You can't only love the Qing Dynasty when you're eating the fruits of others' labor.

Chapter 164 An adultery case elevated to a "political level"
Jiang Qingyun chuckled as he ate sunflower seeds:
“My lord, how can you be so timid? You walk on thin ice, scaring yourself every day. You won’t live long. The court’s investigation is only among the relevant people in the capital. Your father is far away in Sichuan. Who dares to investigate? Who can investigate?”

Wu Yingxiong smiled wryly and drank his tea.

Looking at his thoughtful expression, Jiang Qingyun found it quite amusing.

"By the way, how many soldiers does your father command?"

"The directly subordinate army numbered 6, including 2 cavalry and 4 infantry. In addition, there were some temporarily controlled Green Standard Army soldiers. All in all, the total strength was close to 8."

"Your Highness is truly a hero of our time."

"how you said that?"

“The troops under the command of the Prince of Pingxi alone are equivalent to the entire troops of the Three Princes of Shun. What else could he be but a tyrant?”

Wu Yingxiong felt slightly smug.

The Wu family motto: Everything else is fake, only the army is real.

……

However, his expression was somber:

"Brother, last time we carried out a deep penetration tactic, the Guan Ning Army lost nearly two thousand elite troops. My father was heartbroken and cried bitterly. They were all old brothers who came from Liaodong. Every one lost is one less."

Jiang Qingyun appeared calm on the surface, but was secretly delighted.

Only 2000 Guan Ning soldiers died.

According to his own plan, the South should recreate the Three Kingdoms pattern: Qing, Ming, and Wu. Whoever is the strongest will be weakened to ensure a relative balance of power among the three.

"Brother Wu, you've reminded me. There's something you need to do right now."

"what's up?"

"Immediately send your trusted family members back to Sichuan to tell Prince Pingxi to urge Li Dingguo to quickly encircle and annihilate Nikan's army. Otherwise, once the Ministry of War's official document arrives, Nikan will have adjusted his deployment, and the previous intelligence will be outdated."

As he spoke, Jiang Qingyun took out another intelligence report.

"This is a route map of the supply lines from Hunan, Hubei and Jiangxi provinces to the front lines. I drew it with my left hand."

Wu Yingxiong stood up, cupped his hands in greeting, and quickly left.

The following evening, he sent someone to deliver a box of jewelry.

Jiang Qingyun gladly accepted the offer; without money, one cannot move an inch.

If we compare an organization to a house, material resources are the foundation, ideals are the doors and windows, goals are the framework, and discipline is the roof beams—none of them can be missing.

The members are like bricks.

When there are enough bricks, the house will be impervious to wind and rain, snakes and insects, and thieves.

……

November 11th, the eighth year of the Shunzhi reign.

The time has passed.

Near Qianliang Hutong, the lights were still on in a courtyard house.

On a warm kang (heated brick bed)~
A pair of adulterers had just completed the most important event of their lives, panting heavily.

"I am going home."

"It's so late, why don't you stay home?"

“No, my two children are still at home. What if they wake up and can’t find us? They’ll start crying and disturb the neighbors.”

"I'll take you back."

The woman said she was leaving, but she was reluctant to get up and lingered there.

Chang Er, the lean clerk of the money exchange, looked at the roof and asked softly, "Has the commander sent any message back?"

"Not yet, what's wrong?"

"Once you return victorious, I won't be able to see you as often."

"How about we meet once a month?"

"not enough."

"Then twice."

"Thank you for the reward, Madam."

"You rascal, you Shanxi people really know how to have fun."

boo~
The woman was overjoyed and gave Chang Er a peck on the cheek, then looked around for her undergarment, which she didn't know where she had put it.

……

The alley was deserted, save for the sound of the wind.

The man carried a lantern, and the woman followed him, walking briskly. They covered the short distance of about half a mile in no time. Neither of them paid any attention to the so-called curfew.

As soon as they reached the corner of the alley, the two of them were stunned.

right at my doorstep~
The two children stood there crying loudly, which attracted a patrol of soldiers who came to inquire about the situation.

"Eniang!"

The child cried out.

"Oh no, let's get out of here!"

