The Red Mansion: From a Small Pawn to a Leader

Chapter 168: Share your worries
Taihe Tower is located in the prosperous area of ​​Chongwenmenli Street, diagonally opposite Dongjiangmi Lane. It stands tall on the east side of the street, with six storeys in a row on the lower level with red pillars and green steps. Above the lintel in the middle hangs a black plaque with gold ink and three large characters "Taihe Tower" inscribed on it.

Li Hu's personal soldiers have surrounded Taihe Tower.

This unusual situation made the common people very curious. They stayed there and gathered far away, talking about it.

In the restaurant, Li Hu sat on a chair next to the counter, holding his tea bowl and drinking slowly.

The restaurant's manager, waiters, cooks and handymen were all standing here at this time, each of them looking coldly, not at Li Hu, but at the manager eunuch standing in the middle of the hall!
The eunuch in charge had scars all over his body, obviously having been tortured.

The only sound in the entire restaurant was Li Hu drinking tea.

Suddenly, Li Hu dumped the tea bowl on the tea table, and everyone was startled.

Li Hu slowly looked at the eunuch in charge and said gently, "Have you remembered?"

The eunuch in charge just glanced at Li Hu and then lowered his eyes.

Wang Daniu couldn't help it: "General, why waste time talking to him? Go ahead and punish him!"

Li Hu smiled faintly and said, "Tell me, you can't bear it."

The eunuch in charge shuddered but remained silent.

Li Hu smiled and said, "Forget it. Since you want to give it a try, let's give it a try." Then he looked at the restaurant manager and said, "Bring me some mulberry paper."

The manager said, “Yes.” He hurried to the backyard.

Li Hu said to Wang Daniu: "People in the palace must follow the palace rules, so give him a promotion."

Wang Daniu smiled and replied, "Yes." He waved his hand and four personal soldiers ran in.

Two guards held up the eunuch in charge, one dragged over a chair, and another found a rope.

Soon, the eunuch in charge was tied to a chair.

At this time, the manager also came back with a stack of mulberry paper on a tray.

The method of promotion was called "Jiaguantie" or "Kaijiaguan". It referred to sticking wet mulberry paper on the prisoner's face, one piece after another, until the person was suffocated to death. It was said to have been invented by the former Ming Taizu Emperor.

In addition to executing prisoners, this punishment was also used for interrogation. Paper becomes damp and soft when it comes into contact with water, but mulberry paper is of particularly good quality, with strong toughness and high tensile strength. It can be tightly wrapped around the prisoner's face, just like a "facial mask", except that this mask does not leave room for people to breathe, so the prisoner will have difficulty breathing.

When a piece of paper is pasted on a person, the person's nose and mouth can't breathe much. If the person still refuses to confess, another piece of paper will be pasted on him, and he will be even more unable to breathe. If he still refuses to confess, another piece of paper will be pasted on him. Generally, when there are four or five pieces of paper, the person will be dead.

Finally, these pieces of paper were peeled off, and they looked like the masks worn on the faces of officials in operas and dances to be promoted to higher positions, so this punishment was named "Tie Jia Guan".

Li Hu: "Didn't he say he bought the wine from us?"

Wang Daniu understood and brought a pot of wine.

Li Hu waved his hand and said, "Post it!"

A personal soldier stuck a piece of mulberry paper on the eunuch's face. Wang Daniu sprayed a mouthful of wine on it. The mulberry paper absorbed the water and stuck tightly to the eunuch's face. Then the second piece was pasted on. The strong feeling of suffocation made the eunuch almost unable to breathe. He kicked his legs violently and made a "woohoo" cry for help.

Li Hu raised his hand, and Wang Daniu peeled the mulberry paper off the eunuch's face. The eunuch felt that he could breathe, and he gasped for air in big gulps.

The restaurant manager and the waiters had already left.

Li Hu looked at him and smiled: "Post three this time."

Wang Daniu: “Yes.” He answered and directly pasted three pieces of mulberry paper on the eunuch in charge. He watched the eunuch struggle continuously until his hands and ankles were bleeding, and then he peeled off the paper on his face.

