"Rest assured, Lord Supervisor, I’ll make sure the prince lasts a while longer," Changlang said with a cheerful smile as he put down the branding iron. He walked over to the rack of torture tools, lined with a variety of instruments that looked horrific at just a glance.
Without a backward glance, Xiao Yan turned and strode out of the chamber. Seeing him leave so decisively, Cheng Wang’s calm crumbled. His confidence that Xiao Yan was merely trying to scare him shattered completely.
When Changlang picked up a hammer with a sinister design and gestured toward his leg, Cheng Wang’s face turned deathly pale.
"Let’s start here…" Changlang murmured as he raised the hammer high. The sight of it descending toward his knee made Cheng Wang scream in terror.
"Don’t! Don’t use it! I’ll talk!"
Xiao Yan returned to his seat as if nothing had happened, his expression calm and composed. Changlang placed paper and ink on the table nearby, along with the hammer that had nearly shattered Cheng Wang’s leg.
Cheng Wang’s open robe had been pulled up to hide the gruesome wounds on his chest, but crimson stains seeped through the fabric. Bound to the frame, his face was ashen, and his voice trembled as he began to speak.
"The Thunder Crossbows were arranged by Hou Rui, the Deputy Minister of War. They were crafted in secret by Gong Jinghao from the Directorate of Armory. I paid them each thirty thousand taels of silver as hush money."
"In addition to that, each crossbow cost ten taels of gold for ‘labor.’ The payments were split among the craftsmen in the Directorate of Armory and those who helped falsify the accounts."
Changlang’s brush moved swiftly, recording every word.
Cheng Wang continued, his head hanging low. "The siege ladders came from the Four Camps outside the capital. Hou Rui arranged for them to be purchased from a captain named Wang. I stored them in the estate not for rebellion but as a precaution."
"A precaution against what?" Xiao Yan asked coolly.
"Lord Supervisor, as sharp as you are, surely you see the state of the capital?" Cheng Wang said bitterly, his laugh tinged with helplessness. "The Emperor is aging, and the princes are fighting fiercely for the throne. While I hold the title of a prince, the Emperor has kept me powerless for years."
"I sought to align myself with someone early on, hoping that aiding the ascension of the new Emperor would secure my future. Having witnessed the horrors of the last succession struggle, I knew I needed contingencies to protect myself if chaos broke out."
His explanation was plausible, his tone laced with genuine bitterness.
"I had private dealings with the Second Prince and found him to have the makings of a wise ruler. I introduced him to families like the Cui and Feng clans, thinking their support would bolster his chances. But who could have foreseen that the Second Prince would choose to side with you instead?"
"Did Cui Lin and the others know of your involvement?" Xiao Yan asked.
"No, and neither does the Second Prince…" Cheng Wang admitted.
Xiao Yan idly toyed with the ring on his finger as he asked, "If I recall, Hou Rui joined the Ministry of War less than four years ago and swiftly rose to the position of Deputy Minister. With Minister Xi Weifang nearing retirement in three years, Hou Rui is likely next in line for the ministerial seat. Are you saying thirty thousand taels of silver were enough to make him risk his entire career?"
Cheng Wang faltered. "But it was indeed Hou Rui who arranged the connections with the Directorate of Armory…"
Thud.
Xiao Yan tapped the back of his chair lightly. "Prince, you should know what I’m asking. You, a prince with no real power, couldn’t possibly compel Hou Rui to take such a risk. If you don’t tell the truth, there’s no point in continuing this conversation."
Cheng Wang’s face turned even paler.
Xiao Yan leaned back, his tone steady and cold. "The mines under your control came to you through the Lu family. Their cargo ships in Jiangnan also frequently transported goods for a business called Fucheng Textile Store in the capital."
"The refined steel for the Thunder Crossbows is a strictly regulated resource, yet the Directorate of Armory managed to manufacture such a large quantity of weapons for you. Where did the refined ore come from?"
He paused, his gaze sharp. "If I’m not mistaken, Fucheng Textile Store is owned by your estate. Its manager, surnamed Yu, is a relative of your steward. The store itself is part of your holdings."
"The Lu family handled the transport. Are you going to tell me the ships were only carrying textiles?"
Cheng Wang’s head snapped up, his eyes wide with panic.
He hadn’t expected Xiao Yan to have investigated so thoroughly. Even the textile store, a secret known only to his steward, had been uncovered. And the mention of the Lu family’s role in mineral trade struck a nerve.
Looking at Xiao Yan’s cold, penetrating gaze, Cheng Wang stammered, "The store is mine, yes, but my dealings with the Lu family were ordinary business transactions. The minerals were acquired through their connections…"
"Is that so? Then why was Hou Rui, who owes his position to the Lu family, willing to risk everything for you?"
Cheng Wang’s face twisted in alarm.
Xiao Yan leaned back in his chair, his voice tinged with disdain. "I find it curious. The Lu family painstakingly placed Hou Rui in a high-ranking position. Why would they waste such an asset helping you?"
"And while you’ve confessed to bribing officials and attempting to back the Second Prince, you’ve avoided mentioning the Lu family entirely. What exactly is the nature of your relationship with them?"
Cheng Wang’s composure cracked. Xiao Yan’s piercing gaze seemed to strip away his defenses. Struggling to maintain a facade of calm, he stammered, "There’s nothing between me and the Lu family. Lord Supervisor, you’re overthinking this."
"Then is Xie Yin the child you took from the Lu family?" Xiao Yan asked abruptly.
Cheng Wang’s eyes widened in shock.
"You deceived Cheng Wangfei into marrying you, but the person you truly cared about was in the Lu family, wasn’t it?"
Cheng Wang’s heart nearly stopped. Panic flooded his entire being, and he couldn’t mask his terror. Xiao Yan, observing his reaction, let out a faint chuckle.
"So Xie Yin isn’t some random orphan you adopted. He’s your child with someone from the Lu family, isn’t he?"
You can read ahead to chapterr 234 (100+ extra chapters) here
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