Started as a thatched house and ended up as a female figure

On April 25th, the provincial examination ended.

Cheng Wan had already told Old Lady Lin and others in advance that she had other things to do after the provincial examination and there was no need to pick her up and take her back to the mansion.

Outside the examination hall gate, Cheng Wan handed the examination basket in his hand to a servant of the Cheng Mansion and asked him to take it back to the mansion. Then he went to the prison with Aunt Shen and Aunt Meng.

Aunt Shen and Aunt Meng were the emperor's people, so Cheng Wan specially invited the two aunts to go with her to meet the three people she subdued that day.

Regardless of whether we can get anything out of them, the two aunts are the best witnesses.

"My Lord, Aunt Shen, Aunt Meng."

Liangzhou Governor Guo Xiangsong, who had been waiting outside the prison, took the initiative to step forward and greet Cheng Wan and the other two after they got off the carriage.

Aunt Shen and Aunt Meng nodded slightly to Guo Xiangsong as a return gesture.

Cheng Wan humbly bowed to Guo Xiangsong and said with a smile, "Master Guo, thank you for your help."

"You are too polite, my Lord. Such a terrible thing happened in Shuoyang City. As the governor of a state, I am extremely ashamed. I only hope to find out the truth and put an end to this matter as soon as possible."

Guo Xiangsong has been annoyed about this matter for several days.

He knew that many people wanted to cause trouble for Cheng Wan, and he also guessed that Cheng Wan's road to the imperial examination would inevitably encounter some twists and turns.

But he really didn't expect that those people didn't take him seriously at all!

In public, at the entrance of the examination room, in front of so many students, they wanted to silence someone.

He didn't care whether Cheng Wan could continue to take the imperial examination. He only cared that if those people succeeded in silencing him and then escaped arrogantly, he, as the governor of Liangzhou, would definitely be held accountable by the emperor.

He hasn't had enough of the position of Governor of Liangzhou!

In the dark and depressing prison, Cheng Wan and his companions, led by the jailer, walked through the deep corridor and stopped outside a cell near the end.

The man who was slumped against the wall inside raised his heavy head, squinted his eyes and saw the person standing outside the cell, then a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.

Cheng Wan looked at the people in the prison.

There are marks of whipping on his body, which means he has been tortured...

"These three people are very stubborn. They refused to say anything after three days of torture. I am worried that they will not be able to hold on until the Marquis finishes the exam, so I let them rest for the next two days. The one in this cell is the eldest of the three. The other two are in the other two cells."

Guo Xiangsong turned his head to look at Cheng Wan, and continued hesitantly:

"My Lord, the torture scene is somewhat bloody. How about you and the two aunts wait outside? I will let you know the result immediately."

Cheng Wan looked into the eyes of the man in the cell with blood clots for a few breaths, then looked away: "Master Guo, I want to stay alone with this man for a while, is that possible?"

Guo Xiangsong was stunned: "My Lord, this man is a murderer, I'm afraid he will..."

Guo Xiangsong's words of persuasion came to an abrupt end.

He suddenly remembered that the murderer was subdued by Cheng Wan himself.

"Then I will go to another place to wait for you. If you need anything, just call for help."

Guo Xiangsong and the two aunts left here, and Cheng Wan ordered the jailer waiting at the side: "Open it."

"Yes, Lord Marquis."

The jailer followed Cheng Wan's order and used the key to open the iron lock on the cell door.

Cheng Wan waved to the jailer, asking him to go away, and then walked into the messy and dirty cell.

Cheng Wan sat down on a stool in the cell, not caring whether the stool was clean or not. She looked at the man slumped against the wall and said in a faint voice, "What do you want to say to me?"

The moment Cheng Wan made eye contact with this person, she had a feeling that this person was waiting for her.

"I thought Zhao, Zhao Ping Hou would not... not come."

The other party spoke with great difficulty, and it was obvious that he had been severely tortured.

"I said I had an exam, and I'm here right after I finished it."

The other person grinned, with blood on his teeth.

"I thought Marquis Zhaoping would be eager to know who our master is. He should come to find us after the first day of the exam. Ahem... Ahem!"

Cheng Wan looked at the other party's painful appearance, with only calmness and indifference between his eyebrows: "Who is your master?"

"Does Marquis Zhaoping know how much punishment the three of us brothers have endured?"

"Who is your master?"

"If we weren't worried that the Governor of Liang Province and Marquis Zhaoping were not on the same page, ahem... ahem... why would the three of us brothers have to hold on until Marquis Zhaoping came in person?"

Cheng Wan raised the corners of his lips in understanding, his eyes dark: "What do you want?"

The other party shuddered and lowered his eyes, then suddenly raised them and gritted his teeth and said, "Marquis Zhaoping, you said you would save our lives! In addition to living, we also want money! Money to provide us with food and drink for the rest of our lives!"

"As long as your answer satisfies me, your terms are negotiable."

"Our master is..." The other person licked his cracked lips, swallowed, and whispered three words.

Cheng Wan's hands clenched into fists, his pupils shrank suddenly, and there was unexpected shock in his eyes.

How could it be him?

"Marquis Zhaoping, everything I said... ahem... is true! It really is..."

Perhaps because he saw that Cheng Wan didn't say anything, the other party became a little anxious, fearing that Cheng Wan didn't believe it.

Cheng Wan raised his hand to stop the other person from speaking, staring into his eyes with a sharp gaze and a cold voice: "Your master is the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor Wu Liangcai, remember?"

Wu Liangcai and Gu Yan don't get along, and he always dislikes Cheng Wan. He wishes Cheng Wan would get out of the officialdom and die as soon as possible.

This matter was Wu Liangcai's fault, so Cheng Wan didn't feel guilty at all about getting scolded by the emperor.

Ok?

The other party was a little confused, thinking that Cheng Wan didn't hear clearly, and hurriedly said: "Zhao Ping Hou, it's not Wu Liangcai, it's..."

"Shut up!" Cheng Wan lowered his voice and shouted, his voice full of oppression: "Your master is the prince's tutor, Wu Liangcai, remember?"

"Remember, remember."

The other party was obviously a little frightened by Cheng Wan.

Cheng Wan narrowed his eyes slightly: "This is for your own good. Your master is Wu Liangcai. This Marquis can still save your lives, but if you give up your real master, no matter where you escape, you will surely die!"

"Yes... yes, I remember, our master is Wu Liangcai, not..." The other party quickly shook his head: "No, there is no other master, our master is the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor Wu Liangcai!"

"Very good." Cheng Wan stood up: "Can you still go? Come with me to meet your two good brothers."

……

The three of them colluded with each other in front of Cheng Wan and brainwashed themselves and each other into believing that their master was the Crown Prince's Junior Tutor Wu Liangcai. When everything was ready, Cheng Wan asked the jailer to invite Guo Xiangsong and the two aunts over.

"My Lord, they confessed?!"

Guo Xiangsong was very surprised. He didn't know what method Cheng Wan used to make the three men confess. It didn't look like torture.

Cheng Wan smiled slightly, took Guo Xiangsong to the side, and whispered: "Master Guo, if you can live, who would want to die? I am the victim, I lied to them and said that I am willing to give them a way out, so they will naturally be tempted..."