Clamping the stick above the public court is considered a heavy punishment, not to mention a woman like Mrs. Feng, even an iron-clad man can't stand it. There are several kinds of clamping sticks, some clamping ten fingers, some clamping legs, no matter what kind of stick, as long as you go up, it is immediately painful and bloody.

Yue Su used a clamp on his legs this time, one of the four servants held down Feng Pozi, one lifted his legs, and two used clamps to cover his legs.

"Mrs. Feng, the official asked you again, did you say yes?"

"The women really don't know how Zhang died."

"The official didn't ask you to answer how the Zhang family died, but just asked you, when the Zhang family didn't ask for leave and worked in the mansion, why was he carried home, did he die in the Wu Mansion?"

"The women don't know......"

"Then what do you know, you really recruited this official, if you say that you don't know at all, then don't blame this official for being ruthless!"

"My lord, the folk woman really doesn't know anything......"

"Until now, you still dare to deny it. Okay, torture! Yue Su gave an order, and the messenger who grabbed the clamp stick started together, and pulled the clamp stick to the left and right ends.

"Ah......" Mrs. Feng screamed in pain, almost not breathing. My lord...... Don't clip it...... I say...... I said......"

There can be a few Sister Jiang in this world, and after only one clamp of the stick, Mrs. Feng can't resist it. Yue Su sneered and said, "Dog thing, it's really a toast and don't eat and drink, say it quickly!" ”

"Lord Hui, on the morning of November 23, Young Master Wu Bin suddenly came to the small courtyard, and he beckoned me out alone, saying that I should take all the other workers to a courtyard in the west corner, leaving only the Zhang family. He is the Lord's family, how can I not obey, but do what I am told. After everyone went out, the young master entered the courtyard and closed the door, and no one knew what was going on in the courtyard. That's all the women know, and they hope that the adults will know it. ”

This time, Yue Su saw from Mrs. Feng's face that she was not lying, and said with a smile: "Tell the truth from the beginning, how can you suffer from this flesh and skin." According to you, it is very likely that the Zhang family was killed by Wu Bin? ”

"This woman really doesn't know, and she doesn't dare to talk nonsense."

Through Mrs. Feng's words, it was not difficult for Yue Su to analyze what Wu Bin planned to do by leaving the Zhang family alone in the courtyard. Guo Kai's neighbor has long said that Zhang's face is delicate, and Wu Bin is like this, and he intends to be rude to her. Zhang's death should be that Wu Bin killed her in anger because of his unsuccessful annihilation; Or Zhang's suicide to save his name. Either way, the culprit is Wu Bin.

But now there is no definite evidence to prove that Wu Bin killed people, or forced people to die. Yue Su pondered for a moment and said, "Let her draw a confession, then watch it alone, and then bring Sui Tieniu up." ”

After Mrs. Feng made an offering, the official took her down and escorted Ding Sui Tieniu, another family guarding the back door, to the hall. Sui Tieniu was a young man of twenty-five or sixteen years old, and as soon as he arrived in the lobby, he first knelt down and kowtowed to Yue Su.

Yue Su looked at him and said, "This official has something to ask you, you have to answer truthfully, and you will have to suffer if you commit perjury in court!" The confessions of Zhao Fuzhou, Wang Danian, and Sheng Agou are all here, if you don't match what they say, don't blame the official for being unkind to you! ”

He just asked Wang Danian for his confession, and speaking like this was nothing more than scaring Sui Tieniu, this trick is called a fraudulent confession in the Public Security Bureau.

"Xiaomin knows, Xiaomin must tell the truth." Sui Tieniu replied honestly.

"That's good." Yue Su immediately asked: "In November last year, there was a Zhang woman who worked on a short time in the house, do you know?" ”

"Back to my lord, after too long, Xiaomin can't remember clearly......" Master Wu's original advice was to ask three questions and not know, although Sui Tieniu was flustered in his heart, he didn't know how others answered, but it is estimated that other people should also be general.

"Smack!" Yue Su slapped the table and shouted: "Okay, you bold Sui Tieniu, Zhao Fuzhou, Wang Danian, and Sheng Agou all said that they knew, why can't you remember?" Zhang's home is less than a mile away from Wufu, who doesn't know each other's neighbors, even Zhang's neighbors know that there is a gatekeeper named Sui Tieniu in the house, you don't know Zhang's, it is obviously deliberate prevarication. Someone! Give him twenty boards and help him remember his surname for a long time! ”

"Yes!" The officers on both sides agreed, and the four of them had to do it.

