Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 243 I am not a pawn! I will go to the Imperial Prison!
"!!"

Fan Jing'an's roar was like a thunderclap, and the entire hall fell into dead silence instantly.

Sun Weixian's knuckles suddenly turned white, and the scabbard made a creaking sound in his palm under the strain. Fortunately, the expressions of the others were also greatly shocked, so it did not stand out.

"A very standard excuse."

Haiyue, however, didn't even lift her eyelids, and slowly and deliberately gave her evaluation.

"You don't believe me? Ha! You dare not believe me?"

Fan Jing'an was pleased with the reactions of the others, but furious at the man's composure: "How dare you, a mere lowly official, presume to judge the truth of such a matter concerning the very foundation of the nation? If you dare to conceal this today, don't blame me for not warning you when you are implicated and punished in the future!"

The faces of everyone in the hall darkened.

The other party is likely exaggerating and making unfounded claims. The emperor who fled a hundred years ago is long gone, and even if there is a family tree, it can be easily forged.

But the key point is that when it comes to such important matters, it is indeed better to report something incorrectly than to overlook it.

Sun Weixian's temples bulged with veins, and his thumb unconsciously pushed open the knife's jaw, wishing he could tear the madman's mouth apart alive.

He never expected that this person would actually make connections to Jianwen's lineage.

The matter of Jianwen had long been forgotten after a century, and the current emperor wouldn't think much of it. However, once the leader of the Liyuan Society is linked to Jianwen's lineage, things become very different.

If His Majesty is furious and launches a thorough investigation, wouldn't I be at risk of being implicated?

Hai Yue completely ignored the other party's clamor, pondered for a moment, and asked directly, "Isn't 'Yuan Tianzi' the leader of the Ziwei Yuan in the Sanyuan Hall?"

Fan Jing'an sneered: "Of course!"

Haiyue continued, "Your society's inciting slogan is 'Suppress monarchical power, rectify the laws and regulations, and seek the well-being of all people,' right?"

Fan Jing'an continued to sneer: "That's right! This is what the little emperor fears most, isn't it?"

Haiyue then asked, "Now that your den of traitors is in turmoil, with Taiwei Yuan and Tianshi Yuan joining forces to oppose Ziwei Yuan, doesn't that contradict the slogan?"

"Humph!"

Fan Jing'an avoided answering directly and said, "Even if the three palaces disagree, it can still make the emperor feel like he's sitting on pins and needles!"

"You still don't understand..."

Haiyue shook her head, her tone wistful: "Given your status, you shouldn't know the secrets of the Purple Palace, right? When did the news spread, allowing someone as insignificant as you to know about the 'Prince of Abyss's' background?"

Fan Jing'an was taken aback: "What do you mean?"

Haiyue said, "If my judgment is correct, first there was internal strife in the Ziwei Enclosure, Taiwei Enclosure, and Tianshi Enclosure, and then the identity of the 'Yuan Emperor' was revealed. This leader of the Ziwei Enclosure became a descendant of Jianwen, right?"

"As a result, the others in your Liyuan Society will inevitably make the connection. Since the leader of the Liyuan Society is also surnamed Zhu, then the previous claims of 'suppressing monarchical power, rectifying the laws and regulations, and seeking the well-being of all people' will appear extremely hypocritical!"

"Does 'Emperor Yuan' intend to suppress imperial power, or is he planning to usurp the throne and become emperor himself after a successful rebellion?"

"Look! A mere rumor about their origins, one that's practically impossible to verify, has provided the Taiwei Enclosure and the Tianshi Enclosure with the perfect excuse for their betrayal—"

"They are not rebelling against the leaders of the Liyuan Society, but against the descendants of Jianwen!"

"That's why I said it's a very standard excuse. It can be used to deceive and mislead outsiders, and it can be used to endorse separatism within the country. It satisfies all parties!"

Fan Jing'an's expression changed, and he opened his mouth, but for a moment he couldn't refute it.

This news came at a time when the Sanyuan Hall was in turmoil.

At the time, he felt that only under such circumstances would the secrets of a leader like "Yuan Tianzi" be exposed.

At the same time, they secretly despised him, thinking that the leader was some kind of important person, but it turned out he was just a member of the Zhu family.

Therefore, it is only natural that the Heavenly Market Enclosure is not subject to the command of the Purple Palace Enclosure.

They weren't even afraid of the Zhu family emperors who sat on the dragon throne, held imperial power, and had the authority of the emperor. Why would they be afraid of a descendant of Jianwen who was overthrown a hundred years ago and fled to hide from the world like a stray dog?
But now, Haiyue has reversed this cause-and-effect relationship in just a few words.

It is precisely because of the betrayal of Taiwei Yuan and Tianshi Yuan that the origins of "Yuan Tianzi" must be smeared!
"Ha! That's not surprising! That's not surprising at all!"

Sun Weixian felt as if he had been granted a pardon, but a cold smile appeared on his face: "A bunch of traitors fighting amongst themselves, scheming and plotting so much, even dragging in old news from a hundred years ago, what a joke!"

Seeing this, Tao Dianzhen hurriedly said, "Fortunately, Hai Hanlin upholds righteousness and impartiality, making it difficult for scoundrels to sell their evil deeds. Even if their sophistry is as tangled as a tangled mess, it will be cut down with the blade of reason!" Yan Shifan glanced at the other party, thinking that Zhao Wenhua was becoming increasingly numerous, and quickly displayed his talent as a scholar: "Those people are like mice stealing grain, feeling smug, but little did they know that in Mingwei's eyes, it's nothing more than a trick of burying one's head in the sand!"

