pdf-ebookys Chapter 663 Do you think I'm someone who can be easily fooled?
Chapter 663 Do you think I'm someone who can be easily fooled?
Based on the known conditions:
When Xiang Fei, a third-rank military commander, confessed, he did not mention Master Shihang. Zhang Shanzhi and Ding Dalu, both second-rank military commanders of Shandong Province, had never heard of Master Shihang.
However, Lu Yuande, the fifth-rank prefect of Laizhou Prefecture, knew about Master Shihang, and even Wang Dama, a low-class gang leader, had heard of Master Shihang's name.
That's a bit unreasonable.
Yang Shaofeng then turned his gaze to Zeng Li, Ye Chengyuan, Tang Chengfei, and others who were kneeling on the ground, serving as the Left Assistant Administrator of the Shandong Provincial Administration Commission.
"what about you?"
"Who has ever heard of the title 'Master of World Navigation'?"
Zeng Li honestly replied, "Your Highness, I have never heard of Master Shihang."
Ye Chengyuan, Tang Chengfei, and the others also replied, "We have never heard of this before."
Yang Shaofeng clicked his tongue and then turned his gaze to You Wen, the Shandong Provincial Surveillance Commissioner, a third-rank official, and asked, "Where is your Provincial Surveillance Commission?"
You Wenye answered honestly, "Your Highness, I have never heard of the name Master Shihang."
Yang Shaofeng suddenly chuckled, turned to look at Hu Weiyong and Wang Guangyang, and asked, "Counselor Hu, Governor Wang, have you ever heard of this kind of approach?"
Wang Guangyang shook his head slightly and replied, "I have never heard of it."
Hu Weiyong frowned and said, "It feels very familiar—doesn't it resemble the Yellow Turban Rebellion's method of spreading their doctrine?"
As soon as Hu Weiyong finished speaking, Wang Guangyang's expression changed drastically.
They approached officials at the grassroots level, but avoided those in high positions of power.
Isn't this just the same kind of thing as the Yellow Turban Rebellion and the White Lotus Rebellion?
Yang Shaofeng smiled and instructed Chang Xiaojiu, "Have someone interrogate Xu Yan, the magistrate of Jiao County, to see if he knows the name 'Master Shihang'."
Chang Xiaojiu bowed in agreement, and Yang Shaofeng then turned his gaze to Zhang Shanzhi, Zeng Li, and the other officials: "What about you guys? Are you going to confess yourselves, or wait until you're tortured before confessing?"
Zhang Shanzhi hurriedly shouted, "The guilty official is willing to confess!"
Yang Shaofeng smiled and nodded, then ordered, "Take them away and interrogate them separately. If their testimonies don't match, make them think carefully about whether there's anything they haven't explained clearly."
Chang Xiaojiu glanced at Zhang Shanzhi and the others, "Don't worry, Your Highness, I can remind them how many times they wet their pants when they were little."
……
After Zhang Shanzhi and the others were taken away for questioning, Yang Shaofeng's face darkened.
"This is a huge problem."
Yang Shaofeng rubbed his forehead and said, "Child abduction case, ironware outflow case, and now there's another case: Master Shihang... Master Shihang case."
Wang Guangyang's face was also gloomy, but Hu Weiyong felt inexplicably comfortable.
I'm going to Liaodong to become the Provincial Governor.
I doubt anyone would go to such a remote, desolate place to engage in child abduction, ironware smuggling, or the World Trade Center's bald monks.
If I simply follow Yang the Madman's example and oversee land reclamation, road construction, and the establishment of workshops, and then have the court relocate more people to Liaodong, I can peacefully hide away and watch the show, quietly observing Li Shanchang, Liu Bowen, and Yang the Madman struggling with numerous cases.
Tsk.
Hu Weiyong felt increasingly relieved as he thought about it. Just as he was about to speak, a guard from the Imperial Son-in-Law's residence hurriedly led Xia Yu over and whispered to Yang Shaofeng, "Yang Yuanqing and his son Yang Zhongyuan have been apprehended. In addition, a thief named Master Shihang... a monk has also been arrested."
thief?
You're bald, aren't you?
