Survival countdown

"Caught alive?!"

In the pavilion on the outskirts of the killing field, King Qin was furious, slapped the table and scolded: "They are all dead soldiers from the Duke's mansion, how could they leave alive?"

The black-clothed soldier who desperately escaped said: "It is the Central Guards who are in ambush!"

"Okay." King Qin's eyes were full of anger: "The prince has good means. He expected my action a long time ago, and he is waiting for me to throw himself into the trap! Where is Mrs. Liu? Did you kill him?"

Liu is the crown prince's nanny.

"No. The brothers were all caught in an ambush, and it was too late to take Liu's life, so they should be taken back to the East Palace."

Qin Wang was so anxious that he was sweating profusely: "Did the concubine say anything? No, I have to enter the palace——"

"If you enter the palace now, you are not asking yourself!"

A rather hearty voice sounded, and one could tell who it was. It was a middle-aged man with a beautiful beard and wearing a civil and military robe who walked into the pavilion.

"Uncle!" King Qin stepped forward in surprise, "Why are you here?"

The person who came was Zheng Guogong's eldest son, Zheng Chuzhi, a general from the third rank Guide, an inspector of the capital of Dingzhou, and a soldier of the unified state.

"My term of office expired, and I returned to Beijing to report on my work, just in time for this matter. As soon as I arrived, I knew the ins and outs and rushed over to persuade you, please be safe and don't be impatient."

King Qin was impatient: "If he is caught alive, the crown prince will definitely sue his father, and then he will be accused of assassinating the East Palace on my head. Isn't this king finished?"

"Your Majesty pays attention to Tianlun Xule, and will not attack you, but will cut off your party members, and liquidate the imperial concubine and Zheng Guogong's mansion."

"No! Uncle, think of a way to save Mother and Concubine."

Seeing King Qin's emphasis on the imperial concubine, Zheng Chuzhi was quite relieved: "Forgive me, Your Highness, you are confused! Where is the East Palace? The place of the future heir! It is in the palace, next to His Majesty's bed, and you sent someone to kill you privately." Scholars entering the East Palace, no matter what their purpose is, they are provoking the majesty of the emperor!"

"I just hate the prince for putting me in a position, and want him to reap the consequences for himself."

"It's just a nanny's testimony. What's more, she had identified the prince before, and she immediately regretted identifying you. How powerful is the testimony of a capricious, treacherous thing? The purpose of the prince is not to rely on her to bring you down, but It's using her to lure you into the bait! It's just a small cheating in the imperial examination, which is worth your loss of propriety? You tried to evade it because the management is not strict. The disciples used your name as King Qin to collude and bribe each other. The big crime will not be caught on your head."

Zheng Chuzhi has been stationed abroad for many years, but he has a clear understanding of the situation in the court, especially the temperament of His Majesty today.

"Even if he really committed a serious crime, His Majesty will not let the royal family spread a bad reputation for fighting against brothers."

King Qin: "But I sent dead men to assassinate the East Palace... what should I do now?"

"Don't admit it to death." Zheng Chuzhi said indifferently: "It's nothing more than two survivors. As long as the dead man can't find anything from Zheng Guogong's mansion, the prince can't make a fuss. Whatever the East Palace says, anyway, the witnesses and the dead man are all in the East Palace. In my hand, the assassination also happened in the East Palace, who knows if it was directed and acted by myself."

"Besides, the imperial guards in the palace are directly subordinate to His Majesty, and the time and place of daily duty come according to the regulations. I think the imperial concubine must avoid the imperial guards when she arranges assassins, but the actual situation is that the imperial guards rushed to the East Palace immediately. There are people from the prince and empress in the forbidden army. Interfering with the forbidden army in the palace is more serious than sending dead soldiers into the East Palace."

King Qin raised his brows with joy: "Can father know?"

"Your Majesty is wise and powerful, nothing can hide from him." Zheng Chuzhi stroked his beautiful beard, and said to the King of Qin: "So you don't have to do anything, just pretend you don't know anything, there is no such thing! Even if Your Majesty knows it well, you can I will not question Zheng Guogong's mansion. Now the Northwest Army is guarding the Northwest Border Pass. Southern Xinjiang and Daxia are staring at each other. It is impossible to withdraw the army easily. There are Turks in the east, which are controlled by our Jizhou Army. Recently, the Turks are ready to move. Your Majesty will not be here. Let's open the knife to Zheng Guogong's mansion. It's nothing more than a dozen small soldiers who bribed the examiner's cheating in private. It's a trivial matter, and it won't touch your head. Your Highness can rest assured!"

Qin Wang's eyes flickered: "This king understands, and will not act rashly."

