In Hongwu, we started as rebels

Chapter 989 Surprising Reinforcements

Du Pingping stepped forward and gestured to the jailer to release the clamps.

Then someone brought over a basin of cold water and splashed it over Ye Xingyao's face.

The cold water made Ye Xingyao shiver, and his consciousness cleared up a little.

Du Pingping squatted down and took out the sandalwood box from her bosom.

After opening it, he took out several yellowed letters and handed them to Ye Xingyao:
"Tell me, what's the story behind these letters from Hu Weiyong and Li Shanchang to your father?"

Does your father still have dealings with remnants of the rebel party?

"This is my father's letter, it has nothing to do with me!"
"When the case occurred, the letters from the manor had already been handed in. How could they still be in the manor?"

"Did you hand it in?"

Du Pingping sneered:
"If it had really been handed over, how could it have been found in a hidden compartment in your study?"
Young Master Ye, has your father been colluding with the rebels for a long time?

"So you're using the Lotus Treasure Trading Company as a front to secretly plot against the Crown Prince?"

"No! My father is not a rebel!"

Ye Xingyao suddenly roared, his voice hoarse:

My father fought for the imperial court his whole life.
How could he possibly collude with the rebels? You can't slander him like that!

Seeing that Ye Xingyao was agitated but still refused to budge, Du Pingping's doubts deepened.

He stood up and said to the jailer:
"Flogging."

"Yes!"

The jailer picked up a leather whip soaked in salt water and covered in barbs.
He walked up to Ye Xingyao and lashed him hard across the back with a whip.

"Snapped!"

The prison uniform ripped open instantly.
Blood seeped out, staining the bluestone slab beneath them red.

"what!"

Ye Xingyao curled up on the ground in pain, his body trembling uncontrollably.

"I really don't know. Please, let me go."

His voice grew softer and softer.

Tears mingled with sweat and blood, dripping onto the ground and spreading into a small, dark stain.

One lash, two lashes, three lashes.
The sound of the whip striking flesh echoed in the cell.

Ye Xingyao's screams gradually weakened, leaving only faint groans.

His back was already a bloody mess, and his prison clothes were stuck to the wounds. Even the slightest movement caused excruciating pain.

Du Pingping frowned as she looked at Ye Xingyao, who was lying on the ground barely alive.

Ye Xingyao's reaction didn't seem feigned.
Could it be that he was really kept in the dark?
"stop."

Du Pingping gave the order, and the jailers immediately stopped what they were doing and stepped aside.

He walked up to Ye Xingyao, squatted down, and said in a low voice:
"Second Young Master, I'm giving you one last chance."

If you confess, I can plead with His Majesty to spare your family's lives.
"If you still don't admit it, once His Majesty is enraged, not a single person in the Jingning Marquis's household will survive."

Ye Xingyao struggled to open his eyes, his vision blurred as he looked at Du Pingping, his lips trembling:

"I...I really...don't...don't hurt my family."

Before he could finish speaking, his head lolled to the side and he fainted.

Du Pingping stood up, looked at the unconscious Ye Xingyao, and said to the Imperial Guard beside her:

"Splash him awake, lock him in a cell, and continue to torture him until he talks!"

After giving her instructions, Du Pingping hurriedly left the imperial prison.

As he approached the door, he accepted a hot towel from his subordinate.

He wiped the sweat and bloodstains from his face, straightened his robes, and hurried toward the Wuying Hall.

The weather in October was already quite cool.
Walking on the imperial road of the palace, Du Pingping felt only a chill running through her body.
He wasn't sure if arresting only Ye Xingyao would satisfy His Majesty.

In the square in front of the Wuying Hall, Marquis Guo Ying of Wuding still stood in the same spot, his long sword sheathed at his waist.

However, the bright red bloodstains on the hem of the armor had turned into dark black spots under the moonlight, which were particularly glaring.

Du Pingping's lips were tightly pressed together, indicating that not only had actions taken outside the palace, but the palace itself had also been thoroughly cleaned up.

I just don't know how many people died that night.

He stepped forward and bowed deeply.
"Lord Wuding, is His Majesty in?"

"Yes, come in."

"Yes."

Du Pingping handed the long sword at her waist to the guard.

After a thorough search, they were finally allowed to enter the main hall.

