In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 617 Torture and Straight to the Point

The prison of the Daning City government office.
Kuang Xiaofei was escorted here by a group of people.

He was wearing a hood at this time.

All I could feel was that I had arrived in a cold and gloomy place.

The air was filled with a stench of decay and putrefaction, which was extremely pungent.

When the hood was removed

Kuang Xiaofei finally saw his surroundings clearly.

In the dimly lit, dilapidated cell, the floor was wet, the windows let in drafts, and weeds piled up in the corner.

Upon seeing this scene,
The already unpleasant smell seemed to intensify countless times in an instant.

He suddenly held his breath and almost vomited.

Just moments ago, I was in a gentle haven filled with the fragrance of women's cosmetics.

To suddenly arrive in such a place

He found it hard to accept.

But what terrified him even more were the people in front of him.

"who are you?"

Zhang Huai'an stood not far away.

I watched quietly as the rack was set up.

Various instruments of torture were pulled out from the corner and placed into the burning charcoal brazier.

After everything was prepared, Zhang Huai'an turned around, looked at Kuang Xiaofei, and said with a half-smile:
"Lord Kuang, as I have already said before..."
"I am Zhang Huai'an, commander of the vanguard scout unit. I am ordered to arrest Lord Kuang. Do you understand?"

Kuang Xiaofei's pupils suddenly contracted.

My last hope was completely shattered:

"What have I done wrong? Do you know who I am?"
"I want to see Lord Duan! I want to see Lord Duan!"

Zhang Huai'an scratched his head.
Finding this person somewhat unreasonable, he waved his hand:

"Lift him up"

Our Lord Kuang really won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin.

A soldier rushed into the prison cell.
Without saying a word, they lifted Kuang Xiaofei up and dragged him toward the rack.

Kuang Xiaofei tried his best to shrink back.

But being short in stature, he was no match for the immense strength of the person before him.

He looked at the soldier and was taken aback; the man before him had obvious foreign features.

Thick lips, dark skin, and curly hair.

"Who are you? Are you a grassland person?"

A glimmer of hope suddenly ignited in his heart.

Basong glanced at him.
He slapped her across the face cleanly and decisively.

"I am Siamese, and I am a pragmatic person."
Unlike those ignorant and arrogant grassland people.

Soon, Kuang Xiaofei was strapped to the rack.

Zhang Huai'an pulled up a chair, sat opposite him, opened the document in his hand, and asked:

"Lord Kuang, last year when the Zheng family of Wenchang Street in Daning City was discovered smuggling rare goods with foreign merchants, you helped cover it up, didn't you?"

Kuang Xiaofei trembled, his pupils contracted slightly, and he felt a dryness in his throat.

The once-cold prison cell no longer seemed so cold.

No, I don't know what you're talking about.

A hint of helplessness flashed in Zhang Huai'an's eyes as he raised the document in his hand:

"Lord Kuang, the evidence is right here."

It's better if you admit it sooner rather than later, so we can move on to the next step.
Otherwise, you'll suffer physical pain; why bother?

I don't know what you're talking about.
"You have arrested officials appointed by the imperial court without authorization; this is a capital offense!"

Zhang Huai'an did not speak again.

He simply shook his head and waved.

Two soldiers stepped forward from behind him and began to torture him severely.

The long, narrow whip with barbs lashed out at Kuang Xiaofei, tearing his flesh.

Each time the whip fell,
Each was accompanied by a sharp pain, followed by a scream.

After ten lashes, Kuang Xiaofei felt as if his body was about to be torn to pieces, and the pain blurred his vision.

Large beads of sweat rolled down his face.

"I, I'm innocent, I'm innocent!"

He gritted his teeth and kept going.

Zhang Huai'an shook his head and waved again.

The whip rolled back and forth in the coarse salt, turning white when it was taken out.

"Snapped!"

As the whip fell, Kuang Xiaofei desperately opened his mouth wide, but no sound came out.

The intense pain from the salt made his whole body tense and tremble violently.

"Don't stop as long as you don't talk about it."

Zhang Huai'an coldly gave the order.

The whip lashed down relentlessly, and shouts echoed through the empty cell...

"Say it, I'll talk, I'll talk, stop hitting me, stop hitting me."

Kuang Xiaofei was crying and sniffling, muttering to himself incessantly.

It hurts so much!
His only thought now is...
It's about letting these whips stop and give us a breather.

