"Zhang Yushi, the emperor asked you to investigate, why don't you investigate? This time the prince is suspected of rebellion, aren't you in a hurry about such an important matter? Zhou Yang asked.

Zhang Chao smiled faintly: "The cause and effect of this matter, I can think of it with my ass, what's complicated?" However, I want to see how far this play can be sung. Then, there's something fun. ”

"Zhang Yushi, there are many people outside who come to visit, hoping to give gifts to Zhang Yushi. Many ministers of the imperial court also came over to give gifts, hoping to make Zhang Yushi open up, but they were also deceived by the prince, and they didn't really want to rebel with the prince! ”

Liu Chun immediately asked: "These guys, when they saw the danger of the prince, did they immediately scatter one by one?" ”

"It's not that simple, these are the periphery, people who want to climb the prince's tree. These guys can't become the core backbone, so they are all some unpopular things. We don't have to pay attention to them, take the gifts, and then announce them outside, and the ministers of the court entrusted Zhang Chao to take these gifts to comfort the lonely and widowed old people in Chang'an, and then send these gifts to the lonely and widowed old people in Chang'an! Zhang Chao said.

Zhang Chao soon hired someone to send these gifts to the poor and lonely old people in Chang'an, so that no one would come here to give gifts in the future, because they knew that these gifts would soon become donations to the lonely and widowed old people, so naturally they would not give gifts. But this situation also made many officials who had flattered the crown prince Li Jiancheng feel frightened, because this situation obviously showed that Zhang Chao had no intention of accepting gifts and did not plan to open up to them. And next, Zhang Chao's refusal to accept gifts made everyone feel uneasy, afraid that they would be implicated. Since ancient times, this kind of rebellion is very dangerous, and once it fails, it will inevitably cause great danger. He may have been implicated in the rebellion, which made many people feel extremely scared. If they had known that the prince would rebel, then I am afraid that they would not have gone to the prince, and now they were immediately cleaned up.

However, in the prince's East Palace, a group of people were also very anxious. Some people persuaded Li Jiancheng to immediately rebel, and then take advantage of the situation to ascend the throne and become emperor. However, some people advocated that Li Jiancheng should go alone to ask Li Yuan for his guilt, so that they could explain clearly, so that Li Jiancheng and Li Yuan's father and son would not be suspicious of each other, so that they could keep the position of the prince.

And Li Jiancheng didn't feel very good about these two choices, and he felt a little indecisive.

"Prince, I had a relationship with Zhang Chao, who was in charge of the investigation, so I want to find out how about it?" Wei Zheng said.

"Okay, Wei Zheng, you go and find out Zhang Chao's tone. Since Zhang Chao is the person personally appointed by his father to investigate, he should know his father's attitude. You go and probe the tone and make a decision based on his tone. Li Jiancheng said.

Soon, Wei Zheng came to Zhang Chao's house and met Zhang Chao.

"Zhang Yushi, we haven't seen each other for a long time, don't come here unharmed?" Wei Zheng asked.

And Zhang Chao immediately asked: "Wei Zheng washes the horse, you are the prince washes the horse, and I am the person in charge of investigating the prince's rebellion, are you not afraid of others gossiping when you come to see me?" ”

"Zhang Yushi, I believe that the Qing Dynasty is self-purifying, and the prince has not rebelled, so naturally it will not be disposed of by the emperor. And to say that some people want to limit the prince to a situation of unfilial piety, this is simply hateful. Wei Zheng said.

Of course, Zhang Chao knew that at this time, there must be people who wanted to gamble, hoping to rebel, and then let Li Jiancheng ascend the throne and become the emperor, so that they would be a hero from the dragon. However, there are some people who will not agree, they must want to probe Zhang Chao's tone before making a decision, so that the specific matter will be analyzed in detail.

"The emperor is in good health, there is no problem, you can be fine." Zhang Chao said.

Hearing this, Wei Zheng breathed a sigh of relief, because Zhang Chao's words showed that Li Yuan was not under Li Shimin's control, and he was still very safe, which proved that Li Shimin was not pretentious.

"However, there are still some people who want to trap the prince in injustice!" Wei Zheng asked tentatively.

Zhang Chao didn't say much, just said: "Let people go and get a pot of charcoal fire and a big bucket of water!" ”

"With a charcoal fire? It's not cool now! A servant asked.

"Hurry up, don't talk too much nonsense!" Zhang Chao said.

Soon, someone brought a pot of charcoal fire to them, and a large bucket of water was placed next to it.

"Wei Zheng washes the horse, do you think this bucket of water can extinguish these charcoal fires?" Zhang Chao asked.