Sui Tieniu didn't expect this adult to expose his prevarication as soon as he came up, and he didn't expect the other three to tell the truth, so he hurriedly said: "My lord, Xiaomin remembered it, it was indeed ......."

Without waiting for him to finish speaking, Yue Su broke off and said, "It's late!" The official reminded you as soon as you went to court, and you prevaricated and denied it, so you didn't take the official in your eyes, and beat me! ”

As soon as the word "hit" came out, the messenger picked up the board and started fighting, and after twenty boards, Sui Tieniu grinned in pain.

Yue Su said: "Sui Tieniu, this official asks you again, if you are not honest this time, don't blame this official for using a big punishment!" ”

"Xiaomin knows, Xiaomin must answer truthfully." Sui Tieniu was panicked now, and in his heart, since the other three had already told the truth, what was the use of holding on, and in the end it was not the pain of flesh and skin.

"Every time the Zhang family goes to work in the Wufu, does he go through the back door?"

"Yes."

"At noon on November 23, did Cui Gui and Diao Liang carry Zhang's body out of the mansion?"

"Xiaomin didn't see it." Sui Tieniu shook his head and said.

"I didn't see it!" Yue Su slapped the table again and said angrily: "You and Wang Danian are guarding the back door together, why did the three of them see it, but you didn't see it?" Someone! Give me a stick! ”

As soon as he heard Yue Su say that he was going to get on the clamp stick, Sui Tieniu panicked and hurriedly shouted: "My lord is angry, Xiaomin really didn't lie this time, he really didn't see it." ”

Yue Su looked carefully, and from Sui Tieniu's face, there was no cunning except for horror, and he really didn't see it.

"If you say so, the three of them are lying, and you dare to confront them face to face. But if it is determined that you are lying, the judge will sentence you to 80 rods and five years' imprisonment. ”

"They didn't even go through the back door!" Sui Tieniu hurriedly said. He was afraid that if Wang Danian and the three of them talked nonsense, the three of them would accuse themselves of lying, and he would be unlucky.

"And which door do you say they went through?"

Sui Tieniu didn't know that he was deceived, just to wash away his involvement, and hurriedly replied: "They went out from the north gate. ”

"How do you know?"

"Zhang's is beautiful, everyone often talks to her, she said that she went to work in the house, and she didn't come out at night, everyone was curious, so they naturally wanted to inquire. At the wine table, I listened to Su Cai and He Fa, who were in charge of the small door in the north, that the Zhang family was carried out from their door by Cui Gui and Diao Liang. "This Sui Tieniu told everything he knew in order to wash himself away.

"Good." Yue Su was very happy and said, "Then do you know how the Zhang family died?" ”

"Xiaomin doesn't know."

This time, Yue Su heard some clues from Sui Tieniu's tone, and said, "The Zhang family is beautiful, since you are curious to inquire, of course you can also hear some rumors." ”

"We have inquired with Cui Gui and the others, they are the henchmen of the young master, they are very fierce, as soon as we ask, they will say that they should not inquire, don't ask blindly."

Yue Su nodded and said, "It seems that you are an honest man, give him a painting offering, and bring Su Cai to the court." ”

Sui Tieniu's painting was offered to the next hall, and Su Cai was brought up. Like the previous ones, Su Cai also knelt down and kowtowed as soon as he entered the house. Yue Su said a few shocking words as usual, and then said, "Su Cai, this official asks you, what kind of errand are you doing in the Martial Mansion?" ”

"Back to my lord, Xiaomin is responsible for taking care of the small gate in the north."

"Who else is guarding the door with you?"

"There's another one named He Fa."

"The little door on the north side is often opened, so that people can come and go?"

"It's not always open, only the excrement diggers come in and out of this door every once in a while."

"Do you know a woman from the Zhang family who works on a short day in the house?"

"Grass People...... Didn't recognize ......"

"I really don't know?" Yue Su asked.

"I don't know."

"Do you usually open and close the door with He Fa?"

"Yes."

"This official asks you again, on November 23 last year, did you and He Fake see Cui Gui and Diao Liang carrying a corpse out of the north gate?"

"No ......"

"Really?"

"Not really."

