Almost at the same time that Cui Muli finished saying this, Zou Yuandao was filled with shock and anger!
The weapons rack was three steps away from him, with several weapons he commonly used lined up on it: the long sword was brave and sharp, and it was powerful when chopping. He often rode on a horse and used it to chop off the enemy's head. The bronze halberd was a sword and a spear integrated into one, which can hook and thrust, and he is good at using it to pierce the enemy's armour. There are also double-edged swords, eight-edged maces, nunchucks... and so on.
Even Xianghe didn't notice that he had regained consciousness in his legs. If Cui Muli was careless at this time, he could kill this son to avoid future troubles...
However, however ah, his hands are already stained with blood. Will he continue to add mistakes to mistakes and sins to sins?
The thought he was about to have quickly dissipated. Zou Yuandao laughed at himself and thought: Seven hundred and thirty-two lives, that's enough.
Cui Muli didn't seem to notice his little move, "Thirteen years ago, Madam Zou suffered a serious illness in Zhengcheng. The doctor declared that it would be difficult for her to have any children in her life."
Zou Yuandao's face lost all colour and he interrupted with difficulty: "Master Cui."
Cui Muli did not stop, "Coincidentally, when Madam Zou was ill in Zhengcheng, an acquaintance was also in Zhengcheng. That person was Dian Ziming, the later governor of Liangjiang and the governor of Youzhou at that time."
Zou Yuandao closed his eyes in pain, "Master Cui, stop talking."
Cui Muli was silent for a moment and said: "General Zou, it's time for some truth to see the light of day again."
His voice is clear and melodious, and it is wonderful to the ears. However, it is softness wrapping a sharp edge, every sentence is heart-piercing, and every word is vivid. "Dian Ziming is a man who entered an official position in the shadow of his family. He is shrewd and capable, and is good at judging the situation. He has outstanding political achievements and was highly valued by the Emperor. When he was only thirty-five, he became the governor of Youzhou. Outsiders only know that he was outstanding in the limelight, but they didn't know that he actually had evil habits secretly. "
Speaking of this, Cui Muli looked deeply at Zou Yuandao and said, "Dian Ziming, he likes to play with women."
Zou Yuandao didn't say a word, but his tense jaw betrayed his strong emotion. He gripped the wheelchair tightly, his nails almost digging into the wooden handle before he could swallow the surging hatred.
Cui Muli did not stop, "Maybe it was a startling glance in the crowd. Dian Ziming was thinking about Madam Zou and sent someone to kidnap her back. After some cruel humiliation, Madam Zou was covered with bruises and was dying in a mass grave. Fortunately, a kind-hearted doctor named Cai passed by and saw that she still had a weak pulse, so he took her home for treatment."
A low laugh escaped from Zou Yuandao's throat. The indescribable sarcasm in that smile seemed to contain extreme sadness and overwhelming resentment, "Xianghe was two months pregnant at that time, two months pregnant..."
At that time, he was not General Ningde, but an ordinary cavalry captain in the army. He and Xianghe had been married for five years, but there had been no good news. Coinciding with the turmoil on the border, he led a small team to break out, while Xianghe was transferred to the nearest Zhengcheng for treatment along with the wounded soldiers. They all thought that this was an ordinary separation among many, but they did not expect that the evil spirit actually arrived in Zhengcheng.
Cui Muli said: "Dian Ziming didn't know the identity of Madam Zou. He just thought she was an ordinary woman passing by. But he didn't know that Madam Zou was your true love. Not only did you lose your child, but you also lost the opportunity to be a father forever."
Recalling the past, the veins on Zou Yuandao's forehead swelled, and he gritted his teeth and said: "Dian Ziming deserves to die, it is not a pity for him and those lackeys to die!"
Cui Muli's face was calm, "Yes, so you tried to kill them one after another, except for Dian Ziming."
Zou Yuandao sneered, "How can a second-rank imperial official die as quietly as an ant? Dian Ziming is surrounded by masters, so he has no fear of this."
Cui Muli said: "So you took advantage of Dian Ziming's opportunity to escort the disaster silver, and took the initiative to ask for orders to accompany him, waiting for the opportunity to retaliate."
Zou Yuandao asked back: "Master Cui, don't you think this method is very clever? With the target of five million taels of disaster silver, Dian Ziming is so insignificant. Even if something happens, it will not be associated with personal grudges."
Cui Muli refused to comment and said: "You heard that Yao Tiangang, the governor of Longxi County, loves power and is greedy for money, so you used five million taels of disaster silver as bait to make an agreement with him: you help him get the official silver, and he helps you settle the matter of Dian Ziming. Strictly speaking, this is a seamless plan, however, no matter how clever people's wisdom and calculations are, they can't defeat God's will - you didn't know that Yao Tiangang secretly colluded with the bandit, Zhang Jianhu."
