Mo Qianzhi kept repeating the same few sentences, refusing to disclose anything else. Shen Du barely contained his anger and turned to Wang Buzui.
He slammed the judge’s gavel on the bench and questioned, “Wang Buzui, when did you join the Fire Moth Party? Why did you kill and behead people? How did you communicate with the Fire Moth Party leaders? Confess everything honestly, and I might leave you an intact corpse.”
Wang Buzui’s crimes of leading the Fire Moth members to impersonate Half-Face Ghosts, murdering, arson, disturbing public order, and committing numerous atrocities warranted being torn apart by five horses.
Wang Buzui glanced at Shen Du and sneered, “If I’m going to die either way, why pretend to be so righteous? Kill me or torture me as you please, I have nothing else to say.”
Trying to get something for nothing? Hah! He might be down on his luck, but he wasn’t that stupid.
“Guards, take him away and give him twenty lashes. Let’s see how long he can keep his mouth shut!”
Shen Du was furious. He could tolerate Mo Qianzhi to some extent due to their past, but he had no reason to hold back with Wang Buzui.
Unexpectedly, before the guards could move, Mo Qianzhi spoke up, “Grand Director, are you planning to extract a confession through torture?”
The sarcasm in his words was palpable.
“Mo Qianzhi, are you trying to challenge the imperial court single-handedly? Do you dare to defy the law?”
“I wouldn’t dare. I’m merely confused and asking for clarification.”
Mo Qianzhi’s indifferent attitude infuriated Shen Du even more. Seeing the guards still motionless, he swept everything off the high bench onto the floor.
“Are you all deaf?”
Despite Shen Du’s outburst, the guards only looked at each other with worried expressions before lowering their heads, remaining still.
Shen Du was so angry he felt his liver ache. He clutched his chest, breathing heavily.
Finally, Jing Lin personally dragged Wang Buzui away, ordering the Imperial Guard to carry out the punishment.
The Imperial Guard’s punishments were far more severe than those of ordinary yamen. Hearing the sound of the rod striking flesh, Mo Qianzhi’s heart turned cold.
He slumped to the ground, no longer kneeling. “Shen Du, Grand Director Shen, have you truly forgotten everything from the past? By publicly torturing today, aren’t you confirming the accusations of extracting false confessions? Back then, your father… Never mind, it’s all in the past. Since you’ve tortured Wang Buzui, you should treat everyone equally and give me twenty lashes as well.”
“Don’t think I wouldn’t dare!” Shen Du gritted his teeth in anger.
At this point, not only were the guards in the hall unsettled, but the observing crowd outside also began to murmur.
“My lord, could there be a misunderstanding? The Governor has been a good official who cares for the people!”
“That’s right! During the famine years, he set up porridge stalls to feed the people for free. He led the yamen officers to help people repair their houses without taking a single coin. How could such an official be evil?”
Since taking office as the Governor of Yingzhou, Mo Qianzhi has done many practical things for the people, earning their love and respect, as well as the admiration of his colleagues. His reputation was excellent.
Zhu Yan and Shen Du learned about these things on their first day in Yingzhou.
However, they hadn’t expected that after Mo Qianzhi personally ordered the city guards to shoot civilians at the city gate yesterday, witnessed by many, the people would still plead for leniency on his behalf.
Seeing this, Jing Lin whispered in Shen Du’s ear, “Sir, if we give the Governor a beating, these people might riot. Perhaps we should reconsider our approach.”
Shen Du was well aware of this. After some thought, he addressed the crowd, “Everyone, please rest assured. I will investigate thoroughly to uncover the truth. I won’t let any evildoers go unpunished, nor will I wrongly accuse any innocent person.”
He then clenched and unclenched his fist before instructing Jing Lin, “Put them both in jail. We’ll interrogate them another day.”
After Jing Lin acknowledged the order, Shen Du strode out of the hall and returned to the rear courtyard.
This matter had far-reaching implications, and Mo Qianzhi and the others were tight-lipped. Originally, they thought the Half-Face Ghosts would be a tough nut to crack, but now it seemed they were also connected to the Fire Moth Party. It was unclear whether this mystery would lead to salvation or doom.
To be safe, he decided to write a letter detailing everything to the Empress, allowing her to make an early decision.
Already fuming inside, he turned to see Zhu Yan supporting Pan Chi as they walked towards him.
Pan Chi seemed boneless as if he wanted to drape his entire body over Zhu Yan.
Zhu Yan, unaware of Shen Du’s presence, only felt the increasing weight on her body. She couldn’t help but slap Pan Chi, “Walk properly, don’t take advantage of the situation.”
If it weren’t for the fact that he was so badly injured because of her, she wouldn’t have the patience to support him like this.
Pan Chi eased up a bit but still kept his hand on Zhu Yan’s shoulder, shamelessly saying, “How am I taking advantage? Yan’er, don’t forget, you came to the medical hall to pick me up and promised to take care of me. That’s why I came back with you.”
Originally, he thought he’d have to stay at the medical hall for a few more days until his internal injuries improved before returning to the yamen. By then, he planned to pester Zhu Yan daily until she gave him an answer.
Who knew that early in the morning, she would arrive with a large man, showing concern and care, making his heart as sweet as if he had eaten candied fruit?
“Yes, yes, I must have taken the wrong medicine to bring back such a demanding guest,” Zhu Yan couldn’t help but grumble.
She had brought him back only because Shen Du was also injured, and since she was going to brew some tonic soup anyway, she could spare some for him to help him recover his strength sooner.
Jing Lin had the Imperial Guard take Wang Buzui and Mo Qianzhi away, then approached Shen Du. One look told him something was wrong.
Following Shen Du’s gaze, he saw Zhu Yan and Pan Chi standing close together like a perfect couple. Suddenly, he understood why Shen Du’s killing intent was barely contained.
Shen Du couldn’t help but kick him, “Since you’ve seen it, why are you just standing there?”
The arguing pair finally noticed Shen Du and Jing Lin waiting at the entrance, freezing in place.
Jing Lin steadied himself, rubbing his backside before walking towards Zhu Yan. Before Pan Chi could react, he pulled him away and supported him instead. “My lady, let me handle this! This fellow is too heavy, and you’re injured too. You need to rest properly.”
Zhu Yan breathed a sigh of relief, “That’s fine.” At least it would stop this guy from saying inappropriate things.
But Pan Chi was unhappy, “Two grown men holding each other like this, how does it look? Let go, I can walk on my own.”
That Shen Du was so inconsiderate, always appearing at the wrong moment. He hadn’t even had a chance to build a good relationship with Zhu Yan yet.
Shen Du was walking over and heard Pan Chi’s words. He couldn’t help but glare at him, “Pan Chi, Zhu Yan is my wife. Besides, men and women should keep their distance. You should stay away from her.”
“A marriage in name only,” Pan Chi retorted without backing down. “Moreover, Yan’er is a person, not an object. She has the right to choose for herself. I’m such a dashing and handsome gentleman, Yan’er will surely fall for me.”
“To each their own. Pan Young Master is so romantic, I wonder if Lord Pan knows about it? Being so flirtatious, you’d be better matched with those courtesans.”
The two men went back and forth, arguing incessantly.