Uncle from a poor family

Chapter 234 Torture
Inside the Huizhou Trading House.

The news that the Zheng family was sealed off by the government spread like wildfire.

But no one understood what was happening.

Li Wuwei was so frightened that he broke out in a cold sweat. Fearing that he would get into trouble, he hid in a villa outside the city overnight and dared not show up again.

Xu Gong went to the merchant house to get some information, and then went back to report to Qin Zhao: "...I heard that soldiers were drawn from the Beijing camp to take the people away, but no one can tell the details because no one dares to approach."

Qin Zhao was flipping through an account book. He nodded and said, "Eunuch Liang would not have mobilized troops from the East Factory and the Embroidered Uniform Guard. He is the eunuch in charge of the Beijing Camp, so it is reasonable for him to mobilize troops from the Beijing Camp."

"But... doesn't this break the rules?"

What Xu Gong meant was that Liang Fang was quite courageous, as he secretly dispatched troops to serve him personally without even asking for an imperial decree?

What is the nature of this?

Looking for death?
Qin Zhao closed the account book and shook his head, saying, "I'm afraid even the Ministry of War won't ask about this matter. Why are you so anxious? To see whether it's against the rules, it all depends on what name he uses... If he uses the name of suppressing bandits to mobilize troops, then what's wrong with that? It's not a large-scale, wide-ranging mobilization, so there won't be any problem."

"Yes."

Xu Gong lowered his head quickly, "But I just received news that an official is preparing to file a petition to impeach me."

"Hehe, Eunuch Liang is almost in danger because of the telescope. How can he care about so many things? I'm afraid that the censors will only impeach him, while Eunuch Liang will just take care of his own business and not bother each other."

Qin Zhao acted as if it had nothing to do with him and ridiculed him in a mocking tone.

Xu Gong asked hurriedly: "Telescope, whose business is it?"

Qin Zhao deliberately concealed the core secret of the telescope from the people around her. It was not that she did not trust her subordinates, but according to Zhang Yanling's request, more people would talk more, so she had to ensure that the news was kept within a certain space.

This is also the reason why Qin Zhao did not bring Xu Gong with him when he went to see Zhang Yanling recently.

"Isn't it the Zheng family?"

Qin Zhao asked pretending to be confused.

"I see."

Xu Gong suddenly understood, and then nodded, "I heard that the telescope was made of Huangshan mica, and the Zheng family is probably the most powerful family in Huizhou now, so it's not surprising that they have such a great treasure.

"But the problem is that the head of the Zheng family dared to openly make friends with the prince without caring about Eunuch Liang... This kind of speculative method is too low-level and dangerous. It is obvious that if he is discovered, he will be retaliated by Eunuch Liang. Now he has finally got into big trouble! I don't know how the Zheng family will end up!"

Qin Zhao was somewhat unhappy after hearing this.

If someone didn't know, one would think Xu Gong was making a veiled attack, using the confiscation of Zheng's family to wake her up.

Qin Zhao said with a straight face, "The Zheng family was raided for reasons that must have been their own, but if they had a strong background, someone would speak up for them. And no matter how powerful Liang Fang is, he can't risk the world's condemnation by openly seizing and robbing. Won't the Zheng family file a complaint? Let's wait and see how things develop, and we should ignore it."

……

……

Zheng Youming was escorted to a simple house outside the city.

Wei Xing followed a group of soldiers in, sat down and drank a cup of tea. The sergeant next to him complimented him, "Sir, you've worked hard."

Wei Xing sighed and said, "How can it not be hard? I haven't even had a good night's sleep these past two days... Fortunately, I finally got something. I hope I can solve the problem as soon as possible, so that I can take a break."

After saying that, Wei Xing put down the tea bowl and walked to Zheng Youming who had just been hung on the rack.

Zheng Youming begged for mercy: "Father-in-law, please spare my life."

"Do you know who our family is?"

Wei Xing asked with great interest.

"This……"

Zheng Youming felt somewhat helpless. He just knew that the person who ordered his kidnapping was the powerful eunuch Liang Fang, but he had no idea who this person in front of him who seemed to be protecting him everywhere was.

Wei Xing pointed to a soldier next to him, and the soldier immediately shouted, "This is the eunuch Wei Xing, the imperial eunuch."

"what!?"

