In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 716 Showing No Mercy, Severe Torture

"Accident?"

The main hall of the military headquarters fell silent in an instant.
Everyone could hear the sarcasm in it, and even more so, the inexplicable meaning behind it.

Their gazes lingered between Liu Heiying and Qu Qingfeng.
I kept wondering about it.

what happened?
Qu Qingfeng stood there, a look on his face that was neither a smile nor a cry.
"Lord Liu, what do you mean by this?"

"How could I be surprised to see you at the Commandery?"

Duan Zhengze keenly sensed his panic.

Thinking of his strange behavior along the way, he frowned slightly.
She quietly moved her body a little further away, avoiding the view of many people.

After a moment of silence in the main hall, Liu Heiying let out a sneer and gently shook his head:

"Lord Qu, I would like to ask you, where is your deputy general Zhong Licheng?"

"Vice general?"

Qu Qingfeng's expression suddenly changed, and he forced a smile:
"My lord, I came to the Commandery today for a meeting, but I did not bring my deputy general with me."

Are you suggesting that the deputy commanders of each garrison be summoned today? I will send someone back to fetch them immediately.

"No need, he's already dead." Liu Heiying shook his head with a smile.

As soon as the words were spoken, the scene fell silent, and everyone's expression changed drastically!

Before anyone could react, and as they all exchanged bewildered glances, Liu Heiying's face suddenly twisted into a ferocious expression:

"Take him down!"

hurried footsteps sounded outside.
The two soldiers who were originally standing guard at the door did not hesitate at all.
It pounced on them in an instant.
Qu Qingfeng was slammed hard onto the open ground.

His hands were tightly pinned behind his back, twisted into an exaggerated arc!

"what"

Screams followed.

Everyone was shocked by this scene. Their pupils dilated suddenly, and their gazes swept over Liu Heiying at the head of the table, somewhat incredulous.

What is this doing?
Duan Zhengze, in particular, glanced at Tan Wei.
Seeing Tan Wei sitting there calmly,

He immediately realized that this old fellow must know something.

Immediately, a surge of resentment welled up in Duan Zhengze's heart:
"How come I don't know anything?"

"May I ask, Lord Liu, what exactly has Lord Qu done to warrant being apprehended in public?"

Prefect Hong Yishan's face was extremely grim.
The look in his eyes as he looked at Liu Heiying carried a hint of ill intent.

No one was surprised by his question.
Because the prefectural government and the military command had already had a great deal of unpleasantness regarding the drawing of the fish-scale yellow register.
The commander repeatedly conducted surveys, always finding numerous instances of inaccurate land measurement, which thoroughly humiliated the prefectural government.

Now that he has an opportunity to make trouble, Hong Yishan will naturally not miss it.

"Lord Hong, are you trying to exonerate the traitors?"

Just as everyone was thinking about how Liu Heiying should retaliate,
A simple sentence froze everyone's expressions on their faces.

They were starting to doubt if they had misheard.

Traitor? Qu Qingfeng is a traitor?
Liu Heiying didn't explain further, simply waving his hand.
Hu Xiaowu then walked over carrying a stack of documents and distributed them to the officials present in turn.

"Take a look, this is what the Daning Vanguard did yesterday."

Qu Qingfeng's deputy, Zhong Licheng, died in last night's rebellion, and none of his thousand followers survived.

After reviewing the list and documents, the government swiftly began the process of punishing the traitors.

Liu Heiying casually tossed out a sentence,

He then picked up the other documents on the table and casually flipped through them.

It's as if yesterday's rebellion had nothing to do with him.

However, this single stone stirred up a thousand waves, leaving everyone completely stunned.

When they saw the records and the irrefutable evidence,
His face was full of disbelief
They can't imagine,

There are actually people within the military command who would do something so reckless!

At the same time, a sense of lingering fear flashed through their minds; thankfully, the person in front of them was unharmed.

If something really goes wrong, not only will the imperial court be thrown into chaos, but the returning Lord Lu may also unleash a massacre.

