Chapter 12 Interrogation: "Sharp-tongued and eloquent, truly worthy of being a censor of the Six Ministries."...
Feng Tan's face was deathly pale. Looking at Su Bai, who was being tortured to the point of near death on the rack, she knew without a doubt who was responsible. "Not as ruthless and efficient as Lord Wei Sheng's torture."
Xiao Yinshi walked up to Su Bai, who had been unconscious for a long time, and said, "Wake him up."
The pain relief from the wound medicine didn't last long, and Feng Tan's lower back and abdomen began to ache. She looked at Su Bai, who had fallen into a coma, scooped a ladle of ice-cold salt water from the bucket she had prepared, and struggled to splash it onto Su Bai's cheeks.
Su Bai's face was unharmed, but filthy. Feng Tan's splash of water cleaned his cheeks considerably.
Su Bai awoke, his hazy eyes chattering as he recognized the people in front of him. But without a tongue, he could only open his eyes wide, filled with terror.
Wei Shengxian sneered and said, "He can't speak, he can only nod or shake his head. He's a tough nut to crack even the Northern Garrison Command can't interrogate. Does Lord Feng have any brilliant plan?"
“Yes,” Feng Tan said, taking out the herbs prepared by Meng Henabul from his bosom. “I would like to trouble Lord Wei Sheng to brew a dose of medicine for me. Once the medicine is ready, the trial will be concluded.”
Wei Shengxian gritted his teeth and said, "You want me to brew medicine for you?"
Xiao Yinshi had clearly lost patience with the undercurrents of hostility between them, and spoke in a low, cold voice, "Reason."
“If a deity doesn’t want to descend to the mortal realm to speak, it’s usually because they don’t want to see people they dislike.” Feng Tan chuckled slightly, but the smile vanished in an instant. “Lord Wei Sheng isn’t exactly a likable person.”
Wei Shengxian's tone carried a hidden threat, "Feng Tan, you'd better be able to find out."
After Wei Shengxian left, the noisy secret room finally quieted down. Feng Tan walked up to Su Bai and said, "Young Master Su Bai, I would like to make a deal with you."
Su Bai lowered his head and ignored Feng Tan. Feng Tan had expected this, so he unlocked Su Bai's shackles, spread the Xuan paper on the table, and said, "The Inner Treasury was robbed, and you, young master, have endured torture but still refuse to confess. Are you afraid that if you confess, the Northern Garrison will kill you?"
Su Bai wrote: "It is common for the imperial prison to kill the donkey after it has served its purpose. Su Bai does not trust anyone... Moreover, even if you spare my life, I will not confess. You may use whatever means you have."
He fears physical pain, yet he can endure it, which suggests that there are things that he fears or cares about more than physical pain.
Feng Tan added, "I will not torture you."
As she finished speaking, a drop of water fell from the eaves, making a clear "drip-drip" sound. The secret room fell silent for a moment. Xiao Yinshi looked up as Feng Tan finished speaking. The dim candlelight extended from Feng Tan's clear eyes and straight nose to her pale lips, making her appear weak and sickly. Yet, her appearance was so radiant that it inexplicably evoked words of divinity and Buddhahood, bringing peace to the heart.
The words "beautiful ghost" were completely unrelated to Feng Tan, and Xiao Yinshi couldn't believe he'd fallen for it again. He withdrew his aggressive gaze, lowered his eyes in thought, and wondered, "Shouldn't I make things difficult for Su Bai? If I don't torture Su Bai, what else can Feng Tan do?"
Feng Tan looked into the depths of Su Bai's eyes, slowly grasped Su Bai's wrist with her fingers, rolled up her sleeve to reveal a section of thin, bony arm, took out a secret medicine from her sleeve, rubbed it, and sprinkled it on Su Bai's arm. As the powder fell, the net-like bluish-gray patterns on Su Bai's pale arm slowly appeared.
Feng Tan said, "They really are members of the Merfolk."
Su Bai suddenly pushed Feng Tan away, fell to the ground, which was sticky and bloody, and pointed a trembling finger at Feng Tan, his lips shaking uncontrollably.
He paused for a moment, his fear not yet subsiding, and sat back down in front of Feng Tan, writing: "Who are you? How do you know...me?"
Feng Tan carefully put away the secret medicine and said in a soft voice, "The fake household registration your master made for you in the capital was indeed quite good, but he couldn't resist going to the local area to make things difficult. Besides, your skin is unusually fair, your unique voice is unparalleled in the capital, and you have the distinctive markings of the Merfolk... You come from the Linzhang sea area, yet you work for people in the capital? Why?"