The candlelight inside the hall was dim, and most of the palace lanterns had been extinguished.

Only a few lamps remained beside the imperial desk at the head of the table, concealing the two figures in the darkness.

"Your subject, Du Pingping, pays respects to Your Majesty."

The Embroidered Uniform Guard has, as ordered, sealed off the Lianbao Trading Company and arrested Ye Xingyao, the second son of the Marquis of Jingning.
They are currently subjected to severe torture to track down the mastermind behind it.

Did he confess?

Zhu Yuanzhang's heavy, deathly voice came from above, making Du Pingping's heart tighten.

"Your Majesty, we have not yet summoned them."

But Your Majesty, rest assured, once someone is in the Imperial Guard's prison, there's no one whose mouth can't be pried open.

"What happened to the people from the Marquis of Jingning's residence?"

"The Crown Prince Ye Xingzhen is being held in custody in the mansion. All guards and servants in the mansion are not allowed to leave, and the Imperial Guards are guarding outside the mansion."

"hehe."

Zhu Yuanzhang's lips twitched slightly, his sharp eyes fixed on Du Pingping as he asked:

"Ye Xingzhen wouldn't know that Lianbao Trading Company under Ye Xingyao's command had done such a thing?"

Du Pingping suddenly looked up, a flash of shock in her eyes.
Is arresting the second son not enough? Are you going to arrest the crown prince tonight as well?

Once this is done,
There was no room for easing the situation.

He pursed his lips and quickly bowed, saying:
"Your Majesty, based on the existing evidence, I have not found any trace of Ye Xingzhen's involvement."

However, based on my speculation, Ye Xingzhen and the Marquis of Jingning are likely inextricably linked.

"Then why not arrest them?"

really!

Du Pingping thought to herself, her expression growing increasingly tense:

"Your Majesty, there is currently no conclusive evidence to prove that Ye Xingzhen is involved in the treason."

Your Majesty is also concerned about the harmonious relationship between Your Majesty and the many meritorious nobles.

Therefore, we did not take action tonight, but plan to wait until we have solid evidence before taking action.

"Your Majesty, rest assured, Ye Xingzhen is under house arrest in his residence; he has no chance of escape."

As soon as he finished speaking, a dry laugh came from the head of the table.

Zhu Yuanzhang straightened up, his upper body emerging from the shadows.

His aged, sharp face was exceptionally clear in the candlelight.

His lifeless eyes were fixed on Du Pingping, and his voice was forced out through clenched teeth:
Do you know why I haven't promoted you yet?

"Your Majesty, I do not know."

"You've never fought a war, you're not ruthless enough."
They are unable to forge ahead without hesitation or regard for cost, and always hesitate before acting.

Arresting one and releasing another today—is this an attempt to sue for peace? Does the Emperor need to make peace with the rebels?

"thump!"

Du Pingping broke out in a cold sweat and knelt down on the ground:
"Your Majesty, I have been biased and I beg your forgiveness!"

Zhu Yuanzhang straightened up, his gaze sharp as a knife:

"Others have the audacity to rebel, yet you lack the courage to arrest people? If there's a next time, you'll be joining Mao Xiang in the afterlife."

Du Pingping trembled all over and kowtowed repeatedly:

"Yes, Your Majesty! I will go and arrest them immediately!"

The night was exceptionally long, tinged with bloodshed.

As dawn broke, the Jingning Marquis's residence on Zhangde Street, once guarded by the Imperial Guards, had become deathly silent.
Everyone in the mansion was taken away, leaving only an empty courtyard.

Inside the Imperial Guard prison, the cells were already overflowing, filled with cries and wails that were incredibly irritating to hear.

Du Pingping stood at the prison cell door, looking at the servants of the Marquis's mansion squeezing their heads between the bars, and sneered:
"If you dare utter another sound, you'll be executed on the spot!"

These words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing all other sounds.
Even though I was filled with fear and tears were streaming down my face,
Everyone bit their lips tightly, daring not to utter a sound. This night was the longest and most agonizing they had ever endured.
One by one, the corpses, unable to withstand the torture, were carried out.
The stench of blood mingled with the smell of burning permeated the cell.
It completely shattered everyone's psychological defenses.

