Although the walls of the inner city of Chongdu are very high, they still can't stop the rapid spread of gossip...... It's just three or five days, and gossip mixed with some truth, and it spreads in the inner city.

The Jing clan was copied, and many courtiers knew some inside stories to a greater or lesser extent. Some officials who could not hold their breath secretly visited the mansions of the officials of the Criminal Department at night, hoping that the Ministry would not find out any unfavorable news about them. But I waited for half the night and didn't see anyone at all...... Because all the officials who served in the criminal department were burned and burned in the yamen.

Finally pry some confessions out of the mouths of the Jing family, and the text file about the Jing family in the northwest was sent to the desk of the Criminal Department.

In this tense and busy atmosphere, one afternoon, Xi Yan held the criminal department token given to him by Xu Bin that day and came to the prison alone. Although he knew that this trip might not lead to anything, there were still some rules to follow, so Xi Yan still came.

There are four seasons in Chongdu City, but there seems to be only heat and cold winter in the prison. The people who enter here, no matter how prominent and noble they once were, as soon as they step into this place, they are coarse white clothes, draped in shackles and locks...... The little jailers who never disdain to put in their eyes on weekdays are now the fierce cell bosses who shout at them at will.

Although Xi Yan was not wearing an official uniform at this time, after the jailer checked the token in his hand, he still did not dare to slack off, and bent down to invite him in.

The light dimmed suddenly, followed by a musty smell and an indescribable sour smell. There was only the sound of dead silence, and everyone ...... It should be said that the prisoners are all curled up in the corner of the cell with dull eyes, although there are many people, they seem to be extremely sad and empty.

"Unexpected...... This prison of the Ministry of Punishment is still overcrowded. ”

"Hey, they're all expensive officials, how have they suffered like this before." The cell boss has been on an errand here for more than ten years, and he has no feeling about it for a long time, so he led Xi Yan straight to the depths, "The people above are all inconsequential people, and the important ones are all waiting for the good students on the lower floor." ”

Xi Yan naturally understood what he meant by "waiting", so he only responded softly and didn't say more.

"Now in the summer, this layer of the ground is too hot to bear...... Instead, these felons hid underground to cool off. The Jing Yuan you want to mention is locked up in the Xuanzi cell. ”

"Hmm......" Xi Yan replied coldly, "I'll go into the cell and ask, he's now entangled in iron locks, and it's not easy to bring it up." ”

"Yes, yes." Seeing that Xi Yan was so compassionate, the cell boss naturally nodded again and again.

After passing through the ground floor and descending more than twenty steps down the narrow stone steps, it can be regarded as coming to the underground floor where the guards are more stringent. It was certainly cooler than the ground floor, but there were no narrow windows in the cell, and everything except the bean-sized oil lamps and torches was in endless darkness.

In addition to the thick stone walls, it was isolated from the prisoners' ...... It was all a cage made of fine iron, and after going through a cell in a circle, Xi Yan was finally led to the Xuanzi cell.

The cell boss took out the key and opened the heavy iron lock on the cell door. Xi Yan stepped into the cell, and according to the rules, the cell boss locked the door again, and then avoided it far away.

There was only a lone lamp in the cell, and apart from a few dry straws, there was only a low, shabby table. There was pen and ink on the low table, but Jing Yuan obviously did not confess his crimes, he had been imprisoned for several days, and there was still not a word on the confession.

Jing Yuan was sitting cross-legged on the ground at this time, his skin looked particularly pale after days of sunshine, the last time they met, it was still a brocade robe and jade crown, and now goodbye...... It's already a prisoner.

Xi Yan didn't seem to be pickled here, so he naturally sat behind the low table opposite Jing Yuan, looking at this old acquaintance in prison, Xi Yan couldn't tell what he felt in his heart.

"Lord Jing, don't come unharmed?"

Jing Yuan slowly opened his eyes, but he still didn't lower his head, perhaps because he had spoken less for days, his voice was somewhat hoarse.

"You're here to get down to the ground."

"No," Xi Yan shook his head slightly, "It's not that I can't do things that fall into the well, but I really don't want to do it at this time...... I'm just here to interrogate you. ”

"I didn't know that you would be reinstated so soon," a sneer of disdain appeared on the corner of Jing Yuan's mouth, "My Jing clan was framed, what is going on...... You must be the one who knows best. ”

"Say whatever you want," Xi Yan didn't care about these words, "If you bite at will because you have committed a serious crime, this is not like the style of a leader." ”

Jing Yuan's eyes were vicious, and the hatred and anger in his heart surged uncontrollably on his face.

"In the case of the water dumping case, you and Chen Yueze were greedy for 500,000 taels, of which 200,000 taels were sent to Chongdu, and now there are still 300,000 taels missing...... Xi Yan's calm gaze swept over Jing Yuan, and his tone was as plain as his face, "The 200,000 taels of silver, I found it in your other garden...... As for the remaining 300,000 taels, I want you to give an account of the whereabouts of this silver. ”

Jing Yuan's eyebrows twitched, he only embezzled 200,000 taels, although he knew that the remaining 300,000 taels were framed, but he seemed to have no chance to defend himself.

"You don't want to say?" Xi Yan continued, "The great crime of rebellion has been committed, such a crime as greed for ink...... Why don't you recognize it? ”

"What do you want me to recognize what I haven't done?" Jing Yuan gritted his teeth fiercely, dragged the chain that was welded to the stone wall and took a step forward, forced to look at Xi Yan and said, "The 300,000 taels are obviously Xi Qing's greed for ink...... In order to help the Xi family get rid of their crimes, you tried your best to blame me. ”

Xi Yan also looked at him straightly, and still said flatly: "Chen Yueze's widow has already knocked on the confession with her hand, why do you want to shirk it?" ”

Jing Yuan stared at him and sneered: "My Jing clan's grievances are pouring into the sky, as long as I can clarify the grievances in front of the saint...... You'll be the one who will end up here! ”

"Really?" Xi Yan replied without turning a deaf ear, and when he glanced at it, he saw that there was still half a bowl of water in a broken bowl on the low table, but the water looked dirty, a little greasy and mixed with dust floating on the water.

"You want to face the saint, but Your Majesty doesn't want to see you at all, let alone your father." Xi Yan still recounted lightly, "Do you really think that Your Majesty sent someone to copy the Jing family just for hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?" Maybe you don't know it, just the day before yesterday, the Criminal Department and the Household Department searched for a book in Lingzun's study......"

"What book?" Although Jing Yuan knew that he might be tempting himself to speak, he couldn't help but ask.

"Zuofu Hall Collection." Xi Yan kept observing him as he spoke, and sure enough, Jing Yuan's instantaneous beating gaze did not disappoint him.

Ling Zun also admitted in yesterday's confession that he and Sheng Zhang are old friends...... The book "Zuofutang Collection" was given to him by Sheng Zhang after he wrote it, and it can be regarded as an original manuscript. When His Majesty learned about this, he was really furious. ”