Chapter 42 Interrogation (Part Two) (Bonus Chapter)
Ling Wei seemed completely oblivious to the exchange below, casually raising a finger towards Qing Shu, who was standing beside her.
Qing Shu understood, took a step forward, and the scabbard of his waist sword clashed with his armor with a cold, hard sound.
She didn't even need to raise her voice; her murderous aura spread with every step she took: "How dare you! How can you not show full courtesy when you see Her Highness the Fifth Princess!"
Du Wen's back, which she had just managed to straighten a little, collapsed instantly, and she knelt down again with a "thud," her forehead touching the ground.
Sun Man's body stiffened, and the forced composure on his face cracked as he finally bowed deeply.
"Your subject, Sun Man (Du Wen), pays respects to Her Highness the Fifth Princess."
Ling Wei then lifted her eyelids and said, "Last night, the bandits who attacked me have been captured, and the officials and staff of the Fuling County Mining Bureau have been questioned. As of now, a total of 127 confessions have been obtained, and 79 have been signed."
She paused briefly, her gaze pressing down on Sun Man's lowered nape as if it were a physical object.
"Now, it is time to hold you two accountable."
She turned her head and said to a clerk who was already standing beside the desk with paper and pen spread out, "Record it."
Throughout the entire process, there was no indication that the two people bowing were asked to stand up.
Zhao Ying, watching from the side, felt a tightness in her chest, followed by a slight sense of relief.
The Fifth Prince's move... gave Sun Man absolutely no chance to use this as an excuse to disrupt the rules. The difference between "interrogation" and "punishment" is like night and day.
The fact that he was being interrogated on his knees set the tone, and Sun Man's attempts to regain his composure crumbled instantly in the face of this decisive opening.
The initiative was firmly in Ling Wei's hands.
This prince is by no means the pleasure-seeking wastrel that the rumors in the capital say he is. Zhao Ying broke out in a cold sweat, secretly glad that she had rushed to his aid last night without hesitation, and even more glad that she was sitting here instead of kneeling below.
Sun Man's body trembled slightly as she lay on the ground. After a moment, she chuckled softly, a dry laugh carrying an almost resigned sigh: "Fifth Prince... what skill! I... was blind."
Having already torn off all pretense, Ling Wei was too lazy to feign politeness any longer. She curled her lips slightly, gave a faint, cold laugh, then her expression turned serious. She grabbed the gavel from the table and slammed it down heavily.
"Smack!"
The crisp sound echoed in the lobby, making Du Wen shudder again.
"Sun Man! Du Wen!" Ling Wei's voice suddenly turned stern. "You two ordered former Black Wind Stronghold bandits to ambush me at the old site of Xitou Village, using gunpowder to attack me, plotting treason! Do you know your crimes?!"
Sun Man raised his head, his face filled with bewilderment and shock: "Your Highness, what makes you say this? I know nothing about this matter! It must be... it must be those lawless bandits acting on their own! Although I am responsible for my oversight, I would never dare to 'instruct' them!"
Du Wen followed suit, kowtowing repeatedly, her voice trembling with tears: "Your Highness, please understand! This humble official... this humble official didn't know either! Perhaps... perhaps those people are making baseless accusations and framing me!"
Ling Wei remained noncommittal, only gesturing to the side.
Qing Shu immediately picked up a thick stack of confession documents, walked down to the hall, unfolded them in front of Sun Man and Du Wen so that they could see the dense ink marks and bright red fingerprints on them, and then quickly closed them so that they would not have time to read the contents carefully.
Ling Wei's cold voice came from above: "No need to implicate others. Your two subordinates, the three chief clerks and two officials of the Mining Supervision Bureau, along with a military advisor from the Prefectural Government, have already confessed. They admitted that they have been colluding with bandits such as Black Wind Stronghold for many years."
It was only after the trial that people realized how badly Fuling County had been damaged.
Ling Wei continued, "Xitou Village, Shitou Village... wherever there are good mineral veins exposed, they first harass the villagers under the pretext of banditry, forcing them to relocate, and then seize the mining land."
As for the underground illegal mines, rampant and unregulated mining, the imprisonment of disabled men as mine slaves, and the recruitment of most of the lower-level workers—all of them—were also involved.
