I support the army through farming and business.

Chapter 207: No suspicion of guilt
Under the threat of severe torture and the mutual accusations among Doctor Xu, the nanny, the magistrate, and the clerk, the truth about Zhao's poisoning case was finally revealed.

Zhao Shisan had been addicted to Wushisan for many years. Half a month ago, he fainted and died suddenly after overdosing on Wushisan in an attempt to strengthen his body during a secret rendezvous with Zhao Da's wife. Fearing that their affair would be exposed, Zhao Da's wife first deliberately poisoned Zhao Shisan's wine, and then bribed Doctor Xu with a large sum of money to give false testimony.

After burying Zhao Shisan, Master Zhao immediately sued the Zhong family winery in the county government.

Upon seeing the witnesses and evidence brought by the Zhao family, and with Zhao's assurance, the magistrate, without hesitation, imprisoned and severely tortured the entire Zhong family winery until the patriarch of the Zhong family confessed. Only after the case was reported to the prefectural government did the remaining members of the Zhong family return home.

Wang Shaoyin slammed his gavel and, in accordance with the laws of Dayu, sentenced the four people to appropriate punishments. He then dispatched yamen runners to the Zhao residence to arrest Madam Zhao.

"Wait, in addition to Madam Zhao, Master Zhao should also be arrested."

Wang Shaoyin advised, "Your Highness, this matter is probably not related to Master Zhao at this point."

"Whether it's related or not, we'll know after Madam Zhao confesses," Tang Zhao interrupted him. "Besides, the reason for sending people to arrest Master Zhao wasn't because of the Zhong family's false accusation, but because Zhao Shisan was addicted to Wushi Powder."

Wang Shaoyin frowned. "I'm afraid Master Zhao is unaware of this matter."

Even if they know the truth, they will deny it to the death.

"Lord Wang, have you ever heard the old saying that when you find one cockroach, there are already cockroaches lurking in the shadows?"

"Zhao Shisan is using Five-Stone Powder, but what about the rest of the Zhao family?" Tang Zhao sneered. "It's understandable that Master Zhao might not know if only one person is using Five-Stone Powder, but it's unacceptable that he wouldn't know if many people are using it."

Wang Shaoyin remained silent; this Princess Zhaoshan was determined to crush the Zhao family to death.

He secretly glanced at the General of the Cavalry sitting next to Princess Zhaoshan. Seeing the General looking at Princess Zhaoshan with a gentle expression and focused gaze, he knew that Miss Bai from the Marquis of Zhongyong's family no longer held any place in his heart.

If that's the case, what is he afraid of?
Wang Shaoyin readily agreed, "Send men to arrest Master Zhao and his wife, and also send men to search the entire Zhao residence, and bring all those who are addicted to Five-Stone Powder to justice!"

"Yes!"

Wang Bantou, along with his men and the personal guards of the Protectorate General's Mansion, ransacked the Zhao Mansion from top to bottom. They not only arrested seven or eight members of the Zhao clan who were addicted to Five-Stone Powder, but also found three large boxes of loan receipts.

Tang Zhao stepped forward and picked up a piece of paper, on which were written the words "Receive one thousand taels of silver, repay three thousand taels in three months".

"Wow! Even loan sharks wouldn't dare to be this ruthless," Tang Zhao said, looking at Master Zhao kneeling in the middle. "No wonder the Zhao family is so wealthy; Master Zhao has a knack for making money!"

Master Zhao stubbornly replied, "All matters concerning the inner quarters are managed by Madam Zheng; this humble citizen knows nothing about them!"

Tang Zhao laughed at his shamelessness, "You didn't know your wife was lending money at exorbitant interest rates, and you didn't know your clansmen were addicted to Five-Stone Powder. You're such an incompetent clan leader!"

Master Zhao stiffened his neck, looking at him with an expression that said, "I don't know what to do."

"A dead pig isn't afraid of boiling water!" "Guards! Drag Master Zhao to the prison and subject him to every single torture imaginable. I, the princess, want to see if he knows what's what!"

"Princess!" Wang Shaoyin quickly intervened, "Forcing a confession through torture violates the laws of Dayu!"

"Oh," Tang Zhao tilted his head, "Really?"

