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I want to save Susu too
“I don’t know what crime I have commited.” Zhao Su looked at him and answered.
That person said coldly: “Death is near at hand but you still don’t want to admit it, do you know what kind of this place is? If the Embroidered Guards want to know something, there has never been anything that we haven’t been able to find out.”
The Embroidered Guard looked up, he was skilled at interrogation.
Zhao Su had neither authority, nor power, if he admitted the crime it wouldn’t help either, he needed to show his softer side but he couldn’t show off either.
That’s what Zhao Su thought to himself, he then changed his tone: “Da-ren, it’s not that I don’t want to confess, the reality is that I don’t know what is going on, can you tell me? My teacher and the Commander of the Embroidered Guards, Lui da-ren are old friends, could I trouble you to report this to him?”
The other’s face didn’t react, even his eyebrows didn’t twitch: “Lui da-ren won’t be able to save you either, this case was ordered down directly from the Emperor, we are just doing our duty.”
Zhao Su’s heart skipped a bit: “Please could da-ren explain further. ”
“His Majesty has requested a full investigation into the leak of the metropolitan examination questions. Your pageboy, Zhao Rong accused you of colluding with the examiners and buying the examination questions in advance, is this true?”
“Absolutely not.”
That person stared at him with a burning gaze, “Don’t say that I didn’t give you an easy way out, if you admit to the crime then at worst you will get a caning. If you don’t admit it then we have ways to make you speak the truth.”
Zhao Rong had spent two taels of silver at the restaurant to purchase the so-called examination questions, but this had nothing to do with him. After that, the examination questions had been changed anyway. So it was even less likely that Zhao Su could have cheated. And colluding with the Examining Officers, this type of thing was complete nonsense.
But why did Zhao Rong accuse him. What benefit could this possibly have for Zhao Rong?
At the time, there were many people who had also purchased the exam questions.
Why was it that it just so happened that they only wanted to investigate him?
All these thoughts rushed up plus the stuff that the Embroidered Guard had just said, Zhao Su looked up: “You want me to admit my crime and also to point the finger at Gao da-ren and the others?”
Accusing Gao Gong, meant implicating the Prince of Yu, as well as Xu Jie.
They had used Zhao Rong to pull him down.
And they were using Zhao Su to take down Gao Gong.
And then finally they would use Gao Gong to implicate the Prince of Yu and Xu Jie.
This was indeed a crafty play and a big hand.
“You aren’t stupid but actually quite clever.” The Embroidered Guard sneered, walking over to him, placing his hand on Zhao Su’s shoulder.
“A young person shouldn’t be so strong-willed. There are some things that you should see more clearly.”
“My pageboy was tortured and beaten for a confession?”
“Nowadays, there are not that many people with such hard bones. Your pageboy is already not bad, he received thirty lashes and still wouldn’t confess.”
Zhao Su lowered his head, they couldn’t see his expression: “If I don’t accuse Gao Gong, I guess I will also have the same treatment? Aren’t the Embroidered Guard supposed to be working for the Emperor. When did they become someone else’s dog who forced people to confess?”
That person’s voice brought a thread of sympathy but in this dark stuffy cell, it only seemed more treacherous: “The lightest punishment is caning. There are methods here that will make people wish for death.”
Zhao Su said in a low voice: “That year, Yang Jisheng1 also suffered.”
The other person sneered: “He was a good fellow but in the end he still died. You are young with a bright future ahead, do you really want to end up like him?”
“If I submit, I really will have destroyed my own future.”
“Since you insist on being headstrong, there is nothing that I can do.”
That person picked up Zhao Su’s right hand, looking closely as if he was admiring it and said: “This hand is used to craft beautiful essays, it would be such a shame if it gets crippled.”
———–
It was chaos in the Prince of Yu manor.
Gao Gong and Chen Yiqin were the Chief Examining Officers of the Metropolitan Examination, the Emperor had ordered a thorough investigation, they had to avoid suspicion so they had to stay behind closed doors. Now the only one who could come to the Prince of Yu manor was Yin Shidan.
