Fang Zhongjin heard the break behind him, a light sweat broke out on his body, and he turned his head to look. But it turned out to be some officials.

The first official asked, "Who is it?"

Fang Zhongjin hurriedly made an honest appearance, bowed his head and said, "Back to the old man, the little one is Chen Afu." ”

The official lifted the lantern in his hand, shone Fang Zhongjin's face, and asked, "The third watch climbed the wall outside in the middle of the night, which house are you from? Don't you know the curfew?"

Fang Zhongjin was worried about disturbing the people who understood the mansion, and this escape was in vain. Then he said: "The small one is the three families of Dongcheng Ruifu Lane Chen." I just came back from a drink with friends, isn't that going into the house?"

The official shouted, "Is this your house?

Fang Zhongjin made a panicked and frightened look and said, "The little one is drunk and can't see clearly. I thought this was my home. Now he is scolded by several bad masters. Scared out of a sweat, it doesn't look like it now. ”

"Sneaky nonsense, take it back and ask carefully!" the official led by the leader waved his hand to the people behind him. Someone was sent to come up and handcuff Fang Zhongjin. Fang Zhongjin didn't dare to make too much noise, so he could only let the messenger escort him to the yamen.

The officials escorted Fang Zhongjin back to the palace. At this time, it was already a deep shift, and without the eldest master sitting in the hall, Fang Zhongjin and two or three other idlers were temporarily escorted in the dungeon.

Fang Zhongjin watched around, and the people who were locked up with him were all ruffians and hooligans. The dungeon was filthy, damp, and rancid.

He had to find a random place to squat, and he couldn't see that no one would come to interrogate him tomorrow. Fang Zhongjin was worried about his mother's safety, and his mind was spinning, thinking about how to get out of prison tomorrow.

On the second day, the prisoners who were held in the dungeon were taken out one by one for arraignment. Finally, it was Fang Zhongjin's turn, at this time he had not slept all night, and he was already ready to speak. Several officials pushed him into the public court, and before Fang Zhongjin knelt down, he heard a person in the hall shouting excitedly: "Aha, it's you!" This voice was familiar, and Fang Zhongjin knew that it was going to be bad.

It turned out that it was none other than Chen Jicai sitting in the hall. At this time, the palace test had passed, and Chen Jicai finally gave a third-class Tongjinshi background. Later, it was entered into Jingzhao Mansion, and it started slowly from the Jiupin Sesame Official.

Chen Jicai's official position can be said to be the most humble petty official, but for Fang Zhongjin, who is now under the pressure of the hall, he is the real king of Hades. Chen Jicai had already flipped twice in a row and suffered a loss under Fang Zhongjin. Today, he sent it to the door by himself, this is not easy to rectify, isn't it a big pig's head?

Chen Jicai casually flipped through the transcript of the confession and said proudly: "You call yourself Chen Afu, but I know that your name is Fang Zhongjin." He is a scum who was expelled from his family because of his evil deeds. Saying that, he patted the shocked wood majestically, and shouted to Fang Zhongjin, who was kneeling in the hall: "Okay, the dog can't change the, you climbed the wall outside during the curfew last night, and you had to lie about your name." Are you trying to steal something? No, you must have been sent into the city by thieves. Give me a good forty board!, until he tells the truth!" He threw the four red sticks on the ground.

Chen Jicai knew that the charge of "violating the curfew" could not imprison Fang Zhongjin for a few days, and even if he was convicted of being a thief, he would need to be released for a month. Only by calling him a spy sent into the capital by Yan thieves can Fang Zhongjin be completely erased. Even if there is no evidence now, as long as I pull him in every once in a while to beat him, are you still afraid that he will not confess himself?

The officials below immediately pulled Fang Zhongjin and dragged him into the backyard. The official who was executed saw that it was a red-headed sign, and his heart was bright. It is important to know that there are four colors of the lottery holder in this court, in addition to the capture lot, there are three kinds of white-headed sticks, black-headed sticks and red-headed sticks, representing different number of plates. It is also 40 boards, if it is 40 white-headed sticks, the prisoner can still walk out of the yamen by himself after being beaten. If it is four red-headed sticks, then if you don't die, you will lose half your life.

The two officials pressed Fang Zhongjin and beat him with forty boards, and then dragged him back to the prison after he was already unconscious, waiting for a retrial in the coming day.

Fang Zhongjin didn't know how long he had been in a coma in prison, and when he woke up, he only felt that his buttocks were burning like a fire, and his hands and feet were numb and unable to move. At this time, he heard someone next to him ask him: "Brother is awake, what did you do?"

Fang Zhongjin tried to raise his eyes to see that he was a fifteen-year-old young man. This man is a thin monkey, and his eyes are full of cleverness. It was supposed to be a prisoner in a big prison like him. Fang Zhongjin was in pain because of the burning throat, and he couldn't say a word. The young man said to himself again: "If you can be beaten like this, can you kill someone? Kill a few? Obediently, I see that you are not a big man or a big man, but a good man." ”

The young man saw that no one answered him, and then he said, "My name is Stone, and I have chosen my own name." The stone is hard, and my life is hard, and I can't die no matter how I make it. What's your name?"

Fang Zhongjin finally squeezed out two words from the roar and said, "Iron." ”

"Oh, Brother Iron. Your name is tougher than mine. The boy grinned and said, "No wonder, you didn't die after beating you like this, and you didn't die after burning for so many days, can this life not be hard? Can fortune tellers be harder than a guillotine?, ......," he said and sighed.

The young man was only depressed for a moment, and then he became happy again and said, "Brother Tie, don't worry, I'm not a bad person. What bad things can I do at my age? It was the second brother I helped to get some top-notch Western goods to sell, but he didn't get through the joints well, and he was told by his peers. Didn't I take it out of brotherly righteousness? My mother can also get fifty taels of silver to see a doctor. Hey, I'm a bad guy anyway. Maybe when I am interrogated a few days later, the judge will see that I am young, and it may not necessarily sentence me to beheading. If you lock me up for a few years, let me out. Hey, I'll be able to make a big contribution to the gang by then. When the time comes, whoever disagrees with me, the eldest brother and the second brother will not agree. Shi Xiao's face smiled happily, and then asked, "After talking for a long time, what kind of crime did they give you peace for, Brother Tie, and is there any room for turnaround?"

Fang Zhongjin closed his eyes and said, "Fine." ”

"Oh, that'...... That's ...... Hehe...... "The boy named Stone couldn't say anything when he touched his nose.