Chapter 303 A Way Out
"I didn't expect that you would be the first one to hold back."
Qin Wenyuan took off his hood, revealing a face that was barely concealing his fatigue. The royal family's dignity was now dimmed by the gloom of the dungeon.
"Jiang Shaosi."
Jiang Jinxiao let out a short chuckle from his throat, but the wound at the corner of his mouth made him frown slightly.
His voice was hoarse and cracked like a broken bellows. "That voice, Shao Si, sounds quite ironic now."
He struggled to move his wrists, which were rubbed with blood by the shackles, and the chains made a dull clanging sound.
"You've come here so late at night, aren't you here to reminisce about the past, or to visit me, a dying man?"
Qin Wenyuan ignored the sarcasm in the conversation and stared at him with a serious look, "I know you are angry..."
Just as he started talking, he was interrupted by Jiang Jinxiao:
"The dragon in Linhai Prefecture turned over, and eight thousand six hundred taels of molten gold bricks were hidden under the study floor tiles..."
He suddenly chuckled, and then it turned into a hysterical and crazy laugh.
After finally stopping his laughter, Jiang Jinxiao spoke loudly:
"According to the article in the Gan Law regarding the supervisor accepting bribes and violating the law:
Those supervisors who accept bribes and pervert the law shall be punished with 100 strokes of the one-foot silk cane, and one level more punishment shall be imposed for each piece of silk cane, and fifteen pieces of silk cane shall be strangled.
If someone embezzles disaster relief funds and grain, and commits corruption within his unit, he will be charged with the second-level theft crime according to the "Explanation of the Laws of the State Council".
One tael of gold is worth ten pieces of silk, eight thousand six hundred taels, eighty-six thousand pieces of silk, which is more than five thousand seven hundred times the death penalty.
Hahahaha…Execution after the autumn? My death is not unjust! "
Speaking of this, Jiang Jinxiao's face was as ferocious as a devil.
This crime is too serious and he cannot bear it alone.
His fame and honors were taken away, and all his property was confiscated and put into the state treasury;
His wife and daughter were taken away from the government as slaves and exiled to the southern border as servants of the government;
Fathers, sons, and brothers were exiled three thousand miles away, and even if they were pardoned, they would never be allowed to return;
The clan will be removed from the family register and completely expelled from the gentry. Three generations of descendants will not be allowed to take the imperial examinations or become officials!
Three generations, a full three generations!
The Jiang family is doomed because of his sins...
Jiang Jinxiao suddenly raised his head, his eyes fixed on the other person's face:
"Brother Wenyuan, at the last minute, should I drag a few people down with me? Or..." He dragged out the words.
"Perhaps by making amends for my crime, I could even exonerate my family. What do you think?"
Qin Wenyuan clenched his fists in his sleeves, but his face remained expressionless as he spoke coldly:
“If you reveal them, even if their sins are forgiven, they will surely die.
Now that you've made it this far, don't be complacent. You only have one way to go."
It can be seen that Jiang Jinxiao had been severely tortured, but he did not spit out the other people and endured it until now.
Jiang Jinxiao was panting like an ox. His body had long been exhausted and he was sweating profusely.
The truth is the most hurtful, and he knew that Qin Wenyuan was telling the truth.
If you keep your mouth shut, others might secretly protect you because you keep your mouth shut.
But if he told it, would His Majesty send people to guard his family?
This is a rule, a tacit understanding that does not require words.
So from the time of his conviction until now, he has not met any of his "colleagues".
Qin Wenyuan took two steps forward, squatted down, and placed an oil-paper bag in front of him.
"This is Vanity Powder. It should help you lessen the pain enough to get through to the end."
Vanity powder, this stuff is not cheap, and it does more than just relieve pain.
After taking it, people will feel euphoric and all worries and sorrows will be forgotten.
It is so named because it is as flashy as clouds.
If it can be used for execution, it will cost at least several thousand taels of silver. Jiang Jinxiao laughed again.
He picked up the oil-paper bag with his dry fingers and asked, "Brother Wenyuan, what is the meaning of this?"
Since we know that he was just saying it in anger, and it is impossible for him to act on impulse after holding on for so long, why would he risk coming in person late at night and give such a "valuable gift"?
"I'm a bit slow-witted, so you'd better speak frankly."
