Chapter 50: The Great Prison of the Ministry of Punishments
The main prison of the Ministry of Punishment is located near Jiaozi Lane in the west wing of the city.
This is the largest prison in the Song Dynasty.
Therefore, the sea is open to all rivers, and all the prisoners who cannot be locked up in various yamen and do not want to be locked up are all crammed here.
After making some arrangements at the palace, Zhao Si led his people and headed straight here.
To the left of the entrance to the prison, there is a small prison temple.
Zhao Si took the three incense sticks from Yu Huatian's hand, held them in his hand, and respectfully made three bows to the ferocious-looking prison god.
Gao Shixuan, Hu Luxiong, Cen Meng, Xue Fanzi and Yang Keshi stood behind them and made three bows.
After paying homage to the pier, Zhao Si turned around and asked the escort leading the way, "Who is this person from?"
The dark-faced Song Yasi did not react for a moment and asked hesitantly: "I wonder what Shangguan asked?"
Zhao Si did not reveal his identity as King Jian, but came as a judge of the Privy Council.
Zhao Si turned his mouth behind him and said, "This, this, your commander-in-chief here, with a black face and sharp fangs, who seems to be quite fierce, what is his background?"
"You are talking about the God of Hell who suppresses evil and avoids plague." Song Yasi finally realized, "Some say he is Bao Qingtian, Xianggong Bao, the one who cuts off the underworld at night. Some say he is the executioner passed down from ten generations of the family.
Others say that he was Taiwei Di during the reign of the late Emperor Renmiao."
"Bao Longtu? His face is quite dark. An executioner from ten generations of our ancestors? This is possible. He is very murderous and can be restrained. Captain Di, this is a bit cruel."
Song Yasi also shook his head, "It is indeed a bit cruel. Captain Di, it is such a pity."
After entering the prison door, the inside immediately became eerie and eerie, and the air was filled with a dank and unpleasant smell that made people feel like they were walking in a sewer.
There are cells on both sides, with all kinds of people sitting in them.
Some were dejected, their eyes were dull, and they had lost the will to live.
Some were milling around in the cell, mumbling something. The cellmate next to him was upset and kicked him hard. The man fell to the ground, still mumbling something.
When I got closer I heard it, and it seemed to be his confession in court.
Some were still in panic. As soon as they heard the footsteps of several people, they immediately jumped out from the depths of the cell, holding on to the wooden fence, screaming desperately, telling that they were the most unjust people in the world.
There are also people who sit in the prison with fierce eyes, staring at everyone who walks by outside the prison, as if these people are the real culprits who sent him to prison, and they want to pounce on them and bite them to death.
I thought this place was hell, but when I got deeper inside, I realized it was heaven.
Entering the second door, the prison inside is filled with serious criminals.
It was lifeless, as dark and silent as hell.
In a cell, a prisoner's hands, feet, and neck were tied with chains.
His clothes were in tatters, and his hands and feet were rotten, exposing his bones. What was even more terrifying was that several huge rats climbed up and down the prisoner's body calmly, tearing away the flesh with satisfaction.
Hearing the footsteps, the mice turned their heads nonchalantly, their little eyes shining with a scary green light.
The prisoner's eyes were dull, his lips were slightly open, and he trembled twice for a long time, showing that he was still alive. At this time, everyone heard a slight sound coming from the prisoner's mouth.
Like a heart-rending scream or a heart-wrenching wail, it was intermittent and drifting, like the feeble moans of a lonely ghost.
Maybe he would rather be in hell at this moment.
Facing Zhao Xi's gaze, Song Yasi said nonchalantly: "He is a serious criminal who has escaped many times, so he has been ordered to do so by his superiors."
Keep moving forward.
In another cell, a prisoner was lying in the innermost cell with his eyes closed. Only his chest, which rose and fell after a long time, showed that he was still alive.
However, his hands and feet were also bloody and bloody, but they were not festering and rat-gnawed, but seemed to have been torn off by force.
On one side of the cell, three prisoners squatted with gray faces and fierce eyes.
When they heard the footsteps, they all turned their heads, with the same expression as the rat in the cell in front, and the same green light shining in his eyes.
Seeing Song Yasi, a man grinned widely. Zhao seemed to be able to see some bright red threads of flesh and blood hanging on his black and yellow teeth.
"You straight bitch, please sit down quickly. Be honest, they are all noble people. Don't look at them blindly or blind your eyes."
Song Yasi cursed angrily.
He turned around and explained: "These bastards are always fighting and committing crimes in prison. The superiors ordered us to only give them one bowl of gruel a day."
There was another cell, and there was a prisoner sitting in it. He was as skinny as a stick, just a skeleton covered with skin.
