I was compiling the daily records during the Wanli reign

Chapter 273 Dividing Interests! Hai Rui's Textbook-Level Interrogation
September 16th, nightfall.

Shen Shixing, Hai Rui, Feng Bao, and Shen Nian appeared at the same time in the interrogation cell of the Nanjing Garrison Command.

Feng Bao objected to continuing the interrogation of Wang Yue, the Nanjing garrison eunuch who had already confessed to the crime, and Xu Bangrui, the Nanjing garrison Duke of Wei, but he could not persuade the other three to agree, so he reluctantly came to the interrogation cell as well.

He hoped that Wang Yue and Xu Bangrui could persevere.

If the main crime of embezzling disaster relief funds is pinned on Sun Long, the eunuch in charge of textile production in Suzhou and Hangzhou, the imperial family's reputation will be damaged, and officials in the outer court will also launch an attack on the Twenty-Four Offices of the inner court.

Not long after.

Hai Rui sat in the presiding judge's seat, with Shen Shixing, Shen Nian, and Feng Bao sitting to his side.

In terms of skill in interrogation and torture, Shen Shixing and the other two combined could not compare to Hai Rui.

Hai Rui straightened his chest and said loudly, "Summon Wang Yue, the eunuch in charge of Nanjing!"

soon.

Wearing prison clothes, Wang Yue was escorted by two Imperial Guards to the four imperial envoys.

"Wang Yue, I ask you, ignoring the disaster and misappropriating 80,000 taels of silver for the royal textile industry, was this for your own benefit and the reason for your involvement with the Princess of Wei?"

“Isn’t it clearly written in the confession?” Wang Yue said, looking up with an expression that said, “I’m not afraid of anything.”

"Reporting to my official position!" Hai Rui's face was solemn, exuding authority without anger, as he looked directly at Wang Yue.

Wang Yue and Hai Rui exchanged only one glance before Wang Yue lowered his head, feeling a little uneasy.

He paused for a moment, then cupped his hands and said, “Reporting to the Imperial Household Department, it was indeed a conspiracy between me and Princess Wei to misappropriate 80,000 taels of silver for the royal textile industry. The reason is… the disaster is so severe that even if all 100,000 taels of silver were used for disaster relief, it would still be insufficient and would still cause various chaos, affecting our political achievements. It would be better to spend the money wisely and help Eunuch Sun complete the imperial mission. If he could put in a good word for us, our political achievements would not be affected.”

"Furthermore, the reason why Eunuch Sun, the textile commissioner of Suzhou and Hangzhou, accepted the 80,000 taels of disaster relief funds was because the two of us deceived him by claiming that the remaining grain reserves in the Ever-Normal Granaries of the three disaster-stricken prefectures were sufficient to provide relief and comfort to the people. Deceiving the court in applying for disaster relief funds, misappropriating disaster relief funds, and assassinating Cao Zheng, the censor in charge of the Southern Zhili region, were all our masterminds..."

Wang Yue's statement was exactly the same as his confession during the day, and he even emphasized that Sun Long was unaware that the Changping Granary was empty.

After listening, Hai Rui asked again: "When you plotted to deceive the court, embezzle disaster relief funds, and assassinate the imperial inspector, who was the mastermind and who was the assistant between you and the Duke of Wei?"

Wang Yue was taken aback, then replied, "We came here on our own initiative; there was no distinction between the two of us."

"You discussed it? When you were discussing it, who proposed the plan to embezzle disaster relief funds? Who proposed assassinating the Imperial Inspector Cao Zheng? When and where did you propose it?"

"Who is in charge and who is in charge? Is there... any difference?" Wang Yue felt a little uneasy.

He took the blame because Feng Bao told him that if he preserved the royal family's reputation, he could save his life. Since Wang Yue was a member of the inner court, the responsibility should be determined by the young Wanli Emperor and Feng Bao. Therefore, he listened to Feng Bao and took the blame upon himself.

"Answer my question!" Hai Rui suddenly raised his voice.

Wang Yue sensed that Hai Rui might be setting a trap for him, so he couldn't help but look at Feng Bao.

The moment Feng Bao sensed Wang Yue's gaze, he immediately said coldly, "Why are you looking at me? Use your brain and think carefully before answering the question from the Vice Director of the Imperial Guard!"

