Taichang Ming Dynasty

Chapter 174: Recruitment without Trial
Shortly after Sun Yunhe gathered his men and left the Northern Pacification Office, Lu Wenzhao and his group arrived with the prison van carrying Zhao Nanxing.

Unlike the Forbidden City, the common people swept the snow in front of their own doors, not caring about the frost on other people's roofs. The imperial court was also unwilling to spend extra money to hire people to sweep the snow. So even after the snow stopped for several days and the traffic was still heavy, there were still many caked snow blocks on the roadside near the wall.

The imperial prison, or the Jinyiwei prison, was not a place that people from the East Office could enter casually, so the group parked the carriage outside the yamen, and only Lu Wenzhao went in to report.

"Greetings, Mr. Tongzhi." Lu Wenzhao bowed and then stated his purpose directly: "I am Lu Wenzhao from the Eastern Office. Following the orders of Luo Zhangwei and Hai Qianshi, I formally transfer the Donglin Party case and the key criminal Zhao Nanxing to the Northern Pacification Office." After saying that, he placed the document stamped with the seals of both yamen in front of Tian Ergeng.

Tian Ergeng propped up his head, looked at Lu Wenzhao with a forced smile, and asked, "The East Office was the first to complete the task, but now it has to be handed over to the North Pacification Office. Are you willing to accept this?"

"To reply to your words, sir. I am only following your orders. There is no reason for me to do it willingly or unwillingly." Lu Wenzhao's expression was just right, and he portrayed the meaning of "insincerity" to the fullest.

"Do you know why?" Tian Ergeng asked, narrowing his eyes.

"If possible, I would like to boldly return this question to you, sir." Lu Wenzhao bowed.

"Ha." Tian Ergeng chuckled. "I'm starting to like you a little bit, but it's a pity that I only have two useless sons."

Tian Ergeng hadn't expected to extract any useful information from a minor figure like Lu Wenzhao. But so far, he had gained something. The young man's reluctance at least showed that this wasn't a bad job for the East Office.

Perhaps it was Eunuch Wei who really greeted him, Tian Ergeng thought.

Lu Wenzhao shrank his neck and didn't respond.

"You are so young and have become a sixth-rank centurion. Your future is bright. But you only have one wife at home. Isn't she a jealous woman?" Tian Ergeng asked with a smile.

"My wife is a virtuous woman, please stop talking nonsense!" Lu Wenzhao said with a sullen face.

"I have two nieces who are about the same age. How about promising them to be your concubines? It's not like marrying into your family's family anyway." If it were Tian Ergeng's own daughter, it would be shameful to promise them to be someone else's concubine, but it didn't matter for his niece.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir." Lu Wenzhao declined politely.

In the past, Lu Wenzhao might have agreed to the marriage after consulting Hai Zhentao. However, due to the incident with Zou Yuanbiao, Tian Ergeng and Luo Sigong effectively broke off relations, and Tian Ergeng and Hai Zhentao no longer belonged to the "united" Jinyiwei camp, but instead formed their own factions.

Tian Ergeng understood that the news of him stabbing Luo Sigong in the back had spread everywhere. This might also be due to Eunuch Wei's warning.

"Haha, go get some work done." Tian Ergeng said calmly. "If you change your mind, feel free to contact me."

"I'll take my leave." Lu Wenzhao bowed and turned around without any hesitation.

"Someone come here." Tian Ergeng called.

"Sir." A captain came over and answered.

"Detain Zhao Nanxing in solitary confinement, guard him strictly, and keep an eye on him at all times. If he dies, I guarantee that the person on duty will be buried with him!" Tian Ergeng ordered sternly.

The captain was startled. This was the first time he had heard an order that contained a threat. "Yes, sir!"

After the captain left, Tian Ergeng fell into deep thought and confusion again. "Oh! Who should I send and how should I conduct the trial?" he sighed and muttered to himself.

------

"Sir, are we going back now?" Shen Lian came up to Lu Wenzhao as soon as he walked out of the Northern Pacification Office.

"Ha." Lu Wenzhao laughed tiredly, neither sad nor happy. Then he pulled out a small silver nugget of about five cents from his belt and threw it to Shen Lian. "Take it and drink. There won't be any work for you anytime soon."

"Thank you, sir." Shen Lian said goodbye to everyone at the next intersection. He felt anxious as he was about to go to Huanghuafang to see Miss Zhou.

"What about me?" Yin Li also came over.

"You get out too." Lu Wenzhao took out another silver nugget of similar size and handed it to Yin Li, then punched him lightly in the chest. "No drinking allowed."

"Yes. Thank you, sir." He took the silver and trotted a few steps to catch up with Shen Lian's back. There was more than one girl in Huanghuafang.

