Chapter 389 Confession
"What's your last name?"
“Ouyang, whose given name is Rong and courtesy name is Lianghan.”
Place of origin.
“Luling, Nanlong County, Ouyang family.”
"Position."
"He served as the fifth-rank Prefect of Jiangzhou and later as the seventh-rank Magistrate of Longcheng... He passed the imperial examination in the first year of the Jiushi era..."
Two voices, one asking and one answering, echoed in the empty hall.
Ouyang Rong was not wearing official robes. He stood in the hall with his hands behind his back, calmly replying and answering fluently.
After a series of questions and answers.
The familiar voice from directly above the lobby paused slightly before asking the crucial question:
"Ouyang Lianghan, at the West Gate, you publicly executed the former army commander Zhu Lingxu. Was it intentional or accidental?"
Ouyang Rong affirmed, "It was intentional."
"Alright, since you say it was an accident, how can you prove it... Wait, what did you say!" The person at the head of the table who had asked the question wondered if he had misheard.
“It was intentional.” Ouyang Rong nodded and said bluntly, “With the expedition imminent, the commander fled out of fear of punishment, attempting to deceive the city's defenses, and even dared to attack and kill the guards. This is intolerable under city rules and military law. He must be killed without mercy. If it happens again, I will draw my sword again. Beheading him was intentional.”
"This... Brother Lianghan, what you're saying..."
At the head of the main hall, Yuan Huaimin, the Jiangzhou Sima in charge of the interrogation, couldn't help but look troubled and mutter to himself.
The clerk next to him, who was responsible for recording the statement, paused, glanced at Yuan Sima, and asked for instructions with his eyes whether this statement should be recorded.
Yuan Huaimin, who had been brought in today to conduct the interrogation at the last minute, was also feeling a bit of a headache. He glanced around furtively, and taking advantage of the absence of the cold, palace-dressed girl, he cautiously said:
“Brother Lianghan, that’s not quite right. While we’re going through the proper procedures, the confession is still very important. Generally, a crime is determined by the confession, so the confession is the most crucial thing… Or… Or should I ask you again?”
Ouyang Rong glanced at Yuan Da Sima, who was dressed in an official hat and looked quite imposing today.
"Cough cough."
Yuan Huaimin cleared his throat, then his expression turned serious, and he spoke again in a loud voice that echoed throughout the hall:
"Ouyang Lianghan, let me ask you this: at the West Gate, when you publicly executed the former army commander Zhu Lingxu, was it intentional or accidental?"
"Intentional."
"..." Yuan Huaimin, Secretary.
Ouyang Rong knew that Yuan Huaimin meant well, so he nodded to his friend and then shook his head.
Yuan Huaimin sighed helplessly, "Why is he so stubborn?"
"What a deliberate act."
A cold voice came from outside the hall. Rong Zhenlong walked into the hall and said expressionlessly:
"remember."
Yuan Huaimin quickly straightened his posture, keeping his eyes fixed straight ahead.
The clerk immediately became serious and wrote down all the statements.
Ouyang Rong remained calm.
The girl in palace attire walked past Ouyang Rong in the center of the hall without glancing to either side, walked to the head of the table, stood next to Yuan Huaimin's desk, turned around, and looked down at Ouyang Rong with a cold expression.
Inside the lobby, the atmosphere froze, and for a moment, no one spoke.
Ouyang Rong increasingly felt that this cold, aloof woman was like a refrigerator, cooling down wherever she went.
"cough."
Yuan Huaimin clenched his fist, covered his mouth, coughed, and asked seriously:
"Your Excellency, has Governor Wang finished his interrogation and taken the statements?"
Rong Zhen ignored her and took the clerk's statement file. Her eyelashes were lowered as she quickly scanned it.
Yuan Huaimin has a thick skin and isn't embarrassed at all.
It is now the middle of the night.
A day and midnight had passed since Zhu Yuheng led the vanguard troops in their defection;
Five hours have passed since Zhu Lingxu was executed by Ouyang Rong at the city gate.
Xunyang City is currently in a state of emergency preparedness.
Every household was ordered to close their doors and not to go out at will. The streets were patrolled by teams of soldiers, led by female officials and palace maids.