Wei Zheng immediately said, "Why can't you?" ”

Next, Zhang Chao took a few pieces of charcoal again and put them in the charcoal basin, and then asked, "Can it still be extinguished now?" ”

"Yes!" Wei Zheng said.

Then, Zhang Chao put a lot of charcoal into the charcoal basin again, and the fire in the charcoal basin suddenly became vigorous.

"Can it still be extinguished now?" Zhang Chao asked again.

"Zhang Yushi, this charcoal fire is so small, it is all in this charcoal basin. And that bucket of water was so big that a single pour was enough to extinguish so little charcoal. Wei Zheng said.

And Zhang Chao then asked: "Then do you understand what I mean?" ”

"You mean......" Wei Zheng questioned.

"It's good to understand, I hope the prince doesn't do stupid acts!" Zhang Chao said.

Wei Zheng immediately ran away, and then went back to report the situation.

"That's it, Lone still went to explain it to his father in person. This time, it can be regarded as owing Zhang Chao a favor. Li Jiancheng sighed and said.

And in Zhang Chao's house, Zhou Yang immediately asked: "Zhang Yushi, what dumb riddle were you playing just now?" ”

"Actually, it's very simple, this pot of charcoal fire is the prince, and this bucket of water is the emperor. No matter how noisy the prince is, he is only in Chang'an or even just in the palace. But the emperor had a large bucket of water, and as long as this bucket of water was poured, it would be enough to extinguish the entire charcoal fire. The emperor has deprived the left and right Qianniu guards and the left and right prison guards, and the North Gate Tun Army has also been taken away, as well as the tiger talismans of the twelve guards in the world, what the prince can rely on is the hundreds of East Palace guards, what can they do? Therefore, if the prince acts rashly, he will inevitably end up in a bad end. Zhang Chao said.

"Got it!" Zhou Yang replied.

Next, Zhang Chao immediately came to Dali Temple, and then met the two informers. These two people are Er Zhuhuan, and the other is called Qiao Gongshan, they came to tell Li Yuan, saying that the crown prince Li Jiancheng colluded with Yang Wengan to rebel. And they are Li Jiancheng's confidants, otherwise Li Jiancheng would not have given them this matter to do. But they betrayed Li Jiancheng and told Li Yuan that they would definitely shoot Li Jiancheng to death. And the results are obvious, Li Yuan almost abolished Li Jiancheng, but fortunately, Li Yuan calmed down in time, found that there was a problem, and then asked Zhang Chao to be in charge of the investigation. However, these two guys are obviously not such easy to deal with, they were sent to Dali Temple Prison, and they were also very calm.

"I am Zhang Chao, the servant of the Imperial History Terrace Palace, this is Liu Chun, the judge of Dali, we are responsible for interrogating you, you had better explain honestly. Be lenient in confession and strict in resisting, so you must be honest. Zhang Chao said.

And that Er Zhuhuan immediately said: "It was the prince who asked us to send the armor to Yang Wengan, the governor of Gyeongju, and then hoped that Yang Wengan would raise an army to rebel, and then cooperate with the outside to help the prince seek the throne." We went to the emperor in horror and told the emperor about the crown prince. ”

"You must know that the crown prince is the emperor's biological son, the eldest son! What good is it to plot against him, and you must know what is the crime of slandering the prince? Liu Chun asked.

That Qiao Gongshan immediately replied calmly: "Of course we know, but we already know that the prince is going to rebel, so we dare not hide it!" ”

"Er Zhuhuan, Qiao Gongshan, in fact, these things are very simple. God knows that you know and I know, in fact, many people may also know what happened in their hearts. If you are willing to speak out, then we can intercede for you in front of the emperor. Anyway, you're just two pawns who are being used, so why do you have to work for others? Zhang Chao asked.

"Zhang Yushi, I don't understand what you're talking about!" Erzhuhuan said.

Zhang Chao didn't get angry, but laughed and said: "I also know that you are not ordinary people, and ordinary means are useless to you." Liu Chun, let him experience the means of entertaining prisoners in Dali Temple. ”

"Yes!" Liu Chun said.

Soon, there was a sound of the whip and the use of various punishment methods, and Er Zhuhuan and Qiao Gongshan immediately shouted in pain, obviously refusing to say it.

About half an hour later, Liu Chun came over helplessly.

"Zhang Yushi, there is no way, the punishments commonly used in our Dali Temple have been used, but they just don't speak. However, we also have more severe punishments, but we dare not use them. These two people must be kept alive, if they are killed, it will be difficult to explain! Liu Chun said.

