Chapter 1233: Interrogations and Arrests

The city-gate guards moved to stop them. One of the black-clad men produced a Blackwater Terrace token, and the defenders immediately cleared the way. Shao Pingbo led the group galloping out through the eastern gate.

At the same time, two Blackwater Terrace operatives carrying Shao Pingbo's orders headed straight for the garrison outside the city. Using the authority available to them, they mobilized more than a hundred men and led them toward Nanling Mountain. They went directly to the Fire God Temple, arrested every temple attendant inside, and hauled them to a prison controlled by Blackwater Terrace, where interrogation began immediately.

The name of Blackwater Terrace's prison was as simple and direct as could be: Black Prison.

Inside Black Prison, dozens of temple attendants screamed beneath harsh torture.

Shao Pingbo's order was straightforward. He wanted a list of every dignitary and powerful person who had visited the Fire God Temple to offer incense within the past year.

Shao Pingbo himself led another group toward a small town several dozen li away. Horsemen thundered into the town and immediately surrounded an inn.

Constables from the local yamen hurried over, shouting demands to know what was happening and who these people were.

A Blackwater Terrace token was held up.

The constables instantly went pale and backed off to one side. Blackwater Terrace was a secret institution in the Emperor's hands. To carry out special assignments, the state had granted it a degree of authority to execute first and report afterward. Small fry like them could not afford to provoke it.

Shao Pingbo remained seated on horseback. He merely raised one hand.

Shao Sansheng immediately jumped down, led a group into the inn, and before long dragged out a man and forced him to his knees before Shao Pingbo's mount.

Looking down from above, Shao Pingbo asked coldly, "Who are you?"

The kneeling man was dressed like an ordinary itinerant peddler and trembled violently. "This lowly one... this lowly one is the temple officiant of the Fire God Temple on Nanling Mountain."

Shao Pingbo asked, "If you are the officiant of the Fire God Temple in the capital, why are you here, and why are you dressed like this?"

"This lowly one... this lowly one..." The officiant was badly flustered.

The Misty Pavilion's people had already found him. Of course, he had no idea who they really were. But he knew that the affair in which he had accepted money and spoken fabricated nonsense before Noble Consort Lan had been exposed. Terrified of the consequences, he had fled. How could he dare casually reveal the truth about deceiving the Noble Consort?

What he did not know was that he had long since been watched. Otherwise, how could Shao Pingbo have found him directly without taking a single wrong turn?

"Take him away!" Shao Pingbo threw down the order, wheeled his horse around, and left.

With the temple officiant captured, the group thundered away again, returning directly to the capital almost as quickly as they had come.

They rushed once more through the eastern gate and headed straight for Black Prison.

Someone came out to receive them when word reached the prison. Shao Pingbo jumped down from his horse and asked, "How did the interrogations go?"

A Blackwater Terrace operative who had been assigned to cooperate with him throughout the operation replied, "None of them were hard bones. Under torture, they answered whatever we asked and confessed everything. The list Your Excellency wanted is here." He presented a sheet with both hands.

Shao Pingbo took it and scanned the names. His brows lifted slightly. With a sweep of his cloak, he strode into Black Prison without another word.

The temple officiant, needless to say, was dragged miserably inside after him.

At the prison entrance, the clerk responsible for records cupped his hands to Shao Pingbo. Shao Pingbo ignored him, slapped the newly obtained interrogation list onto the desk, borrowed the clerk's brush, and circled a large number of names.

Then he took the list aside and summoned Shao Sansheng. Handing it over, he said, "Coordinate with Blackwater Terrace and check the households of everyone I've circled. Anyone whose family has ties to Qiyun Sect is to be removed from the list."

"Yes!" Shao Sansheng accepted it and immediately went to carry out the order.

Shao Pingbo headed deeper into the prison to interrogate the temple officiant personally.

The man had already been bound to a torture rack and stripped completely naked.

One of the men who had searched him brought forward a tray piled with gold notes, silver notes, and other valuables. "Your Excellency, all of this was found on him."

