Chapter 1091: Chapter 927: Interrogation by Torture

"Min Feng! You know perfectly well what you’ve done. Once you’re escorted back to the capital, the Emperor and the Dali Temple will decide your fate. The evidence in my hands is conclusive; as for your and Li Taixing’s crimes, I will personally present them to the Emperor!"

Lu Chen wasn’t surprised at all when he saw Min Feng in such a wretched state.

He had already heard that Min Feng had been caught by Gu Chengyu and thrown into the main prison. Given that, Lu Chen could understand Min Feng’s attitude toward Gu Chengyu.

You still have to look at the owner when you beat the dog! Looks like Gu Chengyu really isn’t giving Chief Minister Xia the slightest bit of face!

And why should he? If he has this much ability, there’s naturally no need to have any scruples about Xia Qing.

After finishing with Min Feng, Gu Chengyu glanced at Li Taixing in the cell opposite. Li Taixing’s head was lowered, so it was impossible to see what expression he wore.

But Gu Chengyu was absolutely certain that what Li Taixing was thinking at this moment was exactly the same as Min Feng.

Not wanting to waste time on these two, Gu Chengyu pointed at the innermost cell, then lifted his foot and strode inside.

Gu Chengyu didn’t want to bother with Min Feng, but Min Feng had no sense of tact and kept on shouting.

"Gu Chengyu, must you set yourself against me and Teacher?" 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

Gu Chengyu let out a short, derisive laugh, shook his head, and ignored him.

This Min Feng really was too stupid; they had long since been irreconcilable as fire and water. To still be saying such things now—wasn’t it ridiculous?

Who in the court didn’t know that he and Chief Minister Xia didn’t get along? Earlier, Xia Qing had liked nothing more than to bad-mouth him in front of the Emperor, doing his utmost to get rid of him.

Now he was merely returning the favor a little, treating it as a minor warning.

He, Gu Chengyu, was not someone who could be schemed against at will. If Chief Minister Xia wanted to play games with him, he had better be prepared for his retaliation.

Only after Gu Chengyu entered the inner cell did Li Taixing raise his head and look in that direction.

He had originally been the Magistrate of Yingnan Mansion, so of course he knew what that cell was used for. That was where they applied torture to prisoners; the room was filled with instruments of punishment.

Who had they just escorted in with Gu Chengyu? From the man’s black night-clothes, could it be that he had come to assassinate Gu Chengyu?

The more Li Taixing thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Then who on earth had sent this man? Could it be Xia Qing?

Li Taixing gave Min Feng a puzzled look, and his gaze happened to meet Min Feng’s head-on. Seeing the contempt on the other man’s face, Li Taixing was momentarily stunned.

Min Feng sneered. This Li Taixing was truly as timid as a mouse; at the sight of Gu Chengyu he didn’t even dare spare him a glance.

How had someone like this become Magistrate of Yingnan Mansion? Was there no one left in the court?

Teacher was right: someone like this could not be taken under one’s wing, he could only be counted as a pawn to be used or discarded.

Thinking of this, there was even a trace of hatred in Min Feng’s eyes as he looked at Li Taixing!

If Li Taixing hadn’t tempted him with gold, how could he have committed such a stupid mistake?

This time Teacher would definitely be bitterly disappointed in him. He didn’t know when Teacher would come to get him out.

In fact, when he accepted that gold, he had been completely fearless. With his background, those people couldn’t curry favor with him fast enough; how would they dare offend him and offend Teacher by dragging this matter out into the open?

But who told Gu Chengyu to suddenly come to Jiangnan? Things had just happened to collide.

Gu Chengyu watched as two Government Officials tied the man to the wooden frame, then he found a hoop-back chair and sat down.

"I’ll ask you once more: What is your purpose in coming to Jiangnan? If you talk, you’ll be spared the suffering of flesh and skin!"

At this moment Lu Chen’s eyes sharpened and his expression grew extremely grave.