"What you say, the official will ask He Fa to verify, if there is any falsehood, the official will definitely want you to look good. Let him draw an offering and bring He Fa to the court! ”

After Su Cai's confession, the messenger brought He Fa to the court alone, Yue Su asked the same question, and He Fa's answer was the same.

"He Fa, the confession you said, the official will find Su Cai to verify it next time, if there is a falsehood in it, don't blame the official for punishing you at that time. Come on, let him draw an offering! ”

After He made a confession, he was taken down to the hall, and Yue Su beckoned to an errand officer and said, "What is the heaviest punishment in our hall besides the stick?" ”

"Back to my lord, no matter how heavy it is, it is the fire brand and the fire chain." The officer replied truthfully.

Of course Yue Su had heard of what a fire chain was, but he didn't know what the fire chain was about, and asked, "What is a fire chain?" ”

"When I returned to my lordship, I took a thick iron chain and put it on the fire to roast it, and when the chain turned red, spread it on the ground, and let the prisoner lie on his stomach or kneel, and the flesh was charred. However, this kind of punishment is rarely used, and is only used when the evidence is conclusive and the prisoner still denies it. ”

"Good, that's it. Go and prepare a chain of fire and spread it over the hall. Yue Su said with a smile.

"Yes, sir." The messenger did not dare to hesitate, and immediately went to prepare the fire chain.

The servants took the charcoal brazier and the iron chain to the hall, and the two officers held one end of the fire chain and roasted it on the charcoal brazier, and waited until the fire chain was red before spreading it on the hall. Yue Su asked people to buy a piece of raw pork, and some chicken blood was poured on the fire chain, and the pork was immediately burnt, and the chicken blood emitted a strong smell of blood. The pork was taken away, and there was a layer of burnt meat hanging on the iron chain, and Yue Su said: "Bring Su Cai to the official again." ”

Su Cai went to the hall this time, and when he saw the fire chain and smelled the diffuse smell of blood, he couldn't help but tremble, and his legs and feet were not flexible. After kneeling down, I heard Yue Su above say loudly: "Su Cai, you said earlier that you didn't know the Zhang family, and you didn't see Cui Gui and Diao Liang carrying a woman's body and leaving through the small gate in the north on November 23, are these all true?" ”

"It's true...... it's true," Su Caide said in a suffrage.

"You are so bold, you still dare to talk nonsense! He Fa has confessed that he knew Zhang, and on November 23, he and you saw Cui Gui and Diao Liang carrying Zhang's body out of the small gate on the north side, which was still opened by you. The official has a word first, and making a false confession in court to deceive the official will be punished severely. Someone! Put him on the chain of fire! ”

"Yes!" Immediately, four messengers stepped forward to hold Su Cai down, and they wanted to drag him to the fire chain.

The fiery red iron chains are terrifying to look at, and the flesh and blood can still be good. When Su Cai heard that He Fa had confessed, he was already frightened and panicked, and now when he heard that the adult said that he was going to put him on the fire chain, he almost peed his pants. hurriedly shouted: "Adults spare their lives, adults spare their lives, the little ones are willing to tell the truth, the little people know the Zhang family, and that day they did see Cui Gui and Diao Liang carrying the body of the Zhang family out of the small people in the north, and I opened the door at that time......

Seeing Su Cai's panicked confession, Yue Su waved his hand, motioned for the messenger to retreat, and said, "Okay, you Su Cai, why didn't you tell the truth earlier?" ”

"Lord Hui, it was the eldest young master who instructed us last night to ask three questions when we arrived in the hall, if anyone dared to talk nonsense, whose tongue would be cut off after returning home."

"Nonsense? What nonsense, don't tell the truth to the official! ”

"Zhang's is beautiful, and many servants in the house know her, especially the few boys who take care of the back door, and when she gets to and from work, they have to come forward and laugh a few words. That day, they didn't see Zhang's going out when they got off work, and they heard that she was dead, of course everyone had to inquire around, and I heard that the eldest young master had asked Mrs. Feng to clear all the short-term workers in the courtyard, leaving only Zhang's alone. He Fa and I saw with our own eyes that the young master's henchmen Cui Gui and Diao Liang carried Zhang's body out of the door, and we thought that it was Zhang's surname Lie, which angered the young master and was killed. The words of the small one are true, and I hope that the adults will know it. ”

As soon as Yue Su was slightly frightened, Su Cai told everything he knew, and even everyone's private speculation was all revealed.

