Chapter 118: Surprisingly consistent confessions
Those who woke up one after another had heard Qian San's words to some extent. Like Wang Qian, they also had expressions of horror on their faces.
"Okay, I've told you everything I know. Now it's your turn." Qian San looked at the faces of all these people and felt a sense of relief in his heart.
It took Wang Qian a long time to digest what had happened.
He was brought back from Fushun Street by the yamen runners. Almost all the people in the hall with him were from the same street. Some were brought back from other streets. However, they were all from the most lively and crowded places in the capital.
Almost all of them were injured to varying degrees, and all of them were naked and exposed to the public for a long time.
"Hey, do you remember what happened before you fainted?!" Qian San continued to ask.
Wang Qian shook his head and said, "I... I don't remember. I just remember that I was on my way out to buy some wine, and then I lost consciousness. I don't know anything about what happened afterwards."
Anyway, he knows nothing about anything.
Qian San had a feeling that he was not telling the truth, but he couldn't find any point to refute it.
After all, according to Wang Qian's words, it is reasonable.
Going out to buy wine is a very normal thing in Beijing.
Rich and powerful officials could naturally drink and eat meat in the restaurant. For a minor official like Wang Qian, it was normal for him to buy wine and drink it at home.
Moreover, he was indeed unconscious when he was found, so it was normal that no one knew what had happened to him.
Forget it, he'll ask someone else.
However, after a round of questioning, everyone's statements were surprisingly consistent.
It all happened when I was at home or on the way to buy groceries or visit friends. I suddenly became unconscious and then I knew nothing.
When I woke up, I was already here.
By the time the moon was up above the willow trees, almost everyone who was still alive had woken up.
Then everyone maintained a high degree of tacit understanding on the matter of giving confessions.
I don't know the cause or the consequence. It sounds like I have suffered an unexpected disaster.
The people who were sent out to notify the various prefectures had actually returned a long time ago, but they had not waited for anyone to pick them up.
It was not until late at night that many carriages from different mansions appeared in front of the gate of Jingzhao Prefecture.
They were sent by various mansions, and they traveled in a very low-key manner, with a small entourage. They took those who had given their statements back to their mansions one by one.
Before daybreak, all the people were taken away, except for the eleven unidentified people who were detained.
The families of those who had already died did not dare to make a fuss and were taken home after the coroner finished making the examination records.
As for how the body will be buried later, that is none of their business.
At this point, all the "victims" have had a preliminary result.
Zhang Quanhe wrote the memorial overnight, listing the entire cause and effect, including the testimonies obtained by yamen runners from visiting the surrounding people, and also transcribing the confessions of more than a dozen high-ranking officials.
Everything that should be written was written, and not a single word that should not be written was mentioned.
Li Zhengyang is right, this matter should be dealt with sooner rather than later.
We cannot give the incident more time to ferment.
It's good for everyone to make a decision early.
These things are enough to make people have many associations.
He decided to go before the emperor early tomorrow morning and present all the testimonies and findings to him.
What to do next will all depend on the Emperor's instructions.
Prince Wu's Mansion.
Princess Jiahe was carried back.
Although the person was alive, the injuries on her body were not particularly serious. At least compared to the others, Princess Jiahe's injuries were the lightest.
However, Princess Jiahe seemed a little crazy.
The pair of clear eyes in the past were now covered with a layer of gray mist, and saliva seemed to be flowing from the corners of his mouth.
When Princess Wu saw Princess Jiahe like this, all the words she wanted to say were swallowed back into her throat.
In this situation, what else could she ask?
We can only let someone settle the princess down first.
However, the maidservant Shu'er who followed the princess was so frightened that she had to be supported by someone. She couldn't even straighten her back. She kept shrinking in the corner, afraid of being noticed.
But how could Princess Wu not see her?
The princess of Wu sat on the main seat, looking down at her and said coldly, "Tell me, what's going on? Didn't you accompany the princess to the Xiangcheng Temple to burn incense and pray for blessings? Why are you in Tongyifang in dishevel?!"
At the end of her speech, Princess Wu could hardly control her voice.
She had no daughters, only two sons, and she disliked the daughters born to her concubines.
Therefore, she adopted Jiahe from a branch of her mother's family very early on, and also asked for the title of princess for her.
Over the years, she has devoted a lot of effort to Jiahe. Not only did she hire people to teach her music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, and etiquette, she also spent a lot of money to build a reputation for her.
Her hard work over the years paid off. In the past two years, Princess Jiahe's reputation has been getting better and better, and she even surpassed Song Qingci, the most famous lady in the capital, in some aspects.
Such a daughter was originally intended to be used for marriage into an aristocratic family.
She was about to see results, but she didn't expect that just this one move would shatter all her plans and hopes.
How could she not be angry when she thought about what the people in the mansion heard on the street this afternoon? She was almost mad to death!
How could Shu'er dare to tell the truth? She could only repeat what she said in Jingzhao Prefecture today, "Princess, I and the princess were knocked unconscious in the carriage on the way to Xiangcheng Temple. When we woke up, we were already in Jingzhao Prefecture. I really don't know anything."
"Really?!" Princess Wu obviously didn't believe her and stared at her with a pair of cold eyes.
"I dare not lie." Such a look made Shu'er's injuries even more painful. When she was in Jingzhao Prefecture, the doctor told her that she had two broken ribs, but fortunately, they were fixed.
It is best to stay in bed and rest afterwards, otherwise your body will not be able to endure it.
When the Wu Wang Mansion sent someone to pick her up, she was just a little maid, not worthy of being carried. She could only be supported by others and walk by herself. Now, she knelt here, and she really felt that the bones she had connected seemed to be broken again, and the pain made her sweat coldly.
Seeing her expression, Princess Wu realized that she couldn't get anything out of her, so she gave up.
I just felt very upset and always wanted to find someone to vent to.
Thinking of this, she turned away and went to the backyard. It was time to teach those bastards a lesson.