The Prodigal Son

Soon, Qin Yu led Lü Si and Qi Dachui to see Wang Zhaojie, who was bound like a rice dumpling.

Upon seeing Qin Yu, Wang Zhaojie's eyes blazed with fury, and she began to wail incessantly.

"Alright, start your performance!"

Qin Yu gave Lü Si a wink and sat quietly to the side to watch Lü Si's performance.

"good!"

Lu Si agreed with considerable force, tearing off the gag from Wang Zhaojie's mouth and demanding in an official manner, "Do you want to confess honestly, or do you want me to torture you?"

The gag in his mouth had just been ripped out when Wang Zhaojie, his face frosty, questioned Qin Yu: "Lord Qin, I am also an official of the court! Even if you are an imperial envoy, shouldn't you at least provide evidence of my illegal or disorderly conduct before detaining me?"

Snapped!

No sooner had Wang Zhaojie finished speaking than Lü Si slapped her hard across the face.

"you……"

Wang Zhaojie's expression changed drastically, and he glared at Lü Si with eyes blazing with fury.

"What do you mean, 'you'?"

Lü Si glared fiercely at Wang Zhaojie, his eyes wide. "I'm asking you a question, do you dare not answer?"

Wang Zhaojie, in a fit of anger, gritted his teeth and growled, "I have acted uprightly and sat honestly, what is there to explain? You are abusing your power and attempting to extract confessions through torture. I will definitely submit a memorial to the court impeaching you!"

"You? You think you can sit up straight and act honestly?"

Lu Si sneered with disdain, "Your damned brother-in-law Wang Fan has already confessed everything. Do you think we don't know about the Dongpu Saltworks?"

What?

Has Wang Fanquan confessed?

How could they be so fast?

Is Wang Fan, that son of a bitch, brainless?

Doesn't he know this is a matter that could cost him his head?

He thought that if he confessed, the imperial court would let him go.

This is something you should never confess to, even if it means death!

If they don't hire, there might still be a way out.

If you confess, there's no way out!

He had repeatedly warned Wang Fan that he must not reveal anything about the Dongpu Saltworks under any circumstances.

But he...

wrong!

Wang Fan isn't that stupid!

They're fooling themselves!

The problem is, if they were bluffing themselves, how would they know about Wang Fan and Dongpu Saltworks?

"Have you decided how to write this?"

Seeing that he remained silent for a long time, Lü Si gradually lost patience. "If you can't come up with something, I'll have to torture you!"

"What Dongpu Saltworks? I have no idea what you're talking about!"

Wang Zhaojie was determined not to confess, even at the cost of his life.

"I love your stubbornness!"

A fierce glint flashed in Lü Si's eyes. He turned and ordered Qi Dachui, "Dachui, break two of his fingers first!"

Qi Dachui remained motionless, only casting an inquiring glance at Qin Yu.

Seeing Qin Yu nod slightly, he quickly stepped forward and grabbed Wang Zhaojie's hand.

Wang Zhaojie's expression changed drastically, and he roared in a trembling voice, "How dare you! I am the emperor..."

Click!

A crisp sound rang out.

"what……"

Wang Zhaojie's eyes bulged outwards, and she let out a heart-wrenching scream.

"..."

Lu Si's face twitched slightly as he looked at Qi Dachui with a wry smile: "You really broke two of your fingers?"

He just wanted to scare Wang Zhaojie!

Can you please stop being so honest?

"Didn't you say that?"

Qi Dachui looked at Lü Si blankly.

"I……"

Lu Si's face stiffened, then he helplessly patted his forehead. "Fine, fine, two sticks it is! Let him yell for a while, and then I'll... wait, why the hell should I listen to his yelling?"

Lu Si realized what was happening and immediately stuffed the wad of cloth back into Wang Zhaojie's mouth.

"Waaah..."

Wang Zhaojie sobbed in anguish, cold sweat pouring out of his body.

"While you have this time, think carefully about whether you want to confess honestly!"

Lu Si looked indifferently at Wang Zhaojie, who was convulsing in pain. "I also know how to skin her, roast her, and pour molten tin into her eyes. If you think you can endure it, then keep being stubborn! If I use every kind of torture on you and you're still this stubborn, then I'll admit defeat!"

After saying that, Lü Si sat down to the side and watched with great interest as Wang Zhaojie looked pained.

While enduring the pain, Wang Zhaojie racked her brains trying to figure out what to do.

According to the laws of the imperial court, even when an imperial envoy interrogates a subordinate official, there must be a case, evidence, and the investigation must be within the scope of the case; the use of severe torture is not permitted without authorization.

But those two bastards completely disregarded the proper procedures and the laws of the imperial court.

He broke two of his fingers right off the bat.

He seriously doubted that if he continued to be stubborn, those tortures would be inflicted on him.

At that time, they will probably be in a situation where they can neither live nor die!

"Think about it slowly, think it through carefully!"

Lu Si sat beside Wang Zhaojie, staring at her with an air of arrogance. "Oh, right, I forgot to tell you, my name is Lu Si, my father is the Minister of Justice, and my aunt is the Empress Dowager! If you want to talk to me about the court's laws, like 'the law does not apply to scholar-officials,' I can discuss that with you at length!"

What?

Wang Zhaojie's painful sobs stopped abruptly, leaving Lü Si with a face full of terror.

Wang Zhaojie glanced at Lü Si, then at Qin Yu who sat there calmly, and his defenses crumbled, leaving him only with despair.

"The pain has subsided?"

Lu Si stared at Wang Zhaojie with a half-smile. "If you want to confess honestly, then nod! If you're still going to be stubborn, then keep putting up with it! I can also bring your wife over, and see who's more honest, the one I'll torture less!"

Looking at the devilish smile on Lü Si's face, Wang Zhaojie couldn't help but tremble.

What should I do?

What should we do now?

He knew his wife's character all too well.

She definitely couldn't keep anything from these two lawless bastards!

Finished!

This time it's completely over!

Do not!

It's not over yet!

There's still a sliver of hope!

Thinking of this, Wang Zhaojie nodded with difficulty towards Lü Si.

"I thought you were so tough! You're not all that great!"

Lu Si snorted and stepped forward to pull the gag out of Wang Zhaojie's mouth.

Wang Zhaojie, enduring the pain of his severed finger, spoke with a contorted face: "My lords, if you spare my life, I will give you all the silver I have! From now on, I will properly offer you both a tribute every year..."

"..."

Lu Si's expression changed, and he raised his hand to slap Wang Zhaojie across the face. "Do I care about your money? Do I look like someone who's short of money?"

That bastard!

He thought this bastard was going to confess!

So, this bastard was actually trying to bribe them?

What a waste of his expression!

"Young Master Lü..."

Qi Dachui gently nudged Lü Si, "You still owe Thirteenth Young Master fifty-three thousand taels of silver..."

"I……"

Lu Si's face suddenly stiffened, and he glared angrily at Qi Dachui: "I remember, you don't need to remind me!"

"oh."

Qi Dachui chuckled sheepishly and said nothing more.

Didn't he say he wasn't short of money?

They have plenty of money, yet they owe money and refuse to pay it back?

Having been humiliated by Qi Dachui, Lü Si turned his anger to Wang Zhaojie, shouting, "I'm giving you one last chance! If you don't talk now, I'll have you tied up and roasted slowly!"