nucmednet Chapter 289 Feng Ziheng's Persuasion
Chapter 289 Feng Ziheng's Persuasion
After hearing the whole story, both Prince Ning and Feng Ziheng were astonished.
"So, the Third Prince has been torturing animals all along? And you've been aware of this for how long?"
Wan Cheng replied in a trembling voice, "I have been following His Highness for one year and three months. The first time I participated in something like this was nine months ago. There must have been other instances before, but they didn't trust me then and didn't take me with them."
Feng Ziheng glanced at his younger brother and said in a low voice, "So cruel... but the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty do not have any provisions for this kind of thing."
Upon hearing this, Wan Cheng became extremely disappointed and shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.
The younger brother then said, "What about torture and murder? There are laws against torture and murder, aren't there?"
“Yes,” Feng Ziheng replied. “The sentencing will vary depending on the severity of the victim’s injuries, and there is a significant difference between the sentencing for manslaughter and torture. However, there must be evidence.”
This time, even the younger brother remained silent.
Prince Ning asked, "Did the Third Prince commit any acts of torture or murder? When exactly, and who was killed? Do you all know?"
Wan Cheng refused to speak, so his younger brother spoke up.
"Your Highness, we actually only heard it from others, we don't know if it's true or false, and... we have no evidence."
Prince Ning remained calm: "It's alright. There's no one else here. Just talk as if you're having a casual chat."
Seeing that Wan Cheng remained silent, the younger brother advised, "Wan Cheng, we have no way out now. Since we refuse to go along with them, we are destined to oppose them. What do you know? Just tell His Highness Prince Ning. At worst... I'll share the blame for the false accusation with you!"
Wan Cheng knew he couldn't escape this time, and he didn't plan to run away anymore.
Having come this far, he was essentially free from that darkness. If his confession could prevent the Third Prince's faction from committing further evil deeds, that would be wonderful. If not, even if it only provided a little help to those who came after him, it would be worthwhile.
"I know of some cases. The deaths of the five sons of the Li family were not due to falling off their horses, but rather because they tortured them. They inserted countless needles into their bodies, then tied them to a horse and jostled them until they couldn't take it, fainted, and their heads broke off. Afterwards, they were dragged by the horse for a long time..."
"Also among those who died were several commoners, as well as the eunuchs and maids serving the Third Prince, tenant farmers from Xing Family Estate, and so on..."
Wan Cheng recounted everything he knew. He knew more than a dozen people, and there were countless others who didn't know.
Upon hearing this, Prince Ning's face darkened considerably, and he exuded a chilling aura: "If I remember correctly, Xiao Jingcheng is only thirteen years old this year."
He addressed the Third Prince by his given name, which shows how furious he was.
Wan Cheng replied, "In March of this year, the Third Prince turned thirteen. On his birthday, he originally wanted to torture and kill a palace maid, but Consort Xin must have noticed and sent someone to warn him, so he changed it to torturing and killing two wolfhounds."
Prince Ning asked, "After you started following him, he never tortured or killed anyone?"
“The previous incident caused too much of a stir, so he stopped torturing people and started torturing animals instead,” Wan Cheng said softly. “I don’t have any evidence, so is there nothing I can do…”
"I will investigate this matter thoroughly," Prince Ning said in a deep voice. "Guards!"
Prince Ning never procrastinates; he investigates cases immediately. The case that Prince Si and Wan Cheng discussed today involves the Third Prince, so he must investigate it personally.
He had barely opened his mouth when Feng Ziheng stopped him: "Youchuan, wait a moment."
“If Prince Feng is not energetic enough, I will not entrust this case to you.”
Prince Ning said this, but his attitude was clearly not like that. He didn't let Feng Ziheng get involved in this matter because he knew that Feng Ziheng was not only the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, but also the heir of a Duke, and had more to think about and bear than him.
He never made things difficult for his subordinates. Moreover, he considered Feng Ziheng to be one of the few people in the entire Dali Temple whom he respected.
However, Feng Ziheng grabbed him and said, "Your Highness, please don't be impulsive. Can you really conclude that the Third Prince is wrong just because two children said something casually?"
"How can we know he's not wrong if we don't investigate?"
Feng Ziheng frowned: "Neither of them has any evidence."
Unless we can obtain concrete evidence, what can we prove with just a few words from my brother and Wan Cheng? At most, it can only prove that the Third Prince led his men to torture and kill animals.
However, there are no relevant provisions in the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty regarding the cruelty to animals, so there is no way to convict someone for it.
My heart sank. So there's no solution at all, right? Wan Cheng also collapsed to his knees, exhausted, tears streaming down his face. He wiped them away, but new tears kept flowing.
Prince Ning looked at them, then calmly turned back: "If they have no evidence, I will find it for them!"
“Your Highness Prince Ning!” Feng Ziheng frowned. “We should consult the Emperor first before making a decision.”
Prince Ning shook off his hand and said coldly, "Feng Ziheng, you are more than ten years older than me and have always been a diligent and benevolent official. I thought you were different from those sycophants!"
Feng Ziheng ignored him and insisted, "My lord, this matter concerns the reputation of His Highness the Third Prince. I believe you should report it to the Emperor."
He did not address him as "Your Highness," but rather by his official title, demonstrating his insistence on doing what he believed was right.
Prince Ning squinted at him and sneered, "Just because the Third Prince is the Emperor's son? How utterly ridiculous."
He strode out and said, "Men, take my token and mobilize the three guards of the capital to surround Xiao Jingcheng's courtyard."
"Your Highness Prince Ning, have you gone mad?"
Feng Ziheng had no way to stop Prince Ning's actions. He turned around and stared blankly at the two thirteen-year-old children, and sighed softly: "Don't run around. I'm afraid only Prince Ning can protect you."
After saying this, he quickly left, summoned his attendant, and whispered, "Go tell my father that the Third Prince is in trouble, and Prince Ning is determined to deal with the Third Prince."
The attendant asked, "Young Master, where are you going?"
Feng Ziheng opened his oil-paper umbrella and looked up at the drizzling sky: "I have to go to the Emperor, otherwise it will be even more difficult to get past Prince Ning."
The Emperor was still asleep, and his most beloved concubine, Rong, was attending to him.
The eunuch's voice woke him, and he asked rather impatiently, "What time is it?"
"Your Majesty, it is early morning." Before the emperor could get angry, the eunuch hurriedly added, "Your Majesty, the heir of the Duke of Fengguo said that he has urgent business to discuss with Your Majesty and insisted that we report it."
Consort Rong said coquettishly, "Your Majesty, it's so early. How can the Crown Prince not take care of Your Majesty's health at all?"
The Emperor rose and said, "If it weren't for something important, Ziheng would never have come to see me at this time."