When Feng Bao confessed that Wang Yue and the Duke of Wei had taken the blame, he did not provide any details.

He thought that once the confession was written, the case would be closed, but Hai Rui asked about the details.

"Think it over carefully" was Feng Bao's biggest reminder to Wang Yue.

Wang Yue's ability to become the eunuch in charge of Nanjing's defenses demonstrates his intelligence; his mind worked quickly.

“If I were to admit that I am the mastermind and the Duke of Wei is the assistant, they might not believe me. After all, if this matter can be kept secret, the Duke of Wei will be promoted, Sun Long will receive a generous reward, while my gains will be limited… To make it more reasonable, the Duke of Wei should be the mastermind! Besides, Eunuch Feng has already told me that the Duke of Wei is doomed. The reason he is obedient is for the sake of his family. If I were to make him the mastermind, he should not object!”

Thoughts completed.

Wang Yue replied, "It was the Duke of Wei who proposed the plan to misappropriate disaster relief funds, and it was also... it was he who proposed assassinating the Imperial Inspector Cao Zheng. I thought his decision was beneficial to both of us, so I agreed. These words were... we discussed at the Nanjing Garrison Headquarters. As for the specific time, I... I can't remember!"

After listening, Hai Rui turned to the clerk beside him and said, "Record it, not a single word should be omitted."

Immediately afterwards, Hai Rui said, "Summon Xu Bangrui, Duke of Wei!"

Soon, the Duke of Wei was brought over by the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

At this moment, the Duke of Wei's eyes had lost their light.

Upon seeing Shen Shixing and the other four imperial envoys, he immediately knelt on the ground and said, "Your Excellencies, this guilty official and Eunuch Wang are the masterminds who deceived the court, embezzled disaster relief funds, and murdered Cao Zheng. This guilty official's crimes are unforgivable, and I beg for death!"

As soon as he opened his mouth, he summarized his statements from the day.

Hai Rui looked at him.

"Duke of Wei, just now Wang Yue claimed that you were the one who deceived the court, misappropriated disaster relief funds, and assassinated Cao Zheng. You two are now in a position where you are the master and he is the assistant. Do you agree to this?"

Before the State of Wei could even openly declare it.

Hai Rui then continued, "Duke of Wei, don't rush to answer. Think it over carefully before you reply!"

"Although you both admit to being the masterminds, even among the masterminds, there is a distinction between primary and secondary roles. If you proposed or led these harmful ideas, in addition to your death penalty, your family members will be exiled, and your wives, concubines, sisters, sons' wives, concubines, and sisters' daughters will all be enslaved and never be pardoned!"

“If these ideas were not yours, then you are guilty of a capital offense, and your family members will be exiled, but may be released after three years without suffering the punishment of slavery.”

Making the family members of convicted officials into government slaves was an aggravated punishment, even more severe than exile. Not only did they lose their freedom, they also suffered cruel humiliation.

"Furthermore, don't expect anyone to grant you special treatment outside the law. No one can defy the Great Ming Code!"

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Wei's expression changed instantly.

Just as he was about to speak, Feng Bao suddenly coughed.

"Cough...cough..."

He coughed as he looked at Wang Yue, the eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison.

Wang Yue immediately understood Feng Bao's intentions and suddenly shouted, "Four Imperial Envoys, I...I am the mastermind, I am the mastermind! Those ideas that harmed the people were all mine! I misspoke, I misspoke!"

If the Duke of Wei recants his testimony, Wang Yue will be charged with another crime.

Upon hearing this, the Duke of Wei's expression calmed down for a moment, and then he suddenly lost the urge to speak.

Hai Rui ignored Feng Bao's sudden cough.

He looked at Wang Yue and said, "Wang Yue, if you can sign and seal that these ideas came from you, then I will have no choice but to execute you outside Nanjing to appease the people's anger!"

"Execute me? Vice Minister Hai, I...I am a member of the inner court, what right do you...what right do you have to execute me?"

“To quell public anger and heal the wounds of the disaster victims, what’s wrong with publicly executing you?” Hai Rui said in a deep voice.

this moment.

Shen Shixing and Shen Nian immediately understood why Hai Rui had said that the primary and secondary officials had different methods of determining punishment.

