Living in the human world is not like the human world. The cold reality stings Zhu Yunwen's nerves.
The oldest of these girls was sixteen or seventeen years old, while the youngest was only seven or eight years old. There were actually twenty-seven children hidden in the narrow space!
Zhu Yunwen took a step closer and stretched out his hand, causing the girl to scream and hold her head trembling. When his hand touched the girl's head, the girl waved her arms in panic, then grabbed Zhu Yunwen's arm and was about to bite her.
"Danger!"
Xue Xia's sword was unsheathed and he took a step forward.
"Don't do it!"
Zhu Yunwen shouted coldly.
Xue Xia's footsteps stagnated, watching the girl bite Zhu Yunzhen's arm desperately, she couldn't help but feel anxious, holding the knife and not knowing what to do. Sun Dong and others also became nervous. The emperor was attacked, how could he still survive?
Zhu Yunwen felt the heartbreaking pain in his arm and looked at the girl's miserable eyes. At this moment, he seemed to see the most desperate, helpless and miserable struggle of a soul.
The girl bit hard and stared at Zhu Yunwen. Her whining and rapid breathing became the only sound in the cellar at this time.
"What's your name and how old are you?"
Zhu Yunwen asked in as gentle a voice as possible.
The girl's eyes flickered when she looked at Zhu Yunwen, and her tightly clenched mouth lost all strength, but she still didn't let go.
Zhu Yunwen stretched out his left hand, pushed aside the messy hair on the girl's forehead, and said softly: "I'll take you home to find your parents, okay?"
The girl opened her mouth and looked timidly with some doubts. The man in front of her was not as vicious as the man yesterday, and he didn't have a whip in his hand. He didn't seem to want to hit himself.
"Master?"
Xue Xia quickly went to Zhu Yunwen's side to check the injury.
Zhu Yunwen waved his hand, indicating that it was okay, looked around at the other women, and said: "Find some women to come over, give them a bath, get them dressed and eat well, and come see me later."
After saying that, Zhu Yunwen walked out of the cellar along the wooden ladder, opened his clothes, looked at the bloody tooth marks on his arm, and sighed.
"Some castration tools were found in the backyard, as well as fifteen eunuchs who were still unable to get out of bed and walk." Luo Xian hesitated and continued: "Some are prisoners of war."
Zhu Yunwen was stunned, looked at Luo Xian and asked: "Prisoners of war, where did they come from?"
Luo Xian felt a strong pressure, like the oppression before a storm, and quickly knelt down and said: "According to the eunuch's confession, they are Annan prisoners of war."
Zhu Yunzhen's face was frosty, his eyes were fierce, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Bring me Cui Niang, right here!"
Annan prisoners of war!
The war between Guangxi and Annan ended long ago. The captured Annan sergeants were naturally sent to the capital. According to the regulations of the imperial court, some of them became slaves and entered the mansions of various officials to work as laborers. Some were castrated and sent to various princes' palaces, and more The prisoners of war were arranged into the mines controlled by the royal family and were responsible for mining and transporting the ore.
No matter how the imperial court divides these prisoners of war, it is impossible for them to flow into the civilian population, let alone come to Hangzhou!
But they came and were castrated in a brothel. The castration itself meant that the buyer of these slaves was the royal palace. Who among ordinary officials would use eunuchs?
In other words, a prince in the Ming Dynasty took these prisoners of war away from Zhu Yunqi or other people, and sent them to Hangzhou far away from the capital for castration surgery at any cost. Serve.
Although Zhu Yunwen did not sympathize with the Annan prisoners of war, not all of them were castrated, but also the men of the Ming Dynasty. This was something Zhu Yunwen would never allow!
Cui Niang was escorted over, and Zhu Yunwen asked a few questions. Cui Niang was evasive and lied one after another. The suppressed violent emotions finally couldn't be restrained. Zhu Yunwen ordered: "Pinch off her fingers!"
The shrill screams could be heard far away, and the men and women in Cuijiang Tower were trembling and frightened. They wanted to leave, but couldn't.
The fingers are connected to the heart, and the pain pierces the heart and soul.
After all, Cui Niang was just a woman. After suffering such a brutal punishment and losing her hands, she couldn't bear it. She explained: "The adults in the capital asked us to do it."
Zhu Yunwen said coldly: "Which sir?"
Cui Niang groaned in pain and took a few breaths before saying, "We don't know his identity, we only know that he is a big shot and extremely powerful."
Zhu Yunwen stood up and walked towards Cui Niang and asked angrily: "You still haven't made it clear yet? Do you have to be cut into pieces by a thousand cuts?"
Cui Niang begged for mercy and cried: "Master, I really did not lie. Cuijiang Tower has a ledger, and every transaction is clearly recorded. However, we really don't know the identity of the other party."
Zhu Yunwen glanced at Sun Dong, and Sun Dong immediately asked where the account book was. After finding the account book, he handed it to Zhu Yunwen.
This is a three-finger-thick account book. After opening it, the time, number of people, location, amount, buyer, and even the cost of meals and gifts are all written clearly.
The earliest time is the 24th year of Hongwu, and the latest time is just last night!
A rough calculation shows that at least more than 200 women and more than 100 men were sold to various places through Cuijiang Tower.
The information of some buyers is very clear. In addition to local gentry, there are many court officials, such as Hangzhou Tongzhi Yao Jun, Huizhou government official Yang Wei, Suzhou general magistrate Hu Xin...
