Chapter 102 Section 102 Using Torture to Investigate Corrupt Officials

"grown ups……" Just as he was thinking about it, a voice suddenly rang in his ears. Zeng Guofan woke up suddenly, only to find a guard standing beside him. "My lord," the guard asked in a low voice, "Sir, do you eat in the lobby or in the dining room?" "Yeah!" Zeng Guofan nodded and couldn't help talking to himself, "This day flies so fast!" He stood up and walked down the hall alone.Stepping out of the gate, but seeing that it was completely dark, he said to the guards following him: "Bring me the rice to the small official hall. Make another bowl of cabbage soup." The guards agreed, turned and walked back.

Zeng Guofan stood up, walked by the gate, raised his head to look at the moon in the sky, and chanted: "People have joys and sorrows, and the moon has cloudy and sunny waxes and wanes. This matter is difficult in ancient times. I hope that people will live a long time and share the joys and joys of thousands of miles away." .” As he chanted, a sense of loneliness emerged spontaneously.He couldn't help thinking of Changsha Yuelu Academy, the lotus leaf pond, the old man in the hall, his brother, sister, wife, son, and nephew. After the meal, Zeng Guofan made up his diary for a few days and wrote a letter to his younger brothers before resting.At noon the next day, Li Bao walked in with a man in a judge's uniform.

After Na Tongpan and Li Bao entered the small official hall, they greeted Zeng Guofan first, saying: "The magistrate of Datong Yamen Tongju, the humble Wang Yunwu, kowtowed to Mr. Zeng." At this time, Li Bao said to Zeng Guofan: "According to your lord's orders, Taishou Zhang and Wang Tong ordered more than a dozen arresters and more than 20 personal soldiers to quietly search Zhao Er's mansion and three shops. More than a dozen people have been sent to the prefect prison." After finishing speaking, he took out a few copied official documents from his sleeve and handed them to Zeng Guofan, saying: "This is a list of what has been copied. The total amount of silver found in the copy is 1.2 million taels, and there are many other items such as cloth. In addition, there are blank official documents copied. With 130 copies, the minister also copied out several seal letters."

Li Bao stepped aside after speaking, Wang Tongsan took a step forward and handed a small package to Zeng Guofan.Zeng Guofan opened the package and saw three wooden seals. He curiously took out one of them, and after looking at it for a long time, he couldn't see it clearly, so he took the inkpad and printed the three seals on the paper one by one. The governor's yamen is closed. Zeng Guofan turned pale with shock, this Zhao Er is so bold that he even dared to forge the official seal of the imperial court! He was promoted overnight, and he must get to the bottom of the case. As soon as Zhao Er entered the hall, he saw Zeng Guofan sitting in the hall coldly, Li Bao was standing on the left, and Wang Yunwu, the general judge of Datong Mansion, was standing on the right. They all had tiger faces, as if they were going to eat people.

Zhao Er wanted to salute, but Zeng Guofan yelled: "Come here, take off Zhao Er's top hat!" Li Bao came down from the hall without a sound, took off Zhao Er's official hat, shouted "kneel down", and kicked the stunned Zhao Er to the ground. Zeng Guofan asked coldly: "Zhao Er, are you convicted?" Zhao Er scratched his neck and replied, "I don't know why my lord is asking such a question? My lord has worked hard to persuade donations to share the court's worries. What's wrong with doing nothing? Please explain clearly, my lord." A few words made Zeng Guofan tremble with anger. He tried his best to control his emotions, and said to Li Bao, "Let him see." Good thing! Can you see clearly?"

When Zhao Er saw the seals and official certificates, he trembled violently, but soon calmed down, and he replied calmly: "Returning to my lord, these seals and official certificates were bought by the lower officials from foreigners. Yes, it has nothing to do with the lower officials. Even after entering the capital, the lower officials dare to confront foreigners." Zeng Guofan knew that Zhao Er was using foreigners to intimidate him, so he smiled and said, "Zhao Er, do you still want to enter the capital? You still use foreigners to embolden yourself? Liu Heng!" Liu Heng entered in response, and Zeng Guofan said: "Pass the words of the headquarters, and let Shanxi's procuratorate send a few instruments of torture over as soon as possible. There must be no mistakes."

Liu Heng responded with an extremely loud "嗻", turned around and walked out. Zeng Guofan turned his head to Zhao Er and said, "Zhao Er, the foreigner has been taken into prison by the Ministry. The Ministry will interrogate you first, and then the foreigner, and then, the Ministry will complete it for you and throw your two bones in the mountains." Feed the dogs and the eagles together, and the Ministry promises that you will become a foreigner in the next life! Zhao Er, did you hear me clearly?" Zhao Er knelt on the ground, his face turned green and pale for a while, he couldn't tell whether it was fear or fear, but he still straightened his neck and said: "Master Zeng, I have heard of your old man's tricks. It's not a pity for me to die, but it's a pity." Master Zeng, I have a request, I want to see Father Aguli. As long as I see Father Aguli, I will be willing to die."

