Oriole Line

What dripped down was actually an ordinary water drop, and only he dared to try it with the tip of his tongue. After confirming that it was water, Wen Tao thought that this was probably another design of Si Jian Ge. The screams of the person being punished caused extreme panic in his heart, and because his eyes were blindfolded, the dripping water at this moment could easily be imagined as the blood dripping from the prisoner on the upper floor. Terrible exception.Therefore, Qi Dai didn't even need too many punishments, as long as the people awaiting trial were allowed to stay here for a few days, there were not many who would not be scared to death.

Three days later, Qi Dai interrogated Wen Tao, and after taking off the cloth strip, Wen Tao's expression was as usual except that he took a while to adjust to the surrounding light.

"Sure enough, things that scare ordinary people are of no use to you." Qi Dai laughed.

"I guess, there aren't many people being tortured in the torture room, right? After all, as long as there is a voice, it's fine." Wen Tao said lightly.

Qi Dai's face changed slightly. Others said that Sijiange's punishment was comparable to that of Yan Luodian, but in fact, not many people actually used torture, because most of them had long since blindfolded and listened to the screams of the torture room for a few days. The soul flew away and told the whole story. No one thought that the sound of the torture room could be faked, and even the faked voice could be more terrifying and frightening than the real punishment sound.

"Okay, do you have anything to say?" Qi Dai interrupted.

"I did not participate in the fraud." Wen Tao was concise.

"Then why were you witnessed having a banquet with several candidates in Bingzhou at Guiyun Restaurant before the exam?"

"By chance."

"Why did you hand in the paper in an hour on the day of the exam?"

"The exam questions are easy."

"Did you get the test questions before the test? Any way, including dictation, or secretly delivered to you?"

"No."

"How to prove it?"

Wen Tao paused, looked at Qi Dai and said, "Dare to ask Qi Sijian, how can I prove something that I haven't done?"

"Then how do you explain that in the list of 26 people that Zheng Yong handed over to Dali Temple before his death, all of them have confessed except you."

"All?" Wen Tao raised his eyes.

"All of them. If you are the only one who was wronged, why you? Or, why Da Sima Mansion?"

"I don't believe you don't know." Wen Tao said lightly, "Being superior to others, everyone will criticize you; if a tree is more beautiful than a forest, the wind will destroy it."

"You can argue like that, but I don't accept explanations without evidence."

"What kind of proof do you want? Ask people all over the world if they are afraid of Da Sima?"

"I don't care what people in the world think. I only care about what you think."

"I don't have any idea. I only have one sentence, I am wronged in this matter."

"How to prove it?" Qi Dai stared at him.

Wen Tao and him looked at each other for a long while: "You want to torture me? If I run out of punishment, I will still say the same thing. Does that count as proof?"

Qi Dai chuckled: "Punishment can be regarded as a kind of proof to others. I haven't seen anyone who can survive my punishment. But for you, I don't believe it."

"Why don't you believe me?"

Qi Dai smiled but did not answer, and started another topic: "If you really want to prove your innocence, I have a Miaojiang herbal medicine called Jianzhen San, after drinking it for half an hour, you will feel like you are in a dream, and you will answer every question you ask. If you want to prove your innocence, just let me ask you for half an hour after drinking Jianzhen San."

Until now, Wen Tao showed his real anger for the first time since entering Sijian Pavilion: "Qi Dai, what exactly do you want to do?"

"Let you prove your innocence."

Wen Tao bit his lips subconsciously. He had thought that no matter what method Qi Dai used to interrogate him, he would be able to deal with it.When it comes to questions and answers, there will be no problems with things he hasn't done. If someone is framed, he believes that he can find the loophole. Even if he is punished, he is confident that he can survive.The only thing he hadn't thought about was this possibility. What Qi Dai wanted to know was his thoughts, all his real thoughts.If he drank Jianzhen San, Qi Dai only asked about fraud in the imperial examination, Wen Tao was not afraid, but what if Qi Dai wanted to ask about Pu Chen?What would you say in a situation beyond your control?

This feeling of being out of control made Wen Tao very uncomfortable.

Qi Dai, who was facing him, had a panoramic view of Wen Tao's expression.After so many years, did I finally have the opportunity to see what this person really thinks?He and Wen Tao met when they were teenagers. At that time, he was the second son of the Qi family who was in the limelight. At a young age, he was in the limelight in Guangling Academy. After a banquet, he took in a boy who was hungry outside the winery. At the beginning, I just took pity on his situation and took him in as a low-level companion student. After a month or two, I found that this young man was amazingly talented, able to understand everything, and surpassed most of the students in the academy by listening and self-study .Based on his own status, Qi Dai made an exception and accepted Wen Tao as a disciple of Guangling Academy. From then on, classmates lived together like close friends.

