The function of Jinyang Palace was only Yang Guang's palace at the beginning, and there were fewer functional departments such as temples and temples, and soon after the Sui army conquered Taiyuan last year, a large-scale expansion was carried out, and departments such as six departments of three provinces, nine temples, five supervisors and so on all had their own office space.

Among them, the Goshidai is located in the southeast corner and is a three-story red building, but because it has the right to supervise and arrest, a basement was built as a prison for the temporary detention of prisoners in the Goshidai.

Coming back from Cui's Mansion, Yang Yuanqing came directly to the Imperial Historical Observatory, the Imperial Historian is Yang Shanhui, one of the seven phases of Ziwei Pavilion, but he is just a nominal name, and he does not ask about the specific affairs of the Imperial Historical Observatory, and the specific affairs are in charge of the three Imperial Historical Zhongcheng.

One is Han Shouzhong, who is responsible for supervising the hundred officials in the capital, the other is Liu Meng, who is in charge of the supervision of the local government, and the other is Dai Chongyun, who is in charge of the internal affairs of the Yushitai.

In addition to the three Imperial Historians, there are 12 Imperial Historians and 24 Supervisors of the Imperial History, together with the Imperial Historians, there are a total of 40 people in the Imperial History Observatory, who are responsible for the supervision and operation of the entire Great Sui Dynasty.

This time in the Yicang grain case in Zhao County, although Yang Yuanqing had killed the county commander and the county Cheng, but the matter was not over, the confession obtained from the county commander Xu Shouxin's henchman, and some bribery records found in Xu Shouxin's study, and dug out Xu Shouxin's boss, Zhao County Taishou Zhang Jibei.

The records clearly show that Zhang Jibei knew about Xu Shouxin's embezzlement of Yicang grain, and acquiesced in Xu Shouxin's corruption, and in return, Xu Shouxin gave Zhang Jibei two percent of the benefits afterwards.

Since this bribery has not yet occurred, it can not be counted, it can only be regarded as dereliction of duty, but in Xu Shouxin's records, he bribed Zhang Jibei with 5,000 yuan every year to maintain his praise. It's been three years in a row.

But that's just the house county. Zhao County has jurisdiction over eleven counties, but what about the bribery situation in other counties? Of course, the investigation of Zhang Jibei's bribery is just an excuse. Yang Yuanqing wanted to use Zhang Jibei to deter Hebei officialdom.

Yang Yuanqing walked into the gate of the Yushitai, and Han Shouzhong had already received the news and was waiting at the gate. Han Shou gave a deep salute, "See Your Highness!" ”

Yang Yuanqing nodded, "Has Zhang Jibei confessed?" ”

"Your Highness Qiqi, this person's mouth is very hard, he refuses to admit whether he is alive or dead, he does not admit to accepting bribes, and it is useless to use punishment."

Han Shouzhong sighed, "The lowly will find a way to make him confess." ”

"Take me to see him."

Everyone hurriedly led Yang Yuanqing to the dungeon and walked down the steps from a room. The deeper I walked, about three or four feet, my eyes became dark. Oil lamps are lit on the walls. The air is cloudy, cold and damp. The dungeon has an eerie feel to it.

Walking through a long corridor, I came to an iron door, a jailer opened the iron door, and more than a dozen guards and officials of the Imperial History Observatory surrounded Yang Yuanqing and walked into the iron gate.

Inside the iron gate is a stone house, made of large bluestone, which looks very empty, the stone wall is full of various torture instruments, a fire is lit in the corner, and eight sturdy men are bare-chested, their faces are full of meat, and their eyes are fiercely staring at an iron cage in the center of the room.

The iron cage is about eight feet in size, the arm is thick, and there is a person sitting softly in the corner of the iron cage, with iron chains on his feet, his upper body is bare, and his body is covered with scaly wounds.

Zhang Jibei is the implementation of the three-hall trial, by the Dali Temple Shaoqing, the criminal department of the waiter and the imperial history of the three trials, but this kind of three-hall trial is carried out later, first of all, Zhang Jibei confessed to the detention, and then the three sessions of the trial to confirm the confession one by one, and finally signed by the three parties to finalize.

At this time, the chief judge saw that the king of Chu was actually here, and hurriedly stepped forward and bowed down to report: "Your Highness, the prisoner has just passed out after the interrogation. ”

Yang Yuanqing glanced at Zhang Jibei, "Wake him up!" ”

'Wow! The two big men poured two buckets of cold water on Zhang Jibei's body, and after a while, Zhang Jibei groaned and slowly woke up.

Yang Yuanqing waved his hand, "Everyone retreat!" ”

Everyone didn't dare to resist the order, and they retreated one after another, there were only Yang Yuanqing and Zhang Jibei in the stone house, Yang Yuanqing walked to his side and looked at him coldly.

Zhang Jibei moved his body with difficulty, looked up at Yang Yuanqing, and sneered, "Let Your Highness be disappointed!" ”

Yang Yuanqing smiled faintly, squatted down in front of him, looked at him and said, "Let's make a deal!" ”

Zhang Jibei wanted to smack Yang Yuanqing's face, but he still held back, he thought of his wife and children, and he was happy to spit, but his wife and children died.

Zhang Jibei turned his head and ignored Yang Yuanqing, his face filled with a look of disdain.

