Chen Mingxia's confession attitude was similar to that of Peng Bin, but slightly inferior to Ruan Dacheng, who had "the word begging for mercy written on his face", so the interrogation time was very short.
Besides, there is no need for Chen Tailai to talk nonsense to people who are willing to cooperate with him. With the same surname as Chen, it is already embarrassing enough to have such a scum.
As for the two suspects Wei Xuelian and Gong Dingzi, who were not well acquainted with each other, they had to go through the established procedures. This was considered a confession from the two.
It's not like these two people have never thought about fighting Wu Yingji, Yang Weidou and others to the end, but they have different identities from the other party, and they hold the title of Zhongliang.
What Ruan Dacheng said on the wall is quite reasonable. Individual situations are different, so how can we generalize?
Peng Bin and Chen Mingxia had already made it clear that they wanted to plead guilty, which was tantamount to surrendering to the emperor.
If you continue to insist on your own opinion, wouldn't it be equivalent to pushing yourself to the forefront?
These two cunning beasts dodged the falling knife at the critical moment, but the knife fell directly on their necks?
Fighting is fighting, Wei Xuelian and Gong Dingzi don't want to die easily, and they don't even want to try mining.
Even if you stay in Jiangnan and eke out a living, it is much better than going to mine. Is that work something that a scholar can do?
Ruan Dacheng's previous advice to the two of them was very clear, that is, if they want to survive, they must plead guilty.
He took benefits from merchants and accepted donations, and then went against the imperial court and the emperor for merchants who evaded taxes...
This kind of behavior is no different from what Donglu Xizuo did who was lurking in various parts of the Ming Dynasty, except for swearing allegiance to Huang Taiji.
The things he has done are enough to earn him the fate of being punished!
After much deliberation, Wei Xuelian and Gong Dingzi, who had suffered from headaches due to long-term insomnia, finally confessed with red eyes.
I hope that the court will take into consideration that he is not well-connected with the world, has made careless friends, and has been deceived by profiteers, so that he can be punished lightly. In the future, he will definitely change his past and start a new life.
"Hou Fangyu, you wrote in your essay on last year's test paper, 'The master believes deeply in his own wisdom, and likes to use it when he occasionally gets it. If he fails or loses it, he will be suspicious and throw away the blame. If you go on like this, there will be no one who is sincerely loyal to you. Is that so? 'I don't know how to explain this?"
During the rural examination, Hou Fangyu fiercely criticized Emperor Chongzhen. Later, the examiner gave him some mercy because his answers to other test questions were pretty good.
But this does not mean that this matter will not cause complications. Chen Tailai will bring up the old matter again and ask specifically to find out what Hou Fangyu's attitude towards His Majesty is.
"At that time, I just had a sudden surge of literary thoughts. Due to my physical discomfort, I did not estimate the actual situation, so I wrote this."
Hou Fangyu was a little scared when he heard that the chief judge actually mentioned this matter. Now that his father was dragged into prison by him, and if he insists on going his own way, he is afraid that both father and son will be questioned and executed. Let's find an excuse first.
"The ancestral system of this dynasty stipulates that members of the family are not allowed to speak ill of His Majesty. Have you forgotten?"
"I was dizzy and confused at the time. I hope the President will forgive me."
"There are many troublemakers outside the imperial city, and you participated in them and were arrested. How do you explain it?"
"The participants mentioned that the court wants to increase taxes and fees. I am curious and just watching the excitement, nothing more!"
The other party was aggressive, so Hou Fangyu could only tolerate it temporarily. It would be unwise to choose tit-for-tat at this time.
If you start fighting and arguing with Zuodu Yushi, I'm afraid nothing will end well in the end.
"Watching the excitement? Humph! Previously, the scholars jointly submitted a letter asking the court to reduce commercial taxes. Does it have your signature on it?"
"I'm just following the crowd, this is not what I want!"
"Is it possible that someone is deliberately intimidating you?"
"At that time, many scholars had signed. If I don't sign, I might be despised and scolded. It's just a false name, and the gain is really not worth the loss!"
"Is this what a student would do to wantonly attack the imperial court for the sake of his own reputation?"
"...I didn't read the full article at the time, I just listened to what others said, and that's why I acted like this!"
"Someone else? Who is it?"
"It's been a long time, I can't remember it clearly!"
"How long? It's related to the attack on the imperial court. The event is so important. It was only less than ten days ago, but you can't remember it clearly?"
"I am stupid and have a narrow vision, so I made a mistake!"
Hou Fangyu is not willing to bite others out easily, otherwise he will be as infamous as Ruan Dacheng.
If you can take it on yourself, take it on yourself. If you can't take it on yourself, try to find reasons to shirk it.
"Have you ever received silver coins from merchants?"
"Never accepted it!"
"Then where does the silver you need for your daily life come from?"
"Back to Zong Xian, firstly, this doesn't happen to me often, and secondly, I rely on friends to help me."
"Friends? Which friends? Sign up!"
"Yang Youlong!"
"Oh? How much money does this person give you?"
"No less than a hundred taels!"
"This person spends so much, where does the money come from?"
