"Old man Yang, don't refuse my toast and drink the wine for punishment!"
After hearing what Yang Zui said, the eunuch in the bright red dragon robe's face turned blue with anger, and his pinched fingers were shaking uncontrollably.
"I'm old and don't drink alcohol." Yang Zui raised his chin, glanced at the eunuch in the bright red python robe with the corner of his eyes, and replied lightly, not feeling threatened by the eunuch in the bright red python robe at all.
"You! Since you don't accept my toast, don't blame me..." the eunuch in the red dragon robe said angrily. Although the emperor had told him to come and ask Yang Zui if he knew his mistake, it would be a great thing if Yang Zui knew his mistake and could correct it, but he had been serving the Emperor Jiajing for many years and knew the Emperor's true thoughts very well. Yang Zui must admit his mistake. If Yang Zui didn't admit his mistake, the Emperor Jiajing would feel uncomfortable and his job would not be done well. Therefore, he had to act according to circumstances, otherwise how could he report to the emperor and repay his trust
"Please wait a moment, Eunuch Chen. Let me give you some advice." Before the man in the red python robe could finish his harsh words, Takumi, the deputy director of the Embroidered Uniform Guard next to him, spoke up.
Eunuch Chen
Could this eunuch in the red python robe be Chen Hong? ! Zhu Pingan, who was in the cell nearby, heard Takumi address the eunuch in the red python robe and subconsciously guessed in his heart. After thinking about it, he felt that it was probably Chen Hong.
I heard that Chen Hong had a good relationship with Gao Gong? According to unofficial historical records, more than ten years later, Gao Gong served as a university scholar. When Feng Bao and Chen Hong competed for the position of the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department, Gao Gong recommended Chen Hong to be the eunuch in charge of the Imperial Household Department. For this reason, Feng Bao's hatred for Gao Gong grew day by day.
However, looking at Chen Hong's sarcastic face, he doesn't look like a good person at all. How could Gao Gong like him? !
While Zhu Ping'an was thinking, Jinyiwei Tongzhi Tuo Hai spoke up. He admired Yang Zui's integrity and couldn't bear to punish him, so he started to guide Yang Zui, "Sir Yang, Tuo has always heard of Sir Yang's reputation for loyalty and filial piety. Tomorrow is July 13th, and the ancestors of the Yang family are still waiting for Sir Yang to send paper money. Sir Yang can't change his statement. As long as Sir Yang follows the emperor's oral order and presents a letter of apology, Sir Yang can leave the prison and return home immediately."
Jinyiwei Tongzhi Tuo Hai appealed to Yang Zui's emotions and explained the reason to him, and took Yang Zui's loyalty and filial piety as a breakthrough point to conquer Yang Zui.
If it were an ordinary person, Jinyiwei Takumi's words would definitely work, but unfortunately, he met Yang Zui.
"Although I am ignorant, I dare not obey your order."
As soon as Takumi finished speaking, Yang Zui stiffened his neck and refused decisively, not being moved at all.
"If you don't accept my toast, you will be punished!" The eunuch in the red dragon robe had a gloomy face.
"Sir Yang, please think about it carefully. Tomorrow is July 13th..." Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takumi couldn't bear it and tried to persuade him again.
"Don't think about it anymore. Loyalty comes first, and filial piety comes second. If I file a petition against my will, I'm afraid my ancestors will curse me as an unworthy descendant in the underworld. I won't have the face to meet them in the afterlife. Lord Tuo, don't persuade me anymore. Although I'm stupid, I can't obey your call."
Yang Zui shook his head without hesitation, and even closed his eyes to show his determination.
"Lord Yang..." Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takumi still didn't want to give up.
However, the eunuch in a red python robe at the side was impatient, "Master Tuo, don't waste your breath on him anymore. The emperor is still waiting for my report, and I don't have time to waste with him."
"Eunuch Chen, what you said makes sense." Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takumi sighed in his heart and nodded.
"Someone, open the prison door and bring out Yang Zui." The eunuch in a bright red python robe raised his hand to his shoulder, waved it forward vigorously, and ordered in a shrill voice.
After obtaining the consent of Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takuhai, the prison officials took the key from their waist and opened Yang Zui's cell door. Two officials walked in and lifted Yang Zui out of the cell by his arms.
"Old man Yang, if you don't accept my toast, don't blame me for making you drink as a punishment." The eunuch in the red dragon robe said sinisterly.
"You talk too much nonsense." Yang Zui raised his chin and sneered.
