Di Ming

Chapter 290 Night Trial in Imperial Prison
An outsider actually knew his secret and used it to threaten him and the Zheng family!
Who is it? Who exactly is it?
Zheng Guowang was a very clever person. She locked onto some suspicious groups overnight, compared the handwriting of the letters, and quickly found people with the same handwriting.

Marquis Wuqing, Li Wenquan! So it was you!
It was nearly midnight. Zheng Guowang once again loosened the restraints on his chest, pacing back and forth in front of the curtain with a gloomy expression, his figure illuminated by the lamplight as a graceful silhouette.

Now that things have come to this, she has to weigh the options.

If the letter was written by the Emperor's uncle, Li Wenquan, then it makes sense.

Tian Yi must be the Empress Dowager's man! So, the mastermind behind the schemes against Prince Gong and his mother in the palace is not Tian Yi himself, but the Empress Dowager?

That's true. The Empress Dowager has always harbored resentment towards the Emperor's exclusive favor towards her elder sister. It's only because the Emperor and her sister are deeply in love and her sister's position is unshakeable that the Empress Dowager has backed down.

But the Empress Dowager would certainly not be willing to accept this.

She favored the eldest son of the emperor and did not want Changxun to become the crown prince, also in order to counterbalance the Zheng family and preserve the status of the Li family as maternal relatives.

Otherwise, once Changxun becomes the crown prince, the Li family will have no choice but to submit to the Zheng family and relinquish their position as the head of the maternal relatives.

Tian Yi was the Grand Eunuch, the head of the Inner Court. If he was the Empress Dowager's man, he would be the highest-ranking member of her faction. Would the Empress Dowager just stand by and watch him be imprisoned and punished without lifting a finger?

Zheng Guowang's starry eyes were cold and deep under the lamplight, carrying hesitation, resentment, helplessness and unwillingness.

Suddenly, the autumn wind outside tried its best to sneak into the study, causing the lamplight to flicker. Zheng Guowang's beautiful figure abruptly stopped in her tracks!
Regardless of whether the Empress Dowager will protect Tian Yi in the future, it is absolutely crucial not to torture or coerce him into confessing. A complete falling out with the Empress Dowager would be of no benefit to Zheng!

Putting everything else aside, my elder sister goes to the Empress Dowager's Cining Palace every morning and evening to pay her respects in place of the Emperor. If things were to fall apart, would my sister still have the nerve to see the Empress Dowager every day?
Filial piety is of paramount importance!
With this in mind, Zheng Guowang could no longer hesitate. He was afraid that Li Wenquan would expose his secret, and he was also afraid that the Zheng family and the Empress Dowager would break off their relationship.

Zheng Guowang wrapped the cloth around his chest again, dressed neatly, and went out, saying, "Someone come here!"

Two figures immediately appeared under the eaves, bowing and saying, "Fourth Master requests your permission!"

Zheng Guowang said, "Prepare a sedan chair immediately... no, prepare a carriage!"

"Yes!" One of them immediately accepted the order and left.

Another person asked, "May I ask, Fourth Master, it's so late, and all the city gates are locked. Where are you going?"

Zheng Guowang tied his cloak as he walked out, shouting, "To the Imperial Guard prison, to see the Second Master! Hurry!"

The Embroidered Uniform Guard was located on Qipan Street, south of West Chang'an Street, not far from Chengqingfang. Although a curfew had long been in effect, they had "night travel permits" bestowed by the emperor, allowing them unimpeded passage at night.

The chessboard-like street of the Thousand-Step Corridor housed almost all the central government offices, except for the relatively independent Three Judicial Offices. At this time, the magnificent government offices were all closed and dark, except for the Jinyiwei (Imperial Guard) office next to the Office of Transmission, which remained brightly lit and heavily guarded.

As the Imperial Prison of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, which was directly responsible to the emperor, they often interrogated criminals late at night and made arrests in the middle of the night. They often stayed open all night and were very dedicated to their work.

The Imperial Prison was called the Imperial Prison because it imprisoned criminals and their families and subordinates who were arrested directly by imperial decree, bypassing the Three Judicial Offices.

Today, the Embroidered Uniform Guard received a big job: by imperial decree, to search and confiscate the mansion of Tian Yi, the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, outside the Imperial City, and to arrest Tian Yi!

At this very moment, several guards on night duty at the gate of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were sitting on the stone beasts, chatting about this important matter.

They spoke in hushed tones, and since it was late at night, they were able to discuss rather daring topics.

"Now, thanks to the Emperor's brother-in-law's appointment as the Vice Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and concurrently the Commander of the Northern Garrison, he has actually surpassed the Eastern Depot. Ever since the Imperial Concubine gained exclusive favor in the harem, the Eastern Depot has become like a subservient wife in front of our Embroidered Uniform Guard. It's truly remarkable!"

