Chapter 126 The person who most wants these people to be executed along with their entire families…
Inside the study of the Minister of Justice's residence.
Wang Yongnian slumped in his chair, his mind filled with the flaws Pei Zhiwei had pointed out in court during the day, as well as the doubts and discussions of the people.
He picked up the teacup on the table, just about to bring it to his lips.
"Sir, the prison... they say there's a fire at the prison!"
In his panic, the steward tripped over the hem of his brocade robe as he stepped over the threshold of the study, and almost rushed to the desk.
Wang Yongnian shuddered, and the scalding tea spilled out of the cup, landing entirely on his hand.
"Hiss..." He gasped, and without thinking, slammed the cup back onto the table.
The porcelain cup collided with the table with a loud "clang," spilling water everywhere.
The color drained from his face instantly, turning him deathly pale, and his lips twitched uncontrollably.
Suddenly, he swept his arms across the desk in front of him.
The inkstone and writing implements on the table were swept to the ground. The inkstone shattered into pieces, and ink splattered all over the floor.
How dare they?!
That's the Ministry of Justice's prison! It's a lawless place right under the emperor's nose!
How dare they set fire to it? How could they...?
He kept repeating, "How could I dare?"
He then felt as if someone was choking him. He opened his mouth wide and gasped for air greedily. The cold air rushed into his lungs, but it couldn't dispel the suffocation and fear in his chest. The veins on his forehead throbbed.
During his years in charge of the Ministry of Justice, he had seen many dark and treacherous things, but he never imagined that anyone would be so audacious as to burn down the prison to silence witnesses.
What alarmed him even more was that these people were actually his own people.
They completely disregarded his position as Minister of Justice!
The trusted aide knelt on the ground, his voice trembling but still trying to comfort him: "Master, please calm down."
Pei Lin is now under the sole guard of the Imperial Guards, with layers of security, and no one below can get close to his cell.
Judging from the fire... this fire was a last resort, they had no choice but to set it on fire!
Only by creating chaos can one take advantage of the confusion to make a move; otherwise, there is absolutely no chance.
Wang Yongnian slumped back into his chair, closed his eyes tightly, looked up, and let out a long sigh.
It was as if he was trying to exhale his entire internal organs, filled with exhaustion and despair.
"It's come to this, so be it... so be it..."
Whether this succeeds or not, my tenure as Minister of Justice is now over.
I just hope they can do better this time and avoid any more mistakes.
Otherwise, we will all perish with them!
He slowly opened his eyes, his gaze filled with a murky, lifeless stillness. "Have the people on the other side been taken care of?"
The confidant pressed his forehead against the cold floor tiles: "Reporting to the master, the patriarch said that all the elites have been mobilized, and each of them is prepared to die, hoping only to kill Cui Yanwu."
Wang Yongnian didn't speak again, closed his eyes, and gently waved his hand, signaling his confidant to step back.
Only his hunched figure remained in the study, motionless.
The night was as dark as ink, enveloping the entire capital city.
The orange-red flames above the Ministry of Justice prison burned for a full two hours before being extinguished by the arriving officers and constables.
Inside the main hall of Prince Rui's mansion, Xie Ji sat with his legs crossed, leisurely holding a cup of hot tea, taking sips from time to time.
Pei Zhiwei sat opposite him, her gaze fixed on the man in black who was being held down by two guards.
He was dressed in black, his hands were tied behind his back, but he still kept his back straight, staring intently at the ground, his teeth clenched, and he didn't say a word.
"Ding Jin, you're not actually from the Zhang family?" Pei Zhiwei's voice broke the silence in the hall.
"We were prejudiced from the start, assuming that since you first went to Yangdu to seek refuge with Zhang Xuren and were later taken away by Zhang Qifeng's men, you must be a henchman of the Zhang family."
Ding Jin's shoulders trembled almost imperceptibly, but he kept his head down, like a lifeless stone.
Xiao Yunzhan sat in the main seat, his fingers unconsciously twirling the black jade thumb ring on his thumb.
"Ding Jin, this is the Prince Rui's residence, not a place where just anyone can run wild." His tone was calm, revealing neither joy nor anger.
"If you still think that the Wang family can come and rescue you, I advise you to give up on that idea as soon as possible."
Even if you're hoping they'll come and give you a quick death, forget about it.
Ding Jin slowly raised his head, his eyes bloodshot, and looked straight at Xiao Yunzhan.
After a moment of eye contact, Xiao Yunzhan continued, "I have always had limited patience."
This trip south to investigate the case would not have been so troublesome if it weren't for Lord Pei's insistence on solid evidence.
Now that Lord Pei is imprisoned, my patience is almost worn out.
"So, whether you say it or not is irrelevant to me." His voice turned colder.
"In my opinion, even if you give someone a dose of a mute drug, gouge out their eyes, and chop off their hands and feet, they can still be a witness. But you're lucky, Madam Pei is here today."
He turned to look at Pei Zhiwei, "She has inherited Lord Pei's temperament, always needing clear and unambiguous evidence for everything."
For her sake, I'll give you one night to think it over.
If you want to talk, then write a statement. If you don't want to talk, that's fine too; I have plenty of ways to make you 'open your mouth'.
