Free Web NovelChapter 1374: Chapter 64: Like a Clamour of Drums_2
Later, when the Five Immortal Sect was destroyed, I was filled with fear and unease, fleeing and hiding. By chance, I encountered Lord Jiang Wang. He sympathized with my plight and, seeing that my cultivation was adequate and I had some experience from my time as an elder, he took me under his wing."
Clearly, this wasn’t the answer Zhang Weiyu was looking for.
Fan Qingqing’s current reply was equally clear, but compared to her attitude in the Green Sheep Town hall earlier, there was a subtle difference.
At that time, she had distanced herself from Jiang Wang, but now her words seemed tinged with subtle gratitude.
Was she hoping for the evidence mentioned by Dugu Xiao, believing it could clear Jiang Wang’s name? Or was she fearful of Zhongxuan Sheng’s influence and therefore dared not implicate him?
Zhang Weiyu remained noncommittal: "Continue."
Fan Qingqing had evidently thought it through and said, "After arriving in Qi Country, I lived peacefully for a while and managed to move past the sorrow of my sect’s downfall. But Green Sheep Town is too small, with limited opportunities for development and almost no cultivation resources. Lord Jiang Wang seldom returned to his fiefdom, so we barely interacted. His trust always lay with Dugu Xiao. Later, people from Diao Hai Building contacted me. I was momentarily overcome and agreed to exchange intelligence for cultivation resources..."
Zhang Weiyu laughed. This opportunistic old woman—by her account, it really had nothing to do with Jiang Wang!
"How did the people from Diao Hai Building bypass Jiang Wang to contact you? Jiang Wang couldn’t see what his own subordinates were doing? Is Jiang Wang really that much of a fool? You may be tarnishing the reputation of Daqi’s national genius!"
"No, no, it’s not like that," Fan Qingqing shook her head and said. "Behind the Five Immortal Sect in its early years stood a practical elder from Diao Hai Building. This is a traceable fact. Thus, I’ve always had communication channels with Diao Hai Building, and that’s how they contacted me. As for Lord Jiang, he spends less than a single day at Green Sheep Town in a year, so it’s indeed hard for him to detect what I’ve been doing."
The more she spoke, the clearer Jiang Wang’s innocence seemed.
Zhang Weiyu couldn’t shake the feeling that he might have chosen the wrong direction, but at this point, there was no turning back.
"You’d better think carefully before speaking."
He said in a deep voice, "Fan Qingqing, you haven’t been subjected to punishment yet because I want to give you a chance. Understand?"
Though he said it was Ma Xiong who was to interrogate her, and threatened Ma Xiong to show Qing-brand methods, Zhang Weiyu was the one doing all the questioning, evidently distrustful of Ma Xiong as well.
"What now?" Zhongxuan Sheng, seated in a specially made chair, interjected, "Does Lord Zhang intend to use torture for information? Why bother with such trouble? How about this—just write down what you want Fan Qingqing to say and have her read it aloud. Wouldn’t that make everyone happy?"
"You misunderstand me, Zhongxuan Sheng," Zhang Weiyu replied with a calm voice. "Some criminals harbor illusions. I simply want her to face reality, that’s all."
He continued to gaze at Fan Qingqing and slowly said, "See him flaunting his ancestral blessings, looking so capable? But consider whether he can prevent this search. Do you know what it means when a fief is searched? He cannot even protect Jiang Wang; do you think he can protect you? Taking all the blame yourself—do you know what that outcome would be?"
It wasn’t that Zhang Weiyu intended to interrogate her in Zhongxuan Sheng’s presence—it was that he had no space for a private interrogation.
Though Jiang Wang had only been in Linzi for two years, he was no longer a rootless wanderer.
Not to mention the pressure applied by Zhongxuan Sheng, the implicit support from upper Beiyaduwei, and even Donghua Scholar Li Zhengshu’s casual recommendation to Imperial Court Adviser Chen Fu about ensuring justice in the investigation.
With so many supporters and so many eyes watching, creating forged evidence or coercing confessions was impossible.
The intelligence in Zheng Sheng Hall was true, and Fan Qingqing’s intelligence delivery to Diao Hai Building was also true. It defied reason that Jiang Wang’s collusion with Diao Hai Building wouldn’t be true!
Zhang Weiyu had to peel back every layer of Fan Qingqing’s involvement, holding onto her tightly. frёewebηovel.cѳm
He was absolutely certain that Fan Qingqing was a scapegoat and that the true mastermind must be Jiang Wang. His mission was to shatter Fan Qingqing’s illusions and make her understand who held her salvation.
"Oh, wow. Coercing a confession right in front of me?" Zhongxuan Sheng turned to Ma Xiong. "Officer Ma, wouldn’t you say this qualifies as coercion?"