Zhang Chao sighed and said, "Since torture is not a method, then other means must be used." Check their background and see if they have any family to worry about. It might be better to have their family help them. ”

"Yes!" Liu Chun said.

On the other hand, in the basement of a small inn in Chang'an, some people began to discuss.

"Auxiliary, those two guys are the people you arranged this time, they won't be able to survive the punishment of Dali Temple, will they confess?" Someone asked about that "auxiliary machine".

The "auxiliary" replied immediately; "No way, those two guys are our dead soldiers, they are deeply favored by us, and they will not betray. What's more, I have bought and settled their families, and their families can enjoy prosperity. They don't know that if they confess, their families will end up unlucky. So, they won't confess easily. ”

"What about their family, are they hiding?" Someone asked.

The "auxiliary machine" replied: "It has been arranged, and it has already been arranged when Datang has just opened the country, and now I am afraid that no clues can be found." ”

And back in the cell of Dali Temple, Liu Chun said to Zhang Chao helplessly: "Their family has long been gone, and their family has disappeared a few years ago, and they claim to have died." But I didn't see their bodies, so I ......"

"You mean, their families have been arranged for a long time, and we can't find them?" Zhang Chao asked.

"Yes, we won't be able to find it anytime soon." Liu Chun said.

Zhang Chao suddenly whispered: "Sure enough, compared with Li Jiancheng, Li Shimin is still a little worse. didn't even know that his subordinates had become 'naked officials', could Li Jiancheng not be plotted? ”

These two guys were obviously arranged by others under Li Jiancheng, but Li Jiancheng still treated them as henchmen, and even arranged for them to do this kind of thing. Well, these two chess pieces were activated at a critical time, so that the power of these two undercover agents almost overturned Li Jiancheng, the prince. And the families of these two guys have already been sent away, and they don't know where to go to enjoy the wealth, so they have nothing to worry about here, and it is naturally easy to betray Li Jiancheng.

After hearing Zhang Chao say that these two guys are "naked officials", Liu Chun immediately asked: "Why is this kind of person bad?" This kind of person has no personal concerns, but is a trustworthy person! ”

"No, people who have nothing to worry about are the most likely to betray. They have no care, no relatives, no wealth with you, and they betray it at no cost. They have no relatives, no valuables, and can leave as long as they pack a baggage, and such people are easy to be bought. And once he is bought, he has no wealth and no family from his former lord, so he can naturally leave easily. He has now sent his family away, which shows that he does not trust the prince and has long planned to betray him. But the prince was unaware that his subordinates had become naked officials, and he actually allowed them to still be his confidants, and now he was sold, and he almost lost the position of the prince. Zhang Chao said.

Liu Chun immediately asked: "The prince is doing a good job, don't doubt the use of people, don't use suspicious people!" Since the prince uses them, then don't doubt it, otherwise how can you use people? ”

"Employing people without suspicion, fool! A truly clever employer should be suspicious and suspicious. The prince is not suspicious of the use of suspicious people, but it is obviously more suspicious than the employment of King Qin, and the suspicious people are used, they are much worse. In terms of the employment of the crown prince, he is indeed inferior to the king of Qin. Zhang Chao suddenly scolded.

This sentence has been circulated for many years, and has even been used as a criterion by many superiors. However, Zhang Chao deeply believed in one sentence in the era of the rule of law in later generations, that is, to use people who are suspicious and suspicious. Zhang Chao has read books from ancient and modern times, and he has even read a lot of Western philosophy. Among them, Aristotle said that giving power to people is tantamount to luring wolves into the house. Even the best, once in power, tend to be corrupted by the passion of desire.

So once you give power to a certain person, but you don't doubt him, this will definitely make him swallow up his reason by power, and even they will betray you. And this employment is suspicious, in fact, the main thing is that when the time comes, it is necessary to supervise, but at the same time of supervision, it is necessary to appoint him. This is also the criterion for employing people in the era of the rule of law, strengthening supervision, and then appointing him.

If it is really like the ancient times, the final risk is very huge. If you use someone and give them power and don't supervise it, that person will be grateful at first, but once he actually has power, who knows if it will deteriorate? There are too few people who are not degenerate in the face of power, and Zhang Chao does not dare to guarantee that he will not deteriorate once he gains power, let alone others.

Li Jiancheng does not suspect people in this kind of employment, once he accepts talents, and then he will not suspect them casually, thinking that they are all loyal and will not betray. This seems to be a good way to employ people, but it is irresponsible for oneself. Once a person suddenly betrays, the final price is very huge. The result of employing people without suspicion, that is, the risk is far greater than the gain. Although it may be able to make you gain a lot, the risk is too great.