"Uh... I really don't know!"
"Come here, interrogate Yang Youlong!"
"yes!"
Hou Fangyu is a key criminal. Chen Tailai has naturally read Hou Fangyu's resume carefully many times. Because the factory guards also captured Yang Youlong this time, this can come in handy now.
"Yang Youlong, Hou Fangyu just said that you have done a lot for him, is this true?"
"Back to Zongxian, I have done so before!"
"How much is the total amount?"
"About a hundred taels!"
"Oh? Where did the money come from?"
"Back to Zongxian, my family is quite well off!"
Yang Youlong's family is different from Hou Fangyu. At least it is considered a big family in the local area. It is not as good as a wealthy family, but it can be regarded as pampered and well-off.
What's more, among the scholars, there are many scholars in similar situations to Hou Fangyu. As long as you spend generously, you can always make friends.
Hou Fangyu's father is the backbone of Donglin, which is what Yang Youlong likes. If one of his horses has a short stirrup, Hou Fangyu can repay the favor he owes him.
"I have known about your family's situation before. If you accept the donation, your annual income is only a few hundred taels. How can you spend a hundred taels of silver for you and Hou Fangyu to have fun on the flower boat? Let alone the total amount. Far more than that, right? I asked the boat owner that if she is a famous concubine on the Qinhuai River, she will spend no less than dozens of taels every time she meets her. According to this calculation, a hundred taels can only meet two or three times. Could it be that the two of you just go Only two or three times on the flower boat?"
"Going back to Zongxian, there are many people in Jiangnan Shilin who are in similar situations to those at home. Mr. Shoufu is one of them. I am not deliberately bringing up Shoufu to make excuses. I am just stating the truth. As for the flower boat, Mr. Li's name is Ji and Hou Fangyu fell in love at first sight, so they saved most of the money for the meeting, and the expense was unusually huge, less than ten taels."
Chen Tailai was able to ask about this matter, which showed that the other party was well prepared.
Yang Youlong thought of countermeasures when he was in prison, not only on his own part, but also on the parts of many friends.
You must first promise not to leak anything. If a friend bites you, you must try to make up for the gap to save the day.
Regarding the matter of accepting donations, since there is no way to cover it up, if I deny it, I will be even more passive if the Metropolitan Procuratorate coerces and lures the donors.
Instead of doing that, why not admit it directly? Since the situation is like this in the Chief Assistant's family, Chen Tailai can't avoid the more important issues during the trial, right?
As for the matter between Hou Fangyu and Li Xiangjun, there are many insiders. What Yang Youlong said is also in line with the actual situation. Li Xiangjun did not charge him much money.
Besides, it is impossible for Chen Tailai to interrogate Li Xiangjun, because this woman has been taken to Beidu by the factory guards sent by the prince.
Thinking about it this way, if Li Xiangjun couldn't bear the huge pressure and confessed, or if he and Hou Fangyu caused others trouble, he would feel bad.
"Did you know that accepting donations from others is a crime of tax evasion?"
"Before I went down, I saw that everything was like this, so I didn't think too much."
"Have you ever accepted gifts from merchants before?"
"Not really, but I have attended several banquets!"
"Do you know about Jiangnan merchants' tax evasion?"
"Never heard of it!"
"Why are you petitioning on behalf of the merchants?"
"I just think what the merchant said makes sense!"
"How can the merchant's words be justified?"
"I forgot!"
Chen Tailai didn't get any results until the end of his questioning. This person was clearly pretending to be confused and deliberately trying to prevaricate himself.
It is said that the flower boat cost a lot of money, and the real owner Li Xiangjun is in the hands of the prince. It is not easy to implicate him in the case, otherwise it will definitely go unsolved. Looking for the boat owner can only prove part of it.
When mentioning the matter of accepting the donation, this son also brought out his chief assistant Qu Shichun as a shield. Whether it was useful or not is not known, but at least it shows that this son intends to do something wrong without blaming the public.
Your Majesty's general idea is to deal with a few stubborn people, and just give a warning to most of the rest. If the punishment is based on the amount of donations received, I am afraid that many scholars and their families will have to be dealt with.
It has to be said that Yang Youlong's move was really wrong, and he was stuck in the best position.
Admit the parts you want to admit, and you won't be able to find relevant witnesses to confront the parts you don't want to admit...
Isn't this a rogue move?
That's right!
This is what Yang Youlong plans to do!
In the absence of external aid, this was the only way to protect himself and, if possible, save Hou Fangyu.
Hou Fangyu was very grateful that his friend took care of the money matter, otherwise something might have happened.
This is a huge favor, and I must repay it when I get the chance in the future.
Although this guy scored very low on many questions, he did not score zero after all. He was still far behind Li Zhan and others.
Yang Youlong didn't talk about righteousness or loyalty. He just talked about one thing and shied away the parts that couldn't be explained.
If other scholars were as smooth and smooth as Yang Youlong, it would be difficult for Chen Tailai to deal with him.
"Hou Fangyu, if you are pardoned by His Majesty, will you petition on behalf of the merchants again after you leave?"