Zhang Huai'an did not call a halt, but instead said:

"The last ten lashes must be delivered with a clear beginning and an end."

Please, stop.

No matter how much Kuang Xiaofei wailed, the ten lashes were still delivered.

The whipping stopped.

Kuang Xiaofei was breathing heavily, unable to speak, his body burning with pain.

"It's still the same question,"
Did you cover up the incriminating evidence from last year for the Zheng family?

"Yes, yes. I did the accounting and I wrote the documents."

Kuang Xiaofei answered hastily.

"Hmm, very good."
What are the rare materials mentioned in the document?

Zhang Huai'an looked at the document and asked.

Kuang Xiaofei hesitated for a moment, his body trembling.
But he knew that revealing these things would put him close to execution.

Before he could even think of an excuse,

The whip fell again.

"Snapped!"

Bloodstains were visible; the iron spikes were slashing wildly across his flesh, tearing away layers of skin and flesh.

"Say it, say it, say it, I'll tell you!!"

Kuang Xiaofei straightened up and shouted immediately.

"It's salt, tea, and ironware!"

Zhang Huai'an sat up abruptly, his face grave.

He was born into a prominent family in the capital.
I heard my father, Zhang Quan, tell countless stories about smuggling from a young age.

For grasslands, the most important thing is to control the use of salt, iron, tea, and sugar.

Thus,
The grassland people will live and die on their own.

And now, they're smuggling such important supplies, and they dare to hide it!
Zhang Huai'an stood up.

They realized this was a major case, and that it must involve many other people.

"Where did the goods come from, and where were they transported to? Who received them? What were your roles in the process?"

A series of questions made Kuang Xiaofei's body tremble uncontrollably.

But once the psychological defenses collapse...
It would be difficult to hold on any longer.

He honestly explained the source and destination of the supplies, and the military clerk beside him hurriedly recorded it, writing as fast as he could.

Zhang Huai'an blinked.

He walked up to Kuang Xiaofei and looked him up and down.

"The goods came from Beiping Prefecture. Do you know who the owner is?"

"I don't know, I really don't know."

Meeting Zhang Huai'an's icy gaze,

Kuang Xiaofei shuddered and said tremblingly:
All I know are some former powerful figures.
They have some connection to the grasslands…

I really don't know who it is.

"I'm just an ordinary person, responsible for handling paperwork; how could I possibly know such confidential information?"

Zhang Huai'an stared at him for a long time before slowly nodding:

"Come on, sign and put your fingerprint on this document."

The next morning,

In Daning, dawn breaks exceptionally late.

It was early morning, but the sun had not yet fully risen, and the sky was still pitch black.

Lu Yunyi maintained his habit from the capital, and did not sleep in; he arrived at the government office early.

Some clerks had already arrived at the yamen and were heading towards the canteen behind the military headquarters.

Located in northern Xinjiang, Daning is a vast and sparsely populated region with a cold climate, so the military commandery has many hidden benefits.

For example, all three meals a day can be enjoyed for free at the Dusi Canteen, and the food is plentiful, all in an effort to retain staff.

Lu Yunyi also arrived at the cafeteria.

In a spacious room,
There were already thirty or forty people seated.

The steam from the food filled the room.

After Lu Yunyi walked in,
The atmosphere in the room clearly froze.

All eyes turned to him, and some officials even wanted to stand up and bow. Lu Yunyi waved his hand:
"Sit down, sit down."

And so, the house returned to its bustling state.

Some well-informed people,
She would occasionally glance at him, her eyes filled with a meaningful look.

Daning City was not large, and there were not many officials.
What happened at Walnut House yesterday cannot be kept secret.

The person who made the arrest was quickly identified by those with ulterior motives.

This investigation revealed something quite alarming.

It turned out to be Zhang Huai'an, the eldest son of Zhang Quan, the Right Army Vice Commander.

And his superior,
It was none other than Lu Yunyi, the newly appointed Deputy Commander-in-Chief, standing before him.

Moreover, what surprised many adults was that

The official title used when arresting people yesterday was actually the Left Vice Censor-in-Chief of the Censorate.

He held both civil and military official positions.
This made many people feel the emperor's boundless grace through him.

Lu Yunyi ignored those gazes.
Instead, he took two steamed buns, a bowl of congee, a serving of boiled mutton, and a serving of beef stew with cabbage.

