Xu Qi An subtly scrutinized Xu Qi An, noticing his tense body and forced smile. He reassured him, “I’m just following orders to bring you in for questioning. I’m not clear on the specifics. But remember, when you get to the yamen, keep one thing in mind: don’t hide what needs to be said, but don’t say a word about what shouldn’t be said, even if they beat you to death.”
I damn well… Do I not know this principle myself? It’s not worth thirty taels of silver. This bullshit is no different from those insincere excuses like “the relevant departments have been notified to handle it”… Xu Qi An wanted to slap the squinty-eyed man to death, but he didn’t dare.
The carriage passed through bustling markets and long streets, arriving at the Night Watchmen’s yamen at the beginning of the si hour (9-11 AM).
Xu Qi An jumped off the carriage and was escorted into the infamous yamen by two Night Watchmen.
Their office was converted from two three-courtyard houses, with towering pavilions. Night Watchmen in black clothes with copper gongs moved in and out, their expressions stern and their aura imposing.
I wonder if I’ll be sent to the Night Watchmen’s prison. That place swallows people whole without spitting out bones… I’ll wait and see. I’m a law-abiding citizen, I haven’t broken any laws… Xu Qi An took a deep breath, calming his anxious heart.
Soon, he was led into a small courtyard.
Two Night Watchmen stood at the courtyard gate. After a handover, the squinty-eyed man stopped at the gate and smiled, “Go in. Good luck to you.”
With that, he left with his serious-faced companion.
Xu Qi An was led inside. Two Night Watchmen pushed open the door of the room and said coldly, “Go in.”
It was an interrogation room. Various torture instruments were arranged in the corners, with an empty long table in the center.
The official in charge of the interrogation hadn’t arrived yet.
Xu Qi An didn’t dare to sit on the chair. He stood in the room, pondering why the Night Watchmen would be looking for him.
But before he could think too much, footsteps were heard. Someone entered the courtyard.
The door opened, and two middle-aged men with silver gongs embroidered on their chests walked in.
Xu Qi An, whose muscles tensed instantly, quickly glanced at the two Silver Gongs and was surprised to find that one of them was an old acquaintance.
He had a high nose bridge, deep-set features, and slightly lighter pupils, with half Southern barbarian blood.
It was the Silver Gong he had met in the back hall of the yamen during the tax silver case.
“We meet again,” Li Yuchun nodded, his eyes showing no warmth.
The two Silver Gongs sat behind the table, their expressions serious, their gazes sharp as they scrutinized Xu Qi An.
“I’ll ask, you answer. If you lie, severe punishment awaits,” the unfamiliar Silver Gong said sternly.
“Yes…” Xu Qi An’s heart sank. These two were looking at him entirely as if he were a criminal.
Li Yuchun frowned slightly, “Before answering questions, tidy up your clothes. This is the most basic etiquette.”
Xu Qi An realized that his collar was too loose and asymmetrical. It was caused by secretly taking out the bank notes in the carriage.
After he tightened his collar, Li Yuchun’s expression softened slightly, as if a concern had been resolved.
The unfamiliar Silver Gong asked, “Do you know that the mastermind behind the tax silver case was former Minister Zhou?”
Xu Qi An answered truthfully, “I heard about it from Miss Caiwei of the Astronomical Bureau.”
“Then you know that Zhou Li’s attempt to deal with you was also out of revenge.”
“I figured as much.”
Xu Qi An remembered the squinty-eyed young man’s warning and didn’t conceal anything that should be said. That day when the white-robed members of the Astronomical Bureau rushed into the Ministry of Justice to save him was witnessed by many, impossible to deny.
It was better to admit it candidly, appearing open and honest.
“Did you know that Zhou Li wanted to have you killed?”
“I did.”
“So, to avoid Zhou’s family’s revenge, you kidnapped the illegitimate daughter of the Mighty Marquis and framed Zhou Li.” The unfamiliar Silver Gong’s eyes flashed with a sharp light.
So it’s indeed about this matter… Xu Qi An wasn’t flustered at all. He even showed some confusion and the panic of being wrongly accused: “I don’t understand what you’re saying, sir.”
“On the day the Mighty Marquis’s illegitimate daughter was abducted, you weren’t on duty at the Langle County yamen. Where did you go?”
“I went to the brothel to listen to music, sir. I indeed neglected my duties and often sneaked off to the brothel to listen to music.”