And the employment of people is suspicious, although it may not be that person who will have the power to display his talents, but it can avoid the easy betrayal of those talents. If you want to compare it, then there is no doubt about employing people, it is a gambling-style development, gambling on a person by taking his career prospect and net worth, and gambling is also the loyalty of that person. And the employment of people should be suspicious, that is, to establish a system of rules and regulations, and then supervise people, so as to avoid betrayal. Although the second type may not be able to develop rapidly, it can develop steadily, at least without major loopholes.

"Employing people is actually a gamble, but gambling you always lose, so as long as you lose once, then you will die without a place to be buried. However, if you have to be suspicious in employing people, it will definitely be able to make you achieve stable development, so that there will be no drastic changes, and your ability to resist blows is much stronger and your survivability is much stronger. Therefore, this is also where King Qin is more powerful than the crown prince. Zhang Chao said.

In history, Li Shimin was able to gain the world, which is not necessarily a coincidence, but may be a coincidence in necessity. According to the original historical situation, before Li Shimin launched the Xuanwumen coup, Li Shimin had planted many undercover agents around Li Jiancheng, and Li Jiancheng's side was simply an intelligence sieve that could not be kept secret. On the surface, although Li Jiancheng had successfully deprived Li Shimin of his military power at that time, in fact, Li Jiancheng's every move around him was known by Li Shimin, so how could Li Jiancheng be Li Shimin's opponent under such circumstances? Maybe this is just the necessity of chance, the accident of necessity. Li Jiancheng is indeed lower than Li Shimin in these means. There are so many undercover agents around you, no matter how many soldiers you have, it won't work!

"Zhang Yushi, then will we interrogate those two guys next?" Liu Chun asked.

"Interrogation! Of course, you have to interrogate, how can you export your supply without interrogation? If there is no interrogation, how can we find out what happened? These two guys stinky and hard, they are a dead man, and our normal punishment can't get them to speak. But if the punishment is more severe, I am afraid that they will not be able to endure it and die. These two guys are important witnesses, we can't let them die like this, otherwise how can we explain to the emperor? Liu Chun asked.

Zhang Chao said casually: "Since we can't use torture, then we won't torture them physically, we will use their mental torture." ”

"Mental torture?" Liu Chun was puzzled.

Soon, that Er Zhuhuan and Qiao Gongshan were brought again, and they all had some traces of whipping on their bodies, obviously they had been beaten a lot. But they were still so stubborn, apparently they wouldn't say a word. They are obviously professionally trained, and they are definitely not something that ordinary people can hold. Such a severe punishment is that ordinary people with weak willpower can't hold it, they are just two ordinary civil officials, and they can actually hold it, this is simply incredible. That also shows that they have definitely undergone special training, and even a lot of cruel training, otherwise there would be no such results. They are all dead soldiers, and it is not so easy to pry their mouths open.

Zhang Chao lit a few oil lamps in one, and then the surroundings suddenly became bright. Not enough, Zhang Chao took a gold leaf paper at this time, folded it into a semicircle, and then took the initiative to put it on the other side of the oil lamp. The glow of the oil lamp was immediately reflected by the metallic luster of the gold leaf in front of Erzhuhuan and Qiaogongshan.

Er Zhuhuan and Qiao Gongshan immediately felt this strong light shining on them, and they felt very dazzling, and they wanted to close their eyes.

"Do you confess yourself and tell the mastermind behind it, or do you want us to continue the interrogation?" Zhang Chao asked.

And Naer Zhuhuan and Qiao Gongshan were also very firm, and immediately said: "I won't say it!" ”

"You won't say, that means there is a mastermind?" Zhang Chao asked.

"......" Er Zhuhuan and Qiao Gongshan secretly screamed in their hearts that they were still trapped by Zhang Chao.

If you can't say it, you are actually indirectly admitting that there is a so-called mastermind behind you, so you have fallen into a huge trap in Zhang Chao's words. Now it's too late for him to say anything, they can only secretly complain, they were actually swept away by Zhang Chao. They really didn't expect that Zhang Chao, a young man, was so well versed in these interrogation methods, and he easily put his words out.

Zhang Chao said to Liu Chun: "You then arrange for them to be interrogated, anyway, if they don't say it, you will continue to torture them." You break up several shifts, then take turns interrogating them and shining a bright light in their eyes so that they don't fall asleep. You rest, they can't rest, and I'm sure they will confess in a short time. Sometimes, mental fatigue is far more terrible than physical pain. ”