When Zhou Shigong returned to the main courtyard to go to bed, Zhang Pinggui had already knelt on the ground, looking like he was mourning for his heir, and was no longer as arrogant as when he left.
Zhou Shigong couldn't help but wonder: "What's wrong with him? Did he finally realize that no matter how loud he clamored, it wouldn't work?"
Hai Jiao smiled and said: "Exactly. We were just scolding him. He is no match at all. What else can we do besides accepting our fate? Instead of wasting our efforts on meaningless things, it would be better to hurry up before the Duke of Zhen Guo can see him. , think about it first, he knows some useful information that can be used as a bargaining chip. As long as the Duke of Zhen is satisfied and is willing to imprison him in a safer place, he does not need to be thrown directly into the government prison to wait. died."
Zhang Pinggui raised his head and glanced at him. Hai Jiao lowered his head and smiled at him: "You are a little smart. If you don't want to die meaninglessly, you should know how to choose." Zhang Pinggui closed his eyes and lowered his head again. , he didn’t even have the intention to refute, but in his heart he couldn’t help but list the “secrets” of his master’s family that he knew.
Zhou Shigong was a little puzzled: "He went to the government prison, why was he just waiting to die? Magistrate Huang is not a member of Mr. Sun Ge, how can he be silenced?"
Hai Jiao replied: "The seven killers captured by the veterans of the Zhou family were all escorted to the government prison. But except for one injured person who needed to be detained separately for medical treatment, the other six people imprisoned together were all killed. The government office The government officials still don't know how they died. If they send him there again, I'm afraid the same result will happen. It can be seen that the Sun family has many accomplices in Chang'an who can kill people in the government prison without anyone noticing. Dig out all the people, and God knows when they will show up to commit murder? This guy who calls himself Zhang Pinggui is with them, so he naturally knows the inside story. He is also afraid that after he is caught, his accomplices will silence him!"
Zhou Shigong looked at the sea reef and sneered slightly: "Then you have to be more honest when you get to the Zhenguo Palace. My eldest cousin has always been the most disciplined. He is the marshal of the border army and will not get involved in local government affairs easily. You are Jin One of the murderers of the family murder case, and the Jin family murder case is under the jurisdiction of the prefect. After he interrogates, he will definitely send you to the government office. Whether you can make him change his mind depends on your ability. Don't think you can escape. Get rid of it! Your six accomplices were locked up in one place and they couldn't escape, let alone you alone?"
Zhang Pinggui's face turned even uglier.
Haitang said from the sidelines: "Actually, it doesn't matter even if he died or escaped. There is still one living survivor in the prefect's Yamen. We just say that the living survivor confessed to the Sun family. Marquis Yingchuan can investigate it in the capital. There are no clues that Mrs. Zeng is trying to assassinate the prince, and she won't go all the way to Chang'an to interrogate the survivor."
Zhang Pinggui suddenly raised his head and looked at Haitang.
Zhou Ma asked curiously: "Is this possible? Those killers came to kill the Jin family, right? Isn't Zhang Pinggui the only one who is going to kill Yingchuan Hou Shizi?"
Haitang smiled and said: "What's the point? Can the Sun family jump out and accuse us of lying? That they only sent Zhang Pinggui to kill Yingchuan Hou Shizi, and didn't send anyone else? The others were only responsible for killing the Jin family? They If we really admit it like this, it will save us and Marquis Yingchuan a lot of effort.
"The dead killer has no evidence to prove his death, and the remaining survivor just escaped with his life. How can he still speak for the Sun family who wants to kill him? Besides, this excuse is completely meaningless. The Marquis of Yingchuan only needs to know what the Sun family wants It’s enough to kill his own son, but he doesn’t need to delve into whether the Sun family sent one killer or eight killers?”
Zhang Pinggui closed his eyes in despair. In the same way, he couldn't jump out to defend his family, it was completely meaningless. There is no way out for him, and the only one who can save him... is the Zhenguo Palace!
