"If it were that easy to get the answer, wouldn't the prefect's head be empty!" Zhao Jiaqi said, smiling as she patted the hands on her shoulders.
Perhaps her husband had also hit a wall in his inquiries last night.
After tidying herself up, she ate a simple breakfast and went to the front hall. She discovered that Zhao Qing Sui had revealed everything they knew, but he stubbornly refused to divulge the identity of the person in the capital.
Fan Zehao was troubled. After interrogating him all night, the man still refused to speak, his eyes bloodshot and weary. This kind of investigation was more exhausting than fighting a war.
"Still not talking? Then let me interrogate him. I'm confident he'll open up very quickly!" Zhao Jiaqi sat down on a chair with confidence.
As soon as she spoke, Zhao Qing Sui's body trembled. He had heard of this Empress. Someone who could tame the Emperor could easily deal with them.
He closed his eyes slightly, quickly made up his mind, and when he opened them again, his eyes were filled with determination. Just as he was about to grit his teeth and commit suicide, the Empress's voice reached his ears.
"Biting your tongue to commit suicide won't kill you, but it will be agonizing, a pain that pierces to the bone. If your teeth aren't sharp enough, your tongue won't fall off, and you might even have to tear it out forcefully. Tsk, tsk, tsk, that kind of pain... is ten times worse than having your fingers broken. Lord Zhao, you'd best consider carefully. There are many ways to die. Do you want a quick death, or to suffer endlessly before you die, unable to beg for life or death?"
Zhao Jiaqi's words interrupted his attempt to bite his tongue. Seizing the opportunity, Long Yi directly dislocated his jaw. This time, the outcome was favorable for everyone.
The moment his jaw was dislocated, Zhao Qing Sui knew that in the brief pause he had taken, he had fallen into this woman's trap.
Now he was in a predicament, unable to live or die.
Just as this woman had said, if he didn't confess, he would be tortured daily. If he hadn't feared the torture in prison, why would he have tried to commit suicide!
Zhao Qing Sui slowly closed his eyes, realizing that he couldn't escape today.
Rather than suffer endlessly, it was better to seek death sooner, at least to avoid physical pain!
His pale lips parted slightly, and he said weakly, "I'll confess. Ask me whatever you want. I'll tell you everything, and I only ask for a quick end!"
It was better he hadn't said this. As soon as he said it, Fan Zehao's face darkened considerably.
He had tried to persuade the man with kind words all night, racking his brains, and yet his wife had merely said a few sentences, and he had confessed. This was truly a complete loss of face for him.
Fan Zehao began his interrogation from the morning, and it wasn't until the beginning of the Shen hour in the afternoon that the identity of the so-called big shot in the capital was finally clarified!
Fan Zehao's expression was grim. He waved to Shi He, "Take him away and watch him carefully. We'll interrogate him again tomorrow!"
Given his current state, it had taken half a day to interrogate him. If they were to thoroughly investigate Hedong Prefecture, it would take at least ten days to half a month to sort everything out.
Fan Zehao, having not slept properly for two consecutive nights, went to bed early after dinner.
In the middle of the night, faint voices could be heard outside. Zhao Jiaqi opened her eyes and looked at the sleeping man. Not wanting to wake him, she put on her clothes and went out.
As soon as she opened the door, she saw Su Ya and Shi He speaking in low voices. When they saw her emerge, they both turned to look at her.
"What's wrong?" Zhao Jiaqi asked.
Shi He: "Madam, the village chief of Shangmen Village, Old Man Chen, is dead. Three villagers are severely injured, seven are lightly injured, and the rest are unharmed. Sun Mo, the person he was protecting, was kept very safe by Old Man Chen and did not suffer any harm!"
Zhao Jiaqi was suddenly struck by the news of Old Man Chen's death. Her heart ached, making it difficult to even breathe.
How could this have happened?
She had been fine when she left. How could they be separated by death in just one day?
"How did he die? Tell me, I want the truth!"
Shi He lowered his head slightly and revealed the truth: "Madam, a group of men in black came to Shangmen Village and began searching for the people Sun Mo had rescued. Old Man Chen saw that the situation was not good, so he hid those people in a cave on the mountain and covered the entrance with grass. He descended the mountain alone. When those people discovered him, they beat him. Fearing he couldn't endure the torture, he voluntarily offered to lead them to the mountain to find the people. As a result... as a result, when they reached the mountain, he chose to jump off a cliff!"
He died like this?
Zhao Jiaqi found it hard to believe her ears. Although Old Man Chen was a bit gossipy and loved to chatter, he was a good man. She remembered that when they ate meat a few days ago, he had said that she could promise him he would be able to eat and drink heartily every day in the future. But in the end, her promise had not been fulfilled, and he had instead perished like this!
Heartbreak!
"Take me to see Old Man Chen."
For the future well-being of the people of Hedong Prefecture, he had perished like this.
It was Yun Country that had wronged him, and even more so, she and her husband had wronged him!
That night, Shi He drove a carriage with the Madam to Shangmen Village, with Long Yi, the leader of the Dragon Guards, following. If the Emperor had a problem, it was fine, but if the Empress had a problem, it would be a major issue.
The carriage was driven at full speed. Inside, Su Ya supported her. They sat on soft cushions, being jostled from time to time, their insides trembling. Yet, Zhao Jiaqi gritted her teeth and endured it.
When she saw Old Man Chen's disfigured face, his broken and deformed arms and legs, and the cuts all over his body, there was not a single part of him that was intact.
He was not born in a good place, nor did he die a natural death. He had died a violent death.
"Old Man Chen, rest in peace. This consort will avenge you and promise you that the people of Shangmen Village will only live better and better lives. Chen Yusheng will be entrusted to me. I will fulfill your wish and find him a good daughter to continue the Chen family lineage!"
Zhao Jiaqi could imagine Old Man Chen's wish. His life had been too hard. If he hadn't held onto the hope that his future days would improve, he might have simply gone through the motions of living day by day.
This was all because he believed her words, and therefore, he had sacrificed himself decisively to fulfill their aspirations.
Chen Yusheng appeared in tattered clothes. Looking at his father's tragic state, his heart bled, but he couldn't cry. He gritted his back molars, his fists clenching with a cracking sound, with no means to take revenge.
"Empress, this humble subject wishes to know who the murderers of my father are. I want revenge!"
Zhao Jiaqi looked directly into Chen Yusheng's resentful eyes and said calmly, "I will find out who the mastermind behind this is. You will take revenge with your own hands!"
Chen Yusheng nodded silently and went to change Old Man Chen into his favorite set of clothes, the one with the fewest patches.