Su Bai remained silent. Feng Tan slowly leaned closer to Su Bai and said, "That day you killed two court officials, and someone saw you cleaning up the mess. Now that you've failed and been captured, you know you can't survive, so you're letting yourself be tortured. What does he have that you'd rather be beaten here than sell? Young Master doesn't love money or power, so what could it be that you'd risk your life to protect..."
The two stared at each other for a moment, then Feng Tan said, "Is this someone of great importance to you, a family member or a member of your clan?"
She saw shock in Su Bai's eyes, and said with certainty, "It seems I guessed right. Young Master Su Bai, you are loyal and righteous, but have you ever considered the great threat your master will pose to the people of the world after he empties the national treasury? There are more than thirty ethnic groups in Da Huang. Do you think that the interests of your family and clan are more important than the interests of the people of the world?!"
A look of pain flashed across Su Bai's face, but he still refused to put pen to paper.
Xiao Yinshi lowered his eyes and waited for a moment, then walked to Feng Tan's side and looked down at Su Bai, saying, "The Jiaosi tribe, is it? The Jiaosi tribe wants to drag all the people of Dahuang down with them, but they'd better see if they're qualified. After the great victory in the Linzhang sea area, the Dahuang border troops haven't withdrawn yet. Guess how long it will take to slaughter a tribe?"
An extremely cold aura pressed down on Feng Tan's head. When she looked up at Xiao Yin, she met the man's dark and gloomy eyes.
This person is either taciturn or speaks with earth-shattering force, his words permeated with the blood and gore of killing, which devours the soul. In addition, his reputation for ruthlessness makes people dare not disbelieve him.
Su Bai's Adam's apple bobbed slowly, tears streaming down his face. He was caught in a dilemma, which filled him with despair. Protecting his people among these wolves and tigers became his only belief. He picked up his brush with trembling hands and wrote: "Evil."
“Strange?” Wei Sheng smiled as he walked up to Feng Tan with the medicine bowl in his hand and said, “After interrogating him for so long, all you could get were these two words. I think Lord Feng is really strange.”
Feng Tan took the medicine bowl and spoke in the softest tone with the most sarcastic words, "It's still better than Lord Wei Sheng not being able to spare even a fraction of a pound."
Ignoring their bickering, Su Bai dipped his brush in ink and wrote again: "Evil Spirit Island".
Wei Shengxian picked up the note on the table and asked, "Evil spirits? Evil Spirit Island? What does that mean? Explain yourself clearly!"
After Su Bai finished writing, cold sweat poured down his face. He threw down his brush, curled up on the ground in agony, and rolled around, making muffled noises as if his teeth were grinding together. In just a few breaths, he lay motionless on the ground, upside down.
Wei Shengxian squatted down and turned him over. He saw that Su Bai was bleeding from all seven orifices, his face was red and purple, and his hands were clenched into fists and pressed against his chest. He checked Su Bai's breath and looked up at Xiao Yinshi and said, "He's still alive."
Xiao Yinshi's face was gloomy. After squinting and scrutinizing the situation, he said, "He hasn't finished explaining yet. Whether he's trying to buy us time by putting on this show, or something inside him is preventing him from confessing, he can't afford to get hurt now. Take him away and keep a close watch on him."
Wei Shengxian bowed in agreement, then turned to Feng Tan and said, "You sent me to brew medicine for you, but why won't you drink it after I've brought it? Are you afraid I'll poison you?"
"Lord Weisheng has tormented countless people throughout his life. How could I refuse to drink the medicine that you personally brewed?" Feng Tan raised the medicine bowl, drank the medicine in one gulp, and bowed in thanks. "Thank you, Lord Weisheng."
Wei Shengxian said, "Tsk, that doesn't sound like a compliment."
Wei Shengxian went to take care of Su Bai, and Feng Tan followed Xiao Yinshi out of the secret room. He peeked down and asked, "Sir, you have served in the Northern Garrison for many years. Do you know what important figures are imprisoned here?"
Through the dim red light, Xiao Yinshi said, "Traitors and spies from enemy countries."
Feng Tan seemed intrigued and said, "When I was young, I heard that Shen Ze, the son of the greatest general of Hua Kingdom, was imprisoned here. The people say that he was a tall and imposing man, standing at least nine feet tall. Could you take me to see him, sir?"
Xiao Yinshi's cold gaze fell on Feng Tan, with a sharp, piercing quality, and the atmosphere instantly froze.
Feng Tan felt a chill run down his spine under such a gaze, and composed himself, saying, "I have overstepped my bounds, please calm down, sir."
For the first time ever, Xiao Yinshi explained, "Without His Majesty's decree, one cannot enter the fifth level or lower of the Imperial Prison."