Seeing that everyone had calmed down, Du Pingping stepped towards the deepest part of the room.

With bloodshot eyes, he immediately spotted the two brothers hanging upside down on the wooden stake, one facing forward and the other backward.

Ye Xingyao was tied headfirst to the cross-shaped pillar.

His entire body was covered in undamaged flesh, and his head was swollen like a pig's head.

Upon seeing Du Pingping, his body trembled violently, and his indistinct groans were filled with fear.

Du Pingping ignored him and turned to look at Ye Xingzhen beside her.
He was hanging there, his fingernails had been pulled out.
His arms were covered with dense, everted wounds, resembling a squirrel-shaped mandarin fish slashed open with a knife.

"Young Master, are you still unwilling to speak?"

Ye Xingzhen's face was deathly pale, his forehead was covered in sweat, and the hair at his temples was stuck to his face.

One side of his hair had been ripped out, revealing his bleeding scalp; his voice was hoarse.
"What are you talking about? My Ye family has not rebelled."

"Oh, do you believe this yourself?"

Du Pingping stepped forward, her tone icy:

"Lianbao Trading Company is a business owned by your Ye family."
The red tide algae was sent to the capital and into the palace from your Ye family's fish farm.

His Highness the Crown Prince fell into a coma after eating poisonous clams. And now you're trying to deny it?

"I do not know what you're talking about!"

Ye Xingzhen stiffened his neck, a stubborn glint in his eyes, stared intently at Du Pingping, and said fiercely:

"Lord Du, you are a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. I don't blame you for following orders."

But remember this: the Jingning Marquis's mansion is a noble family, sharing the fate of the nation. It is not something a lowly person like you can provoke!

You'll see, one day sooner or later...
You will also be tied up here and subjected to severe torture!

Upon hearing this, Du Pingping narrowed her eyes slightly.

The nobles are indeed not people I can easily provoke.

But the current situation is tense, and he has no room to back down.

He looked Ye Xingzhen up and down, seemingly lost in thought:
"You two brothers seem quite confident. Are you absolutely certain that someone will come to rescue you?"

"I advise you to give up on that idea. Marquis Yongding has already led his troops to Luzhou."

Ye Xingzhen's expression changed drastically.
My father is currently in our hometown of Luzhou. If he gets arrested...
Panic instantly spread through him, and his gaze involuntarily drifted to the ground.

Du Pingping raised an eyebrow, sensing his wavering resolve, and continued to apply pressure:

"The Marquis of Jingning is a meritorious nobleman and a founding hero."
If you want to retain some semblance of dignity, hurry up and confess.

Otherwise, it would be truly shameful for the three of you—father and sons—to be tied up here and tortured together.

Ye Xingzhen's jaw was clenched, and his voice was low:

"Du Pingping! How dare you! My father has not plotted rebellion!"

"Whether there is treason or not is not for you to decide, but for His Majesty to decide."

Du Pingping emphasized:
Do I need to repeat the deeds of Lianbao Trading Company again?

If you do something, just admit it openly; you'll suffer less.

"You have plotted to harm the Crown Prince; no one in this world can save you."

Ye Xingzhen hung his head, his hair and sweat tangled together, looking extremely disheveled.

He remained silent, refusing to respond to anything Du Pingping said.

"Ha, I didn't expect him to be such a tough nut to crack."

Du Pingping waved his hand and gave instructions to the two sweating Imperial Guards beside him:
"Don't stop, let them experience all the tricks of the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
"Replace them when they get tired, but remember, don't let them die."

"Yes!"

Du Pingping, leaving the imperial prison, had a grim expression; he keenly sensed that something was amiss.
They were just two pampered sons of noble families.

How could they withstand such severe torture?
Unless they were truly unaware of the red tide algae, or had already prepared for certain death.

After thinking it over for a moment, he decided he should ask Lu Yunyi.
After all, Lu Yunyi was the one who uncovered the evidence and the details of the case.

The Market and Exchange Bureau was not far from the Embroidered Uniform Guard.
In less than fifteen minutes, Du Pingping arrived at the door.

Seeing the golden paint on the plaque,
He couldn't help but purse his lips; they really were rich.

At this moment, a middle-aged man walked out of the Market Office. He was dressed in gray but had an extraordinary air about him.

