Chapter 566 565 Confession

The Ministry of Rites and the Imperial Palace were busy selecting officials, and the Imperial Observatory was calculating the time.

In one day, the relevant preparations were completed, and the selected officials quickly prepared their luggage, and the next day they followed the eunuch Wang Zhen to Huguang in the south.

The noble representative, the Earl of Chengyi Liu Shiyan, was in Nanjing, and the decree had been sent. He would set off directly from there to Anlu.

These things certainly had nothing to do with Wei Guangde, and he was still revising the "Yongle Encyclopedia" with peace of mind.

In the prison of the Ministry of Justice, Yan Shifan, who had already admitted all the charges, was brought to trial again.

Don't say it, this made him a little puzzled.

He admitted everything that Huang Guangsheng, Zhang Yongming and others wanted to hear, why didn't he show it to the emperor, and then he brought himself to trial.

Entering the main hall, Yan Shifan saw at a glance that Huang Guangsheng was sitting in the middle of the hall, and Zhang Yongming, Lin Run and others were on both sides, and his heart was shocked.

Although he knew that Huang Guangsheng wanted to interrogate him when he was taken out of the cell by the jailer, he saw that the people inside had not changed, what did this mean?

This means that they did not send the confession that he wrote to Xiyuan at the beginning, which means that Emperor Jiajing did not see his confession at all, otherwise they would never appear here in such a neat row.

Yan Shifan cursed in his heart. At this moment, he also figured out that he had pretended in Jiangxi in vain.

These people in the capital did not feel complacent because they arrested him, but they must have made some tricks in the process of escorting him.

The court could not catch all the people he prepared at once, but the only way to prevent them from contacting him was to send them away and find various reasons to send them out of the capital for official business.

He had done this strategy of luring the tiger away from the mountain many times in the past, and he thought that he had been learned by the old man Xu Jie.

"Yan Shifan, this official advises you to honestly confess your evidence of guilt, and don't be lucky anymore. You know that the law of heaven is clear."

Yan Shifan stood below, watching Huang Guangsheng talking in an official tone and showing off his power.

It's not that Huang Guangsheng likes to show off, but because he is trying the most treacherous minister of the dynasty. How many opportunities are there like this?

After Huang Guangsheng finished speaking, Yan Shifan just rolled his eyes at Huang Guangsheng, just one look, and he still looked calm as usual.

But in his heart, Yan Shifan's heart was as restless as the sea, and he cursed Xu Jie's family with all the most vicious words he could think of.

This is really going to force him to death.

In just a few days, the direction of Huang Guangsheng's trial changed. In the past, they kept asking them how to frame those so-called loyal people, but today the style has changed to asking him about rebellion.

They asked before, but they were fooled by a few words.

Everyone knows that the Yan family will never rebel. No one with a normal mind these days would think of rebellion, except for the crazy people of the White Lotus Sect.

There are wise people in the court who have awakened these fools.

Yan Shifan cursed in his heart, but he had no way to do anything. The current situation was that he was at the mercy of others.

He would definitely not confess. How could he confess something that had no trace?

Moreover, Yan Shifan did not believe that Huang Guangsheng would dare to torture him. With the regret of his old father in the eyes of the emperor, even if he was guilty, the emperor would definitely send eunuchs to see him. Then he could sue for being tortured into confessing.

Others said that Emperor Jiajing was unkind and ungrateful, but in fact, this emperor still remembered the old friendship, but he was cruel. As long as his face was not touched, he would not easily kill people.

How did Xia Yan die? Why did Yang Jisheng and others die? It was because they could not speak, pointing at Emperor Jiajing and calling him a tyrant.

The emperors of the Ming Dynasty in the past would generally tolerate such occasions, but they did not know that the current emperors were not as tolerant as the previous emperors.

So, they all died, either because Emperor Jiajing did it intentionally or deliberately indulged.

The pillars of the court, I don't know how many things they did during the Grand Ceremony. Do you really think that the court can't run well without someone?

"Yan Shifan, tell me honestly, whether you colluded with the Japanese pirates through Luo Longwen."

Huang Guangsheng above asked again.

After leaving Xu Jie's house, Huang Guangsheng and all the officials involved in the trial of the case discussed for two days to study how to interrogate Xu Jie and the crimes listed in the note sent by Prince Yu's Mansion.

In the end, Lin Run's statement was chosen, first interrogating Yan Shifan, throwing out all the charges to shock the tiger, and then focusing on interrogating Luo Longwen.

If they are stubborn and resolutely refuse to confess, then use the way they deal with loyal ministers, they can't be tortured into confession, but they can frame them.

