moment, Jiang Lingyao smiled again. Her eyebrows were slightly raised, her eyes were curved, and she looked particularly gentle and kind when she smiled.
She said, "Alas, we know why you want to kill Chen Shuangxi."
Feng Shuanzi paused and opened his mouth, but didn't know how to refute.
"I didn't," Feng Shuanzi said, "I didn't kill anyone."
Jiang Lingyao looked at him, with indescribable sympathy and compassion in her eyes: "First, Chen Shuangxi knows that you are not a craftsman, but a military household. Because you are a military household, your identity is all fake."
Feng Shuanzi was shocked. He didn't know that the Yu Yongjian had already found out about this. At this moment, his face was filled with dismay.
But Jiang Lingyao did not give him a chance to breathe and gave another reason: "After investigation, Chen Shuangxi has sold a total of 310 taels of gold, stone and precious materials to Tonghua Lane since August last year. There is a confession from Chen Shuangxi and people in Tonghua Lane."
The Imperial Guard has connections in both the black and white worlds. Shuntian Mansion may not be able to knock on the door of Tonghua Lane, but the Imperial Guard certainly can.
Feng Shuanzi had not expected that they could investigate so thoroughly. At this moment, he could no longer hold back the expression on his face. He lowered his head and listened to Jiang Lingyao in silence.
Jiang Lingyao continued, "According to the testimony of other people monitored by Yu, every time Chen Shuangxi stole materials, he chose a day when you were supervising the work, and you became his scapegoat, and the time was also from August last year to now."
"But according to the monitoring files, the total amount of materials recorded in the warehouse for each day of shortage is about 830 taels," Jiang Lingyao said. "According to the custom of plundering the passing geese in Tonghua Lane and selling 60% of the stolen goods, the amount stolen by Chen Shuangxi is about 520 taels. In other words, there is a difference of about 300 taels in total."
Jiang Lingyao leaned forward slightly, her voice gradually getting deeper: "Feng Shuanzi, you want to kill Chen Shuangxi, not only because he bullied you and used your name to secretly sell the stones, causing you to be beaten and punished, but also because you also sold them secretly, so the difference is only known to Chen Shuangxi and you. Tell me, where did the three hundred taels go?"
Feng Shuanzi shut his mouth completely.
He really didn't expect that the Royal Guard could investigate so quickly, so carefully, and so... accurately.
Jiang Lingyao turned her head slightly, her eyes filled with hesitation and inquiry, as if she was unsure of what she was thinking.
Based on the latest clues, she had a bold guess, but they had no basis for this guess and it was just a guess.
Jiang Lingyao wasn't sure whether she should ask this question.
But Duan Nanqi was very determined. He looked back at Jiang Lingyao with his deep peach blossom eyes, the corners of his eyes slightly raised, but there was no trace of romanticism in his eyes, only determination.
He nodded to Jiang Lingyao and told her to just ask boldly.
Jiang Lingyao then turned around and looked at Feng Shuanzi.
Feng Shuanzi lowered his head, clasped his hands tightly between his legs, and almost curled up into a ball, looking pitiful and embarrassed.
But Jiang Lingyao knew that he must be scared now.
This case lasted a total of three days, and two people died. Jiang Lingyao didn't plan to wait any longer.
She took a deep breath and suddenly spoke: "Chen Shuangxi calculated this gap and used it to blackmail you, so you didn't dare to tell the truth at all. You tacitly agreed to him framing you for the theft. You killed him because
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