"Although Yao Tiangang didn't disclose your existence, he leaked the plan to intercept the disaster silver. Zhang Jianhu smelled an opportunity to make a fortune, so he insisted on getting involved. Yao Tiangang reluctantly agreed. From then on, everything developed out of control. The bandits are brutal and ferocious. They have been at odds with officials and soldiers since ancient times. They had been planning to kill and silence people from the beginning - by the time you found out, it was too late."
Zou Yuandao was speechless for a moment, and then said sadly: "The plan that was supposed to be foolproof turned into a huge mistake because of this idiot, Yao Tiangang."
"There were a total of twelve letters between you and Yao Tiangang, but now only nine have appeared." Cui Muli said: "I guess that in the three missing letters, you told Yao Tiangang to kill only Dian Ziming and not to indiscriminately touch other people's life."
Zou Yuandao did not deny it, but he also did not admit it, "The matter has come to this, and talking about anything else is nonsense."
No matter what his original intention were, it eventually led to corpses strewn all over the Honghe River Valley. Those faces, familiar or unfamiliar, young or showing the vicissitudes of life, remained in the Honghe River Valley forever as the blood seeped into the land.
Since the tragedy happened, he woke up every night, filled with resentment. He hates Yao Tiangang for his extraneous things, he hates Zhang Jianhu for his viciousness, but what he hates most is that he is obsessed with it.
For the sake of a Dian Ziming, more than 700 lives were lost in vain. They also had parents, wives, and children. How innocent and unfortunate!
But now that the matter has come to this, he has no way to turn back and can only go one way to the end.
Cui Muli said: "After Yao Tiangang and Zhang Jianhu were exposed, you secretly sent someone to contact Yao Tiangang and asked him to keep the secret between him and you in exchange for the life of his soon-to-be-born child. Yao Tiangang knew that there was no hope of survival, so he accepted your proposal and turned against Zhang Jianhu."
Zou Yuandao felt no guilt and said: "The two of them had been working together for a long time, and they deserve the consequences."
"Yes, so you escaped unscathed. Not only that, you faked the death of Yao Tiangang's son and adopted him, naming him Cong'er."
Zou Yuandao remained silent. After a while, he insisted: "Cong'er is my and Xianghe's child."
Cui Muli was not entangled in this, but had other doubts, "General Zou, have you ever thought about why this case was brought up again?"
Zou Yuandao's expression was dull, "Yao Tiangang must have had a grudge and ordered his servant to take revenge on me before he died."
Cui Muli said: "Since it was revenge, why was it eight years later and why were the three letters about your motive missing?"
"Zou doesn't care about the reason." Zou Yuandao said numbly: "Master Cui, Zou already said everything he knows."
Zou Yuandao doesn't have as many scruples as Cui Muli. From his standpoint, there is only one thing he can do - confess part of the truth, bear the belated guilt, and pay for the lives taken with his life.
Cui Muli saw his negativity and wanted to persuade him, "General Zou, the law is ruthless, but people have emotions. If you actively cooperate with the investigation, the Emperor may be magnanimous and give a lenient sentence after learning the secret."
Zou Yuandao seemed to have heard a very funny joke and burst into laughter, "Magnanimous? Give me a lighter sentence? The price is to make what Dian Ziming did to Xianghe public? Master Cui, if it were your beloved woman who was harmed, will you accept the humiliation and survive in exchange for this?"
If it were A-Miao...
A figure flashed through Cui Muli's mind, and before he thought about it deeply, he felt that his heart was filled with anger.
A sudden silence swept over the side room.
Seeing this, Zou Yuandao said clearly: "I guess you also have someone you cherish. Master Cui, you should understand my choice."
Cui Muli understood, but as the supervisor of the case, he had to persuade Zou Yuandao to abandon the dark side and turn to the bright side. "General Zou, you and Chief Minister Luo are old acquaintances, why don't you try to give him some trust? The truth should not be buried. If it can be made public -"
"It's not necessary." Zou Yuandao said: "Master Cui, Xianghe still doesn't know that the person who harmed her is Dian Ziming. She has come out of the haze and started her life again. And I, I started this case, and I intercepted the disaster silver, and people died because of me... Master Cui, I know that my crime is unpardonable, I can only live in shame. I just ask for—just ask—"
As he spoke, his face was filled with pain and blood spurted out from his mouth.
"General Zou!"
Cui Muli strode forward, and supported his body that was about to collapse. He pressed two fingers on his hand veins, and his expression suddenly changed, "You are poisoned?"
Zou Yuandao raised his lips and smiled. He said intermittently: "My life is lowly. I should have died .... a long time ago to apologize for my sins, but I have .... survived up until now. It has been due to greed."
Cui Muli tapped several acupuncture points on his chest, and took out a green porcelain bottle from his sleeve. He poured out a black pill and fed it to him, "Hold on, I'll call the imperial doctor!"
But Zou Yuandao held his arm firmly, "Don't let your efforts go to waste, I took .... Baihe. It will burn the stomach and heart, and there is no chance of survival."
