97: Torture? Unnecessary.

Shen Xian's eyes narrowed involuntarily, but since he did not speak, no one else dared to open their mouths.

After all, this was the Imperial Son-in-Law and newly titled Marquis. The men Shen Xian brought were his trusted subordinates, naturally looking to him for guidance. Yet they truly could not fathom why Mo Yingqi had asked so directly.

"This criminal does not understand the Marquis's meaning."

Zhang Jiawen shook his head and was about to continue, but Mo Yingqi interrupted him: "You have not been convicted yet, Provincial Governor Zhang. Just answer me yes or no, that will suffice."

"I have already said that I do not understand the Marquis's meaning," Zhang Jiawen sneered. "If the evidence is already laid out before the Marquis, why bother using my hand to implicate others?"

"Whether it is slander or not, you know better than I do. Actually, like you said, there is nothing else worth asking." Mo Yingqi glanced at the files at his side. "Minister Shen has already investigated this very thoroughly. How many officials in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region have fallen? There are as many witnesses and testimonies as one could want."

"It is just that... I personally feel it is not enough. Of course, Minister Shen is still in charge of this case, and I am merely assisting from the sidelines."

As he spoke, Mo Yingqi looked at Shen Xian with an inquiring gaze. The latter did not stop him, but only smiled and said: "No matter, the Imperial Son-in-Law may feel free to inquire."

"Yes, then I shall continue." Mo Yingqi bowed slightly, then looked back at Zhang Jiawen below the hall. "In the Pacification Bureau's documents, there are actually many concerning Grand Chancellor Zhou, but you and I both understand that these things would never be sent to The Emperor, or even to the late Emperor."

"Some people do not like to speak plainly, but I am not one of them. Perhaps after saying this today, I am being disrespectful to the late Emperor, but what must be said must be said. These files were kept suppressed in the Pacification Bureau without being processed under the late Emperor's instructions."

A dead silence fell; there was not a sound in the entire hall. Shen Xian's hand tightened involuntarily, and his gaze toward Mo Yingqi held a hint more scrutiny.

"Minister, this part..." the Clerk to the side asked, looking up with some trepidation. "Should I, should I continue recording?"

Shen Xian did not answer, merely watching Mo Yingqi. After seeing his indifferent attitude, Shen Xian turned his head: "It is fine, record it."

"Marquis, watch your words!" Cold sweat slowly seeped from Zhang Jiawen's forehead. "Do you know that groundlessly speculating about the late Emperor is a great disrespect! When the time comes, even if you are the Imperial Son-in-Law, The Emperor will have to punish you!"

"Rest assured, if I dare to say it, I do not care about such things." Mo Yingqi remained indifferent. "Even if you do not say it, I have guessed why. These files will all eventually be returned to the Pacification Bureau, and in the end, they will only become a pile of waste paper gathering dust in the corner of the Pacification Bureau's archives, with no one asking after them."

"But you are different. You do not think it is meaningless because you understand these things; you know the current situation better than I do. You are worried because while you can die, and Zhang Yingcheng can die, the entire Zhang family, including your clansmen back home, could all be implicated."

"You fear that Grand Chancellor Zhou will deal with them, but have you never considered that if you do not cooperate, these people still cannot be saved? Provincial Governor Zhang, you are clear about your crimes, and you are clear that at most, you and your family here in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang region will be held accountable and have your property confiscated. But there are some things... just a few lines of text can change your entire life."

Hearing Mo Yingqi say this, Shen Xian suddenly looked at the Clerk, and the Clerk reacted even faster, having long since stopped writing and remaining silent.

"The records in the files, as long as they are slightly altered, can cause you to... be executed along with your entire clan." Mo Yingqi's voice suddenly turned cold. "The more clearly a person understands what they have done, the better they know where their retreat lies, but now... I am not giving you that retreat!"

"How dare you!"

Just as Zhang Jiawen was about to stand up, Shen Xian frowned slightly, and the soldiers nearby hurried over and pinned him down. Yet Zhang Jiawen kept shouting: "Mo Yingqi, even with the document of severance written by The Emperor himself, even if you are now a favored official and have the protection of the Legitimate Princess, my Zhang clan has served as officials and Ministers since the previous dynasty. Do you think you can wipe out the hundreds of people in my Zhang family just like this?"

"I really can. After a year of handling cases at the Pacification Bureau, I have not learned much else, but I have learned this trade clearly."

Mo Yingqi walked around the table in front of him, then walked up to Zhang Jiawen and slowly crouched down, meeting his gaze levelly: "Provincial Governor Zhang, a phoenix that has fallen from its perch is worse than a chicken. You are the most prominent member of the Zhang clan right now; if you fall, what do you expect others to be able to do? Protect you? Who would protect you?"

"Don't you dare talk to me about the laws of the Daxing Dynasty. If you were talking about those, I would not be here interrogating you right now, and you would not be waiting to confess your crimes, waiting to have your property confiscated, and waiting to be escorted to the capital!"

"Or is it that you are afraid of something? Afraid of something more important than the entire Zhang clan? Surely not. There could not possibly be anything more important than the lives of your entire clan, could there? What is worth you risking your life like this, that you refuse to open your mouth and say it?"

Zhang Jiawen's breathing suddenly became rapid, but Mo Yingqi had absolutely no intention of letting him off. He even clapped his hands and instructed the soldiers to the side: "Prepare some ginseng slices; as soon as he wants to faint, put them in his mouth. If that does not work, cold water will do. If that still does not work, prepare the branding iron; if it needs to be burned, then burn him."

"Mo Yingqi, do you have to force me to my death?" Zhang Jiawen growled through gritted teeth. "The matter of your mother..."

"Provincial Governor Zhang, one thing at a time. No matter what, the matter of my mother is long since water under the bridge. Even if I wanted to hold someone accountable, I could not, could I?" Mo Yingqi did not give him any chance at all, pressing him step by step. "Don't bring up my mother's affairs. The issue now is, you just need to answer me: were these silver and valuables sent to the capital, to Grand Chancellor Zhou's residence?"

"How long have these funds been sent, and how much? Who has handled them, how many people know about it, and what were they used for? These are the only things I care about!"

Mo Yingqi's voice suddenly raised, and Zhang Jiawen's whole body trembled involuntarily. He had been on tenterhooks for this period, his eldest son had died tragically, his illegitimate son was now known to Shen Xian and the others, and most importantly, he could not mention how Zhang Yingcheng died, especially to Mo Yingqi.

Otherwise, his only remaining bloodline would be killed. They knew the whereabouts of that Dancer perfectly clearly. Apart from that, Shen Xian had not made any demands, had not even asked him to voluntarily admit his crimes, and certainly did not need him to denounce Grand Chancellor Zhou!

"Rest assured, Provincial Governor Zhang, I will not use torture on you." Mo Yingqi slowly stood up. "Because there is no need. Still the same words: whether you confess or not, the hundreds of people in the Zhang family are all tied to the edge of a cliff. But if you insist on believing in a cold-blooded animal who can push his own son out, and immediately cuts ties when his own nephew is castrated, then I can only say... you really are a loyal dog."

As he spoke, Mo Yingqi turned and walked to the table, pointing at the files: "I can modify these right now, I can even modify them in front of Minister Shen. Weighing the pros and cons, guess who everyone will care about—you, this down-and-out Provincial Administration Commissioner, or me, this newly titled Marquis Yongding, the Imperial Son-in-Law?"