Quanzhou government office, prison room.
Gu Zhengchen ordered Huang Ke to open Wu Kang's cell and walked in.
Wu Kang looked at Gu Zhengchen who walked in. He sat in the corner and did not get up. His eyes were cold: "Do you, the prefect Gu, come to see my abjection, or do you want to ask me something? If you want to see me abject, feel free to ask me questions. I will be honest now." I feel uncomfortable and don’t want to talk.”
Gu Zhengchen smiled indifferently and shook his head at the decadent Wu Kang: "If you want to ask questions, I can ask you up to the lobby. I just want to tell you that your good nephew Wu Yi told you everything you did. , the 20,000 taels of silver, 7,000 copper coins, and a bunch of overseas treasures that you hid outside the government office have also been confiscated."
Wu Kang raised his head and leaned his head against the wall, with a sad look on his face: "I raised him as a son and gave him four years of wealth. He wanted a mansion, and I ordered people to rob the big family. He wanted a woman, and I paid for it." I got him a plan, he wanted to do business, I bought a shop for him, and I agreed to whatever he wanted! But in the end, he treated me like this!"
Gu Zhengchen could understand Wu Kang's pain. No one would feel comfortable being betrayed or stabbed by the people closest to him.
For people like Wu Yi, Gu Zhengchen despises him from the bottom of his heart. At any rate, he will give him seventy or eighty sticks and accept some punishment before confessing. Now he has not been brought to court for interrogation. He is just being detained and is shouting to confess. This is because he is eager to be a "tainted witness" "Please find a way to survive.
Although Wu Yi was a villain, Gu Zhengchen still needed to thank such a villain. At least his existence made Wu Kang's evidence of crime clear and clear, and a lot of property was collected in the government office.
"Wu Tongzhi, can you tell me how you managed to collect nearly 30,000 yuan in such a poor place in Quanzhou Prefecture?"
Gu Zhengchen was shocked by the amount of corruption committed by these people.
In Quanzhou Prefecture, people's livelihood is in decline!
Some people outside Jinjiang City only eat one meal a day, which is thin porridge.
The family is scrimping on food and clothing just to survive!
But these officials not only eat well but also wear new clothes! You can also distribute the benefits to relatives and those who take action!
It's hard to imagine how a poor government could plunder so much money, and this is only Wukang's share. This doesn't count Yang Baiju, Qin Xin, Tang Xian and others, and it doesn't count what the local magistrates and counties plundered. That portion!
Wu Kang smiled and said to Gu Zhengchen: "If you squeeze in a poor place, oil and water can always be squeezed out. Didn't Magistrate Gu run a soybean oil workshop in Jurong? He should know that no matter how deflated the beans are, they can be squeezed out." There’s always some oil.”
Gu Zhengchen raised his eyebrows slightly: "You actually know about such a trivial matter in Jurong. It seems that you have put a lot of effort into investigating it."
Wu Kang dropped a hand on his knee: "We have investigated many things about you in Jurong, and we are ready for your arrival. It's just that you didn't show up at the right time step by step, but took the lead. Come here. We have always been unable to figure out how you came to Quanzhou Prefecture in such a short period of time. I didn’t understand until Navy Commander Chu Xing showed up."
Gu Zhengchen lowered his head and kicked the straw: "Yes, I borrowed the navy's boat."
Wu Kang sighed sadly.
Historically, when officials took office, they either walked or took carriages. They took the official road and stayed at the inn. If there was any movement, they would know it dozens of miles away. But Gu Zhengchen didn't take the usual route. When everyone was staring at the inn, he actually appeared walking to the shore.
Before all the planning and countermeasures could be carried out, Gu Zhengchen had already raised his stick. One blow of the stick could kill someone, shocking the entire Quanzhou Prefecture!
It is not without reason that we are in this situation today.
Wu Kang leaned his head against the wall, closed his eyes and asked: "Blatantly snatching the government seal letter is tantamount to rebellion. Gu Zhifu, aren't you afraid of death? When Gao Shenzheng comes to the government office, you can be sent to prison on this charge. Jinling!"
Gu Zhengchen turned around and walked towards the prison door: "You are in Gao Shenzheng, and I am the same. If there is a fatuous Shenzhen in Fujian, I will not have the courage to imprison him. When the time comes, let him be your companion. ,how?"
Bang.
The cell closed and the chains clattered.
Wu Kang's eyes widened and he stood up in shock and ran to the window, shouting to Gu Zhengchen outside: "Who are you and why did you come to Quanzhou Prefecture?"
"Who am I? Haven't you investigated thoroughly enough?"
Gu Zhengchen took out a stack of paper from his sleeve and shook it: "I'm very curious, who did you get such detailed information through? They even wrote down clearly about my breeding and selling fertilizers in Jurong, and even Yes, even the detailed process of the Guo family's major case is appended. Wu Tongzhi, tell me, this kind of information is not something that ordinary businessmen can master, right?"
"Is it the garrulous supervisory censor at the Censor's Office, or are there people from you in the Ministry of Punishment? For putting so much effort into investigating me, I naturally need to respond clearly. There are some things you shouldn't do. If you do, you need to bear the consequences."
Wu Kang didn't expect that Gu Zhengchen would even get these materials. He took a step back and hid in the dark. It wasn't until Gu Zhengchen walked away that he sat down feebly and murmured in a low voice: "We are in big trouble."
Gu Zhengchen walked to the cell where the prosecutor Wang Xinqian was staying and said in a deep voice: "Bring Wang Xinqian to trial!"