Qin Wenyuan came closer, ignoring the stench, and said in a voice that only the two of them could hear:
"I need the contact information of the person in charge of the Cui family in Fengjing."
Jiang Jinxiao raised an eyebrow. "As for your son's actions, he's at most an accomplice. Why is it so serious? Or has he committed something else?"
The corruption of the local dragon in Linhai Prefecture was a trap from the beginning.
The Cui family plotted to involve all the officials who were responsible for disaster relief at the time.
One of them was Qin Huaizhang, the only son of Qin Wenyuan.
At that time, Qin Huaizhang had just entered the officialdom and was in the prime of his life, so Qin Wenyuan put him in the disaster relief team.
There is no risk in this matter, and there are regulations to follow for disaster relief.
Combined with his own arrangements, it was nothing more than adding some experience to his son's resume and sharing some small credit.
This is a common operation, and there are many people who are also doing this in the team.
But something went wrong with this seemingly foolproof arrangement.
Even a veteran official like Jiang Jinxiao fell into the trap, let alone his son, a young man who was just starting out.
Qin Wenyuan's eyes were like those of a hawk, catching Jiang Jinxiao. "Don't worry about it. Just know that I need a way out."
“You know the methods of the aristocratic families better than I do. I believe they might as well take another gamble.
It won't increase any risk for you, but it could be the last ray of hope for your people."
Jiang Jinxiao stared at Qin Wenyuan intently, his chest heaving violently, and his heavy breathing was particularly clear in the silent cell.
The forced calmness completely shattered, revealing the bottomless fear and struggle underneath.
After a long while, he finally managed to squeeze out a sound from between his teeth, his voice hoarse with a desperate look: "What can you do?"
Qin Wenyuan knew that the time had come.
He was not surprised by this. As long as one had some common sense, one could see that this was a no-profit business.
"The method of contact, the location of the meeting, the token of the meeting, everything.
As long as it is true, I swear in the name of the Qin clan, as long as I am alive, I will do my best to protect your Jiang family bloodline.
I won't say anything exaggerated, I will just guarantee that you will not be implicated as long as you change your bloodline and surname.
Lord Jiang, things may change over time. The Jiang family may have a chance to rise again.
As long as you are alive, you have the possibility of riding the east wind."
Dead silence fell again.
The flame in the oil lamp jumped restlessly, distorting and stretching the shadows of the two people, like a silent confrontation.
Jiang Jinxiao slowly closed his eyes, as if making a final assessment.
When he opened his eyes again, only the ashes of determination remained.
"Okay..." His voice was so low that it was almost inaudible, with a kind of exhaustion, "I'll tell you..."
Qin Wenyuan hurriedly moved closer, inevitably revealing a bit of anxiety at this time.
But what could he do? Jiang Jinxiao had no bargaining chips from beginning to end.
Qin Wenyuan's eyes flashed with brilliance, and he quickly engraved the key information into his mind, repeating it several times to deepen his memory.
Finally, he looked at Jiang Jinxiao deeply, his eyes complex and difficult to read.
There was a sense of relief at having achieved one's goal, and also a subtle hint of compassion.
"I mean what I say."
Qin Wenyuan promised in a deep voice, without saying anything more, and quickly put his hood back on to hide all his expressions.
He turned around and stepped resolutely into the shadow of the corridor, his footsteps gradually fading away.
Jiang Jinxiao was the only one left in the cell.
Still leaning against the cold stone wall, listening to the receding footsteps, it seemed as if the last bit of strength had been drained away.
He slowly raised his heavily shackled hands and covered his face.
In the darkness, an extremely suppressed whimper, like that of a wounded beast, was completely swallowed up by the boundless silence and despair.
The flame of the oil lamp struggled and flickered beside his hunched figure, but eventually dimmed.
After an unknown amount of time, Jiang Jinxiao looked up again.
With the back of his head against the cold stone wall, his eyes penetrated the polluted air, as if looking at the endless darkness at the top of the prison.
He reached out to the oil paper bag in front of him, took out a small piece of it, and poured the white powder into his mouth.
Soon, his breathing became rapid and his whole body lost its strength like a puddle of mud.
“Haha, hahaha…”
There was a faint sound of low laughter, no sadness, only pure joy.
As if someone had smoothed out the deep wrinkles on his face, Jiang Jinxiao's smile was as innocent as a child's...
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