He examined Xu Qi 'an discreetly. Seeing his tense body and forced a smile, he comforted him, "I was just ordered to bring you back for questioning. I don't know the details. However, when you get to the yamen, remember one thing: don't hide what you should say, and don't say what you shouldn't say. "
"Damn it … Don't I know this? It's not worth thirty taels of silver at all. Shit, what's the difference between this and the insincere excuse of "I've asked the relevant department to deal with it" … Xu Qi 'an wanted to slap the man to death, but he didn't dare to.
The carriage drove past one busy market after another, one long street after another, and finally arrived at the night watchman's yamen.
Xu Qi 'an jumped out of the carriage and was escorted into the famous yamen by two night watchmen.
Its office was rebuilt from two courtyards with three entrances. The loft was towering, and the night watchmen dressed in black with gongs tied to them went in and out. They looked stern and awe-inspiring.
"I don't know if I will be sent to the prison of the night watchmen. It's a place where people eat people without spitting out their bones … Let's wait and see. I'm a good citizen, and I didn't break the law …" Xu Qi 'an took a deep breath and calmed down.
Not long after, he was taken into a small courtyard.
There were two night watchmen standing at the entrance of the courtyard. Both sides handed over their duties. The man with squinted eyes stopped at the entrance and smiled, "Go in, good luck."
After that, he left with his serious-looking companion.
Xu Qi 'an was taken in. The two night watchmen pushed the door open and said coldly, "Go in."
It was a torture room. There were all kinds of instruments of torture in the corner, and there was an empty long table in the center.
The chief interrogator did not come.
Xu Qi 'an did not dare to sit on the chair. He stood in the room and thought about why the night watchmen would look for him.
But before he had time to think about it, footsteps were heard. Someone entered the courtyard.
The door was pushed open, and two middle-aged men with silver gongs embroidered on their chests came in.
Xu Qi 'an, whose muscles were tense for a moment, quickly glanced at the two silver gongs. He was surprised to find that one of them was an old acquaintance.
He had a high nose, deep facial features, and light-colored pupils. He was half barbarian.
It was the silver gong he saw in the back hall of the yamen during the tax case.
"We meet again." Li Yuchun nodded, but there was no warmth in his eyes.
The two silvery gongs sat behind the table with serious expressions. They looked at Xu Qi 'an with sharp eyes.
"I will ask and you will answer. If you lie, you will be punished severely," the unfamiliar silver gong said in a deep voice.
"Yes …" Xu Qi 'an's heart sank. The two were looking at him like he was a criminal.
Li Yuchun frowned. "Before answering the question, tidy up your clothes. This is the most basic etiquette."
"Li," Qi 'an said. "Qi' an," He said. "Qi 'an" was, "Qi' an".
After he tightened his lapels, Li Yuchun's expression relaxed slightly, as if a burden had been lifted from her heart.
The unfamiliar Yin Gong asked, "Do you know that the mastermind behind the tax collection case is the former Assistant Minister of Zhou?"
"I heard it from the Celestial Commissioner's Miss Caiwei." Xu Qi 'an answered honestly.
"Then you know that Zhou Li wanted to take revenge on you."
"I know."
Xu Qi 'an remembered the slit-eyed youth's warning. He would not hide what he should say. That day, the Celestial Commissioner's men in white rushed into the Ministry of Justice to save him. He could not deny it.
It was better to admit it.
"Do you know that Zhou Li wanted to kill you?"
"Yes."
"So, in order to avoid the Zhou family's revenge, you kidnapped the daughter of the Marquis of Wei Wu and framed Zhou Li." The strange silver gong's eyes flashed.
As expected, it was because of this matter … Xu Qi 'an did not panic at all. In fact, he appeared to be at a loss, as if he had been wrongly accused. "I do not understand what you are saying."
"On the day the daughter of the Marquis of Wei Wu was kidnapped, you were not on duty at the yamen of Changle County. Where did you go?"
"I went to the brothel to listen to music. I did not do my job. I often sneak to the brothel to listen to music."
On this point, Arrester Wang and the other petty officials could testify for him, because this was how everyone else slacked off.
Moreover, a quick worker of Changle County went to the brothel. What does that have to do with you night watchmen?
