Jingtai: Making the Ming Dynasty Great Again

Chapter 150 I'm Going to Use Torture

The deepest part of the Northern Garrison Prison.

Wang Chongde, looking haggard, huddled in his prison cell.

Menda hasn't laid a finger on him these past few days.

They simply threw him into this dark and damp cell, sending him a bowl of thin porridge every day to keep him alive.

But today is different.

The footsteps grew louder as they approached; it was more than one person.

Wang Chongde struggled to raise his head and saw Menda leading two Imperial Guards into the room.

Menda walked up to Wang Chongde and said, "His Majesty has decreed that Wang Chongde has committed the heinous crime of forging bonds."

"Order the Imperial Guards to interrogate him rigorously, to get to the bottom of this, and show no mercy."

Wang Chongde's pupils contracted violently.

Menda looked at Wang Chongde: "Chief Steward Wang, the reason I spared your life before was because His Majesty said he would spare your life."

Now His Majesty has changed his mind.

He waved.

Two Imperial Guards stepped forward, and Wang Chongde trembled all over: "What—what are you going to do?"

Soon Wang Chongde was lifted up and dragged to the center of the cell.

There was a torture bed that had appeared there at some point.

Wang Chongde saw the color drain instantly from the face of the person on the torture bed.

He struggled desperately, but was held down and tied to the torture bed by two Imperial Guards.

Menda walked up to him, looked down at him, and asked, "Chief Steward Wang, do you know what this is?"

Wang Chongde was panting heavily and unable to speak.

Menda continued speaking to himself: "This is called a torture bed."

A person tied to it can be interrogated for three days and three nights without dying.

There are dozens of instruments of torture. Which one would you like to try first?

Wang Chongde's lips trembled as he cried out, "Lord Lord, I... I'll confess to anything! I really will confess to anything!"

Menda laughed: "You should have confessed everything a long time ago."

But you kept it to yourself, only speaking when I used torture.

"Then I'll let you experience it for yourself, so you won't think the Embroidered Uniform Guard's instruments of torture are just for show."

He waved his hand, and a member of the Imperial Guard picked up a pair of iron tongs and walked to the charcoal brazier.

The iron tongs were glowing red-hot in the charcoal fire.

As Wang Chongde watched the iron pliers grow redder and redder, his whole body began to tremble violently.

He shouted hoarsely, "I'll talk! I'll talk! The account book is hidden in the cellar of my old family home in Pingyang Prefecture, Shanxi!"

The entrance is under the water tank in the woodshed!

Menda nodded, signaling the Imperial Guard to stop.

Another member of the Imperial Guard had already prepared paper and pen for Wang Chongde to sign.

Menda looked at the signed confession but showed no intention of leaving.

He leaned down and stared into Wang Chongde's eyes: "Chief Steward Wang, now that we've finished discussing the account books, let's talk about something else."

Wang Chongde was taken aback: "Others? What else?"

Menda said, "Your relationship with Cao Jixiang is more than just a simple partnership for profit, isn't it?"

Wang Chongde's face froze.

Menda continued, "You're a merchant guild steward who's been in the capital for thirty years. What storms haven't you weathered?"

You must know how risky fake bonds are.

But you did it anyway.

Why?

Wang Chongde's lips moved.

Menda sighed: "It seems you really don't want to talk about it. Then let's take it slow."

He stood up and this time walked to the charcoal brazier himself to pick up the red-hot iron tongs.

The tips of the pliers glowed a dark red in the firelight, and you could feel the scorching heat when you got close.

Menda walked back to the torture bed and held the iron clamps an inch from Wang Chongde's face.

Wang Chongde could feel the heat burning his skin.

He could even smell the burnt smell of his own hair.

He screamed, "I'll talk! I'll talk! He has something on me! I have no choice but to listen to him!"

Menda did not retract the pliers, but simply watched him quietly.

Wang Chongde, panting heavily, continued speaking haltingly: "The tenth year of the Zhengtong reign—"

When I was doing business in Shanxi, I had a colleague named Zhao Si.

He did something for me, something he shouldn't have done.

"What is it?"

Wang Chongde closed his eyes: "Murder."

There was a moment of silence in the cell.

Wang Chongde opened his eyes and stared blankly upwards: "That year, a businessman was competing with me for business. He was a big player from southern Shanxi."

I can't beat him, and I'm about to be crushed by him.

Zhao Si said he could help me solve it.

I thought he was just going to threaten me, but I never expected him to actually kill someone.

Menda frowned.

Wang Chongde continued, "After the incident, the government investigated very thoroughly."

I spent five hundred taels of silver to bribe the local magistrate.

The case was pinned on a homeless person.

The vagrant was executed, and the case was closed.

"But how would Cao Jixiang know?"

Wang Chongde smiled wryly: "I don't know either."

It was probably revealed by the judge after he got into trouble.

It's also possible that the information leaked from Zhao Si's side.

In short, in the thirteenth year of the Zhengtong reign, Cao Jixiang came to me with a copy of his confession from that year.

He said that as long as I obeyed, this matter would remain a secret forever.

If I don't listen—"

He didn't continue speaking, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Menda moved the pliers further away: "So what exactly happened with these fake bonds?"

Wang Chongde: "Last winter, he sent someone to the capital to find me, saying that there was a big deal to be made."

I thought it was another case of smuggled salt and tea, but it turned out to be fake bonds.

I refused immediately. The risk was too great; if it were exposed, I would surely die.

But the visitor only said one sentence: "You remember what happened in the tenth year of the Zhengtong era, right?"

He closed his eyes, his face full of pain: "I have no choice, I can only listen to him."

