After leaving the Marquis of Xining, he did not go anywhere else, but went directly to the prison where Shen Yuheng was being held.
Using his status as a marquis, he put others at a disadvantage, ignored the obstruction of the main person in charge of the case of Prince Sui'an, and went to jail on his own. The relevant personnel did not dare to touch him, so they had to secretly and hurriedly go to find Cao Chengye, who was in charge of criminal cases.
Marquis Xi Ning entered the prison as if it were his own back. With his hands behind his back, his steps were steady and agile, and his eyes were as fierce as weapons. The two obvious dark circles under his weathered eyes made him look murderous, like a ghost sent out from under the King of Hell to investigate a case.
He possessed an inherently ruthless and sharp aura, causing the prison guards to shun him. Many guards who were torturing prisoners would put down their whips and knives and stand obediently to the side, waiting for him to come over.
He really came here intending to take lives.
The emperor repeatedly made excuses to deny him the power to conduct a thorough investigation, which made him even more suspicious of Shen Yuheng's true identity. One of his secrets to navigating the officialdom for many years was that it was better to kill a hundred innocent people than to let one guilty person go free.
Shen Yuheng's identity is shrouded in mystery, and he cannot tolerate it.
Since the young emperor has joined forces with others to obstruct him, he will come in person. He doesn't believe that killing a mere vice minister of the Ministry of Revenue will allow the emperor to do anything to him in a court full of his connections.
With that thought in mind, Marquis Xi Ning walked into the cell where Shen Yuheng was imprisoned with his head held high.
Contrary to his expectations, he did not see any of the emperor's confidants waiting there, nor did he see any of the prison guards. Shen Yuheng was indeed properly tied to the torture stake, his head drooping, silent, as if he had already fainted.
Marquis Xi Ning's doubts wavered for a moment. He stood straight on the door frame, motionless, as if embedded in the spot.
"My lord, what brings you here? This place is filthy..." The jailer holding the whip was more eager to see him than the emperor. He bowed and scraped as he approached Marquis Xining with a fawning smile, like a dog begging for scraps.
Marquis Xi Ning did not answer, nor did he look at him. He reached out and snatched the whip from his hand.
The jailer hesitated for a moment, then quickly and eagerly handed it over. "My lord, what do you need? This place is filthy and smelly; it's not a place for you to come here. It will dirty your feet. Do you need a whip? I also have knives and scissors here; take your pick..."
Marquis Xi Ning was annoyed by his words. His mind, which had just cleared, was once again thrown into chaos by his arguing. A surge of anger rose in his heart, and he glared at him, "Shut up!"
"Yes, yes, yes, I was too talkative." The jailer, quite self-aware, slapped himself a few times and obediently followed behind him. If he had a tail, it would definitely be tucked between his legs right now.
Marquis Xi Ning pinched his brow, his mind clearing up a bit, and walked up to Chen Yuheng, who was half-conscious and half-awake.
The man before me, Chen Yuheng, had disheveled hair, with clumps of black hair scattered across his cheeks. His face was covered in dried blood, and many strands of hair were stuck to his face. His lips were pale and cracked.
His once clear and bright eyes were now bloodshot, filled with a weariness that seemed ready to shatter at any moment, and they were slightly closed. His body was covered in bloodstains, and his white prison uniform was stained with hideous bloodstains.
Marquis Xi Ning was still somewhat doubtful. He pinched the man's chin and examined him for a while, confirming that his appearance of being neither dead nor alive was real. He breathed a sigh of relief and then became excited.
The fact that Shen Yuheng was tortured to this extent shows that the young emperor doesn't care about him as much as he seems on the surface. Therefore, even if I were to use torture to kill him by my own hand today, it wouldn't be a mistake.
Thinking of this, Marquis Xi Ning tightened his grip on the whip, his knuckles cracking.
"Oh, my lord..." The jailer began to mutter again when he saw that the man was holding Shen Yuheng's chin tightly. "This prisoner is very stubborn. He won't confess even after being beaten like this. He's covered in blood. You don't want to get your hands dirty."
Marquis Xi Ning grinned, his eyes filled with a triumphant smile. "You're being stubborn, aren't you? Then I'll interrogate you today and find out the truth."
Having said that, he raised the whip in his hand, about to lash Shen Yuheng's face, but was stopped by a loud shout, "My lord, wait!"
Everyone turned around and saw Cao Chengye leading a group of officials. Cao Chengye quickly stepped forward and blocked Shen Yuheng's path.
He smiled and appeared completely harmless, but this displeased Marquis Xi Ning.
"Lord Marquis, are you not about to lay a hand on my prisoners?" Cao Chengye asked with a warm tone, but his movement to stop him was also firm. "Lord Marquis has always been sensible. Why have you suddenly come to the prison to personally interrogate my prisoners today? His Majesty heard that something was amiss in the prison and specially ordered me to come and investigate."
Marquis Xi Ning's brow twitched. "Are you trying to use the Emperor to pressure me?"
Cao Chengye quickly bowed in a flustered manner, "This humble official dares not. This humble official is merely following orders. This humble official knows that Your Excellency is considerate of your subordinates and would never make things difficult for me. Furthermore, Your Excellency has gone beyond the Emperor's decree to come to the prison to interrogate prisoners..."
Cao Chengye's voice grew softer and softer, and his eyes became unfathomable as he finished speaking, "It wouldn't sound good if word got out."
"You!" Marquis Xi Ning was so angry that he tightened his grip on the whip, wishing he could lash Cao Chengye's face.
What kind of world is this! Even a lowly official dares to stop me!
As the two confronted each other, Shen Yuheng, who had been silent all along, coughed twice, spat out a mouthful of foul blood, and said indistinctly, "My lord, I am originally from Hailan Village, a poor family. Prince Sui'an is from the capital. How can you say that I am a descendant of Xiao Pingshan? If you do not believe me, you can go to Hailan Village to investigate this matter yourself."
Marquis Xi Ning's eye twitched. He scrutinized everyone present, then slammed his whip down at Cao Chengye's feet. "Fine, you're all hindering me from helping the Emperor thoroughly investigate this case. There's plenty of time in the future. I'll play with you all slowly."
After saying this, Marquis Xining turned and walked out of the gate. Cao Chengye and the others bowed and greeted Marquis Xining's angry back, saying, "Please wait, Your Excellency."
Marquis Xi Ning was so angry that his beard twitched, the veins on his forehead bulged, and his temples burned. It took him a long time to calm down.
He couldn't swallow this insult.
Didn't Shen Yuheng say that he came from Hailan Village and was from a poor family?
Wan Suizhou had also lived in Hailan Village, but when Shen Yuheng was promoted, he denied knowing Wan Suizhou. In such a big matter, wouldn't it be a crime of deceiving the emperor if he did a little bit of work?
Framing others was one of Marquis Xining's strengths. Before noon that day, the matter of Shen Yuheng committing the crime of deceiving the emperor was brought to the emperor's attention.
Marquis Xi Ning had wanted to see the young emperor at a loss, but the emperor revealed that it was his instruction to conceal the matter from Shen Yuheng.
Despite his efforts, Marquis Xi Ning failed to glean any useful information.
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