The steam rising from the plate

The smoke made it hard for him to see clearly.

He had no choice but to find a table nearby and sit down.

Not long after, a man sat down with a tray in his hand; it was Duan Zhengze, the Assistant Commander of the Da Ning Commandery.

Duan Zhengze was in his forties, dressed in official robes, and had a rather fierce appearance.

His skin was dark, and his small eyes gleamed with a cold light.

But when faced with Lu Yunyi's gaze, he revealed a more amiable side.

"Greetings, Lord Lu."

Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded.

Duan Zhengze, who was standing before them, was in charge of land reclamation in the military command and held considerable power.

Lu Yunyi didn't say anything, but instead lowered his head and started eating the food in his bowl.

Seeing that he didn't speak, a hint of gloom flashed in Duan Zhengze's eyes.

He took a sip of the thin porridge and asked softly:

"Is Lord Lu settling in well in Daning?"

Lu Yunyi looked up, clearly taken aback:
"It's a habit. I'm originally from Da Ning, how could I not be used to it?"

Duan Zhengze smiled knowingly:
"Lord Lu has been fighting in the north and south for a long time, and I was worried that you might not be used to it."

If you have any orders, please don't hesitate to ask, and I will certainly carry them out.

Lu Yunyi smiled and nodded:

"Thank you, Lord Duan."

After saying that, Lu Yunyi continued eating and didn't say anything more.

This caused a hint of doubt to flash in Duan Zhengze's eyes, and he pondered to himself:

What exactly does this person want to do?
How can you remain so calm?

After eating a few more bites, Duan Zhengze couldn't hold back any longer and spoke again:
"Lord Lu, I heard that you brought a lot of seeds from Yingtian this time. Are you planning to try planting them in Daning?"

"That's true, but the specific location for planting it hasn't been determined yet."

After a few days,
"I will travel around and inspect all of Da Ning before making a decision."

Lu Yunyi gave a vague answer while chewing his food.

Duan Zhengze glanced at the full plate of food on Lu Yunyi's plate.
Looking at the bok choy and bowl of congee on my plate, a sense of crisis welled up inside me.

He's still young, while I'm almost fifty. I can't afford to waste my time with this guy.

Having made up his mind, Duan Zhengze took a deep breath and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Lu, I have a question I shouldn't have asked. May I ask for your clarification?"

Lu Yunyi had just stuffed a steamed bun into his mouth when he said with a wry smile:
"Lord Duan, you must not speak while eating or sleeping."

"Let me finish my meal first, then we can talk in my office, shall we?"

An awkward expression flashed across Duan Zhengze's face, his lips twitched slightly, and he quickly nodded:

"Yes, yes, Lord Lu is right, please eat first."

This scene was witnessed by many people.

Seeing that Duan Zhengze had been thwarted, they secretly chuckled to themselves, but at the same time, they became even more wary of this young man who was enjoying his meal so much.

The person in front of me is no greenhorn.

Several garrisons in Da Ning were his former subordinates, and he also controlled the military affairs of the Duoyan Three Garrisons outside the pass.

Although he had just arrived at the Commandery, his foundation was much deeper than that of many others there.

Moreover, he also has five thousand elite troops stationed in the new city garrison.
That was an elite force that had fought in battles across the north and south and had killed 200,000 enemy soldiers.

Upon realizing this, many people looked wary and quickly lowered their heads, no longer looking.

Not long after, in the yamen,
Lu Yunyi sat down with a cup of hot tea, and Duan Zhengze arrived shortly after.

Lu Yunyi was a little unaccustomed to his eager attitude, but still smiled and asked him to sit down.

After the two sat down, Lu Yunyi asked with a smile:

"Lord Duan, you're bothering me like this today, is there something you want to say? Please speak freely."

"Damn it, you old fox!"

Duan Zheng cursed inwardly, but kept a straight face:
"Lord Lu, I would like to ask why Kuang Xiaofei from the Bureau of Records was arrested by the government? I heard it was on your orders."

Lu Yunyi was taken aback, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes:
"Yes, that's true. What? Is Kuang Xiaofei one of Lord Duan's men?"

Duan Zhengze was furious and took a deep breath:

"To be honest, Kuang Xiaofei is from the same hometown as me."

After he was arrested, his wife ran to my residence, knelt down, and kowtowed, weeping bitterly. I had no other choice but to come and inquire with you.”