“What should we do!”
The Prince was pale and confused, and his frail frame seemed to be shaking.
“Teacher Gao and Teacher Chen cannot come over and Zhao Su has been arrested. If Zhao Su can’t handle the torture, he will point the finger at Teacher Gao, what should we do!”
Yin Shidan tried to comfort the prince: “Your Highness, first, please calm down, it hasn’t come to that yet, let’s not mess up now.”
“If Teacher Gao hadn’t gone and taken up the position of Chief Examining Officer, then everything would be okay.”
The Prince of Yu complained, he continued miserably: “It’s all this prince’s fault, now that something has happened I can’t even protect them, even Zhao Su
. *aie*!”
The Prince had a weak temperament, but he was not cold-blooded. He treated people close to him very well. Although Zhao Su spent less time with him than the others did. He and Zhao Su were actually very close and they were able to talk to each other. Some small troubles that could not be discussed with Gao Gong and the others he could discuss with Zhao Su.
“If others want to plot against us, we can’t avoid it forever.” Yin Shifan twitched his eyebrows anxiously, “The biggest problem now is whether Zhao Su can withstand the cruel torture of the Embroidered Guards. If something happens to Teacher Gao then this will implicate you, your Highness. I’m afraid this is their objective.”
The Prince was silent, as if to agree with what he was saying.
I’ll go to the Palace, ask for an audience with his Majesty, my father.”
He had a righteous expression on his face, which would have almost been comical on a normal day, but at this time, there was no one who would have the heart to laugh. Yin Shidan didn’t dissuade him, if the Prince of Yu was able to persuade his Majesty, this would indeed be the best way forward. But everyone knows that the Emperor decides everything without consultation. Live or die, this was for him alone to decide.
Consort Li, who was sitting in the corner silently until now, said softly: “Your Highness, what would you say to the Emperor?”
Zhu Yijun had been standing outside the door the whole time, eavesdropping on the adults. The usually lively little steamed bun showed a rare moment of silence at this time. Perhaps it was because he couldn’t fully understand what they were saying, but anyone could see that he was listening very intently.
This surprised Fengbao. He squatted down and gently said: “Little Princely Heir, shall we go?”
“Susu has been arrested.” the child said with grievance.
Feng Bao sighed and then picked him up: “This matter isn’t something that the little Princely Heir needs to worry about. With the Prince of Yu here, nothing will happen to them.”
“Will Susu get out, if he can’t get out, can I save him?” Zhu Yijun asked.
Feng Bao smiled bitterly: “You can’t save him, aside from the Emperor himself, nobody can save him.”
” Well then I will go plead with royal grandpa. Put me down, I want to go to the palace with his Highness, my father!”
Zhu Yijun’s voice had got so loud that it had even been heard by the people inside. He freed himself from Feng Bao’s embrace and ran in to pounce on the Prince of Yu.
“Father, take me to see royal grandpa, I want to save Susu too!”
“Stop your petulance!” The Prince of Yu didn’t have the heart to face his own son: “Feng Bao, quickly take him away!”
“No, I want to go to the palace, I want to see royal grandpa, and make him release Susu!”
Zhu Yijun had little strength, not being able to persuade the adults, he started to sob while he spoke.
Consort Li came over to comfort her son, whilst saying to the Prince of Yu: “Words can be expressed in multiple ways. Whether you speak well or badly, will make the receiver feel differently. When your Highness enters the Palace this time, don’t mention anything about Teacher Gao. Instead, pay more attention to asking about the Emperor’s health, and take your son with you, so as to ease the atmosphere, and not to get frozen up in front of his Majesty.”
Yin Shidan added: “Your Highness, Consort Li is right.”
The Prince nodded, looking at his son who was still teary eyes, he sighed: “Your royal grandpa is not easy to get along with, you better not make trouble for father!”