Chapter 154: Xiao Jinggao Refuses to Admit Guilt (Thank You!)

Hearing Wang Dazhi's words, Zhu Hao suddenly stood up and shouted angrily, "It really is related to that old scoundrel!"

After uttering these words, Zhu Hao took a deep breath to calm the anger raging in his heart, and then ordered, "Commander Wang, I now order you to go to the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office and bring Xiao Jinggao here. I want to question him personally!"

Upon hearing Zhu Hao's command, Wang Dazhi quickly replied, "Understood, Your Highness!" With that, Wang Dazhi led a squad out of the Provincial Surveillance Commission and headed straight for the Provincial Administration Commissioner's Office.

Watching Wang Dazhi leave, Zhu Hao sighed and slowly sat down to await Xiao Jinggao's arrival. Ever since Zhu Hao had taken control of the two garrisons in Hangzhou, he had lost all patience in playing games with these Zhejiang officials. Now, whoever he suspected, he would arrest first and interrogate later. Therefore, Wang Dazhi's earlier words only established that Xiao Jinggao was suspected of causing Gao Yuan's death, without providing any substantive proof. Before he gained control of the two garrisons, Zhu Hao would never have acted in such a manner.

If Zhu Hao had done this previously, firstly, no one would have cooperated with him, and secondly, it would have provoked a fierce backlash from the Zhejiang officials. Once those officials revolted, they would have certainly used every possible means to drive him out of Hangzhou. But things were different now. Protected by the two garrisons, Zhu Hao felt a newfound sense of confidence. He believed that these Zhejiang officials would no longer dare to stir up any major trouble, because in the face of absolute power, any conspiracy was nothing more than a paper tiger, vulnerable to a single blow.

Not long after Wang Dazhi's departure—about the time it took to burn two incense sticks—Xiao Jinggao, the Left Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang, was escorted into the main hall of the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commission.

Seeing Xiao Jinggao, whose hair and beard were somewhat disheveled and who had lost his usual calm and composure, Zhu Hao felt a lingering sense of emotion. He sighed, looked at Xiao Jinggao, and said, "Lord Xiao, I never expected that you and I would meet today under such circumstances. Lord Xiao, will you confess of your own accord, or shall I subject you to torture?"

The purpose of Zhu Hao's words was to exert psychological pressure—a basic interrogation tactic—to force Xiao Jinggao into telling the truth.

As the Administration Commissioner of an entire province, Xiao Jinggao was naturally no ordinary man. Therefore, even though his appearance was somewhat unkempt, his expression remained as calm as ever, completely unfazed by the threat. He replied coldly, "What does Your Highness expect this official to confess to? What law have I broken? Although Your Highness is an imperial commissioner sent by the Emperor to investigate a case, dragging an administrative commissioner of a province here without any evidence or proof seems somewhat out of line with protocol, doesn't it? This official advises Your Highness to rein in your horse at the edge of the cliff before it's too late, lest you find it difficult to explain yourself to His Majesty and the imperial court!"

Seeing that Xiao Jinggao was still stubbornly refusing to bow his head even after being brought into the main hall of the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commission, Zhu Hao let out a cold snort and said, "Lord Xiao, you are a smart man, and I have no desire to beat around the bush with you. Let me ask you: was the malpractice in this year's Zhejiang provincial examination orchestrated entirely by you? Were Gao Yuan's actions all instigated by you, and does his death have anything to do with you?"

Hearing this rapid-fire series of questions, Xiao Jinggao paused slightly, then said in astonishment, "Gao Yuan is dead? How could this happen? Your Highness, you actually executed the Surveillance Commissioner of a province without the imperial court's authorization! What on earth are you trying to do?"

Listening to Xiao Jinggao's counter-accusation, Zhu Hao thought to himself, "What a cunning old scoundrel! He's still trying to bite back at a time like this. He truly deserves a lesson!"

Zhu Hao thought this and contemplated using torture on Xiao Jinggao. However, before the words left his mouth, he considered that Xiao Jinggao was, after all, a provincial administration commissioner, and resorting to torture so readily might inevitably draw criticism later on.

With this in mind, Zhu Hao suppressed the impulse within him, took a deep breath, and said, "Lord Xiao, stop acting in front of me. You are clearly the one who killed Gao Yuan! Yet you dare to turn things around and bite me. I will ask you once more: was the corruption in the Zhejiang provincial examination orchestrated by you alone? Were Gao Yuan's previous actions instigated by you, and did you or did you not murder him?"

Hearing this, Xiao Jinggao burst into loud laughter and retorted, "Your Highness, when one wants to condemn someone, one can always find a pretext! This official will not argue with you anymore. I accept my fate! You say the corruption in the Zhejiang provincial examination was orchestrated by me alone, that Gao Yuan's actions were instigated by me, and that I murdered Gao Yuan—since Your Highness says these are all my doing, then let them be my doing! Deal with this official however you please; I have nothing more to say!"