Wang Shaoyin replied honestly, "Yes! Please reconsider, Princess."

"Is it wrong for this princess to treat others as they treat her?"

Wang Shaoyin smiled apologetically, "Why tarnish Her Highness's reputation for such people and such matters?"

Tang Zhao gave him a deep look and was about to speak when Madam Zheng, who had been silent since entering the courtroom, suddenly spoke up, "This was all done by me, and has nothing to do with you, sir!"

“I was the one who colluded with Zhao Shisan, I was the one who poisoned and framed Zhong Family Winery, I was the one who lent money at exorbitant interest rates, and I was also the one who helped cover up the fact that the Zhao family members were using Wushi Powder,” Madam Zheng said with difficulty as she stood up. “Master, he is innocent. He knows nothing!”

“If Princess Zhaoshan insists on implicating you, sir, then even if I go to the underworld, I will ask King Yama to judge right and wrong!” As she spoke, Madam Zheng suddenly rammed into a pillar beside her.

Gu Ci was prepared. When Zheng was still three feet away from the pillar, he grabbed her and pressed her down so that she knelt on the ground and could not move.

Wang Bantou, with his keen eye, stepped forward to take Gu Ci's place and apprehend Zheng Shi.

"Look, look, it's me, the princess, who has wronged an innocent person!"

Tang Zhao was well aware of the principle of presumption of innocence, but this Master Zhao was simply a coward who would let others do the bad things while he hid behind the scenes pretending to be a pure and innocent person.

She was so angry!

Finally, according to the laws of Dayu, Wang Shaoyin sentenced Zheng to death, while Master Zhao only convicted him of negligence and dereliction of duty, sentencing him to forty strokes of the cane, six months in prison, and a fine of three thousand taels of silver.

Master Zhao hurriedly said, "This humble subject must pay silver to reduce the punishment and redeem himself from prison!"

According to the laws of Da Yu, those who are not sentenced to death or commit serious crimes can have their sentences reduced by paying money.

"No!" Gu Ci said before Tang Zhao could speak.

"General, the laws of the Great Yu clearly stipulate that..." Wang Shaoyin swallowed the rest of his words under Gu Ci's cold gaze.

Gu Ci said calmly, "In the Northwest, you must not only abide by the laws of Dayu, but also the rules of my Xuanwang Mansion. What, do you have a problem with that?"

Master Zhao repeatedly said he dared not, gritted his teeth and endured forty strokes of the cane before being dragged to prison by the yamen runners.

Wang Shaoyin, being prudent, said, "Princess, General, this case is closed. I will return to the prefectural government to handle the follow-up matters."

Gu Ci nodded, "Thank you for your trouble, Lord Wang."

"I dare not," Wang Shaoyin said, taking three steps back before turning and striding away.

"Are you angry?" Gu Ci walked around to Tang Zhao and coaxed him softly, "When night falls, I'll sneak into the prison and give Master Zhao a good beating. I guarantee he won't be able to crawl out of prison for the next six months."

"Six months isn't enough! I wish he'd spend the rest of his life bedridden!" Tang Zhao looked up at Gu Ci, growing angrier with each glance, and punched him hard on the shoulder in frustration. "It's all your grandfather's fault!"

Gu Ci took a step back, clutching his shoulder and feigning injury, "Grandpa, why did you hit me?"

"The son pays for the father's debts!" ​​Tang Zhao punched him again. "And so do the grandfather's debts!"

Gu Ci was amused, but dared not laugh too obviously, and said with a forced smile, "If the law can't punish him, we can think of other ways."

"What? Have someone put him in a sack in the middle of the night and castrate him?"

Gu Ci felt a chill run down his spine and dared not let Tang Zhao speak recklessly any longer. "You can write storybooks, so write this story down exactly as it happened. Let the people judge right and wrong, and no one can say anything."

"Oh, I never would have guessed that a general who is brave and fierce on the battlefield could think of such a trick."

“I’m just a warrior who only knows how to fight, so naturally I wouldn’t think of that,” Gu Ci said with a smile, “but I believe I can at least guess what the ladies are thinking.”

"Isn't that what you think, Madam?"

Tang Zhao, whose thoughts had been exposed: ...

There's no need to say it out loud.