Tongue extraction
The Dali Temple Minister wiped the cold sweat from his head and left the prison. When he reached the iron gate, he saw Baili Hongyuan standing in the dark corridor waiting for him with his hand on his sword.
He walked over weakly, knelt down and said, "Master, I have done as you instructed. Please spare the lives of my entire family. I really don't know what the Marquis of Xichang did in collusion with foreign nations. I have confessed everything I did for him..."
Baili Hongyuan winked at Xin Chen, and someone immediately came up and took the Dali Temple Minister away.
"Go to Fuyuan Escort Agency!"
The Supervisory Office soldiers quickly assembled and surrounded the Fuyuan Escort Agency, but it was deserted. Judging from the signs at the scene, it seemed that there had been a fight rather than an escape.
This is because someone got the upper hand.
Baili Hongyuan was a little angry. He looked around and found half of a broken knife in the gap of a ditch.
It’s the sword of the Jinwu Guard!
He sternly asked his subordinates: "Where is Duan Zheng?"
Duan Zheng is currently treating a knife wound at Yuan's Clinic.
His forearm was cut, the wound went deep into the bone, and the injury was very serious.
Yuan Zhi and Sixi took out needles and gauze to quickly treat the injury. The long silver needle pierced into the flesh without Duan Zheng even blinking.
He stared at Qin Yousi who was drinking tea beside him without blinking.
After the simple processing was completed, Qin Yousi asked in a cold voice: "What is it that the prince wants to see me today?"
Duan Zheng said: "I arrested several people from Xizhu and found evidence that they were colluding with my father."
Qin Yousi looked up at him and said, "Sir, are you going to sacrifice your own family for the sake of justice? Turn right when you exit Bailu Terrace, it's not here."
Duan Zheng thought the little girl didn't understand, so he explained, "My father has been abandoned by the emperor. Even without the things I have, the special envoys can still find out that he committed serious crimes such as slaughtering innocent people and abusing military power. However, only by proving that he colluded with Xizhu can we question the authenticity of the Qin family's treason and force the emperor to reiterate the Qin family's case."
"The prince is telling me all this just to negotiate terms with me. You might as well say it directly." Qin Yousi thought about what Duan Zheng wanted to do.
"I'll hand over the evidence, but you have to come with me."
Qin Yousi laughed and said, "Master Duan, you are ridiculous! If you say you are heartless to my second sister, you killed your own wife for her and even sued your own father; if you say you are affectionate, you are determined to have me just because I look like her. I advise you to give up this idea as soon as possible. There is no way I will go with you. It doesn't matter whether you hand over the evidence or not. I just want Duan Weiming dead!"
Just as Qin Yousi had said to Baili Hongyuan earlier, Qin Yousi didn't care whether he could clear his name or not, nor did he care about those people in the Qin family who died.
Duan Zheng stood up anxiously and yelled, "You know nothing! You'll die if you continue like this!"
Qin Yousi looked at him coldly: "How do you know that I know nothing, my prince? You just want to say that the Qin family's hatred, if traced back to your family, doesn't originate, right? Why are you so anxious? Everyone will get their turn one by one."
Duan Zheng was stunned and muttered, "You... actually knew!"
Duan Zheng will never forget the beginning of spring five years ago. That was the first time he, as a Jinwu Guard, had to escort Emperor Sheng out of the palace to offer sacrifices.
He put on brand new armor and held a sharp sword, and went to his father's study to ask him for advice on defense along the way.
The study in the Marquis's mansion was usually heavily guarded, with only he and his father allowed in and out. But today, no one was on duty. Just as he was wondering why, Duan Zheng overheard a private conversation between his father, Duan Weiming, and Sang Qichang...
"Your Majesty's intentions are very clear. He has a deep hatred for the Qin family. If we continue to be tied to the Qin family, we will all be doomed! Now Your Majesty has given me a chance. As long as I can remove this thorn in his side, the military power of the 200,000-man army in the northwest will be fully vested in me. Brother Sang, you must not hesitate any longer!"
Duan Zheng felt dizzy after hearing these words.
