After hearing his words, Wang Xian was struck as if by a thunderbolt.
Looking at the exquisitely crafted jewelry brought over by the bailiffs, he felt a shiver run through his entire body.
A significant portion of the wealth he had brought was extorted from others through brutal means.
These jewels included jade pendants, hairpins, rings, bracelets, and more, representing almost half of his fortune.
While these items were indeed valuable, to avoid drawing attention, he had hidden them all in a wooden chest. If only a few items were missing from such a large chest, he might have noticed.
However, he had never imagined that a few extra items would appear in his chest…
In recent days, after facing so many rejections at the Ministry of Personnel, he had been so busy that he had no time to inventory these jewels.
If he hadn't found a way today, he would have had to take these things back home sooner rather than later!
This was a clear and straightforward matter, yet now, he found himself utterly unable to explain it…
When he first saw the contents of the chest today, he had indeed experienced a moment of confusion, wondering if these items were indeed his own.
However, after a brief moment of disorientation, he dismissed the thought.
After all, each and every one of these items was undoubtedly valuable. Who would place such precious things into someone else's chest?
Without overthinking it, he took these items to various shopkeepers to inquire about their prices, and he even swore to them that these items all belonged to him.
Now, just looking at the shopkeepers waiting outside for interrogation, he felt an urge to smash his own head.
“What? Nothing more to say? I advise you to be sensible and confess truthfully, and perhaps you can avoid some physical suffering. Otherwise, hmph!”
“Your Honor, I am framed! I am framed, my lord!”
Seeing the righteous indignation on Zhang Shaoyou’s face, Wang Xian was truly at a loss for words.
“You’ve been caught red-handed, and yet you dare to claim you’re framed? Bring in the witnesses!”
At Zhang Shaoyou’s command, several shopkeepers who had been waiting nearby immediately entered from outside.
Seeing them kneel on the ground, Wang Xian felt his head spin. He couldn’t even hear what they were saying, only watching their mouths move.
By the time he regained his senses, he found himself in a cold prison cell.
“I am innocent! I am innocent!”
Opening his eyes and glancing at his surroundings, smelling the musty air, Wang Xian couldn’t help but shout loudly.
“Be quiet! Everyone here claims to be innocent. If you keep making a fuss, I’ll lock you up with those scoundrels!”
Indeed, hearing Wang Xian’s cries, a jailer soon came over, cursing.
“Young fellow, please tell Young Master Zhang that I am truly innocent! I am an official of the court, how could I do something so despicable? I am about to assume my post as Deputy Commissioner of Transport for Fuzhou. How could I possibly do such a thing?”
Although the jailer’s words were harsh, Wang Xian, as if grasping a life-saving straw, immediately knelt down and began to plead.
“Stop the nonsense! Do you think you can just see our lord whenever you please?”
After kicking Wang Xian through the bars, the jailer grumbled and returned to his post by the door.
“I am innocent! I am innocent!”
…
After a whole night of torment, just as Wang Xian was completely exhausted and on the verge of collapse, he suddenly heard footsteps outside the cell door.
“My lord, I am innocent! I am innocent!”
Seeing Zhang Shaoyou again, Wang Xian, without a second thought, immediately knelt before him and began to cry out his innocence.
“Now, with witnesses and evidence, you claim you are innocent. Then tell me, where did those jewels and valuables come from? If they were not yours, why did you take them to the shops to sell?”
“I…”
After Zhang Shaoyou finished speaking, Wang Xian was stunned.
This was Kaifeng Prefecture!
Even at this point, a sliver of reason remained in his heart.
The matter of buying and selling official positions, could this be discussed here?
“You can’t explain it, can you? See? You can’t explain it yourself, so how can you expect others to believe you? I know you are a jinshi from two examinations, which is why I specifically arranged for your subordinates to give you a separate cell. This is the last accommodation I can offer. Forget it, since you can’t explain it, we’ll wait for the Ministry of Justice’s reply!”
Zhang Shaoyou uttered these words, sighed, and prepared to turn and leave.
Hearing the sound of his departing footsteps, Wang Xian’s survival instinct and his remaining rationality began to clash violently.
“My lord, I can explain! I can explain!”
In just a few breaths, Wang Xian made his decision.
He was not a man of integrity to begin with; otherwise, he would not have been able to extort so much wealth in just a few years from a place as impoverished as the Northwest.
Between his own life and keeping a secret, he clearly chose the former.
“This is your last chance. Your case already has witnesses and evidence; your confession is not needed. If you cannot convince me, I will have to submit your case file tomorrow morning!”
Reaching out and shaking the chains on the cell door, Zhang Shaoyou said slowly.
“My lord, I truly do not know how those valuables came to be. Most of the items in my chest were my own, earned through hard work over the years. The reason I took them to exchange for silver was because…”
“Because of what?”
Seeing that the matter was finally about to get to the point, even Zhang Shaoyou’s eyes flashed with a hint of hope.
Everything was ready now, only the east wind was missing, and they were waiting for this boy to blow that final breath!
“Be-because I secured a position as Deputy Commissioner of Transport for Fuzhou from Duke Cai, and thus urgently needed 6,000 taels of silver…”
After hearing Wang Xian’s words, even Zhang Shaoyou couldn’t help but let out a long sigh of relief. The east wind had finally risen…