"It seems the Fire God Temple is a rather profitable place." Shao Pingbo sneered and walked to the rack. One hand closed around the hilt at his waist.

Shing!

His sword left its sheath.

The temple officiant was terrified. "Spare me! Spare me! As long as Your Excellency spares my life, I'll confess anything! Ah—!"

A shrill scream erupted as his whole body convulsed from pain.

Cold light had flashed once.

Shao Pingbo's sword had fallen, severing one hand cleanly at the wrist.

...

Within the imperial palace, after a minister finished speaking and withdrew from one of the pavilions, Taishu Xiong asked, "Didn't Lord Shao return? Has he still not entered the palace?"

Tao Lue bowed slightly. "This old servant was just about to report the matter. Lord Shao did not enter the palace. Instead, he summoned Blackwater Terrace personnel, left the city directly, and mobilized troops from the garrison outside. Those troops went straight to the Fire God Temple on Nanling Mountain and arrested all of its attendants for interrogation in Black Prison."

"Lord Shao himself led men directly to Thirty-Li Town, where he seized the temple officiant from an inn as the man was trying to flee. The latest report says he has already brought him back to Black Prison."

"Oh?" Taishu Xiong was somewhat surprised. His gaze flickered. "Because of Noble Consort Lan's affair?"

The fact that Noble Consort Lan and her daughter had gone to the Fire God Temple could not have been hidden from the palace. They simply had not investigated it deeply.

Tao Lue bent at the waist. "Presumably."

Taishu Xiong sighed. "It seems he is still unwilling to let this go. But what use is there in uncovering the truth now? The greater situation has already been decided. Does he think he can use this to refuse the marriage?"

Tao Lue said, "Lord Shao received Your Majesty's decree to plan matters relating to the war against Qi and Wei. His responsibilities are grave. For the sake of acting according to changing circumstances, Your Majesty granted him broad authority to mobilize Blackwater Terrace personnel. Without an imperial order, this old servant was not in a position to stop him."

Taishu Xiong said, "If he does not investigate the matter, he will probably never accept it in his heart. He truly has been wronged. Let him make some trouble for now. Keep an eye on him and make sure he does not go too far."

Tao Lue bowed respectfully. "Yes!"

...

Inside Black Prison, Shao Pingbo strode out with the latest confession in hand. He mounted immediately.

Hooves thundered again as he led the group out of the prison compound.

This time, they headed directly for the yamen of the Grand Herald.

When they arrived, Shao Pingbo swung down from his horse, climbed the steps, and marched straight inside.

The yamen guards moved to block him. Blackwater Terrace personnel immediately surged forward and displayed their tokens in warning. The guards exchanged uncertain looks before one said, "Please allow this subordinate to report your arrival!"

"No need!" Shao Pingbo had no patience for delay. He shoved the man aside and forced his way in.

His movements were truly swift and decisive.

The officials working inside the yamen were quickly alarmed one after another, and Grand Herald Guo Wenshang himself soon came out.

When he met Shao Pingbo, the latter greeted him evenly. "Lord Guo."

Anger showed on Guo Wenshang's face. He pointed at the group that had stormed in like wolves and tigers. "Lord Shao, what is the meaning of forcing your way into an imperial yamen with armed men?"

Shao Pingbo flipped one sleeve and produced a token personally bestowed by Taishu Xiong.

"Lord Guo, this official is acting by imperial command to plan the war against Qi and Wei at the front. According to intelligence obtained there, enemy-state spies have infiltrated the capital and colluded with court officials to create disorder. The matter concerns the war itself. This official does not dare treat it lightly, so I returned to the capital at once to investigate thoroughly. I hope Lord Guo will cooperate."

Guo Wenshang swept his sleeve angrily. "Absurd! Are you accusing this official of colluding with spies from an enemy state?"

Shao Pingbo said calmly, "Lord Guo need not be nervous. I only came to ask you about certain testimony."

"Testimony?" Guo Wenshang sneered repeatedly. "I am an official of the imperial court. Are you treating me as a criminal to be interrogated?"

Shao Pingbo suddenly shouted, "Bring him forward!"