As Qian Neng's godson, Zheng Youming certainly knew who the powerful eunuchs in the palace were. Among the eunuchs of Liang Fang's faction, the second-in-command was Wei Xing, who had a strong background in the capital. It was Wei Xing who had previously represented Liang Fang in putting pressure on the Huizhou merchants. Naturally, Zheng Youming was well-known for his name.

Wei Xing asked with a smile: "Child, you know who our family is, but you still don't want to tell the truth? Tell me, how did you make the telescope? What's the secret?"

"Father-in-law, don't worry. Let me explain it to you in detail."

Zheng Youming was so frightened that he lost his mind and said in a hurry, "This glass and soap business was not originally owned by the Zheng family. We just acquired it from the Tian family... In fact, we took it back by force with the help of the power of the eunuchs. As for how they made it, I have no idea."

"Tian? Who is that? What do you mean by that? Are you trying to shirk responsibility right under our noses?"

Wei Xing asked a few questions calmly.

To say that he was really serious about helping Liang Fang, but the problem was that he had not committed the crime of deceiving the emperor, nor had he signed a military order in front of the emperor. Who dared to say that you, Liang Fang, must be tied to the same rope as me? If you, a disrespectful guy, die, it might be more beneficial to me!

When the crown prince ascends the throne, there is a possibility that he will settle accounts with me, but the greater possibility is that we will remain in peace. After all, I have never confronted him face to face, and he may not know that I have been doing those tricks behind his back... Why should I insist on going all the way with you?
Furthermore, even if you find the right lenses and make a large number of telescopes, can you guarantee that you can overthrow the prince?

How naive!

At most, you can force Qin Ji to death, right?

Zheng Youming said tremblingly: "Eunuch...Eunuch, if you send someone to investigate carefully, you will find out that it is the Tian family who is behind this. The Tian family was originally a tea merchant in Huizhou, and their business was not small. However, because they trafficked tea in Fujian and Guangdong, it seriously affected Eunuch Qian's money-making, so Eunuch Qian asked me to destroy their business.

“This time, the father and daughter of the eldest branch of the Tian family said they were going to the capital to file a complaint, so I followed them and seized many of their properties in the capital, including this glass and soap workshop. I didn’t expect that I would anger Eunuch Liang!
"I am the adopted son of Eunuch Qian Neng. I admire you and Eunuch Liang from the bottom of my heart and wish my whole family could live with you. No matter what, I will never do anything to disobey you two eunuchs. Please understand!"

Wei Xing frowned: "What a mess! I'm asking you where the telescopes you produced before are stored! What's the matter with the Huangshan mica? Are you deaf?"

Zheng Youming was crying out to heaven and earth for help but to no avail. He still hurriedly defended himself: "What I said is true. I don't own the soap business and the glass business. I just took over these workshops from Tian a few days ago and don't understand the situation yet."

The more Wei Xing listened, the more confused he became. Finally, he shook his head and sighed, "My child, don't push the responsibility onto others when something goes wrong... It's just empty talk. Who would believe you?"

"No, no, I absolutely dare not lie in front of you, my Lord. Heaven and earth can bear witness to this!" Zheng Youming was very domineering among his fellow merchants, but now he was not even qualified to kneel in front of Wei Xing. He was like a hanging on a rack, and all he wanted was to redress his grievances and escape punishment.

"It seems that there is no way without some punishment."

Wei Xing said with regret, "It seems that our family has been too kind to you... We treated you as one of our own because you are Qian Neng's nephew, but you never told the truth."

"Do not……"

"Why not? Since you said the Tian family was at the end of their rope, how come they still have such a good business? He was a tea vendor who went to the capital to file a complaint, but in the blink of an eye he invented a telescope and soap in the capital, and even presented them as tribute to the crown prince? Do you think we have no brains?"

Wei Xing was a little speechless.

Young man, it's not that we don't trust you, it's just that what you said is too bizarre and ridiculous, and it's really hard to be convincing.

Wei Xing handed the matter of torture to his subordinates, and he went to the next room to drink tea and wait for news on the grounds that he "could not bear the smell of blood".

After half a day and five rounds of screaming, there was no further movement.

Wei Xing stood up, greeted the person who came in from the door, and asked, "Have you confessed?"

"No, I fainted."

The generals under his command were quite helpless.