Yue Su snorted coldly and said, "I guess you don't have the courage to deceive this official again and give him a confession." ”

In the back hall, whether it was a clerical office or an errand officer, seeing that Yue Su easily cheated out a confession, he was all admired. After Su Caihua was escorted down, Yue Su asked He Fa to bring him up, and when he saw the fire chain on the ground and smelled the blood in the house, he was also furious and trembling all over.

Yue Su used the trick he had just used to scare Su Cai on He Fa, and as soon as the servant dragged him up, He Fa also confessed immediately, and the prosecution was basically the same as Su Cai. Yue Su asked him to draw an offering, and after he was done, he returned to the main hall.

Above the lobby, Wu Kui and his eldest wife were squatting beside their son to check his injuries, and the skin of the buttocks was open, and the couple was heartbroken, and kept cursing Yue Su in their hearts. All the family members stood in the hall, and none of them dared to speak much. Seeing Yue Su ascending the hall, the family immediately knelt down, and Wu Kui and his wife also knelt reluctantly.

"Smack!" Yue Su knocked on the startled wood, glanced around, and finally fixed his eyes on Wu Bin. "Wu Bin, this official asks you, do you know Guo Kai's wife Zhang?"

Wu Bin saw that Yue Su had led many people to the back hall for questioning, and he didn't know what they had come up with, so he hesitated for a long time and didn't answer.

"Wu Bin, what about the official asking you, do you know Guo Kai's wife Zhang, if you know, you will say that you know, and if you don't know, you will say that you don't know. But the official has a word first, if he dares to deceive the official in court, this is not a board! ”

Seeing Yue Su's strong voice, Wu Bin didn't dare to deny it, so he had to say: "Guo Kai's house is only a mile away from my house, everyone is a neighborhood, and the people also recognize it, but they don't have any contacts. ”

"In November last year, Zhang's family worked as a day worker in your house, do you know about this?" Yue Su asked again.

Wu Bin thought for a moment, rolled his eyes, and said, "It seems that I heard someone say at that time that the Zhang family came to work in my house." ”

"You're right." Yue Su asked again: "On November 23 last year, the Zhang family died innocently while working in your mansion, and was carried out of the mansion by Cui Gui and Diao Liang from the north gate after his death. At that moment, have you seen Zhang's? ”

As soon as he heard that Yue Su even knew from which door the body was carried out, he thought that it was the people inside who told the truth, but he didn't know if Mrs. Feng had confessed, so she wondered in her heart, but her face pretended to be surprised, and said, "What? Someone died in the house that day, how did I not know. Someone must have plotted against Zhang's beauty and killed her because of her annihilation. Cui Gui and Diao Liang in the house have always been misbehaved, I think it must be the two of them who did it, and the adults must arrest these two thieves and avenge the Zhang family. "He pushed it cleanly, anyway, Cui Gui and Diao Liang are not here, all the charges are pressed on them, and Yue Su can't find anyone.

"There are dead people in your house, Cui Gui and Diao Liang swaggered to carry people out, and the family guarding the door saw it, didn't they report it?"

"I didn't tell it, maybe I told my dad. After all, I rarely ask about family matters. ”

Seeing that Wu Bin finished saying this, Yue Su looked at Wu Kui and said, "Wu Kui, Zhang's body was carried out from the small gate in the north, can someone inform you?" ”

Wu Kui knew the seriousness of the matter, and if he admitted that he knew, Yue Su would definitely convict him of not reporting the knowledge and hiding the murderer, causing Guo Kai to be wrongfully accused. In the Ming Dynasty, anyone who did not report the knowledge and hid the murderer at home was a felony, and the sentence was reduced by one degree compared to the sentencing crime of the main offender, and the worst was convicted as an accomplice.

Wu Kui thought for a moment and said, "Lord Hui, the grass people don't know, and no one has told me about this. ”

In fact, Cui Gui and Diao Liang were vicious, and when they carried Zhang's corpse out of the door, they told He Fa that the two of them didn't talk much, how dare these two ask again, and they didn't even dare to ask the old man. Wu Kui knew about this, but Guo Kai sued the yamen, and Sun Dacheng sent someone to inform him.

Yue Su also took this into account and didn't make a fuss here, looked at Wu Bin, and said, "Wu Bin, this official asks you again, when the case happened, have you ever seen Zhang?" ”