Joking was one thing, but this man’s confession was of critical importance—he knew where the line was.

The man let out a cold snort and stubbornly turned his head away.

Lu Chen’s face darkened, and he signaled the two Government Officials to begin the torture.

"Crack!" A sharp crack of the whip completely shattered the silence in the cell.

Li Taixing turned pale with fright. Gu Chengyu’s methods were truly ruthless; this man wouldn’t be able to hold out long.

Min Feng was somewhat stunned. "What are they doing?"

He’d never encountered anything like this before and couldn’t quite process it for a moment.

"What are they doing? Haven’t you heard of ’tortured into confession’?" Li Taixing snapped back impatiently.

He had long been envious and resentful that Min Feng had managed to apprentice himself to such a good Teacher.

Min Feng’s expression and gaze just now had infuriated him, so of course Li Taixing seized the chance to scare him a little.

Min Feng’s face instantly went white. "Tortured into confession?"

His voice went a bit shrill, but as soon as the words were out he immediately covered his mouth.

Gu Chengyu actually dared to abuse private torture? Who was that man just now?

Would Gu Chengyu also apply torture to him and Li Taixing, then load them up with all sorts of ridiculous charges?

Panic surged in Min Feng’s heart. Hearing the sound of the whip cracking inside, and the man’s pained muffled groans, he couldn’t help but shiver.

If that whip landed on him, how much would it hurt? He really couldn’t guarantee he’d withstand even a few lashes—he was a scholar, his body was extremely frail.

"Ah!" The man finally couldn’t hold back and cried out in pain.

Gu Chengyu nodded. So he wasn’t impossible to break after all; it was good that he could still feel pain.

The only worry was if the other man’s conviction was too strong and he’d gone numb to physical suffering.

After ten lashes in a row, Lu Chen turned his head and glanced at Gu Chengyu.

He found Gu Chengyu sitting there at his ease, calmly watching the man whose skin had been flayed open, with no intention of calling a halt.

A chill ran through Lu Chen’s heart; he hadn’t expected Gu Chengyu’s temperament to be so cold, cold beyond his imagination.

Even he found it hard to bear watching, yet Gu Chengyu looked utterly relaxed and carefree—how strong did one’s heart have to be for that?

"Stop!" When Lu Chen saw that every swing of the Government Official’s whip was bringing strips of bloody flesh with it, he couldn’t help feeling queasy and hurriedly called for a halt.

That was enough; if they kept going the man wouldn’t hold up. Just now he’d still been letting out muffled grunts, then they’d turned to screams—now there wasn’t a sound.

Seeing the man’s head sag forward, Lu Chen suddenly lost his confidence. "Don’t tell me we beat him to death?"

Gu Chengyu answered lazily, "Relax, he won’t die that easily."

These Government Officials were very experienced in administering torture—how could they possibly beat a man to death in just a dozen lashes? Impossible.

"Then... he’s fainted. What do we do?"

At that, Gu Chengyu gave Lu Chen a curious look. He hadn’t expected the kid to be this simple.

"What else? We keep interrogating."

Gu Chengyu turned his head and said to the Government Official, "Splash him awake with water."

The Government Official hurriedly responded with a respectful "Yes," then poured a bucket of cold water over the man’s face.

The man slowly came to, forcing his eyes open, only to feel that everything before him was a blur.

"Talk." The youth’s icy voice echoed in his ear. He moved his lips, but in the end still did not speak.

Gu Chengyu frowned. So his will was quite firm? He was already out of patience; if they kept beating him, the man might not physically withstand it.

"You!" Gu Chengyu pointed at the prison chief, who was standing off to the side at a loss. "Go bring two long benches, and then find some intact green bricks."

The prison chief didn’t know what Gu Chengyu wanted to do, but since Lord Imperial Envoy had given an order, he would simply carry it out—how would he dare raise questions?