Chapter 824: Threat Chapter 824: Threat Editor: Atlas Studios Late at night, Liu Qing quietly brought the constables to the death row prison.
When he saw Gentry Wei shrinking in a corner in fear, he looked at the death row prisoners imprisoned on both sides.
Liu Qing raised his chin slightly and said, “Bring him to the torture chamber.” The constable dragged the screaming Gentry Wei to the torture chamber.
Seeing the various torture tools in the torture chamber, Gentry Wei was so frightened that his face turned pale.
He trembled as he looked up at Liu Qing and stamred, “You, you can’t torture .
I, I’m not denying it…” It ant that he would confess.
Liu Qing sneered and picked up the pliers in the stove to stir the charcoal inside.
“Do you think I went through so much trouble to arrest you just so that I can interrogate you about the slave-killing case?” Gentry Wei’s face was ashen.
He knew that the Prince’s estate must have discovered sothing and used this excuse to arrest him.
It wasn’t because Xi Le had sued him at all!
Liu Qing stood in front of him and looked down at him.
“We all know what you and Gentry Qian were planning.
I only ca to you to give you a chance to redeem yourself.” Gentry Wei shut his mouth and did not say anything.
Although he was as timid as a mouse, he knew what cris he could and could not confess to.
If he admitted that he had killed a slave, he would at most be exiled a few hundred miles away.
If his family was willing to spend money to bribe so people here and there, his life would not be too bad, and he could return in a few years.
However, if he admitted to stealing the farr’s seeds, it would be a huge cri.
Promoting agriculture had always been a major goal of the Imperial Court.
If they admitted to swapping so many grain seeds at once, it would be a cri punishable by death.
Gentry Wei gritted his teeth and remained silent.
Liu Qing said indifferently, “I don’t like to sentence people to exile.
I prefer caning—much more simple and neat since it can be carried out on the spot.
For every slave you kill, you’ll be punished with 80 strokes of the cane.
Considering there are nine victims recorded in the dossier, you’ll be punished with 720 strokes of the cane in total.
In order to save ti, let’s just finish it in one go.
What do you think?” Gentry Wei looked at Liu Qing in shock.
Wouldn’t he turn into a pile of at paste by the end of it?
Without bribing the bailiff, even a young and strong man would be half-dead after receiving 80 strokes.
With a bribe, 80 strokes might only incur so minor injuries.
However, with Liu Qing personally watching over this, which bailiff would dare to go light on him?
With his state of health, he might die before 100 strokes, let alone 720 strokes.
At the thought that he would be beaten to death, Gentry Wei’s body trembled and his lower body heated up—he pissed himself!
Liu Qing snorted coldly and left with a flick of his sleeves.
The constable in charge of bringing Gentry Wei back to the cell, faked an empathetic expression upon seeing his ashen face, “Master Wei, why do you have to force yourself?
Our magistrate has already confird that you colluded with outsiders to steal grain seeds.
Whether you admit it or not, Her Highness will hold you responsible for it.
Even if you don’t admit to this cri, Her Highness will also find other charges against you.
Who among those culprits is completely clean?
You can be considered to be clean among them, but look, aren’t you in the hands of the magistrate now?” Gentry Wei was silent.
The constable knew that he still had his doubts, so he lowered his voice and said, “If you tell the truth, Her Highness might spare your life on account of your ritorious service.
Even if you keep your mouth shut, Magistrate Liu has already obtained evidence of you killing the slaves.
Putting everything else aside, can you still get out alive after being punished for all those cris at the sa ti?” Gentry Wei trembled, but he closed his eyes slightly and remained silent.
The constable sighed and said, “Forget it.
Since you’re loyal, I can’t force you to be heartless.
I just don’t know if Master Qian is as loyal as you…” At this point, the constable sighed regretfully as he pulled Gentry Wei back to the death row cell.
Gentry Wei grabbed him and asked, “What’s with Master Qian?” Stunned, the constable hesitated.
“Well, we can’t reveal outside information to the prisoner.
If the higher-ups find out…” Trembling, Gentry Wei took off the ring on his waist and stuffed it into his hand.
“This thing isn’t very expensive but just take it first.
Later, I’ll get butler Wei to bring more silver.” The constable touched the ring and confird that it was good stuff.
Only then did he open the door of the torture chamber and look outside.
After confirming that there was no one around, he whispered into his ear, “Don’t spread this matter.
Actually, the Prince’s estate and Magistrate Liu already started suspecting you a few days ago.
You thought that you had done it secretly, but you didn’t expect traces to be left everywhere.
Her Highness only endured it until now because the farr’s seeds hadn’t been planted yet, so it wasn’t good to complicate things.
Now that the chaos has subsided and the seeds have been distributed again, it’s ti for her to counterattack.” Just like Gentry Wei had suspected, the Princess Consort had indeed suspected them for a long ti.
The constable continued, “I don’t know much else, but I was the one who brought my brothers to monitor you and Gentry Qian.
Then, just as you were arrested, Gentry Qian arranged to et Gentry Tan and the others, before going to ask Mrs.
Wei to take out so money to bribe the governnt office in order to save you…” The constable looked at him sympathetically and said, “Worried about you, Mrs.
Wei took out the money without hesitation.
Not only did she bribe our side, but she also handed Master Qian money to use other connections to ensure your safety…” Gentry Wei thought to himself, ‘Isn’t that normal?
Why are you looking at with that “you and your family are so, so pitiful” expression?’ Gentry Wei was only confused for a mont before he turned pale with fright and asked, “My wife gave the money to Gentry Qian?” The constable looked at him pitifully and nodded.
“I don’t know what Gentry Qian is doing with the money, but Magistrate Liu took all the money Mrs.
Wei sent to the governnt office, but he sealed it up.
He said that it’s going to be confiscated in the end.
Even the small amount of money that landed in our hands, Magistrate Liu also confiscated it…” Gentry Wei fell to the ground and grabbed the constable’s pants.
“I want to see my wife.
As long as you can let see her, I’ll give you a large sum of money.” “Old Master Wei, why don’t you understand?” The constable pulled his hand away and said in a low voice, “Magistrate Liu locked you up in the death row cell to prevent outsiders from seeing you.
Besides, so what if you see Mrs.
Wei?
Do you want her to stop helping you using bribes?
Even if she’s willing, Young Master Wei is only 11 years old.
How can he maintain ownership over those assets?
It’s not like you don’t know what kind of person Old Master Qian is.
Besides, when we sent our guys to inform Mrs.
Wei, it’s said that although Mrs.
Wei kept cursing you, she did beg her family to get you out of prison no matter what.” Gentry Wei was not touched at all.
He only felt that he had fallen into a dead end.
Why would he rather die than confess?
It was not to protect Gentry Qian and the others, nor was it for the so-called loyalty, but to protect his family assets and his son.
If he admitted to stealing the grain seeds, most of his assets would probably be confiscated, and he would still die.
He’d thought that if he didn’t admit to it, although he would be beaten to death, at least the Wei family’s assets would be preserved.
But now, it seed that Gentry Qian and Liu Qing were clearly plotting to get their hands on his family assets.
In that case, it was probably better to let the authorities confiscate his assets.
No one knew better than him what kind of person Gentry Qian was and how much he loved owning land.
If his wife and children fell into his hands, they probably wouldn’t even be able to retain their ancestral land.
Gentry Wei hugged his head regretfully.
Why did he agree to let Gentry Qian drag him into this ss?
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