The Dali Temple, Discipline Room.
Zhong Li sat on an official's hat chair, watching Xu Qing kneel on the ground.
He shouldn't have suffered much in the Dali Temple; after a day and a night, his face was still ruddy and his spirit high.
"It seems the people below have taken good care of you," Zhong Li said.
Xu Qing sneered, "It was fine because they were all brothers before..."
"Is that so? But I heard that several people were so furious about what you did at Beitian Nunnery that they wanted to flay you alive," Zhong Li said.
Xu Qing's smile widened, and he replied, "Unfortunately, their status is too low, and they don't have the authority."
"But I do!" Zhong Li said, raising the gavel in her hand and slamming it hard on the table.
Xu Qing was startled, his body trembling. He looked at Zhong Li, bewildered.
Zhong Li stopped beating around the bush and said, "Xu Qing, speak! How much do you know about what happened at Beitian Nunnery?"
Hearing the woman opposite him ask this, Xu Qing's eyes darted around. Now that Beitian Nunnery had been raided and most of the secrets about Qiateshuo had come to light, and Zhong Li hadn't gone to the Ministry of Justice to find Lu Wuxie but was interrogating him here, her purpose was clear...
He smiled and said, "Lord Zhong, ever since I was demoted, wherever I go or what I do is not up to me. Serving at Beitian Nunnery was also the Emperor's will. Now that such a major incident has occurred at Beitian Nunnery,
You certainly won't believe me if I say I knew nothing, but my official rank is not as high as yours. If I saw certain things, I could only follow the orders from above. It was all for a living. Please investigate thoroughly, my lord."
"Investigate thoroughly?" Zhong Li sneered. If she hadn't known Xu Qing well, she might have been deceived by his words. They had clashed many times over the past year, and there was no way Xu Qing could feign ignorance on this matter.
"Xu Qing, do you know that we caught someone else before you?" Zhong Li said.
"Who?" Xu Qing looked suspicious. In his opinion, both masterminds of the Qiateshuo case were dead. Who else could know his secrets?
Zhong Li did not answer, but casually tossed something in front of him.
Xu Qing lowered his gaze, looking at the jade pendant on the ground. He had a vague feeling it was familiar.
"Can't remember? Then let me remind you, Fan Ren."
As soon as Zhong Li finished speaking, Xu Qing's eyes widened, his expression one of disbelief.
"Do you know why I'm sure Zhong Wuyou was taken to Baolin Temple?" Zhong Li asked.
Xu Qing shook his head.
"Your good subordinate, Fan Ren, told me."
"Impossible!" As soon as Zhong Li finished speaking, Xu Qing replied without thinking.
"What's impossible about it? How loyal do you think he is to you?" Zhong Li asked.
Xu Qing was stumped, his expression hesitant. After all, one could never be sure of another's heart. Moreover, hadn't A Wu, who was once so loyal to Zhong Li, also betrayed her?
Seeing his hesitation, Zhong Li continued, "Xu Qing, why is one person loyal to another? It's usually for some gain. The reason Fan Ren confessed and implicated you is simply that he couldn't gain anything from you."
"What do you mean?" Xu Qing was clearly starting to get nervous.
Zhong Li curled her lips and said, "Fan Ren was also from the Dali Temple. He knew that what he did could be either minor or major. More importantly, he knew that confessing certain things to secure a stable future for himself was more practical than anything else.
Lord Lan has already agreed to give Fan Ren a hundred taels of silver and let him go. He has also told me everything he knew, especially about your dealings with A Wu. He told me everything. My coming to interrogate you today is just a formality. If you confess, I can report back to the Emperor. If you are unwilling to speak, it's fine too, as death can be avoided but life can be punished."
After speaking, she made no move to continue arguing with Xu Qing and stood up, walking out of the Discipline Room.
Outside the Discipline Room, Hua Yao was waiting at the entrance. She saw Zhong Li and stepped forward, asking, "How did it go?"
Zhong Li shook her head and said, "He refused to speak."
"Then... should we proceed with the other plan?" Hua Yao asked.
Zhong Li thought for a moment and said, "Hurry up and make arrangements. The longer we delay, the more likely complications will arise."
"Okay!" Hua Yao replied, and then, with two Dali Temple constables, headed towards another prison cell.
Time flew by.
Xu Qing, alone in the Discipline Room, watched the light filtering through the skylight, his expression somewhat dejected.
He remembered that just a few months ago, he was the one throwing prisoners awaiting interrogation in here. He never imagined that it would be his turn now.
He sighed, and a crisp rumbling sound echoed from his stomach. He swallowed several times, enduring it.
Not long after, a muffled sound of a door opening echoed in the Discipline Room.
Xu Qing looked towards the sound and saw a woman. The woman was dressed plainly and looked ordinary, with only her figure being somewhat noteworthy.
"You only have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, understood?" the voice of a constable came from outside the door.
The woman smiled, took out a few small silver pieces from her waist, and slipped them into the constable's hand. "Understood, brother. I'll be out after I deliver the food, and it probably won't even take an incense stick."
After speaking, she closed the door of the Discipline Room and quickly walked towards Xu Qing.
Xu Qing looked at the woman. He didn't recognize her, but seeing that she didn't seem to have the wrong Discipline Room, his confusion grew.
The woman spoke no further, placed the food box she was carrying on the ground, and opened it, revealing several dishes of meat and vegetables.
Xu Qing watched her actions as she placed the dishes one by one in front of him. There were four or five types, and even his favorite stir-fried clams.
"What is this..."
"Lord Xu!" Before Xu Qing could finish speaking, the woman glanced around stealthily. Seeing that they were the only two in the room, she continued, "Someone asked me to deliver this dish to you. You must be hungry, eat quickly."
"Someone? Who?" Although Xu Qing was so hungry he felt faint, he was still vigilant. He looked at the woman and asked.
The woman waved her hand, "I don't know. He just said he was your best brother and thought you were suffering in the Discipline Room, so he asked me to deliver this. Eat quickly."
Xu Qing was handed a pair of wooden chopsticks.
But he still didn't pick them up.
Seeing this, the woman became anxious and said, "My lord, eat quickly. You heard just now, I have to leave within the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. If I take it away then, what will you eat?"
Xu Qing suspiciously asked, "Are you sent by that shrew Zhong Li? Trying to curry favor with me and get information out of my mouth?"
The woman was startled and said, "What are you talking about, my lord? I don't understand."
"Hmph!" Xu Qing snorted and said, "I won't eat this at all. Get out!"
Seeing Xu Qing like this, the woman sighed helplessly and took a sword pendant from her怀 to show Xu Qing.
Xu Qing glanced at it and asked in surprise, "This is... how do you have Fan Ren's things?"
The woman said, "I was sent by Fan Ren. Now, shouldn't you eat?"
Hearing this, Xu Qing's suspicion lessened. He picked up the wooden chopsticks from the ground, took a large mouthful of wine, and then picked up his favorite stir-fried clams, about to put them in his mouth.
A moment later, his nose twitched, and he couldn't help but frown.
"Damn it!" Xu Qing threw the wooden chopsticks forcefully to the ground, staring angrily at the woman opposite him. If his hands and feet weren't bound, he would have rushed forward to grab the woman and question her: "Did you put poison in this dish?"