Zeng Guofan sneered, and said disdainfully: "If you want to see Aguli, you have to wait for the next life. Come here, make a pot of good tea for the main hall. After the torture tools arrive, the main hall will slowly pass the time." Not long , a guard came in holding a teapot. Zeng Guofan pointed to the guard and said, "This hall doesn't drink tea. Li Bao, ask two people to come over and pour the tea over Zhao Er's neck for this hall." Li Bao rushed to the door and shouted "Come here", and three guards walked in. Li Baoyi pointed at Zhao Er and said: "Hold the prisoner firmly, Mr. Zeng asked the prisoner to wash his head with tea." The two men came over very skillfully and stepped on one of Zhao Er's legs, then put their arms up, and held them up. The guard of the teapot opened the lid and poured a pot of boiling tea into Zhao Er's back.Zhao Er yelled, his whole body shivered from the heat, and his head shook as if he had a stroke.

Zeng Guofan hated foreigners, and even more the Qing people who worshiped foreigners. Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Zhao Er, you want to become a foreigner now, but it's a pity that you are wearing a piece of human skin from the Qing Dynasty! This department hall will fulfill you today and burn your human skin from the Qing Dynasty, okay?" Zhao Er gritted his teeth and said, "Zeng Guofan, you ruthless official, you are crazy! You tortured a parishioner like this, you are not afraid that foreigners will come to the capital to settle accounts with you? Not only will you lose your black yarn, but your head will also be lost! It’s still too late for you to let me go.”

Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "Zhao Er, you scolded the Benbutang as a cruel official, you scolded well! You listen to the Benbutang, the Yamen of the prefect of Datong confiscated a total of 1.2 million taels of silver from your house, and many other things. These Money includes the relief money you embezzled privately, as well as your private property. 1.2 million taels of silver can feed the people of Henan and Shandong provinces for a month! How much is the black yarn on the head of the headquarters worth? No matter how much it is worth, the combination of the two cannot keep 1.2 million people from starving for a month! Motobutang never does things that make people lose money. Motobudo has repeatedly calculated this matter, it is worth, it is worth it!"

Zhao Er put on an aggressive air and said: "Zeng Guofan, this official is also a dignified fourth-rank official of Zeng Zhongcheng Mingbao! You have neither the king's order nor special purpose, so you dare to torture this official. I can't help you, the emperor will Let you go!" Zeng Guofan was about to speak, and his own soldiers came to report, and sent them according to the five torture instruments of the procurator's office. Zeng Guofan immediately said: "All five kinds of instruments of torture are placed in the lobby, and the main hall will let Zhao Er taste them slowly today." Liu Heng ordered the five instruments of torture to be placed on the lobby one by one. Zeng Guofan coughed dryly, and suddenly said: "Come here, take off Zhao Er's official uniform, and let him taste the taste of a wooden slap first." The so-called wooden slap is a piece of wood nailed with densely packed rows of small iron nails, shaped like a slap.When using torture, you only need to slap the criminal's back or thigh, and the place where the slap is made will be bloody.This kind of torture tool is generally used for female prisoners. It is a soft torture tool that hurts the flesh but not the bone. Two guards came up and knocked Zhao Er down without any explanation. Zhao Er struggled and shouted: "Zeng Youtang, what are you going to do to Zhao? This official was recommended by Zeng Wangyan Zhongcheng secretly. You should know Zeng Zhongcheng's grace!" Zeng Guofan said with a smile: "I am afraid that no one in Shanxi would dare to stop what this department wants to do. It is up to you whether you tell the truth or not, and it is up to me whether you let you live. Zhao Er, you are still dreaming about the dream of foreigners saving you." What you have done has nothing to do with Father Aguli. If the Ministry does not know the truth, how dare you attack you! Come on, use torture!" A guard swung his wooden palm and slapped Zhao Er's back, which was only in short clothes, firmly, causing Zhao Er to yell loudly.The guard took a lot of effort to take the wooden slap off. "Come on," Zeng Guofan called, "wash Master Zhao's back with salt water." Another guard agreed and walked out. Zhao Er raised his head at this moment and said bitterly: "Zeng Youtang, do you really want to kill me?" Zeng Guofan sneered and said, "Zhao Er, do you know what kind of person the church hates the most in its life? The person the church hates the most in its life is the kind of person who forgets his family and ancestors! Zhao Er, you fake religious! Your so-called You bought the Jiaomin with a hundred thousand taels of silver, and you even made the official credentials and seals! But you keep denying it, thinking that no one will dare to touch you if you have a relationship with a foreigner..." It just so happened that a guard came in with a basin of salt water.Zeng Guofan looked around, and then said: "The Headquarters hopes that you will continue to play tricks, so that I can watch you wash your back! Come, wash your back slowly with Mr. Zhao." Zhao Er hurriedly raised his neck and shouted: "Wait a minute! If it falls into your hands, I have the right to admit it!" After speaking, he lowered his head. Zeng Guofan glanced at the master copywriter, and said to Zhao Er: "Speaking of the truth, if there is even a trace of falsehood, this department will kill you immediately!"