Tang Dynasty Prison Administration

079: The Lianhua Case in Qingzhou

Before long, Su Wen and Xu Ge arrived at the military camp.

Upon entering the military camp, a middle-aged man, over eight feet tall and clad in armor, immediately rose and bowed to Su Wen, saying, "I am Ma Dingxingyuan, Commander of the Qingzhou Army, greetings to Junior Minister Su!"

Su Wen returned the greeting and said, "Su Wen greets Commander Ding. I am truly grateful to Commander Ding for capturing this person for me!"

Ding Xingyuan simply smiled and said, "Please!"

After saying that, Ding Xingyuan called out, "Bring that thief up here!"

A moment later, two soldiers brought up a man who was about seven feet tall and exceptionally handsome. He was now bound hand and foot, but still looked at Su Wen with a defiant expression.

Su Wendao asked, "You're the owner of the flower shop?"

He rolled his eyes at Su Wen and sneered, "You are indeed much more capable than that Xia Wenyu, the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. I had Xu Ran expose himself so that you could close the case and leave Qingzhou as soon as possible. But, I didn't expect that you would still find your way here!"

Su Wendao asked, "You murdered so many women, taking their eyes, was it for the 'Night-Cleansing Powder'?"

"Someone as intelligent as you must have already guessed what we're planning to do, right? Since you already know, what's the point of interrogation?"

Su Wen slowly stood up and said, "We're all smart people. To protect yourself, you willingly abandoned Xu Ran and Du Yu, two pawns. I think the person behind you has probably abandoned you too!"

Upon hearing this, he burst into laughter and said, "Those who achieve great things must be prepared to make sacrifices. I am ready and have no fear. Come, kill me!"

Su Wendao said, "Don't rush, I want to ask, where is Yi Tian now?"

He snorted coldly, his face full of disdain: "Even if you kill me, I won't utter a single word!"

Su Wen smiled slightly, gazing at his face, and said, "Actually, even if you hadn't said anything, I already guessed something. Yi Tian must have infiltrated Shazhou, right?"

His eyes darted around, then he burst into laughter and whispered, "Come here, I'll tell you!"

Su Wen stared straight at his face when suddenly he saw the man try to spit phlegm at Su Wen's face. Su Wen had anticipated this and simply turned his body to avoid the attack.

Su Wen sneered, "Take him to the county jail. Tomorrow at noon, he will be torn apart by chariots as a warning to others and to atone for the dozen or so lives he has taken!"

He showed no fear whatsoever; instead, he burst into laughter.

Ding Xingyuan said, "Young Master Su, this man is stubborn. Why not use severe torture?"

Su Wen said, "He can't possibly confess. The torture will only give him another beating, that's all. He might even die in prison. We need to let the relatives of the deceased know who killed their loved ones!"

Su Wen then looked at Ding Xingyuan and said, "However, Commander Ding can interrogate those Tibetan soldiers and ask them if they know where Yitian is. By the way, ask if there are any other Tibetan spies hiding in Qingzhou!"

Ding Xingyuan bowed and said, "Yes, please rest assured, Lord Su, I have plenty of ways to make them confess the truth!"

......

On the way back, Su Wen looked at Xu Ge and asked, "How did it go? I asked you to investigate Cheng Nianci. What were the results?"

Xu Ge glanced at the constables following behind him, then lowered his voice and said, "According to the information I've obtained, Cheng Nianci isn't her real name. There's no such person in the household registration. Some people in the Ghost Market say that her entire family was executed for rebelling, but that's all I can find out!"

After pondering for a moment, Su Wen said, "When you get back, go find her and ask if she wants to go to Shazhou with us. While she's at it, pack your things. After we execute that person tomorrow, we'll set off for Shazhou immediately!"

Xu Ge, somewhat puzzled, said, "Master, we're two grown men with a woman by our side, and you're an official. If word gets out, it will affect Madam Cheng's reputation. After all, we have no official status. Besides, my father always says we can't let the Censor-in-Chief catch us in any way, otherwise those old fogies will keep impeaching you, which will affect your career!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wen looked at Xu Ge and realized that what Xu Ge said was true.

This is a feudal society, not modern times. If two men go everywhere with a woman, it will severely damage the woman's reputation, and most importantly, it will affect the government and the imperial court!

Although the Tang Dynasty was very open, women who frequently appeared in public would still attract criticism, especially if they were with two men with no official status.

Especially for unmarried women, if they often follow men around, it usually causes great misunderstandings, or even criticism. They may even be considered to have an immoral private life. In the eyes of the sage, such behavior may directly lead to demotion or even dismissal from office due to the impact of the situation!

Although Su Wen has been in this world for over a year, he still ultimately acts with the mindset of a modern person.

Hearing Xu Ge say this, he suddenly realized what was going on.

Su Wen looked at Xu Ge and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Xu Ge, what you said makes sense, that's absolutely right!"

Before long, Su Wen returned to the county government office.

Su Wen didn't hesitate at all and went straight to the tavern where Cheng Nianci was staying.

Seeing Cheng Nianci sitting there drinking, Su Wen didn't stand on ceremony. He sat down directly, poured himself a glass of wine, and without saying a word, downed it in one gulp, saying, "Cheng Nianci, let's be frank today. Who exactly are you? I had someone check your records, and your name isn't even on the household registration. What's your real name?"

Cheng Nianci glanced at Su Wen but did not speak.

Su Wen poured himself another glass of wine and drank it down, saying, "Since you want my help, you should at least let me know what's going on. Otherwise, how can I help you? To be honest, the Qingzhou Lotus case has been solved, although the real mastermind hasn't been caught yet. But tomorrow we're heading to Shazhou. If we're lucky, after I solve the case, I'll have to meet the Sage, and then I'll have the opportunity to ask him for something!"

As Su Wen said this, he looked at Cheng Nianci, whose face showed a thoughtful expression. Su Wen pressed his advantage, saying, "But if you refuse to tell me anything, not even your most basic background, how can I help you when you meet the Sage in the future?"

Faced with Su Wen's persistent questioning, Cheng Nianci took a deep breath, looked at Su Wen, hesitated for a moment, then took a sip of wine and said, "Fine, I'll tell you, but if you help them capture me, I'll kill you even if it means my own death!"

Upon hearing this, Su Wen frowned immediately, secretly sensing an ominous impending storm. It seemed that Cheng Nianci was facing something far more serious than he had imagined!

Cheng Nianci said softly, "My father's name is Zhao Nianyuan, and my original name is Zhao Wanfeng. My father was originally the military commander of Wuyuan County, Yongzhou, Lingnan Circuit. However, he was framed by the then magistrate of Wuyuan County and the governor of Yongzhou, who accused him of embezzling gold mines and inciting the miners and criminals to plot a rebellion. As a result, my father, Zhao Nianyuan, died unjustly, and his entire clan was exterminated. Only I survived because I was adopted by a kind-hearted ghostwriter!"