In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 720 Severe Torture
The following morning, the morning light streamed down, bathing the city of Yingtian in its warmth and light.

The darkness of the night was dispelled, and the entire city of Yingtian seemed to come alive at that moment.

As the most majestic imperial city in Yingtian City, it is also full of vitality.

People came and went in front of the six ministries and the five military governorates, with clerks rushing to and fro.
After the court assembly ended, the sleepy-eyed officials returned to their offices.

Meanwhile, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) headquarters, not far away, remained as grim as ever.

At the entrance, the Imperial Guards and the Embroidered Uniform Guards stood in strict guard.
Officials from various departments passing by felt a chill as they passed through, and their eyes flashed with disdain.

The Embroidered Uniform Guard is now infamous in the imperial court and even in the capital.
They were a thorn in the side of all adults and even military generals.

Unfortunately, His Majesty favored her greatly.
Now they've even brought in the Imperial Guards for protection. What's the reason behind this?
At this moment, Li Zhigang, the chief clerk of the Ministry of Works, had a solemn expression.

Holding a thick document, he walked past the gate of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

When he saw that the place was heavily guarded, he sighed silently and gripped the document in his hand tightly.

When the officials following him saw him look over, they all looked over as well.

Li Zhigang said in a deep voice:

"Hurry back to the yamen, and don't look around."

A young clerk pursed his lips, quickened his pace, and muttered to himself:
"My lord, when will you go to see His Majesty?"
The breach needs to be plugged as soon as possible, otherwise it might affect the downstream areas.

In April, the Yellow River swelled and breached its banks at Fengchi in Guide Prefecture, overflowing southward and flowing through Xiayi and Yongcheng areas, affecting at least 50,000 people on both banks!
A hint of helplessness flashed across Li Zhigang's face:
"I will go when I have some free time today, but it is still unknown whether His Majesty will see me."

The young clerk muttered to himself:
"Look at these Embroidered Uniform Guards, they can see you whenever they want, and they even have Imperial Guards protecting you."
Yesterday evening, Mao Xiang was riding his horse recklessly in the palace! How absurd!

"Don't worry about things that aren't your concern. Just do your job."

Li Zhigang glanced at him, a hint of helplessness flashing in his eyes.

This friend's son speaks without restraint, about both the crude and the crude, which gives him a bit of a headache.

"My lord, didn't the imperial court say they wanted to transfer you to the Henan Provincial Administration Commission?"

Could we take this opportunity to be appointed as an official in a remote area?

The young clerk leaned closer and whispered.

By this time, Li Zhigang's mood had improved considerably:

"This is none of your business."

The young clerk, confident in his abilities, chuckled.
"Sir, if you go to Henan, please take me with you!"

You're the only person I know in this capital city.
If you leave, my nephew will be bullied to death.

Li Zhigang didn't say anything more, but silently quickened his pace.

Before leaving, he took the opportunity to glance subtly at the Embroidered Uniform Guard headquarters, silently muttering to himself:
"In the past, His Majesty has always been extremely concerned about floods, regarding them as a matter of utmost importance."

Why are they so indifferent this time, not caring what actually happened?

Li Zhigang felt somewhat heavy-hearted and missed Lord Lu.

If the adults were still alive, he might have the nerve to ask them.
Now that the official has left, he has become utterly disreputable in the government office again.

"Let's go, let's leave the capital and be sent to a post outside the capital so we can have some peace and quiet."

The Jinyiwei prison was located directly below the yamen (government office).

Many people in the court criticized the Embroidered Uniform Guard for its sinister atmosphere, precisely because of the bloodshed it brought.

At this moment, the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) headquarters was filled with wails and screams.

Inside the cold, damp cells,

Torture was rampant everywhere, with all sorts of methods being used relentlessly.

Even the toughest men would tremble with fear upon arriving here.

In the innermost dungeon of the Embroidered Uniform Guard,

The appearance here is quite different from other prison cells.

There is no dark or dampness, and no rats or cockroaches.

There were only clean and tidy beds, and even a wooden table with books and food on it.