"Do you know why we, the Embroidered Uniform Guard, were tasked with making the arrests this time, instead of the Eastern Depot?"

"Nonsense, is there even a need to ask? Tian Yi is the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, and the Superintendent of the Eastern Depot. Tian Yi is practically the head of the Eastern Depot. How could he allow the Eastern Depot to arrest people?"

"So, His Majesty truly hates Tian Yi. What exactly is his crime? Tian Yi doesn't seem to be seizing power or forming factions. What do you think he did wrong?"

"How would I know! I didn't participate in the confiscation of property! Why don't you go and ask the Emperor's brother-in-law?"

"Hey... guys, let me tell you, the Emperor once joked with the Empress, saying that it would be great if Yan Song were still alive..."

"Oh? Is that so? Yan Song is a treacherous minister who brought disaster to the country and its people. Everyone, even women and children, knows that. Why would the Emperor want Yan Song to still be alive? The Emperor is wise. Doesn't he know that Yan Song is a treacherous minister like Cao Cao?"

"Hehe, you guys don't know this, do you? It's because Yan Song's family is rich! My father participated in confiscating the Yan family's property back then, and my goodness, they had three million taels of gold and silver, and nearly three thousand servants! Add to that countless treasures, paintings, mansions, silks, shops, land, furniture, and so on, and the final estimate was twelve million taels of silver! They were truly richer than a country. My father's eyes were dazzled by it."

"Old Zhang, are you saying that Yan Song was already arrested and dismissed, so the Emperor couldn't arrest him anymore, which is why the Emperor wanted Yan Song to still be alive?"

"Yes, yes, that's exactly what I meant. That's why I said, did the Emperor want money, which is why he issued the decree to arrest Tian Yi? I know a palace eunuch who said the Emperor has confiscated a lot of silver from people's homes over the years..."

"Damn it, Zhang Guifa! If you want to die, don't drag me down with you! How dare you say that? I didn't hear you!"

"Damn it! I didn't hear that either!"

"Alright, let's stop talking about that. Let's get down to business. Logically speaking, when our Embroidered Uniform Guard arrests a wanted criminal, the Eastern Depot should send eunuchs to conduct a joint interrogation. But the Emperor's brother-in-law conducted the interrogation overnight, without even waiting for the eunuchs from the Eastern Depot to arrive. This is a slap in the face to the Eastern Depot."

"No, that's not it. I heard that the Emperor issued an imperial edict to Eunuch Chen, the head of the Eastern Depot, instructing him not to interfere in the case. The Eastern Depot, following the edict, naturally will not send any more eunuchs to conduct a joint trial."

"I understand. Then this time, Tian Yi is probably doomed!"

"Stop talking, someone's here! They can come at this hour, they must be someone important!"

Several officers of the Imperial Guard immediately jumped down from the stone beast, stood at attention with their hands on their swords in front of the gate, and resumed their heavily guarded posture.

Immediately afterwards, a luxurious carriage adorned with ram horn lanterns swaggered to a stop in front of the Embroidered Uniform Guard's office.

Immediately, Zheng Guowang, wearing a bright red cloak and a Jingzhong crown, got off the carriage and entered the gate surrounded by a group of guards.

"It's Fourth Master!"

"Greetings, Fourth Master!"

When the captains saw that it was Zheng Guowang, they were so shocked that they knelt down and kowtowed.

Among the brothers of the Zheng family, the most honorable was not the eldest brother Zheng Guofu, who served as the Vice Commander-in-Chief, nor the second brother Zheng Guotai, who actually controlled the Embroidered Uniform Guard, but the civil official Zheng Guowang, who came from the imperial examination system!

Moreover, Zheng Guowang was also the favorite member of the Zheng family of the Imperial Concubine and the Emperor.

The Zheng family was a large and powerful family, and this Fourth Master could practically run half the household. Therefore, even though the Fourth Master wasn't a member of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, the officers didn't stop him from entering.

Not only did they not stop them, but they also respectfully invited them in, leading the way with lanterns.

"Fourth Master, slow down, there's a bend ahead."

"Fourth Master, how about some late-night snack? I can have the cook make something..."

Zheng Guowang, a self-proclaimed refined and noble civil official, looked down on these vulgar and uncouth officers, and simply asked with a stern, handsome face:
"How long did the second master interrogate you? Did he use torture?"

"Replying to Fourth Master, the interrogation has just begun. After all, Tian Yi is a high-ranking and powerful eunuch, so Second Master will still give him some basic decency. He should not have been tortured yet."

Zheng Guowang strolled confidently into the Jinyiwei prison, a place that outsiders found eerie and terrifying, as if walking in a leisurely garden. Wherever he went, the captains, lieutenants, and centurions all knelt and bowed respectfully.