You, Xia Yu, must have meant to say "bald thief" just now, but you changed your mind because you remembered that Zhu Chongba, that old bastard, was also a monk.
Tsk tsk.
This matter today means I'll be living off you for the rest of my life!
Just as Yang Shaofeng was pondering this, Xia Yu changed his tune again. He first greeted Wang Guangyang and Hu Weiyong in a lukewarm manner, and then smiled and said to Hu Weiyong, "Councilor Hu, I'm afraid I'll offend you this time. Please forgive me."
Hu Weiyong's heart sank, and he asked, "You arrested Tu Jie?"
Xia Yu nodded: "This humble official has invited Tu Jie and his wife, as well as Gu Chengzhi, to the Embroidered Uniform Guard."
Hu Weiyong gave a soft hum and asked, "Did you find anything out during the interrogation?"
Xia Yu shook his head directly: "Counselor Hu, rest assured, I only interrogated Gu Chengzhi. Tu Jie and his wife were not questioned in court. They are currently waiting outside the court for the Prince Consort to summon them."
Hu Weiyong's face immediately darkened, and he angrily said, "Xia Yu, do you, as the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, not understand the principles of speed in war and secrecy in business?"
"Now that you have captured Tu Jie, you should interrogate him quickly to prevent anyone with ulterior motives from noticing and leaking the news."
"And you, you sent Tu Jie to Jinan Prefecture?"
"Just you wait, I'll impeach you before the higher-ups!"
Hu Weiyong was almost driven mad by Xia Yu.
If I have already gone to Liaodong, or if I am still in Ningyang County, you, Xia Yu, are free to interrogate Tu Jie or send him to Jinan Prefecture for interrogation by Yang Dianfeng.
But you dog had the audacity to send Tu Jie over when I was in Jinan Prefecture.
Are you deliberately trying to annoy me?
Now look what's happened! The mud's stuck in my crotch, it's either... well, you know. I'm completely out of options now!
Xia Yu ignored Hu Weiyong's threat and looked at Yang Shaofeng, asking, "Your Highness, should we interrogate Yang Yuanqing, Gu Chengzhi, Tu Jie, and the others?"
Yang Shaofeng grunted in agreement and instructed Limpy Five, "Let them go see Xiang Fei first, then bring Yang Yuanqing up separately."
Limpy Wu chuckled and immediately led a few men out. After a while, he brought the pale-faced Yang Yuanqing back to the main hall.
Upon entering the main hall, Yang Yuanqing knelt down with a thud and cried out, "This humble subject, Yang Yuanqing, pays his respects to His Highness the Imperial Son-in-Law! He pays his respects to Councilor Hu and Provincial Governor Wang!"
Yang Shaofeng chuckled and winked at Xia Yu.
Xia Yu stood up abruptly, walked to Yang Yuanqing, pulled out his riding whip, and lashed out at Yang Yuanqing, yelling, "You son of a bitch, go and pay your respects to everyone else, but you won't come to pay your respects to this commander?"
Yang Yuanqing screamed in agony as he was whipped, repeatedly begging for mercy: "This humble subject kowtows to Commander Xia! I beg Commander Xia to spare my life!"
Xia Yu lashed out a few more times with the whip before letting out a cold snort and returning to his seat.
Yang Shaofeng smiled and looked at Yang Yuanqing, asking, "Yang Yuanqing, have you met Xiang Fei yet?"
Yang Yuanqing's heart skipped a beat, and he answered honestly, "Your Highness, I have already met with Commander Xiang."
Yang Shaofeng nodded and asked, "Then tell me, where did those children go? Who instigated the abduction of children? Also, where did all those ironware go? Who was involved in all of this?"
Yang Yuanqing cautiously raised his head and looked at Yang Shaofeng, replying, "Your Highness, those children... most of those children were sold to various workshops."
Yang Shaofeng's smile remained unchanged, but his gaze toward Yang Yuanqing carried a hint of coldness.
"Yang Yuanqing, you've been a landlord for too long, and you don't know how to answer the questions of an official anymore, do you?"
"Or do you think I'm someone who can be easily fooled?"