Three Kingdoms: I am not Liu Bian

Chapter 372 Feed them biscuits!
Guo Tu could only kneel for half an hour before he couldn't keep his kneeling any longer.

It wasn't that he was really craving the Yiluo carp on the food counter, but rather that his body couldn't take it anymore.

His face was pale, and a fine layer of cold sweat seeped from his forehead. The stinging pain in his knees felt like countless steel needles piercing him.

Guo Tu clenched his teeth, his body trembling slightly involuntarily, and tried to move several times but forced himself to hold back.

The Han Dynasty did not practice kneeling and bowing. Even between fathers and sons, kneeling and bowing were not performed except for certain important sacrificial ceremonies.

Even when facing the emperor, one only needs to kneel to show piety when expressing gratitude or confessing one's sins.

Therefore, Guo Tu's knees naturally wouldn't have any padding to protect them.

In just half an hour, he was swaying like a candle in the wind. Beads of sweat gathered on his forehead and slid down his temples. His clothes were soaked with cold sweat and clung to his spine.

Liu Bian ignored Guo Tu's embarrassment, calmly eating his lunch, chewing slowly and deliberately, as if he had no idea of ​​the suffering of the person below him. He neither questioned him nor even glanced at him.

Gao Wang stood to the side, his gaze shifting between Guo Tu and the emperor for a moment. Seeing this, he exchanged a glance with the emperor and, after receiving his instruction, subtly waved his hand, signaling two eunuchs to help the nearly exhausted Guo Tu away.

Back in the side hall, Guo Tu slumped onto the soft-sleeper, grimacing as he gently pounded his aching legs. He gasped for breath, still replaying the events in his mind, and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his eyes filled with fear and lingering dread.

Fortunately, given Guo Tu's authority as the acting Minister of Justice, he was naturally allocated a separate room. It was lunchtime, so unless there was a special reason, no one should disturb him, and no one should see his disheveled state.

Guo Tu composed himself and began to review the case notes from recent days.

Since they were ordered to investigate the case, they were required to write case notes, share the daily progress with other government offices, and each submit a written report to the emperor.

Although Guo Tu was not involved in these procedures and was not required to submit written reports, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and Wang Yun all sent him a case summary, which Guo Tu had not read before.

Now, after reviewing these case notes, Guo Tu's brows furrowed deeper and deeper, and his face turned from white to red. He finally understood what was going on.

The emperor was certainly dissatisfied with his negligence, but he was ultimately busy drafting the "Hanxing Law". Why was he so furious?
You little bastard!
This was clearly caused by Zhang Zhao and Zhang Hong, those scoundrels!
In the past half month, if it were him, half a month would have been enough to uproot the Chenjun aristocratic family.

As a result, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and their gang of scoundrels didn't even execute a single criminal. They were even held hostage and had several of their elders take the blame to get away with it!
Guo Tu slammed the bamboo slips in his hand onto the table, his chest heaving violently. He forced out a curse through gritted teeth, saying, "Your mother is a maid, and Zhang Zibu is incompetent!"

Enraged, Guo Tu lost his appetite and abruptly stood up. He loudly summoned the eunuchs, made some preparations, and headed straight for the prison where prisoners were held in the Chen Prince's palace.

The prison guards on duty outside the prison gate, seeing that it was Guo Tu, dared not neglect him and quickly bowed and let him pass.

Although Guo Tu and other officials of the Court of Justice did not participate in the investigation and interrogation, the prison guards who looked after the prisoners and the doctors who ensured the prisoners' health were all minor officials of the Court of Justice. Therefore, Guo Tu, the chief supervisor of the Court of Justice, would naturally not be hindered from entering the prison.

Furthermore, anyone could see the lingering hostility on the face of this Chief Justice, and anyone with a modicum of sense wouldn't say a word.

Just then, inside the prison, Shen Pei, who was arranging the afternoon's interrogation, and Imperial Censor Cao Zhixi were both taken aback when Guo Tu barged in with an unfriendly expression. (Note 1)

Shen Pei subconsciously stood up, about to step forward to ask a question, when he met Guo Tu's sinister gaze. The undisguised mockery and coldness in that gaze made him shudder, and he suppressed the words stuck in his throat, remaining silent.

Zhi Xi lowered his head and pretended to organize the case files.

Some things don't need to be explained too clearly.

When Du Xi inquired about the progress of the case on behalf of the emperor in the morning, they had already anticipated the emperor's wrath. Upon hearing that the emperor had summoned Guo Tu, they naturally expected Guo Tu to clean up the mess.

But it's impossible not to feel aggrieved.

But this anger had nowhere to go.

