Two days later, Meng Tinghui returned to the Chancellery to attend court, and three days after that, the joint tribunal of the Three Judicial Offices for Wang Qi’s case began.

Having been detained in the Censorate Prison for more than twenty days and interrogated for two days and one night, Wang Qi remained clear-headed and intelligent. He refused to confess to the matter of the monthly silver from Qingzhou Military Camp and dismissed with contempt the petition jointly signed by commoners from Fuxian County in the capital’s outskirts. He merely stated that the Deputy Minister of the Imperial Stables, Wei Ming, had already compensated those commoners according to previous years’ horse prices and that the incident of injuring people that day was not committed by him. Even if the punishment was to be imposed, it would be no more than a reduction in his official salary.

The Chief Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Pan Congyun, firmly decided to demote Wang Qi and exile him to Cangzhou but was opposed by Vice Minister of the Ministry of Justice, Liu Ruofei, because Wang Qi himself had not confessed to any crime. The case split the court officials into two factions, east and west, neither yielding to the other. Finally, the sword’s edge turned, and all waited to see how Censor-in-Chief Xue Peng would request judgment.

Since taking over the Censorate in the 18th year of Qiande, Xue Peng has been renowned throughout the realm for his noble integrity. Though everyone at court knew he would not lean toward either faction in this case, no one had imagined he would permit Meng Tinghui to enter the Censorate Prison to interrogate Wang Qi—even Pan Congyun and Liu Ruofei had only interrogated Wang Qi after he was brought to the main hall. How could she, Meng Tinghui, a mere official of the two ministries and remonstrance departments, enjoy the privilege of censorial officials to enter the prison and jointly interrogate Wang Qi?

However, Xue Peng had authorized Meng Tinghui to participate in the case with the Crown Prince’s special edict, arguing that Meng Tinghui’s position was too low to sit with the high officials of the Three Judicial Offices in the public hall. This made it perfect for her to go down to the prison to question Wang Qi, saving the Crown Prince from having to send a Palace Censor later to investigate the prison.

This reason was so plausible and sufficient that no one in court could dispute it, and Meng Tinghui, rather than humbly declining, respectfully accepted the request. She knew this was a favor Xue Peng had granted her privately out of consideration for Liao Congkuan. So on the third night after the trial had ended without result, she went alone to the Censorate Prison.

The prison guards, following Xue Peng’s instructions, allowed Meng Tinghui to pass through after nightfall, escorting her directly to the solitary cell where Wang Qi was detained. They prepared a writing desk, fine silk cushions, tea, and snacks outside for her, fearing she might suffer the slightest discomfort in this damp prison.

The cell holding Wang Qi was considered quite good by the prison’s standards. The lower parts of all four walls were lined with thick thatch to prevent dampness. It had a bed with bedding, a desk with candles, and meals three times a day that were much better than those of other imprisoned officials.

When Meng Tinghui arrived outside the cell, she happened to see Wang Qi eating from his bowl. She stopped the prison guard who was following her and walked over alone, looking at him through the cold iron bars of the cell door.

Wang Qi heard the sound and immediately looked up. Seeing it was her, without a second thought, he rose and walked to the door, opening his mouth to spit viciously at her.

The chewed food particles from his mouth splattered onto her official robes, making a mess.

Meng Tinghui’s expression remained calm as she turned to the prison guard and said, “Wang has finished eating. Go collect his bowl and remove his water and vegetables.”

The two prison guards complied, unlocking the door to collect the items. As they were about to lock it again, she stopped them.

She instructed the men to wait nearby while she declined to sit, standing outside the cell, facing Wang Qi eye to eye. After a long moment, she smiled faintly and said, “This cell is too comfortable for Lord Wang. After I leave, move him to a different one.”

Wang Qi’s face contorted with anger as he immediately cursed, “You’re nothing but a sycophantic minion! How dare you enter the Censorate Prison to interrogate me? The Crown Prince must have been blind to allow you to serve as an official at court!”

Meng Tinghui said softly, “I certainly can’t compare to Lord Wang’s imposing official authority, who in distant Qingzhou dared to claim the Emperor’s hard work as his achievement, and even in the capital dared to tyrannize the common people.” She turned her head and asked the prison guard, “What is the punishment for speaking rebellious words against the Crown Prince?”

The prison guard hesitated slightly, thought for a moment, and then replied, “There is no fixed punishment, but it is at Lady Meng’s discretion.”

She hadn’t expected Xue Peng’s subordinates to be so perceptive of the situation. She smiled slightly, looked at Wang Qi, but instructed the prison guard: “I don’t understand the various methods of interrogating prisoners in the Censorate Prison, but if you have any techniques that don’t leave visible marks, bring them out for me to see.”

Wang Qi was slightly startled but still angrily cursed, “You, Meng Tinghui, have such audacity! Censor-in-Chief Xue only said you were to enter the prison for joint interrogation. How dare you privately use torture behind his back?”

