Second-hand time travel: Liu Bei, the big-eared bandit

Chapter 35 Cutting out the roots
In April of the second year of Guanghe, at Luoyang Palace, in the West Garden.

This is the newly built palace of Emperor Liu Hong, which covers a vast area. For this purpose, the western city of Luoyang was expanded, and the western market was moved more than ten miles away.

To build this western residence, Liu Hong collected rare and exotic flowers and plants from all over the world to plant in the greenhouse. He also brought in beautiful and unusual stones from various places, diverted the Luo River into the garden and arranged it into mountains and rivers, so that famous scenic spots from all over the world could be found within it.

Perhaps, being there is like having the country in your heart and the world in your hands.

In addition to pavilions and palaces, the West Garden also features market shops where court ladies dressed as merchants, creating a vibrant atmosphere of everyday life.

This commercial street is actually going to be open for business, and the transaction volume is very large.

The item inside is an official position.

This West Garden incurred countless expenses and was entirely maintained by selling official positions.

It wasn't easy for the emperor to undertake renovations...

Liu Hong was riding in a donkey cart through his commercial street, driven by a woman dressed in very little clothing.

However, just as Liu Hong reached the hot spring lake outside the greenhouse and was about to enter the water, a eunuch rushed into the main hall: "Your Majesty, Yang Qiu, the Commandant of the Capital Region, requests an audience."

Liu Hong frowned, somewhat helplessly: "Zhang Rang, I asked you to guard this hall for the Marquis of Champion so that we could have some peace and quiet, but you always act like an old man..."

"Your Majesty, I am only trying to put your mind at ease... Yang Fangzheng has always been stubborn and obstinate. If Your Majesty does not see him, I am afraid he will come every day and there will be no peace."

Zhang Rang explained meekly.

"Enough, enough. You and Zhao Zhong... one is Old Master Zhang, who forces me to be diligent in my duties, and the other is Old Master Zhao, who keeps nagging..."

Liu Hong grumbled under his breath, but still put on his clothes and went to the main hall.

In fact, Liu Hong was very kind in the inner court. He not only called the eunuchs his parents, but also never referred to himself as "I".

However, it's a different story when dealing with officials.

……

"Your Majesty, Wang Meng, the Junior Steward of Yongle, has confessed in prison that it was the Eunuch Wang Fu who instructed him to manufacture weapons and armor... I request that Wang Fu be arrested and investigated!"

Yang Qiu is pleading with the emperor to issue an edict.

"These accusations should not be taken at face value."

Liu Hong shook his head in refusal, his voice cold: "Yang Fangzheng, I know better than you who the Marquis of Champion is."

"Your Majesty, I do not believe that Wang Fu would commit such a heinous crime, but Wang Meng is his adopted son. If a son speaks ill of his father, I must investigate."

Yang Qiu did not back down and clasped his hands in supplication: "Moreover, the armor stored in Wang Meng's house is all from the Tiger Guards, and this person is a servant of the Yongle Palace. This matter concerns the safety of Your Majesty and the Empress Dowager. Please order Wang Fu to be imprisoned for a thorough investigation."

“Alas… How could Champion Hou Zhongyong be plotting a rebellion? Nobody believes it.”

Zhang Rang stepped in to smooth things over: "But then again, Your Majesty, it is precisely because you do not believe that you should ask for clarification, otherwise wouldn't that only tarnish the reputation of the Marquis of Champion?"

At this point, Zhang Rang looked at Yang Qiu again: "Yang Sili is an upright person, and he must know his limits."

"Yes, Your Majesty. I request that Wang Fu be taken into custody for questioning first, in order to cooperate with the investigation. Once the matter is cleared up, I can close the case as soon as possible."

Yang Qiu was somewhat surprised to see Zhang Rang speaking up for him, but he changed the subject from arrest to questioning and cooperating with the investigation.

That sounds much better.

Liu Hong thought for a moment and nodded: "In that case, let us summon the Marquis of Champion to prison to defend himself."

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Yang Qiu bowed in thanks, then glanced at Zhang Rang, only to find Zhang Rang also looking at him with a meaningful look in his eyes.

Yang Qiu lowered his head, stepped out of the hall, quickly left the West Residence, and rode back on horseback.

Subsequently, the Imperial Guards of the Capital Region mobilized in full force, and the eunuch Wang Fu was arrested and imprisoned.

Since it was Wang Fu's fiftieth birthday, all those close to him went to offer their congratulations. The imperial guards took the opportunity to carry out a large-scale arrest, and almost all of Wang Fu's relatives and friends were wiped out, including Pei Xiang Wang Ji.