She leaned forward slightly, her gaze sharp as a knife: "I'm giving you a chance. Think it over carefully before you speak. If you try to deny it again, you will be dealt with according to the Great Chen Law."
Sun Man's eyes flickered. Her subordinates had been arrested, interrogated, and forced to sign documents. What would they say?
"Attacking the princess" is a crime punishable by the extermination of three generations of the family. Aren't those fools afraid of their entire families being wiped out?
Anyone with a shred of reason should know what they can accept and what they must hold onto tightly.
Sun Man kowtowed heavily, his voice hoarse yet exceptionally clear:
"Your Highness! This old minister is innocent! This old minister and Prefect Du truly have no knowledge of such a shocking matter!"
She was gambling, gambling that Ling Wei didn't have any irrefutable evidence to prove that she ordered the attack, and gambling that her subordinates' stories would be consistent because of human nature.
Ling Wei frowned slightly, almost imperceptibly.
...This Sun Man is indeed troublesome.
Ling Wei indeed lacked direct evidence. While those individuals admitted to colluding with bandits, forcing villagers to relocate, and even tacitly acquiescing to the illegal mining operation, their accounts of the "attack on the princess" were remarkably consistent.
"The higher-ups only instructed that outsiders might be interested in the old site of Xitou Village recently, and to keep a close eye on it. If anything suspicious is found, take appropriate action."
"It was not specified who the outsider was, nor was it known that it was Her Highness the Princess."
"Upon receiving word of activity over there, we assumed it was either rivals investigating the mine as usual, or another group of bandits plotting to double-cross us, which is why we brought gunpowder with us..."
Without mentioning "Sun Man" or "Du Wen" at all, the order to attack Ling Wei was given directly.
Seeing that Ling Wei remained silent, Sun Man slowly exhaled half of the breath he had been holding in.
She made the right bet. Even those fools know the gravity of the situation. Attacking royalty is a capital crime punishable by the confiscation of property and extermination of the entire clan. Who would dare to admit it? As long as they don't admit to this crime, there's still room for maneuver in everything else.
When she looked up again, her face was now etched with deep remorse: "Your Highness! I...I am indeed guilty of negligence and indulgence! My lax management of my subordinates has emboldened them to collude with bandits and commit such heinous acts that oppress the people! I was foolish! I have failed Your Majesty's trust! I am no longer fit to be a prefect!"
She actually confessed to these crimes.
Although he shifted the blame to "his subordinates being audacious" and "lax in managing his subordinates," he did admit to it after all.
Zhao Ying listened in stunned silence. He admitted it just like that? How could Sun Man, with his shrewdness, confess so readily?
A knowing glint flashed in Ling Wei's eyes. Sun Man had no choice but to admit that although the subordinates' testimonies did not directly instruct her to attack the princess, the chain of evidence regarding "collusion between officials and bandits," "forced relocation of villagers," and "illegal mining" was already closing in, and the clues were too clear. She could not escape responsibility.
She couldn't keep her position as prefect.
But... she still wants to protect her life and the people behind her.
Sure enough, Sun Man changed the subject and became more candid: "Your Highness, regarding the incident last night that startled you, in my humble opinion, it was probably because the people below were careless in their work. They received a vague instruction to pay attention to Xitou Village and acted as usual, never expecting to offend Your Highness."
This is a grave offense of disrespect. According to the law, these bandits and the negligent officials should be severely punished. I, too, cannot escape blame and am willing to accept the punishment for my negligence.”
She cleverly shifted the focus, turning the murder of the princess into a rash and impulsive act, and the instigation into a failure to oversee under vague instructions.
The crime was instantly downgraded from heinous to serious dereliction of duty.
Ling Wei could hear the calculation in every word she said.
Sun Man's ability to exploit people's hearts and legal loopholes has reached a level of consummate skill.
From the perspective of attacking the royal family, it is indeed difficult to make a breakthrough for the time being. The other side was obviously prepared, and everyone insisted that they "did not know that His Highness the Fifth Prince was there."
After all, it was Sun Man's speculation that Ling Wei went there late at night.
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