Wei Xing rolled his eyes and said, "Why don't you just pour water on him to wake him up and then continue beating him? Is this kid so stubborn? Can money and that shit raise a man of steel? Why don't we believe it?"

The general said, "Do you think this is the case? Eunuch Qian is very afraid that the truth will be revealed, so he has blocked all of Zheng's escape routes. If he confesses now, the lives of his entire family will be in danger? That's why he did this..."

This was the time when one's imaginations were running wild. Even Wei Xing was wondering why Zheng Youming was so stubborn. However, his subordinates expressed their opinions at the right time, causing Wei Xing to fall into deep self-doubt.

"How did our family know?"

Wei Xing was struggling when he suddenly came to his senses and said angrily, "Eunuch Liang is already very angry. If we can't find a solution to this matter today, maybe Eunuch Liang will think that we are in league with Qian Neng... Beat him again!"

The general said with a sad face: "He has been awakened several times by the water, but now he is too seriously injured and fainted again... I never thought that he is too delicate and tender, and his skin and flesh are torn apart by a single blow. He is different from the rough guy, and he can't stand the beating at all." "That's right, you can become an adopted son for money, can an ordinary rough guy do it?"

Wei Xing suddenly rolled his eyes and said, "Hey, why am I telling you this? Life or death is not important, let's get a result first!"

"He insisted that the Tian family framed him. How about... Father-in-law, should we send someone to investigate? He said that someone from the eldest branch of the Tian family came to the capital to file a complaint with the emperor and is currently being held somewhere in the capital. It is said that he was detained there on purpose to lure his daughter out. If we go and find him right away, we may be able to determine whether it is true or not."

The general also seemed to find things unusual.

Judging from the spinelessness Zheng Youming had shown before, he really didn't seem like a tough guy. He actually said everything he could say now, but he just didn't hit the "point".

The man has now fainted, and if he continues to fight, he might even lose his life.

After all, Wei Xing's court was a private one. If someone was really beaten to death, Liang Fang and Wei Xing would just pat their butts and say it had nothing to do with them, and he, who was in charge of the execution, would be in big trouble.

"Then send someone to catch him and bring him back. After dark, we will take good care of him. They are all our nephews and nephews. How can it be easy for Qian Neng to be a godson, but not for us to be a godson?"

Wei Xing was also thinking about the strategy of giving a sweet reward after a beating.

The general complimented him, "You are wise, eunuch. If he could be your adopted son, he would definitely change his mind and tell you everything."

After being glared at by Wei Xing, the general stopped talking and hurried out of the city to get the person.

……

……

Forbidden City.

Duanjing Hall.

Zhang Yu faced the bronze mirror, her slender hand supporting her chin, her cherry lips slightly parted, her eyes confused, and she looked bored.

When she first entered the palace, it did give her a great sense of novelty, but when the freshness period wore off, she was left with immense annoyance, because her husband had to go out to study during the day and she could not go with him, especially she could not leave the Duanjing Hall, and she could not even go out of the hall at will.

The result is...

Sitting there in a daze every day.

"Fang'e, are all the people in your palace so bored? Don't you have anything interesting to do?"

Zhang Yu asked Fang'e, who had been standing behind him waiting for instructions.

After Fang'e heard this, her eyes widened immediately.

I was still thinking, this young noble lady is really not satisfied, having the prince accompany her every day, how can she feel bored? If you find this boring, then we, a group of lonely palace maids, have no point in living.

Fang'e replied cautiously, "I don't quite understand what the Crown Princess means."

Zhang Yu turned around and looked at Fang'e, and continued to ask: "Where do you usually go to play?"

Fang'e waved her hands hastily, with an innocent expression on her face: "I will not play secretly, I will only serve my master attentively. If I have done anything wrong, please punish me."

"Oh."

After hearing this, Zhang Yu no longer wanted to embarrass the female official, even though she already knew that this female official was actually a spy planted in the Duanjing Palace by Concubine Wan Guifei, and was most likely working for someone else now.

"What time is it?" Zhang Yu turned his head to look out the window and asked.

Fang'e said, "It's just past noon, how about... you take a nap first?"

"Oh, this is the only way. Who knew the palace would be so boring?" Zhang Yu thought about it and decided that she could only take a good nap. At worst, she could sleep until sunset and then her husband would be back. Then she could sit down and chat with the prince, which would make her feel much better.

