The next day, after breakfast, Mr. Guo was walking in the yard to eat. When he saw An Ying coming out, he said, "Miss An, you come out to eat too."
"Ah, I'm just hanging out. When are you going to interrogate Luo Qiaoniang? Is it almost time?"
"Wait a minute, I asked Xiao Yi to arrange for someone to let them know that Luo Youde was dying after lunch, and also let them know that Luo Youde took care of him when he first went to prison. , so that they can stay comfortably in the prison. Now that Luo Youde is gone, according to the normal situation in the prison, they will definitely not be able to bear it and will only think about Luo Youde's good future."
"Mr. Guo really understands people's hearts and handles interrogations very well. It's amazing." An Ying sighed.
"Where, where. I have handled cases for so many years, but it is just the experience I have accumulated. Miss An is very young and has a good way of thinking about things." Guo Langzhong smiled and stroked his beard, and there was a major breakthrough in the case. , I am in a very good mood, and this girl is a good seedling, and she comes from a merchant family. If she is willing to go to the Ministry of Punishments in the future, good training will be a big help in the future. Thinking of this, she said: "What are Miss An's plans for the future? What are your father's future plans?" After you are released from prison, what are you going to do next? Or open a tea shop and sell tea soup?"
"Our family has been making tea since my grandfather, and we don't know how to make other businesses. I plan to open our shop to the capital when this matter is over, and bring my brothers and sisters over."
"Miss An is very capable, but do you want to work in the Ministry of Justice?" Guo Langzhong asked.
An Ying said in surprise: "Can I work in the Criminal Department? I have never seen a woman doing this in the government office?"
"Don't you know? That's right. You are young, so it's normal for you not to know. Since the founding of our country, we have encouraged women to go to school and also allowed women to engage in civil service. Didn't you also go to school when you were a child? Now let's talk about the three divisions Inside, there are about a dozen female officials."
"I see, I have never seen a woman on duty in Huzhou. When I was a child, I went to the public school in the village. I was educated and became literate. From then on, my mother taught me step by step. I didn't know that there were so many in the capital. Women work as servants in the government." An Ying said as he thought, this world is really not bad, no wonder Mrs. Yuanwailang can sit together with adults to discuss matters.
"It is true that there are fewer women working as servants in Zhejiang and Fujian, but the daughter of the Qian family in Qiantang Mansion here works as a waiter in Zhaowen Hall. She must be very famous. Haven't you heard of it?"
An Ying shook her head in confusion, thinking, isn't the Qian family Mrs. Shen's natal family? I've never heard of this before.
"Then you have lost the news. This money is waiting to be used to make outstanding literary talent and become famous all over the world." Guo Langzhong shook his head and said: "Some of the women who work as servants in the capital are from official families, and some are the daughters of common people. They can be paid by the court." There are some subsidies for salaries and festivals, and many daughters of ordinary people go to the gate of Jiu Temple every year to see the recruitment notices and want to get in through connections. Miss An is very suitable for our Criminal Department, you can consider it."
The two chatted for a while and then went to work. An Ying had a lot of confessions to transcribe, while Guo Langzhong had to continue writing case files. They were busy until they finished eating at noon and started preparing to interrogate Luo Qiaoniang.
This is the third time An Ying meets Luo Qiaoniang. The first time in the Zheng family's teahouse, Luo Qiaoniang was a beautiful woman who looked forward to her glory. The confidence and arrogance in her gestures made her look particularly charming. The second time in the interrogation hall, even though Luo Qiaoniang had used torture. , but the arrogance in her eyebrows remained unabated. Later I found out that the truth from the interrogation was just her method, and I admired her courage even more. But this time, Luo Qiaoniang looked terrified and at a loss.
"Luo Qiaoniang, the prison master came to report that you asked Mr. Su many times. What do you have to say? But having said that, all the things you explained before have been investigated. The workshop where you conducted poisoning experiments has also been investigated. Found it. We have also found out about the Zheng family and your Luo family. Your previous explanation can turn us around. "
"Sir, my eyes were covered with a cloth before. I thought I was walking steadily, but in fact, I was walking into an abyss. If you have found the workshop where I poisoned my experiments, there are records of my poisoning experiments there. The weight of the poison I pinched it accurately, I didn't intend to poison the noble man, I just made him catch a cold and cough."
Guo Langzhong sneered and said, "Luo Qiaoniang, you are still so naive until now."
Luo Qiaoniang knew what Guo Langzhong meant. She knew it when she poisoned her. She didn't want to talk about her own affairs anymore and asked again: "I know that sin is not a pity. I want to know before I die, what will the forty or so people in Shuanglin Village do?" What kind of punishment will be imposed? What about my husband and daughter?"
"In the past few days, you have asked to see me many times despite being whipped. Is this just what you want to ask?"
"I just want to know how we should convict according to the laws of Daqi? If you can tell me, sir, I will tell you everything in the case." Luo Qiaoniang leaned down and kowtowed.
"Logically speaking, we shouldn't tell the criminals involved how to decide this case, but now that the case is basically clear, it doesn't hurt to talk to you. According to the laws of Daqi, smuggling tea will all punish the three tribes. Since the founding of Taizu, all the former The torture methods of the imperial dynasty were reduced by half, but several major evils were still used to punish the three tribes, and private tea was one of them."
"Then we were blackmailed by He Qing into making private tea. Shouldn't our crime be reduced by one level?"