Wang Yue and the Duke of Wei changed their tune and confessed, clearly because someone had found their weaknesses.

Both of them have very obvious weaknesses.

As a eunuch, Wang Yue had no children or family and cherished his life above all else. It must have been Feng Bao's promise to take him back to the capital for punishment that persuaded Emperor Wanli to spare his life before he dared to take responsibility.

As a noble and powerful official, Duke Wei was already facing certain death, but if Feng Bao promised to protect his family, he would take the blame.

However, Hai Rui had a complete idea of ​​the contents of Feng Bao's deal with them.

He immediately raised the point that "the punishments for the primary and secondary offenders are different."

If Wang Yue were to take the main responsibility, he would undoubtedly die; if the Duke of Wei were to take the main responsibility, his family members would not only suffer exile, but the women in his family would also become government slaves. His two granddaughters, who are over ten years old, are his most beloved children. If they were to suddenly become government slaves and be humiliated, the Duke of Wei would certainly not agree.

Hai Rui directly broke Feng Bao's promise.

Neither of them would admit that the idea that harmed the people was their own. At this point, Shen Shixing and Shen Nian needed to add fuel to the fire.

Shen Nian immediately said, "Those who devise the idea of ​​harming the people and lead its implementation are the biggest masterminds. Whether they are officials of the inner court or officials of the outer court, they should all be beheaded outside the city, and their relatives should be severely punished! Your Majesty has no reason to disagree!"

After saying that, Shen Nian looked at Shen Shixing.

Shen Shixing understood perfectly. He paused for a moment and said, "This is the proper punishment. I'll give you one last chance. Who came up with these wicked ideas that harm the people?"

Immediately, neither Wang Yue nor the Duke of Wei dared to claim it was their own idea.

They knew it very well.

Behind Shen Shixing, Shen Nian, and Hai Rui were the "Great Ming Code," the Grand Secretary Zhang Juzheng, and the common people of the Ming Dynasty.

Behind them is Feng Bao, who dares not speak now, and the emperor who has not yet assumed power.

The difference in strength is quite obvious.

If they listen to Feng Bao, the latter will absolutely be unable to fulfill his original promises to them.

Wang Yue will die a terrible death, and not only will the Duke of Wei die a terrible death, but his family will also suffer a terrible fate.

Interrogating these two individuals is pointless; only by truly making them understand the pros and cons can they possibly reveal the truth.

That's what made Hai Rui so capable.

"Give up your illusions. If you want a lenient punishment, you must tell the truth!" Hai Rui said.

"I...I...These ideas weren't mine! If I could make those decisions, this wouldn't have happened in Southern Zhili!" Duke Wei was the first to compromise.

“It wasn’t me either!” Wang Yue quickly conceded.

Hai Rui did not let them continue speaking. Instead, he stood up and said, "There are some things that you cannot bear, nor should you bear. Go back to your cells and write another confession, the more detailed the better!"

After Hai Rui finished speaking, Shen Shixing waved his hand, and the two were taken away by the Imperial Guards.

The more specific the two people's testimonies are, and the higher the similarity when compared, the more authentic the testimonies are.

Feng Bao looked helpless. After a moment of silence, he couldn't help but say, "Whether it's the Duke of Wei or Wang Yue, whoever is the mastermind or who has caused the most harm to the people, simply naming one of them would appease public anger. But you insist on dragging the royal textile industry into this. Doesn't this make His Majesty lose face? How can His Majesty review the troops at the end of the year? How can he showcase the training results of the Jingwu Academy? How... how can you not understand the bigger picture?"

"Eunuch Feng, what do you mean by considering the big picture? In my eyes, the big picture is the well-being of all people, not the royal family's unrealistic vanity!" Hai Rui glared at him.

Upon hearing this, Feng Bao was powerless to refute.

Among the civil and military officials in the court, Hai Rui's position is the most secure. Even if he scolds the young Wanli Emperor, the emperor may not necessarily dismiss him.

Feng Bao was completely helpless when faced with this kind of official who was fearless and had no flaws.

Yin Zhengmao was his nemesis, but Hai Rui was even more so.

……

An hour later.

The second confession of the Duke of Wei and Wang Yue was presented to the four imperial envoys once again.

