Chapter 22: Severe Punishment and Torture

  Whips rained down on Tang Guan's body like raindrops, and in an instant, his thin clothes were torn to shreds, turning him into a bloody person.

  No words could describe Liu Xun's crazed appearance, "Crack!" Until Liu Xun was panting heavily and the whip had lost its strength, it finally stopped.

  "Stop hitting him, he hasn't confessed yet!"

  The attendants on the side saw that the young Tang Guan was being beaten so cruelly, and they couldn't bear it in their hearts. On the other hand, they were also afraid of making a mistake. It was not wrong to give the offender severe corporal punishment, but if he died before signing his name and admitting his guilt, it would be against the law.

  "Huff...huff..." Liu Xun panted heavily, his resentment still lingering as he glared at Tang Guan, who had fainted again. He was so angry that he could have swallowed him whole on the spot.

  "Douse him with water! Beat him until he surrenders!"

  "Whoosh!" A bucket of cold water was suddenly poured down, but Tang Guan still fell into a coma. From the moment he regained consciousness, he was instantly flogged and knocked unconscious again.

  "Whoosh" went another bucket of water, but Tang Guan on the execution rack still hung his head and remained unconscious.

  "Let him go for now, you can leave first and rest, we'll interrogate him."

  "Bang!" Liu Xun sat on the chair and slapped the table, then got up again. He unexpectedly scooped up a bucket of cold water and poured it directly over Tang Guan's head. Tang Guan was still young, and this one move covered half of his body.

  "Cough...cough..." Tang Guanyu slowly came to, with blood and water tangled in her hair.

  "You little beast!" Liu Xun saw Tang Guan wake up and raised his whip to beat him, the yamen runners rushed forward to stop him, fearing that with Tang Guan's age and this kind of beating, he would soon be beaten to death.

  "You... are that beast's father?" Tang Guan's vision was already somewhat blurry, his entire body covered in terrifying wounds.

  Liu Xun was furious upon hearing this and saw that Tang Guan was still daring to speak out of line even when death was imminent, so he pushed away the bailiffs and whipped him.

  "Bang!"

  "Hmm!" Tang Guan grunted, but didn't call out, still staring fixedly at Liu Xun.

  "Are you hiring?"

  "Haha, I'll get your mom!"

  "Slap!" Tang Guan thoroughly enraged Liu Xun, and a whip struck his face.

  The severity of Ke Tongguang's beating shocked everyone else; an eight-year-old child had been beaten to such a state, yet he didn't even whimper.

  "Speak! Are you going to confess or not?"

  Tang Guang lowered his head and stopped speaking. All of this was so sudden, the originally peaceful life was shattered in an instant, and he himself was thrown into prison, which was something he had never thought would happen to him.

  Liu Xun was just about to raise his whip and strike again when a yamen runner rushed in, flustered, "Your Honor! Tang Mowen is outside!"

  "Alright! He dares to come!" Liu Xun cursed loudly, threw down his whip and walked out.

  Several middle-aged bailiffs in the field looked at Tang Guan on the gallows and shook their heads secretly. An eight-year-old child had beaten several adult servants to severe injury, and even killed Liu Chunliang. If this were to be spread out, no one would believe it, but everything was witnessed by the townspeople with their own eyes.

  They all knew that Liu Xun's son was used to bullying others, but they did not expect him to die at the hands of an eight-year-old boy, which is unbelievable.

  Liu Xun stormed out of the prison cell, but as soon as he came out, he was taken aback. Apart from Tang Weixi's familiar stout figure, there was another person beside him, a man in his forties with a goatee beard.

  After a moment, Liu Xun stepped forward with an unpleasant tone and said: "Tang Dehua, you're quite bold, daring to follow me here. Do you believe that I can have you arrested and charged with the crime of being poorly disciplined?"

  The middle-aged man beside Tang Weixi saw Liu Xun's appearance and felt quite surprised, "Liu Shike, in the dead of night, don't be so hot-tempered, you and I are both scholars, let's talk things over calmly."

  "Alright! Good one, Xu Yue! Your hands are really long when it comes to North Gate!"

  The bearded man speaking is named Xu Yue, and he holds the position of Hangzhou Magistrate, making him the second most powerful person in administration after Liu Xun. In modern terms, if Liu Xun were the Municipal Party Secretary, then Xu Yue would be the Mayor.

  It was already late at night, and after Tang Weixi finished writing the letter, he became restless. He finally came to Xu Yue's mansion in the middle of the night and asked for help. To be honest, the two were not close friends, but he had always been on bad terms with Liu Xun. Seeing Tang Weixi come to his door seeking help, he couldn't refuse, so he eventually arrived at this prison cell.

  "Tang Dehua! I'm telling you! Don't even mention bringing Xu Yue over! If you report to the authorities in Chang'an, your son will have to pay with his life!"

  "Liu Shijun, considering our many years of friendship, I beg you to show mercy and spare my son." Tang Weixi also softened up, a person under the eaves cannot help but lower his head. He had connections, but so did others. To be honest, Liu Xun's influence was far greater than Tang Weixi's. Tang Weixi was living off his old reputation, and he had no value to offer others. But Liu Xun was different - he was a current fourth-rank official.

  "Brotherly love? You're talking about brotherly love at a time like this? When your son killed that good man, why didn't you say anything?" Liu Xun scolded Tang Guan, and after venting his anger, he saw that Tang Wei was softening again, so his tone also became more gentle.

  "Liu Shijun is impartial and stern, the child indeed was not strictly disciplined by me, I am willing to take punishment on behalf of the child"

  "Haha, Tang Dehua, you think I'm really senile, but you're just a minor official who has entered the imperial registry. If I hit you, wouldn't that be against the king's law?"