"Luo Qiaoniang, this kind of case involving the murder of the royal family usually does not need to go through the Ministry of Punishment. The Holy Emperor was once furious in the court. If Master Su had not tried his best to persuade him, find out the facts of the case and impose a sentence of Daqi Law, there would have been palace officials and various officials involved in the case. Hundreds of tea farmers will be hanged or exiled. As a poisoner, you are originally a felony for murdering the royal family, and smuggling tea is just an added crime. Although your Luo family was coerced by He Qing, these seven families in Shuanglin Village All tea households participate voluntarily. Moreover, over the past ten years, your Luo family has long been intertwined with He Qing. Coercion alone is not the whole story. According to your father's account, he has also discussed with He Qing many times to improve tea cakes. Price, this is actually a cooperative transaction. By the way, your father said that you will keep the account books of transactions with He Qing over the years, where do you keep them? "
"That's not right. I read the Daqi Law before, and the secretary of the Huzhou government office pointed to the terms and conditions there and told me." Luo Qiaoniang said nonchalantly: "Where did I go wrong? Did I remember it wrong? That's not right. I asked in detail, and I even asked my husband. How could it be?"
Because Luo Qiaoniang was being interrogated alone, there were only a few guards in the hall who came to give advice. An Ying caught Guo Langzhong's look, walked over, knelt down and said to Luo Qiaoniang: "You said the secretary of the Huzhou government told you Da Qi Lu, please tell us the situation in detail, and we will help you listen. Also, you said that you asked your husband, that is, Zheng Ping, how did you ask? These things are very important, now You also want to figure out the case, right? If you hand over the account books to Mr. Guo, it can be regarded as a meritorious service. Your daughter might still have a chance."
"Aren't you that girl from the An family? Why are you here?" Luo Qiaoniang saw An Ying clearly.
"Because of my father's affairs, I am now helping people from the Ministry of Justice. Today I was specially asked to listen to the interrogation." An Ying said softly, but in his heart he was thinking that Luo Qiaoniang could still remain vigilant at this moment, and asked herself why A man of strong mind.
"You are a teahouse girl, but you have a place to talk." Luo Qiaoniang raised her eyes and looked at Guo Langzhong and said: "If the official gives me an accurate answer, my poor little girl can escape death. Today, whether it is the account books or the case, I will Tell it in detail, without any concealment or deception."
"You are so bold, Luo Qiao Niang, that you dare to bargain in the hall." Guo Langzhong shouted, and Luo Qiao Niang was so shocked that she no longer dared to look at her and leaned down on the ground. "Do you know that your father has already confessed everything, and interrogating you is just to supplement the details of the case. As for the account books, your Zheng family, An family and Shuanglin Village are all under the control of Mr. Chen. If you are willing to confess, give it to everyone Save yourself the trouble, I will naturally seek a favor for your little girl, but it is not a handle for you to blackmail."
An Ying looked at Guo Langzhong and nodded, then whispered to Luo Qiaoniang: "Now that the Zheng family's property has been sealed off, your little daughter was taken to your maternal grandfather's house. I heard that your stepdaughter went to your maternal grandfather's house several times. The family wants to take the daughter of the Zheng family back. If you cooperate well, when the trouble comes to the county government, it will be awarded to your maternal grandfather's family. If you continue to push back, the daughter will be awarded to the Zheng family, and you will probably not be able to live in peace. "These words are not unkind, because Xiaoyi had investigated the situation of the Zheng family before, and Luo Qiaoniang was very mean to the eldest daughter left behind, and Zheng Ying was not a kind person. These two people were behind the Zheng family. There was a lot of fighting in the house. If Luo Qiaoniang's little daughter is handed over to Zheng Ying, she doesn't even know if she can survive until the case is settled.
After An Ying finished speaking, he felt uncomfortable. He didn't expect that he would be such a villain.
Luo Qiaoniang looked at An Ying in shock and anger and said, "You vicious girl, you are threatening me. You are threatening a three-year-old child, do you have any kindness at all?!" After that, she spat.
An Ying hated this kind of person, who tortured her and interrogated her with the most brutal methods. She didn't dare to hate or complain, and vented all her anger on people weaker than herself.
"How powerful do you think you are? You sacrificed your own life to save your sister, and then successfully dragged down an official like He Qing." An Ying looked at Luo Qiaoniang who was pinned to the ground by the guards, her eyes red, and continued to add Huo said: "You almost killed hundreds of people with this poisoning, including my father! There are also several other tea houses in Huzhou Prefecture. Aren't we innocent? Your three-year-old daughter wanted someone else. What about other people’s children? You selfish fool, you are still trying to bargain with the little things you have in your hand. You were harmed and thought you were extremely smart. Now you should beg for help. Let's help you find out who wants to harm you? Don't die like a fool."
After hearing this, Luo Qiaoniang lay on the ground and sobbed for a long time. An Ying signaled the guards on both sides to let go and said: "If you really want to consider your little daughter, you should cooperate well."
"You said someone was harming me, are you saying that Secretary Cheng of Huzhou Prefecture deliberately misled me?" Luo Qiaoniang barely supported herself, her body still trembling.
"I'll say what I just said again. You answer our questions, not ask us." An Ying stared at Luo Qiaoniang and said, "I'll ask again, where are the account books?"
Luo Qiaoniang was silent for a long time and said: "I wrapped the account books into tea cakes and placed them in the warehouse behind Zheng's tea house. I marked the wrapping with red dots on the bamboo leaves."