This point could be testified by Constable Wang and other clerks, as they all slacked off in this way.
Moreover, what does it matter to you Night Watchmen if I, a runner from Langle County, skip work to visit brothels?
“Then how do you explain the matter of the entry permits? The records of permit issuance at the yamen show that you went to the inner city multiple times,” Li Yuchun said sternly.
“I’ve been wronged!” Xu Qi An widened his eyes, passionately defending himself, “I’ve never been to the inner city, never obtained any entry permits from the yamen.”
They’re trying to frame me. I always had someone else get the permits for me when I entered the inner city, my hands are clean… And the person I entrusted was Yang Ling, what does that have to do with me, Xu Qi An?
The two Silver Gongs questioned for a while but couldn’t catch any clues from Xu Qi An’s words.
They exchanged a glance, seeming somewhat surprised.
When it comes to interrogation techniques, I’m also a professional… Xu Qi An breathed a sigh of relief but tensed up again when he caught sight of the torture instruments.
Li Yuchun sighed, “Not bad. If we hadn’t obtained evidence beforehand, we might have believed you based on just this conversation.”
They’re trying to trap me again… and they sound so confident… Xu Qi An remained expressionless.
As a police academy graduate who had worked in the police force for several years, Xu Qi An was confident in his ability to handle various interrogations. Unless they resorted to torture for a false confession, that would be a different matter.
Minister Zhou had already fallen from power. Without evidence, he believed the Night Watchmen wouldn’t push too hard.
The unfamiliar Silver Gong took out a small notebook from his pocket, opened it, looked at Xu Qi An, and read from the book:
“October 1st, Renxu day, Xu Qi An returned from Cloud Deer Academy, bought two gold hairpins at Baoqi Pavilion, and was followed on the way, suspected to be Zhou family’s people.
“That night, I scared off the Zhou family’s assassins.”
“October 2nd, Guihai day, moved female family members to Cloud Deer Academy for safety.”
“October 5th, Bingyin day, entered the inner city and went to the Jiaofang Institute. Stayed overnight at the Little Pavilion of Plum Shadows, ‘Ode to Floating Fragrance’ is suspected to be written by Xu Qi An.”
“October 7th, Wuchen day, drove a carriage to collide with the Mighty Marquis’s illegitimate daughter, abducted her by unknown means.”
The unfamiliar Silver Gong closed the notebook, looked at Xu Qi An mockingly, and snorted.
Xu Qi An’s body gradually turned cold, as if lacking warm clothes in the depths of winter, and he slowly shivered.
The Night Watchmen have been following me… they’ve been following me since the day I went to the academy… all the plans these days have been seen by the Night Watchmen… It’s over!
Why would the Night Watchmen follow me? I’m just a small runner, this doesn’t make sense… Xu Qi An roared angrily in his heart.
He felt a despair as deep as an abyss.
Framing the Minister of Revenue, and kidnapping a marquis’s daughter – these two crimes combined were enough for the execution of his entire family.
The great scholars of Cloud Deer Academy couldn’t save him, the white-robed members of the Astronomical Bureau couldn’t save him, no one could save him!
I cleaned up my tracks very well and left no evidence that could convict me, but the Night Watchmen who followed me witnessed all my plans… Man’s calculations are no match for heaven’s plans.
Cold sweat beaded on Xu Qi An’s forehead, slowly sliding down his cheeks and dripping to the ground under the mocking and cold gaze of the two Silver Gongs.
Wait!
He suddenly noticed an inconsistency. If the Night Watchmen had witnessed the whole process, why didn’t they expose him?
Just by handing over the notebook, Zhou Li could be exonerated, and the executioner’s blade aimed at the Xu family would fall again after a delay of one and a half months.
Why did they wait until after Minister Zhou’s downfall to invite him for a “chat”?
Xu Qi An exhaled a breath of turbid air, along with various negative emotions, and lowered his head submissively, “I confess, it was all done by me. Whatever punishment the two officers deem fit, I’ll accept.”
The stern-faced Silver Gong raised an eyebrow and exchanged a glance with Li Yuchun, and both of them smiled.
“Very smart, extremely perceptive,” Li Yuchun smiled. “That was to test you. If you had shown any flaws during the interrogation, or if your mind had been crushed in the face of irrefutable evidence, then you would have faced real punishment.”
He paused, relaxed his serious expression, and his smile grew more relaxed, “But now, what awaits you is an invitation from the Night Watchmen.”