A man in his forties sat anxiously behind the table.
They were completely unaffected by the respectable environment in the prison cell.

His expression was no different from those around him who had been severely tortured.
Some even suffered more than others, experiencing even greater mental anguish.

He is Ding Bin, the nephew of Korean official Li Shanchang.

Just a few days ago, he was a guest of honor among various powerful and wealthy businessmen, but now he has become a prisoner.

Such a stark difference was unacceptable to him.
He was on the verge of a breakdown, and the food and desserts in front of him held no interest for him whatsoever.

Ding Bin's gaze was discreet, occasionally glancing at the middle-aged man sitting quietly drinking tea at the small table by the door, a hint of fear flashing in his eyes.

He had witnessed firsthand yesterday that the man before him had skinned the hands and feet of one of his attendants alive; the scene of the bloody mess was still vivid in his mind.

Time passes little by little,
Ding Bin felt completely soaked, with large beads of sweat constantly dripping from his forehead.
It dripped down the bridge and tip of his nose, leaving a small puddle on the wooden table.

Qian Xinghuai, who was sitting at the door, noticed this.
I drank the tea in my cup in one gulp, feeling it was time.

He stood up with some emotion, reflecting on how his stronghold, Hexing Dyehouse, had been exposed.

He returned to the yamen as a garrison commander, handling trials and daily paperwork.

He really disliked this job; it was far less comfortable than being free and unrestrained outside.

The Jinyiwei prison, in particular, was cold and damp, making his bones ache.

However, the superior had given a death order.

The person before him had a special status, so only he could personally guard him.

Qian Xinghuai stood up, opened the iron gate, and slowly walked in.
He maintained a warm smile, just as he always did with his guests.

But Ding Bin saw a different expression.
He felt like he had become a weak lamb.

The person in front of him was a hungry wolf that had seen food and was about to eat it; his appearance was sinister and terrifying.

"What do you want to do?"

As he drew closer and closer, almost reaching the table,
Ding Bin could no longer ignore it, so he asked a question, his voice flustered and stammering.

Qian Xinghuai smiled, pulled up a stool, sat down opposite him, and said softly:

"Manager Ding, don't be afraid. I have some questions to ask you."
As long as you tell the truth

I promise you will be spared any physical pain.

Ding Bin shuddered and said shakily, barely managing to speak:
"Manager Qian, we've done business together before."
I entrusted you with the management of all the fabrics from Jiangnan, and you made quite a bit of money from it.
For the sake of our past relationship,
"If you spare my life, or simply deliver a letter for me, I will repay you handsomely!"

Upon hearing this, Qian Xinghuai, who had been in a relatively good mood, suddenly turned gloomy and let out a soft snort:
"Manager Ding, do I need to go over all the things you've done one by one?"

They dyed their clothes in my shop and thought it looked good, so they sent people to secretly investigate, hoping to learn my technique.
The Chen family dye house in the south of the city is the one you own, isn't it?
Do you think I won't recognize you just because you changed your name?

Ding Bin's face turned deathly pale, and he trembled.
"You...you've been watching me all along?"

Qian Xinghuai smiled, a hint of sarcasm in his expression:

"Manager Ding, I was first a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, and then the manager of Hexing Dyehouse. What makes you think I'm being watched?"

Alright, enough with the nonsense. Confess honestly, and you'll avoid physical punishment.

"Tell me what?" Ding Bin asked in a trembling voice.

Qian Xinghuai pointed to the books on the table:
"Open the book at the very top; it contains the questions I wish to ask."
Write down your answers honestly.

"I'll treat you to the best food and drink, how about that?"

Ding Bin hurriedly grabbed the top document.
He had already made up his mind.
They answered whatever they asked.
Once we get out, we'll ask my uncle to wash away all the humiliation of the past two days!

But when he opened the document and looked at the densely packed questions...

Ding Bin's eyes showed some surprise, and even some confusion.
He stood there stunned for a few moments.
He felt a jolt to his soul; a huge rock had crashed down on the lake, causing him to temporarily lose his ability to think.

