Ming Dynasty: Is a mere unruly commoner rebelling against heaven?

Chapter 73: The Xichang and Dongchang's Respective Methods of Torture!

"Ah, ah, ah, ah!!!"

"It hurts! It hurts so much!!!!!"

"No!! No!!! Stop it!!!"

"Spare me, Lord Qin! Ah, ah, ah, ah!!!"

"… …"

Zhang Hai and Liu Zong's wails pierced through the thin earthen walls of the post station, reaching the ears of Yang Jizong and Wang Yan in the next room.

Wang Yan shuddered violently, a chill running down his spine.

He thought that if it hadn't been for Yang Jizong's firm rejection of Zhang Hai's bribe, he might have been the one being tortured now.

Thinking of this, Wang Yan wanted to run to the outhouse.

Yang Jizong, however, remained expressionless, still recording the field data in his book.

The screams were like a gentle breeze, unable to change his demeanor in the slightest.

After the screams subsided, both of Zhang Hai and Liu Zong’s hands were a bloody mess.

This was unbearable for them, who had long been accustomed to a life of comfort.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah!!! Let me go!!! I really can't take it anymore!"

"Ah, ah, ah! I'll confess! I'll confess everything!!! Hurry up and take the bamboo skewers out!!!"

"I'll confess too! I really will confess everything!!! Please, take the bamboo skewers out!!!"

Hearing that the two were willing to confess, Qin Lu snorted coldly.

"Hmph, is that all it takes? And you're already giving up?"

Qin Lu waved his hand, and the Xichang agents removed the bamboo skewers from their fingers.

This caused the two to cry out in pain again, their bodies trembling violently.

Blood gushed from their fingers, a gruesome sight.

"Speak, who exactly is instructing you?"

"Who does the large tract of land in Jinmen Garrison belong to?"

Zhang Hai's face was as pale as paper, and beads of sweat dripped from his face from time to time.

This was all cold sweat, forced out of Zhang Hai by the pain.

Zhang Hai regretted it immensely. Originally, according to the plan, Liu Zong was supposed to deal with the most dangerous Qin Lu.

He only needed to extend an olive branch to the two officials, Wang Yan and Yang Jizong.

Their official positions were not as high as his, and Qin Lu was not around. Logically speaking, his trip should have been completely safe.

But he really didn't expect that Wang Yan and Yang Jizong would reject his overtures, and that Qin Lu would return so quickly.

And Qin Lu had directly imprisoned him, a third-rank official, on the spot and started the torture.

Xichang was so arrogant and overbearing that Zhang Hai's heart turned to ashes.

He knew that if Xichang was determined to deal with him, with Zhu You樘's trust in Xichang, the people behind him would definitely not be able to protect him.

Thinking of this, Zhang Hai closed his eyes in despair and uttered five words in a voice barely audible.

"Earl of Rui'an, Wang Yuan."

Qin Lu frowned, his expression becoming serious.

He turned to look at Liu Zong, his gaze like a sword.

Liu Zong couldn't withstand Qin Lu's sharp gaze and lowered his head.

"It… it was the Earl of Rui'an who instructed me. My land is also… all the Earl of Rui'an’s."

"I was originally a servant in the Earl of Rui'an's household. It was… it was the Earl of Rui'an who forcibly placed the land under my name…"

Liu Zong's face was ashen, his heart filled with fear and unease.

If Zhang Hai hadn't spoken first, he would never have said these three words even if he was beaten to death.

But since Zhang Hai had already said it, there was no point in him hiding it anymore. It was better to say it and suffer less physical pain.

"Earl of Rui'an, Wang Yuan."

Qin Lu repeated the name in a low voice, his eyes filled with murderous intent.

No matter what forces they were, anyone who tried to stop the land survey would be destroyed by Xichang!

They, Xichang, would swear to carry out the orders of the Great Ming Emperor!

… …

It was a rare sunny day in the deep autumn season in the capital.

The warm sunlight shone on the earth, dispelling some of the chill.

The entire capital seemed more vibrant than usual under the sunlight.

The bustling crowd on the streets and the noisy hawking were all signs of human life.

On this rare warm day, the Dongchang's gloomy and damp prison was still extremely cold and damp.

Anyone who came to the Dongchang prison couldn't help but shiver, feeling extremely terrified.

Only Liu Jin, the Dongchang's chief torturer, smiled very brightly.

At this moment, he was using a torture called 'combing'.

It was extremely painful and cruel.

On the torture rack in front of him was a prisoner covered in blood, tortured beyond recognition.

And at this moment, Liu Jin's hands didn't stop moving.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!!!"

With just one stroke, the prisoner screamed miserably.

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!!!!!"

Liu Jin looked at the man with a smile, and listening to the prisoner's screams, he only felt incomparably happy.

"Liu Judge, will you confess?"

"If you don't confess, I'll come back and ask you again in a quarter of an hour."

"Heh, heh, heh, don't be too anxious. I have plenty of time."

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!!!!!"

Liu Wentai, the judge of the Imperial Hospital, who had been tortured for a whole day, had completely collapsed at this moment.

The endless pain in his body and the incomparable fear in his heart made him feel that death was so beautiful.

"Lord Liu, kill me, please kill me!"

"I can't take it anymore! I really can't take it anymore!!!"

"Ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!!! I'll confess! I'll confess everything!!!"

"Please, kill me, ah, ah, ah, ah, ah!!!!!"

Liu Jin threw the iron brush in his hand aside with some regret, and picked up a pen and paper instead.

"Speak, who exactly instructed you to poison the late Emperor?"

Liu Wentai's face was as pale as paper, and his bloodless lips trembled as he uttered the name of a dead man.

"Liu Ji."

… …

Dongchang Inner Hall Secret Room.

Huai En, Li Guang, and Liu Jin looked at the secret letter on the table in front of them with tangled expressions.

Li Guang frowned and pondered: "Godfather, do we really have to present it to His Majesty now?"

"Yes, Director, why don't we wait a little longer? Give me some more time, and I can find out more people."

Contrary to Li Guang, Liu Jin licked his lips excitedly, his eyes full of bloodthirsty light.

Torturing people and listening to their wails was the thing Liu Jin enjoyed the most now.

Huai En glanced at Liu Jin, his face complex.

Frowning, Huai En carefully put away the secret letter on the table.

"We can't wait any longer. Dongchang has been silent for too long."

"It's time to let these officials know that Dongchang will always be the head of the imperial guards!"

"I'm going to the palace to meet the Emperor now. Be prepared at any time to tear a hole in the sky of this capital!"

"Yes, Godfather!"

"Yes, Director!"

Huai En didn't delay any longer, and hurried towards the palace with the secret letter in his arms.