Three large buckets of cold water were placed in the room, and the water rippled under the candlelight. Two black-clad guards skillfully twisted Luo Zhiyuan, who was kneeling on the ground, and grabbed her bun to force her to lift her head. The other guard then used a large dipper to ladle cold water over Luo Zhiyuan’s head and face, pouring it on her unceasingly.
Su Qin trembled all over, his face ashen. Luo Yin closed her eyes and dug her fingers into the ground. Jun Xu looked around the room at the expressions of the people there. Xiao Ran, sitting next to her, frowned tightly, his face showing signs of distress. And the Emperor’s military monitor, Chang Su of the Wuyang Marquis, who was standing next to her, was clenching his lips tightly.
Jun Xu gently played with the sharp blade. Who was embezzling the army’s pay? Was it just ordinary corruption or premeditated sabotage? In the imperial court, she was the marshal jointly recommended by the crown princess and Shen Da. Now, she had killed the crown princess’s people and treated Shen Yao coldly. Who was it? Who wanted to make her fail before she even started? Who? Who wanted Jun Xu dead?
Luo Zhiyuan’s struggle gradually became weak, and only the sound of water could be heard, with his lungs making a terrible breathing sound. When the three large buckets of cold water had been emptied, the guard let go of his hand, and Luo Zhiyuan fell to the ground, dripping wet, with water coming out of his mouth and nose. Jun Xu’s gaze fell tenderly on Su Qin
‘Lord Su, would you like some water too?‘
Lord Su let out a piercing howl
’It’s not my fault, I got the smallest share! Only 500 taels for me! It’s them, it’s the people above! It’s the people above! It’s…it’s…it’s…‘
Luo Yin suddenly shouted
’Lord Su! Don’t you want your family to live? !’
Su Qin suddenly fell silent, his body shaking violently like a leaf in the wind. The soldiers all glared at Luo Yin, and some generals were also furious, only a few senior generals looked calm. Jun Xu laughed exaggeratedly
‘Yanyun Shiba!’
‘Here!’
‘Serve the family members of Lord Su some water.’
‘Yes!’
Su Qin’s eyes were bloodshot
‘Don’t —————————! I said, I said, it’s the military monitor! It’s the military monitor! !‘
Luo Yin waved his hand and slapped Su Qin, who then fell limp to the ground, bleeding from his seven orifices. Jun Xu’s gaze was indifferent as she rested her chin in her hand, her red lips slightly parted
’How pitiful. General Luo, you don’t even have a soft heart when you lay your hands on such a pitiful person. You people really do treat people like dogs, no wonder you can make my brothers, who are prepared to risk their lives with me, eat the leftovers and swallow the vegetables.’
Luo Yin looked up, and the woman in front of him was perched on the table, looking down at her with her head slightly bowed. Her long-grown dragon eyes were sparkling, reflecting the firelight, as if it were the surface of a lake with lotus lanterns floating on it. But there was just such an evil aura emanating from her, which made people feel cold all over.
’… Su Qin was corrupt before, and he humiliated the military governor afterwards, sowing discord in the army. He should be executed immediately.’
Jun Xu leaned back in his chair, unimpressed
‘A confession alone is not enough to convict someone. Bring in the witness.’
In the light of the fire, a boy dressed in green was led into the tent. He was slender, with a beautiful appearance, and his big doe-like eyes blinked wetly, showing timidity.
As soon as Luo Zhiyuan saw him, his cloudy eyes immediately brightened, and he struggled to get up and shouted
‘I did it all, he had nothing to do with it!‘
Junxu laughed heartily
’Baiyu, you’re really valuable. Luo Dazhi is in such a state, and he’s still pleading for you. Aren’t you touched?‘
The boy winked at Luo Zhiyuan and smiled sweetly at Junxu
’If you did the same for me, I’d be willing to die”
Junxu narrowed his eyes, and the boy hurriedly said
‘If I could do that to you once, I would be even more willing.‘
’You little brat, you’re getting more and more insolent.‘
The boy didn’t say a word, his big eyes staring quietly at the ground. Luo Zhiyuan had a broken expression on his face, and Tang Feng walked up to him
’My lord, based on the testimony of the white fish, we have collected the main evidence.”
Jun Xu took the thin stack of papers and placed it on top of the stack of papers on the case, and showed them one by one to the crowd
‘Look, this one for the military rations bears Lord Luo’s seal, and this one for the military rations bears General Luo’s seal, and this one for the sale of military rations… bears Lord Luo’s handwriting…‘
’We’ve all seen it, where is the evidence of the crime of the military monitor Chang Su?‘
The generals whispered to each other
’There isn’t any.‘
’Exactly, there isn’t any.‘
’Then…‘
’Baiyu, is there any testimony that can prove that Marquis Wuyang is not involved in this matter?’
‘General, White Fish has been by Luo Zhiyuan’s side for a long time and has not found any connection between Marquis Wuyang and this matter.‘
’General Luo, Lord Luo, do you know what crime Fan has committed?‘
Luo Yin’s face was calm
’I know I am guilty.‘
Luo Zhiyuan’s face was pale, and his eyes were fixed on White Fish, not blinking for a moment.
’Fish… Have you… Ahem… Ever… Loved me…’
Baiyu looked at Luo Zhiyuan with a smile
‘What is love?’
Her bright eyes dimmed in an instant. Junxu couldn’t help but sigh. If it weren’t for Shen Da’s nails cultivated since childhood, she would never have dared to play this game of scaring the tiger by knocking on the mountain today. However, she was truly moved by the blatant betrayal in front of her.
“Where is your stolen money? Give it back and die quickly.’
Luo Yin was stunned, her face turning pale. Luo Zhiyuan was lying on the ground, his eyes glazed over. Jun Xu slammed his hand on the table
‘Speak!!! Luo Yin, this is a huge sum of money, don’t tell me you threw it all over the ground when you marched!’
The body of Chang Su, Marquis of Wuyang, next to her, tensed up again. Jun Xu sneered inwardly. The cold sweat on Luo Yin’s head fell onto the ground drop by drop. Jun Xu continued to add wood
‘Don’t think that if you don’t say anything, I won’t be able to find out. If you can plug this hole for me today, I won’t say anything, but if you dare to be even the slightest bit careless… Hmph.‘
’Marshal, I don’t know if I should say something or not.‘
’The military governor can say whatever he wants.‘
’Alas, Luo Yin was my personal friend, but I never thought that he would be so foolish as to do such a thing.‘
’My lord, you don’t need to blame yourself, it has nothing to do with you.’
‘It is hard to be loyal and righteous at the same time. I think I can guess where he hid the stolen money.‘