The eunuch in charge had his eyes rolled back and was breathing heavily, greedily enjoying the fresh air.

Li Hu: "Have you had a good rest? We are going to put up four sheets of paper this time. Most people die at this level. I hope you can make it through it." As he said that, he looked at Wang Daniu.

Wang Daniu understood and slowly covered his face with a piece of mulberry paper.

"No, I said! I said--" Looking at the mulberry paper coming towards him, the eunuch in charge collapsed and shouted loudly.

Li Hu raised his hand and looked at the pale-faced eunuch in charge: "Tell me, where did that pot of wine come from?"

The eunuch in charge hesitated again.

Li Hu's face darkened: "It seems that you are planning to taste the taste of just now again?!"

The eunuch in charge overheard it, and as if he had seen a devil, he shouted in horror: "No! I said, yes, it was given to me by Eunuch Zhao from the Jingshifang."

Li Hu: “Oh?”

The eunuch in charge said: "Eunuch Zhao said that as long as the second prince drinks this wine, he can be released from the clan residence. I, I can repay the queen and the second prince's kindness."

Li Hu: "Do you know that this wine is poisonous?"

The eunuch in charge nodded and said, "I asked someone to try it out. It looks dangerous, but it's actually not a big deal."

"Does the Concubine know?"

"My queen doesn't know about this."

"What about the second prince?"

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Li Hu was surprised. This kid was really desperate! He thought for a moment and asked, "Why do you have to throw dirty water on me?"

The eunuch in charge lowered his head.

Li Hu's face darkened. This little bastard was determined to fight him to the death! If the emperor had not remained rational, he might have been splashed with dirty water. The people in Taihe Tower could not withstand the heavy punishment.

Li Hu suddenly thought: "How do you, an eunuch, know that Taihe Building is owned by the Li family?"

Without waiting for the eunuch to reply, Li Hu pressed on: "How can a mere eunuch like you have such courage? You are trying to sow discord between the emperor and his subjects, disrupting government affairs, and slandering court officials. Any of these is a capital crime punishable by death. Tell me, who told you to do this! Was it Zhou Kui?"

Wang Daniu's eyes flashed. Zhou Kui was the second prince's uncle.

The eunuch in charge's head buzzed, and he was stunned for a long time before he trembled and answered: "General Li, I have been to the Zhou family, but it is not what you said. I just asked the uncle to inquire about the Li family's assets. This is, it is His Highness."

"How dare you! If you dare to bring this up with the Second Prince again, you won't be the only one to die!"

Li Hu's eyes flashed coldly, and he said viciously: "Beat him! Beat him until he confesses!"

Several personal soldiers dragged the eunuch in charge to the backyard.

Wang Daniu's heart skipped a beat. It seemed that this guy was determined to throw the dirty water on Zhou Kui!

Li Hu said to Wang Daniu: "Go to the palace immediately and tell Chief Steward Dai what happened here."

Wang Daniu: “Yes.”

Li Hu: "You know what to say about the Zhou family's affairs, right?"

Wang Daniu hesitated for a moment and said, "Even if he confessed, there is no evidence!"

Li Hu sneered, "As long as he has been to the Zhou family and the Zhou family has investigated the Li family's assets, Zhou Kui can't explain it clearly. Choose the lesser of two evils. Your Majesty will not let the crime fall on the second prince. Don't forget, I am a recognized prince's party. Touching me is touching the prince, and it is provoking a fight for the throne! Fratricide is the emperor's reverse scale, and we are helping him share his worries. Do you understand?"

Wang Daniu answered loudly, "Yes." He turned around and walked out.

Li Hu's eyes flashed with coldness. Since this little bastard wants to fight to the death with me, and I can't touch you, I will cut off your firewood. First, drive the Zhou family out of the capital, and then destroy the Zhou family's power in the court! Wait! Sooner or later, we will settle the old and new accounts together!

Thinking of this, Li Hu stood up and turned to walk towards the backyard.

(End of this chapter)