Although Xiao Jinggao's words sounded like a confession, Zhu Hao felt that something was off—it didn't sound like a genuine confession at all. However, eager to close the case and return to the capital, Zhu Hao didn't ponder it too deeply and instead said, "Xiao Jinggao, since you have already confessed, then put your thumbprint on the document! You have spared yourself physical suffering, and I have spared myself the trouble of wasting any more breath on you."

With that, Zhu Hao gave a meaningful look to the clerk recording the interrogation and said, "Take it to him and have him press his fingerprint!"

Upon receiving the order, the recording clerk hurriedly complied, stood up, walked over to Xiao Jinggao holding the confession document, and said, "Lord Xiao, take a look. If there are no issues, please sign and press your fingerprint."

Taking the confession document in his hands, Xiao Jinggao didn't even glance at it before tearing the paper to shreds. He declared, "Utter nonsense! You are framing this official! Even if I die, I will never yield to your wishes!"

Zhu Hao never expected Xiao Jinggao to pull such a stunt. It was a complete slap in the face, showing absolute contempt for him and subjecting him to blatant humiliation. How could Zhu Hao endure this? He let out a cold snort and raged, "Guards! Give him a beating! Beat him until he confesses! I want to see whether these wooden staves are harder or his mouth is!"

Following Zhu Hao's furious command, the soldiers of the Hangzhou Rear Garrison, acting as bailiffs, threw Xiao Jinggao to the ground. Then came the rhythmic sound of wooden staves striking flesh—*thwack, thwack*—accompanied by Xiao Jinggao's agonizing screams.

After a dozen blows, blood began to seep through Xiao Jinggao's clothes, and his screams grew significantly fainter. Fearing that he might actually beat Xiao Jinggao to death, Zhu Hao raised his hand to signal the executing soldiers and ordered, "Stop for a moment!"

At Zhu Hao's command, the soldiers ceased their actions. Zhu Hao then spoke again, "Lord Xiao, have you thought things through by now? Shouldn't you tell me something? If you speak up straightforwardly, I can spare you further physical torment."

Hearing this, Xiao Jinggao spat a mouthful of blood and weakly replied, "I've long heard officials in the capital say that Prince Xin is ruthless and vicious. I didn't believe it at first, but today I see the rumors are true. For His Majesty to have a brother like you, and for the court to have a prince like you, is a misfortune to the nation! Even if you beat me to death today, you won't get a single word out of my mouth! Let my death open the world's eyes to your true face, Prince Xin. What is there for me, Xiao Jinggao, to fear in death?"

Hearing these words, Zhu Hao muttered inwardly, "This old scoundrel! Clearly he is the villain, yet he tries to splash dirty water all over me, making it sound as if I'm the treacherous official persecuting loyal ministers. What an absolute jerk!"

Consumed by this thought, Zhu Hao lost control of his temper and his reason. He let out a cold snort and shouted furiously, "It seems you didn't receive enough beatings! Don't you want the world to see my true face? Then I shall grant your wish!"

With that, Zhu Hao slammed the gavel down and roared, "Guards, beat him hard! Do not stop until he confesses the truth!"

Following his command, the soldiers of the Hangzhou Rear Garrison stepped forward once more, swung their arms wide, and brought the staves down heavily upon Xiao Jinggao's body. The sound of staves striking flesh—*thwack, thwack*—echoed once again through the main hall of the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commission, accompanied inevitably by Xiao Jinggao's heart-wrenching screams.

After less than the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, Xiao Jinggao's head drooped to the side, and his screams ceased entirely. The soldiers stepped forward to inspect him and reported, "Reporting to Your Highness, he has passed out!"

Hearing the report, Zhu Hao frowned slightly, the anger in his heart gradually subsiding. Seeing that Xiao Jinggao had been beaten unconscious without making a confession, a doubt arose in his mind: "Could it be that this Xiao Jinggao endured such severe torture without confessing because I actually wronged him this time?"

Plagued by this question, Zhu Hao decided against splashing cold water to revive him for further torture. Instead, he ordered, "Carry him down, find a physician to treat his injuries, and when he wakes up tomorrow, I will question him again. Court is adjourned!"

With the order given, two soldiers hauled the unconscious Xiao Jinggao out of the main hall of the Zhejiang Provincial Surveillance Commission. Zhu Hao also rose, strode out of the office, and led his squad of guards back to his temporary headquarters.

Upon returning to his quarters, Zhu Hao summoned Li Shoujun, the Right Administration Commissioner of Zhejiang, and inquired, "Lord Li, you must have already heard about the matter regarding Xiao Jinggao. I have always had a fairly good impression of you. Based on your understanding of him, does the corruption in this year's Zhejiang provincial examination have anything to do with Xiao Jinggao?"

Pausing briefly, Zhu Hao continued his analysis, "Even though Xiao Jinggao refuses to confess no matter what, Gao Yuan was indeed in contact exclusively with him before his death, making Xiao Jinggao the most likely person to have killed him. If Xiao Jinggao is the murderer, then he is undoubtedly the mastermind behind the Zhejiang examination scandal. But if that's the case, why is he clinging to such a stubborn defense?"