"Ah... ah... I told you everything... ah..."
Leaping firelight illuminated the gloomy cells, and wretched screams like those of pigs being slaughtered rose one after another.
Yang Ge sat in the head jailer's duty room, reading through the offending officials' freshly obtained confessions. In the flickering firelight, the Prison Ox embroidered on his uniform seemed to come alive, sinister and savage.
"Sir."
Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Qin entered with a bow, wiping his blood-drenched hands. He cupped his fists and said quietly, "They're all sticking to their stories. Whatever we ask, they shove the blame onto Jiangzhe's left and right administration commissioners..."
Yang Ge gave him a sidelong glance.
Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Qin hastily lowered his head.
Yang Ge withdrew his gaze, selected two confessions from the desk, and placed them before him. "Use a heavy hand on these two. Break through on the smuggling angle... if they die, I'll take responsibility!"
Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Qin picked up the two confessions. One belonged to Liu Yaozu, the salt transport commissioner of Jiaxing Prefecture who had murdered an entire household to seize their property. The other belonged to Gong Qing, the deputy prefect of Ningbo Prefecture who had ordered the Long Wind Gang to seize three thousand mu of farmland the previous year.
"This..."
Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Qin hesitated, holding the two confessions, caught between a rock and a hard place.
Without turning his head, Yang Ge tapped the desk. "Are you afraid I'll sell you out, or that I can't shoulder the consequences?"
Deputy Thousand-Household Commander Qin hastily replied, "I wouldn't dare, sir. It's just..."
He lowered his voice and said softly, "Sir, once these people fall into our Embroidered Uniform Guard's hands, they're bound to take three rolls over the bed of nails. But if someone dies, that's another matter...