Yang Yuanqing didn't care about his attitude, and continued: "I might as well tell you clearly, no matter how you recruit, you are dead, I need to use your head to deter Hebei officialdom, but I know that you have a son, named Zhang Jihong, now Cui Xueli is reading, the book is very good, every year in Cui Xue's top three, you also have a daughter, Xu gave Cui Hongyuan's nephew, if you recruit according to my requirements, then your son will not be affected by you, if you are admitted to the imperial examination, I will normally admit him and give him a career." ”

Speaking of this, Yang Yuanqing's tone became cold, "But if you don't recruit, not only will you be skinned and filled with grass, but your son, as well as your wife and daughter, will not survive!" ”

Zhang Jibei was shocked, but he still didn't move, he didn't say anything, his eyes were still staring at the iron gate, but his eyes became a little complicated, he remembered that Yang Yuanqing beheaded Xu Shouxin's family of eleven people.

Yang Yuanqing felt the subtle changes in his mood, and he understood in his heart that in fact, Zhang Jibei was carrying it like this, and there was no element of national righteousness in it, it was nothing more than that he didn't want to betray Cui Hongyuan, so as to keep his son, to put it bluntly, it was still for the sake of interests, so he started from interests and broke down his inner defense line step by step.

Some things can't be solved by torture, such as the exchange of conditions, the interrogator does not have this power, but Yang Yuanqing is different, he is the highest power, he can agree to anything, or not.

His attitude is sometimes more effective than torture, Zhang Jibei was obviously a little shaken, Yang Yuanqing said unhurriedly: "I also said just now that I missed someone, your hometown is Lucheng County, Xindu County, you have a nephew in your hometown, named Zhang Rongguang, who is only three years old this year, he is the same, if you recruit, he will be safe and sound, if you don't recruit, his head will fall to the ground immediately!" ”

Zhang Jibei was shocked, he finally turned around, and looked at Yang Yuanqing incredulously, the so-called nephew in his hometown was actually his illegitimate son, he was drunk in Cui Mansion three years ago, and had a relationship with the maid sent by Cui Hongyuan to serve him, and the maid later gave birth to this child.

This matter is extremely hidden, even his wife doesn't know, only Cui Hongyuan knows, from Yang Yuanqing's tone, it is obvious that Yang Yuanqing already knows the truth, who will tell him, there is only one possibility, is it ......

Yang Yuanqing took out a box from his arms and opened the box, inside was a pair of white porcelain teacups, as thin as white paper, crystal like jade, he squinted and laughed, "You should know this pair of cups!" Someone dedicated it to me. ”

Zhang Jibei recognized this pair of cups at a glance, it was a thin shadow cup, a precious thing that had been passed down by the Boling Cui family for three generations, and it had always been treasured by the head of the family.

Zhang Jibei suddenly understood, no wonder Yang Yuanqing knew about his illegitimate child, it was Cui Hongyuan who betrayed him.

There was a cramp in his heart, a mouthful of blood spurted out, and all thoughts were discouraged in his heart, the person he desperately wanted to protect, but in the end he betrayed himself first, and the thin shadow cup in Yang Yuanqing's hand was like a sharp sword at this time, piercing Zhang Jibei's heart with a sword.

Yang Yuanqing stood up and said lightly: "I'll give you two days, you can think about it yourself!" You won't be punished for two days, and after two days, it's one thing whether you recruit or not. ”

After speaking, Yang Yuanqing turned around and left, and at this time, Zhang Jibei's deep voice came from the iron cage, "Your Highness, can you count?" ”

Yang Yuanqing stopped and said coldly: "I, Yang Yuanqing, am His Majesty the Emperor of the Great Sui, will I lose my trust to you, a little person?" ”

"Good!"

Zhang Jibei finally agreed, "I'll exchange with you!" ”……

Lu Yu is also one of the seven phases of Ziwei Pavilion, his specific position is the secretary of the Criminal Department, saying that two days after his illness, he went to court today, but he did not come to Ziwei Pavilion, but worked in the official room of the Criminal Department.

Lu Yu is the younger brother of Lu Chu, the prime minister of Luoyang, who not only inherited his brother's position as the head of the family, but also inherited his brother's tough line.

Lu Yu is not as cowardly and lustful as Cui Hongyuan, he is an extremely shrewd head of the family, has an excellent character, is strict and self-disciplined, and has no scandals in him, let alone corruption and bribery.

Compared with Cui Hongyuan, he is weak in principle and can't see through the situation, but he is extremely principled and can see through the overall situation.

He knew very well that Yang Yuanqing's purpose of checking the grain in Yicang was actually to clean the Hebei officialdom, maybe not completely, but an important position, such as Taishou and Changshi, would definitely have to be replaced.

Cleaning up Hebei officialdom is only the first step, his ultimate goal is to suppress the influence of the Shi clan on the imperial court, even if the family cannot be eradicated, but at least to curb the growth of the family, and then slowly suppress it.

Lu Yu knew very well that Yang Yuanqing was also testing to some extent, if the Hebei family did not resist much, then his purge storm would blow more intensely, and if he encountered the resolute resistance of the Hebei family, then Yang Yuanqing's purge storm would converge a little.

This is also the reason why Lu Yu is relatively tough, of course, there are three major families in Hebei, and it is not enough to rely on the Fanyang Lu clan alone, but also on the unanimous resistance of the Boling Cui clan and the Qinghe Cui clan.

And Qinghe Cui's family suffered a heavy blow, and Cui Junsu was Yang Yuanqing's confidant and couldn't count on it, so Boling Cui's attitude was crucial.

However, Cui Hongyuan's attitude was ambiguous, his will to resist was not firm, and he made an appointment to go to the court together today, but he said that his illness did not come, which really annoyed Lu Yu.

Approaching noon, Lu Yu cleaned up the table and was about to go to lunch, when a man walked in quickly, holding an invitation card in his hand.

"Qi Xiangguo, His Royal Highness the King of Chu ordered someone to send an invitation card and invite Xiangguo to go to the banquet at noon."