TSWPF -Chapter 414 Confession

Liu Zhimou watched Uncle He remain silent. After a moment, he spoke again, “He Tao, do you really want to put your family in danger for someone who considers you as nothing but dirt?”

If He Tao revealed the person behind everything, Liu Zhimou could help plead his case to the emperor, lessen his punishment, and ensure his crimes wouldn’t drag his family down.

But if he kept silent and protected the person behind it all, then there would be nothing to say—whatever punishment the emperor decreed, he would have to accept it.

The opportunity had already been given; it was up to him whether he seized it or not.

If he couldn’t grasp the opportunity, Liu Zhimou didn’t care to say anything more.

Uncle He lowered his head slightly, lost in thought.

After a long moment, Liu Zhimou lost patience. He waved to the Li family guards to take Uncle He away.

As the guards moved to escort him, Uncle He raised his head and looked at Liu Zhimou, asking, “If I tell the truth, will my family be spared from suffering?”

His mind was filled with worry for his family.

His little grandson was still so young—how could he bear to see them suffer?

Liu Zhimou replied, “If you tell the truth, I will plead your case to the emperor.”

“However, while death sentences can be spared, punishments for life are hard to escape. After all, being a rebel against the court is a serious crime. I do not have the power to stop the emperor from pursuing the guilty. I can only try to get your punishment reduced—that is already extraordinary. Anything more, I cannot promise.”

Uncle He let out a light sigh, his mouth curling into a bitter smile. “I am willing to tell everything I know,” he said.

At this point, he could no longer rely on the master behind everything.

He probably had already become his master’s discarded pawn.

As Liu Zhimou had said, why put his family in danger for someone who would discard him like dirt?

Even if he didn’t care for himself, he had to think of his family and not drag them into hell with him.

With this thought, Uncle He’s heart grew more resolute. He would reveal everything he knew, hoping Liu Zhimou was not deceiving him—that he would plead for mercy to the emperor, reduce his punishment, and spare his family.

“My lord Li, can you truly plead to the emperor on behalf of a lowly subject? My wish is simple—I only hope this matter does not implicate my innocent family. They know nothing of my deeds; they are innocent.”

Before letting the guards attack the county magistrate’s residence, he should have wisely arranged for his family to be sent away from Ninghua County. Otherwise, he wouldn’t be in such a passive position now.

Back then, he had been overconfident, believing he could defeat Liu Zhimou. He hadn’t realized that man’s plans could outmatch his calculations.

Some things simply cannot be forcibly changed.

After this ordeal, he believed in fate.

It was truly fate!

Hearing Uncle He’s words, Liu Zhimou nodded heavily. “I will do everything in my power to have the emperor reduce your punishment, and your family will not be implicated. The prefect can vouch for me—I would not deceive you.”

A gentleman’s word is worth a thousand gold coins; he would never casually fool anyone.

Uncle He trusted Liu Zhimou’s words.

After so many encounters, he no longer underestimated this young man. His mind was far more mature and calculating than others his age.

Truly a Liu family member—worthy of fear.

The prefect nodded in agreement and said he could vouch for Liu Zhimou.

Uncle He glanced at the prefect, puzzled. “When did you side with Lord Liu? I’ve dealt with you so many times; I didn’t know you were on Liu Zhimou’s side.”

No wonder the prefect ignored the four of them…

The prefect smiled faintly. “Lord Liu has charm.”

He indeed found Liu Zhimou charismatic—able to awaken him easily, pulling him out of his stubbornness.

If not for Liu Zhimou, he might never have realized the truth in his life.

Charm?

Uncle He’s mouth twitched. He didn’t think it was charm—it was brainwashing. Liu Zhimou could easily touch a person’s pain points, speak directly to their heart, and turn them to trust him.

That was exactly what had happened—Liu Zhimou persuaded him with just a few words.

He thought that once Liu Zhimou grew stronger, he would be a formidable force.

If aligned with him, that’s fine—but if he were an enemy, it would be terrifying.

They had underestimated him initially, which led to the current situation.

Had they been more cautious, they wouldn’t have suffered such a crushing defeat.

“I already have a wife,” Liu Zhimou said teasingly. Even if the prefect was charming, he wouldn’t be interested. His orientation was normal, and besides, he couldn’t possibly fancy the prefect, whose appearance was… well.