Many eyes were focused on Qu Qingfeng, who was being pinned to the ground.
Seeing that his face was ashen, and that he neither argued nor made a fuss,

He lay there on the ground with a blank expression, but he knew in his heart that the matter was pretty much as it seemed.

"Lord Duan, you've been seeing Lord Qu quite frequently lately."

We were having a brothel together yesterday.
Are you aware of his rebellion?

Liu Heiying raised his head, his small eyes gleaming coldly, and his voice made Duan Zhengze's body stiffen.

He cursed inwardly, his expression more painful than tears:

"Lord Liu, let's keep things separate."
I had no idea what Qu Qingfeng had done.

Liu Heiying laughed and nodded slightly:

"Lord Duan, you are overthinking it. I was just asking casually."
"I wonder what strange things Lord Duan has done in his interactions with Lord Qu these past few days?"

Duan Zhengze, a seasoned veteran, quickly shook his head:
"Lord Liu, Lord Qu and I are just drinking buddies. Once we've had a few drinks, how could we tell the difference?"

However, this morning Lord Qu seemed rather distracted.

Liu Heiying nodded, walked up to Qu Qingfeng, and looked down at him:
"Lord Qu, now that the treason has been confirmed, is there anything else you wish to explain?"

Qu Qingfeng suddenly tilted her head back and glared at him fiercely:
"The winner takes all and the loser is condemned. Since things have failed, I have nothing more to say!"
But it's you who did some pathetic things.

This official has already drafted a document and submitted it to Yingtian.
"If my end is bad, none of you should expect anything good."

Liu Heiying felt somewhat bewildered. He looked at the person in front of him and asked:
"Lord Qu, what have I done to offend you? Why would you resort to such ruthless methods?"
Besides, as a traitor, do you think the court would read or believe the documents you write?
"Lord Qu, the victor is king and the loser is an outlaw. I can tell you're somewhat unconvinced."

"I bother!"

Qu Qingfeng seemed to have been hit where it hurt, and suddenly struggled.

But the pain in his arms made his face flush red and his eyes bloodshot.
"Only officials are allowed to set fires, while ordinary people are forbidden to light lamps!"

They call it promoting trade and commerce, but it's really just about making money!
They keep talking about creating the Fish Scale Yellow Register, but what they're really doing is encroaching on farmland. What is this if not enriching themselves at the expense of the public?
"You dare to talk to me about 'the victor is king'?"

These words ignited a burning desire for gossip in the eyes of many adults.
Looking at the two people in the room, I hope they can speak even more recklessly.

Liu Heiying didn't argue with him, he just waved his hand:

"Take him away. The Commander and the Prefectural Government will jointly investigate this case and get to the bottom of it!"

Then, Liu Heiying looked at Prefect Hong Yishan and asked with slight surprise:
"Lord Hong, it seems that Lord Qu's involvement in the land survey is related to the faction of rebels. Could it be that you, Lord Hong, are also involved?"

Hong Yishan's face turned deathly pale in an instant, and he stammered:
"Lord Liu, you can't speak carelessly. The government office knows absolutely nothing about this matter."

"So much the better."

Liu Heiying stood with his hands on his hips, looked at the crowd, and said in a solemn voice:

"I will say it again, the most important task of the Commandery is to repair roads."

The roads outside the city will be classified as heavy military equipment, and anyone who further damages them will be dealt with by military law!
The second thing was to draw up the fish-scale yellow book.

The imperial edict from the palace has been in effect for nearly three years.
The entire Northern Pacification Command is progressing slowly.
This won't do. We need to hurry and finish the complete drawing before the end of the year!

After speaking, Liu Heiying ignored the somber atmosphere in the main hall, sat down directly, and said in a deep voice:

"The meeting of the Commandery is now in session!"

The crowd exchanged bewildered glances. Duan Zhengze and Hong Yishan from the government office exchanged a look, both seeing surprise in each other's eyes.