Fang'e, on the other hand, became curious and asked, "My Lady Crown Princess, do you also feel bored when you are at your parents' home?"

Zhang Yu was surprised and asked, "Why do you ask that?"

Fang'e seemed to have mustered up her courage and said, "From what I have seen, the unmarried ladies of noble families usually stay at home and never go out of the palace. There seems to be no essential difference between the palace and the outside world."

Hearing this, Zhang Yu realized something.

Ask me if I feel bored outside the palace?

You don't mean to ask me if I often go out to have fun when I'm at my parents' house, do you? Are you trying to find out if I'm unfaithful to my husband?
People's hearts are evil...

Fortunately, Yanling warned me that people in the palace cannot be trusted, and I should especially be on guard against those spies planted in the East Palace by others, otherwise I might have really fallen into your trap.

Zhang Yu looked relaxed and contented, as if reminiscing about the past: "At least I have family outside the palace. Even if I stay in my boudoir, I can still hear their gossip. My parents and siblings can chat with me at any time, and I can do some needlework... My home is not as deserted as it is now."

Fang'e said, "Then... should we invite a few more people in to chat with you? Or should we invite someone to read the sutras to you?"

"no need."

Zhang Yu waved his hand and said, "I'm going to take a nap, you can go out first. You don't need to come in before dinner. If Mr. Qin comes, tell him to go back to my parents' house when he has time to see if there is anything he can bring me to relieve my fatigue."

At this boring time, the only thing Zhang Yu could think of was to ask her brother to help solve her problem.

Although she didn't know why she thought of asking her brother for help at this moment, she was certain that her brother could understand her hard work in the palace, and she could even do things according to her wishes without her having to point it out to him.

……

……

The female official was delighted to receive the order from the Crown Princess not to bother her anymore.

After coming out, she was still muttering: "You are boring, aren't we more boring than you? You can come and go freely in the East Palace and do whatever you want, but we have to stay in a fixed place, waiting for orders. It's ok to serve you tea and water, and sometimes we even have to serve you shit and urine..."

"Fang'e? Where are you going? Aren't you going to wait on the queen in here?"

Qin Ji had just rushed back from Wenhua Palace with a food box in his hand, as if he was going to deliver some snacks to Zhang Yu, when he ran into Fang E head-on.

"unlucky."

Fang'e muttered to herself, feeling a little resentful. How could she see Tan Ji in the middle of the day?
Didn’t he follow the prince to the Wenhua Palace to study and serve carefully by his side?

Fang'e pretended to be well-behaved and replied, "The Crown Princess asked me to come out because she wanted to take a nap. She also said that I was not allowed to go in and disturb her before dark."

Tan Ji said: "Then send these in first."

After saying that, he handed over the food box.

"This……"

Fang'e seemed very unhappy.

People have let me out because they think I'm an eyesore, and now you want me to go in again to deliver something?
"This was specially sent back by His Royal Highness the Crown Prince... He ate this at lunch and thought it was delicious. He also knew that Your Majesty loves sweets, so he specially asked for it to be sent back for Your Majesty to try."

Tan Ji had a loving look on his face.

Obviously, Qin Ji is optimistic about the deep and harmonious relationship between Zhu Youtang and Zhang Yu.

Fang'e took the food box and saw Tan Ji turning around to leave, so she hurriedly said, "The Queen also asked Eunuch Tan to help with something."

"What's the matter?"

Tan Ji stopped and asked.

Fang'e said, "It is said that if Eunuch Tan has time to leave the palace, he should go to Zhang's house and bring some things back to the palace."

Qin Ji frowned slightly: "Didn't you bring a batch of them before? Oh, it must be that the queen misses her family again... You tell the queen, I'll remember it. This Zhang Mansion is a high-ranking family, we usually feel embarrassed to go there..."

Fang'e couldn't help feeling puzzled when she heard what Qin Ji said at the end.

Isn’t the Zhang family just an ordinary family of imperial students?
How can such a background be considered noble?
For a eunuch like Eunuch Qin who has a strong background and is highly regarded by the Crown Prince, shouldn't his visit to the Zhang Mansion bring honor to the Zhang family?

Why did Eunuch Qin make it sound as if a visit to the Zhang residence was such a high climb?
It’s really hard to understand!
(End of this chapter)