The light cavalry patrol team, realizing what was happening, immediately intercepted the two men.

"Don't you know about the curfew?" "Sir, my name is Wulinzhu, and my husband is Zuo Ling Suhetai. He has gone south with the army to fight against the Ming rebels. Could you make an exception?"

"Who is he?"

"He's my cousin."

The soldiers burst into laughter.

……

The impact of adultery can vary greatly. Generally speaking, it is classified as a personal moral issue, and at most, the person will be punished by being thrown into a pig cage.

However, if we add a premise: the husband goes to war and the wife commits adultery, then this matter directly escalates to a political issue, even a matter of national importance, and no amount of escalation is excessive.

The Qing court may not have been aware of this, but Jiang Qingyun was.

noon the next day.

Jiang Qingyun personally presided over the trial at the Eastern City Military Command, while Zhu Guozhi, the Deputy Commander of the Plain White Banner and Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, was invited to attend and supervise the trial.

"Bring the suspect in."

The two men trembled and knelt below the steps.

"Who is in the hall?"

“I am Wulinzhu, wife of Suhetai, a captain of the Plain White Banner.”

"I am Chang Er, a clerk at the Chang Family Bank in Shanxi."

Jiang Qingyun: "What's your relationship?"

silence.

"You won't confess? Then torture us."

The deputy commander of the Plain White Banner quickly stood up: "Vice Commander, she is, after all, a bannerwoman, delicate and precious, and should not be tortured. In my opinion, let's give that Shanxi man a good beating first?"

Zhu Guozhi, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, also bowed and said, "This humble official seconded the motion. This way, it will be easier to explain to both superiors and subordinates."

"Yes, use water torture."

……

Waterboarding sounds gentle, but the actual process is very cruel.

The jailers would cover the prisoner's mouth and nose with multiple layers of parchment, then slowly pour water over them with a ladle, causing intense suffocation; this was a form of torture used during interrogation.

After four scoops of water, Chang Er was done.

"Stop hitting me, stop hitting me, I'll confess. I did have an affair with Wulinzhu."

"I will ask you questions, and you will answer them. If you are not honest, there are eighteen particularly cruel tortures waiting for you. Clerk, you must record the interrogation process truthfully."

"Yes."

The words "record the facts" struck Zhu Guozhi's heart like a hammer blow.

Ah ~
Four simple words, yet they made me tremble with excitement, as if I were standing on the summit of my career. I understood, I understood.

"Take Wulinzhu away first!"

Although no one understood the meaning, they still did as instructed.

……

"Chang Er, when was the first time you and Wu Linzhu had an affair?"

"Early September this year."

"What time?"

"It was probably noon, I remember the sun was high in the sky."

"where?"

"On the kang (heated brick bed) in the west wing of the courtyard house I rented."

"Alright. Given that so much time has passed, your memory may not be accurate. Chang Er, tell me the truth about what happened last night."

"We met, then we hugged, took off our clothes, and then..."

boom!
Jiang Qingyun slammed the gavel in anger.

"When judging a case, I emphasize meticulousness. The process must be detailed, the steps must be coherent, and the details must be thorough."

"After you two went inside, did you speak? If so, what did you say?"
"Who took off their clothes first? Which piece did they take off first? And which piece did they take off next? From the time you met until you left, every single thing you did—the conversation, your body language, and even your thoughts—must be recorded without omission."

“If your statements don’t match, we’ll have to re-interrogate you, which is very troublesome. Come on, put the cangue on him first. I’ll give you a look, and you two pull hard.”

……

Three-quarters of an hour later~
An exceptionally long confession has just been produced; if copied, it could almost be sold as a popular erotic novel—it's of top quality.

The clerk's face turned bright red as he recorded the information.

The soldiers standing on both sides stared wide-eyed.

Zhu Guozhi's cheeks flushed as he listened. He looked up at Jiang Qingyun and saw that he was sitting upright, calm and composed, with a handsome face and eyes like stars.

He couldn't help but secretly admire him: I am far inferior to him.

After reading the confession, Jiang Qingyun stamped it with his seal.

"Bring Wulinzhu."

(End of this chapter)