Chapter 803
Coercion and inducement
The guards from the Prince's mansion were imprisoned nearby. When they saw Sun Xin hanging up so miserably, they angrily began to kick the cell.
Pan Yun turned around and gave them a cold look. Wu Zhihong stepped forward and scolded, "What are you arguing about? You'll find out soon enough whether they're guilty or not. How could a mere county magistrate like me dare to lock up and interrogate the chief secretary and guards of the Prince's mansion if I didn't have absolute certainty?"
The guard said, "Whether we are guilty or not, we are not people that a mere county magistrate like you can interrogate. Above us is Prince Lu, who is under the jurisdiction of the Imperial Clan Court. What right do you, a mere county magistrate, have to interrogate us?"
Wu Zhihong sneered: "What happens under the jurisdiction of this county is under the jurisdiction of this county. During the Hongwu era, even if Emperor Taizu Gao did something wrong in the county, he would still be subject to the jurisdiction of the county magistrate, let alone a mere guard like you?"
"You, that's the magnanimity of the Great Ancestor Emperor..."
"Could it be that Prince Lu is even more senior than Emperor Taizu, and could he possibly surpass Emperor Taizu?"
The guard had nothing to say.
Wu Zhihong said, "If you ask me, the fact that Prince Lu and his heir violated the law and broke the law is partly due to you. With the chief secretary and guards being so lawless and arrogant, even if Prince Lu and his heir were to humbly accept advice, what good suggestions could they possibly get?"
The guards were blushing with embarrassment after Wu Zhihong's words. They wished they could shake Sun Xin awake. They were martial artists, not good with words, and could not refute Wu Zhihong. They only hoped that Sun Xin would wake up quickly and use his clever tongue to suppress Wu Zhihong.
But Sun Xin did not wake up.
Pan Yun, who had been to prison, scooped up a spoonful of cold water and splashed it on the person.
Sun Xin was jolted awake, shuddering as she did so.
The county constable personally brought up a bucket of salt water and dipped the whip on the wall into it, saying, "Master Pan, let me do this dirty work."
When Sun Xin regained consciousness and saw them, he breathed a sigh of relief. He was no longer afraid of torture, but he was afraid of seeing ghosts.
Pan Yun circled around him and shook her head slightly at the county magistrate: "He's not afraid of these punishments now."
Sun Xin sneered at Pan Yun, then turned to Wu Zhihong: "Wu Zhihong, do you think you can bring down Prince Lu with those letters and account books stolen from the Prince's mansion? Hmph, even if I don't have a good ending, you won't either. Just wait and see. In the end, Prince Lu and the Crown Prince won't be harmed, but you, and the entire Wu family, will be doomed."
Wu Zhihong's face turned ashen, and he said in a deep voice, "Sun Xin, behind me is His Majesty. In His Majesty's heart, which is more important, the Prince of Lu or the people?"
Sun Xin sneered, "In His Majesty's heart, perhaps the common people are more important, but between the imperial clan and the common people, the imperial clan is definitely more important."
"Prince Lu, how can one person represent the entire royal family?"
Sun Xin kept sneering.
Seeing his reaction, Wu Zhihong's heart sank. It seemed that the Prince of Lu had been prepared all along, and he was certain that the royal family would side with him.
Pan Yun sighed and asked in return, "In the Emperor's heart, is the Empress Dowager more important, or the imperial clan? Is the Earl of Huichang more important, or the Prince of Lu?"
Sun Xin's heart skipped a beat: "The interests of the imperial clan and the Empress Dowager are intertwined; how can they be compared?"
Pan Yun smiled and said, "Is that so? Then why did the Prince of Lu frame Huichangbo and put the Empress Dowager in an unjust position?"
Sun Xin, who was hanging there, clenched her fists, tensed up for a moment, but quickly relaxed: "I don't know what you're talking about."