Meng Tinghui raised an eyebrow. “Lord Wang has been an official for nearly twelve years, how can you still be so naive? Censor-in-Chief Xue nominally called it a joint interrogation, yet allowed only me to come alone. Can’t Lord Wang see what this means?” She smiled thinly again. “I am alone with no family; even if I cause trouble, I have nothing to fear. Censor-in-Chief Xue has always kept himself aloof from controversy, and probably hopes I will ‘act recklessly.’ If I can force a confession from you, everyone will be happy. If you refuse to confess even unto death, then even if something goes wrong, I alone will bear the responsibility. Why wouldn’t Censor-in-Chief Xue be pleased with such an arrangement?”

By then, two prison guards had brought over a tray of thin silver needles, while another held a lamp. They passed the needle tips through the fire, causing the silver to be consumed by the flame and emitting a faint blue light. The color appeared extremely terrifying in the dark prison cell.

Meng Tinghui examined them at her leisure, and after a while, nodded at one of the men, signaling them to proceed.

The two men restrained Wang Qi’s body. One held a needle, waving it in front of his eyes, and said in a low voice, “Lord Wang, I must offend you now.” With that, he was about to pierce near his ear.

Wang Qi let out a startled gasp, his whole body beginning to tremble. He shouted at her, “What do you want me to say?”

The prison guard’s movements stopped.

Meng Tinghui’s lips curved slightly. “The matter of forcibly taking horses from commoners in Fuxian County and allowing officials to injure people.”

Wang Qi continued to tremble, quickly saying, “Deputy Minister Wei of the Imperial Stables has already compensated those commoners based on previous years’ horse prices. What more do you want!”

She said, “Did you authorize the yamen soldiers to injure people?”

Wang Qi refused to speak. The prison guard’s finger moved slightly, the bright silver needle tip lightly pricking the skin near his ear. He immediately shook and cried out, “Yes, I did!”

Meng Tinghui nodded, then said, “The matter of the monthly silver from Qingzhou Military Camp.”

Wang Qi’s eyeballs were slightly bloodshot as he glared at her fiercely, “Our dynasty has never executed scholar-officials. How dare you repeatedly torture me tonight? If you truly force me to death, how will you survive?”

She suddenly laughed coldly, “Our dynasty indeed does not execute scholar-officials, but what if Lord Wang commits suicide out of fear of punishment?”

Wang Qi was stunned, then began to struggle like a madman, “You wouldn’t dare!”

She looked at him coldly, “If Lord Wang refuses to confess, just try to see whether I dare or not. Lord Wang doesn’t know that I lack Minister Pan’s fairness to merely exile you to Cangzhou, and I lack Censor-in-Chief Xue’s renowned noble integrity. I’m nothing but a sycophantic minion; reputation and good name are like dung and dirt in my eyes. What wouldn’t I dare to do?”

The prison guard’s finger twisted slightly, and Wang Qi immediately trembled even more violently, gasping, “What Shen Zhishu accused is all true, it’s all true!”

Meng Tinghui’s eyes darkened. She signaled the guards to stop, then turned to call the recording clerk to bring the confession paper for Wang Qi to sign.

As soon as they released him, Wang Qi collapsed to the ground, half-prostrate, half-kneeling. After a long while, he slightly regained his senses. Seeing she was about to leave, he hurriedly called out in a trembling voice, “Lady Meng, Lady Meng, please stay!”

She turned around, her face and voice cold, “Is Lord Wang going to threaten me again? Did Lord Wang not expect that while the three high ministers were too cautious to torture you, I would truly dare to force a confession so harshly? I know that even if you are to be exiled, you will want to find someone to ‘deal with’ me after you’re released, isn’t that right?”

Wang Qi shook his head repeatedly, his voice hoarse, “Lady Meng, I have more to say, can you…” He glanced at the prison guards around, his eyes hesitant.

Meng Tinghui understood, slightly frowning, then dismissed the guards, asking them to wait ten paces away, before saying, “What is it?”

Wang Qi said, “I know Lady Meng hates me for that night, which is why you’re being so harsh with me! But Lady Meng, that shameless act was done by people sent by Deputy Minister Wei and had nothing to do with me. Lady Meng must not vent this hatred on me!” He stared at the confession paper in Meng Tinghui’s hand and continued, “If I tell Lady Meng a secret, could you remove the charge of the monthly silver from Qingzhou Military Camp? The Fuxian County horse case alone is enough to have me demoted and fined. Why must Lady Meng be so merciless?”

She looked at him calmly, not answering but asking, “What secret could be worth my erasing your crime?”

Wang Qi’s face showed a desperate expression as he lowered his voice, “Does Lady Meng remember the incident of being injured by a fall from a horse during last year’s grand archery ceremony?”

Hearing this, Meng Tinghui was slightly surprised. She recalled that he had been far away in Qingzhou at that time, so how could he know about this incident in the capital? Moreover, his mysterious demeanor suggested he knew inside information, which made her even more puzzled. She couldn’t help but frown and sharply ask, “You were only summoned back to the capital to enter the Imperial Stables at the beginning of March this year. How could you know about the horses used in last year’s northern garden archery ceremony?”

Wang Qi didn’t answer, but just said in a low voice, “Lady Meng doesn’t know, that incident was also Deputy Minister Wei’s doing!”