"Where is Zheng You?"

"On the track."

"I have to call him over, I still have something to ask him."

King Qin nodded, and summoned a young eunuch to call Zheng You.

***

Zheng You walked out of the Juju racecourse with a gloomy face, grabbed a servant and asked, "Did you find anyone?!"

The domestic servant grimaced: "No, no... the little one opened his eyes wide and wished he had two more eyes, and stared at the person who came in at the door today, but he couldn't find the one named Zhao!"

"Damn it!" Zheng You kicked the servant down: "The wild goose hunter is blinded by geese, don't fall into my hands, I will let him die! Go, find the local ruffians in the city, and turn over the capital city for me." I have to find the one with the surname Zhao! Just say, just say you found someone, and I will reward him with ten small yellow croakers!"

The servant hurried off to do his errands.

Zheng You got on his horse and couldn't help cursing: "I want money as soon as I return to Beijing. I want to be my cornucopia? I only received 10 taels for a letter a month ago, but now I ask for 50 taels when I reach out. Damn it!" Where can I find money!"

Left and right stepped forward and suggested: "Master, you still have some money in the bank..."

Zheng You gritted his teeth: "Are you two stupid? Can you use that money at this time?"

Left and right: "We can't find out. The matter was done secretly. It's not the first time. I have encountered more dangerous ones before, and it's still safe and sound? What's more, those who leaked the information were all executed. No one can investigate. What about the money that went to the bank, even if it is found out? There are ledgers to record the authenticity of the money, every money is business income, the source is clear, why can't it be used?"

Zheng You squinted his eyes, feeling moved.

He should have been cautious in this special season, but he is already unable to make ends meet. The gambling shop restaurant has not received any money for half a month, and there are several gold-swallowing beasts on it. Zheng Chuzhi called him to meet him just now, and he asked for 50 taels.

Don't look at him having a great reputation outside, all his confidence comes from Zheng Guogong's mansion and the imperial concubine. After entering the Guogong mansion and meeting serious princes and nobles, it's like a cat seeing a mouse, obedient and responsive.

Zheng Chuzhi pressed hard, and King Qin, who instructed him to collude with other provincial examiners to bribe him, watched from the side, without prompting, Zheng You really had no choice but to be persuaded by left and right, and finally let go.

"Call a few shopkeepers to chat in the bank."

***

"Caught alive? Okay, very good, let Zhao Changfeng interrogate, and make sure to force a confession of who is instigating them!" The prince was very happy, pacing back and forth, and asked, "Where's Mrs. Liu?"

"Gone."

"Didn't I ask you to protect the Liu family?!" The prince's face darkened.

The guard kowtowed and said, "During the fight with the assassin, Mrs. Liu disappeared. I searched inside and outside the East Palace, but I didn't find the body. Maybe she was rescued."

"He was rescued by the third younger brother? Isn't his purpose to let the Liu family die in the East Palace?" The prince asked the fifth prince behind him: "Could it be that he wants to use the Liu family to beat him down again?"

The fifth prince: "What's the use? We have the witnesses who assassinated the East Palace, the third brother. He can't tell just about that."

The prince shook his head: "The assassin is a dead man, and there is no physical evidence found on him. If he refuses to admit it, there is nothing we can do. Now Mrs. Liu was lost in the East Palace, and it is likely to be labeled as the East Palace. The suspicion is the biggest."

Fifth Prince: "Give me the man, and I will cry in Wende Hall!"

Prince: "Be safe and don't be impatient. If Mrs. Liu's body was in our hands, it would be useful for you to cry, but now that Mrs. Liu is in the hands of the third brother, we will inevitably be a little passive."

Fifth prince: "That's not the case. You have a lot of capable people in the Ministry of Punishment, so you can lend me a few. I still don't believe it. Even if you use all the torture in the Ministry of Punishment, you won't be able to pry two mouths open?"

The prince thought for a moment: "Okay. But this matter must be kept secret."

Fifth Prince: "Of course I understand!"

***

As Huo Jingtang said, the adjutant did not pick up Mrs. Liu, and went straight to the main courtyard to report back: "There were people staring at the gates of several palaces, and nothing unusual was found. The East Palace was assassinated and captured, but it was abnormal. Calm, the news is tightly covered, the key witnesses should still be in the East Palace."

"If it's in the East Palace, why not send it to Dali Temple?"

The adjutant was stunned, frowned and thought deeply: "Not safe? The Shaoqing of Dali Temple is a member of King Qin's family, can't he trust it?"

"I'm still here in Dali Temple. The Shaoqing of Dali Temple dare not play the trick of beating Liu Shi. Behind her is the crown prince, not Wang Shangshu who committed the crime of beheading. Liu's continued stay in the East Palace will attract ministers in the court to attack the prince. The best thing to do now is to send her to Dali Temple."