That's right, it's kneeling.

Zheng Guowang accepted the greetings from everyone without any intention of returning them, and his steps did not falter at all.

Despite her seemingly untouchable position within the Embroidered Uniform Guard, she harbored deep resentment towards them and shared the same aversion to the Imperial Guard as other civil officials.

The current commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard is not his second elder brother, but Liu Shou. His second elder brother is only the deputy commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard and concurrently serves as the pacification commissioner of the Northern Garrison.

Those in the know understand that the most powerful figure in the Embroidered Uniform Guard was actually the Northern Garrison Commander, not the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard generally had no say in matters of imperial prison.

...Inside the Imperial Prison, Zheng Guotai was interrogating Tian Yi.

Tian Yi was the Grand Eunuch of the Directorate of Ceremonial, the head of the Inner Court. Even if there was an imperial edict to confiscate his property and interrogate him, it would still require Zheng Guotai, the Northern Garrison Commander, to personally conduct the interrogation.

Zheng Guotai had only served in the Embroidered Uniform Guard for ten years, but he had a certain "talent" for interrogation, and he handled the Northern Garrison Commander's case with great skill.

Commander Liu Shou, on the contrary, fawned over his deputy, handing over all the power of the Embroidered Uniform Guard to him and completely becoming a hands-off manager.

Despite his status as the emperor's brother-in-law and his control over the Embroidered Uniform Guard, Zheng Guotai only followed the emperor's and Consort Zheng's orders and acted in the interests of the Zheng family. He had no interest in or concern himself with the Embroidered Uniform Guard's intelligence gathering activities both domestically and abroad.

During the years he was in charge of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, its already unprofessional intelligence operations became even more chaotic. More than two months after Japan's invasion, they still couldn't figure out the strength of the Japanese army; their information was even less readily available than that of maritime merchants.

However, even the Emperor did not reprimand him for this. Gathering intelligence, both internal and external, was not the primary task of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. Their primary task was to please the Emperor!
For example, right now, there is nothing more important than interrogating Tian Yi.

The imperial prison has three underground levels and many interrogation rooms. However, the Soft Chamber is a refined chamber, specifically used for interrogating high-ranking and powerful criminals.

Despite being described as a high-level interrogation room, a chilling torture chamber was located all around it, where the screams of those being tortured and the sounds of instruments of torture touching human bodies could be clearly heard.

If the interrogation in the soft chamber is fruitless, and the intruder refuses to listen to reason, then sorry, they will be moved to the surrounding torture chambers for a proper beating.

Blood seeped into the stone steps of the three underground levels of the imperial prison. The captain's black boots stepped over the steps, and the dragging of the iron chains felt like they were cutting through his heart.

The copper lamps hanging from the arched ceiling reflected the blue bricks of the four walls, and the moldy spots seeping through the water looked like countless festering eyes in the firelight.

Three zhang away, a charcoal brazier was heating iron skewers, and the dark red torture instruments cast distorted shadows on the brick wall.

The entire prison was filled with a foul, damp stench, like a salted fish that hadn't been salted enough, emitting an unmistakable putrid odor.

This interrogation room is called a "soft chamber," but you can clearly see all kinds of torture instruments and the prisoners being tortured.

"Squeak—" The hissing of a mouse in the darkness came from some unknown corner, along with the sounds of grinding teeth and tearing.

Under the dim and eerie light, it looked as if a large rat was running by, its tail like a snake's tail disappearing into the darkness.

Zheng Guotai sat leisurely in a huanghuali official's hat chair. The xiezhi carved on the back of the chair looked like it was about to devour people in the firelight. Although the xiezhi represents justice and integrity, it looked like a demon from hell at this moment.

Dressed in a python robe, he leisurely sipped his hot tea, his eyes scanning the once high-ranking eunuch with a hint of mockery, like a cat eyeing a mouse.

Several trusted confidants stood around him, looking down at Tian Yi with ferocious expressions.

Tian Yi sat on a small stool, temporarily unshackled. He wasn't wearing a hat, revealing his disheveled, graying hair. His imperial robe, bestowed upon him, was not fastened with a jade belt, and although he wore boots, he wasn't wearing a blouse.

The arrest was clearly very hasty.

Although Tian Yi was a eunuch, he usually paid great attention to his demeanor and dignity, but at this moment he looked quite disheveled.

He was arrested at his residence outside the imperial city after returning home from the Directorate of Ceremonial.

Zheng Guotai hastily announced the imperial edict, sealed off Tian's residence, and arrested him, taking him to the imperial prison.