A steady stream of blood gushed out from the corners of his mouth, staining his chest a wet red. He said in a breathy voice: "I've been waiting for this day for a long time. Master Cui, I can tell you the whereabouts of the one million taels of silver. But you .... you have to promise me two things."
"General Zou, you——"
"Cui, Master Cui, listen, listen to what I have to say!"
"......You say."
"First, if you conceal the existence of those three letters and conceal Dian Ziming's evil deeds, just think ..... that I am greedy for money and obsessed with evil spirits ....." Zou Yuandao swallowed the warmth in his throat. He grabbed the collar of his clothes, and said hastily: "Second, let Xianghe and Cong'er go, and keep them alive ..... Master Cui, I know you have a way!"
Cui Muli's official uniform was also covered in blood, "General Zou, why are you doing this?"
"It is the right thing for a man to protect ..... his wife ..... and children." Zou Yuandao endured the pain piercing his intestines and stomach, struggling to hold up his eyelids, "Promise me .... cough, cough, cough ..... only then, will I tell you of the whereabouts of the disaster silver——"
This was clearly a threat, but Cui Muli found it difficult to be displeased. He was only filled with despair.
Cui Muli nodded slowly, "I promise you."
"Thank you ..... thank you -" Zou Yuandao smiled and opened his lips weakly, "The confession is in the secret compartment under the table, and the disaster money is there .... right there -"
Cui Muli bowed his head and listened to his breathless words. After only half a breath, he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
His hands fell down weakly, but there was still a smile on his lips, as if he had broken free from a cage that had imprisoned him for many years, and he was completely free.
The lantern was extinguished and the room fell into darkness. Only Cui Muli's shallow breathing reminded one of the passage of time.
After a long time, Du Hong approached worriedly and knocked on the door cautiously, "Master Cui?"
Regardless of the stickiness, Cui Muli straightened Zou Yuandao's body and said hoarsely: "Retreat the troops. Zou Yuandao has confessed his crime and will be executed."
*
In his letter, Zou Yuandao confessed to the crime and described the incident in detail, which was completely consistent with the details of the case. Except for Luo Biyu and Cui Muli, no one knew about the three missing letters and the secret that Zou Yuandao wanted to bury.
After listening to Cui Muli's report, Luo Biyu closed his eyes and had nothing to say for a while.
"Idiot." Luo Biyu's voice trembled slightly as he cursed, "You really are an idiot to come up with such a method."
After he finished cursing, there was silence for a long time, and everything around him was silent.
"Boy from the Cui family." Luo Biyu adjusted his mood and asked, "In your opinion, how should we handle this case?"
Cui Muli cupped his hand in obeisance, "General Zou is excusable for committing a heinous crime, but he cannot escape the blame. But looking at this case, Dian Ziming, as the chief culprit, should not escape legal punishment by dying."
Luo Biyu said: "Continue."
"In my opinion, although the case of the Honghe River Valley silver disaster is close to being concluded, the case of Dian Ziming's harming of a good family has begun to emerge. We might as well investigate the two cases separately, and first report part of the truth to the Emperor according to General Zou's words. After recovering the one million taels of disaster silver, this subordinate will secretly investigate Dian Ziming's crimes, and then go to imperial court to sue Dian Ziming..."
The key point is to first resolve the Honghe River Valley silver disaster case.
Luo Biyu nodded, "This method is feasible."
The next day, he directly presented Zou Yuandao's confession to Emperor Chengxuan.
Emperor Chengxuan was shocked by Zou Yuandao's boldness and regretted his failure to see people clearly. If he had refused Zou Yuandao's request at that time, the tragedy would not have happened.
Looking back on Zou Yuandao's life, he was brave and good at fighting. He killed countless enemies, but in the end he died for wealth——
Emperor Chengxuan felt mixed emotions.
At this point, the Honghe River Valley silver disaster case "came to light": it turns out that General Ningde, Zou Yuandao, who was obsessed with money, instigated Longxi County Governor, Yao Tiangang, colluded with the bandit Zhang Tianhu, and staged a plan where his true intentions were hidden in unsuspicious actions. General Ningde, who looks majestic and heroic in front of others, turns out to be an insane little maniac behind the scenes!
After learning that Zou Yuandao had committed suicide and apologized, the people cursed loudly. Furthermore, some scholars even signed a letter, imploring Zou Yuandao's body to be hung at the city gate, where it would be scorched by the burning sun and corroded by wind and rain, so as to relieve the hatred in their hearts!
Rather than being angry, Emperor Chengxuan was more concerned about the whereabouts of the one million taels of disaster silver. According to Cui Muli, before his death, Zou Yuandao said that the disaster silver was buried by the Heishui River in Yongzhou. Emperor Chengxuan immediately dispatched the Jinyi Wei to the local area to search for the silver. In addition, Zou Yuandao's wife and children also needed to be arrested and brought to justice.
But things always go against expectations. A few days later, Emperor Chengxuan received news that there is no trace of the disaster silver on the Heishui River. Zou Yuandao lied.