Psychological Warfare

"Smack!"

County Magistrate Zhu slammed his gavel down again and shouted, "You said you saw a dark figure kill him, then climb over the wall and leave. Why, when the constables searched the flowerbed beneath the wall today, were there no footprints, nor any signs that the flowers and plants had been trampled?"

Lady Yang of the Zhang Household froze, her pretty almond eyes darting around. "Th-this..."

Zhang Xian immediately said, "My lord, how would my mother know how the thief slipped into the residence? If the county constables cannot find out, you cannot pin the blame on my mother and me."

Mother and son, my ass. Could you not insult those words? Xu Qi'an couldn't listen anymore.

County Magistrate Zhu flew into a rage. "What a glib tongue! Guards, torture him."

Interrogations these days generally went like this: relentless questioning and torture. In the absence of evidence, there was no other way.

As a result, people were often beaten into making false confessions.

But there was nothing to be done. Gathering evidence was extremely difficult, and there was a lack of equipment and professional expertise. Torture thus became an indispensable part of the process.

It had its advantages and disadvantages.

Zhang Xian shouted, "My lord, are you trying to beat a confession out of me? My uncle serves as a jishizhong in the Ministry of Rites. Are you not afraid of impeachment?"

The so-called uncle was actually a distant relative beyond the five degrees of mourning. But though their blood ties were distant, their relationship was close, because the Zhang family often provided that relative with benefits.

That struck right at the heart of the matter. County Magistrate Zhu's brows twitched. He knew the Zhang family had a bit of backing.

"You dare threaten this official? Guards, give him twenty strokes."

Four yamen runners stepped forward. Two crossed their staves around Zhang Xian's neck to hold him down, while the other two pulled down his trousers. The runners began beating him hard, and the sound of blow after blow rang through the courtroom.

Zhang Xian screamed hoarsely.

County Magistrate Zhu's face was grim. Twenty strokes were not enough to make a man confess to murder. Fifty might do it, but they might also beat him to death.

Moreover, even if Zhang Xian confessed, once the case was submitted to the Ministry of Punishments, he might still have the verdict overturned. After all, he had a relative who was a jishizhong.

When that happened, the magistrate might instead find himself branded as someone who had beaten a false confession out of a suspect.

While Zhang Xian was pinned to the ground and beaten, Xu Qi'an beckoned to the attendant standing beside County Magistrate Zhu.

The attendant hesitated, silently stepped back a few paces, then jogged over.

"Pass on a message for me. Ask the magistrate to recess court for now. I have an idea," Xu Qi'an said quietly.

"What idea could you possibly have? Don't talk nonsense and drag me down with you." The attendant looked unconvinced.

"We're not getting anywhere with the questioning anyway. His lordship is riding a tiger and can't get off now. He'll agree. I'll buy you a drink afterward," Xu Qi'an said.

"All right."

The attendant hurried over to County Magistrate Zhu and whispered a few words in his ear. The magistrate immediately turned to look in Xu Qi'an's direction.

After a moment's thought, he looked away and struck the gavel. "Take the two of them into custody for now. Court is recessed."

The inner hall.

County Magistrate Zhu picked up the hot tea a maid had served him and took a sip.

Xu Qi'an, who had spent several years in the system and had a partial understanding of official etiquette, immediately picked up his own tea and took a small sip.

"Xu Ningyan, what idea do you have?"

Xu Qi'an was surprised by County Magistrate Zhu's attitude. He was unexpectedly mild and put on no official airs.

As Xu Qi'an recalled, County Magistrate Zhu was never so polite to the yamen clerks. Could it be that his face had grown better-looking after he transmigrated?

"I can give it a try."

"Without torture?"

"Naturally."

County Magistrate Zhu grew even more curious. He set down his teacup and looked at him. "Let's hear it."

You wouldn't understand game theory anyway, so what the hell is there to say? Xu Qi'an smiled. "Allow me to keep you in suspense, my lord. Just wait for good news."

Yang Zhenzhen had been brought to a quiet holding room. Her moist eyes darted around, and she could neither sit nor stand at ease.

She had thought the yamen staff would make things difficult for her, but instead they had left after bringing her here. Even so, that did nothing to ease her unease.

"Creak."

The wooden door opened, and a young man in a constable's uniform walked in. He was tall and upright, with strong facial lines and fairly handsome features.

"Don't be nervous. Let's just have a chat." The young man even brewed some tea, smiling broadly. "You can call me Officer Xu."

Xu Snake?

Unaccustomed to such fine treatment, Yang Zhenzhen said nothing and watched him warily.

