Shipin Dalizheng

At the edge of the Zhuangtou ditch, several of Mr. Du Sanye's men who could swim jumped in to rescue people. People on both sides of the ditch shouted and screamed. The yamen runners seemed anxious but could not help at all. Half an hour later, even Zheng Changning, who had just distributed the food, came to "help".

Nangong Jing once again praised Zheng Changning's "noble righteousness," saying, "If Yang Zhuangtou knew that Second Young Master Zheng personally rescued him, he would be pleased even in his grave."

Zheng Changning said, "He's no match for Prince Jing. He's so noble, yet so approachable, yet he still takes on a corpse recovery case like this."

Nangong Jing sighed, "There's nothing I can do. Sharing His Majesty's worries and working for the people's well-being is my duty."

After hesitating for an hour or so, they finally pulled everyone out from a place far away from the small bridge. Yang Liangui's family of five and his four lackeys were all killed.

The seven or eight lackeys who didn't fall were trembling all the time. The man who was trying to rescue them started to speak again, "Sir, our master was pushed down. You must catch the murderer and avenge him!"

Zheng Changning looked at him, "Didn't you say he jumped? Why did you change your statement?"

The man was speechless. "Really? I, I meant that my master fell down, I didn't say..."

"you said so."

Zheng Ping, Zheng De, and the guards said in unison.

Nangong Jing's face darkened. "I also heard you say that you jumped down. Are you saying that I and Mr. Zheng Er were lying?"

The man panicked, "No, no, sir, you heard me wrong, no, I said it wrong..."

Nangong Jing's face was as cold as ice, and he pointed his finger, "Catch him."

Several yamen runners came over like wolves and tigers and locked him up.

"Sir, please spare my life, I, I..."

Zheng Changning suddenly said, "Your Excellency, we can't arrest him, or people will think you're going to force a confession. How about this? I know a few tricks of torture in the army—no, tricks of extorting confessions. Why not hold a trial here and clear Yang Zhuangtou's name?"

Nangong Jing said reluctantly, "For your sake, I'll give them a chance. Master, take some paper and pen to record their confession."

The lawyer spread the paper on the bridge pier and dipped it in ink to write.

Zheng Changning asked, "Did anyone of you witness Yang Zhuangtou falling into the river?"

In a hurry, some people raised their hands, while some did not. Then, seeing that others were doing things differently from themselves, those who had raised their hands put them down, while those who had not raised their hands raised them again.

"Master, please write this: the accuser's testimony is inconsistent and erratic."

The master wrote it.

The man panicked, "Sir, I didn't lie. Our master was pushed into the river."

"The complainant insists that Yang Zhuangtou was pushed into the water."

The master wrote it.

Zheng Changning asked again, "Since you saw someone pushing Yang Zhuangtou, did you see what he looked like?"

The man shook his head. "No, sir, they were masked. But I'm sure it was the veteran from Fuxinzhuang who did it."

Zheng Changning's eyes glared. "Be careful what you say. False accusations are punishable by death. Since you didn't see it, just say you didn't see it. As for who the murderer is, the prefect will investigate thoroughly."

The man shuddered and lowered his head.

"Let me ask you again, how tall is the murderer? Is he short?"

The man recalled and hesitated a little, "Not too short, right?"

"Master, write down that the murderer is a tall and strong man."

The lawyer wrote furiously.

"My lord, my lord..."

"Let me ask you again, does the murderer have legs? Does he have hands?"

“…Yes…right?”

If not, how did he get to the village head and rush out to hit people? So...

"The murderer has all his limbs intact. Ma De, you still say it's not a false accusation, but there's no intact veteran in Fuxinzhuang."

Zheng Changning changed his gentlemanly demeanor and switched to soldier mode, beating them up. "You think you can make false accusations just because you're a disabled veteran without any backing? They're veterans of the Rong Family Army. I'll skin you alive."

The screams were incessant, and Nangong Jing, deaf for a long time, finally heard, "Stop! You can't force a confession out of me."