What did Li Cunyi do in the Hu Weiyong rebellion case?
Did Li Shanchang borrow troops from Goguryeo through Liaodong?
Two simple and easy-to-understand sentences left Ding Bin puzzled for a long time.
What followed was an unimaginable fear.

He finally understood that the Embroidered Uniform Guards' target wasn't him at all.
Instead, it was Li Shanchang, the Duke of Han, who was the most distinguished nobleman of the Ming Dynasty and his own uncle.

"Huhu."

Ding Bin was drenched in sweat, his pupils swayed violently, and his breathing suddenly became heavy.

Fear had spread rapidly throughout his body, and his hands and feet were now beyond his control.

He knew better than anyone what those two questions meant, but he still had some doubts.
When my uncle came to the capital last time, didn't the palace already compromise?
How did it become like this? He couldn't understand it, but he knew...
You can't say anything; if you do, you're truly doomed.

Qian Xinghuai looked at him with great interest.
I hope to hear some answers from him.

Just as his gaze was burning,
Ding Bin suddenly looked up, his face ashen, staring intently at him with bloodshot eyes:
"I know nothing. Use whatever means you have."

Qian Xinghuai's smile froze, and anger flashed in his eyes. He slapped her hard across the face and cursed:

"Men, lift him up!"
Torture them severely until they confess!

Ding Bin felt his cheeks swell rapidly and his body go limp.

Although he had made preparations in advance, when more than a dozen Imperial Guards rushed in and dragged him out of the cell,
He was still in a state of panic, his body was shaking violently, and he couldn't breathe.

He was quickly put on an interrogation stand.
The stake was densely covered with long needles from back to front.

Ding Bin felt that when he was being pressed on top,
I felt a sharp, needle-like pain all over my body.

Especially since their hands and feet were tightly bound with ropes, long needles pierced deep into their flesh!
Just as he was struggling to adjust to the pain, the Imperial Guard in front of him didn't waste any words.
A whip lashed out and struck him hard.

An unimaginable, excruciating pain surged through Ding Bin's body.
His breathing stopped abruptly, and his body writhed like a worm.

But behind him, countless long needles tore through flesh and blood, constantly churning beneath the skin.
The excruciating pain it brought was no less than that of the whip in front of him.

"what--"

After a long while, he finally managed to exhale.
Ding Bin let out a bloodcurdling scream, and then his excrement and urine flowed out.

It hurts, it hurts too much.

Qian Xinghuai walked up to him, put his hands on his hips, and said with a smile:
"Manager Ding, severe torture doesn't mean just hitting people indiscriminately."
Instead, it's about making you carefully experience this pain, so that you'll remember it forever.

If you keep hitting it, it will become a bad habit.

Now, I'm telling you, the second lash will be delivered after the first cup of tea. Manager Ding, be prepared.

"By the way, if you want to explain yourself, then this lash can be waived."

I will find you the best doctor from the Embroidered Uniform Guard to treat your wounds.

Otherwise, in a couple of days, your wound will be covered in maggots, crawling everywhere.

By then, even if you come up with a solution, it will be troublesome to treat.

The rotten flesh had to be removed piece by piece, and no anesthetic could be used.

Otherwise, if the meat doesn't move, it's impossible to tell whether it's good meat or rotten meat.

Ding Bin's body trembled uncontrollably; he was terrified to the extreme.
Do you know who my uncle is?

Let me go now, and I'll forgive and forget about it, and I won't even mention it to that old man!

Otherwise, you, you will all die!

Qian Xinghuai smiled and shook his head, placing the document in his hand in front of him:
"Does Manager Ding not know how to read?"
It has your two uncles' names on it.

"Do you have another uncle?"

"Let me go, let me go, ah!"

Ding Bin writhed, his limbs and body twisting violently under the long needles, and in an instant, his flesh was a bloody mess.

The pain rendered him temporarily speechless, and tears and snot streamed down his face.
I felt like I couldn't see the world clearly anymore.

Qian Xinghuai smiled, walked to the side and sat down, waiting for time to pass.