A strict ban is in effect throughout the city.
Zhu Lingxu's trusted generals have all been taken into custody.
The generals of the vanguard camp outside the city had their fish tallies confiscated by the supervising envoy Rong Zhen, who held the emperor's "expedient authority" order. Without the help of this petite and slender palace maid, the entire camp could not be mobilized for the time being.
The same applies to the main hall of Jiangzhou.
Rongzhen and other female officials took direct control.
Ouyang Rong, Wang Lengran, and other officials involved in the incident at the Jiangzhou Grand Hall have been temporarily dismissed and ordered to hand over their official seals.
They were required to undergo round-the-clock interrogation by the prefectural criminal investigator and the resident imperial censor, and to provide statements regarding the defection of the vanguard and the escape of Zhu Lingxu out of fear of punishment.
Only after clearing themselves of suspicion can they be released.
Even though it was past midnight, the main hall of Jiangzhou was still brightly lit, with officials of all ranks present, working overtime in misery.
The remains of Zhu Lingxu, separated from his body, head, and arms, were haphazardly pieced together and placed in the open courtyard, covered with a white cloth.
The main hall was surrounded and guarded by a large number of soldiers.
Until the incident is thoroughly investigated and a definitive conclusion is reached, not even a mosquito can escape.
Not only the brightly lit Jiangzhou Hall, but also the quiet and unassuming Xunyang Prince's Mansion in Chaisangfang in the north of the city, and the Xunyang Ferry Wharf on the south bank of the river under strict curfew, countless people in the entire Xunyang city are suffering from insomnia tonight.
However, the way this sudden situation is handled also gives a general idea of the extent to which Empress Wei, who is acting as the referee in Luoyang, has control over Xunyang City, which is thousands of miles away.
On the night Guo Yu and Meng Shouguang falsely conveyed news from the Prince of Xunyang's residence, if Ouyang Rong and Li Xian's family had dared to leave the residence...
Like Zhu Lingxu, being beheaded at the city gate was probably the only fate left for them, without even room for explanation.
And tonight, the situation of being completely controlled and strictly prohibited by female officials will not be absent.
This is the cruelty of political struggle: it doesn't value the process, only the result, and the established facts.
As for the process, as long as you don't leave any loopholes and give people the opportunity to weigh and weigh things, that's fine.
That is, the game rules that Li Guo'er lamented in front of the ruins of Juxian Garden that night.
However, right now, this overwhelming "treatment" has fallen on the heads of Wei's henchmen, such as Zhu Lingxu and Wang Lengran.
Ouyang Rong pursed his lips, his gaze shifting from the white-clothed corpse of Zhu Lingxu, whose eyes remained wide open in death, in the courtyard outside the door behind him.
He happened to meet Rongzhen's gaze as she saw the confession.
The two looked at each other.
She asked coldly:
"I told you to put down your sword, are you deaf?"
"I heard it, but I'm not familiar with Lady Historian, so I didn't recognize her."
Ouyang Rong nodded and praised, "However, Lady Historian's shout was indeed a bit frightening. My hand trembled a little when I executed the criminal. Fortunately, the sword was still sharp enough to fulfill my duty as an official."
"So, you're quite proud of yourself?"
"I wouldn't dare." He paused, then said sincerely, "There's still room for improvement; I must guard against arrogance and impetuosity."
Rongzhen wasn't there to argue, and too lazy to fight, she simply took out a "heavy" red cloth and threw it on the table.
Everyone looked inside and saw that it contained the fragments of Chen You's short sword, which had been broken into four pieces.
The girl in palace attire pointed at the broken sword and asked indifferently:
"Zhu Lingxu snatched Chen You's sword and attacked you, but what is the meaning of this sword's condition?"
"That's a good question."
Ouyang Rong smiled:
"Does Your Excellency blame me for having a stiff neck, or for the sword not being sharp enough to cut my neck? Well, whatever you blame, you're probably not blaming Steward Zhu for the attack, but rather for my stubbornness."
"It's not good to bring personal likes and dislikes into the trial."
"I neither like nor dislike it," Rong Zhen said coldly. "I won't help anyone."
You don't help anyone, and you give everyone the cold shoulder.