Because of his status, the masters and disciples in the academy highly respected Qi Dai, but he himself knew that his literary talents might be slightly better than Wen Tao's, but his talent was far inferior to him, not to mention that he also practiced a left-handed sword.Qi Dai remembers that once, the two of them talked about their aspirations in a small building in the middle of the lake. Qi Dai just wanted to be a celebrity and write books and give lectures in the academy, but Wen Tao stared at the vast White Horse Lake outside, saying that he wanted to go out and explore the world. .Qi Dai said, no matter where you go, there will always be a pot of tea and a square table prepared for you when you return to the academy.He clearly remembered that Wen Tao smiled brightly at that time, like a hibiscus by the White Horse Lake.He thought that Wen Tao treated him the same as he treated Wen Tao, that he should be a lifelong friend, but he was crushed to pieces after his father and brother died in Chaoyang Palace.

Wen Tao, don't you feel ashamed of me when I treat you like this?

Qi Dai looked deeply at Wen Tao.Wen Tao only had calmness and silence in his eyes, just like before.

"Don't worry, you can think about it. When you think about it, come and tell me." Qi Dai said.

"If I don't drink Jianzhen San, will I not be able to leave Sijian Pavilion?" Wen Tao asked, "What is the purpose of you detaining me here? Is it just for the case of fraud in the imperial examination?"

Qi Dai's smile hung on his face, and he felt a little sore in the muscles of his cheeks.He didn't say anything in the end, just kept smiling until he walked out of the cell, his face seemed to be torn off suddenly, leaving only sharpness.

102, 102.

Wen Tao has been locked up in Sijian Pavilion for several days.

Pu Chen looked at the breeze gradually rising outside the window in the study, feeling a little restless in his heart.He raised his head, his eyes were dark, and there was stubble on his mouth.He hadn't had a good night's sleep for several days. He suppressed Wen Tao's fluctuating mood after being arrested, and forced himself to return his attention to the matter of arranging the Wuchang Army.When the personal guard reported to Pu Chen that Qi Sijian was at the door, Pu Chen showed surprise on his face, and after a little thought, he asked the personal guard to bring Qi Dai to the front hall.

"Qi Sijian, what brought you here again?" Ever since Wen Tao was arrested, Pu Chen had never had a good look at Qi Dai.

Qi Dai smiled, not annoyed, blew on his fingers and said: "Wen Tao's case is about to be closed. Your Majesty summoned the chief minister into the palace."

"Close the case? Wen Tao is going to be released?" Pu Chen's heart that had been hanging for a long time suddenly relaxed, as if the matter of dismantling the Wuchang Army soon became less depressing.

Unexpectedly, Qi Dai didn't answer directly, but only said: "I will know when the chief Sima has gone. Wen Tao's testimony is complete, and the case of imperial examination fraud can finally be closed."

Pu Chen lifted his robe and got up, and walked out with one stride.

Qi Dai winked and asked several secret guards from Sijian Pavilion to follow. When Pu Chen rode away on horseback, Qi Dai's eyes suddenly became sharp: "Surround Pu's mansion and confiscate the armory. In and out!"

The hidden guards said "yes" and started to move.This time, Pu Chen didn't leave many personal guards in Luoyang Pu Mansion, only a few hundred of them, so it's not difficult to control them.Once Qi Dai made the arrangements, he hurried back to Luoyang Palace.

The wind is getting stronger.The sky was covered by leaden clouds, and the locust trees beside the palace wall were rustling.

When Qi Dai arrived at the Mingzheng Palace, Zhou Yu's expression was unnatural, while Pu Chen stood up straight at His Highness, and said in a clear voice: "Impossible, it is impossible for Wen Tao to participate in fraudulent imperial examinations. Your Majesty, please ask Wen Tao to come out and confront him. "

Zhou Yudao: "I didn't believe it when I received the case file from Qi Sijian yesterday, but now, the evidence is solid. This is the testimony written by Wen Tao himself. Da Sima can read it at a glance."

The servant handed a stack of case files to Pu Chen, but Pu Chen didn't even look at it, and knocked it to the ground: "Hmph, testimony? You entered the Sijian Pavilion, what kind of testimony do you want Qi Sijian can't get?"

Hearing this, Qi Dai coughed lightly.Only then did Pu Chen realize that Qi Dai was already at the gate of the Mingzheng Palace, and the strong wind outside the palace blew up his black outfit.He was still smiling, but his voice was extremely cold: "Da Sima doesn't have to say that the minister's Si Jiange is useless behind his back." He entered the hall, walked up to Pu Chen, bent over to pick up the case file on the ground, Arrange them in order and put them back on the table in front of Zhou Yu.

"Since Da Sima doesn't believe it, why don't I ask Wen Tao to come in person?" Qi Dai said.

Pu Chen clenched his fists: "Are you really willing to let him come?"

Qi Dai didn't look at him, but bowed to Zhou Yu: "Your Majesty is here, and I personally said that I can bring Wen Tao here. Da Sima doesn't believe it, does it mean that I am deceiving the emperor?"

Pu Chen snorted coldly.

Zhou Yudao: "Since that's the case, pass on my will and call Wen Tao to Mingzheng Palace."

A quarter of an hour later, the door of the palace opened wide again, and the outside of the palace was already full of strong winds.Wen Tao was brought in by several hidden guards, and Pu Chen fixed his eyes on him, but after a few days of not seeing him, Wen Tao seemed to be thinner again, the strong wind clearly outlined his figure, Pu Chen looked at him. he sharpened