“I know,” the prefect said, realizing what Liu Zhimou meant. He glanced at Liu Zhimou with a blank expression. “Lord Liu, I also have a wife and three children. I was just saying you have charm—what are you imagining?”

He wasn’t gay—no chance.

Although Liu Zhimou was handsome, he was not his type.

He could rest easy; no wild thoughts necessary.

Liu Zhimou nodded. “Then I can rest easy.”

“….”

The prefect rolled his eyes at Liu Zhimou. Rest easy about what? Really…

Seeing Liu Zhimou’s playful side, Uncle He couldn’t help but relax a bit.

Taking advantage of the moment, Liu Zhimou asked Uncle He the questions he had prepared.

With a light tone, Uncle He revealed everything he knew.

After hearing it all, Liu Zhimou frowned. “You mean you’ve never seen the master hiding behind the scenes?” If that were true, it would be difficult.

The person behind everything had hidden themselves so well—where could one even investigate? Even if you searched, the answers might never be found.

He hadn’t expected the mastermind’s defenses to be so strong. Although He Zhao Wang Lin and the others carried out the deeds, the master never appeared.

This meant He Zhao Wang Lin and the others were merely pawns—if they were abandoned, so be it.

Liu Zhimou lightly tapped the table, asking Uncle He to think carefully—was there nothing else? Could any other detail provide a clue?

Uncle He shook his head reluctantly. He had told everything he knew.

For himself and for his family, he had not hidden a single thing. He was completely honest.

“My lord, you will keep your promise, won’t you?” He could not afford for Liu Zhimou to turn his back on him just because the information wasn’t useful.

Liu Zhimou glanced at him coldly. “I am not a man of empty words. I won’t deceive you.”

Hearing this, Uncle He breathed a sigh of relief, a faint smile appearing on his lips. He solemnly thanked him.

Liu Zhimou nodded and instructed the Li family guards to take Uncle He to the next room. After all interrogations were completed, he would be returned to the prison.

The second person brought up was Wang Yang. He looked around, didn’t see Uncle He, and angrily demanded, “Where did you take him? You didn’t kill him, did you?”

The thought of death made his heart skip a beat, and he cautiously watched Liu Zhimou.

“You can barely protect yourself—why worry about others?” Liu Zhimou replied calmly.

Wang Yang was the most impulsive of the four, a hothead. One wrong move could ignite his temper.

People like him were difficult or easy to deal with depending on how you provoked them.

“You…” Wang Yang glared at Liu Zhimou, closed his eyes again, and muttered in his heart, Don’t act rashly, don’t act rashly, one wrong move and it’s over.

Once his anger subsided, he reopened his eyes and asked with a casual attitude, “What do you want with me?”

He didn’t realize that Liu Zhimou had no intention of facing him. Was he trying to trick him into revealing something? No way.

He would never let Liu Zhimou get useful information from him.

Unbeknownst to him, a single word from Liu Zhimou would break his resistance.

“He Tao has already explained the entire situation to me…”

Before Liu Zhimou could finish, Wang Yang interrupted loudly. “Impossible! How could He Tao tell you? Absolutely impossible! Don’t try to deceive me—I won’t believe it.”

He trusted He Tao above all—he would never easily confess, unless tortured or forced, and even then only minor details, never secrets.

Liu Zhimou smiled faintly at Wang Yang’s frustration and calmly said a few words.

Afterward, Wang Yang, who had been shouting, suddenly went silent, as if someone had strangled him.

His eyes widened, staring at Liu Zhimou. After a long moment, he finally found his voice, “You… you dog of an official, what did you do to He Tao? What did you do to make him… tell you… such secrets?”

Liu Zhimou’s smile deepened. “He Tao is smarter than you. He would not risk his family’s lives for someone who does not value his own.”

He Tao was the leader of the four—not just for his cautious personality, but because he could weigh time and circumstance, making choices that avoided bigger losses.

Someone like Wang Yang was fit only to charge forward blindly—not to lead. His impulsiveness could easily trap his companions in danger.

Wang Yang slumped in his chair, utterly despondent, muttering to himself, Impossible, absolutely impossible. I don’t believe it.

“Wang Yang, He Tao has told the truth. Will you continue to hide it?” Liu Zhimou pressed on, seizing the moment while Wang Yang was emotionally shaken, determined to extract the truth.