Chapter 123: Forced Confession
The year the present emperor ascended the throne, King Min's son Yuanqi was four years old.
"How do you know King Min's son?"
Tang Ying sat in the dark interrogation room. There were more than a dozen oil lamps burning on the four walls, illuminating the cell with a strange and eerie atmosphere. She was playing with a short whip in her hand. "Master Fu has been in the Imperial Cavalry Division for a long time. He must know the consequences of being stubborn, right?"
The handsome young man's official robe had been stripped off long ago, leaving his hair loose and his hands tied firmly on his head. A pair of cold eyes appeared through his messy hair: "I don't know the person that Director Tang is talking about. Does Director want to force him to confess?"
In addition to several people from the Forbidden Cavalry Department, there were also the eunuch Liu San sent by the Emperor of Southern Qi and the gloomy-faced Zhao Wu in the interrogation room.
Liu San had some friendship with Fu Chen in the past, so he advised: "Master Fu, you'd better confess honestly. His Majesty hates being deceived the most. If you resist stubbornly, I'm afraid you will bring trouble to your family."
"Why must Fu confess to something he has never done?"
Tang Ying: "Someone, bring the witness in."
The witness was about the same age as Fu Chen, and had the appearance of a weak scholar, with no flesh on his cheeks and a mean look. When he saw Tang Ying, he bowed and said, "Student Wang Ran greets the headmaster."
Tang Ying: "His Majesty handed you two over to me. I heard that you informed His Majesty that Fu Chen had let King Min's son go. Is that true?"
Wang Ran said without hesitation: "This is absolutely true, but I didn't know that the man was the son of King Min at first, otherwise I wouldn't have let the man named Fu let him go." His eyes swept over Fu Chen, as if he had an old grudge against him and wanted to scrape a piece of flesh off him, with a hint of pride in his eyes.
Tang Ying: "I wonder how you met Fu Chen and the son of King Min?"
Wang Ran's testimony was fluent as if it had been rehearsed many times in advance: "... Many years ago, this student and Fu Chen studied under Mr. Song. Mr. Song also accepted several younger students. Among them was a student named Li Qi. He was from a poor family, but he was very smart and was very popular with Mr. Song. He was very close to Fu Chen and he often helped Li Qi. Later, Fu Chen went to Beijing to take the imperial examination, but he ended up in the Imperial Cavalry Division. By chance, I discovered that Li Qi was secretly communicating with someone. I was very curious, so I sent a long-time attendant to follow him. I found out that he was the son of King Min and his real name should be Yuan Qi. I also thought about reporting it to the authorities, but the matter was too confidential, so I didn't mention it until Fu Chen went to visit Mr. Song last time. I saw that he had become the commander of the Imperial Cavalry Division, so I thought about reporting the matter to him. Unexpectedly, Mr. Fu relied on his official position to not only threaten me not to tell anyone about the matter, but also tipped off Yuan Qi, and he ran away that night."
Tang Ying: "If that's the case, why did Mr. Wang wait until today to report this to Your Majesty?"
Wang Ran: "I heard that the newly appointed Jingzhao Liu is impartial and just. I thought about it and decided that I shouldn't have been threatened by Fu Chen and concealed the truth. So I boldly went to Liu to ask for help, and then reported it to the emperor."
Tang Ying sneered: "Master Fu, what else do you have to say?"
Fu Chen stood up straight. He still had chains on his feet, so he made a noise when he moved a little. When he raised his head, his whole face covered by long hair was exposed. The handsome young man sneered, "Wang Ran, I didn't expect that after so many years of separation, your ability to study has not improved much, but your ability to make up stories has improved. As everyone knows, the son of King Min died in the year when Your Majesty ascended the throne. He died in the Palace of King Min, and his mother, Concubine Xu, personally fed him poison wine. You are jealous of Li Qi's talent and intelligence, and he is better at studying than you, so you frame him as the son of King Min. It's really funny!"
Wang Ran didn't want to admit that he was jealous of the virtuous, so he stretched his neck to defend himself: "He is obviously the son of the Rebel King. His wet nurse's son looks a bit like him. At that time, Concubine Xu replaced her own son with the wet nurse's son and sent the Rebel King's confidant to take him out of the capital overnight. I heard him secretly talking with the servants and then I knew the inside story. Fu Chen, you openly shielded the son of the Rebel King. You really won't cry until you see the coffin."
Fu Chen's cold eyes came straight at him: "Wang Ran, you have been jealous of me for a long time. I don't know who instructed you to frame me. It's not a pity that I die today, but it's a pity that you don't even let your classmates go. Who in this world dares to associate with you?"