What's going on today? Why has Lord Liu suddenly become so assertive?

As evening approached, in the dungeon behind the military headquarters,
When Wu Su'an, the Chief of the Bureau of Experience, arrived here, his steps were swift, and he exuded an aura of authority.

The jailer dared not delay and came to greet them almost immediately.

Everyone in the military command knows that this Lord Wu is a confidant of Lord Liu and Lord Lu.

"Where is Qu Qingfeng?" "My lord, please follow me."

The jailer lowered his head, his face full of fear!
A commander of the third rank, just like that, was arrested.
The jailer himself couldn't remember how long it had been since anything this exciting had happened in Daning City.

Before long, the two arrived at the innermost part of the prison cell.

There was only one cell here, dark and damp, filled with the smell of blood.

The cell wasn't large, with several tables placed around it.

The table was covered with all sorts of instruments of torture, now stained with blood.

It's worth mentioning that Qu Qingfeng was hanging on the very central pillar.

His limbs were tightly bound with hemp rope, and his head was lowered.
His thick, loose hair obscured his face.

His white clothes were now tattered and covered in bloodstains, clearly indicating that he had been subjected to severe torture.

Seeing him like this, Wu Su'an frowned slightly.
Looking around, he saw the sounds of torture echoing from nearby cells.
Most of them were arrested today for road vandalism.

The oppressive atmosphere here made Wu Su'an feel uneasy.
"Open it, I have some questions for him."

"Yes"

The jailer opened the gate and withdrew, leaving the two of them alone.

Wu Su'an stepped into the cell and sat down behind the long table facing the pillar.

Open the document in your hand, take out paper and pen and arrange them neatly.

After completing this step, he spoke in a deep voice:
"Lord Qu, I am Wu Su'an,

I want to ask some questions today.
I hope you will tell the truth, otherwise you will suffer further physical pain.

Only then did Qu Qingfeng, who had been like a corpse, move. He trembled and slowly raised his head.

A face covered in blood and sweat was visible through each strand of hair.

In the dim candlelight, it appeared especially sinister, like a demon that had just raised its head.

Especially from its open mouth, blood was still flowing out.

"What do you want to know?"

Wu Su'an began to look through the documents, glancing at the daytime interrogation records before looking up:

"Lord Qu, what you said during the day were just trivial matters."

Now it's just the two of us. I have some truly important matters to ask, and I wonder if Lord Qu would be so kind as to inform me?"

"Heh," Qu Qingfeng spat out the saliva in his mouth:

"Do you dare to listen if I dare you?"

Wu Su'an shook her head and said in a deep voice:
"Lord Qu, I won't hide it from you."
What you know, we also know.
Asking you now is merely to confirm; Lord Qu, please simply tell the truth.

Qu Qingfeng looked at Wu Su'an with a strange expression.
Seeing that he remained so confident, a sense of foreboding welled up in my heart.

Wu Su'an spoke directly:
"Lord Qu, the first question concerns the Jurchen incursions in Liaodong."

Why did Lord Qu withhold the documents sent out by the Commander?

Why were the requests for help from Liaodong also detained?
What connections do you have with Liaodong? Whom are you working for?

Qu Qingfeng's pupils contracted slightly:
"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Lord Qu, I wouldn't mind explaining it a little more clearly."
What kind of collusion do you have with Mei Yi, the General of Liaodong?
Why should we help him cover up news from Liaodong?

The moment the words left his mouth, the atmosphere in the cell froze.

Qu Qingfeng stood there, stunned, staring at him in disbelief.

How could he know?
Panic gripped Qu Qingfeng, so much so that the pain in his body disappeared.

Wu Su'an continued:
News arrived from Shanhaiguan regarding the advance of troops into Tianjin.

Was it because your father, Qu Jiarui, the Right Provincial Governor of Beiping, prevented you from doing so?

So much so that the Northern Pacification Command only received the news after Tianjin Wei had left Shanhaiguan?

Qu Qingfeng panicked even more, his whole body trembling.