...Liu Bei stopped being a prison tyrant and instead put on the clothes of a prison guard.

It wasn't that he was incorporated into the Sili Commandant's army, but rather that Yang Qiu wanted to ensure his safety.

After all, it was Liu Bei who caused Wang Meng to bring shame upon his father and lead to Wang Fu's imprisonment.

Wang Fu's family is extremely powerful, with all his brothers, nephews, and sons holding official positions. The Commandant of the Capital Region is currently searching for them throughout the land, and it wouldn't be safe for Liu Bei to go out before Wang Fu, Wang Meng, and others are killed.

Not only was Liu Bei in prison, but Zuo Yuan was also there. However, she was not a jailer, but a witness—as a "tribute woman from Pei State," she testified that Wang Ji, the prime minister of Pei State, had committed numerous atrocities by massacring the people in order to help Wang Fu amass wealth.

This isn't a frame-up; it's the truth. We just need a witness.

In Pei State, Wang Ji frequently killed people over trivial matters, or rather, he would frame people and then kill them.

Anyone who displeases him, or anyone he wants to displease, will usually be strung together and paraded through the streets on horseback.

Even if the person being paraded through the streets is dead and their body is decomposing, their bones will still be tied together with ropes and dragged along until the ropes break and the bones scatter.

During his short tenure in Pei State, Wang Ji killed over ten thousand people and amassed a fortune of over a hundred million.

Most of Wang Fu's relatives were like this, so it was not unjust for Yang Qiu to wipe them all out.

With the imperial edict in hand, Yang Qiu acted with extreme cruelty.

The imperial edict ordered Wang Fu to enter the prison to defend himself, but Yang Qiu didn't give Wang Fu a chance to speak at all.

This upright official immediately began to torture Wang Fu and Wang Meng without asking about their crimes—he didn't even mention them, he just started to torture them.

Torture has five poisons: whip, stick, branding, clamp, and needle.

The Yangqiu (a type of scorpion) uses all five poisonous creatures, and also includes scraping and brushing techniques, along with various condiments such as oil, salt, soy sauce, and vinegar.

The Five Poisons are easy to understand: "Gua" means to cut meat into slices with a knife, and "Shua" means to peel the skin with an iron brush.

Wang Fu endured endless torment and only wished for a swift death.

Wang Meng was quite defiant, cursing Yang Qiu and saying that his former lackey dared to turn against his master—he had always thought the emperor would bail Wang Fu out.

But Yang Qiu didn't even flinch, and personally killed Wang Meng with a cane.

Wang Fu was also beaten to death after experiencing all kinds of severe punishments.

Until their deaths, Wang Meng and Wang Fu never had the chance to confess to any crimes.

Yang Qiu didn't ask at all; he knew he wouldn't get any answers. From the very beginning, he hadn't expected Wang Fu to confess on his own.

If he acted too slowly, he feared that Emperor Liu Hong would issue an edict to save Wang Fu.

But Liu Hong never came, nor did any imperial edict arrive. Even the people from the Court of Justice seemed to have vanished. That day, the only people in the entire Luoyang prison were the Commandant of the Capital Region.

After Yang Qiu directly tortured Wang Meng and Wang Fu to death, Wang Ji broke down.

With Zuo Yuan's testimony and Wang Fu being tortured to death, Wang Ji, having lost all hope, confessed to all the crimes in one go, including accepting bribes from officials, overstepping his authority, privately forming troops, and colluding with the Xianbei.

In fact, Zuo Yuan had never met Wang Ji, but she had a high talent for acting, and Wang Ji thought she was really a victim from Pei County.

With the victim present, whether they confess or not, they'll die anyway, but at least they won't suffer torture if they do confess.

Wang Fu did not confess in person, but the crime was still considered established. He was dismembered and his body was dumped at the North Xia Gate of Luoyang, the same place where Liu Bei beat the Northern Commandant.

However, Yang Qiu was not the kind of benevolent official who would be leniently treated after a confession. Even after Wang Ji confessed to his crimes, Yang Qiu still had him beaten to death on the spot. Wang Fu's other sons and nephews also all died in prison, without even reaching the execution ground.

As Yang Qiu said, "To cut the grass, you must pull it out by the roots; if you're going to fight, you must kill it."

This is certainly the case, since Yang Qiu's operating procedures are not very compliant. All those in Luoyang Prison who are close to Wang Fu must be eliminated on the spot to avoid future troubles.

This was also to protect Liu Bei and others.

However, there was another troublesome figure in Luoyang prison at this time: Grand Commandant Duan Jiong, also known as Duan Jiming.

(End of this chapter)