"But the East Palace declined... Could it be that King Qin succeeded?"

"If it succeeds, the prince should carry the corpse and the dead to Wende Hall and cry now."

"Perhaps it was King Qin's people who took Liu Shi away? That's not true. Doesn't Liu Shi being in the hands of King Qin mean that he is the most suspected? Then, where is Liu Shi?"

The adjutant was really confused, he couldn't figure out how the Liu family, who was supposed to be the least variable, suddenly became the most puzzling existence.

"Are you sure every palace gate is normal?"

"All the people watching the palace gate are old fritters. I ordered them myself!" The adjutant patted his head and said, "It's also evil. It's not in the East Palace, and it's not in the hands of King Qin. They are all watching at the gate of the palace. Could it be that Mrs. Liu is hiding in the palace?" in the corner?"

At this moment, someone came to report: "Zheng Chuzhi, Duke Zheng's mansion, came back from Dingzhou and had already met King Qin. Besides, the person the general asked us to watch has moved."

Adjutant: "Is it Zheng You?"

Huo Jingtang was reclining on the couch, his soft and wide sleeves covering his hands, with a lazy smile on his face: "We can arrest people now."

***

Mrs. Liu hid in the west courtyard of the house, while the girls from the Flower Tea House lived in the east courtyard. Sixteen girls left after six of them left, all of whom were homeless.

Zhao Baiyu told the girls not to go to the West Courtyard, but to have their daily meals delivered on time.

Wei Bo interrogated Mrs. Liu for a whole day and night, but failed to pry Liu's mouth open. He said to Zhao Baiyu, "She has a very hard mouth, and she has a feeling of breastfeeding the prince. In addition, her adopted son is dead, and her feelings are pinned on the prince. She treats death as her home." , it’s hard to pry open.”

Zhao Baiyu smiled: "I have tried hundreds of criminals in the capital, including the vicious bandits and murderers. None of them are really not afraid of death. Mrs. Liu enjoys all the glory and wealth but loves to gamble and gamble badly. Not hesitating to betray her master, she is still the prince raised by her, this kind of person can't be called tough. Let's wait, I don't want to use the method of extorting a confession, lest I will be called lynching to extort a confession when I present evidence."

Weber: "Okay."

The two went to Liu's room, saw Li Yiru standing at the door, could not help but move forward curiously, the latter bowed first when he saw the two, and then said: "Benefactor."

As soon as the words fell, Liu's gloomy voice came from inside the room: "I can help you go to Dali Temple to retract the confession and prove Mr. Chen's innocence, but you must swear in front of me that you will not kill the child in your womb. Do your best to raise him up!"

Zhao Baiyu frowned: "What's going on?"

Li Yiru explained: "The woman inside is called My Lady. Before Liu Congde died, there was only one man named Liu Congde. Two days ago, she was not feeling well. I asked a doctor to check her pulse and found that she was pregnant for more than a month. The crown prince's nanny lied about the death of her son, but in fact Liu Congde is her own son, and the fetus in my mother's womb is Liu Congde's only blood."

Zhao Baiyu understood: "You used your posthumous child to get Liu to help?"

Li Yiru nodded: "My lord has saved my mother's life. When I heard that my lord is in trouble, I volunteered to help."

Zhao Baiyu disagreed with this method.

Li Yiru said with a smile: "Do you think that my mother will bear the humiliation and give birth to a child? No, my mother has no relatives and reasons, and she doesn't like Liu Congde. The child will only delay her future. When Liu finishes writing the confession, she will destroy it." It. What is there to keep the blood of such a pickled man?"

Before the words were finished, he was forced by Mrs. Liu: "You swear, swear by your life and the lives of your relatives who are still alive, you will still enter my Liu's house, set up a longevity tablet and light a longevity lamp for my son, the birth is my Liu Family, death is my Liu family ghost!"

Zhao Baiyu was expressionless.

Li Yiru also turned cold, quite annoyed why she couldn't help my mother begging, so she rashly brought her to find Mrs. Liu?If she really swears a poisonous oath, with my mother's prudent behavior, is she afraid that she will be tied to death for the rest of her life?

"If you break this oath, you will die badly! After you die, you will go to Avici Hell!"

The room fell into dead silence, and after a while, My Lady said, "I swear—"

"Not only do you want a good girl to give birth to your short-lived ghost son, but you also want her to be a widow. Where in the world is such a good thing?" Zhao Baiyu suddenly opened the door, his always gentle face was covered with frost at this moment: "I was originally I don't want to use torture methods in prison to deal with you, but it will let you go further."