A commotion came from behind. A wretched figure was dragged into view. One hand was missing, the stump wrapped in a crude bandage. He looked miserable indeed.

It was the temple officiant.

"You... you're..." Despite the man's state, Guo Wenshang recognized him at a glance.

Shao Pingbo cast the prisoner a cold sidelong look. "Speak. Tell us what happened the day Lord Guo went to the Fire God Temple."

"This lowly one was foolish for a moment..." Terrified beyond measure, the temple officiant immediately confessed how he had taken a bribe and fabricated those words before Noble Consort Lan.

Guo Wenshang sucked in a cold breath.

He was no fool. He immediately thought back to Noble Consort Lan's insistence on meeting Jia Wuqun.

That meeting had probably not been coincidence at all, but part of someone's deliberate scheme.

Exactly how deep did this matter go? For a moment, even Guo Wenshang could not see the bottom.

Shing!

Shao Pingbo suddenly drew his sword halfway from its sheath.

"Lord Guo, this official is not treating you as a criminal. I am investigating and gathering evidence. The war at the front is urgent. Its outcome concerns the lives of countless sons of Jin. Before I went to the front, His Majesty granted me authority to make decisions as circumstances required, including the power to execute first and report afterward."

"Now the witness is here, and the matter also involves Lord Guo. If Lord Guo refuses to cooperate with the investigation and the collection of evidence, then do not blame this Shao for acting under military law!"

Guo Wenshang hurriedly raised both hands. "Lord Shao, there may be some misunderstanding here. I had no idea what Jia Wuqun was doing behind the scenes. I merely received foreign guests according to the duties of the Grand Herald!"

Shao Pingbo slid the sword back into its sheath and waved one hand. "Record Lord Guo's words in the case file!"

The Blackwater Terrace personnel accompanying him had not known how deep the matter ran either. But now that an entire chain of foreign intrigue had been uncovered, they began taking it seriously from the heart and cooperated fully with Shao Pingbo.

One of them immediately procured brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the spot and served as clerk while Shao Pingbo questioned Guo Wenshang.

When the questioning ended, Guo Wenshang signed the testimony and pressed his mark to it at Shao Pingbo's indication.

"I believe Lord Guo is innocent. Forgive the disturbance. Farewell!" Shao Pingbo cupped his hands, then turned and left.

Guo Wenshang awkwardly returned the salute.

The group that had stormed into the Grand Herald's yamen poured back outside in a clatter.

Standing beyond the gate, Shao Pingbo drew a deep breath.

He now had the temple officiant's confession and Guo Wenshang's testimony.

That was enough to establish the existence of a foreign conspiracy.

Half his plan had already succeeded.

He drew the reorganized list of names from his sleeve and asked, "Of the people on this list, whose residence is closest?"

A Blackwater Terrace operative stepped forward and pointed at one name. "Court Chamberlain Zhao Gongquan's residence."

"Good. Then we'll go to Lord Zhao's first. Lead the way!"

Shao Pingbo folded the list away, strode to his horse, swept back his cloak, and mounted.

The riders thundered off again and soon reached the Zhao Residence.

The entire group forced its way inside.

Once in, they followed the list directly and began seizing people. The Zhao Residence was thrown into complete chaos. No one knew what was happening.

Shao Pingbo had come holding Taishu Xiong's token. Even the retainer cultivators protecting the residence did not dare act rashly.

Before long, three of Court Chamberlain Zhao Gongquan's four wives had been arrested, along with the sons and daughters born to them.

Just then, a richly dressed young man hurried in from outside. Seeing his mother and siblings under arrest, he immediately grew furious and shouted, "Impudent! Do you know where you are? Who dares run wild here?"

Shao Pingbo turned and asked, "Who is this?"

One of the Blackwater Terrace attendants answered, "Lord Zhao's youngest son, Zhao Yujun."

Shao Pingbo asked, "Does he have any connection to the Taishu clan?"

"No." The Blackwater Terrace attendant pointed toward one of the beautiful women under guard, indicating that she was his mother.

[End of Chapter 1233]