Ironclad evidence

He subtly scrutinized Xu Qi'an, noticing his tense body and forced smile, and reassured him, "I'm just following orders to take you back for questioning; I don't know the specifics. However, you're paid to do what's right. Once you're at the yamen, remember this: don't hide what you should say, and don't say what you shouldn't say, even if you're beaten to death."

"Damn it. Don't I know this myself? It's not even worth thirty taels of silver, you piece of shit! What's the difference between this and a half-hearted excuse like 'we've already asked the relevant departments to handle it'?" Xu Qi'an really wanted to slap the squinty-eyed man to death, but he didn't dare.

The carriage traveled through bustling markets and long streets, arriving at the Nightwatchers's office at the beginning of the morning.

Xu Qi'an jumped off the carriage and, escorted by two Nightwatchers, entered the prestigious government office.

Its office space was converted from two courtyards with three entrances each. The pavilions stood tall, and Nightwatchers dressed in black with copper gongs tied to their belts went in and out. They had stern expressions and an imposing presence.

I wonder if I'll be sent to the Nightwatchers's prison, a place that eats people alive. Let's wait and see. I'm a law-abiding citizen, I haven't broken the law. Xu Qi'an took a deep breath to calm his anxious heart.

Before long, he was led into a small courtyard.

Two Nightwatchers stood at the courtyard gate. After exchanging greetings, the squinty-eyed man stopped at the gate and chuckled, "Go in. Good luck."

After saying that, he left with his serious-looking companion.

Xu Qi'an was led inside. Two Nightwatchers pushed open the door and said coldly, "Go in."

This is an interrogation room. Various torture instruments are displayed in the corner, and there is an empty long table in the center.

The presiding officer did not appear.

Xu Qi'an didn't dare sit down, and stood in the room, wondering why the Nightwatchers had come looking for him.

But before he could think any further, footsteps approached, and someone entered the courtyard.

The door opened, and two middle-aged men with silver gongs embroidered on their chests walked in.

Xu Qi'an's muscles tensed instantly as he quickly glanced at the two silver gongs, and was surprised to find that one of them was actually an old acquaintance.

He had a high nose bridge, deep-set features, and slightly light-colored pupils, indicating he was half southern barbarian.

It was the same silver gong I had seen in the back hall of the government office during the tax silver case.

"We meet again." Li Yuchun nodded, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

The two silver gongs sat behind the table, their expressions serious, their sharp eyes scrutinizing Xu Qi'an.

"I will ask you questions, and you will answer them. If you lie, you will be severely punished," the unfamiliar silver gong said in a deep voice.

"Yes." Xu Qi'an's heart sank. These two were looking at him like he was a prisoner.

Li Yuchun frowned. "Before answering a question, straighten your clothes; it's basic etiquette."

Xu Qi'an then realized that his clothes were too loose and asymmetrical. It was because he had secretly taken out silver notes in the carriage.

After he tightened his clothes, Li Yuchun's expression relaxed slightly, as if a worry had been resolved.

The unfamiliar silver-gong-wielding man asked, "Do you know that the mastermind behind the tax silver case is the former Vice Minister Zhou?"

Xu Qi'an answered truthfully, "I heard it from Caiwei, a young lady from the Bureau of Astronomy."

"So you know that Zhou Li's actions against you are also out of revenge."

I've got it.

Xu Qi'an kept the squinty-eyed youth's advice firmly in mind: he would never hide anything that needed to be said. The day the white-clad Bureau of Astronomy rushed into the Ministry of Justice to save him was witnessed by everyone and could not be denied.

It's better to admit it openly; it makes one appear magnanimous and upright.

"Do you know that Zhou Li wants to kill you?"

"Know."

"So, to avoid retaliation from the Zhou family, you kidnapped the illegitimate daughter of the Marquis of Weiwu and framed Zhou Li." The unfamiliar silver-clad man's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

As expected, Xu Qi'an remained completely calm about this matter, even showing a degree of bewilderment and panic at being wrongly accused. "I don't understand what you're saying, sir."

"On the day the Marquis of Weiwu's illegitimate daughter was abducted, you were not on duty at the Changle County government office. Where did you go?"

"This lowly man has gone to the brothel to listen to music. He has indeed neglected his duty, frequently sneaking off to the brothel to listen to music."

The Head Constable Wang and other clerks can attest to this, because that's how everyone slacked off.

Besides, what does it have to do with you Nightwatchers if Kuaishou from my Changle County skips work to go to brothels?

