After failing the imperial examination, he began to wield immense power after entering the palace!

Zhou Wenyuan's voice was hoarse, like iron polished by sandpaper, with a hint of despair in its trembling tone.

"You've been lying to me from the very beginning..."

Li Fan looked at him, expressionless.

"Are you kidding me?"

"When did we ever say we were going to take your money?"

"If you want to write it yourself, can we stop you?"

Zhou Wenyuan opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word.

Feng Bao stood at the doorway, taking in the entire scene.

He originally intended to use this opportunity to launch an attack.

If Li Fan really did accept bribes from Zhou Wenyuan, then he could catch him red-handed and accuse him of embezzlement and perverting the law.

Unexpectedly, Li Fan turned Zhou Wenyuan's bribe into yet another piece of evidence against him.

That kid has a black heart.

Feng Bao's lips twitched, and he cursed inwardly.

But he maintained that forced smile and spoke calmly:

"Master Gao, you have excellent skills. I admire you."

"Eunuch Gao, now that the person has been brought back, leave the interrogation to us."

"After all, my family has been working in the Eastern Depot for over a decade, so we have more experience in handling cases than you do."

"This is your first time handling a case, so I'm afraid you might not handle some details well. If something goes wrong, it will be worse."

He spoke earnestly, his tone full of good intentions.

But Li Fan saw through his thoughts at a glance.

Feng Bao wanted to take over the interrogation in order to pry Xie Guifei's secret out of Zhou Wenyuan.

Once we obtain leverage over Consort Xie, we can use it to blackmail her or even turn against her.

At that point, Zhou Wenyuan will no longer be a useless piece, but a viable one.

"You're too kind, Chief Supervisor Feng. We're the ones who brought the man back, and we're the ones who took over the case."

"We will personally oversee the rest of the interrogation."

"Once all the testimonies have been verified, they will naturally be sent to Chief Supervisor Feng's desk."

His smile was gentle, and his tone was polite, but every word he spoke was like a wall, completely blocking Feng Bao away.

Feng Bao's expression changed slightly.

He hadn't expected Li Fan to refuse so decisively.

Not even the slightest room for maneuver.

"Eunuch Gao..."

Feng Bao wanted to say something more.

"Chief Supervisor Feng."

Li Fan interrupted him, his voice calm yet carrying an unyielding firmness.

"Please leave."

Three words, light and airy, yet like an ironclad decree, shut down all of Feng Bao's words.

Feng Bao's face was so gloomy it could drip water.

He stared at Li Fan for three seconds, his lips twitching slightly.

Forget it.

The people have already been brought back. As long as they are locked up in the Eastern Depot's prison, I will always find an opportunity to come in and interrogate them.

There's no need to break ties with him right now.

"Okay, then we'll be leaving now."

As he reached the door, Feng Bao paused, not turning around, but uttering a single sentence through gritted teeth:

"Eunuch Gao, when you're handling the case, please don't be too rough."

"After all, once someone is dead, you can't get any statements from them."

The thin figure disappeared at the end of the corridor in the torture chamber, the sound of footsteps fading into the distance.

soon.

The torture chamber fell silent.

Chen Tie walked up to Li Fan and lowered his voice:

"Eunuch Gao, Feng Bao seems to have ill intentions. He's definitely trying to extract Xie Guifei's secrets from Zhou Wenyuan."

"We must be wary of him sneaking in to interrogate us when we're not around."

Li Fan nodded.

"you're right."

He turned around and looked at Zhou Wenyuan, who was kneeling on the ground.

Zhou Wenyuan huddled in the corner, trembling all over, like a mouse cornered in a desperate situation.

Li Fan crouched down to meet his gaze, his tone indifferent:

"Dr. Zhou, I have a question for you."

"Do you think that eunuch Feng might come looking for you while we're out?"

Zhou Wenyuan was taken aback, not understanding what he meant.

Li Fan continued:

"If he told you he could save your life."

"However, the prerequisite is that you must betray Consort Xie and tell him all of Her Majesty's secrets."

Do you think you would agree?

Zhou Wenyuan's expression changed instantly.

Because he knew that if Feng Baozhen really came to him with those words, he would definitely agree.

As long as I can live, anything is negotiable.

But at this moment, he absolutely could not admit it.

"No...no way!"

Zhou Wenyuan shook his head hurriedly, his voice urgent as if he were making a vow.

"I belong to Her Majesty! I would never betray Her Majesty!"

"Your Excellency, please understand! If you spare my life, I will be utterly loyal to you and have no other intentions!"

His voice was extremely earnest, and he was almost in tears.

Looking at his expression, Li Fan's lips curled into a slight smile.

"Yes, we trust you."

"However, a few days ago, I personally strangled Cao Mo to death in the Ministry of Justice prison."

"Today, it's your turn."

Zhou Wenyuan's face instantly turned as white as a sheet of paper.

No...no...

"Eunuch Gao, you can't kill me! I'm an official appointed by the imperial court! I have the rank of a fifth-grade scholar!"

"Even if I am guilty, the Ministry of Justice should try and convict me! What right do you, a mere eunuch, have to kill me?"

Li Fan looked at him, expressionless.

"If you don't die, the Empress will not be at peace."

These words, though seemingly casual, were like a knife, piercing directly into Zhou Wenyuan's heart.

He finally understood.

He wasn't brought in for interrogation from the very beginning.

He was captured to silence him.

Consort Xie voluntarily gave him up.

This young eunuch was the one who came to see him off on behalf of Consort Xie.

"No!!!"

Zhou Wenyuan let out a piercing howl and struggled like a madman.

"I need to see Your Majesty. I've done so much for you, you can't treat me like this..."

"Your Majesty!!!"

His voice echoed in the torture chamber, as shrill and mournful as a pig being slaughtered.

Li Fan ignored him.

He simply waved at Chen Tie.

"Let's do it."

Chen Tie stepped forward and took out a rope from his waist.

His expression was calm, without hesitation or reluctance.

He learned something during his time with Grandpa Gao...

Those who deserve to be killed should not be spared.

Zhou Wenyuan stared at the rope, completely losing his mind.

"No! Don't kill me!"

"I'll give you silver! I'll give you gold! I'll give you anything!"

"Eunuch Gao! Spare my life!"

Chen Tie ignored his wails.

He grabbed Zhou Wenyuan by the shoulder, pressed him to the ground, and tied the rope around his neck in a knot behind his neck.

"Well!!"

Zhou Wenyuan's voice stopped abruptly.

His hands gripped the rope around his neck tightly, pulling desperately outwards until his nails dug into his flesh, and blood flowed down his neck.

His face turned from white to red, then from red to purple, and veins bulged on his forehead.

"Heh...heh..."

His eyes were wide open, almost popping out of their sockets, filled with terror, resentment, and despair.

A few breaths later.

Zhou Wenyuan's body convulsed suddenly, then he collapsed to the ground, motionless.

A high-ranking official in the Ministry of Justice, a fifth-rank official appointed by the imperial court, and an important pawn of Consort Xie in the Ministry of Justice.

And so, he was strangled to death with a hemp rope in the torture chamber of the Eastern Depot.

There was no trial, no conviction, and no public execution.

There was only a rope and a eunuch's words.