As soon as he said this, Wang Ran's voice was filled with panic: "You are talking nonsense! Although I haven't passed the imperial examination yet, I am loyal to Your Majesty. I am not like you who deceives the world and deceives Your Majesty!"
Tang Ying turned the whip and smiled playfully: "Since you both refuse to admit it, let's torture you. Someone, come here——"
Liu Zhong was standing behind her, and he flattered her at the right time: "Sir, torturing is a physically demanding job, let me do it."
※※※
Trials by the Cavalry Division were always bloody and frightening.
Tang Ying conducted three trials in a row. Even the eunuch Zhao Wu who appeared with Liu San finally softened his expression. He probably felt that Tang Ying's trial methods were quite bloody. Both witnesses and suspects had whip wounds all over their bodies, and there were few good skin spots on their bodies. He treated everyone equally without bias or partiality.
Fu Chen was in so much pain that he yelled, "Liu Zhong, you bastard, I used to treat you like a brother, and this is how you repay me?"
The more fiercely he cursed, the more ruthlessly Liu Zhong attacked him. Even Wang Ran was trembling with fear. If it weren't for the bright future promised by others, he would have backed out.
Compared to Fu Chen's iron will, Wang Ran's attitude was much better. When he was beaten severely, he kept saying: "Li Qi is the son of the rebel king, I didn't lie..." He also blurted out many things about Fu Chen's interactions with Yuan Qi when he was studying.
After the first trial, Liu San returned to the palace to report to the Emperor of Southern Qi, leaving only the eunuch Zhao Wu to continue as a juror.
The matter was confidential, and the Emperor of Southern Qi probably did not want to cause any more trouble. However, he was still worried about the people from the Imperial Cavalry Division, fearing that they had a colleague relationship with Fu Chen and would show mercy during the interrogation. So he sent Zhao Wu as a juror.
When Zhao Wu saw the wounds on Fu Chen's body and witnessed Liu Zhong beating and scolding him, he said, "Fu, you used to be so arrogant. Do you know what I hate most about you? I hate the way you act so indifferent, as if we brothers are just mud under your feet for you to trample on..." When he walked out of the interrogation room and looked back to see Fu Chen unconscious with his arms hanging down, his suspicion was mostly gone, and he spoke to Tang Ying for the first time in three days.
"Master Tang, do you know the surname of the Bamboo Forest Temple Concubine?"
"Could it be that the Bamboo Forest Temple Concubine's surname is Bai?"
※※※
Fu Chen was detained in the palace by the Emperor of Southern Qi, and then sent to the Imperial Prison of the Imperial Cavalry. All kinds of rumors were rampant outside, saying all kinds of things, but there were few who sympathized with him and many who gloated over his misfortune.
Shen Qian, who had been friends since childhood, secretly ran to the Tang residence to inquire about the news and even wanted to visit him in the inner prison: "What happened to Chen? Please allow me to go in and take a look, just one look."
Tang Ying ignored his jumping up and down, and packed her things with a stern face: "Lord Shen, you should go back quickly if you are okay. This matter is very serious, you'd better not get involved, or you will get yourself into trouble."
Shen Qian usually looked very unruly, but his true nature was revealed at the critical moment: "Yingying! Lord Tang! Princess! Please let me see Achen. No matter how rare the things in my house are, I will send them to you as long as you like them!"
"Lord Shen, please be careful with your words!" Tang Ying's pretty face was filled with a cold and distant expression, "If this gets out, people will think I'm bending the law for personal gain, abusing my power, and accepting bribes. Someone, show me away--"
Zhang Qing came in from outside, ignored Shen Qian's pleading, grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and threw him out of the mansion.
Some were more reserved, like the Fourth Prince Yuan Jian, who blocked her on the way to the palace, forced her to get on his carriage, and asked solemnly, "What's going on? Master Fu has made many enemies in the past, but how did this suddenly come up?"
Tang Ying did not answer but asked: "I heard that in recent days, some court officials have proposed to Your Majesty that the prince leave the capital and go to the vassal state. Although Your Majesty has not issued an order, it seems that he is very interested. Have you sorted it out? Have you almost dealt with the mess in the Ministry of Justice?"
"My case is easy to deal with, but what about Lord Fu? Is he still alive? Who did it?"
Tang Ying rubbed his temples to relieve the discomfort in his head, and briefly explained the whole story: "Three years ago, Jingzhao Prefecture Yin Liu Honglin secretly became a disciple of the Grand Princess. Recently, he has also been very close to the Prince of Xiang. He either joined the Prince of Xiang through the Grand Princess' introduction, or he is pretending to be friendly and temporarily working for the Prince of Xiang."
