Chapter 131: Torture for Wealth

"Noble Nephew Huang."

Zhao Zhilong, baring his teeth in a smile, leaned toward Luo Zhongbo Huang Jiuding and said, "It's your turn."

Huang Jiuding looked at Zhao Zhilong, who was within arm's reach; that face was like an evil ghost.

"Uncle Zhao, spare me~~~"

Huang Jiuding, who was imposing in his own residence, had tears falling.

But Jinling City did not believe in tears; Lin Jiaolian only wanted their ten thousand yi guan of family wealth.

"You won't cry until you see the coffin."

Zhao Zhilong, caught in some inexplicable state of excitement, waved his hand and called out, "Bring the slips!"

Several old clerks stepped forward and pressed Luo Zhongbo onto the long wooden bench.

Two more stepped forward and fixed his hands separately onto the square bench.

The prison head, holding a hammer, stepped forward with a bamboo slip, inserted the slip into Huang Jiuding's well-manicured fingernails, and struck the slip with the hammer.

"Ow~~~"

Huang Jiuding's screams made many people outside Wu Men tremble in their hearts and livers.

Nobles who had been pampered since birth—how could they endure this?

Zhao Zhilong crouched beside him, his face hideous as he questioned incessantly.

"Where is the hidden land?"

"Where are the shops in various places?"

"How do the merchant caravans and fleets contact each other?"

"Where is the clan's hidden silver?"

"Where are the hidden veins of each fang?"

What he pursued were the foundations of meritorious noble families.

With these things and people, they would have the confidence to rise again.

Zhao Zhilong himself was a meritorious noble, so naturally he was well-versed in this.

At least he knew what to ask.

If it were Lin Dao's young bodyguards, they could at most torture out some goods and money, but they could not touch the hidden foundations others had concealed.

This was also an important reason Lin Dao temporarily sheltered him.

After squeezing Huang Jiuding dry, the prison heads and old clerks dragged him away and placed him in a cang.

Zhao Zhilong, whose eyes glowed red, began scanning the trembling crowd again.

On this side, Han Zanzhou sat as if on pins and needles.

He understood Lin Dao's meaning and knew he could not wait any longer.

"Lin"

The change in status left Han Zanzhou momentarily unsure how to address him.

"Han Gong." Lin Dao's smile did not diminish. "We are old friends; just call me as usual."

"Zihou."

Han Zanzhou nodded. "This servant is willing to offer family assets to support military rations."

"No rush."

Lin Dao remained unmoved. "Keep watching for a while."

He knew very well that what Han Zanzhou produced now would be at most half.

This old eunuch had not yet been frightened out of his wits.

Torturing Han Zanzhou was not impossible.

But this man was a eunuch, inherently a psychologically twisted person, unlike those pampered meritorious noble civil officials.

Moreover, his family members were far away in Shaanxi and could not be used as threats.

If they truly tore faces and refused to give even if beaten to death, killing him would only mean the connection was severed.

Lin Dao decided to bluff him.

"Half? You're kidding; even one-tenth would be considered having a conscience."

It seemed the bluff was not enough.

"Bo Chengbo." Lin Dao called out.

Zhao Zhilong, with red eyes on this side, heard these words and his gaze instantly cleared.

He turned and trotted over, like a chief attendant or a young servant.

After being stopped by the guards, he respectfully saluted. "What are your orders, Great Commander?"

Lin Dao raised his hand and pointed to the sky. "The sky is growing dark; speed up. We still need to raid homes later."

"I obey!"

Zhao Zhilong turned around, his smiling face turning hideous.

His fierce gaze swept over the crowd and landed on Honglu Temple Minister Zhu Zhichen.

"Master Zhu."

"You have been an official for many years; surely your family wealth is abundant."

"Are you willing to contribute?"

Zhu Zhichen, his face deathly pale, nodded repeatedly. "Willing, willing; this old man is willing to offer five thousand taels~~~"

"Five thousand taels?"

