The cold iron chains rubbed against the rough floor of the prison van, producing a monotonous and grating sound.
Li Ru leaned against the cold wooden fence, sitting upright despite being imprisoned.
He closed his eyes slightly, his mind replaying the towering flames of that night in Heyang and the suffocating stench of blood at the Feng residence.
He had no regrets.
Not a single bit.
The blood debts of the Feng family and their sons, and the deep-seated pain of the people of Heyang, can only be alleviated by repaying blood with blood.
Even though Li Ru was imprisoned and branded with the stigma of treason, his unwavering loyalty to His Majesty and the Han Dynasty remained steadfast.
only……
He slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the desolate autumn scenery rushing past outside the prison van, and recalled his mother's sallow, withered face as she forced herself to give him instructions.
A tremendous wave of grief and guilt, like an icy tide, instantly overwhelmed Li Ru.
He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, barely managing to suppress the bitter taste rising in his throat.
Loyalty to one's country and filial piety are mutually exclusive!
When he chose to serve the emperor in the golden palace, he was destined to disappoint his mother's hopes!
"Mom...the child is unfilial!"
Li Ru murmured softly, tears silently streaming down her face.
After several days of travel, the majestic outline of Luoyang finally appeared on the horizon.
Contrary to expectations of a noisy crowd, the Imperial Guards escorted Li Ru directly through the quiet streets and into the heavily guarded Court of Justice.
The heavy, black lacquered door slammed shut behind us, shutting out the sunlight and noise from the outside world.
A chilly air, a mixture of musty, bloody, and old-fashioned smells, swept over Li Ru and instantly enveloped him.
The Imperial Prison of the Court of Justice was the most stringent place in the judicial system of the Han Empire.
The deep, winding passageway is flanked by thick stone walls, on which flickering, dim torches cast long, distorted shadows onto the cold ground and walls.
Li Ru was roughly pushed into a small prison cell.
The ground was cold and damp, covered with a thin layer of moldy straw. A small iron window, no bigger than a palm, opened high up, letting in a sliver of faint sunlight. The air was filled with the smell of despair and decay.
He didn't struggle, he didn't cry out for justice, he just silently walked to the corner, leaned against the cold, piercing wall, and slowly sat down, quietly waiting for his unknown fate.
The interrogation did not keep him waiting long.
The following day, Li Ru was led out of his cell by two jailers and brought to a spacious, solemn, but unusually dimly lit interrogation room.
In the center of the room, a huge iron table covered with various dark marks was a shocking sight.
The walls were covered with all sorts of gruesome instruments of torture: whips, clamps, branding irons, caltrops... The cold metal gleamed eerily in the dim light.
Behind the ironclad case sat an old man.
He wore a black robe embroidered with the mythical beast Xie Zhi, and a Jin Xian crown. His face was thin and his hair and beard were gray, but his eyes were exceptionally clear and sharp, as if they could see through people's hearts.
This person was none other than Xun Shuang, one of the Nine Ministers of the court, known for his integrity, uprightness, and profound knowledge.
To Xun Shuang's left and right stood several clerks and jailers in charge of the execution; the air in the room was so heavy it seemed as if water could drip from it.
"Reporting to the Court of Justice, the criminal Li Ru has been brought here!" the jailer reported in a gruff voice.
Li Ru was forced to kneel on the cold stone ground, the chains rattling.
Xun Shuang's gaze, almost tangible, fell upon Li Ru, filled with scrutiny and inquiry.
He didn't ask any questions immediately, but instead picked up a thick stack of files on the table and slowly flipped through them. The sound of the paper rubbing together was particularly clear in the silent interrogation room.
"Li Ru".
Xun Shuang finally spoke, his voice steady: "The magistrate of Heyang County has been in office for less than two months."
"I ask you, the 500 catties of refined iron, a military ration, have been stolen from the Heyang treasury. All the evidence, both witnesses and physical evidence, points to your collusion with the Xiongnu, the illegal sale of military supplies, and your treasonous act of funding the enemy!"
Do you plead guilty?
Xun Shuang's gaze was fixed on Li Ru, not missing a single subtle change in his face.
Li Ru raised his head to meet Xun Shuang's gaze. His eyes were calm and still, like a deep pool, without fear, anger, or even explanation.
He then said slowly, "The theft of the fine iron is indeed my fault for negligence and dereliction of duty. I deserve to die ten thousand times over."
Li Ru only admitted to dereliction of duty, but did not mention a word about the heinous crime of "colluding with the Xiongnu and betraying the country"!
Xun Shuang's brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Li Ru's reaction was somewhat unexpected.
He had seen too many corrupt officials who, faced with such grave crimes, either wept bitterly and cried out for justice, made all sorts of excuses and evasions, or resigned themselves to their fate with deathly pale faces.
This was the first time he had ever met someone as calm as Li Ru!
"Negligence or dereliction of duty?"
Xun Shuang's voice suddenly turned cold: "What a fine attempt to downplay the seriousness of the matter! The witness Zhang Gui is your subordinate warehouse clerk. He confessed that you instructed him to open the warehouse and trade fine iron with the Xiongnu merchants!"
As he spoke, Xun Shuang picked up a scroll of silk and several wooden plaques with special markings: "These are transaction vouchers intercepted from Xiongnu merchants. They bear your private seal imprint and secret correspondence between you and the Xiongnu, which were seized by the Imperial Guards!"
"The evidence is irrefutable, what else do you have to say?!"
As Xun Shuang questioned him sternly, a clerk presented the so-called "secret letter" and "proof" to Li Ru.
Li Ru glanced at it; the imprint was crude, and the handwriting on the letter was a poor imitation.
Despite being riddled with flaws, it somehow forms a seemingly complete chain of evidence.
Li Ru looked up at Xun Shuang, his face still calm, his voice devoid of any emotion:
"In your wise judgment, Minister of Justice, my personal seal has been kept in the county government's signing room since I took office in Heyang. The county magistrate, the registrar, the clerk, and even the clerk Zhang Gui have all had the opportunity to come into contact with it."
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