This time, the two wrote in great detail, and the content was almost identical.

in short--

The person who came up with the scheme to deceive the court and swindle disaster relief funds was Zhang Siwei, the Minister of Rites in Nanjing, whom Wang Yue had specially invited to devise the idea.

Wang Yue was the mastermind behind the scheme to embezzle disaster relief funds and assassinate Cao Zheng, the Imperial Inspector of Southern Zhili.

The one who forcibly demanded 80,000 taels of silver for royal textile projects was Sun Long, the eunuch in charge of textile production in Suzhou and Hangzhou, while the one who came up with the idea was Zhang Siwei.

in this way.

The crimes in this case, ranked from most serious to least serious, should be:
Sun Long was guilty of the most serious crime, followed by Wang Yue, then the Duke of Wei, then Zhang Siwei, and finally the prefects of the three affected prefectures.

Sun Long ranked first because he forcibly misappropriated disaster relief funds, and his actions were the most important reason for exacerbating the floods and harming the people.

Wang Yue and the Duke of Wei were the main implementers.

Zhang Siwei is ranked third because he only offered suggestions but did not participate in their implementation; otherwise, he should be ranked first.

To the surprise of Shen Shixing and Shen Nian, they never expected that such a terrible idea, worthy of being struck by lightning, would come from Zhang Siwei.

but.

After Hai Rui told the two that "Zhang Siwei is suspected of instigating the people to claim that the floods in Jiangnan were actually caused by the new policies and reforms that were competing with the people for profits, and that the culprit was Zhang Juzheng," the two immediately understood why Zhang Siwei had used such underhanded tactics.

The position of cabinet minister was too tempting for him!
……

Immediately, the four began interrogating Sun Long and ordered Wang Yue and the Duke of Wei to confront Sun Long.

Faced with Hai Rui's series of questions, Sun Long was stubborn for a short while before he chose to compromise. He then wrote a confession that was almost identical to those of Wang Yue and the Duke of Wei, and he also implicated Zhang Siwei.

At this point, the truth of the case will soon be revealed.

……

At dawn, Shen Shixing, Shen Nian, and Hai Rui, who had not slept all night, went through all the testimonies and, after confirming that there were no problems, ordered two Imperial Guards to quickly summon Zhang Siwei back to Nanjing.

They knew that Zhang Siwei would not confess.

However, all they need to do is send Zhang Siwei's confession back to the capital and let the young Wanli Emperor and Zhang Juzheng decide. Zhang Siwei's crime is not serious enough to warrant beheading, but it can ruin his reputation.

……

Early morning, dining hall of the Nanjing Garrison Command.

The four imperial envoys ate their breakfast at a leisurely pace.

After breakfast, they would take a short rest, and then, after interrogating Zhang Siwei, they would report the interrogation results to the capital.

At this moment, Hai Rui spoke up: "Grand Secretary Shen, Ziheng, I suggest that after we finish writing the case file, we jointly recommend to the court that Sun Long, Wang Yue, and Duke of Wei Xu Bangrui be executed immediately outside Nanjing in front of the people, so as to appease the hearts of the disaster victims."

"Agreed!" Shen Shixing and Shen Nian said almost simultaneously.

Immediately, Hai Rui and Shen Nian got up to rest, completely ignoring Feng Bao standing to the side.

Feng Bao's mission in Nanjing was to protect the face of the imperial family.

This time, they thoroughly slapped the royal family in the face, forcing Feng Bao to agree against his will, which was tantamount to slapping Feng Bao in the face.

At this moment, Shen Shixing looked at Feng Bao.

"Eunuch Feng, you should also write a letter to His Majesty to report on the current situation. Sun Longzhi's actions have damaged the royal family's reputation and must be severely punished. Some things cannot be hidden; only by letting the people see them can we eradicate the root of the problem!"

After saying that, Shen Shixing also left.

Feng Bao's face turned ashen. Now that his resistance was futile, he could only shift all the blame onto Sun Long.

Currently, his biggest concern is that some officials in the court will use this incident to criticize the power of the inner court and then weaken its authority.

Once the regulations prohibiting eunuchs from interfering in politics are introduced, the tens of thousands of eunuchs in the palace will be transformed from tigers and wolves into chickens and dogs that everyone can bully.

This is something Feng Bao cannot accept.

(End of this chapter)