Ouyang Rong nodded: "This sword belongs to Military Advisor Chen. Your Excellency has surely already read his statement, so why ask me again?"
Rong Zhen frowned slightly:
"He confessed that the sword was a blessed sword he obtained from Donglin Temple, and he usually used it as an ornament and amulet. However, he said that you recommended the temple on a whim."
Ouyang Rongcheng nodded:
"That's right. I once stayed at Donglin Temple when I was sick, so I am familiar with it and would recommend it first."
"However, the Peace Sword is meant to bring peace and kindness, so it's normal that it can't kill people."
He nodded seriously.
Rong Zhen remained expressionless.
Ouyang Rong coughed:
"Alright, the reason why this sword is of such poor quality must be related to Donglin Temple, which was responsible for consecrating it. By the way, Abbot Dahui of Donglin Temple is in the city. Please make yourself at home, Madam."
He reminded him.
Rong Zhen squinted at Ouyang Rong.
She was in charge of interrogating Chen You and found no evidence of lying. She also questioned the Venerable Master Shandao, but this old monk was a master of deception, even more adept than Ouyang Lianghan.
I got onto the Zen concept of "dependent origination and emptiness" with her, saying that the Buddha's sword kills... and that saving people requires a karmic connection.
This highly virtuous monk even tried to sell her his services of finding a spouse and having children.
Rongzhen was already being very lenient by not demolishing his dilapidated temple.
After all, he was a high-ranking monk appointed by His Majesty to protect the country, and his involvement was also related to the construction of the Donglin Buddha. Rongzhen could not use special means to force him to reveal the truth.
Therefore, it is difficult to prove that he received instructions from Ouyang Rong.
But then I thought, even if this "Peaceful" short sword was a foreshadowing deliberately set by Ouyang Lianghan, what does it prove?
At most, this shows that Ouyang Lianghan harbored hostility towards Zhu Lingxu, was always on guard, and even used entrapment to take advantage of the situation to behead him.
However, the fact that the two were enemies was common knowledge among everyone.
Zhu Lingxu is still a fugitive to evade punishment, and is still suspected of storming the city gate guards; this is something he can never clear his name of.
Thinking of this, Rong Zhen lost interest in wasting any more time with the two foxes, one big and one small.
The most important thing right now is to find out the truth about Zhu Lingxu's eldest son leading the vanguard army to defect. This is the real source of the earthquake, and the Great Zhou court in Luoyang will surely be shaken to its core.
Rongzhen pursed her lips.
At present, Zhu Yuheng has fled to Hongzhou City and sought refuge with Cai Qin.
Rongzhen couldn't find him to interrogate him about the reasons for his defection.
Besides, they've already defected, so why bother asking why? They've already committed a capital offense and deserve to be killed without mercy.
As for Zhu Lingxu, he's dead, and his escape from justice has been confirmed. What else can be said?
Moreover, the fact that such a seasoned veteran chose to flee shows that he was either guilty or knew he couldn't defend himself and had no choice but to flee.
So even if he survives, the protection of Wang Lengran and the other members of the Wei clan is only to make him a scapegoat for the Wei clan during court intrigues. His fate might not be better than being beheaded at the city gate; he might even end up committing suicide in prison after being stabbed three times in the back.
On the other side where Rong Zhen had just arrived, Persian merchant Li Li, Jiangzhou governor Wang Lengran, and others, during their interrogation, insisted that it was Ouyang Lianghan's conspiracy.
As for the reason, they couldn't come up with anything. In their desperation, some even said that only Ouyang Lianghan could do such a thing. It's unclear whether this was a compliment or an insult.
Therefore, this pile of testimonies seems more like a counterattack.
Rongzhen suddenly asked, "The day before Zhu Lingxu died, you took a day off. Where did you go?"
Ouyang Rong frowned: "You're asking about such a private matter?"
"Could you be any more outrageous?" Rong Zhen nodded, his cold eyes like knives.
A strand of hair fell from Ouyang Rong's temple. He raised an eyebrow slightly, deciding that a good man doesn't fight with a woman, and would temporarily submit to her tyranny.