My mother turned her head in surprise and bowed.

Zhao Baiyu helped him up, took a step forward, and said with cold eyes, "Mr. Liu, you have lived to this age, let's accumulate some virtue."

Mrs. Liu was confident: "Now you are the ones who are begging me to retract the confession, but I tell you, unless she visits my son's memorial tablet and swears to give birth to my only grandson, don't expect me to prove Chen Shilang's innocence! I am not afraid of death, follow me Imprisoned in the Eastern Palace—no, I was ready to die when I missed the question and collected money! I haven’t seen any torture methods in the palace? I’ve even killed people, what am I afraid of!”

"How courageous. I don't know if you've heard of Kaijiaguan?"

Kaijiaguan is a torture method invented by Zhu Yuanzhang of the Ming Dynasty to kill without blood, so Liu naturally didn't know it.

Wei Bo had already brought mulberry paper and water, Zhao Baiyu picked up a sheet, spread it on Liu's face, slowly explained the simple method of opening and adding officials, described in incomparable detail the feeling of being unable to breathe, and the aftermath of suffocation. Looking terrified, before Liu could speak, he sprayed water on the paper.

Mrs. Liu kept struggling and twisting, like a bug whose neck was clamped.

Zhao Baiyu mercilessly pasted five or six pieces of mulberry paper, and coolly reminded Liu Shi: "If you want to talk, just kick your legs."

Mrs. Liu kicked her legs desperately, Zhao Baiyu pretended she couldn't see, so she pasted up two more. It wasn't until Mrs. Liu passed out that she removed the paper and poured water on her face.When Liu woke up, she gasped for breath and stared at Zhao Baiyu in horror. In her eyes, this gentle and handsome young man was already the most terrifying evil spirit in the world.

Zhao Baiyu: "You are very powerful. The most ferocious murderer in the prison can only urinate on the ground after pasting five pieces of paper, crying and begging for mercy." After a pause, he smiled harmlessly: "Hate me!" Want to repent? It doesn’t matter, I will continue to post, post seventeen or eight, until you have nightmares at night and you can’t breathe, it’s all my face. I still have a lot of ways to torture people in prison, I’m sure it will make you There is no way to live, no way to die."

Liu shook her head in fear: "I'll say it! I'll say it all!"

Li Yiru and Yaoniang were stunned, only to realize that the gentle Master Zhao had such a terrifying side, but thinking about it, he is the Shaoyin of the Kyoto Prefecture, dealing with criminals every day, and it is difficult to keep the people safe if he is not ruthless.

Thinking of this, the second daughter is no longer afraid of Zhao Baiyu.

Li Yiru apologized to My Niang: "It's because I didn't think carefully."

My mother shook her head and smiled weakly. She was also very frightened. In the past, there were girls in the building who were pregnant and would be given a bowl of medicine. They survived by luck, and their bodies would quickly decay and die.

She would rather die early than have children, so she wants to repay Zhao Baiyu for saving her life before she dies.

After leaving the courtyard, Zhao Baiyu stood in front of my mother and asked, "Do you want to have a baby?"

My mother firmly shook her head: "I don't want to."

"Okay." Zhao Baiyu: "I have two prescriptions here, one for abortion, and one for recuperating the body after abortion. I will copy it out later, and you can use it to grab the medicine. Taking good care of your body will restore your body to its original state. "

His grandfather in his previous life was a well-known old Chinese medicine doctor, and he kept many old national prescriptions. Zhao Baiyu memorized many prescriptions when he was bored, including abortion prescriptions from the Ming and Qing Dynasties.

In the feudal era, women’s lives were hard. Abortion and abortion would cause great damage to the body. A little carelessness would result in two deaths.

"Invite a doctor to come to the hospital to check everyone's pulse. If there are hidden injuries or hidden injuries in the body, heal quickly while he is young. If you don't think I am a man, you can tell me the symptoms. I will see if there is any mild and suitable medicine. son."

My mother's eyes were filled with tears, and she bowed deeply: "Thank you, my lord!"

Li Yiru took a deep breath: "Yiru thank you again for the girls!"

She knew that some prescriptions could be handed down to the world, and they were worth more than a thousand gold, but Zhao Baiyu was able to take out a few of them and give them to the low class in the eyes of the world.

Zhao Baiyu smiled, waved his hands and said nothing.

Anyway, he will die early, if life does not bring death, if he can save one, it is one.

The author has something to say:

Broken cans of fish sauce: they are all outside the body!

Kaijiaguan, also called pastejiaguan: If you stick mulberry paper on someone's face and spray water on it, the nose will stick tightly, and you will die of suffocation without any scars on your body.