Lin Run will select a few people from the servants of the Yan family who were arrested together, and force or induce them to testify to prove all the crimes of Yan Shifan.

At first, Huang Guangsheng, Zhang Yongming and other officials who were in the position of the Nine Ministers felt that these things were unacceptable, but there was pressure from the elder Xu and the Prince Yu's Mansion, and Lin Run had actually figured it out on the way to the capital.

Lin Run and the Yan family were actually in a situation of life and death. If Yan Shifan's crime could not be convicted this time, he would have to bear the endless revenge of the Yan family.

Of course, he did not want to wait until that time, so in order to kill the Yan family, he had learned to do whatever it took, falsely accusing the Yan family of imitating the style of the prince's mansion in Jiangxi, occupying the dragon's energy, and plotting against the law.

All of this had already been done, so he was the quickest to accept the intentions of Xu Jie and Prince Yu's Mansion. He even planned that if Yan Shifan "insisted on denying it", he would directly write a confession and force Yan Shifan to sign it and hand it in.

These methods were also the methods Yan Shifan used to deal with political opponents who opposed them before.

During the one-day interrogation, Huang Guangsheng, Zhang Yongming and others took turns to question him, but Yan Shifan firmly denied the charges.

He could not admit it, and did not dare to admit it.

In the end, watching Yan Shifan, who pretended to be calm, being escorted out of the hall by the police, several people could detect a hint of satisfaction in each other's eyes during their eye contact.

Even the officials who had thought it was inappropriate before felt a touch of satisfaction when they saw Yan Shifan's embarrassing denial.

Using the way he framed others to target him was really a tit-for-tat.

Next, Luo Longwen was interrogated for several consecutive days, and the means of forcing and inducing confessions were used, but Yan Shifan was left aside and ignored.

But the more this happened, the more panicked Yan Shifan felt.

Now Luo Longwen's cell was also changed, and they would never see each other again, even on the way to the interrogation, they would not pass by his cell.

"It's time for dinner, it's time for dinner."

When Yan Shifan was sitting on the straw and dazed, someone knocked on the cell door, and a small door under the cell door was opened, and a box of food was put in.

For ordinary prisoners, the food prepared in the prison of the Ministry of Justice is naturally dirty and poor, but Yan Shifan is not an ordinary person after all. Although it is impossible to compare with the food before, it is also like the jailer, and it can barely swallow it.

Yan Shifan is not a person who has never suffered. He also had a hard life when he was a child. That was when Yan Song resigned from office to recuperate.

Of course, this hardship is compared with the days of luxury and food later. In fact, it is not as good as the common people.

Standing up and walking over, Yan Shifan picked up the food box and was about to go in. Suddenly, he heard a few jailers who were delivering food talking there.

"Prince Yu is now on the throne, and no one can move him."

"That's right. With the death of Prince Jing, the emperor only has this one son left."

"It is said that your majesty took elixirs. I don't know if it's true or not?"

"It shouldn't be. My husband was very sick last month. I went to the Taoist temple to ask for incense burner ash, and they also gave him a pill. He got better after taking it for a few days."

As they were talking, several jailers walked away. Their voices were inaudible, and only the occasional "bang bang bang" sound of the prison door was heard.

However, Yan Shifan suddenly hunched over at this time, and returned to the original seat in a somewhat lost state.

Two days later, Yan Shifan's cell door was opened again. It was not to deliver food, but two jailers came in to pick up people. This was to re-examine.

When he walked into the hall again, Yan Shifan found that the faces of several people in the hall were relaxed, as if they were sure of victory.

After several interrogations, Luo Longwen finally confessed that Yan Shifan colluded with him to collude with Japanese pirates, and promised to leave a stick of incense for the Luo family.

Luo Longwen's family had confessed that he smuggled in sea trade privately, and this evidence was enough to kill him.

It was impossible to do sea trade without knowing Japanese pirates these days.

However, the Luo family's affairs did not involve Yan Shifan, and what they wanted was that he bit Yan Shifan through him to collude with Japanese pirates and intend to rebel.

Lin Run came forward to negotiate with Luo Longwen, and Luo Longwen finally surrendered because he could not see a glimmer of hope.

King Jing died, and their last support was gone, and Yan Shifan's prepared back-up plan failed.

According to Lin Run, if they did not confess, they would be imprisoned in the prison and survive until His Royal Highness Prince Yu ascended the throne. Who could tell what would happen at that time?

Leaving a line of incense was the last chance they could give Luo Longwen.

If he refused, they would start torturing him. With his delicate skin and tender flesh, he could not withstand several rounds of torture.

