Ming Dynasty Detective 1546

Chapter 284 Every reform requires bloodshed!
"Get in!"

The officials of Shuntian Prefecture were like lambs to the slaughter, driven by the Embroidered Uniform Guard into the gloomy gates of the Northern Garrison Command.

Amid the clanking of chains, the clerks trembled as they recorded testimonies, each person being interrogated pressing their trembling fingerprint onto the scarlet inkpad.

Soon, figures were dragged into different torture chambers, and the heavy iron doors closed one after another, isolating the shrill screams within the stone walls.

"how?"

Tan Jing stood with his arms crossed, watching the scene indifferently, until Sun Weixian silently appeared behind him, at which point he hurriedly bowed and said, "Assistant Magistrate!"

Sun Weixian waved his hand, looking at the people who had been arrested, his eyes showing a strange expression: "Did you take down all of the Shuntian Prefect's confidants?"

Tan Jing nodded: "Apart from Prefect Liu, everyone who went to the Imperial Academy is here."

"It seems I underestimated this Grand Secretary Yan. As expected of the leader of the Qingliu faction, his methods are ruthless!"

Sun Weixian clicked his tongue in amazement, though it was unclear whether it was praise or sarcasm.

He hadn't shown his face before because he'd heard that Yan Shifan had killed someone, and he thought that Yan Song, the newly appointed Grand Secretary, might be about to step down.

After all, compared to the ruthless methods of his predecessor Zhang Cong, Yan Song faced numerous impeachments from officials after taking office, and even though his new policies were implemented, opposition never ceased.

From the perspective of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, they naturally believed that the Grand Secretary's deterrent power was severely insufficient.

result.

A dog that bites doesn't bark.

They all misjudged the situation.

The actions of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, ostensibly acting on imperial orders, were in fact heavily influenced by Yan Song.

From arrests to interrogations, the priorities are entirely at the discretion of the prime minister.

Given the current level of severity.

This matter involving the Shuntian Prefecture government is unlikely to end well!
Sun Weixian keenly realized the seriousness of the situation, composed himself, and said in a deep voice, "According to Grand Secretary Yan, what do we want to interrogate from this group of people?"

Although Tan Jing lacked that insight, he still gave a detailed account of the reasons why the Shuntian Prefecture government had appeared at the crime scene prematurely.

Sun Weixian, an observer with a clearer perspective, immediately understood: "The key lies in the person who reported the case! Judging from the timing, when this person went to the government office to report the case, the murder in the Imperial Academy hadn't even happened yet?"

"Yes!"

Tan Jingdao said, "Therefore, Grand Secretary Yan suspects that this person is the real culprit, or an accomplice of the real culprit, who deliberately spread rumors that Young Master Yan committed the crime. That's why they split up and asked Shuntian Prefecture to hurry up and arrest him. It's a complete and utter case of slander!"

"Did Grand Secretary Yan spot this flaw?"

Sun Weixian said strangely.

It seems obvious now, but most people wouldn't think that way; they would only focus on the situation at the crime scene.

Tan Jing explained, "Hai Hanlin was also present."

"That's not surprising."

Sun Weixian suddenly realized, and after thinking about it again, he said, "The perpetrator has an inside man in the government office, so he can accurately determine the time when the police arrive at the Imperial Academy and falsely accuse Young Master Yan of committing the crime, right?"

"Both Grand Secretary Yan and Hai Hanlin share this concern!"

Tan Jing nodded: "But now everyone is denying it, which is why Grand Secretary Yan has ordered our Embroidered Uniform Guard to conduct a thorough interrogation and not let any suspicion slip by!"

"Well……"

Sun Weixian pondered for a moment, then his eyes turned sinister: "Slandering a minister is no ordinary crime; we must deal with this severely! You personally oversee the interrogation of Liu Shuxiang's confidants immediately, especially his advisor and his entourage. Make sure they talk as soon as possible!"

Liu Shu had only been the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture for a little over a month. As the head of a region, he naturally had many officials who had pledged allegiance to him, but his true confidants were still the secretaries and bodyguards who had followed him in his previous local posts.

It was precisely when she saw that these people were about to be arrested that Liu Shuxiang became anxious.

Now that they're in the hands of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, these are the people who will be executed. Sun Weixian added, "We'll interrogate them however Grand Secretary Yan wants. The interpretation of the confessions is ours, understand?"

Tan Jing's expression changed, and he clasped his hands in acceptance of the order: "Your subordinate understands!"

This means they've chosen sides.

Yan Song wanted to establish his authority, so the Embroidered Uniform Guard helped him make an example of someone.

Firstly, having witnessed the shrewdness of this prime minister, they decided to bet on him.

Secondly, the prestige of the Embroidered Uniform Guard was also built upon the imprisonment of officials.

If the Northern Garrison Command is empty and just like a local government office, imprisoning poor people with no background and letting gentry with background pay money to get away with their crimes, then who would respect the authority of the Embroidered Uniform Guard?
Only by throwing those nobles, who wear black gauze hats and jade belts, into prison can the court and the people be reminded of the fear of being controlled.

The two sides hit it off.

"Grand Secretary Yan..."

Sun Weixian stroked the jade pendant at his waist, his gaze fixed intently on the direction of the Imperial College: "You'd better send over some more 'hard dishes'!"

……

Imperial College.

Haiyue nodded slightly after inspecting the scene.

Zhao Wenhua hurriedly directed the clerks of the Ministry of Justice to carry the body, covered with a white cloth, out.

This person is now an Assistant Minister in the Ministry of Justice, assisting in the handling of the Ministry's affairs. Don't underestimate the advancement from Principal to Assistant Minister; with this qualification, once transferred to a provincial post, one can serve as the Deputy Inspector in the Three Departments, assisting in the management of criminal cases in that region.