Zhao Zhilong sneered repeatedly. "You're treating this like sending off a beggar?"

"You've been an official for many years; how much you've embezzled, you know yourself, we know, and the Embroidered Uniform Guard knows even better!"

"It seems you won't shed a tear until you see the coffin."

He signaled to the jailers and veteran clerks, "Up the ante! Apply the zazhi!"

The zazhi consists of several wooden sticks, connected in the middle by ropes.

The prisoner's fingers are placed between the wooden sticks, and then the ropes are pulled tight.

The wooden sticks clamp tightly onto the fingers, growing tighter the more they are pulled.

The ten fingers connect to the heart; that kind of excruciating pain can make even the most strong-willed person unable to help but beg for mercy.

This was originally a punishment specifically for women.

Now, anything goes.

Zhu Zhichen, pleading for mercy in a continuous stream, was dragged out.

His ten fingers were forcibly pried open and stuffed into the torture device.

Zhao Zhilong's eyes glowed with a reddish light, his breathing rapid.

Judging by his appearance, he looked as if he couldn't wait to personally step forward and pull the torture device.

The veteran clerks operated the torture device, and Zhu Zhichen instantly let out a miserable howl.

*Gurgle-gurgle~*

As the several wooden sticks continuously tightened, Zhu Zhichen's fingers emitted a strained groaning sound.

Until finally *Crack! *

With his ten fingers broken, Zhu Zhichen directly fainted from the pain.

A bucket of cold water was poured over him, and Zhu Zhichen woke up again, only his whole body trembling violently.

His fingers were purplish-black, swollen like pig trotters.

"Lord Zhu."

Zhao Zhilong squatted on the ground looking at him, "How much to hand over?"

"Two, twenty thousand~~~"

"You really want money, not your life." Zhao Zhilong shook his head, "Your family's situation, we are all aware of."

"Without fifty thousand taels of silver today, you won't get past this."

"Come." Zhao Zhilong greeted the veteran clerks, "Stuff him into the standing cage, let him think it over properly."

The so-called standing cage is built from heavy timber, shaped like a large wooden cage, with a round hole at the top specifically designed to clamp the prisoner's neck, forcing them to only stand.

It says standing, but in reality the height is designed very cleverly, adjustable according to the prisoner's height.

The prisoner stands inside, both feet unable to fully touch the ground, only able to barely tiptoe for support.

After a long time, the leg muscles become unbearably sore, the body's full weight presses on the neck, breathing becomes increasingly difficult, extremely painful.

Having already suffered punishment, then comes the standing cage.

This is truly the ultimate agony.

At this moment, the torture standing cages of Jinling City's one prefecture and two counties had basically all been dragged over.

Enough for the meritorious nobles and civil and military officials to share.

No need to fight or snatch, everyone has a share.

Zhao Zhilong's gaze swept over the crowd once more.

The crowd trembled and dodged one after another, no one daring to meet his gaze.

In the eyes of the meritorious nobles and civil and military officials, Zhao Zhilong's gaze was simply like a venomous snake, terrifying them utterly.

"Zihou."

Mouth dry and tongue parched, Han Zanzhou forcefully swallowed saliva, his voice trembling, "I am willing to offer four hundred thousand taels."

Lin Dao still smiled without speaking.

Four hundred thousand taels?

Your bottom details, your bunch of adopted sons and adopted grandsons, sold out clean long ago!

Just the organizing and training of the Jinling Yongwei Camp, the money and grain divided and sold off exceeds this number.

Looks like he's still not afraid.

Lin Dao turned his head, his gaze glancing at him.

Just this one look, yet it made Han Zanzhou feel as if he had fallen into an ice cellar.

Is this killing intent?

What a terrifying gaze!

Couldn't hold back the urine!

On this side, Zhao Zhilong picked out another unlucky soul, Marquis Dingyuan Deng Wenyou.

"Granduncle."