Zhou Shigong saw that Zhang Pinggui had lost his wits and should be willing to confess honestly, and he felt extremely relieved. Even if the killer was so arrogant in front of him just now, so what? After all, I still have to bow my head in front of the Zhou family!
He turned to Haijiao and said: "I have ordered my confidants to report to the Zhenguo government, and someone will come to take him away soon. No matter what the final result of the trial is, I will not interfere with this matter again. Just wait for the news." This was to avoid suspicion and to prove himself to the head of the Zhou family, Zhen Guogong. He is truly ignorant and innocent. He is not in the same group as Madam Ma and Zhou Shuyi!
Zhou Ma asked a little worriedly: "Master, which confidant did you send? Is it reliable? He won't tip off the A family, right?"
Zhou Shigong was startled: "This... shouldn't be possible, right?" He felt that the confidants around him were quite reliable, and they should not have been bribed by Mrs. Ma. In the past, he had spoken ill of Mrs. Ma in front of his subordinates, but anyone who showed disapproval or tried to persuade him to respect his stepmother was kicked out of his confidants. The remaining people all thought that Mrs. Ma was old and confused and should have returned the power of the family to him, the upright head of the family. How could such a loyal servant inform Mrs. Ma?
Zhou Ma is not as confident as Zhou Shigong. She said calmly: "Master, it's better to be careful. She has been in charge of the A family for fifty years, and almost all the servants in the family are chosen by her. If she had harbored evil intentions, she might have arranged some seemingly loyal servants. She said she was loyal to the master, but in fact she was secretly sending news there. Otherwise, how could the family always know if the master wanted to do something outrageous? Well, we live in the same room with the master every day, and we don’t even know about it. There are so many..."
Zhou Shigong's expression suddenly became serious. Yes, the confidants around him, except those left to him by his late father, were almost all chosen by Madam Ma, or they were the children and grandchildren of his wet nurse, or the descendants of his late mother who stayed with him. But Mrs. Ma has been in charge of the family for too long. After all these years, God knows if these people have been bribed? Mrs. Ma always pretended to be a loving mother in the past, but he was deceived again. At most, she complained a few times, but she never turned against her stepmother. Even if the servants are bribed, they will not think that they are betraying their master...
Zhou Shigong just sat down on the chair. He was thirsty after running for a long time, but now he couldn't even take a sip of tea and stood up immediately: "I have to let people keep an eye on the west courtyard. We can't let them Mother's people have the opportunity to go out and tip off the Sun family's accomplices!" From the third-bedroom ancestral house to the town government palace, there is still nearly a street distance. What if someone sets an ambush on this stretch of road and kills and silences them? He planned to escort the person there himself. A gentleman does not stand behind a dangerous wall...
Zhou Shigong left again. He wanted to mobilize all the veterans at home and his confidants to supervise each other, prohibiting anyone from entering or leaving the west courtyard, and also clear the road from the third room to the Zhenguo Palace. There must be no mistakes in sending Zhang Pinggui safely to the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion!
After a while, he came back with four tall and strong middle-aged guards, and tied Zhang Pinggui tightly with thick hemp ropes again, even tying his feet to prevent him from escaping. Finally, they blocked his mouth with a cloth ball. Even if he wanted to scream halfway, he couldn't.
At the same time, the newly appointed housekeeper personally drove a carriage and stopped at the entrance of the main courtyard. Zhou Shigong directed the guards to carry Zhang Pinggui directly to the car, and then closed the curtain tightly. When the people from Zhen Guogong's Mansion arrive, the carriage can set off from the front of the main courtyard at any time, so as to avoid finding Zhang Pinggui tied up in the west courtyard.
At this time, Zhou Shigong breathed a sigh of relief and said to his wife, Zhou Ma, "Take someone to the west courtyard to keep an eye on it in person. Jinpu is having a quarrel with his mother, and she can't make time for a while. Don't let anything happen." If someone comes close to report the news, I will be safe..."
(End of chapter)