“I see,” Feng Tan knew of this rule in the Imperial Prison, but she was still determined to get some information about her teacher without arousing suspicion. “Su Bai’s crime concerns the national dignity, so why can he only be imprisoned on the fifth floor or higher?”
"Eight years ago, His Majesty issued a decree that no one was allowed to open the door leading down to the sixth floor from the fifth floor."
Feng Tan's heart began to race upon hearing the words "eight years." She said, seemingly casually, "So, the person on the sixth level is the most important criminal in this dynasty, and the son of the Great General of Hua Kingdom?"
Xiao Yinshi said, "No."
What a tightwad! He wouldn't reveal a single word. Feng Tan was in so much pain that he was covered in cold sweat. He pinched himself tightly to keep his mind clear and said, "I have read the Ministry of Justice's files. Since His Majesty ascended the throne, there have only been two people who have committed heinous crimes. One is this general from the enemy country, and the other is Feng Youming, the daughter of Grand Tutor Feng. If it is not this general, then it must be Feng Youming."
Xiao Yinshi looked down at her for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "What do you want to know?"
Feng Tan replied, "I am merely curious. If it touches on any taboos, I will not ask."
As they spoke, the two had already left the Northern Garrison Command. The heavily guarded Northern Garrison Command closed its gates and lit lanterns at the entrance. The waning moon cast cold, dappled light across the sky, creating a desolate and chilly atmosphere at the entrance.
Xiao Yinshi stood under the lantern, his brow bone and nose bridge contours reflected in the red light, making him look three-dimensional and handsome. His expression was calm and undisturbed. "Feng Youming is His Majesty's taboo, and the taboo of the entire Dahuang. If you had asked any louder just now, the spies of the Northern Garrison would have reported to His Majesty in no time."
It turned out that Xiao Yinshi had remained silent earlier because of this relationship. The night covered most of his figure, and the light flashed across his dark eyes, igniting an inexplicable eeriness.
Looking at him, Feng Tan suddenly recalled a popular folk rhyme: "From afar, a divine countenance; up close, a natural, innate quality. With fingers that can manipulate clouds and rain, skin, flesh, and bones are all severed. If there is no Yama on earth, the prisoners in the imperial jail will cry out in injustice..."
A cold wind blew up, and Feng Tan suddenly shivered.
Xiao Yinshi's eyes flashed with a strange light, his Adam's apple bobbed, and he said, "Feng Youming is indeed on the fifth floor. You know everything you want to know. Now you must answer the questions below in detail."
Feng Tan said, "Please speak, sir."
Xiao Yinshi stared intently into the boy's eyes and said, "First, how did you know that Su Bai was a member of the Jiao Si tribe? This is information that even the Embroidered Uniform Guard couldn't uncover. Second, how will the interrogation proceed, and how long will it take?"
Feng Tan knew that with this man's sensitive and suspicious nature, he would definitely ask her this question, so she replied, "The first question is something that my colleagues who frequent the official kiln know. The spies of the Embroidered Uniform Guard are hard to beat, but there are some things that the girls of the Red Sleeve Pavilion don't know as much as they do. It's not difficult to get some obscure information from the girls by chatting about secrets and gossip."
"As for the second question, interrogation is your specialty, sir, and I'm sure you already have a plan. All we can do now is follow the clues. Su Bai only revealed two keywords, so we probably won't get anything out of him by coercion. This means that while we're investigating the case, he's also buying himself time. Rest assured, sir, I will work tirelessly to investigate this matter so that Wan Niang can be released safely."
Xiao Yinshi's gloomy expression lessened somewhat. He looked down at Feng Tan's pale face and said with a half-smile, "Feng Tan, you've been so humble and subservient, going to great lengths to save a few prostitutes you've just met, even after getting beaten up. You can tell whether I'm honest or not. You're quite shrewd."
Feng Tan smiled and said, "If you don't believe me, my lord, then come and take my exquisite heart."
Xiao Yinshi also laughed, but there was no hint of a smile in his eyes. "I think you're just trying to make yourself look good."
Xiao Yinshi's carriage had been waiting outside for a long time. Looking at Feng Tan's weak appearance, he said, "Get in the sedan chair. We can't let him faint on the road."
Xiao Yinshi showed his "kindness," and Feng Tan was flattered and said, "Thank you for your kindness, sir, but I have family waiting for me deep in the alley, so I won't bother you any longer."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yinshi raised an eyebrow. A beauty? With such serious injuries, he still wanted to meet a woman in secret? He glanced at Feng Tan from head to toe, and before leaving, he said, "Lord Feng, you seem to be in high spirits."
Feng Tan watched the tall carriage depart, a look of confusion in his eyes. Interest? What interest?
A note from the author:
Lord Xiao's head was covered in filth ←_←
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