Pan Yun whispered to him, "This is Ji'an, not Yanzhou. What you said in prison, Prince Lu won't know. Guess what? If he knew, it was that you told us about his collusion with Japanese pirates and his working with the northern enemy, and that he, along with Huichangbo and others, ordered pirates to intercept and kill the delegation, and then framed Huichangbo for everything. If he believes you told all these things, how do you think he will deal with your parents, wife, and children?" Sun Xin's pupils shrank, staring at Pan Yun in horror: "You, you..."
"How did I know?" Pan Yun whispered in his ear, "Xiao Hong remembered everything, and you had Jiang Fangzheng threaten me and force me to leave Quanzhou Prefecture. How did you know I would listen to you?"
Sun Xin looked up at her in shock.
The two stood very close, their eyes locked, and Sun Xin saw mockery and sarcasm in her eyes.
Pan Jun said softly, "If I go to the Imperial Prison, I dare to drag Wang Zhen down with me. You are nothing but Wang Zhen's lackeys. Why do you think I will make way for you?"
Sun Xin, breathing rapidly, gritted her teeth and said, "Aren't you afraid of implicating Wang Cong?"
Pan Yun smiled and said, "It seems you really do know about Jiang Fangzheng threatening me."
Sun Xin stiffened, feeling a pang of annoyance; he had been too impatient.
Pan Yun pressed down on his shoulder and whispered, "If Wang Cong doesn't do maritime trade, he still has 364 other trades to do. But you, one wrong step and your entire clan will be wiped out. At the very least, I can guarantee that your parents, wife, and children will go to hell before you."
"you dare!"
Pan Yun took a step back, spread his hands, and said, "Of course I wouldn't do such a dirty thing. But if I spread what I just said, someone else will do it. Guess whether it will be Hui Changbo who is angry and retaliates, or the Prince of Lu?"
Sun Xin glared venomously at Pan Yun and said coldly, "The prince won't believe you. Even if it's just to bet that I won't speak, he will protect my family."
Pan Yun smiled slightly, keeping an eye on him as he took three steps back, then suddenly turned around and shouted at Wu Zhihong, "Magistrate Wu, did you hear that? He said that Prince Lu and Jiang Fangzheng not only colluded with the Japanese pirates, selling them swords, but also colluded with the Northern Hu, selling large quantities of military equipment to the Oirat Mongols together with Wang Zhen!"
Sun Xin's eyes widened, and he tried to retort in a shrill voice, but when he opened his mouth, he found that he couldn't make a sound. He looked at Pan Yun with a look of horror.
Pan Yun stood at the door of the torture chamber, blocking the gazes of the guards around the corner. With his back to them, he asked Sun Xin, "Sun Xin, besides this, what else did Prince Lu do? Don't be afraid. As long as you tell me, I will definitely protect your whole family and consider it a meritorious service to atone for your crimes, and I will save your life!"
Sun Xin looked at her in horror and shook her head repeatedly.
Pan Yun ignored his refusal and exclaimed repeatedly, "You mean, Prince Lu colluded with Jiang Fangzheng to frame the Earl of Huichang for the entire incident of intercepting the delegation, in order to force Quanzhou Prefecture and the Northern Garrison Command to stop investigating?"
The guards started to clamor, shouting, "Lord Sun, Lord Sun, what nonsense are you talking about?"
Sun Xin felt a chill run through her body, and her knees went weak. If she hadn't been suspended in a daze, she would have collapsed to the ground.
He knew it was over, completely over.
If any of these guards, including Pan Yun, were to deliberately allow one of them to escape, their entire family would be doomed.
Sun Xin looked at Pan Yun almost pleadingly.
Pan Yun stopped, slowly walked up to him, and said in a low voice, "Sun Xin, I can't save your life, but I can guarantee the safety of your family."
Sun Xin opened his mouth and realized he could speak, but he no longer had the urge to shout. He asked in a hoarse voice, "You're just a commoner, why should I trust you?" (End of Chapter)