Xu Jing ignored Yang Zhiming's hysterical shouting and said to the child in a friendly manner, "My dear, do you know where your father's money comes from?"
The child was more honest. "These were all given by Fatty Uncle."
"Which fat uncle?"
The child thought for a long time and shook his head. "No, I don't know."
"Come here, bring pen, ink, paper and inkstone."
The soldiers split off into two groups, and Xu Jing sat at his desk, writing furiously. Soon, he had finished a portrait of a human face. "Is it him?"
Yang Xiaobao shook his head and gestured, "He's even fatter, and he has a black mole on the right side of his cheek."
"Don't talk nonsense." Yang Zhiming said loudly. "What does a child know?"
Xu Jing winked at the officers and soldiers, who immediately took a rag and covered Yang Zhiming's mouth.
He patted Yang Xiaobao's head and slowed down his voice. "Don't be impatient, think about it slowly. Does he look like this?"
After comparing it with the second facial portrait, Yang Xiaobao nodded.
"How old does the fat uncle look?"
"About the same age as him." Yang Xiaobao pointed at the burly soldier Lao Li and said.
Mr. Li is currently in his thirties. The suspect is about the same age as him, fat, and has a mole on the right cheek.
The fact that a three-year-old child could remember it so clearly meant that this person was not an outsider, but a thief in the family.
This means that there is a key person in the Yang Mansion who is in contact with outside informants.
Xu Jing immediately ordered his men to bring all the servants over and let Yang Xiaobao identify them one by one.
Yang Xiaobao spotted his burly uncle among the servants and said, "That's him."
The soldiers grabbed the servant Liu Bai by the hair and brought him forward. Liu Bai was yelling, "You've arrested the wrong person. I'm innocent."
Xu Jing was so sleepy that he asked for a cup of strong tea. After drinking it, he regained some energy.
"Come here, break his legs. I want to see how tough your bones are."
"Wait." Luo Ying said: "Why are you lynching him without asking any questions? Do you know..."
"Time is running out." Xu Jing interrupted him. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures.
The servants were all slaves who had signed death contracts with the Yang family. Dayan still retained slave uniforms. The head of the family had the right to execute any servant who had signed a death contract.
Although torture is cruel, it is the best way to obtain evidence.
Xu Jing knew that Yang Zhiming was too stubborn to tell the truth, but his wife and children did not have his amazing courage and could endure pain that ordinary people could not endure.
He just asked the child a few questions and the child provided him with important information.
If he didn't press on and pursue the victory, the Jiannu would surely take advantage. Xu Jing would never allow such a good game of chess to be ruined by the Jiannu.
Under torture, Liu Bai confessed quickly.
"It was the silver given by the Jiannu people. I just passed it on to Master Yang. I have never done anything against the law."
Yang Zhiming was furious, and with great effort, he spat out the rag that was gagged on his mouth. "Jiang Xuqing, do you think you can pin treason on me just because you've captured a slave? You're dreaming! I was framed..."
"General Yang, please stop lying with your eyes open. We have the letters of treason and witnesses. General Luo also witnessed that you were hunted by the Jiannu. Do you think you can refute it?"
Xu Jing grabbed his chin and laughed, "Think carefully, you are also a pawn arranged by the Jiannu. The purpose is to alienate me and General Luo, so that the civil and military officials will be at odds. This will allow the Jiannu to cause chaos and annex Jianzhou. Am I right?"
Yang Zhiming's face flushed and then turned pale as his heart was touched. "How did you know?"
"Do you think I'm a fool, allowing you to instigate my subordinates and generals? Don't even think about stalling. I'm not holding you captive for a little money, but for something else."
Yang Zhiming's face darkened and he asked, "What are you talking about?"
"Your Majesty is only thirty years old now, and you should be making great plans and working hard to govern the country. However, the treasury is empty, and the Jiannu are eyeing you covetously. What do you think Your Majesty should do to easily obtain a large amount of silver?"
Yang Zhiming snorted coldly and said, "How can I know what the emperor is thinking? The emperor is far away and I can't control him. He only cares about his own happiness."
"A rotten tree cannot be carved." Xu Jing shook his head and ordered the soldiers to arrest the Yang family and put them in jail.
While time was running out, he had to go back and write the memorial.
"Wait." Luo Ying followed closely behind him, and the two of them sat in the same carriage. After getting in, he saw Jiang Xuqing closing his eyes to rest, but he couldn't help but say, "Go on."
"I never thought that you are also stupid."
Xu Jing sighed and said, "Prince Rong has ten thousand acres of fertile land and countless silver rewards. His descendants wouldn't be able to eat it all in several lifetimes. The little silver he gets would be enough for the people of Jingzhou to live and work in peace and contentment. What do you think the emperor will do?"
Luo Ying's face was gloomy and uncertain, and he still didn't understand the inside story.
Xu Jing gave him a slap, feeling rather disappointed. "Does treason mean the treasury? Killing Prince Rong would give the entire Yan Kingdom enough to survive for three years. If you were the emperor, would you let this opportunity slip away?"
Luo Ying suddenly understood. "You mean the emperor doesn't care if his subjects rebel, he cares about whether he can support the people of Dayan with the national treasury?"
"Right." Xu Jing ruffled his hair and sighed. "I went to great lengths to implicate Yang Zhiming and Ye Changge just to give the Emperor an excuse. An excuse to reclaim Prince Rong's wealth."
"There's insufficient evidence. The Dali Temple won't approve it."
Luo Ying was also tired, so she leaned against his neck and closed her eyes. "On the contrary, if you step in to take over someone else's job, you'll be dismissed and punished. It's not worth it."
"No." Xu Jing put his arm around his waist and whispered, "If my guess is correct, I'm going to be promoted again."
"How is that possible?" Luo Ying's sleepiness immediately disappeared, and he asked back: "You have just been promoted to prefecture governor. The emperor is not stupid. Why would he let you be promoted?"
"My report has been meritorious, and it is a great thing for both the country and the people.
First, I caught the corrupt officials in the imperial court, which will allow the treasury to last for three years. This alone is enough for me to be promoted, not to mention the others.”
Xu Jing patted his head and said with a smile, "Do you think the gift I gave you recently was for nothing? With the advice of the emperor's favorites, I would have been promoted even if I did nothing. What's more, I gave the emperor a huge gift."
In other words, he was using Ye Changge and Yang Zhiming's brains to pave his own way to success.
Even if they do nothing, they will become stepping stones for his promotion?
"Luo Ying, you're a general. There's no such thing as soft-heartedness on the battlefield. Just kill anyone who stands in your way, and that's it. Isn't that right?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