"Then how do you explain the certificate? The records of the certificate issued by the yamen show that you went to the inner city many times, "Li Yuchun said.
"I am innocent!" Xu Qi 'an widened his eyes and defended himself. "I never went to the inner city and never got a certificate from the yamen."
They are lying to me. I went to the inner city with a certificate. My hands are clean … Yang Ling was the one who asked for it. What does that have to do with me, Xu Qi 'an?
The two silver gongs interrogated for a while but did not find any clues from Xu Qi 'an's words.
They looked at each other and seemed a little surprised.
In terms of interrogation techniques, I am also a professional … Xu Qi 'an sighed in relief. When he saw the instruments of torture, his heart tightened.
Li Yuchun sighed. "Yes, if we did not have evidence beforehand, we might have already believed you based on the conversation just now."
Lying to me again … and the tone is so confident … Xu Qi 'an was expressionless.
As a graduate of the police academy and a professional who had worked in the police station for several years, Xu Qi 'an had the confidence to deal with all kinds of interrogation. Unless the other party confessed under torture, but that was another matter altogether.
Assistant Minister Zhou had fallen. In a situation where there was no evidence, he believed that the night watchman would not make things difficult for him.
The unfamiliar silver gong took out a small book from his pocket. He opened it, glanced at Xu Qi 'an, and then read from the book.
"On the first day of the tenth month, Renxu Day, Xu Qi 'an returned from Yunlu Academy and bought two gold ornaments from Treasure Pavilion. On the way, he was followed by people suspected to be from the Zhou Residence.
"That night, I scared away the assassins of the Zhou Residence.
"On the second day of the tenth month, Gui Hai Day, moved the womenfolk to Yunlu Academy to avoid disaster.
"On the fifth day of the tenth month, Bingyin Day, entered the inner city and entered the Musical House. Stayed a night in the Shadow Plum Pavilion. The [Gift of Floating Incense] is suspected to be the work of Xu Qi 'an.
"On the seventh day of the tenth month, Wuchen Day, drove a carriage into the concubine daughter of the Mighty Marquis and used an unknown method to kidnap the concubine daughter of the Mighty Marquis."
The unfamiliar silver gong closed the little book, looked disdainfully at Xu Qi 'an, and snorted.
Xu Qi 'an's body felt cold inch by inch, as if he lacked clothes to wrap his body in the dead of winter. He slowly shivered.
The night watchman is following me … he followed me on the day I went to the academy … the night watchman saw all the plans in the last few days … it's over!
Why would the night watchman follow me? I'm just a quick worker, this is not reasonable … Xu Qi 'an roared angrily inside.
He felt an abyss of despair.
Framing the Assistant Minister of Revenue and kidnapping the daughter of the Marquis, these two crimes added together were enough for his entire family to be executed.
The great scholar of Yunlu Academy could not save him, the white robes of the Celestial Commissioner could not save him, no one could save him!
My hands and feet were very clean, and I did not leave behind any evidence that could convict me, but the night watchman who followed me saw my entire plan … man proposes, heaven disposes.
Cold sweat the size of beans appeared on Xu Qi 'an's forehead. Under the mocking and cold gazes of the two silver gongs, the sweat slowly slid down his face and dripped to the ground.
Wait!
He suddenly noticed an unreasonable detail. Since the night watchman had seen the entire process, why did he not expose him?
If he handed over the book, Zhou Li would be able to escape his crimes, and the butcher's knife that was swung at the Xu Family would fall again after a month and a half.
Why did he wait until after Assistant Minister Zhou had fallen before inviting him over to "drink tea."
Xu Qi 'an exhaled, and all kinds of negative emotions came out. He lowered his head. "This lowly one confesses, everything was done by this lowly one. How the two Daren deal with this is up to you. "
The serious silver gong raised an eyebrow. He exchanged a look with Li Yuchun, and the two smiled.
"Very smart, very perceptive." Li Yuchun smiled and said, "Just now, it was to test you. If you showed a flaw in the interrogation, or if your mind was destroyed by the evidence, then what awaited you would be true punishment."
Pausing, he put away his serious expression, and his smile became even more relaxed. "And now, what awaits you is the invitation of the night watchman."