Xu Qi'an was also studying the beautiful woman. As expected of a woman who had caught a wealthy man's eye, she was naturally beautiful, though her looks fell a notch short of his aunt's.

She was also a fine age. In his previous life, a woman of thirty was at her ripest and juiciest.

"Looking at all the gold and silver you're wearing, Zhang Yourui treated you quite well," Xu Qi'an said, opening the conversation.

Yang Zhenzhen neither agreed nor disagreed.

"Actually, I think, given your age, if you couldn't get pregnant after all these years, the problem was most likely Zhang Yourui," Xu Qi'an said.

Yang Zhenzhen had expected an interrogation, but to her surprise, the young man's manner and tone were unusually gentle.

He was different from the officials she remembered.

What was more, when a woman couldn't get pregnant, the blame was usually placed on her. Xu Qi'an's words were pleasant to hear. She slowly let down her guard and whimpered:

"It was all my fault. My belly failed me. It took me so many years to conceive, and my husband happened to be murdered just then."

As she spoke, her eyes reddened again.

"The dead cannot be brought back to life," Xu Qi'an said in consolation, then asked, "Did Zhang Yourui visit brothels often?"

"Of course he did," she said. "From ancient times to the present, what wealthy or high-ranking man hasn't visited brothels?"

Damn, watch what you say. Over fifty and a frequent visitor to brothels, his treasury was empty. I can almost be certain the child in your belly belongs to Old Wang next door. Girls who love nightclubs never lack for pregnancy luck. The same goes for young wives left alone in an empty bed.

"I suddenly understand you quite well." Xu Qi'an clicked his tongue twice. "Zhang Yourui was past fifty and neglected you while he lingered in brothels. It was only natural for a red apricot to reach over the wall."

"But killing someone was wrong."

Yang Zhenzhen's expression changed slightly. "I don't know what you're talking about, officer."

Xu Qi'an smiled. "I've read the case file. That Zhang Xian was a full seven years younger than you."

Yang Zhenzhen's face stiffened. "What do you mean by that, officer?"

Xu Qi'an sneered. "You were an eagle eating a little chick."

"I don't understand." This time, Yang Zhenzhen really didn't understand.

"Then let's talk about something you do understand." Xu Qi'an's voice turned stern. "Lady Yang of the Zhang Household, you were left alone in an empty bed and couldn't bear the loneliness. So you seduced your stepson and committed a shameless, immoral act."

"On the night of the incident, you took advantage of Zhang Yourui's trip to the countryside to collect rent and had a tryst with your stepson. But Zhang Yourui returned early and caught the two of you in the act. Father and son began fighting, and you smashed Zhang Yourui to death from behind with a vase."

"To cover up your crime, you dragged Zhang Yourui's body into the courtyard and made it look like a thief had robbed and murdered him. Zhang Xian deliberately left footprints on the wall to support your story."

Yang Zhenzhen's face went deathly pale, and she stared at Xu Qi'an in disbelief.

"I didn't! I've been wronged!" Yang Zhenzhen shouted, clenching her hands into fists, her palms slick with sweat.

She's panicking. Xu Qi'an, who had devoted considerable effort to studying interrogation, put away his gentle manner. His face was expressionless, with an air of indifference as he said:

"Aren't you curious how I know everything so clearly? Because Zhang Xian has already confessed."

That's impossible... Such a thought flashed through Yang Zhenzhen's eyes. Her face grew a few shades paler, but she forced herself to remain calm and still refused to admit it. "I've been wronged."

"Do you think your lover could never confess?" Xu Qi'an's face remained expressionless.

Though he had not threatened her with harsh words or a fierce expression, the beautiful woman felt increasingly uneasy.

"Because you thought your arrangements were seamless, when in fact they were full of holes."

"Zhang Xian only left footprints on the wall going out, but none from entering the residence. If the thief had decent movement skills, then his potential would have been even more likely to emerge as he fled, and he wouldn't have left footprints at all. That's the first point."

"Second, Zhang Yourui died from a blow by a blunt object, not a sharp weapon. Under Great Feng law, anyone who enters another's home at night without cause shall receive eighty strokes. If the homeowner kills the intruder on the spot, the killing shall not be prosecuted." Xu Qi'an tapped the table.

"Tell me, what thief breaks into a home without a weapon? And yet Zhang Yourui died from a blunt object."

Yang Zhenzhen's face went blank.

"I'm not finished yet." Xu Qi'an sneered. Having broken through Yang Zhenzhen's psychological defenses, it was time for the killing move.

Thanks to "Neil_LY" for the alliance leader reward. There will be an extra chapter after the book goes on sale.