Volume One, Chapter 49: Do You Know Your Crime?

Wei Zhiren stared at him coldly, uttering not a single word.

The merchant knelt on the ground, kowtowing incessantly until blood quickly stained his forehead.

"Speak," Wei Zhiren finally said. "What other plans does Wen Tiren have?"

"He... he..." The merchant raised his head, his eyes filled with terror. "He said he wanted to..."

Before he could finish, his expression abruptly shifted.

"Stop him!" Wei Zhiren shouted.

But it was already too late. The merchant pulled a small paper packet from his sleeve and shoved it into his mouth.

With a heavy thud, the merchant collapsed to the floor, bleeding from his eyes, ears, nostrils, and mouth.

"Another one," Wei Zhiren sneered. "These people certainly carry poison with them wherever they go."

Inside another cell sat an old monk.

"Master," Wei Zhiren smiled. "It is your turn to speak."

The old monk raised his head, his eyes heavy with exhaustion. "Amitabha..."

"Spare me your divine pretenses!" Wei Zhiren delivered a swift kick to the old monk's body.

The monk let out a muffled groan and crashed to the floor.

"Speak!" Wei Zhiren demanded harshly. "What has Wen Tiren hidden with you?"

The old monk crawled back up, wiping the blood from the corner of his mouth. "This humble monk has already said..."

"Said?" Wei Zhiren sneered. "Then let this humble monk repeat it for you."

The old monk glanced over, his expression changing drastically. "This..."

The old monk waved his hands frantically. "My lord..."

"Personally addressed to Lord Wen..." Wei Zhiren read aloud.

"Silence!" the old monk suddenly screamed.

"Oh?" Wei Zhiren paused. "Ready to talk now?"

The old monk sighed. "This monk will speak... this monk will speak..."

"Speak of what?"

"Lord Wen indeed..." The old monk swallowed hard. "Indeed has dealings with the Jiannu..."

"Go on."

"He had us hide weaponry in the temple..." the old monk said, "claiming it was for..."

"For what?"

"For... for an uprising..."

Wei Zhiren nodded. "And what else?"

"People came every month..." the old monk said, "delivering weapons, delivering secret letters..."

"What kind of people were they?"

"Merchants... officials..." the old monk said, "and..."

"And who else?"

"And... and the spies of the Jiannu..."

The old monk shook his head. "This monk does not know them..."

"You don't know them?" Wei Zhiren sneered.

"I truly don't know them!" The old monk waved his hands repeatedly. "They always came at night..."

"Then what did they say?"

The old monk hesitated for a moment. "They said... they said they would coordinate from within and without..."

"How so?"

"When the Jiannu grand army arrives..." the old monk said, "the people inside the city will..."

Before he could finish, he suddenly clutched his throat.

The secret agents stepped forward to search him, finding a small paper packet hidden within the folds of the old monk's cassock.

The old monk had already collapsed to the ground, bleeding from his seven orifices.

"These bald donkeys..." Wei Zhiren spat. "Every single one of them carries poison."

Further down, a middle-aged man dressed as a merchant was imprisoned.

He pulled an account ledger from his bosom.

The middle-aged man's face turned pale. "This..."

"This is..." the middle-aged man stammered, "this is normal business..."

The middle-aged man trembled all over.

"Stop reading!" the middle-aged man suddenly screamed. "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

"Speak."

"These weapons..." The middle-aged man swallowed hard. "They were all requested by Lord Wen..."

"What were they for?"

"To... to be given to the Jiannu..."

"Go on."

"Lord Wen said..." The middle-aged man wiped away his sweat. "Once the Jiannu grand army arrives..."

"Then what?"

"Then... then an uprising..."

Wei Zhiren nodded. "What else?"

The middle-aged man suddenly laughed. "Since I've already told you everything, what else do you want to know?"

"For instance," Wei Zhiren said, "where are these weapons hidden?"

"They are hidden in..." The middle-aged man was about to speak when his expression abruptly shifted.

"Again!" Wei Zhiren flew into a rage.

But it was too late. The middle-aged man drew a small paper packet from his boot and stuffed it into his mouth.

With a thud, he collapsed to the floor.

Wei Zhiren sneered. "These people certainly are eager for a quick death."

He walked out of the cell block and looked down the rows of prison doors.

Every cell was occupied.

Some were weeping, some were cursing, and some were praying.

Wei Zhiren stopped before the very last cell.

A young man was imprisoned inside.

The young man raised his head, his eyes burning with defiance. "Do whatever you want with me! Kill or slice me, as you please!"

Wei Zhiren sneered. "So full of spine?"

He turned to his subordinates. "Go fetch that item."

Moments later, a wooden tub was carried in.

"Do you know what this is?" Wei Zhiren dipped his finger into the liquid inside the tub.

The young man remained silent.

"You don't know?" Wei Zhiren sneered. "Then I shall let you taste it!"

He gestured for the agents to pin the young man down, soaked a piece of cloth in the liquid, and wiped it across the youth's body.