"You mean... it was my second brother who framed Lord Fu?" Yuan Jian was puzzled: "Lord Fu and my second brother don't have any hatred . He even wanted to win over Lord Fu to be the ninth prince consort. Why did he use this matter to frame him?"
Tang Ying had a strange expression on her face, as if she was sad and regretful: "That day in Qingliang Palace, the King of Xiang suddenly questioned me, and he subconsciously stood in front of me. I think that planted the seeds of disaster." Her voice contained unspeakable weakness, and she didn't know whether she blamed Fu Chen or herself: "You say he couldn't be more tactful? Or not be so nice to me, alienating me and treating me coldly, isn't it better than protecting me?"
No one knew what she felt in her heart when she was interrogating Fu Chen and witnessed him gradually turning into a bloody mess.
It was after Fu Chen got into trouble that she secretly sent Zhang Qing to the Fu Mansion, only to discover that Fu Xian and his wife had left the capital several months ago. The servant guarding the gate said that the master and his wife were traveling far away with a caravan and did not know when they would return. She suspected that Fu Chen had already discovered the undercurrents in the capital and was afraid of implicating his family, so he arranged for his parents to leave.
Yuan Jian had never seen Tang Ying so depressed. Even when she was disguised as a little beggar and was being chased by people, she could still smile brightly while escaping.
"Isn't this a frame-up? Is that man really the son of King Min?"
If it was a frame-up, Tang Ying's interrogation skills would definitely help Fu Chen get rid of the crime.
"I will go to Zhulin Temple this afternoon." She wiped her face, as if she had put on an indestructible cold mask, and jumped down from his carriage gracefully, climbed on the horse, and said loudly: "Your Highness, please tell Princess Qing that I will go to play with her when I have time."
Yuan Jian stuck his head out, as weak as ever: "I will definitely tell you, I only ask that when you come back to discuss with the princess, please be more compassionate to the flowers and plants in my garden."
※※※
Yuan Lang was staying in the Grand Princess's mansion to "fulfill his filial piety" when he heard that the person who was following Tang Ying came to report her whereabouts.
"My aunt was very smart and sent Fu Chen to the imperial prison, and personally handed him over to that girl. I didn't expect that Tang Ying was also a cruel person. She beat Fu Chen until he was bloody and dying. Fortunately, that girl named Fu was obsessed with her and still protected him." Yuan Lang was depressed for a long time , but finally cheered up because of this incident.
Before he ascended the throne in his previous life, he had no chance to interfere in the Forbidden Cavalry Division, and Fu Chen had died in the imperial prison before he ascended the throne. It was rumored that the Emperor of Southern Qi had ordered the killing of too many ministers in his later years, so he wanted to use Fu Chen to appease the public anger and found a random excuse to convict him.
At that time, there were still about two or three months before the death of the Emperor of Southern Qi. Fu Chen and Tang Ying had no chance to meet. He was just an unrelated minister. He once secretly showed his goodwill to Tang Ying, but the other party was unmoved and insisted on serving the emperor loyally. In the end, he ended up dying tragically in the imperial prison.
Soon after his death, he was beset with infamy and it would not be an exaggeration to say that he was “infamous”.
Later, after he succeeded to the throne, he took over the Imperial Cavalry Division. He heard a rumor, or an old man who was loyal to him in the Imperial Cavalry Division mentioned that Fu Chen's death was related to the son of King Min, and the two were disciples of the same teacher.
Yuan Lang didn't take it to heart at first, but when Fu Chen stepped forward in the Golden Palace that day, many things from the past flashed through his mind. Not only did the Tang man reject his marriage proposal, but he also brought Yang Yinjun to the palace gate to make a scene and trampled his face in the mud. He didn't know how many people laughed at him behind his back, not to mention slandering him for bribery in front of the emperor - this was going to put him to death!
He hated Tang Ying to the extreme at that time, and also hated Fu Chen.
Since the two of them insist on banding together to protect him, don't blame him for being rude and coming to ask the Grand Princess to send Fu Chen to Tang Ying and let her do it herself. He wants to see how hard-hearted the girl named Tang is and whether she can repay kindness with enmity.
He only revealed the news that Prince Min's son was still alive, and it seemed that he had been a classmate of Fu Chen. The Grand Princess then proposed to send people to dig him out. The group of people she sent to Yuan Lang were extremely efficient, and soon they learned about Wang Ran's report.
The eldest princess leaned on the couch, smiled and accepted his compliment, and said with concern: "Last time I heard that Tang Ying sent people to humiliate you at the palace gate, I felt very upset. This girl is really too much. Later, it was reported that she slandered you for bribery, and I couldn't bear it anymore. As long as I am still alive, I can't let Lang'er be bullied!"