"Oh~"

Lu Yunyi's face showed a look of sudden realization, then he straightened up and started rummaging through the table.

Soon, he had a document in his hand, which he handed over:

"Please take a look, Lord Duan."
I will not comment on Kuang Xiaofei's performance as an official, but there is irrefutable evidence that he covered up smuggling, and he has already admitted to it himself.

Duan Zhengze's smile froze.

He considered several possibilities.
But I never expected it to turn out like this.

Because smuggling is commonplace in Daning, almost no one would dare to make a fuss about it, as it would offend many people.

Only when the imperial court sends an inspector or censor would they symbolically arrest a few people to fulfill their duties.

Duan Zhengze flipped through the documents, his expression growing increasingly grim.

The documents are meticulously detailed, covering everything from the source of the smuggling to the process and the timeline.

Even at the very end, there was a list.

His name was prominently listed, and ranked near the top.

"Bastard!"

Upon seeing his own name, he couldn't help but curse, then quickly looked up at Lu Yunyi:
"My lord, Kuang Xiaofei is making baseless accusations. Even if I were short of money, I would never participate in smuggling!"

Lu Yunyi smiled and waved his hand:

"Lord Duan, please calm down."

This is only his side of the story. Today, I intend to have the people of the Three Guards of Duoyan wipe out the Baisong tribe, the final destination of the smuggling operation.

To find out the truth, we need to start with the buyer.

"what?"

Duan Zhengze suddenly stood up, his face filled with fear, and hurriedly said:

"My lord, rashly launching a military campaign against the grasslands will jeopardize the stability of Da Ning."

The imperial court also issued a strict order: unless absolutely necessary, troops should not be sent to provoke the grasslands, lest the nation's strength be needlessly wasted!

Lu Yunyi spread his hands, looking completely bewildered:
"Lord Duan, what does it have to do with us Ming people if the grassland people fight each other?"
If anyone wants revenge for the Bai Song tribe, let them go after the Three Guards of Duoyan.
They'll never find our Da Ning Du Si.

Moreover, if the steppe people come, wouldn't that give us the perfect opportunity to send troops?
The soldiers were all eager to earn merit; the invasion of the steppe people was a good thing!

"This this."

Duan Zhengze's breathing became somewhat rapid as he continued:
"Lord Lu, the Doyan Three Guards have been in close contact with the Northern Yuan court these days, exchanging letters frequently. I'm afraid they have ulterior motives."

Lu Yunyi laughed and waved his hand:

"The King of Liao, the King of Huining, and Marshal Duoyan are all old friends of mine, and they know what is important."

Duan Zhengze was speechless for a moment...

The fact that the Uriyangkha Three Guards became the Doyan Three Guards is all thanks to the man in front of us.

"Sir, this smuggling matter is of great importance. If we investigate further, we may implicate innocent people."

Lu Yunyi looked at him with a puzzled expression:
"Lord Duan, are you really involved?"
"Yesterday, the first person Kuang Xiaofei implicated was you."

"That ungrateful bastard!"

Duan Zhengze suddenly realized he had misspoke and quickly tried to make amends:

"He's making baseless accusations."

But Lu Yunyi didn't say anything more.

I simply held the teacup and sipped it gently…

Duan Zhengze sat down somewhat dejectedly, his expression shifting and his dejected look gloomy.

He seemed resigned to his fate and asked helplessly:

"Lord Lu, what exactly do you want?"

Upon hearing this, Lu Yunyi laughed:
"Since Lord Duan took charge of the land reclamation, three years have passed. The land under the jurisdiction of Da Ning has not only not increased, but has actually decreased by tens of thousands of acres. I think this is unacceptable."

Fortunately, my deputy general Liu Heiying is skilled in farming.

Why not let him take charge of the land reclamation project?
Let's see if we can turn things around.

Duan Zhengze was shocked, his breathing became rapid, and he looked at Lu Yunyi in disbelief.

Such a blatant power grab! Such an open and brazen accusation!
"My lord, is Lord Zhou aware of this matter?"

Lu Yunyi shook his head:
"Lord Zhou was drunk yesterday."
I haven't had a chance to report to the yamen yet, as the officials haven't even arrived today.

However, I think Lord Zhou will agree.

Of course, it mainly depends on whether you, Lord Duan, agree.

If you disagree,
"I'll find another way, if I may."

(End of this chapter)