"...I have no selfish motives, I just want to uphold justice!"
When Yang Youlong heard this, he secretly thought that something was wrong. This question should not be answered like this!
You're almost losing your head, but you're still trying to be fair?
I tried my best to protect you, but you were confused for a moment...
After Hou Fangyu finished speaking, he seemed to feel that something was wrong, and he felt a little regretful. His words should have been more tactful, but the words came out of his mouth and it didn't help.
"When someone comes, I will serve you with pen and ink. Hou Fangyu, write down the words you just mentioned!"
"Yang Youlong, what are your plans?"
"Back to the General Constitution, I will definitely not be involved in such matters in the future!"
Yang Youlong glanced at Hou Fangyu who had finished writing, and thought to himself that this is the appropriate answer!
Chaozong!
You have fallen into the other party's trap!
Hou Fangyu also saw a hint of concern and helplessness from Yang Youlong's seriousness, but he had finished writing it and could not change it.
"General Constitution, Emperor Chaozong also agreed with what I said below. I just didn't know how to word it, so I just said this. I hope the General Constitution will allow changes!"
Thinking of this, Yang Youlong also wanted to get a chance for his friend. No matter whether it worked or not, he would give it a try.
"I didn't ask you. You don't need to explain it. Just sign and fingerprint the confession!"
Hou Fangyu's previous answer was not much better than that of Yang Youlong. Chen Tailai was worried that he couldn't grasp the handle. How could Hou Fangyu be allowed to change his confession?
If it is changed to be more similar to Yang Youlong, how can we still sentence and convict him?
If I present it to His Majesty, His Majesty might mistakenly think that he is thinking about Hou Xun's relationship and is deliberately protecting Hou Fangyu.
After lunch, Chen Tailai and others came again to interrogate those "loyal and good people".
"Yang Weidou! Have you ever received gifts from merchants?"
"It's just a matter of being a person, not a gift! May I ask the President whether receiving a gift is considered a matter of being a person?"
Yang Weidou was already prepared to deal with the hawks and dogs sent by Hunjun. He would not directly admit any issue that was detrimental to him.
"Humans are wise? That's a good point! I'm asking you now, there's no need for you to ask questions back!"
"Hahahaha... It is clear that the president has a guilty conscience and has no answer! If you accept a gift, it is an illegal act and you will be severely punished. Otherwise, you will be treated as the same as me and treated as a human being."
Yang Weidou believes that one should not be too passive in making decisions, otherwise the opponent will definitely take control of one's actions and may even be able to take advantage of one's actions.
When we come up, we must turn against the enemy and use offense instead of defense. This is the best strategy.
"You are able to quibble and deny, saying that accepting gifts is a sign of worldliness, and shirk the crimes you have committed. Could it be that accepting donations at home is also a sign of worldliness?"
"That's it, the General Constitution is wise! Most of the families of scholars in the world accept donations. This is the style of the Ming Dynasty. Everyone here is like this. How can it be associated with crimes?"
Yang Weidou just doesn't want to admit it and directly links his actions to Shilin, leaving you helpless.
Having been defeated by Peng Bin in a previous quarrel, Yang Weidou was so angry that he wanted to strangle Peng Bin, the thief.
But arguing with Peng Bin was not without some gains. Everyone realized that the methods used to deal with Peng Bin could not deal with the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
Fortunately, everyone in the prison was able to brainstorm and come up with this solution.
Yang Weidou also listened to the advice of his friends, put away his upright nature, and planned to fight wits and courage with the Hunjun's hawks and dogs.
"Have the people who contributed to your family ever paid their taxes in full?"
"If everyone who contributes to your subordinates pays full tax, the people who contribute to you will do the same. On the contrary, the people who contribute to you will also follow suit, that's all!"
"..."
Chen Tailai suffered a loss with his mouth, but he could fight back with his hands.
It's not that I just hit this guy with the crime object, I can give this guy zero points for his answer!
OK!
They are all people named Yang, but you are actually more rogue than Yang Youlong, and you openly played this trick in the lobby of the Metropolitan Procuratorate.
This kind of scoundrel is Ming Zhongliang. That is really ridiculous!
"Do you know about businessmen evading taxes?"
"I only know that the imperial court used clever excuses to exploit the people!"
"Is this the reason why you petitioned for the merchants?"
"General Xian asked questions knowingly!"
"Peng Bin said in prison that you claim to be loyal and good. How loyal can you be?"
"If you denounce Donglu, you must be loyal. If you petition for Min, you must be good!"
"Why do you see it?"
"Why do disloyal people denounce Donglu? Why do unfaithful people petition for Min?"
"..."
He actually dared to play a word game with himself, just grinding in place. After hearing this, Chen Tailai couldn't help but feel a little angry.
"Now the merchants are threatening the court with a strike. What do you think?"
"I have no choice but to do it!"
"Did you know that merchants evaded taxes, causing the court to fail to make ends meet?"
"I only know that the imperial court used clever excuses to exploit the people!"
"..."
Why does this sound so familiar?
That's right!
Yang Weidou said this just now, word for word!