Du Pingping sized him up a few times, a hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

The middle-aged man glanced at him, then looked away and left on his own.

Watching the other person's back and gait, Du Pingping frowned.
Although this person was dressed in civilian clothes, he exuded a distinct military bearing.
He knew all the generals in the Governor's Office and the Beijing Army, but he had never seen this person before.

"Who was that person just now?"

Du Pingping looked at the guards at the door and asked a question.

"Lord Du, we don't know either, we only know that we've come to see Lord Lu."

Du Pingping grew increasingly suspicious and stepped into the Market Exchange Office.
When he saw that some of the bluestone slabs in the courtyard had been replaced with white marble, his brow twitched violently.
How dare they! To be so extravagant in the imperial city!
In any other government office, the censors and the Embroidered Uniform Guard would have investigated corruption long ago.
But the Marketplace is different; they have money, so it would be strange if they didn't.

Upon entering the yamen, Du Pingping saw Lu Yunyi sitting behind his desk, his expression grave.

"This humble official, Du Pingping, greets Lord Lu."

But Lu Yunyi seemed not to hear, still staring at the document in his hand.

"Lord Lu?"

Du Pingping called out again tentatively, and Lu Yunyi finally looked up.

Upon seeing it was him, his face instantly darkened:

"What are you here for?"

Du Pingping looked puzzled, wondering what she had done to offend him, so she softened her tone:

"Lord Lu, the two young masters of the Jingning Marquis's mansion have been captured by the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but they are vehemently denying it."

"I suspect there's something fishy about this matter, and I'd like to inquire further about the details of the case."

"They won't admit it? They withstood severe torture?"

Lu Yunyi's expression suddenly turned strange.
His gaze shifted back and forth between the document and Du Pingping's face.

"Yes, I tortured them severely for nearly three hours, but they still refused to speak!"

"Ah"

Lu Yunyi chuckled softly and shook his head helplessly:
"Do you know why?"

Now it was Du Pingping's turn to be stunned:

"Why?"

“They have reinforcements. Look, these are the documents that were just delivered.”

Lu Yunyi tossed the document in his hand onto the table and got up to pour tea.

Du Pingping quickly stepped forward and picked up the document. It was cool and hard to the touch, without the grainy texture of ordinary Xuan paper.
On the contrary, it is exceptionally smooth, making it the finest tribute paper!
Only nobles or royalty could use this kind of paper to write documents.

He unfolded quickly, his eyes widening instantly, and the hairs on his body stood on end:
"The Duke of Song? Is he in the capital?"

Lu Yunyi returned to his seat with his teacup and said calmly:

"They said he was recuperating in Jurong County, which is not far from the capital and can be considered part of the capital region."

"This this."

Du Pingping's expression changed drastically; her first thought was...
Does Your Majesty or the court know that the Duke of Song is in Jurong?

If you know, that's fine; if you don't, then it's a big problem.

"Lord Lu, the Duke of Song... he..."

Lu Yunyi put down his teacup and let out a long sigh:

"He what?"

"Could he be a rebel too?" Du Pingping stepped forward quickly, lowering her voice to the lowest possible level.

Lu Yunyi did not answer directly, but instead brought up the case of the anti-Party faction from a few days ago.
Behind the Dongning Trading Company are Zhou Lin and King Zhou.
Zhou Lin is dead without any apparent reason, and we haven't even had a chance to interrogate him yet.

It's unclear whether the Zhou king was involved in the land price dispute in the capital.

In an instant, Du Pingping felt her throat tighten, and suddenly realized something.
If the Duke of Song was in Jurong, then who killed Zhou Lin?
Is it Lu Yunyi, or the Duke of Song?
It seems that the Duke of Song had a stronger motive.

With Zhou Lin dead, the King of Zhou will not be implicated, and in the end, there will be no way to verify the facts.

As for flintlock muskets, they were no secret to nobles like the Duke of Song in the Ming Dynasty.

Lu Yunyi continued:

"The man you just saw was the commander of the Duke of Song's personal guards."
After hearing about the incident at the Marquis of Jingning's residence, the Duke of Song wanted to meet with me to find out the truth.

He looked up at Du Pingping, his expression subtle:
Do you think I should go?

(End of this chapter)