"Uh..." The experienced Qing-brand arrest officer of Beiyaduwei fell into a difficult dilemma.
This question seemed even more confounding than deciding on lunch.
Zhang Weiyu shrugged. "I’m merely helping her see reality so she doesn’t mistakenly believe that in Qi Country, certain aristocratic families can wield absolute power single-handedly. Stripping away external influences on her testimony shouldn’t be criticized, wouldn’t you agree?"
"If you consider your interrogation methods normal..." Zhongxuan Sheng, unexpectedly accommodating, raised his hand slightly. "Then carry on."
This cast a shadow over Zhang Weiyu’s heart.
But retreat wasn’t an option.
Instead, he took advantage of it and pressed Fan Qingqing: "You heard him. Now carefully describe the truth. Earning merits through turning over a new leaf isn’t out of the question."
Fan Qingqing said mournfully, "My lord, my every word is the truth. As for the deployment map of Sunshine County’s Transcendent Power, part of it was painstakingly pieced together and drawn by me, while another part was purchased covertly. I can provide the names from the trades... Every time I gathered intelligence, I placed it here. The Diao Hai Building people would retrieve it on the fifteenth of each month."
Placing intelligence in the chair within Zheng Sheng Hall seemed highly risky, but it was actually very safe.
Due to Zheng Sheng Hall’s uniqueness, it was rarely visited when Jiang Wang wasn’t around.
And Jiang Wang nearly always resided in Linzi, making his visits to the fief fleeting and hurried.
Strangely enough, concealing information here was safer than anywhere in Green Sheep Town.
Fan Qingqing continued, "It’s my own fault that the lord discovered this act. But across Green Sheep Town, no second person knew about it."
"Enough, there’s no need for you to continue." Zhang Weiyu raised his hand, visibly irritated.
The person before him had resolved to take all the blame. Further questioning yielded little. Yet under pressure from figures like Zhongxuan Sheng, he couldn’t resort to other tactics.
"Time remains," Zhongxuan Sheng spoke with a half-smile. "Why doesn’t Lord Zhang keep questioning?"
"Do you think you’ve already won?" Zhang Weiyu shot back. "Her testimony completely exonerating Jiang Wang—who would believe it? I refuse to believe Jiang Wang knew nothing!"
Zhongxuan Sheng casually remarked, "If you suspect her of lying, you can report it to the court and request Minister Chen Fu to perform a soul search personally."
Fan Qingqing trembled violently, fear flooding her face.
Zhang Weiyu shot her a disdainful glance and calmly said, "Removing relevant memories from one’s soul before a search... This technique, while familiar, is not difficult for Diao Hai Building. Do you think you can use me to erase evidence against Jiang Wang? You underestimate me!"
Zhongxuan Sheng sighed softly. "Such petty thoughts and baseless suspicion."
Zhang Weiyu glanced at his belly, remarking, "Your so-called noble benevolence is vast enough to contain all sorts of disorderly things."
"Indeed," Zhongxuan Sheng replied with a laugh, "including some people’s envy, jealousy, and impotent rage."
"Ha!" Zhang Weiyu seized the opportunity to press Fan Qingqing further: "Do you see? You amount to nothing! You think your loyalty matters, but who cares about you? Even if your soul is searched, it’s no big deal. Are you still convinced you’d be protected?"
Fan Qingqing lowered her gaze, her expression complicated.
Zhang Weiyu said, "Think clearly, then speak. Not clear? Don’t bother talking."
His intentions were almost overt—he wanted Fan Qingqing to provide evidence of Jiang Wang’s collusion with Diao Hai Building in exchange for her freedom.
But to Fan Qingqing, how could she provide evidence? Jiang Wang truly knew nothing!
Unless...
She fabricated accusations on the spot!
And she felt certain that even if Zhang Weiyu caught her fabrication, he’d help her refine the details.
Yet she couldn’t help but wonder...
What was Zhongxuan Sheng’s goal?
This seemingly kind yet frighteningly cunning figure—why did he handle the term "soul search" so casually, showing complete indifference and refraining from intervention?
It was as if he were waiting for her to fabricate accusations!
Fan Qingqing contemplated deeply and decided to remain silent.
And so, Zheng Sheng Hall fell into an eerie quiet.
Zhongxuan Sheng glanced outside, bored, while Shisi stepped to the window and pushed it open—
From distant mountains to nearby plains, from the horizon to the earthen ground, the noises of the mortal world were like ceremonial drums, while nature remained untouched, serene.
Then came the rustling of bamboo waves, the whispers reaching the hall.
And inside Zheng Sheng Hall, silence reigned as its occupants listened to the truthful sounds of justice.
