Chapter 502 You are trying to kill me!
Today is the second day of the final examination, and also the third day since the prince issued the military order.
Zhao Xian, dressed in military uniform, dismounted from his horse, raised his head to glance at the plaque of Donglai Tower above him, and gave an order.
"Catch him!"
The Yulin Guards rushed into the Donglai Tower.
The guests who were having dinner were frightened by the group of soldiers who suddenly broke in.
Zhao Xian placed his right hand on the hilt of the knife, his expression stern: "All irrelevant personnel, get out."
Most of the guests were scared out of their wits. A few tried to reason with the Yu Lin Guards, but when they saw the guards draw their swords, they immediately became cowardly and ran away in shame.
In the blink of an eye, the entire Donglai Building was empty.
The shopkeeper and his employees were picked out.
The waiters were all terrified, except the shopkeeper who remained calm.
The shopkeeper bowed to Zhao Xian and asked politely, "General, why did you lead your troops into Donglai Tower? Is there any misunderstanding here?"
Zhao Xian said coldly: "There is no misunderstanding. We want to arrest you. Come with us."
The shopkeeper stood still and said, "General, this is under the Emperor's feet. Even if you are an official appointed by the court, you shouldn't arrest people for no reason, right?"
Zhao Xian stared at him for a moment and suddenly sneered.
"You want a reason, right? Okay, the reason I arrested you is because someone reported to the police that there was a theft case here. Someone once lost a book here. As the shopkeeper here, you have to go back with us to help with the case."
The shopkeeper's expression, which was originally quite calm, suddenly turned ugly after hearing these words.
He managed a smile with difficulty: "It's just a book, why make such a fuss? If it doesn't work, just name a price and we at Donglai Building will compensate him."
Zhao Xian: "That's the book of the ninth son of the Qin family. It's very precious. Can you afford to pay for it?"
The shopkeeper's pupils trembled violently.
He looked at Zhao Xian in disbelief, as if he didn't understand why the other party could say such a thing?
Zhao Xian turned around and said, "Take all the people away."
The Yulin Guards put shackles on them and pushed them out of Donglai Tower.
The noise here was so loud that it attracted the attention of nearby businesses and passers-by.
A lot of onlookers have gathered outside the Donglai Building.
They ate the melon and talked in low voices.
Zhao Xian didn't care at all about being watched. He mounted his horse expressionlessly and led the Yulin Guards to the Criminal Justice Department.
Although they were riding horses, their speed was not very fast and they were watched by many people along the way.
By the time they arrived at the Criminal Justice Department, almost half of the people in Shengjing City knew that Donglai Tower had been searched by the government. The reason for the search was actually because of a stolen book!
This matter is really unbelievable.
It was just a book, how could it lead to the entire Donglai Building being confiscated? !
Inside the torture chamber of the Criminal Justice Department.
The shopkeeper of Donglailou was forced to kneel on the ground.
His face was as pale as paper and his body was covered in cold sweat.
The Minister of Justice Dong Mingchun sat at the top.
He looked down at the person kneeling on the ground and asked coldly, "Did a theft occur at the poetry party held by Qin Wen in Donglai Building three days ago?"
The shopkeeper shook his head: "No."
Dong Mingchun: "You lied. Qin Wen lost a book that day. He was very anxious and even called you over to ask if anyone had entered the private room he was in. What did you answer at that time?"
The shopkeeper kept shaking his head: "No, there is no such thing."
Dong Mingchun ignored his denial and continued, "You said at the time that you saw a scholar enter that private room. You happened to know that scholar. His name was Li Ji."
When the shopkeeper heard the name Li Ji, his face became uglier and his body began to tremble.
Even so, he shook his head: "I don't remember such a thing."
Dong Mingchun: "Because of your identification, Qin Wen knew that it was Li Ji who stole his book. The next day, Li Ji was found dead in his residence."
The shopkeeper wanted to cover his ears: "I really don't know anything!"
Dong Mingchun: "Even if you don't say anything, we already know the truth. Come, get him to sign!"
Immediately, an official came up to the shopkeeper with a written confession.
When the shopkeeper saw the contents of the confession, his eyes were filled with panic, as if he was seeing not a confession but a man-eating beast.
He refused to sign or seal his name no matter what, and kept shouting at the top of his lungs that he was innocent!
Dong Mingchun had the shopkeeper held down, his hands grasped, and he was forced to press a bright red handprint on his confession.
After pressing the fingerprints, the shopkeeper's emotions completely broke down and he burst into tears on the spot.
"You guys are trying to kill me!"
Dong Mingchun took the confession and felt quite satisfied. He glanced at the shopkeeper who was kneeling on the ground and crying, smiled slightly, and his tone was unexpectedly kind.
"Come on, I'll have someone escort you out."
At his signal, the jailer untied the ropes on the shopkeeper and helped him up.
The shopkeeper was confused by their 180-degree turn in attitude, and even his crying gradually stopped.
Dong Mingchun said to an official nearby, "Send him back."
"Yes."
The official personally escorted the shopkeeper out of the prison and let him get on his carriage.
The shopkeeper tried to refuse, but the official did not give him a chance to do so and signaled his servants to force him into the carriage.
The carriage stopped at the door of Donglai Building.
The people who had gathered around Donglai Building to watch the fun have all left.
The official personally helped the shopkeeper out of the car and spoke to him in a gentle manner.
"Your servants and cooks have been released. We are sorry for disturbing your business today. But don't worry, the clues you provided this time are very useful. After we report this matter to the court, we will definitely reward you well."
The more the shopkeeper listened, the more something seemed to be wrong. When had he ever provided any clues?
He only said a few words in the Criminal Justice Department from beginning to end and didn't provide any clues!
The official patted his shoulder and said with a smile: "Just continue with your business. When the reward comes, I will personally deliver it to you."
After saying this, the official left in his carriage.
The shopkeeper was left standing there alone, looking confused.
Although the people were released, the shopkeeper was very uneasy. He always felt that something bad was going to happen.
He decided to give the waiters and the cooks a day off and send them home.
The shopkeeper went back to his home.
As soon as he entered the house, his wife told him that a guest was waiting for him in the study.
He walked into the study and saw a tall and strong man in black sitting at the desk drinking tea.
When the shopkeeper saw the other person's face clearly, his expression changed: "Why are you here?"
(End of this chapter)
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