Zhao Zhilong asked with a smile, "What do you say?"

"Zhilong." Deng Wenyou's voice trembled, "You must not compound error upon error; turning back is salvation~~~"

"Rotten-mouthed dog bone!" Zhao Zhilong's face turned ferocious, "You lot refused military pay, obstructed the Grand Marshal's great enterprise, you are the ones in the wrong!"

He was actually very clear-headed, completely understanding the current environment.

If not for actively offering his service, then among those being tortured right now, there would have to be him.

This bunch of stupid goods, unable to see the situation clearly, really think holding out will work?

You can't hold out!

Deng Wenyou was carried onto a long bench.

One end of the long bench stood a wooden plank, with a semicircular groove on it.

Deng Wenyou's knee was fixed within the groove.

The head jailer began placing bricks under his feet.

As the bricks kept increasing, Deng Wenyou's leg was gradually raised higher.

The ligaments at his knee were stretched to the limit, that excruciating pain enough to make even the toughest hard man break down in tears.

But Deng Wenyou was already old.

His feet had only ever pressed down on beautiful maidservants warming the bed; where had he ever suffered such heart-rending agony?

He shook his head and tossed his brain, his head of white hair flying wildly, resembling the Golden-Haired Lion King.

'Crack!'

The ligament snapped.

The old Marquis Deng Wenyou also fainted dead away.

He never dreamed that after enjoying himself all his life, in his old age he would end up so miserable.

Indeed he had enjoyed himself all his life.

Those being punished before his eyes, historically after surrendering to the Wild Boar Skins, still lived the good life of fine clothes and jade food.

Undoubtedly a peaceful end.

But the common people who supported their pleasures died by the thousands and tens of thousands in endless pain, and after death did not even have a reed mat to wrap their bodies.

Damn this world!

A bucket of cold water was splashed over him, and Deng Wenyou woke up again.

After waking, he continued his shrill wailing.

"It's getting late."

Lin Dao turned his head to look at Han Zanzhou beside him.

"Lord Han."

"I still have matters to attend to, so I won't keep you company."

"You, are you sure you have nothing to say to me?"

"Don't rush, speak after you've thought it through!"

Han Zanzhou understood clearly in his heart.

This was an ultimatum; if the price he offered could not satisfy Lin Dao, then he would no longer be qualified to continue sitting here.

Looking at the wailing crowd before him, he shuddered.

"I am willing to offer seven hundred ninety thousand taels of gold, silver, and copper coins."

Han Zanzhou spoke with a sobbing voice, "All treasures and playthings are given."

"The fields and manors bought in various places, plus several residences, and the concubines and maidservants I keep are all given to you~"

Lin Dao's expression was relaxed, waving his hands repeatedly, "Why go to such lengths."

The old eunuch had still hidden some private wealth, though not much, probably a few thousand taels of gold and silver.

And those he had previously sent back to his hometown, now he could not get his hands on them either.

As for the rest, for the time being it was roughly the same.

"Find yourself a residence." Lin Dao's iron glove patted Han Zanzhou's hand, hard enough to make the old eunuch's wrist hurt, "From now on, enjoy your retirement there properly."

"Thank you, Zihou~ Thank you, Zihou~~~"

Lin Dao glanced at him with pity.

Without the identity of the guarding eunuch, he still had some gold and silver by his side.

You, an old eunuch living alone in a residence, do you really think you can live out your natural years?

Being murdered by someone, dying silently and without a sound, is your only ending!

As for who will make the move.

His gaze inadvertently swept over Han Zanzhou's adopted sons and adopted grandsons.

Lin Dao stood up and walked over to stand before Grand Duke of Wei Xu Hongji.

Looking down at this Grand Master.

"Brother Long of Zilong."

"The matter of Kang Xiang, leave it to these professionals to do."

"You lead the way, take me to visit your residences, first go to Wei Guogong Fu."

"Tonight we, go! ransack! homes!"

End of Chapter