So many people, all verified?
Fang Er’s back broke out in a fine sweat.
The situation in Yangzhou was more serious than he had imagined. If Zhang Gongjin had not acted promptly and arrested these people, who knew what chaos could have erupted.
Zhang Gongjin smiled, pointing at the prisoners below.
Hahahaha, this is just the beginning. In your words, these people are just cannon fodder!
The ones behind them are what I'm interested in.
If you dare to cause trouble in Yangzhou, you'll leave your life with me.
Therefore, you don't need to worry about this matter.
With me here, Yangzhou will not fall into chaos!
A while later, the Prefect of Yangzhou also arrived, followed by several clerks.
Your subordinate, the Prefect of Yangzhou, Zou Wenxin, pays his respects to the Supervisor. The Prefect ascended the reviewing stand and bowed to Zhang Gongjin.
Zhang Gongjin smiled and pulled Fang Er over: Old Zou, come, let me introduce you. This is the Duke of Shenyang Commandery, Fang Anzhi.
Your subordinate pays his respects to Duke Fang. Zou Wenxin quickly bowed to Fang Er again.
Fang Er nodded slightly, acknowledging the greeting.
That's enough, we'll sit below and watch the show today!
Zhang Gongjin was the first to walk towards the tables and chairs on the reviewing stand, making a gesture to the soldiers below.
After they were seated, the Shenqiang Army soldiers who had dispersed on the training ground surrounded them again.
In groups of three to five, they grabbed a prisoner and walked away, maintaining distance from other groups, scattering throughout the entire training ground.
Then, something unexpected happened to Fang Er.
Where did you get the national bonds in your hand!
Who gave you the guts to rob a bank? Speak, do you have any accomplices!
You dared to set fire to the Supervisor's Mansion, speak! Who ordered you!
Who instructed you to incite the people to cause trouble? Confess quickly!
Crack!
Crack!
Crack!
Across the nearly five mu, three thousand meter square training ground, the sound of whips and questioning echoed everywhere.
Some of the beaten prisoners cried out in pain and agony, while others gritted their teeth and resisted.
Fang Er never expected Zhang Gongjin to conduct such large-scale, concentrated interrogations.
Hahahaha, how is it, exciting?
Zhang Gongjin exhaled a smoke ring and smiled at Fang Er.
I interrogated a few before, and they were so slow and didn't say anything, it almost drove me mad.
So today, I'll let brother see my newly devised method.
Fear is contagious, and when everyone is in fear, this fear is amplified countless times!
Among a thousand people, there are always some who are cowardly.
The prisoners who had refused to speak in prison were gradually broken in spirit by fear and confessed the truth.
One, two, three, more and more people started to speak.
The soldiers in groups of three to five took out notebooks and recorded everything. After each prisoner confessed, they were escorted back to the jailers to be returned to prison.
At the same time, soldiers, based on the information provided by these prisoners, would occasionally lead troops away from the barracks to apprehend people elsewhere.
Some of the more stubborn prisoners resisted and cursed those who confessed.
But as the number of prisoners in the training ground dwindled and the soldiers' whips struck with increasing force, the last batch of prisoners finally couldn't hold on.
The whips in the training ground cracked from morning till afternoon. The last prisoner, after confessing everything, had been whipped unconscious several times.
Confessions were sent to the reviewing stand. Zhang Gongjin, who had been looking smug, cursed loudly at each confession before handing it to Fang Er.
Damn it! Outrageous!
Bloody hell, keep hiding, you bastard!
Damn it, if I don't exterminate your nine generations of kin, I'll change my surname to yours!
Suddenly, Zhang Gongjin stared at a confession he had just picked up. After reading it carefully, he jumped up and, grabbing a chair, violently smashed it towards Zou Wenxin's head.
You bastard, I'll kill you!
Zou Wenxin was caught off guard and was directly knocked to the ground by the chair. Whether it was his luck or misfortune, the chair did not hit his head, but its huanghuali legs struck his shoulder squarely.
With a crisp crack, the bone in his shoulder was completely shattered.
Ah~~
Zou Wenxin cried out in pain, clutching his left shoulder with his right hand.
His actions surprised even Fang Er.
Come, brother, look, this bastard instigated the people to intercept the national bonds returning to the capital!
After speaking, Zhang Gongjin handed the confession in his hand to Fang Er.
Then, he directly instructed a personal guard: Mobilize troops into the city and search the Yangzhou Prefecture for me!
Yes!
The personal guard cupped his fist, accepted the order, and led several hundred soldiers away from the military palace.
According to the current regulations of yamen, there was a front hall and a back residence.
The front hall was where trials were held. Behind the front hall were the offices of various departments.
The back courtyard was the residence of the Prefect or Magistrate, hence it was called the residence.
When Zhang Gongjin said he was going to search Yangzhou Prefecture, he actually meant Zou Wenxin's home.
Zou Wenxin was unable to speak now, groaning and whimpering as he held his shoulder.
How could a mere scholar withstand Zhang Gongjin's furious blow?
Fang Er looked at the confession in his hand, and the anger that had subsided yesterday surged again, veins bulging on his face.
This Zou Wenxin colluded with merchants in the city. The merchants then bribed local ruffians, who in turn used all means to incite the common people to intercept the national bond transport team.
He had expected officials might be dragged into it by criminals, but he never thought that even the dignified Prefect of the Prefecture would be involved!
I say, brother, can you go a little easier? What if he has people behind him?
Fang Er wished he could kill Zou Wenxin right now, but he couldn't be so hasty.
Don't worry, he won't die!
Go! Call the military doctor to treat his injuries!
Zhang Gongjin shouted to his personal guard.
As an old general, he knew how to measure his strength. Otherwise, the chair would have been smashed on his head, not his shoulder.
After the restructuring, various Supervisor's Mansions learned a great deal from Fang Er's experience and were equipped with physicians in the army, particularly those skilled in treating external injuries.
Soon, a middle-aged man in military uniform ran over, a medicine chest on his back. After arriving at the reviewing stand, he simply cupped his fist in salute to Zhang Gongjin and then squatted down to examine Zou Wenxin's injuries.
After an examination, he looked up at Zhang Gongjin.
My Lord, how shall I treat him?
What do I care how you treat him? Just make sure he can speak!
The medical officer understood!
The military doctor opened the box, took out a bottle of powder, dissolved it with water, and called two assistants to forcefully administer it to Zou Wenxin.