"Agh!" The young man let out a harrowing, shrill scream.

The liquid felt like blazing fire, instantly raising blisters across his skin.

"Can you speak now?" Wei Zhiren asked.

The young man gritted his teeth and said nothing.

"Continue!" Wei Zhiren signaled again.

The agents dipped the cloth once more and dragged it across the young man's flesh.

"Agh!" Another piercing shriek echoed.

"Will you talk or not?" Wei Zhiren asked again.

The young man shook violently, yet still he shook his head.

"Very well," Wei Zhiren sneered. "Then let us give you a taste of something stronger."

He motioned for the agents to proceed.

Cloth after cloth soaked in the liquid was swept across the youth's body.

Screams rose and fell in waves.

The young man's skin had already begun to fester and rot.

Yet still he refused to open his mouth.

Wei Zhiren gazed down at him. "A truly tough bone to crack."

He turned and walked out of the cell, entering the adjoining one.

An old man was imprisoned here.

"Tell me," Wei Zhiren said. "What do you know?"

The old man raised his head, his eyes weary. "This old man has already said..."

"Said?" Wei Zhiren sneered. "Then let this old man repeat it."

He drew a letter from his robe. "Do you recognize this?"

The old man glanced at it, his face draining of color. "This..."

"What? You don't recognize it?" Wei Zhiren unfolded the letter. "Then I shall read it to you."

The old man waved his hands frantically. "My lord..."

"Personally addressed to Lord Wen..." Wei Zhiren read.

"Stop!" the old man suddenly cried out.

"Oh?" Wei Zhiren halted. "Ready to talk?"

The old man sighed. "This old man will speak... this old man will speak..."

"Speak of what?"

"Lord Wen indeed..." The old man swallowed. "Indeed has dealings with the Jiannu..."

"Go on."

"He had us conceal weaponry in our homes..." the old man said, "claiming it was for..."

"For what?"

"For... for an uprising..."

Wei Zhiren nodded. "And what else?"

"People came every month..." the old man said, "delivering weapons, delivering secret letters..."

"What kind of people were they?"

"Merchants... officials..." the old man said, "and..."

"And who else?"

"And... and the spies of the Jiannu..."

A sharp gleam flashed in Wei Zhiren's eyes. "Tell me, what kind of spies?"

The old man shook his head. "This old man does not know..."

"You don't know?" Wei Zhiren sneered.

"I truly do not know!" The old man waved his hands in panic. "They always came at night..."

"Then what did they say?"

The old man hesitated for a brief moment. "They said... they said they would coordinate from within and without..."

"How so?"

"When the Jiannu grand army arrives..." the old man said, "the people inside the city will..."

Before he could finish, he abruptly clutched his throat.

"Again!" Wei Zhiren flew into a rage. "Search his body!"

The agents stepped forward to search him, discovering a small paper packet hidden within the old man's garments.

The old man had already collapsed onto the floor, bleeding from his seven orifices.

"These people..." Wei Zhiren spat. "Every single one of them carries poison."

He turned, left the cell, and moved to the next one.

A middle-aged woman was confined here.

"Speak," Wei Zhiren said, standing outside the cell door. "What do you know?"

The middle-aged woman raised her head. "This humble woman knows nothing..."

"Is that so?" Wei Zhiren sneered. "Then what about this?"

He pulled an account ledger from his tunic.

The middle-aged woman's face turned deathly pale. "This..."

"You recognize it, don't you?" Wei Zhiren flipped open the ledger. "Every single entry is recorded quite clearly."

"This is..." the middle-aged woman stammered, "this is normal business..."

"Normal business?" Wei Zhiren sneered. "Then let me read it to you."

The middle-aged woman trembled uncontrollably.

"Five hundred matchlock muskets..." Wei Zhiren read aloud, "one thousand catties of gunpowder..."

"Stop reading!" the middle-aged woman suddenly screamed. "This woman will speak! I will speak!"

"Speak."

"These weapons..." The middle-aged woman swallowed hard. "They were all requested by Lord Wen..."

"What were they for?"

"To... to be given to the Jiannu..."

"Go on."

"Lord Wen said..." The middle-aged woman wiped the sweat from her brow. "Once the Jiannu grand army arrives..."

Wen Tiren stood before the grand hall, surveying everything before him. The morning sun was just rising, casting a golden radiance over the palace walls.

Dressed in his official robes, his expression remained tranquil. Behind him stood a detachment of imperial guards, gripping swords and sabers.

"Wen Tiren," a voice rang out. "Do you know your crimes?"

Wen Tiren raised his head to look. Zhu Youjian stood atop the terrace, clad in a bright yellow imperial dragon robe, his eyes gleaming with biting frost.

"This subject... this subject knows of no crimes," Wen Tiren forced himself to remain calm.

"You don't know?" Zhu Youjian sneered. "Then I shall have you open your eyes and look closely."

He waved his hand. Several secret agents stepped forward, carrying a large chest.

The chest was opened, revealing a towering stack of official documents inside.