Zheng Changning paused to catch his breath, angrily pointing at the man he had beaten into a pig's head, "The prefect heard it with his own ears, he made a false accusation."

Nangong Jing said seriously, "I heard it."

After being beaten, the man realized that the two were in cahoots and were determined to label the master's death as suicide by jumping into the river. But why did he commit suicide? Who would believe it if he told others?

"Sir, I was wrong. It wasn't the veterans from Fuxinzhuang. It was a few masked thieves of unknown origin who killed people and robbed them..."

"Wouldn't it have been over if you had said so earlier? Master, please note that the accuser has personally admitted to falsely accusing the veteran from Fuxinzhuang."

Nangong Jing saw that it was getting late and he had to go back to the yamen to sort out the case, so he stopped the interrogation and said, "Now that the old soldier from Fuxinzhuang has been arrested, immediately take these people who made the accusation to Jingzhao Prefecture for a detailed interrogation. Anyone who continues to speak nonsense will be severely punished."

Suddenly, six of the seven or eight lackeys shouted, "Sir, I didn't see anything."

"I do not have either."

"I'm far away, I heard what Hu Wang said."

Hu Wang is the leader's lackey.

"You, you..."

Hu Wang couldn't believe that these people had turned against him.

Nangong Jing confirmed again, "You didn't see it?"

The six of them shook their heads in unison.

"How daring! Considering this is your first offense, you'll be spared arrest by giving your confession and signing your name."

Six people rushed in front of the lawyer and scrambled to sign their names.

The only one who was taken away was Hu Wang, because he was too stubborn.

The corpses of Yang Liangui's family and their four lackeys filled a large ox cart. The old ox was so tired that it could not move, and Hu Wang was forced to push the cart with his butt sticking out. Hu Wang was so tired that his tongue stuck out two inches. The remaining six people were terrified and were glad that they knew how to deal with the situation.

Then, a sharp-eyed person saw a package hanging on the side of the bridge, which looked like the one Miss Yang was carrying. He grabbed it and untied it. Oh my god, it was some gold and silver jewelry.

The six people looked at each other, and one of them took one or two pieces and put them in his arms. His pieces were just from a scoundrel in a nearby village, and he didn't sell them to the Yang family.

“So, we didn’t see anything.”

Several people confirmed and nodded.

There was a sound of running footsteps, and several people fled into the sorghum field by the river like frightened birds.

A yamen runner scratched his head, "Strange, there's a package missing, who stole it?"

Of course he couldn't find anyone, so he turned around several times to chase the main force. The people hiding in the sorghum field were frightened and fled in all directions when they came out.

Rong Wanli witnessed the entire process, then quietly jumped up again to chase the Jingzhao Prefecture's large army.

The ox cart had a hard time moving and the group moved slowly. Hu Wang was so tired that he foamed at the mouth and seemed about to faint.

He puffed loudly and begged Ken, "Sir, please give me a horse to pull the cart. I am so tired."

Nangong Jing looked embarrassed. "It's not that I'm unsympathetic. This horse was given to me by His Majesty. It can't pull a corpse. Zheng Er, what about you?"

Zheng Changning laughed and said, "As if everyone's horse is not a gift from the emperor. Lord Nangong, why don't you take a break?"

Hu Wang's eyes were already wide open, and he said, "Rest, rest, rest..." Then he fell to the ground and fainted with a thud.

"No way? You're dizzy already?"

Zheng Changning dismounted and squatted, trying to feel Hu Wang's breath. At this moment, a stone wrapped in a small piece of paper flew towards him, and Zheng Changning grabbed it.

He took the note and saw a line of words on it: "Hu Bilian of Yonghe Town."

He showed the note to Nangong Jing, and Nangong Jing suddenly remembered that this was Yang Liangui's lover, and Hu Wang was Hu Bilian's brother, no wonder he was so infatuated with her.

He whispered a few words to Zheng Changning, and Zheng Changning understood.