Menda stared at him: "Why did Cao Jixiang make fake bonds?"

Wang Chongde shook his head: "At first I thought he was after money, but later I realized something was wrong."

"Something's not right?"

Wang Chongde said, "He sent someone to tell me not to issue too many counterfeit coupons at once after they were made."

Release them gradually, in batches.

Moreover, they specifically targeted large businesses, making them use counterfeit coupons to exchange for cash.

"What do you mean?"

Wang Chongde said, "I didn't understand at the time either."

Later I realized that he wasn't doing it for the money.

This is to allow counterfeit coupons to flood the market.

If the imperial court does not redeem the vouchers, those who hold genuine vouchers will think that the imperial court is untrustworthy.

They will be even more eager to exchange their currency, which will cause chaos in the imperial court.

If the imperial court were to exchange these funds, it would inevitably lead to over-exchange, which would also cause chaos within the court.

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A thought flashed through Menda's mind as well.

He realized that those fake coupons weren't meant to scam people out of money, but to create panic!

Menda asked, "Why did Cao Jixiang want to throw the capital into chaos?"

Wang Chongde shook his head: "I don't know, he really didn't say."

He only asked me to make fake coupons, and didn't tell me anything else.

These are all just my guesses.

I also asked someone who had been through it, and they said not to ask questions you shouldn't ask.

All I know is that he has someone backing him, but I really don't know who it is!

Menda stared at him for a long time, and he could no longer see any trace of lying on that face.

Finally, he straightened up and said to the Imperial Guard beside him, "Keep an eye on him and don't let anyone get close."

Menda then quickly walked out of the cell.

Half an hour later, a group of Imperial Guards set off from the Northern Garrison Command and rode at full speed towards Pingyang Prefecture in Shanxi.

Another hour passed, and Lu Zhong appeared outside the Qianqing Palace.

Zhu Qiyu was having dinner.

Upon hearing Xing'an's report that Lu Zhong requested an audience, he put down his chopsticks and said, "Let him in."

Lu Zhong entered and bowed, saying, "Your Majesty, I have important matters to report."

Zhu Qiyu waved for the surrounding eunuchs and palace maids to leave: "Speak."

Lu Zhong recounted the entire interrogation of Wang Chongde in detail.

When Cao Jixiang was mentioned as trying to create panic and throw the capital into chaos, Zhu Qiyu frowned.

When Wang Chongde mentioned that Cao Jixiang had someone behind him, Zhu Qiyu's eyes narrowed.

After listening, Zhu Qiyu smiled and said, "Good, very good."

Lu Zhong didn't know what this "good" meant, so he didn't dare to reply.

Zhu Qiyu said, "I originally thought Cao Jixiang just wanted to make some money."

I never expected him to have such lofty ambitions.

Let the capital descend into chaos—ha, who benefits from chaos?

Lu Zhong cautiously asked, "Your Majesty, could it be the Oirats?"

Zhu Qiyu shook his head: "The Oirat are too busy taking care of themselves to have the energy for these things."

Besides, Cao Jixiang was a eunuch in charge of the Nanjing garrison; no matter how long his reach was, he couldn't possibly reach the Oirat tribe.

Lu Zhong then asked, "Could it be those people from the south?"

Zhu Qiyu glanced at him: "You mean Xun Gui from Nanjing?"

Lu Zhong lowered his head and remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Zhu Qiyu remained silent.

Xun Gui from Nanjing could indeed be that person.

After Emperor Taizong moved the capital to Beijing, he left a complete staff in Nanjing: garrison commander, advisor, five ministries, and six departments.

Although those nobles who remained in Nanjing were not as prominent as those in Beijing, they were still dukes and marquises from generation to generation.

They have money, people, and connections.

More importantly, they were not necessarily convinced by Zhu Qiyu's court.

Zhu Qiyu stopped in his tracks: "Have you found the account books?"

Lu Zhongdao said, "We have already sent people to Shanxi, and they should be back within five days at the earliest."

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "After finding the account book, don't touch Cao Jixiang yet."

"You must find out who's behind Cao Jixiang."

Lu Zhong bowed his head and said, "Your subject obeys the decree."

Zhu Qiyu walked back to the table and continued eating, as if nothing had happened.

Lu Zhong stood there, unsure whether to step back or continue waiting.

After a moment, Zhu Qiyu looked up and asked, "Is there anything else?"

Lu Zhongdao said, "Your subject—has one more matter to discuss."

"speak."

Lu Zhongdao: "After Wang Chongde confessed, I was thinking about a question."

If Cao Jixiang's intention was truly to create panic, then there must have been more than one batch of fake bonds.

The 1,800 taels seized earlier may only be the tip of the iceberg.

Your Majesty, I request that you dispatch men to conduct a covert investigation of major businesses to see if any other counterfeit coupons have entered the market.

Zhu Qiyu nodded: "There's no need to investigate the fake coupons anymore."

Let outsiders think that this matter has come to this point.

Even when the Embroidered Uniform Guard is conducting investigations, they must remain discreet.

Don't alert the enemy.

Lu Zhong bowed his head: "Your subject understands."

Zhu Qiyu waved his hand: "Go."

Five days later, the Imperial Guards who had gone to Shanxi returned.

They brought back a sandalwood box.

Besides the fake voucher templates that Wang Chongde confessed to and Cao Jixiang's handwritten letter, there was also a thin account book in the box.

The ledger records the "special business" that Cao Jixiang handled through Wang Chongde over the years.

The records are mostly of Cao Jixiang selling goods through Wang Chongde.

Produce