Zhao Wenhua gestured with his lips. Everyone had finished speaking, but it wouldn't do to remain silent, lest they be remembered: "The leader has discerning eyes, seeing through everything. Even the most cunning fox cannot escape the clear judgment of the Ling Pavilion!"

"You! You!!"

Fan Jing'an was seething with rage. "I am the serious criminal! Why are you all praising the interrogator?" he thought through gritted teeth. "Fine! Fine! You don't believe this biggest secret? Then I have nothing more to say. Even if you use all eighteen forms of torture, you won't get me to utter a single word!"

Haiyue said calmly, "I told you long ago, some people don't deserve the treatment of the eighteen sets of severe tortures. Now it seems that you are undoubtedly a pawn to be discarded."

Fan Jing'an couldn't understand: "Why? Just because I mentioned 'Yuan Tianzi's' background? Even if the background is false..."

"This was foreshadowed."

Haiyue said, "I was a little surprised at first that the Liyuan Society would collude with the White Lotus Sect. The styles of your two gangs are completely different. Getting involved with the White Lotus Sect will only cause the Liyuan Society to lose its secret advantage."

"Now I understand."

"It's all just a case of shifting the blame!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Shifan's face showed a great look of confusion: "What does Mingwei mean?"

Haiyue said, "Since the activities of the Liyuan Society have been exposed, the Twenty-Eight Constellations have been captured one after another, and many have abandoned the darkness and turned to the light. At this moment, the Fan family came to the capital to meet with the White Lotus Society and help them to seek refuge with the Mongol Tartars in the border region and establish a stronghold."

"If successful, the White Lotus Sect will inevitably become a thorn in the side of the imperial court, and the focus of the arrests will naturally shift there, which will invisibly reduce the burden on the Liyuan Society."

"Even if we fail, the exposure of the White Lotus sect members will alert the imperial court. After this guy is arrested, he will even implicate the 'Yuan Emperor's' background, which will mislead our investigation. It's a win-win situation. For Li Yuan Society, it's just a matter of sacrificing an insignificant nobody!"

Not only Yan Shifan, but everyone else also looked enlightened and exclaimed in unison, "Oh—!!"

"Don't try to provoke me! Don't try to provoke me!"

Fan Jing'an, whose status was declining and who was eventually abandoned, was furious.

The key point is that Haiyue did say to Sun Weixian, "Let's hand this person over to Chaotian Palace. In comparison, the head of the Fan family is more valuable. These merchants who secretly communicate with the border and foreign barbarians should also be dealt with properly."

Before the interrogation, Sun Weixian would never have handed this wanted criminal over to Tao Dianzhen, but at this moment, he understood perfectly and said decisively, "Alright! We'll take Fan Jingnian!"

Tao Dianzhen looked disgusted and reluctantly replied, "Yes..."

"I want to be imprisoned! I want to be imprisoned!"

Seeing that the two Taoist priests were really taking him to some temple, Fan Jing'an completely broke down. He had accomplished nothing in his life, and even being arrested didn't earn him a proper welcome. He was truly unwilling to die: "I know of three strongholds and five secret warehouses in Tian Shi Yuan. Report to the Emperor that I want to be imprisoned!!"

Sun Weixian and Tao Dianzhen gasped for breath and paused in their movements, while Haiyue glanced at them and asked, "Really?"

Fan Jing'an's eyes reddened: "You still don't believe me? I've been in Tian Shi Yuan for nearly twenty years, how could I not know these secrets?"

"Of course you know how Tian Shi Yuan operates, but since Li Yuan Society has treated you as a pawn, the secrets you know are no longer secrets. The people at the stronghold have long been withdrawn, and all the goods in the secret warehouse have been moved out!"

Haiyue said, "If you don't believe me, how about we make a bet?"

Meeting the other person's unwavering gaze, Fan Jing'an trembled and dared not utter a word for a moment.

His confidence truly vanished with each blow, and he even began to vaguely feel that perhaps he had been discarded like trash by his superiors.

Otherwise, since the Twenty-Eight Mansions had exposed so much, and the traitor had told the court all the secrets of the sect, why was he still sent to the capital to make a deal with the White Lotus Sect?

We could have avoided their confrontation and found another place to meet!
"A pawn...a pawn...am I a pawn...I don't know! I really don't know! But we're all going to die now! Why should I keep their secret?"

Fan Jing'an closed his eyes and tilted his head back, his Adam's apple bobbing violently, as if trying to swallow back the resentment that tasted like rust. When he opened his eyes again, a twisted smile appeared on his lips: "The two secret warehouses at the capital's docks will absolutely not be moved, because those places should never be places I should know about!"

"I also know the identities of 'Ghost Golden Sheep' and 'Zhang Moon Deer' among the Twenty-Eight Mansions. Although they are not in the capital, they are in Beizhili. With the speed of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they should be able to arrest them and bring them back within three days!"

"Am I now qualified to enter the imperial prison?"

Haiyue stared at the other person and finally nodded: "Let's go to the capital's docks first to check his so-called secret warehouse. The Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Chaotian Palace will each lead a team!"

Sun Weixian and Tao Dianzhen could no longer contain their joy and answered in unison, "Yes!"

Two figures darted out of the room like hawks, and soon the sound of the imperial guards' iron boots mingled with the Taoist's running footsteps, followed by Fan Jing'an's hysterical laughter:
"Die! Die, all of you! On the road to the underworld—not one of you will escape! Hahahaha!"

(End of this chapter)