The day after the news was revealed, a jailer in the prison of the Criminal Department came to Zhao Zhiliang who had never seen him. The man came in with his head bowed and carrying a food box in his hand.

In this cell, only Zhao Zhiliang is imprisoned, and his food has always been good, and it was all taken by the cell boss who received a lot of benefits.

Mrs. Zhao never had the opportunity to see Zhao Zhiliang in the prison of the Criminal Department later, but she knew that she was looking for help from the cell boss for something, so she successively stuffed a lot of money into the cell boss and handed some words in.

The cell boss accepted the money, and naturally took care of Zhao Zhiliang and did his best, not to mention, at least in terms of food, Zhao Zhiliang has never been offended, and there are three or four side dishes at every meal, both meat and vegetarian, and the rectification is clean.

Zhao Zhiliang ate and drank well, and he didn't exercise when he sat in prison, but he was a little fat.

On this day, Zhao Zhiliang had just been tortured again and was beaten with a stick in the lobby. Although he was not beaten very hard, Zhao Zhiliang, who rarely suffered, felt that he had suffered a great crime these days, and he was beaten and tortured all day long.

The cell boss will also be flattered, and take the initiative to mention that he will make up for Zhao Zhiliang a chicken leg at dinner.

Zhao Zhiliang was arraigned early in the morning, and stayed up in the hall for a whole day, already thirsty and hungry, lying in the cell waiting to eat chicken legs. Seeing the jailer who he had never seen come in, Zhao Zhiliang was very happy, thinking that the cell boss had sent someone to bring him food.

The jailer kept his head down when he entered, he opened the cell, laid the food box on the floor, laid out all the food inside, then picked up the empty food box, turned and wanted to leave.

Zhao Zhiliang was still struggling to get up, but he lowered his head and glanced at the food on the ground, and suddenly his butt didn't hurt anymore, he stood up directly, shrunk in a corner of the cell, his face was pale, and he was trembling.

The food doesn't look unusual, it looks cleaner than the average prison meal, but it's not as good as Zhao Zhiliang's usual food, and there are no chicken legs. Zhao Zhiliang knew at a glance that this was definitely not a meal carefully prepared by the cell boss every day.

Someone went to great lengths to bring him food to the prison of the Criminal Department, how dare he eat such a meal.

When Zhao Zhiliang found out that something was wrong, the jailer was about to walk to the door, and at this moment, the cell head that Zhao Zhiliang was familiar with also came in with a food box. As soon as Zhao Zhiliang saw him, he immediately shouted in a dumb voice: "Quick! Catch him! ”

The cell boss reacted very quickly, immediately threw the food box in his hand to the side, and directly reached out to stop the previous jailer. The man still wanted to run, but unfortunately it was too late, and the jailers guarding outside probably heard Zhao Zhiliang's shout, and ran in one after another, just arresting the man.

The person was quickly escorted away, and the meal that was sent to the prison before was also put away as evidence, and the dinner in the cell leader's hand had been smashed, and no one thought to make up for Zhao Zhiliang, so he waited for the news with a frightened face.

In the small hall of the Criminal Department, Zheng Ying, who had been waiting for the turtle in the urn for a long time, was extremely efficient, and the trial was started as soon as the big fish was hooked, and it didn't take much time to pry open the jailer's mouth. It's a pity that that person doesn't know much about it, he only knows that someone gave him money to give him poisonous food to Zhao Zhiliang, but he doesn't know who the person who spent money to buy him is.

"Lord Wang, Xiangye," Shangshu of the Criminal Department handed the confession to Zheng Ying and Xie Xiang with some disappointment: "This person is not lying. ”

"It's okay," Zheng Ying didn't open his mouth yet, Xie Xiangxian smiled: "It doesn't matter who buys it, the important thing is that Zhao Zhiliang knows that someone doesn't want him to live." ”

"Go tell him a message." Zheng Yingchao nodded at the cell head waiting on the side: "What to say, you can handle the proportions yourself." ”

"Yes! Rest assured. The cell boss grinned and agreed, and turned to leave.

After Zheng Ying saw the cell boss leave, she turned her head and nodded to Xie Xiang: "Xiangye can go back to rest tonight, there will be nothing more tonight." It won't be long before this Zhao Zhiliang should be able to speak. ”

"Good!" Xie Xiang nodded and stood up directly: "The old minister has already discussed with Scholar Gu, and the impeachment of He Wenmao will be carried out tomorrow by the Imperial Historian in person, and then the old minister will recommend that the emperor send the Imperial History Department to clean up and supervise all government affairs on the grounds of returning He Wenmao's innocence." There is Wang Ye Lao here in the Criminal Department, so Zhao Zhiliang must be allowed to spit out the truth within a few days. ”

"Don't worry," Zheng Ying bowed slightly: "If you don't open your mouth, you will die faster, Zhao Zhiliang will definitely be able to figure out this truth." ”

Sure enough, as Zheng Ying expected, Zhao Zhiliang shivered all night after knowing that the previous meal had been given enough arsenic. He stared at the thick fence of the cell, and he didn't close his eyes all night, until the fifth watch, and before dawn, he couldn't hold back and shouted to see Zheng Ying, Xie Xiang, and the criminal department.

This time, Zhao Zhiliang didn't have the strength to continue to play tricks, he knelt in the lobby of the criminal department with a sallow face, looking sluggish, and seemed to be unable to speak.

"You have also been an official for many years, and you don't know the law of the Great Zhou." Shangshu of the Criminal Department said coldly: "Of course, you already know in your heart what kind of punishment you will receive for your own crimes. However, the prince and Xie Xiang are both magnanimous people, if you are willing to confess and confess without concealment, it can be regarded as a meritorious service, and the prince can also say a few good words for you in front of the emperor, at least without implicating your family. ”

These words are somewhat true and somewhat false, in fact, Zhao Zhiliang is very clear. But in the face of despair, any life-saving straw is hoped to be firmly grasped. Therefore, the half-truth and half-false promise of the Criminal Department Shangshu was regarded by Zhao Zhiliang as a great hope, and he did not hide it, and poured out everything he knew, including the old case nine years ago, and the recent robbery of military funds.

Zhao Zhiliang drew a charge on his confession without any struggle, although he did not have direct evidence involving He Wenmao's crime, but many facts he confessed, at least gave a clear direction to the previous clueless case.

For example, Zhao Zhiliang clearly confessed, He Wenmao once told him that there could be no problem, because he ordered the hired Jianghu people to go all the way west along Jueyu Mountain after the successful looting, and throw all those fake grain and grass in the Yunlan River.

"It's all stones and gravel, and the bottom of the river is also gravel and gravel, and it's mixed in the river, who can find out?"

It is true that it is difficult to find traces of stones and gravel falling at the bottom of the river, but those ordnance that was also looted were also thrown away in the Yunlan River? The Rongdi people will not throw good ordnance in the Yunlan River.