Of course, compared to Hai Rui, Tang Shunzhi, Xu Jie, Su Zhigao, and others who were sent to local areas early to accumulate administrative experience and allow the people to recuperate, Zhao Wenhua was unwilling to leave and stubbornly stayed in the capital.

That's why, being well-informed, he arrived at the scene immediately. Seeing Haiyue deep in thought, he didn't dare disturb her and hurried outside: "Grand Secretary Yan..."

"how?"

Yan Song stood with his hands behind his back.

Zhao Wenhua reported: "The victim was stabbed in the left chest, the knife piercing his heart. He died instantly, without any signs of struggle. Clearly, it wasn't Brother Donglou who did it!"

Yan Song listened quietly.

Zhao Wenhua continued, "I've inquired about it. This Hong Chang has been selling secret exam papers in prison for a long time. It's said he can get the exam questions in advance. Brother Donglou is investigating the cheating situation in the imperial examination and has found this person..."

"Leaked exam questions?"

Yan Song frowned slightly: "Has it been verified? Is it just a bluff, or is there really collusion between insiders and outsiders in the examination hall?"

There are actually many similar scams surrounding the imperial examination system.

After all, the allure of an official career is immense, and spending a sum of money to buy a secret examination paper and pass the exam is well worth it.

Moreover, even if they were deceived, the scholars dared not make a fuss. Once they were deceived, they would remain silent, which naturally led to some people repeating the same trick.

If Hong Chang is simply selling these so-called secret scrolls to fool students, then that's fine.

But if the questions he has are actually exam questions, then the nature of the problem is completely different!

"Now that Hong Chang is dead, his body and his quarters have been searched, but the secret scroll is nowhere to be found. Whether it is the real exam question or not remains unknown..."

Zhao Wenhua observed the Grand Secretary's expression and carefully chose his words, saying, "I dare to speculate that this case is probably no ordinary revenge killing. Brother Donglou's investigation into the cheating in the imperial examination has reached a critical point. The villains were cornered and resorted to killing Hong Chang."

"How can demons and monsters be allowed to run rampant during the imperial examination ceremony!"

Yan Song's expression turned solemn, his hair and beard stood on end, and he exuded an aura of righteous indignation: "This matter must be thoroughly investigated to uphold the law!"

Zhao Wenhua quickly bowed and agreed, but in that instant, he caught a glimpse of Yan Song's slowly clenching fingers hidden in his sleeve, and a chill ran down his spine: 'How many sacrifices will be offered to the Grand Secretary to establish his authority!'

Others might look down on Yan Song, but when Zhao Wenhua was studying at the Imperial Academy, he had a vague feeling that Yan Song, who was then the Chancellor, would have a bright future. He quickly tried to get close to him and wanted to become his godfather.

Unfortunately, perhaps because he was too eager, or perhaps because the timing wasn't right, Yan Song refused.

Fortunately, he was able to reconnect with Yan Shifan later by secretly reporting his every move.

This path is obviously not as close as that of an adopted son, since no one likes someone who reports to others all the time, but its role cannot be ignored. Zhao Wenhua's steady progress is a testament to this.

After waiting a while longer, and seeing that Yan Song had no further instructions, Zhao Wenhua hurried back into the room, came up behind Hai Yue, and whispered the situation back to her: "Chief, Grand Secretary Yan intends to conduct a thorough investigation!"

"It's time to investigate this thoroughly!"

Haiyue snapped out of her thoughts, nodded slightly, and offered a similar opinion.

Zhao Wenhua calmed down and whispered, "That Prefect Liu went to the palace to request an audience with the Emperor. He's going to file a complaint with the Emperor and make a big fuss about it first!"

"Oh."

Haiyue responded calmly.

Liu Shuxiang was never the target.

This person is merely a small pebble blocking the road.

Although it may seem impolite to say this to a third-rank official, this is how the highest-level political games are played.

The position of Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, in particular, was awkward and often meant to be squeezed out of the loop, and was the first to be abandoned when major events occurred.

Liu Shuxiang took the lead earlier, which must have been because someone had made a promise to him beforehand, making him regard Yan Song as a hypothetical enemy.

Otherwise, if the son of the Grand Secretary is suspected of murder, the first reaction of the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture would be to avoid it at all costs. If he cannot avoid it, he can investigate slowly, wait for the right price, or even play both sides.

As a result, Yan Song's "weak" posture deceived many people. Liu Shuxiang thought she could profit from it and couldn't wait to be the first to jump out.

The result was that they were kicked away.

However, if Yan Song only takes down Liu Shuxiang, then his "exposure" would be far too insignificant.

Everyone else has their eyes on his only son, so he must retaliate with the harshest measures to establish his authority completely.

If you don't call it, it's a blockbuster!
Therefore, this murder case will have a very large and wide-ranging impact...

History always repeats itself!
The tearful lamentations at Zuo Shun's gate, intertwined with blood and tears, and the wailing cries rising and falling in the imperial prison—regardless of right or wrong, merit or demerit—undoubtedly paved the way for Zhang Cong to wield immense power in the court.

After the Great Rites Controversy and the Great Prison Case, no one dared to openly obstruct his new policies.

Now, in the torture chambers of the Northern Garrison, the sound of chains is ringing out again. Is Yan Song, who succeeded the Grand Secretary as the leader of the Qingliu faction, finally going to step onto the ladder forged in blood?
Thinking of this, Haiyue was quite moved. She walked out of the house and her eyes met Yan Song's in mid-air.

A resolute glint flashed in both of their eyes at the same time.

Every reform requires bloodshed!
Then...

let's start!

(End of this chapter)