But when it comes to buyers in the capital, except for a few inconspicuous officials, there is only a large blank. Although the buying and selling process, transaction method, number of people, and location are recorded, the identity of the buyer is not recorded at all.
Zhu Yunwen looked at the names of local officials and was a little amazed at the ability of Cuijiang Tower.
You must know that when these officials kept slaves and bought maidservants, they most likely would not directly state their official status and leave others with clues. They probably bought them secretly, entrusted someone to buy them, or bought them from Erdao Ren Yazi. But no matter what, Cuijiang House has investigated its final buyer clearly, and this ability is not insignificant.
Zhu Yunwen didn't believe that a simple brothel could have such great energy, that it could reach out beyond Hangzhou, and even have their power in Suzhou, Huizhou, etc.
"Tell me, who is the master behind you?"
Zhu Yunwen asked.
Cui Niang broke out in a cold sweat, glanced at Zhu Yunwen with fear, and said: "I am the owner of Cuijiang Tower."
Zhu Yunwen sneered and said: "You are just a chess piece pushed to the front of the curtain. Such a big situation is not something you can control, tell me!"
Cui Niang didn't dare to speak.
Zhu Yunwen turned around, and the hand on his back moved slightly, and a shrill scream came from behind, until Cui Niang passed out, and someone fetched water and poured it on Cui Niang's head.
When Cui Niang woke up, she felt excruciating pain. It seemed like there were knives on her legs, cutting her bones all the time. When a foot stepped on the wound, Cui Niang fainted from the pain again.
"I said, I said, it's Li Qi."
Cui Niang woke up again and confessed before being tortured again.
"Li Qi?"
Zhu Yunwen frowned slightly, this name was a bit unfamiliar.
Xue Xia suddenly remembered, walked to Zhu Yunwen and whispered: "Your Majesty, this Li Qi should be the eldest son of Duke Han."
"Han-Guo Gong?"
Zhu Yunwen was stunned.
Han Guogong refers to Li Shanchang. As the first hero in the founding of the Ming Dynasty, he was named the head of the Duke. However, he was implicated in the Hu Weiyong case. More than 70 members of his family were executed. There was no reason to live. ?
Li Qi is not a ghost, he is really alive...
Zhu Yunwen only remembered that Li Shanchang's family was beheaded, and forgot the identity of Li Shanchang's son Li Qi. He was not only Li Shanchang's son, but also the husband-in-law of Princess Lin'an, the eldest daughter of Zhu Yuanzhang, and the prince-in-law.
Considering that his daughter would not become a widow, Zhu Yuanzhang did not execute Li Qi, but exiled him and Princess Lin'an to the south of the Yangtze River, in Lin'an County, Hangzhou.
After Xue Xia explained clearly to Zhu Yunwen, he added: "According to the imperial ban, Li Qi and Princess Lin'an cannot leave the place..."
Zhu Yunwen glanced at Xue Xia, was the ban really implemented back then?
Even if Li Qi did not leave Lin'an County, he might not be able to reach out to Lin'an County. Although Li Shanchang died, his relationships and connections in the court did not completely disappear. Li Shanchang was resourceful and might not have left any escape route. .
Li Shanchang died in the 23rd year of Hongwu. The account book of Ren Yazi dates back to the 24th year of Hongwu. If the person behind the scenes is really Li Qi, it means that he has already started planning something after arriving in Lin'an County, Hangzhou.
Not to mention a big conspiracy, at least they have bad intentions and dirty hands.
Zhu Yunwen looked at Qianhu Luo Xian of the Hangzhou Security Bureau with a cold face and ordered: "Detain Li Qi immediately and escort him to the capital secretly. Don't let the news leak out."
"As commanded."
Luo Xian hurriedly went to arrange it.
The focus of the Hangzhou Security Bureau is Hangzhou City, and it rarely pays attention to some inconspicuous counties. With an "invisible person" like Li Qi, even Zhu Yunwen can't remember his existence, and the people from the Security Bureau will not miss it. Go to him for no reason.
The girls who had been abducted or kidnapped walked into the room and kowtowed when they saw Zhu Yunwen sitting on it. Although they did not know Zhu Yunwen's identity, they saw Cui Niang who bullied them being beaten into a state of disgrace, and saw some thugs being tied up. , shivering, just like the feared self, left the dark and smelly cellar and put on clothes.
I don’t know what happened, I just know that my destiny has changed.
Zhu Yunwen knocked on the account book on the table and said: "Your origins are all here, both in Hangzhou Prefecture and outside Hangzhou Prefecture. No matter where you are from, someone will take you home."
Sun Dong arranged for someone to take out the package and said, "There are ten taels of silver in it for a change of clothes. Everyone can get it and leave. The carriage is ready outside."
"You are not selling us out, are you?"
A girl of about sixteen years old looked at Zhu Yunwen and others timidly, not daring to reach out to take the package.
Zhu Yunwen felt a little bitter and stood up and said: "Don't worry, they are from the Ming Dynasty Security Bureau. With them here, no one can hurt you. Let's go back to your parents."
The girls took the packages one after another, kowtowed deeply to Zhu Yunwen, and then left.
There were only three women left in the room, and one of them was the child who bit Zhu Yunwen.
Zhu Yunwen asked in confusion: "Why don't you leave?"
The girl lowered her head and said sadly: "We have no parents..."
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