Ding Bin also quieted down, silently waiting for the next lash of the whip.

For some reason, the time it takes to drink a cup of tea has become exceptionally long today, as if it were an eternity.

The time it takes to drink a cup of tea is up, and then another whip falls heavily.

The pain that had just subsided suddenly surged back up.

Ding Bin writhed in agony, the wound on his back tearing open even more!
"what--"

A scream rang out, and blood flowed down the hem of her clothes.

The gushing blood touched the wound, and another wave of pain struck!
But for some reason, after the pain subsided...

Ding Bin suddenly felt a sense of relief, as if he had finally been liberated.

"I won't say anything!!"

"I'm innocent! I'm innocent!! You've persecuted the loyal and virtuous!!"

Ding Bin let out a roar.

No one answered.

A dozen or so Imperial Guards stood there silently, each holding a whip of various styles.
When the time came, I mustered all my strength and slapped him hard.
And so, amidst the sounds of slapping, it was noon.

Ding Bin was covered in blood, his entire body white from being rubbed with salt.
Qian Xinghuai looked at him with some surprise and spoke in a slightly teasing tone:

"They're pretty resilient."

"You've wronged us! You've persecuted loyal and virtuous people!"

Ding Bin's head hung low, his body was numb, and his voice was weak.
Qian Xinghuai couldn't see his expression, as his long hair obscured his face, so he simply gave the order:
“If you peel off his scalp, his hair will cover it, so how can you see clearly?”

Several Imperial Guards received the order, one of whom, holding a sharp dagger, slowly approached Ding Bin.

He approached Ding Bin, reached out, roughly grabbed his hair, and yanked it hard.
Pull his head back to reveal his blood-stained and exhausted face.

Ding Bin's eyes had lost their former arrogance, replaced only by fear and despair.

He wanted to struggle.
But his body had already been tortured to the point of losing its strength, and he could only let himself be manipulated.

The Imperial Guard slowly brought the knife close to Ding Bin's scalp.
The blade grazed lightly, drawing out a tiny trace of blood.

Ding Bin's body trembled violently.
A hoarse sound came from his throat; he was in so much pain that he was too weak to even roar.

It slid down his cheek and dripped onto the blood-stained ground.

The Embroidered Uniform Guards were skilled and ruthless.
With each cut, Ding Bin felt his soul tremble.

The excruciating pain that penetrated to the bone made him wish he could die immediately.

Then the Imperial Guard grinned, grabbed that section of hair, and slowly pulled it.
"what--"

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhh!!"

The continuous screams broke through the dark and damp dungeon.
His body writhed wildly, his limbs carving deeper wounds into the long needles.

But the Imperial Guards remained unmoved and continued to hold him firmly.

Continue to gently tear, letting him fully feel the pain.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment.
Every second felt like a year.

Ding Bin's screams echoed through the dungeon.
This process lasted for half an hour.
Finally, the Imperial Guards stopped what they were doing.

It was filled with bright red flesh and blood intertwined together, a disgusting sight.

Ding Bin's eyes were wide open, bloodshot, as if they were about to burst out of their sockets.

Her lips were bitten until they bled, yet they continued to tremble.

Qian Xinghuai stood up and slowly walked to Ding Bin.

Looking at his miserable state, there was no pity on her face, only indifference and mockery:

"Manager Ding, are you willing to confess now?"
"If you keep pushing yourself like this, you'll lose your life."

"Next time, it will be your palms and nails that are peeled off."

Ding Bin's head slumped limply; his consciousness was beginning to fade.
The excruciating pain that penetrated to the bone marrow still lingered vividly in his mind.
The physical pain was no longer important at that moment.
The fear in my heart had reached its peak.

They'd tear off someone's scalp; what wouldn't these people do!

He knew in his heart that he couldn't hold on any longer.
If this continues, he will only suffer even more torment.

"I said..."

Ding Bin used his last bit of strength, his voice so weak it was almost inaudible.

A glint of light flashed in Qian Xinghuai's eyes:

"it is good!"

"Someone, write this down carefully!!"

(End of this chapter)