Huang Ke immediately ordered the jailer to open the door.
Gu Zhengchen was about to go back to the lobby when he saw Zhang Pei coming in a hurry and couldn't help but frown slightly.
Qin Song came closer and whispered: "Master, Yan Sangsang has come to the government office."
"What brings her here?"
Gu Zhengchen asked doubtfully.
Qin Song shook his head: "She said she would only speak when she saw the Palace Master. But seeing that she looked panicked, had a sad look on her face, and her clothes were a little tattered, she seemed to be very anxious about something."
Gu Zhengchen looked at Wang Xinqian who came out, and his expression changed: "We will interrogate him later!"
Wang Xinqian didn't know why. He just took a breath of fresh air outside and was sent back again.
Gu Zhengchen arrived at the second hall and saw Yan Sangsang walking around. Before he could speak, he saw Yan Sangsang's eyes were red and tears were flowing from his eyes.
This was the first time Gu Zhengchen saw Yan Sangsang shed tears. ..??m
She didn't shed tears when she was almost beaten to death by a slap from Xiao Cheng, and she didn't shed tears when she was almost killed by an arrow when she was fighting in Shuangxi Kou.
But now, she was crying.
"What happened?"
Gu Zhengchen asked quickly.
Yan Sangsang opened his mouth, tears falling on his lips: "Lin Zhuo, he is dead."
Gu Zhengchen was shocked.
A few days ago, when the sergeant pretended to be a pirate and burned Shuangxi Kou, Lin Zhuo was still fine. When he was in Luoyang Town, there was nothing wrong with Lin Zhuo. How long had it been before he suddenly disappeared?
"what is going on?"
Gu Zhengchen felt that something was unusual. If Lin Zhuo died of illness, a person with Yan Sangsang's temperament would not be so sad and out of character!
Yan Sangsang raised his hand, wiped away his tears, and bit his lip: "Lin Zhuo died in front of Lin Chengyi..."
Gu Zhengchen's heart tightened.
Lin Chengyi has always been closest to Lin Zhuo. Now that Lin Zhuo is gone, I am afraid that there is one less pillar to support her!
"Wait, you mean, someone pushed Lin Zhuo towards the drunk Wang Chi?"
Gu Zhengchen stared.
Yan Sangsang nodded heavily: "That's true! Lin Chengyi and I saw with our own eyes that a man wearing a white curtain pushed Lin Zhuo who was avoiding Wang Chi! Only then did Wang Chi overwhelm Lin Zhuo .”
Gu Zhengchen's face became solemn: "You mean, Lin Zhuo's death was not an accident, but a carefully designed murder?"
Yan Sangsang said eagerly: "There is no accident in deliberately pushing people!"
Gu Zhengchen couldn't figure it out and asked, "What's the motive? Lin Zhuo is just an old man and the head of the village in Shuangxikou. He has never offended anyone. Who would want the life of an old man?"
Yan Sangsang shook his head and shouted loudly: "I don't know, but I know that this must be murder! Gu Zhengchen, if you don't investigate clearly and give Lin Zhuo justice, Lin Chengyi will hate you!"
Gu Zhengchen hesitated.
Now that both Qin Xin and Wu Kang have been imprisoned, it is the best time to sharpen the knife, collect evidence, and prove the charges. It is also the best opportunity to make breakthroughs in the interrogation. At this point, he suddenly left the government office and went to Luoyang Town. When Gao Huigao returned from participating in politics, he could not present ironclad evidence or give complete evidence, so things would be difficult to handle.
"It's about human life, why are you still hesitating?"
Yan Sangsang became anxious.
Gu Zhengchen walked to the desk and sat down, holding a copper coin between his fingers, and said slowly: "If Lin Zhuo was murdered, there must be a reason."
Yan Sangsang stamped his feet: "That's why I came to find you to find out the truth!"
Coins flipped.
Gu Zhengchen frowned.
Assuming that Lin Zhuo was murdered and died, what was their purpose?
money?
Lin Zhuo's family had mostly stones and no money.
Vendetta?
I have never heard of Lin Zhuo having any enemies. He was a former official. He was well-rounded and would not offend anyone easily.
Not for money, not for revenge, it can't be a random killing, right?
Murder to pay for life, debt to pay back money, these are the simplest values. Who is willing to risk his life because of an old man who is about to die?
Yan Sangsang looked at Gu Zhengchen who was silent in thought, stepped forward and slapped a hand on the table: "You know what Lin Chengyi is thinking, you know that she has lost the most important person now, and this is murder, Yu Qing, Yu Li, you should go to Luoyang Town immediately!"
Gu Zhengchen looked at Yan Sangsang, stood up and said, "Go to Luoyang Town immediately? This is the consequence of Lin Zhuo's death! Lin Zhuo's death is probably not due to the cause, but to the result!"
Yan Sangsang looked confused. He didn't know what Gu Zhengchen was talking about, what the reason was, and what the result was. He had no idea at all.
Gu Zhengchen clenched his fists, and his slightly narrowed eyes showed murderous intent.
If this speculation is true, then Lin Zhuo's death was just for him, and it was a trick to get him to leave Jinjiang City! They didn't want Lin Zhuo's life, but they didn't want them to interrogate Qin Xin, Wu Kang and others!
At present, there are no officials in the government office except myself. The only one who can interrogate and question is me. This means that everything must be done by myself and I cannot leave the government office easily.
But Lin Zhuo died, most likely because of himself!
This matter cannot be ignored!