She spoke with such sincerity that Yuan Lang was filled with gratitude: "Auntie has been so kind to me. I will definitely treat you like my own mother in the future!"
Yunniang brought up the tea and calmly placed it in front of Yuanlang: "Your Highness Prince Xiang, please have some tea." She deliberately interrupted the scene of "the loving aunt and the filial nephew are so touching."
If she didn't know the inside story, she would probably be moved by this scene, and then be grateful to God for his kindness and for leaving a glimmer of hope for her master.
In the Grand Princess's mansion, the aunt and niece got along very well and had a great conversation. They were both looking forward to the tragic death of Fu Chen in the imperial prison.
Yuan Heng wished that the Emperor of Southern Qi would cut off one of his arms. Fu Chen was smart and capable, and few could match him. He was an extremely sharp knife in the hands of the Emperor of Southern Qi.
Yuan Lang was humiliated by Tang Ying, and his love turned into hatred. He was unable to kill her for the time being, and wished that Fu Chen would die in her hands so that she would suffer for the rest of her life.
The aunt and niece reached a rare and strange agreement on one thing, and even their smiles became more sincere. Yuan Lang laughed when he heard the report from the person who was secretly monitoring Tang Ying that she went to Zhulin Temple alone.
"She is trying to exonerate the man surnamed Fu, but she even alarmed the Concubine Dowager? The son of Prince Min is the Concubine Dowager's grandson. Can she tell her the truth? She may be met with failure." I really want to go to Zhulin Temple to see Tang Ying being humiliated. It must be very pleasing to watch.
Yuan Heng sighed softly: "The Concubine Bai..." This person has not appeared in her life for many years. When she mentioned her again, it seemed like a lifetime ago: "The Concubine is probably very happy to have the opportunity to see her grandson, right?"
※※※
Zhulin Temple was far from the capital, and Tang Ying rode for most of the day before arriving in front of the temple. Then a guard came up to him and asked, "Who dares to trespass into Zhulin Temple and disturb the quiet meditation of the temple?"
Zhulin Temple sounds like a place for royal women to practice meditation, but to be honest it is the place where abandoned women of the royal family were exiled. There are special guards patrolling the temple on weekdays, ostensibly to protect the nobles, but in reality it is no different from being in prison.
Tang Ying took out the Imperial Cavalry Division badge and handed it over. The guards' attitude immediately changed, and they knocked on the temple door themselves. "Are you here to visit an old friend or on business?"
"I'm here to investigate the case under the order of His Majesty." Tang Ying said with a half-smile, "Do you want me to tell you about the case?"
How could the guards dare to offend the powerful Imperial Cavalry Division? "You are joking, sir." The nun who was waiting at the temple gate for the door to open welcomed the man in and said cordially, "Thank you for coming from afar. If you need any errands, please let me know."
The answer he got was two pieces of silver that Tang Ying threw out of her purse before the temple gate was closed. He quickly caught them, and before he could say a few more polite words, the temple gate had already closed.
Yao Niang was surprised to see Tang Ying: "Why are you here?"
Tang Ying was holding a bundle in her hand, which contained some things she had brought for her, including food and daily necessities, as well as the best rouge and powder in the capital: "I'm bored staying in the capital, and I miss you, so I came to visit you." Yao Niang slapped her hard on the forehead.
"You silly girl, you look like you have a lot on your mind. It's obvious that something's wrong, and you still want to lie to me." She opened the bundle and was quite happy to see the snacks inside: "You are quite filial." When she saw the rouge and powder, she gave her another slap: "Do you think I am your aunt in the Forbidden Cavalry Division? And rouge and powder. There are only bald little nuns around me. Who am I dressing up for?" She picked it up and smelled it, her joy was beyond words: "Is this... a new rouge?"
"Aunt can dress up for herself." Tang Ying did not forget to joke: "Or you can dress up for the little nun."
"The abbot will peel off my skin!"
The abbess of Zhulin Temple was strict to the point of being abnormal, and she had very strict rules for the nuns in the temple. If anyone showed any sign of yearning for the mundane world, she would send that person to the criminal court, and beat them until the nun lost all interest in life and lost all hope.
"I thought my aunt was fearless." Tang Ying took a sip of wild tea and joked in a rare relaxed manner.
"I'm afraid. Your aunt is a coward. She just wants to be a shadow guard for the concubine. How dare she cause trouble again?"
Her only hope of survival was gained by Gan Jun risking his life to beg for it from the Emperor of Southern Qi. Even for Gan Jun's sake, she could no longer act so willfully.