This shows absolutely no decorum befitting an official of the Directorate of Ceremonial. Logically, even if he committed a crime, he should have been questioned first, and only after some leads were made should his assets be confiscated. How can someone seize his assets without even asking any questions?
Tian Yi was only fifty-six years old, but at this moment he looked ten years older, like a frail old man in his sixties or seventies.

He was very sad!

Because he knew that the emperor wanted his family fortune!

Did the Tian family have money? Yes. He wasn't exactly an incorruptible official either. The Tian family certainly had a fortune of over a million. But who among the palace eunuchs and high-ranking officials in the outer court wasn't incredibly wealthy these days? How many were as incorruptible as Hai Gangfeng?

Having spent over forty years in the palace, his wealth was actually not that great.

If you want money, just issue an imperial edict and take it directly; why bother with elaborate pretexts?

He was not only saddened by his own fate, but even more heartbroken that he had finally seen through what kind of emperor the Emperor truly was!
He was by no means a wise ruler.

I may die, but it's hateful that my family has been implicated. Your Majesty, why can't you be a wise ruler like Mr. Zhang hoped?

Your Majesty is the Son of Heaven of the Ming Dynasty, a role model for all subjects. The entire empire belongs to you, so why are you still so greedy for wealth and possessions? In history, among the greedy and materialistic rulers, Emperor Ling of Han and Emperor Dezong of Tang, was there ever a wise and virtuous ruler?
What would the emperor do with so much personal wealth? What benefit would it bring to the country? The emperor is selfless!

Tian Yi closed his eyes with a sorrowful expression, feeling an overwhelming sense of despair.

The current emperor will surely do even more outrageous and unethical things for money.

In the palace, treacherous and petty officials who flatter the emperor will emerge in large numbers, such as Gao Huai and Gao Cai.

The Ming Dynasty is in grave danger!
Having served as the Grand Eunuch for over four years and the Royal Family for over forty years, working diligently and cautiously, his fate was exactly the same as Feng Bao's. How could one not sigh in lament?

Seeing Tian Yi's expression, Zheng Guotai assumed that Tian Yi was afraid.

"Lord Tian, ​​what benefits did Consort Wang promise you that you would collude with foreign officials to plot to make her son the crown prince? This is treason!"

"Please explain yourself carefully, Lord Tian, ​​and don't put me in a difficult position. I really don't want to damage the reputation of the Directorate of Ceremonial. I am... here on imperial orders to question you!"

Tian Yi remained expressionless and silent.

Zheng Guotai wasn't in a hurry. He believed there was a way to make Tian Yi submit, unless he wasn't made of flesh and blood.

Suddenly, two bare-chested strongmen dragged in a bloody, mangled body.

Tian Yi's pupils contracted sharply—the man was wearing a jade thumb ring on his left little finger, and it was the butler he had just promoted last month!

Zheng Guotai laughed, "Does Master Tian know him? He's your steward. The imperial prison's torture of combing hair needs someone to test the newly forged iron brush, and he's perfect for it."

Zheng Guotai waved his hand, and the Tian family steward was dragged away again.

"If he is not suitable, perhaps your lady, young master, or young mistress would be suitable."

"Sigh, why do eunuchs need to get married? It's such a hassle. If something happens to them, they'll implicate others too. Don't you think so, Master Tian?"

Zheng Guotai's words were extremely vicious, a true attack on the spirit.

"When Lord Tian was approving imperial edicts at the Directorate of Ceremonial, did he ever consider that the floor tiles of the Imperial Prison would need to be maintained with human oil?"

His fingertips brushed over the confidential documents on the table, his expression somewhat intoxicated.

"I am truly grateful for the trouble the Garrison Commander has gone to such lengths to arrange this." Tian Yi's pale face was made to appear bluish by the glow of the charcoal fire. "My loyalty to His Majesty is beyond question. Even if I were to secretly protect the eldest prince, it would be my duty as a subject. Shouldn't I be doing that?"

"His Highness the Crown Prince should be the Crown Prince, this is the ancestral rule of the Ming Dynasty!"

"I do indeed have the crime of embezzlement, and I admit it. The garrison commander reports to His Majesty, and this old servant accepts his punishment and kowtows to express his gratitude for His Majesty's grace."

"But this charge of treason is completely fabricated and involves the laws of the state. I dare not admit to it!"

Zheng Guotai gave a cold laugh, "Since Lord Tian is so stubborn, then don't blame me."

"Guards, escort Lord Tian to the interrogation room next door! Today, show Lord Tian your methods and let him experience the hospitality of the Embroidered Uniform Guard!"

P.S.: I still have a fever today, a persistent low-grade fever. My throat hurts so much. To be honest, the intelligence capabilities of the Embroidered Uniform Guard were very poor, and it wasn't their primary focus. They were relatively competent in intelligence work in the early Ming Dynasty. After that, their intelligence work was rubbish.

(End of this chapter)