"Then how do you explain the certificate? The records of the government issuing certificates show that you went to the inner city multiple times," Li Yuchun said in a deep voice.

"I'm innocent!" Xu Qi'an exclaimed, his eyes wide with fervor as he defended himself, "I've never been to the inner city, nor have I ever obtained any credentials from the yamen."

They're trying to frame me. I got my entry into the inner city with a special permit; I'm perfectly clean. And the person who arranged it is Yang Ling. What does that have to do with me, Xu Qi'an?

The two silver gongs interrogated Xu Qi'an for a while, but failed to find any clues in his words.

They exchanged a glance, seemingly somewhat surprised.

When it comes to interrogation skills, I'm a professional. Xu Qi'an breathed a sigh of relief, but his heart tightened again when he caught sight of the torture instruments.

Li Yuchun sighed, "That's right. If we hadn't had the evidence beforehand, we might have already believed you based on just that conversation."

"You're trying to frame me again. And you sound so confident." Xu Qi'an remained expressionless.

Having been carefully groomed by his father and having studied interrogation techniques, Xu Qi'an was confident in handling all kinds of interrogations. Unless the other party was forced to confess under torture, that was another matter.

With Vice Minister Zhou already fallen from power and no evidence available, he believed the Nightwatchers wouldn't make things too difficult for him.

The unfamiliar silver gong-wielder took out a small notebook from his pocket, opened it, glanced at Xu Qi'an, and read from the notebook:

On the first day of the tenth month, the day of Renxu, Xu Qi'an returned from the Cloud Deer Academy and bought two gold hairpins at the Treasure Artifact Pavilion. On the way, he was followed by someone who was suspected to be from the Zhou Residence.

That night, I startled and drove away the assassins from the Zhou Residence.

"On the second day of the tenth month, the day of Guihai, the female relatives were moved to the Cloud Deer Academy to avoid disaster."

"On the fifth day of the tenth month, the Bingyin day, I entered the inner city and Imperial Academy of Music). I stayed overnight at Yingmei Pavilion. The poem 'Presented to Fuxiang ' is suspected to be written by Xu Qi'an."

"On the seventh day of the tenth month, the day of Wuchen, a horse-drawn carriage rammed into the concubine's daughter of the Marquis of Weiwu, and abducted her by unknown means."

The stranger, Yinluo, closed his notebook, glanced at Xu Qi'an with a mocking look, and sneered.

Xu Qi'an felt a chill creeping down his body, as if he were in the dead of winter without any clothes to cover himself, and he slowly shivered.

The Nightwatchers was following me. Nightwatchers 'd been following me since the day I went to the academy, and he'd seen through all my schemes. I'm doomed!

Why would the Nightwatchers follow me? I'm just a quick-witted thief, this doesn't make sense. Xu Qi'an roared angrily in his heart.

He felt an abyss of despair.

Framed the Ministry of Revenue and kidnapped the daughter of a marquis; these two crimes combined were enough to warrant the execution of the entire family.

The great scholars of the Cloud Deer Academy couldn't save him, the white-robed officials of the Bureau of Astronomy couldn't save him, no one could save him!

I cleaned myself up thoroughly, leaving no evidence to convict me, but the Nightwatchers was following me witnessed my entire scheme. Man proposes, God disposes.

Large beads of cold sweat appeared on Xu Qi'an's forehead, slowly sliding down his cheeks and dripping to the ground under the mocking and sinister gazes of the two silver gongs.

Etc!

He suddenly noticed an illogical detail: since the Nightwatchers witnessed the whole thing, why didn't he expose him?

As long as the notebook is submitted, Zhou Li can be exonerated, and the executioner's blade aimed at the Xu Household will fall again, a month and a half late.

Why wait until Vice Minister Zhou fell from power before inviting him for "tea"?

Xu Qi'an exhaled a breath of stale air, along with all sorts of negative emotions, and lowered his head meekly. "I confess, it was all my doing. I will leave the matter to you two gentlemen as you see fit."

The stern-faced silver gong raised an eyebrow, exchanged a glance with Li Yuchun, and the two of them smiled.

"Very clever, very perceptive," Li Yuchun said with a smile. "That was just a test. If you slip up during the interrogation, or if your mind breaks down in the face of irrefutable evidence, then you will face real punishment."

He paused, his serious expression softening as his smile relaxed further, "And now, you're greeted with the Nightwatchers's invitation."

P. S.: This chapter has been revised, so the update is late.

Thanks to "Rong Xiaorong" for being the leader, he truly is a good buddy.