Xi Yan paused deliberately, so that Jing Yuan had time to reminisce about this sentence. Who is Sheng Zhang? Jing Yuan wouldn't have known it, but he really didn't know that his father was actually an old friend of such a traitor, and he didn't know that his father would secretly hide the traitor's rebellion!

But at this time, Jing Yuan obviously had no time to take care of these, he got up, not caring about the heaviness of the iron chain, "What did you do to him!?" ”

Jing Yuan knew too well the methods of the Heavenly Prison of the Criminal Department, after all, it was the love of blood...... How could he not be troubled?

"I don't know," Xi Yan didn't intend to provoke him, and continued to say expressionlessly, "But Ling Zun used to be a first-class member, so what...... The presiding judge still knows what to expect. I'm only in charge of the case of embezzlement of ink, can you now explain the whereabouts of the 300,000 taels of silver? ”

"You know for yourself, why bother to ask me."

"Then you just don't admit your guilt," Xi Yan's eyes were cold, but his tone was as light as a wisp of smoke, "Okay, then change the question." teamed up with Chen Yueze to be greedy for ink on the matter of water drainage, do you admit it? ”

"I think," Jing Yuan was very simple, and he didn't think about prevarication about the 200,000 taels that he was greedy for ink with Chen Yueze. "The evidence is conclusive, but what if you admit it?"

"Since you have confessed to the sin of embezzlement of ink, where did the silver two go...... Naturally, it is also necessary to explain clearly. ”

"All 200,000 taels will be sent to Chongdu City," Jing Yuan paused, "This is what I can say clearly...... That's it! ”

"But in the case of water diversion, a total of 500,000 taels of ink were embezzled, and only 200,000 taels could be clearly stated...... Then you just can't tell where the remaining 300,000 taels go? It's not clear...... Still reluctant to make it clear? Xi Yan glanced around, leaned closer to him and said in a low voice, "As far as you are concerned...... What is the difference between 200,000 taels and 500,000 taels? ”

Jing Yuan silently lowered his head and said nothing...... He knew that in the face of such a big crime as rebellion, greed for ink was almost nothing...... Besides, it's only 300,000 taels, which is not even as much as he sold an official position in the northwest. But for some reason, he instinctively didn't want to admit it, that is, he felt that once he recognized the 300,000 taels, his situation would become worse...... Although he intellectually told himself that this situation did not exist.

"The Jing clan is guilty of treason...... But all the evidence points to Ling Zun. Although you have also committed a capital crime...... But Mrs. Zun and Ling Ai are innocent in the end. ”

After saying this, Xi Yan looked at Jing Yuan quietly, and Jing Yuan also looked back at him with the same determination.

Jing Yuan understood what Xi Yan wanted...... He just wanted to let himself take all the blame for the water draining incident, so that the Xi family would never be blamed for this matter. Jing Yuan was unwilling, but he deeply understood that from the moment the "Zuofutang Collection" was searched, the decline of the Jing clan was a foregone conclusion, but his wife and daughter ......

"You should know that even if I confess now...... You can also retract your confession at any time in the future. ”

"I don't want you to confess anything," Xi Yan's tone didn't fluctuate, but it was a little more soothing than just now, "You just need to admit that you and Chen Yueze were greedy for 500,000 taels...... As for the whereabouts of the stolen silver, I think you can still survive the torture...... Besides, with such small details, it doesn't make much sense to spend a lot of effort to extract confessions by torture. ”

Jing Yuan knew that what he said was right, compared to the crime of rebellion and the nearly ten million taels of silver in Jingfu...... 300,000 taels was really nothing, but he still couldn't figure it out, so he finally spoke: "Since such a small detail doesn't make much sense, why do you still have to ask me to confess?" ”

……

"Because I want to make meritorious contributions." After a pause, Xi Yan chuckled, and even said a little smugly, "The case of the Jing family is under trial by the Criminal Department, but I am handling the case of embezzlement of water...... So if you confess it quickly, maybe Your Majesty will appreciate me more. ”

"What if I don't deny it?"

"It's okay if you don't admit it," Xi Yan changed back to that cold look, and wrote lightly, "The case will still be closed, and the charges will still fall on you...... It's just that I'm somewhat incompetent. ”

Jing Yuan even chuckled, but his eyes were still cold and hateful.