Sang Qichang in the study was also confused. After a long pause, Sang Qichang finally said, "That's easy to say. The Qin family has been established for a hundred years and has a strict family tradition. What major mistakes can be found? Even if servants cause trouble, relatives embezzle, or a misdiagnosis kills a person, it can't completely shake such a clan! Once they revive, our reputation will be completely destroyed and we will have no place to stand!"
Duan Weiming said coldly: "Then find some serious crimes that will exterminate the entire clan!"
"You're crazy!" Sang Qichang almost shouted.
Duan Weiming said, "It's not that I'm crazy, but if we don't do it, someone else will do it, and then it will be our entire clan who will die!"
Sang Qichang whispered, "My Lord, why did the Emperor do such a cruel thing? You can't hide such a serious matter from me."
Duan Weiming waved his hand: "I don't know, Brother Sang, don't ask. If you ask too much, don't blame the emperor for abandoning you."
Sang Qichang hesitated again and again and asked, "Is there really no chance of turning things around?"
Duan Weiming said seriously, "Why would I tell you this unless it was absolutely necessary? And, Brother Sang, don't blame me. If you don't agree to this matter today, don't even think about leaving my mansion. You have to understand me. The emperor treated me the same way back then."
There was complete silence in the study.
Duan Zheng fled away in a daze, feeling helpless for a moment.
He has been reading books of sages since he was young. Even though he has no intention of becoming a perfect person, how could he not know what is right and wrong!
But the one who gave the order was his father, the king, and the one who plotted to wrongfully exterminate the entire family was his own father!
The emperor's order, his father's order and his conscience pulled him madly. He watched helplessly as his father begged Qin Taiyi to join the army to help on the grounds that there was a cattle and horse plague in the western border, and watched helplessly as the case of treason was fabricated.
He kept telling himself that as a son and a subject, there was nothing wrong in obeying his father's and king's orders!
Even though he felt guilty towards his fiancée, once the dust settled, he would definitely find a way to rescue her, hide her, and treat her well for the rest of his life.
But just as he waited and watched, all the Qin family members he knew died.
He regrets it every day, but if he were to go back to the past, he wouldn't know what he would do.
It's time, it's fate. This is what he has said most often in his heart over the years.
He had already accepted his fate, but the appearance of Sang Youzhi made his heart waver.
He couldn't bear to see a girl who looked so similar to Qin Yousi jumping into the fire pit of revenge like a moth to a flame.
Qin Yousi's cold words awakened Duan Zheng from his inner demons.
Duan Zheng shouted, "You are courting death! The Duan and Sang families have already paid for the Qin family's lives. Stop it, follow me, and I will take you out of the capital!"
After saying that, he excitedly wanted to reach out and grab Qin Yousi.
Gu Wu had been in the dark the whole time. She took decisive action and slapped Duan Zheng away with her palm.
Duan Zheng was injured and fell to the ground, just as Baili Hongyuan and his men arrived.
Seeing this, Baili Hongyuan dismissed his men and walked into the clinic alone.
Qin Yousi lowered his eyelashes and looked at Duan Zheng: "Master Duan, don't talk about overturning the Qin family's verdict. Your father's ambition has expanded so much that even Shengguo can't contain it. Whether or not to hand over the evidence is up to you. I advise you to use this evidence to buy a chance to live."
Duan Zheng was taken away by Baili Hongyuan's men, and Qin Yousi felt a little disappointed for a moment.
Duan Zheng was once a famous talent in the capital, proficient in both civil and military affairs. However, he has been passive in his official career and has been doing nothing in recent years. It turns out that he has long been aware of the evil deeds he has done and feels guilty about it.
"You don't plan to take his life." Baili Hongyuan asked.
Qin Yousi nodded. Duan Zheng had never harmed the Qin family. The destruction of the family was enough to punish him for his inaction.
Baili Hongyuan saw that she was in a bad mood, but he didn't know whether it was because of Duan Zheng or the Qin family, and he didn't know how to comfort her for a while.
He also didn't have much time. If the spy in Xizhu was caught, it would definitely alert the enemy, and he still had a lot of things to do.
After giving Gu Wu a look of entrustment, he rode his horse towards Bailu Terrace.
