Chapter 1728 Interrogation
Manbao nodded repeatedly.
Xiao Yuanzheng continued to mutter, "You were the one who initiated the opening of the Imperial Medical Bureau. You can't just walk away and leave it alone after receiving the benefits. Look at my hair. How many gray hairs have I added in the past six months? Also, I'm the boss, and you're the subordinate. Don't always ask me to do things for you. You have to be more proactive, okay?"
Manbao nodded repeatedly and couldn't help asking, "Xiao Yuanzheng, did you eat duckbill for lunch today?"
Xiao Yuanzheng said unhappily, "No, I ate duck feet. Otherwise, do you think I could walk so fast now? Hurry up and get to work."
Manbao took the medical book that was assigned to her and ran away.
After handing over the task, Xiao Yuanzheng breathed a sigh of relief. He still had great confidence in Zhou Man's work efficiency.
Manbao took the book back to the library and began to check it. At this time, County Magistrate Tang was walking towards the Ministry of Punishment.
As soon as he arrived at the torture chamber, he smelled a bloody odor. Eunuch Wu, who was listening to the interrogation, sneered and said to Xu Yu, who was tied to the rack: "Xu Yu, if it weren't for Doctor Zhou's pleading for you, you would have died long ago. Don't be so shameless. If you don't confess, our family will not stop them from torturing you anymore."
Xu Yu lowered her head, and after a while, she said in a hoarse voice: "This servant... This servant is innocent, this servant really knows nothing..."
Seeing that she was unmoved, Eunuch Wu said to his attendants, "Forget it, let's punish her severely."
Xu Yu raised her eyelids slightly and saw them coming up with a bloodstained wooden yoke. She couldn't help but tremble all over, her hands trembled convulsively, and finally she lowered her head.
County Magistrate Tang also saw the wooden yoke, which was clamped on the chest. He frowned slightly. If this punishment was used, the person would probably not survive.
Everyone is dead, whether they are real suspects or truly innocent.
He turned the corner and stopped it.
When Eunuch Wu saw Magistrate Tang, he bowed slightly and said, "Sir Tang, His Highness asked me to follow Lord Yin to his left and listen to his instructions. I didn't expect it would be you who came. If you have any instructions, please tell us to do it."
County Magistrate Tang smiled slightly and said, "Thank you, Eunuch Wu. I have something to ask Xu Yu. Can this wooden yoke be used again later?"
He said casually, "I just came from Doctor Zhou's place. Why did she ask the eunuch to look after Xu Yu?"
Eunuch Wu frowned and said, "Doctor Zhou was kind-hearted and pleaded with His Highness for mercy, but His Highness refused and said he would spare her life. But we see that she is stubborn and will not cry until she sees the coffin."
County Magistrate Tang nodded in understanding, then said, "Why don't you let me ask her? Perhaps I can find out something. After all, she serves Doctor Zhou, so she has some ties to him. It wouldn't be good to beat her to death."
Eunuch Wu thought about it and agreed. After talking for a while, his anger subsided a little, so he waved his hand and let the people go.
County Magistrate Tang walked forward and circled around Xu Yu. Then he waved his hand and had someone bring a glass of water. He first had someone give her a sip before staring at her face and asking, "Did you change Doctor Zhou's needle bag?"
Xu Yu couldn't even shake her head, and only said weakly: "No, I don't know anything about the needle bag."
"But the two eunuchs who accompanied you in delivering the medicine chest said that it was you who replaced it."
Xu Yu's tears fell. "They lied. I was wronged. Why would I do such a thing?"
County Magistrate Tang smiled and said, "You're asking me this question. I should be asking you this question. Why did you do such a thing?"
Xu Yu shook his head with difficulty, denying it and then stopped talking.
County Magistrate Tang asked, "You've been seen more than once standing outside Doctor Zhou's window late at night, staring at her. Were you assigned to Doctor Zhou's side from the beginning? Who ordered you to do that?"
Xu Yu was stunned for a moment and then said, "I just stood up to see if Doctor Zhou had any other instructions."
She said, "I serve Imperial Physician Zhou. It's common for palace maids to serve female officials and sleep on their footstools while listening to their orders. Imperial Physician Zhou is considerate of me, and I'm returning the favor, so naturally I'm more dedicated."
If Zhou Man hadn't said this, County Magistrate Tang might have believed her a little, but now he didn't believe her at all.
Some behaviors may indeed be misunderstood, but as the person involved, Zhou Man is also sensitive and intelligent. He can be sure that she must have sensed something when she said that.
People definitely have feelings about danger and dislike.
The expression on County Magistrate Tang's face didn't change much. He seemed not to have heard her explanation, but also seemed to have heard it.
He asked, “How many times have you done this?”
Xu Yu said, "I don't remember, but when Doctor Zhou first came to the palace, I almost got up every night to check on him."
She paused and said, "I do have selfish motives for doing this. Everyone knows why Imperial Physician Zhou came to live in the palace. She did it for the Crown Prince and Crown Princess. If she can ensure that the Crown Princess gives birth to a grandson, she will gain great reputation not only with the Crown Prince and Crown Princess, but also with His Majesty and the Empress."
"I just want to do my best to build a good relationship with Doctor Zhou. If she can speak up for me in the future, I might even be promoted to a female official." Xu Yu seemed to be in better spirits. She raised her head and looked at County Magistrate Tang, shaking her head slightly excitedly, saying, "Although I have selfish motives, I have never intended to harm Doctor Zhou."
"Really?" County Magistrate Tang wasn't sure whether to believe it or not, so he changed the subject and said, "Tell me about what happened that day. When did you run into the eunuchs from the Crown Princess's side who came to summon the Imperial Physician of Zhou? What were you doing at the time, and who was around?"
Xu Yu had already answered these questions before, and this time he was just answering them again. However, County Magistrate Tang asked the questions again after going through the process once, changing the order of the questions...
County Magistrate Tang asked these questions over and over again seven or eight times. In the end, Xu Yu's voice became weak. She was tied up and had injuries on her body. She was already in pain, and being asked the same questions over and over again, she almost collapsed.
Not to mention her, even Eunuch Wu who was listening on the side was about to collapse.
County Magistrate Tang asked again, "Where was Doctor Zhou's medicine box placed in the house?"
Xu Yu replied drowsily, "On a shelf on the bookshelf..."
Xu Yu's body trembled slightly. This question had never come up before. She knew she had said the wrong thing, so she could only remain expressionless and weakly added, "Doctor Zhou's medicine box is usually placed in that place..."
County Magistrate Tang interrupted her and asked, "Were you and that eunuch named Wang Yu going together to find Doctor Zhou?"
These questions have already been asked.
Xu Yu answered again in great pain. County Magistrate Tang asked these questions over and over again. Every time her answer was exactly the same, without even adding or subtracting many words.
After she fell into a daze again, County Magistrate Tang asked again, "Who had the medicine box when you left the yard?"
(End of this chapter)
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