Seeing this appearance, Zhao didn't have to worry about being eaten by rats or other animals, because there was really no meat.
The prisoners also seemed to know their advantages.
He raised his head and looked at the ceiling with his mouth open, as if he was smiling proudly. A small ray of sunlight fell from the high fence and fell on his face and mouth.
He should be very comfortable, enjoying the rare sunshine in this deep prison. His big mouth seems to be swallowing this ray of sunshine into his belly.
Suddenly, a mouse emerged from the prisoner's mouth, looked left and right in the sun, and then shrank back.
Zhao Si's hair stood on end, and he sighed, "No matter the prison of the Ministry of Punishment, hell is stronger than it!"
When the Minister of Justice came to Shao, he was also named by Donghuamen.
Under his rule, the Prison of the Ministry of Punishment actually turned into a hell on earth. I wonder what is important in the heart of this famous scholar and scholar, and worthy of his concern?
Love, injustice, suffering in the world? Or poetry, poetry, moral articles?
Song Yasi, who was leading the way, chuckled and said, "What did the officials say? The Prison of the Ministry of Punishment is a good place for us."
Seeing his dark and thick face, as well as his fat body that had been supported by the Ministry of Punishment Prison, Zhao Si couldn't help but raise his right hand and hit Song Yasi hard on the left side of his face.
"Straight..." As soon as Song Yasi uttered a word, two Dao steel knives placed on his neck suppressed all his words.
"If you dare to curse our king even one word, I will send your whole family here and do the same thing!" Cen Meng said viciously.
"Big...big...big...king?" Song Yasi trembled with fright.
"Song Yasi, another superior officer has come to interrogate the officers of the imperial army who are under investigation by the Ministry of Punishment." A jailer shouted outside the second door in the distance.
"Ask him which yamen he belongs to?" Zhao Si said softly.
"Which yamen?" Song Yasi asked honestly.
"Said he's from Zhongshu Province."
Zhao Si's heart moved and he looked at the layout of the place. There was an interrogation room, and next door was a place where the jailers rested and asked questions. He pointed at it and told everyone to hide in it first.
"You greet him as usual and don't leak any news about us. Otherwise, I will let your family reunite here."
Song Yasi's legs were shaking wildly, and he was shaking even as he spoke, "Little...little...I know."
Seeing Song Yasi, Li Jian's first question was: "Who beat you?"
Song Yasi was stunned for a moment, then touched his burning left cheek, forced a smile and said: "I had an argument with my wife and got a slap in the face."
Li Jian laughed and said, "It turns out that Song Yasi is a henpecked person. My official, Li Jian, is recording the matter in Zhongshu Province and has been ordered to bring him to trial."
After that, hand over the paperwork.
Song Yasi took a quick look and led Li Jian inside.
Seeing all the strange people in the cell outside, Li Jian smiled with a smile on his face.
When he saw an acquaintance, he nodded politely: "It turns out that a member of the army has come in here. Just wait and see. After a while, I will burn some paper money for you."
Song Yasi, who was leading the way, had an awkward look on his face. The record saved by this Zhongshu was really weird. He was almost the same type of person as the prince who just dressed up in disguise and paid a private visit incognito!
After walking through the inner cells that were comparable to hell, Li Jian was speechless, suppressed his smile, and just gave Song Yasi a fierce look.
Song Yasi felt that the right side of his face was also a little burning, so he couldn't help but take a few steps to distance himself.
After turning a corner and entering the interrogation room, Li Jian found two people sitting inside, taking notes of interviews.
The subjects of the questioning should be the five young officers who were arrested by the Palace Chief and the Kaifeng Mansion last night and sent directly to the prison of the Ministry of Punishment for accepting bribes and derelict in their duties.
Hey, someone got there first.
Li Jian stepped forward and asked politely: "Which yamen do these two officials come from?"
One of the people asking questions was sitting and the other was standing. When they heard Li Jian's question, they both turned their heads.
The man sitting there is handsome, about twenty years old, wearing a soft-footed headdress and a brocade robe. The man standing is tall and majestic, with a fierce look. He carries an iron mace on his back, which is half longer and twice thicker than an ordinary iron mace.
The two people with such contrasts turned out to be colleagues.
"This is Yu Huatian, the Kaifeng Prefectural Army Inspector, who has been ordered to record the records of the five military officers who were arrested last night."
The handsome man's voice was weird, like a sharp and thin steel needle that had been hit hard with a hammer. It was wrinkled and awkward.
"Why did Inspector Yu of Kaifeng Prefecture also ask questions from the Forbidden Army?"
Li Jian's question made Yu Huatian's mouth twitch slightly, and the smile on his face became even stronger. This chapter has been completed!