At the end of September, the autumn wind becomes stronger.
The Dali Temple Prison was stormed on a rainstorm night and many prisoners escaped. Fortunately, those convicted of serious crimes had already been transferred to the prison in Bailu Terrace, so no major disaster occurred.
Faced with the heavy evidence from the three-court trial and the Xizhu assassins who came to break into the prison, Emperor Sheng had to stamp the imperial seal on the document to execute the Marquis of Xichang.
He was also unwilling to accept it. Why would the important official whom he promoted, supported and relied on collude with the enemy country and betray him?
Under Baili Hongyuan's arrangement, Emperor Sheng came to the prison in disguise and asked Duan Weiming this question.
At this time, Duan Weiming was tortured severely by the Supervisory Office, and his body was covered with bruises and blood.
He laughed hoarsely, "Even the Qin family could be exterminated by you, how can I, Duan Weiming, dare to rely on the emperor's grace! Liu Mian, you are a tyrant! I am watching from the underworld to see how the history books write about you! Hahahaha..."
Emperor Sheng's fingers trembled with anger: "Pull out his tongue for me! Pull it out!"
The eunuch Qu Gonggong took the copper pliers from the jailer and ordered two men to hold Duan Weiming's shoulders. With a violent scream, a mass of flesh was pulled out.
Scarlet blood gushed out of Duan Weiming's mouth. His limbs were hung by chains, dangling limply in the air.
Baili Hongyuan took a deep look at Eunuch Qu who was carrying out the execution. He had no intention of leaving anyone alive with this method of execution.
Emperor Sheng was frightened and staggered back. Even though he was several feet away, he was splashed with dirty blood.
At this time, the lights in the cabinet's meeting room were still on, and several cabinet elders were discussing with serious expressions whether the Qin family's treason case should be retried.
When the special envoys went to the western border to investigate the case of Marquis Xichang, there was enough witnesses to show that Qin Taiyi had not been brought to trial before he was beheaded. All the files and evidence were missing, and Marquis Xichang just brushed them off by saying that they were burned in the war.
Prime Minister Su sat at the head of the table, looking old and frail, but his eyes were clear. "If this case is to be retried, we must start with the Marquis of Xichang. He has been sentenced to death in the autumn, with no chance of survival. How could he confess under these circumstances?"
Prince Bao said, "Whether or not a trial results in a conclusion is one thing; whether or not we conduct the trial is another. Lord Su, I heard from the special envoy who returned from the investigation that the people of the northwest are deeply resentful of the Marquis of Xichang's crimes. If we continue to turn a blind eye, where will the court's prestige be? Where will the people's hearts be?"
Prime Minister Su opened his eyes slightly, nodded, and said in a tai chi manner, "Prince Bao's words make sense, but don't forget that the Qin family's treason case is closely related to the case of Concubine Shu poisoning the imperial heir. Are you going to overturn this case as well?"
The Empress Dowager personally presided over the case of Concubine Shu poisoning the royal heir. An important piece of evidence that helped to determine the case was a poison that had been passed down from Xizhu.
Because Imperial Physician Qin was believed to have connections with the Xizhu State, the poison was framed on Concubine Qin.
For a moment, the council hall fell silent.
Two dull knocks on the door seemed particularly deafening at this moment. Everyone looked towards the door and saw a young eunuch standing beside the emperor.
"My Lords, Your Majesty, mindful of the bond between ruler and subject, went to the prison to bid farewell to Marquis Xichang. Unexpectedly, the Marquis Xichang spoke rudely and defiantly to the Emperor. Eunuch Qu, in an attempt to punish him, accidentally caused the Marquis Xichang to bleed to death. Your Majesty has already punished Eunuch Qu, but this matter is of grave importance. Your Majesty has instructed me to report this matter to all of you overnight."
After he finished speaking, no one responded.
The young eunuch secretly looked up to observe the Prime Minister Su's expression, and when he saw him waving his hand, he ran away quickly.
After a long while, Prince Bao stood up and said, "It's late, let's go."
Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. This was a good "mistake" that actually solved one of their problems.
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