"Sir, please go back and report. I will take care of Nanxunfang." The mature and steady Lu Jianxing was the most considerate.

"No. I have to go." Lu Wenzhao shook his head and handed the receipt for the withdrawal to Lu Jianxing. "Go back to the government office and take this receipt to the accounting office to withdraw the money approved by the clerk. When the brothers come back, you can take it with you for a good meal."

"Yes." Lu Jianxing took the note without further persuasion, then left with the empty prison van and the soldiers escorting it.

"Finally, I've finished the job. If I do this kind of work more times, it will really shorten my life." Lu Wenzhao put down the heavy burden on his body and walked much more lightly.

------

It was past noon, when the cold sun was high in the sky. Lu Wenzhao came to Nanxunfang alone.

There are many "Zhang Mansions" crowded in this area, but there is only one that faces the Liu Mansion directly.

"Sir." The foreman came over and greeted Lu Wenzhao with a fist.

"The mission is completed. Take your brothers back to the yamen." Lu Wenzhao patted his shoulder without saying much.

The foreman was stunned. "Has it been completed?"

Lu Wenzhao nodded. "Yes, the confinement at the Zhang Mansion has been lifted. We will not be responsible for any future assignments. You may return to the government office." With that, Lu Wenzhao walked straight towards the gate of the Zhang Mansion.

"Captain Lu." The doorman was startled, then he pulled the door handle and subconsciously took a step back. "What's the matter?"

Lu Wenzhao could certainly see the doorman's instinctive fear from his eyes and movements. However, he was already used to seeing such expressions. "Go and get your daughter, and Miss Ding."

"Ah" the doorman wanted to ask a few questions, but he swallowed the words back into his throat.

After a while, Zhang Shirui came over with Ding Baiying.

"Greetings, Captain." Zhang Shirui's expression was indifferent, while Ding Baiying's face looked as if the words "I don't like you" were written on it. "Greetings, Miss Zhang." Lu Wenzhao returned the greeting and turned to look at Ding Baiying.

"Little girl." Lu Wenzhao was in a cheerful mood, and he spoke without the fear he had when facing those old foxes. "I'm warning you, don't show your face to your senior brother!"

"Heh!" Ding Baiying was so angry that she laughed. "Captain Lu, are you just bored and want to make fun of me?"

"You're right. I just have nothing to do." Lu Wenzhao nodded.

"Want to compete?" Ding Baiying really wanted to give him a good beating.

"If it's not necessary, I won't fight with women or people I can't beat. You have both, so I won't fight with you." Lu Wenzhao was unusually frank.

"What on earth are you doing here?" Ding Baiying wanted to laugh, but she had to hold it together. So in the end, her face was filled with a mixture of laughter and tears.

"I'm here to take you away." Without waiting for Ding Baiying to ask, Lu Wenzhao immediately looked at Zhang Shirui and added the full story. "Miss Zhang, I regret to inform you that from this moment on, the Jinyiwei's protection of the Zhang Mansion has officially ended." High-sounding rhetoric is always necessary.

"The emperor has forgiven the Zhang family!?" Zhang Shirui said in surprise.

"You can rest assured. Although the protection of the Zhang Mansion has been lifted, the Jinyiwei will still protect you personally." Just as Lu Wenzhao finished speaking, Zhang Shirui's bright eyes dimmed again. "Could you please help me pass a few words to your superiors? I think..."

Lu Wenzhao interrupted her: "I didn't say you should stay at home. As long as you don't leave the capital, you can go wherever you want. If you have anything to say to the palace, you don't have to go through the Jinyiwei. After all, the affairs of your Zhang family are still under the jurisdiction of the Daolu Division of the Ministry of Rites."

"Allow me to walk freely in Beijing?" Zhang Shirui asked.

"Yes. I came here today, firstly to inform you, and secondly to take her away. I think Miss Zhang has no objection, right?" Lu Wenzhao wanted to poke Ding Baiying's forehead with his index finger, as he had often done back in the Qi Clan's Martial Arts School. But as soon as he reached out, he realized that a pathetic barrier called "no physical contact between men and women" had already separated him and Junior Sister Ding.

Ding Baiying noticed her senior brother's retreat. She glanced away and said angrily, "Who wants to go with you?"

Lu Wenzhao ignored her and said to Zhang Shirui, "Miss Zhang, you have the Jinyiwei to protect your safety, so you don't need this kind of freeloader and useless woman, right?"

Zhang Shirui subconsciously didn't want Ding Baiying to leave. That would leave her alone in this cold mansion, facing the emperor's hidden wrath, like a winter night. But reason and pride told her not to drag a commoner like Ding Baiying into the conflict between the royal family and the Zhang family. Heaven's will is unpredictable, and its wrath is unbearable. No matter how skilled one's martial arts skills were, they couldn't outweigh the emperor's pronouncement of "kill."