"Very well, I am at the Prince of Xunyang's residence. The young master invited me to appreciate the zither music at the newly renovated Juxian Garden, where he has set up a banquet and said we shall not leave until we are drunk..."
"So I stayed for one day and two nights."
Ouyang Rong smiled sheepishly.
Are there any witnesses?
Ouyang Rong thought for a moment and said, "That day, quite a few people must have seen me enter the Prince's mansion and never come out again. Lady Historian, you can go and ask you about it."
"good."
Rong Zhen snorted coldly, walked out of the hall, and left behind a sentence.
"continue."
Ouyang Rong watched her leave.
Yuan Huaimin breathed a sigh of relief and then continued to interrogate Ouyang Rong.
Subsequently, a new batch of censors came to take over the interrogation.
The night passed quickly.
Early in the morning, Rongzhen went to the Xunyang Prince's Mansion to inquire about the Crown Prince Li Dalang and others.
The result was positive; in fact, many maids even saw Ouyang Lianghan's red-clad figure playing the zither in the pavilion when they passed by Juxian Garden.
However, due to privacy reasons, the maids could not get close and could only watch the red figure from afar. It was Princess Wei Mei and Little Princess Li Guo'er who personally delivered the tea and snacks.
Both mother and daughter testified for Ouyang Rong.
Rongzhen remained silent.
For the next two days, the entire city of Xunyang fell into a deathly silence.
News of Qianfeng's defection and Zhu Lingxu's escape and execution by the guards has reached Luoyang. We are currently in a window of opportunity, and Luoyang's response has not yet been received.
At the same time, Rongzhen and other female officials also submitted the entire account of the incident and the statements of the officials involved.
Everyone in Xunyang City was quietly waiting for Luoyang's reaction.
Everyone knows that the real storm is brewing over there.
Just as people were filled with anxiety, Li Xian, the pacification ambassador of Jiangnan and the Prince of Xunyang, personally went out to the main hall of Jiangzhou to have a private chat with Rong Zhen and other female officials.
Nobody knows what they talked about.
However, the lockdown on Jiangzhou Hall was lifted that afternoon.
The gate slowly opened, and the officials, still shaken, rushed out to go home for the time being.
However, they were still ordered not to leave Xunyang City even a step.
After all, it is a state of war, and there is still the formidable enemy Cai Qin of Hongzhou. Xunyang City cannot remain inactive for too long.
In particular, Ouyang Rong, the Prefect of Jiangzhou, was also in charge of the construction of the Jiangzhou Buddha.
Perhaps that's why Rongzhen relented.
As a result, order was largely restored in Xunyang City, and things returned to normal.
However, until instructions came from Luoyang, the situation remained outwardly relaxed but inwardly tense.
As the sun set at dusk, Ouyang Rong walked out of the main hall of Jiangzhou and boarded a waiting carriage.
Inside the carriage, Xie Lingjiang was dressed in plain white men's clothing and sword attire, a far cry from the red robes she wore the day Ouyang Rong took leave. Looking at Ouyang Rong's bloodshot eyes, she couldn't help but touch the back of his cold hand.
"Is Senior Brother alright? Have a sip..." He handed over some ginger soup.
Ouyang Rong shook his head. He was interrogated continuously by the censor and the old criminal investigator. Even though his status as the Prefect of Jiangzhou prevented them from using torture to coerce him, it was still very mentally exhausting. They were all experts in investigation. Ouyang Rong kept his nerves on edge, not telling the whole truth, but not telling any lies at all.
Once inside the carriage, he first instructed Yan Liulang outside: "Keep an eye on Li Li and Wang Lengran. If they show any signs of leaving the city, report it immediately."
Xie Lingjiang suddenly asked:
"Eighth rank?"
Ouyang Rong nodded and took a sip of ginger soup.
He felt the mythical spirituality flowing through his body, just like the warm current of ginger soup flowing down his throat:
“A ninth-rank scholar from humble origins, an eighth-rank craftsman…”
Xie Lingjiang didn't speak, but took out a handkerchief from her sleeve.
The beautiful woman leaned forward and gently wiped the tired yet resolute face of the young man who had been promoted to a "craftsman" swordsman.
The carriage swayed and rocked, but the two were of one mind, their understanding unspoken.
(End of this chapter)
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