"You!" The eunuch in the red python robe was so angry that he was shaking all over. He looked at Yang Zui with a half-smile and said in a sarcastic tone, "Good! Old Yang, you are very good! I heard that you are always known for your straightforwardness and stubbornness. Over the past few decades, many officials have been brought down by your advice. Today, I want to see how straight and stubborn you are, old man Yang! "
After he finished speaking, the eunuch in the red python robe turned his head and smiled at Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takumi, and said in a pinched voice, "Master Takumi, I have always heard that the punishments in the imperial prison are cruel and inhumane. There are as many as 18 kinds of punishments, such as finger-pinching, clamping sticks, skinning, tongue-breaking, spine-breaking, finger-losing, heart-piercing, and pipa-speaking. It is said that there are many newly created things that make people wish they could neither live nor die. Hehe, it is rare that Old Man Yang has honored me today, so I would like to ask Master Takumi to have people try these punishments one by one, so that I can also open my eyes."
Upon hearing this, Yang Zui showed no fear and looked normal.
Upon hearing this, Zhu Ping'an, who was in the cell nearby, couldn't help but worry about Old Master Yang. The torture instruments in the imperial prison were inhumane, and the eighteen kinds of torture were the worst of them. It was a punishment that would result in the skin being peeled off even if one did not die. Old Master Yang was so old and in poor health, how could he bear it? Not to mention trying the eighteen kinds of torture one by one, he might not be able to withstand any one of them.
"Mr. Yang..."
Zhu Ping'an couldn't help but shout out and try to persuade Yang Zui.
"Zhu, I know what you want to say, but you can take away the general of an army, but you can never take away the will of a common man."
Yang Zui looked at Zhu Ping'an, shook his head firmly, and interrupted Zhu Ping'an's persuasion.
"Put on the torture device."
The eunuch in the bright red dragon robe waved his hand and ordered the prison officials to bring eighteen kinds of torture instruments from the torture room, preparing to torture Yang Zui and force him to confess.
"Eunuch Chen, Master Tuo, Old Master Yang is already old. How can he endure all these tortures..."
Seeing that he could not persuade Yang Zui, Zhu Ping'an turned to the eunuch in red python robe and the Jinyiwei to plead for Yang Zui.
"Zhu Ping'an, you are in a difficult situation yourself, so stop meddling in other people's business and just wish for good luck." The eunuch in a red python robe glanced at Zhu Ping'an and said sarcastically.
"Eunuch Chen, what Zhu Ping'an said makes sense. Look at Yang Zui, his hair and beard are all white, and half of his body is buried in the ground. I'm afraid he can't withstand all of our eighteen martial arts. I'm afraid that as soon as we put on the torture instruments, he will die before you even have the chance to ask a question. Even if he wants to change his mind and admit his mistake, it will be too late. It's better to..." Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takuhai leaned close to the ear of the eunuch in the red python robe and said in a low voice.
"This..." The eunuch in the red python robe glanced at Yang Zui and nodded, "What you said makes sense, but we can't let this old man have too much fun. His memorial seems to be pointing at the emperor and scolding him for not doing his job properly. The emperor is furious... How about this, use the cane first to loosen up his muscles."
Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takumi nodded.
Soon two officers pinned Yang Zui to the ground and swung the punishment stick at his buttocks, hitting him hard with the stick digging into his flesh.
"Old man Yang, the emperor asks you, do you know you are wrong?" The eunuch in a red dragon robe asked sternly while watching the execution.
“Although I am stupid, I dare not obey your imperial edict... Although I am stupid, I dare not obey your imperial edict...” Yang Zui was very tough. Although his buttocks were covered in blood from being beaten, he did not cry out in pain and just kept repeating this sentence.
The eunuch in the red dragon robe asked again and again, and he always heard the same answer: "Although I am stupid, I dare not obey your order."
"You're looking for death! Hit him hard, beat him to death!" the eunuch in the red python robe was furious and said harshly.
The officer worked even harder, and blood and flesh flew all over Yang Zui's buttocks.
"Although I am stupid, I dare not obey your order..."
Yang Zui's breath became weaker and weaker, and his murmurs became weaker and weaker, until no sound was heard anymore.
The jailer stepped forward, felt Yang Zui's breath with shaking hands, and then felt Yang Zui's pulse. He swallowed his saliva, looked up at Jinyiwei Tongzhi Takuhai and the eunuch in the red python robe and shook his head, "The man is gone."
The song ended and the crowd dispersed, and the cell returned to silence.
"Although I am stupid, I dare not obey your order..."
Zhu Ping'an sat on the ground in a daze, staring blankly at the empty cell next door, with these words lingering in his mind all the time.