So in the end, she just looked at Ding Baiying and smiled faintly: "Let's go. I'm safe."

"Miss." Ding Baiying knew she was useless here. But she remained where she was, not moving. She smiled bitterly, a hint of sadness in her voice: "Where do you want me to stay tonight? I can't go to Captain Lu's house."

"Take this." Zhang Shirui was stopped by Ding Baiying just as she was about to take out money.

"I don't want your money." Ding Baiying shook her head, smiling miserably. "Girl, take good care of yourself."

Lu Wenzhao was bored. He thought: What are you two doing here, acting out a story with me? Which one of you is going to take the imperial examination?

------

Northern Pacification Office, Jinyiwei Prison, Wuzi Prison.

There is no day or night in the prison, only the candles in the corridors and at the cell doors emitting a faint red light.

Tian Ergeng walked alone along the straight road to the cell where Zhao Nanxing was being held. This was his first time in this remote, almost unused prison since he became the assistant magistrate of the Northern Pacification Division.

To ensure that such a suicide attempt wouldn't happen again, Tian Ergeng assigned Zhao Nanxing a 36-man guarding shift, with two inside, four outside, and six outside. Even when Zhao Nanxing needed to relieve himself, someone had to be there to watch over him, not to mention eating or sleeping.

"Mr. Tongzhi." The foreman's small flag did not move, but stood in place and saluted Tian Ergeng who was walking over.

"Open the door." Tian Ergeng said without any nonsense.

"Yes." Xiaoqi then took out the key, walked to the door and opened the copper lock.

"I heard that you wanted to see me?" Tian Ergeng looked down arrogantly at Zhao Nanxing who was sitting upright on the bed.

"Even if I'm not an official, I'm still a Jinshi from the regular imperial examination, and a few years older than you, right?" Zhao Nanxing said calmly. "I'm ready to confess, but if you stand there looking down at me, I won't say anything."

"Come here. Prepare paper and pen." Tian Ergeng's eyes lit up immediately when he heard the word "confess." "As long as you're willing to tell me, I'll kneel down before you, not to mention my refusal."

Tian Ergeng had no concept of "integrity" and simply scoffed at it. And to be honest, the order from the Commanding General was concise, and no one had given him any feedback, so he really didn't know how to deal with this big fish.

Obviously, it was impossible not to try him; otherwise, what was the point of arresting him? But torture was difficult to use during the interrogation. The joint memorial submitted to the emperor by the three judicial officials clearly stated that Sun Ruyou's confession was credible because, firstly, he did not exonerate himself, and secondly, because the East Court did not use torture, meaning the confession was not forced.

But just when Tian Ergeng was at his wit's end, Zhao Nanxing told the guards that he wanted to see him. So Tian Ergeng left his work of arresting people and went to Wuzi Prison.

"I don't want you to kneel. Just sit." Zhao Nanxing still looked calm and composed.

"Okay." Tian Ergeng picked up the stool beside the bed and sat down. "It's almost time for dinner. Would you like something to eat? Just tell me and I'll have someone make it for you right away."

"No need, I don't mind going to jail. Just don't interfere." Zhao Nanxing shook his head.

According to Ming Dynasty law, prisons were allocated rations from government warehouses. However, all prisons, including the imperial prisons, withheld the imperially allocated rice and sold it for profit. After the rice was sold, kind-hearted jailers would buy old rice husks to supplement the rations, while unkind ones would simply use moldy, rotten rice mixed with sand. This rice was inedible. If prisoners didn't want to starve, they would ask their families to bring them food. This process allowed jailers to profit, as they were the only ones who could deliver the food. If they didn't feed the prisoners, they would simply eat the food their families sent them. Leaving some for free for the prisoners was considered a gesture of kindness.

"How can I let you eat jail food?" Tian Ergeng chuckled and said, "Besides, if you don't eat, I will. Go prepare a banquet." He turned to the foreman Xiaoqi and said.

"Yes." Xiaoqi didn't even ask him for money.

After the pen and paper and the record clerk were in place, Tian Ergeng nodded and asked, "Now that everything is ready, do you want to speak for yourself, or should I ask you one sentence at a time?"

"Let me tell you everything in one breath. Don't waste time." Zhao Nanxing replied.

"Please come in." Tian Ergeng gestured to the clerk.

"Everything that happened recently was caused by me." When Zhao Nanxing said the first sentence, Tian Ergeng's face was still smiling happily. But from the second sentence, he stopped smiling. "Zou Yuanbiao died in vain."

(End of this chapter)