  Liu Xun showed no mercy, determined to make Tang Guan pay with his life. Although he had more than one son, only Liu Chunliang was his true heir. Now that the white-haired were sending off the black-haired, nothing else mattered; all he felt was a burning rage that made him want to slaughter every last member of the Tang family.

  "Liu Shijun, were your words just now true!?" Xu Yue didn't pay attention to the conversation between the two and directly pulled a long face to ask Liu Xun. He had also come with the intention of watching a show, wanting to annoy that superior who had never been on good terms with him. But earlier, Liu Xun's words calling out his name still provoked him.

  "What? You still want to cover up for him!?" Liu Xun's eyebrows rose as he scolded Xu Yue.

  "Xu doesn't dare!" Xu Yue coldly snorted and said with a cupped hand.

  "A life for a life, a debt repaid in full, such is the law of kings and the natural order of heaven and earth."

  "Hmm, this is quite a pleasant thing to hear." Liu Xun nodded lightly with his hands clasped behind his back.

  According to the Tang Code, when an official investigates a case of murder, he must hold a public trial and obtain the signatures and seals of all parties involved before the case can be considered settled. In cases involving widows, orphans, the solitary, and the young, they should appear before the local gentry before being allowed to sign their names or apply their seals to any documents related to the case.

  Liu Xun's eyelid twitched at the words, Tang Guan had not yet come of age for the capping ceremony, by reason it was indeed not right to use corporal punishment on him, should have used corporal punishment on his father instead. But Tang Wei Xi was a scholar-official after all, let alone a regional governor wanting to flog him, even if it were the prime minister who wanted to flog him, they would still need to first prepare the case at the Ministry of Justice.

  Although he was furious, he hadn't reached the point where he would give up his own life and family for the sake of his son. His son could be reborn, but if he himself were to die, everything would be lost.

  "Xu Yue, I know you're eloquent! But Tang Dehua, don't be too smug! Your son must pay with his life this time!" Liu Xun thought for a moment, speechless in refutation, and could only utter another threatening remark.

  "Officer Liu, I only ask that you show mercy and leniency, and mete out punishment in the courtroom with a light hand. My son is young, please let him suffer less physical pain."

  Tang Weixi's old face turned red, he had completely put aside his dignity, he knew that Liu Xun would definitely use severe torture to force a confession, making his son confess falsely. Now that the situation was still unclear, he could only think of ways to delay time.

  "Hmph!" Liu Xun let out a cold snort, gave Tang Weixi a fierce glare, and turned back to return to his cell.

  Tang Weixi hastened his pace to catch up, but was stopped by the bailiff. Xu Yue also patted Tang Weixi on the back and said: "Mr. Tang, I can only help you this far, your son..."

  Xu Yue said halfway, but couldn't continue, however this is indeed a matter of utmost kindness and righteousness, after all he and Tang Weixi were just ordinary friends.

  Tang Weixi also retreated and bowed to Xu Yue three times, "Brother Xu's great kindness and virtue, this old man's teachings were not strict, and he committed a crime punishable by death!"

  Xu Yue slightly waved his hand, took another look at the prison cell, and bid farewell: "Xu Mou will take his leave first, Tang Yuanwai please grieve"

  He turned and left, in his opinion, no matter how hard he begged or threatened, at most, it could only reduce the physical suffering of Tang Guan in prison. This death sentence was unlikely to be escaped, and it was likely that the Tang family would also face disaster at some point.

  Tang Weixi turned his head to glance at the prison gate, then resolutely turned around and walked back.

  "You little brat, your old man really dotes on you"

  Liu Xun was not afraid of the polluted blood on Tang Guan's body, and he actually leaned in extremely close to talk to Tang Guan, wanting to stimulate his mind. He thought that even if Tang Guan was strange, he was just an eight-year-old child after all. Severe punishment might make him stubbornly refuse to confess, but psychological tactics might work.

  "Pshaw!"

  Tang Guan suddenly lifted his head and spat a mouthful of saliva onto Liu Xun's face. The sudden change shocked Liu Xun, who immediately became furious again.

  "Whip! Whip!"

  "Crack! Crack!" With two loud cracks, Liu Xun suddenly stopped and threw the whip to the ground.

  "Throw him into death row prison!"

  Several yamen runners looked at each other in dismay, not knowing why Liu Xun, who had just been unable to be stopped, was no longer fighting, but they still followed orders and lifted Tang Guan down, carrying him away. As soon as the ropes binding Tang Guan were loosened, his body went limp, and two yamen runners carried him off towards the innermost part of the prison.

  "King Tiger!"

  "Go and bring back all those who saw that little beast committing atrocities during the day."

  "Ah, all!?" The bailiff named Wang Hu was stunned by the words, and they didn't quite understand what had happened during the day.

  "Also, pass down the order to have all your brothers keep a close eye out! If anyone from the Tang family comes to offer hush money, absolutely do not accept it, and do not allow anyone to go see that little beast!"

  Wang Hu's heart skipped a beat, and he nodded in response. He knew that Liu Xun was truly angry this time. Letting off Qian was a significant source of income for these prison guards. As the name suggests, some prisoners had family members visiting them, and they would have to bribe the guards with this money to gain entry.

  "Tang Dehua! I curse you, may the Tang family be cut off and have no descendants, may your whole household perish!"

  Liu Xun muttered hatefully, a venomous expression appearing on his face as he gazed into the depths of the prison cell, his eyes looking even more ferocious.