TGCFNM -Chapter 117 Interrogating Zeng Yuanpin

Wan Sanjin watched as the Zeng family members, cursing incessantly, were dragged away. He turned to Chu Ling and gave a thumbs-up, eyes wide with admiration. “Sir, you truly have a keen eye—you actually recognized that this wasn’t an imperial gift!”

Chu Ling was startled. “Who told you it wasn’t an imperial gift?”

Wan Sanjin’s hand trembled as he looked at the brush in his hand. He opened his mouth in horror, stammering, “This… this really is an imperial gift?”

“Yes,” Chu Ling replied calmly.

“But Sir, you broke it!” Wan Sanjin’s eyes widened, and he gripped the brush tightly.

“Yeah,” Chu Ling shrugged. “So what? How could the Emperor possibly remember every single thing he gives out? The Zeng family is just a small merchant household. Do you think they would dare to enter the capital to see the Emperor? Even if they did, the Emperor would have to want to meet them first.”

Wan Sanjin again raised his thumb in admiration. Truly, their master was no ordinary person.

Chu Ling beckoned him closer and whispered, lowering her voice, “Make sure the brush is destroyed, then get a similar one to keep as evidence and seal it.”

Wan Sanjin coughed and hurriedly put the brush away.

Chu Ling mounted her horse again and looked at the group of students. “Go arrest the others. Remember to come to the yamen tomorrow to observe the trial.” With that, she rode off.

Wan Sanjin quickly signaled to the others to go arrest the people from the other two households.

With the Zeng family as a warning, the other two households didn’t even think of resisting. They simply handed over their people and promised not to interfere with the investigation.

By the time Chu Ling arrived at the prison, Mei Gao’s subordinates had already delivered the prisoners, locking them in the cells.

Xiao Hua was there too, holding her fire poker, and upon seeing Chu Ling arrive, she went forward to help her dismount and then led her into the prison.

Inside the prison, The warden had set up tables and stools and stood nervously and expectantly to the side. “Sir, how do you plan to interrogate them?”

“Bring Zeng Yuanpin up first,” Chu Ling said.

The warden immediately gestured for his men to fetch him.

When Zeng Yuanpin was dragged up, he was still shouting and cursing incoherently. His neatly tied hair and crown had long since been undone, and he knelt there like a madman, hair disheveled, handcuffs and shackles clanging loudly.

Xiao Hua stepped forward and, before Zeng Yuanpin could react, struck the ground in front of him, leaving a pit.

The loud bang stunned Zeng Yuanpin—and even the warden.

Chu Ling sat there like a grim judge from hell, her voice icy cold: “I’m asking you questions. Confess honestly, or your head will meet the same fate as this ground—a pit for each strike. Think carefully.”

Zeng Yuanpin was terrified out of his wits and couldn’t help but hiccup.

“I already know you stopped the carriage to steal because of gambling debts,” Chu Ling said coldly. “But besides the three of you, there must be others. Who are they?”

Zeng Yuanpin’s face went pale. He clamped his mouth shut and shook his head frantically. “No one else… just the three of us and a few hired thugs.”

Chu Ling was momentarily taken aback. “You’re admitting it straight away?”

Lowering his head, Zeng Yuanpin closed his eyes. “Yes, I admit it. We were short on gambling money, so we brought thugs to rob a carriage. We took their money, tied them up, pushed them off the mountain, and buried them in pits.”

Chu Ling slammed the table hard, gritting her teeth. “You buried them alive!”

“Alive… buried alive…” Zeng Yuanpin’s eyes flickered with panic as he hurriedly lowered his head again.

Chu Ling narrowed her eyes at him. “How did you go there? On horseback?”

“No… no,” Zeng Yuanpin hurriedly shook his head. “We… we ran there to lie in ambush.”

“Ambush? How did you know that a scholar from Yushui County was coming to Changzhou?” Chu Ling asked.

Zeng Yuanpin’s eyes darted around nervously. “It… it… someone told us.”

“Who told you, and why would they tell you?” Chu Ling sneered coldly. “How much money could a single scholar from Yushui County possibly have? Did it really take three rich young men like you to go ambushing him?”

“No… no, I said it wrong, I said it wrong,” Zeng Yuanpin gulped, swallowing hard, panic written all over his face. “We… we had lost a game and were in a bad mood, so we went out hunting… and then we ran into them—the whole family of four.”

“You went hunting in that place?” Chu Ling was nearly laughing with anger. “Were you going there to catch grasshoppers? Hunting?”

“No, no… not hunting,” Zeng Yuanpin panicked. “It was… just to relax, just to relax.”

Xiao Hua, furious, dug an even deeper hole with her threat, gripping Zeng Yuanpin’s jaw and forcing him to look up.

“How dare you lie to our Lord?” Xiao Hua said angrily.

“I… I wouldn’t dare. I didn’t lie. I didn’t… I didn’t,” Zeng Yuanpin struggled free and lowered his head again, trembling with fear.

“Xiao Hua, break one of his legs,” Chu Ling said calmly, then took the tea the warden handed her and placed it on the table.

Xiao Hua acted immediately.

“Ahhh—”

Zeng Yuanpin screamed in excruciating pain, convulsing on the ground, his wails unceasing. The warden nearby went pale at the scene.

“Does that hurt?” Chu Ling walked over, half-crouching to look at him, her voice as cold as ice. “Those people were all buried alive because of you… and that little girl… she was only five years old!”

Tao Sanniang’s eyes filled with tears, blood and tears streaming down. “How… how could anyone bear to do that? My mother is sixty… my daughter is only five!”

“If you lacked gambling money, you could have stolen it, but why did you have to kill people and bury their bodies? Why?” Chu Ling pressed her cane against his broken leg. “Tell me—why?”

“No… I can’t… I can’t tell!” Zeng Yuanpin cried, begging. “Lord, please… please spare me! I’ll give you all the Zeng family’s money… all of it!”

Chu Ling’s gaze was icy. “I’ll ask you—were you the one who tied them up?”

Zeng Yuanpin shook his head desperately. “No… it wasn’t me, it wasn’t me.”

“Then the ones who pushed them in—were you involved?” Chu Ling asked next.

Zeng Yuanpin’s wailing paused. He played dumb. “I… I don’t remember… I don’t remember.”

“Then who dug the pit?” Chu Ling asked darkly.

“It was Yan Lei… it was him! He dug the pit!” Zeng Yuanpin clutched his leg, pleading as he looked at Chu Ling. “Lord… it was Yan Lei who dug the pit, He Tianzong who shoveled the earth… he led the others to bury them.”

“So…” Chu Ling’s eyes darkened. “Who ordered you to commit such a heinous crime? Was it those horsemen?”

“N… no horses, Lord, no…”

Chu Ling slowly stood up, her gaze lowering to freeze Zeng Yuanpin. “Although the heavy rain washed away many traces, I was lucky to find the horse tracks before it rained. So… who were those on horseback?”

Zeng Yuanpin closed his eyes and bit down hard—but Xiao Hua grabbed him, prying his jaw open.

“Biting your tongue won’t kill you; don’t waste time,” Chu Ling said, waving her hand to the warden. “Take him away, and bring up Yan Lei. I’m not done questioning.”