Upon hearing these two questions, he was almost certain in his heart that...

The commander must have known something he didn't.

Taking a few deep breaths, Qu Qingfeng spoke in a deep voice:
"I don't know what you're talking about. Zhong Licheng is my deputy."
He committed such a heinous act because I, the official, have failed to manage and discipline my subordinates properly, and I am aware of my guilt.

But you all dare to try and implicate my father? You are sorely mistaken!

Wu Su'an sighed, took out two letters from her bosom, and held them in her hands:
"The commander found these two documents requesting aid from Liaodong in your concubine's house."
And your concubine also confessed that you were the one who hid here.

Lord Qu, in the face of facts, no amount of sophistry can change the situation.

Qu Qingfeng's body tensed up, and his newly healed wound suddenly burst open.
Blood seeped out immediately, soaking his clothes.

He still insisted:

“I don’t know what you’re talking about, and this matter has absolutely nothing to do with my father.”

Wu Su'an looked helpless and gently shook her head.

"It seems that Lord Qu won't shed tears until he sees the coffin."

After saying that, he stood up and walked straight to Qu Qingfeng's side, completely ignoring the overwhelming smell of blood.

He bent down and whispered:
"Lord Qu, the Marquis of Runan has been captured."
The three Jurchen tribes have been completely wiped out; there's no point in you continuing to hold on.

Qu Qingfeng suddenly looked up, his pupils dilating to their maximum size.
He stared at Wu Su'an in disbelief, his pupils trembling violently.

For some reason, when I saw that calm smile, a sense of fear welled up inside me.

what happened?
Has the Marquis of Runan been captured?

Were the Jurchens wiped out?

In an instant, Qu Qingfeng thought of someone, and his body suddenly leaned forward in a struggle:
"Lu Yunyi went to Liaodong? Wasn't he supposed to be doing business?!"

"He went to Liaodong? He went to Liaodong?"

Qu Qingfeng looked somewhat deranged, his face contorted with rage, eager for an answer.

Wu Su'an nodded slightly:
"That's right, Lord Lu went to Liaodong, certainly to do business."
Managing finances, provisions, and troops—that's what a high-ranking official should be doing.

"How could this be? How could this be?"

Qu Qingfeng thought of the rumors that had been circulating in the city a few months ago.
The phrase "the commander is out of money" was everywhere, to the point that people were tired of hearing it.

Only now did he realize...
It turns out this was all a ruse, a smokescreen to deceive them all.

The business was actually done, and the troops were actually deployed.
Even more outrageous is that they actually won?
He clearly remembered mocking the commander for going to such lengths for such a small amount of money.

Looking back now, Qu Qingfeng felt her face burning.

He wished he could disappear into the ground after making those earlier promises.

However, he quickly realized something was wrong!
"No, you're lying to me. Lu Yunyi only took two thousand soldiers with him. How could he possibly defeat one hundred thousand Jurchens!"

Wu Su'an suddenly laughed:
"Lord Qu, I never said how many Jurchens there were, so how did you know?"

Qu Qingfeng's face suddenly froze!
"Lord Qu, a few days ago there was a big fire in the warehouse. The Commander has already mobilized several thousand elite soldiers to wipe out the bandits in Longwei Mountain."

Moreover, the Three Guards of Doyan were involved in this matter, and they had sufficient troops.

Qu Qingfeng's face was ashen.
He had come to believe Wu Su'an's words.
There was no other reason than that Wu Su'an was too calm, so calm that it seemed as if she knew everything perfectly well.

"Lord Qu, if you confess honestly now, you can avoid physical punishment."
Otherwise, if you're handed over to the Embroidered Uniform Guard all at once, you'll suffer greatly.

As she spoke, Wu Su'an returned to the long table and sat down, pen and paper in hand, looking at the commander before her, a man of illustrious family background and high rank.
"Well? Lord Qu, have you made up your mind?"

After a long while, a hoarse voice finally came:

"Say what I mean."

(End of this chapter)