After saying that, he winked at Li Rong, who was standing to the side.
Li Rong stepped forward, helped Ding Jin up, and started to walk him out.
Just as Ding Jin was about to step out of the main hall, Pei Zhiwei suddenly spoke up: "Do you know that Jiang Yong's entire family was brutally murdered?"
Ding Jin suddenly stopped, as if he had been nailed to the spot.
He turned around abruptly, his eyes filled with disbelief, his voice hoarse as if mixed with sand: "Torture?"
"You don't know?" Pei Zhiwei asked slowly, looking at his suddenly pale face.
"In order to get information about your whereabouts from them, Zhang Mo sent people to lock the family of three in an ice cellar and torture them in every way possible, until none of them survived."
Ding Jin suddenly broke free from Li Rong's grip, staggered back into the hall, and forced a mocking smile onto his face, a smile more unsightly than a grimace.
"I know Jiang Yong is dead, but his wife and children are clearly safe and sound in the Wang family right now!"
"Are you trying to lie to me?"
Xiao Yunzhan chuckled, his fingers stopping turning the ring: "Is that what the Wang family told you?"
He looked at the veins bulging on Ding Jin's forehead from clenching his teeth, his tone tinged with pity.
"I personally discovered the bodies of the family of three."
If you don't believe me, I can have someone retrieve their autopsy records for you to see, but the journey from Suzhou to the capital is long and will take some time.
Ding Jin gritted his teeth, his jaw clenched, and after a long while, he suddenly burst into laughter as if he had gone mad. His laughter was shrill and echoed in the quiet night sky.
At the end of his laughter, he suddenly stopped, his chest heaving violently, the bloodshot veins in his eyes growing thicker, and his face contorted in a ferocious grimace: "Good! Very good!"
"Not only am I a member of the Wang family, but the entire Taihu Gang is actually owned by the Wang family!" He laughed even more wildly as he looked at the surprised expressions on Pei Zhiwei and Xie Ji's faces.
"Look, I dare to say it, do you dare to believe me?"
Xiao Yunzhan's face remained expressionless as he calmly asked, "Why don't you believe me?"
The Wang family deceived you, using your only son to control you, but that child had already been tortured to death.
Isn't it normal for you to turn against me?
Pei Zhiwei and Xie Ji both turned to look at Xiao Yunzhan, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Jiang Yong's son is actually Ding Jin's?
Ding Jin's pupils suddenly contracted, as if struck by lightning. He staggered and took another step, pointing at Xiao Yunzhan and asking incoherently, "You're not lying to me."
And you actually knew all along?
How do you know he's my only son?
“I didn’t know before you came in,” Xiao Yunzhan said frankly.
"But when you said that Jiang Yong's wife and children were with the Wang family, I guessed it."
Who are you? You managed to slip away unnoticed from the canals of Suzhou City; you are meticulous and ruthless.
Jiang Yong was your cousin. You showed no emotion whatsoever when his death was mentioned, yet you only care about his wife and children. This is illogical.
He paused, then continued, "Thinking back further, that child's features do indeed resemble yours more."
You've been taking Hanshisan (a traditional Chinese medicine) for years, and the dosage has only increased, which has already damaged your health. You'll never be able to have children again in this lifetime.
Therefore, Jiang Yong's son is naturally your only hope.
These are actually not hard to guess.
Ding Jin stared with bloodshot eyes, then suddenly burst into laughter, laughing so hard that tears streamed down his face, washing away the black mud and leaving two clear tear tracks.
"Fine! I've done so many despicable things in my life that have led to my extinction, I'm not afraid of actually being childless!"
He spat out through gritted teeth, "But those who reap the benefits behind the scenes shouldn't even think about having a house full of children and grandchildren!"
A relieved smile appeared on Xiao Yunzhan's face: "You've finally figured it out."
"Don't worry, as long as you confess everything you know, with me here, not a single one of these people, including the Wang family, will escape."
"Okay!" Ding Jin nodded emphatically, the madness in his eyes gradually fading, leaving only cold hatred.
"I will trust Your Highness this once, I only ask that Your Highness not break your promise."
"You should know all the misfortunes I suffered on this trip south, except for the brutal murder of Jiang Yong's family," Xiao Yunzhan said with a hint of self-deprecation.
"As a king, when have I ever suffered such injustice in my life?"
"Right now, in the entire Great Liang, the one who most wants these people and their entire families executed is probably myself."
As soon as Xiao Yunzhan finished speaking, Xie Ji nodded subconsciously, put down his teacup, and said, "I know his temper best; he definitely didn't lie!"
Xiao Yunzhan looked at Ding Jin: "Go back and think it over carefully. Write down everything you know, down in detail, and give it to me."
Don't miss any detail, even the smallest things you might think are insignificant; write them all down, don't leave out a single one.
Ding Jin didn't say anything more, but just nodded emphatically.
Li Rong stepped forward. This time, he did not resist and allowed the guards to support him as they walked out of the main hall.
Watching Ding Jin's figure disappear into the night, Pei Zhiwei turned around and looked at Xiao Yunzhan: "How did you come up with the idea that they would attack my father again tonight?"
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