Ultimately, it comes down to their incompetence.

They were given the opportunity, but they couldn't seize it. Who can they blame?
However, Shen Pei was the most unwilling of all.

He strongly opposed the practice of sparing criminals with excessive consideration for their reputation. What kind of morality are you talking about with traitors?
This is a court hearing, not a dinner party!

However, Wang Yun and Zhang Zhao ignored him, Liu Yu didn't manage affairs, and Zhang Hong was only responsible for checking the accounts. Shen Pei could only watch helplessly as his credit slipped away.

Guo Tu also refused to pay attention to Shen Pei. He was also furious and wanted to vent his anger even more than Shen Pei.

"Boning." Guo Tu's gaze swept across the dark and damp prison corridor, and he said, "Bring out the most stubborn and capable ones for me."

Man Chong acknowledged, but a sharp glint flashed in his eyes. He immediately led his men down to fetch the person.

Before long, the six elders who had taken the blame for the family head were roughly escorted out by Man Chong's men, their hands tied behind their backs.

Although Guo Tu was unaware of the treatment Wang Yun and Zhang Zhao had given to the prisoners, he still appeared radiant and even calm, clearly indicating that he had not been subjected to any real harsh treatment before.

Upon receiving the urgent message from his subordinates, Wang Yun, Zhang Zhao, Zhang Hong, and others rushed over almost one after the other. They sat to one side with livid faces, staring wide-eyed at Guo Tu, who looked like a demon had descended, with expressions of anger, worry, or helplessness.

The remaining officials were also whispering among themselves, speculating about Guo Tu's methods.

Some speculate that Guo Tu would directly use tortures such as branding with hot irons, while others speculate that it would involve amputation of the feet and breaking of the spine.

Guo Tu listened to the murmurs behind him but didn't bother to pay attention. He simply ordered Man Chong to bring over a bowl of steaming hot steamed buns, glanced at the six prisoners, and asked a jailer, "Have they had lunch?"

The jailer gave a knowing smile, then bowed and replied, "Reporting to the warden, not yet."

“Hmm, it just so happens that I haven’t had lunch either.” Guo Tu narrowed his eyes, picked up a piece of steamed bread from the bowl, sniffed it, took a bite, and then looked at the six prisoners, saying, “What are you looking at? I’m not some villain. Let’s have some together before we talk about the case.”

The six prisoners looked at each other, wondering what Guo Tu was up to, but they were indeed hungry.

They knew that these officials wouldn't let them die easily before they found anything valuable, so they weren't worried about the steamed buns being poisoned.

Even though this steamed cake has no filling, it's still much more fragrant than the wheat rice with bran that I've been eating for the past two weeks.

Someone tentatively picked up a steamed bun and ate it in small bites. Seeing that Guo Tu only gave him a "gentle" smile, he slowly chewed the bun himself before taking big bites.

Seeing this, the other five people also rushed to reach into the basin, grab the steamed buns, and stuff them into their mouths. For a moment, all that could be heard was the sound of them wolfing down their food.

The jailer "thoughtfully" served each of them a bowl of water. The six prisoners had quite the appetite; they ate about twenty steamed buns in one go before burping, rubbing their bellies, and sitting down on the ground.

However, Guo Tu frowned deeply in displeasure, his voice suddenly rising and carrying a chilling tone as he said, "Why aren't you eating? I kindly prepared steamed buns for you, yet you refuse to give me face?"

Seeing Guo Tu's anger, the elder of the Shang family of Chenjun struggled to his feet, then prostrated himself on the ground again, explaining, "Thank you for your kindness, sir. It's not that we are ungrateful, but we are simply too full. We hope you will forgive us."

"No." Guo Tu squatted down, looking directly at the prostrate elder of the Chenjun Shang family, revealing a ferocious smile. His eyes blazed with malice as he said, almost word by word, "I think you haven't eaten enough."

"Somebody come!"

Guo Tu suddenly stood up straight, pointed at the bowl of steamed buns that was still mostly empty, and said in a stern tone.

"Feed them biscuits—!"

-

Note 1: Zhi Xi, courtesy name Yuansheng, was a native of Jingzhao.

Xi was appointed to the Zhongping County government, and after passing the imperial examination with high honors, he was appointed Imperial Physician. When the emperor moved west and then east to Xuchang, Xi often accompanied him. He was on good terms with Kong Rong, the Junior Treasurer. When Emperor Taizu became Minister of Works, his power and influence grew daily, but Kong Rong, clinging to his old ways, wrote arrogant and disrespectful letters. Xi often rebuked Kong Rong, wanting him to change his ways, but Kong Rong refused.

(End of this chapter)