Xi Yan knew that he would not speak easily, so he said clearly word by word: "You should understand...... Jing's rebellion case is somewhat different from Xie's case at the beginning. The Xie family's case was arbitrarily decided by His Majesty's Qiangang, and the entire Xie family was divided into men and women...... Slashed. But the Jing family's case, His Majesty handed it over to the Criminal Department. According to the law...... Mrs. Zun and Ling Ai can live, and let them be exiled for 3,000 miles safely, how is it not better than not entering the official mansion as prostitutes and slaves? ”

Jing Yuan still had a sneer on his face, but he was already holding on...... His gaze couldn't help but flicker. He has been to the prostitution in the government...... Who fell there to be an official prostitute, which one was not a noble lady of an official family before?

"Why should I trust you? I have fallen to such a point, how can I be without your provocation? ”

"I have no reason to harm them," Xi Yan lowered his eyes slightly, and his tone revealed a chill like ice, "Although you will die, why should you still involve them being trampled by others in Chongdu City?" Think about the enemies you have made in the DPRK over the years...... How can they survive the rest of their lives if they have lost their shelter? ”

Jing Yuan's heart shook violently...... Over the years, the Jing family has formed too many hatreds, and they will die clean by then, but the women who are still alive in the Jing family will become the object of their anger. At the thought of this, his lips tightened into a line, and his arms began to tremble.

Finally, Jing Yuan sat back on the straw with a heavy fall, and only after a while did he whisper: "You...... Guarantee that they will live safely? ”

"You don't have a choice," compared to Jing Yuan's hardship, Xi Yan seemed very calm, "I will try to avoid their slavery, and when I get to the place of exile, I will also let them live in peace, although they will no longer have good food and clothing, but they will have no worries about food and clothing." ”

Xi Yan looked at Jing Yuan quietly, leaving enough time for him to think about it.

Jing Yuan's eyes were empty, and those cruel and terrifying images kept passing through his mind. After another half an hour, Jing Yuan nodded slowly, "Okay...... I admit it...... In the case of the water dumping case, I teamed up with Chen Yueze to embezzle 500,000 taels of ink, are you satisfied! ”

Xi Yan said "um", nodded slightly, and pushed the pen and paper in front of Jing Yuan, "Then take the trouble to write out the confession...... I will not immediately present your confession to the emperor, and by the time I reply to His Majesty, the 300,000 taels will not arouse much reaction in his heart. So you can rest assured...... No one but me will record any more confessions about the water. ”

Jing Yuan really has no choice now, except to believe in Xi Yan, he has no other way to keep his wife and daughter. But when he lifted the shoddy pen, his hand was still extremely heavy.

"And ...... How Chen Yueze came to work in Shuishui from the northwest also took the trouble to confess clearly. ”

"You have to ask such a clear question about such an inconsequential matter?" Jing Yuan instinctively suspected that although they had made a deal, the long-standing hostility still made it difficult for him to choose to believe.

"Of course, you have to ask clearly," Xi Yan's deep eyes couldn't see a trace of flickering, and said lightly, "This is the cause of the whole ink corruption case, and the one-time confession is clear, so I don't have to come back later...... You don't want to see me again, do you? ”

Jing Yuan snorted coldly, the speed of the pen in his hand was not slow...... Half an hour later, a confession was written.

Xi Yan picked it up and looked at it, and found that what Jing Yuan wrote was indeed without loopholes, and read it carefully from beginning to end several times, and after confirming that it was correct, he took out a small box of ink clay from his arms.

"It's okay, let's sign it."

All the sins have been confessed, but when Jing Yuan wrote his name, he still felt that there was a power in the dark that was pulling his hand. Once the name was signed, there was no way back for him...... Although he has long since had no way out.

The confession was properly put into Xi Yan's sleeve, and he exhaled softly, and his heart was indeed much lighter, but he still said quietly: "You can rest for a long time, and promise you something...... I'll do it. After saying this, Xi Yan got up and was about to leave.

In front of the cell door, the jailer had not yet arrived to unlock the lock, and Xi Yan was not in a hurry, but stood calmly in front of the door. But Jing Yuan, who was behind him, suddenly said: "You are so calculating, aren't you afraid of retribution?" ”

Xi Yan paused, but still said lightly: "Do you believe in retribution?" ”

"Before coming here...... I don't believe it. ”

Xi Yan chuckled, "I don't believe it either." ”

"I know you don't believe me," Jing Yuan also paused, "but I'll wait for that day." ”

What day? It was the day Xi Yan believed it...... Or is it the day when retribution is clear? Jing Yuan didn't say it, and Xi Yan didn't think about it.

The door of the cell was opened by the jailer, and Xi Yan walked away, his tall figure disappearing at the end of the aisle.