Luo Longwen was born as an ink worker, but he was not as tough as the servants at home. Thinking of the torture instruments in the prison and the verified evidence, Luo Longwen knew that he would die.

Yan Shifan must die as well. Their purpose was to blame Yan Shifan and drag him down.

In order to leave a line of incense for the Luo family, Luo Longwen admitted all the charges they listed.

"It will only be beheading, not lingchi or waist cutting, it won't be so painful."

This was Lin Run's last guarantee to him.

At this time, Yan Shifan was holding the confession signed by Luo Longwen, but he no longer had a trace of anger.

He had actually figured it out two days ago and knew the final outcome. When the news of King Jing's death reached his ears, he figured it out.

Although he was suspicious of King Jing's death, he still felt a little unwilling.

Luo Longwen's backstabbing was just some of the methods he had used before, and they were all left over from his own use. I just don't know how they did it.

But it doesn't matter.

"I heard that King Jing is dead?"

Yan Shifan held Luo Longwen's confession in his hand. He didn't think of tearing it to pieces. With Luo Longwen in his hand, he could have as many of these things as he wanted.

He just regretted not listening to Luo Longwen's advice earlier and sailing to Japan to see what was going on.

"His Royal Highness King Jing died on the 9th, and the news was sent to the capital on the 13th."

Huang Guangsheng did not hide it and answered Yan Shifan's question directly.

Yan Shifan knew that it was definitely true when he said such words on such an occasion.

If it was a lie, the curse on the royal family would be enough to get Huang Guangsheng dismissed from office, imprisoned, or even killed.

Yan Shifan lowered his head, looking as if he was mourning for King Jing, but only he knew what he was doing.

Although his hopes were dashed, Yan Shifan was thinking about the end of the Yan family and how Emperor Jiajing would treat him in the end.

Will Yan Song be executed?

Will his sons and grandsons be beheaded?

Will the family be exterminated?

If he confessed and took the blame, what would happen?

Will Emperor Jiajing spare them because of his father?

At the side door of the back hall, Wei Guangde stuck his head out and looked at the suddenly quiet hall, and saw Yan Shifan bowing his head and thinking there.

After a little thought, he figured out what was going on. As long as Yan Shifan didn't make a fuss and say that they wronged him at this time, it meant that Yan Shifan had not lost his mind after knowing the news of King Jing's death, and was still very calm.

He turned around and walked to the table, whispering to Feng Bao who was sitting next to him: "Arrange people to keep a close eye on Yan Shifan, and don't let him contact irrelevant people, so people who have contact with him must be strictly searched and guarded before Yan Shifan is dealt with."

Wei Guangde didn't know whether Yan Shifan had any backup plans, but as long as he was cut off from the outside world, all the backup plans he prepared would be useless.

Yan Shifan should not have any valuables on him, as they had been searched away when Lin Run arrested him, but he might promise benefits to the guards and let them take the letter out.

So Wei Guangde told Feng Bao like this.

Prince Yu arranged Wei Guangde to be in charge of this matter, and the manpower used was deployed by Feng Bao.

Feng Bao didn't say anything when he heard this, but nodded, indicating that he knew.

Of course, Feng Bao knew the importance of it. Wei Guangde and he also analyzed the last means of revenge that Yan Shifan could use, which was nothing more than a fight to the death.

Wei Guangde would not tell him that there was a doubt about the death of Prince Jing, but aren't there still a few eunuchs and maids who die inexplicably in the palace every year?

At this time, Feng Bao suddenly pointed to the lobby outside.

Wei Guangde nodded, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

Feng Bao saw this and felt relieved.

His mission was also assigned by Prince Yu, so of course he knew how serious it was.

Prince Yu hated Yan Shifan to death.

Perhaps it was really hereditary, Emperor Jiajing was good at face, and so was Prince Yu.

At the beginning, Yan Shifan made him lose face, not to mention Prince Yu, even the eunuchs who served Prince Yu didn't think of Yan Shifan's boasting to the outside world, and they all hated him.

"The son of the emperor still gave me gold, who dares not to give gold?"

His title of little cabinet minister was also confirmed from this moment on.

Yan Shifan was dead.

Wei Guangde could now sit down peacefully and taste the fragrant tea on the table, but he was also summarizing Yan Shifan's mistakes in his mind.

Yan Shifan had the power of prime minister, but he used it to plunder the money of court officials. This was his first mistake.

He even dared to blackmail the emperor's son, thinking that the emperor didn't know and was just waiting for an opportunity. This was his second mistake.

Not learning the art of keeping a low profile from his father Yan Song was Yan Shifan's third mistake.

He offended all the court officials, and still wanted to get away with it?