After hearing Zhang Xiao’s words, Li Tianqu’s expression was calm, but he just asked indifferently:

"Oh? Are you caught all in one go? Is there any fish that missed the net? In addition to the evidence found, is the origin of the envoy of the Wu Kingdom who had secretly communicated with the Khitan? "

After hearing this, Zhang Xiao immediately replied with ease:

"Fortunately, Your Majesty made a brilliant plan and issued an edict in advance to order the minister to deploy. The people of Wu wanted to secretly interact with the Khitan, not only would they have to go through secret channels, Deng, Hai and other places. Even the Hai Town of Liaodong also installed secret spies from the patrol guards... After several journeys, if they could not capture those people and the evidence, it would be my dereliction of duty. How could I allow the remnants to escape?

Moreover, according to the arrangements and after setting the target, he took down the man in the inn near the Maritime Port Station on the night of the day. He never took action in public, and did not alarm other maritime merchants, and of course he would not leak the news.

As for the people who were taken down in Wu, of course, they only said that they were merchants who went to sea trade at first, shouting that they were wronged and dared not confess. However, the letters replied to the Khitan had been found, and even the people of Wu offered beauty and show their goodwill. When they landed in Haizhen, Liaodong, the guards and spies placed there were also seen it, and they reported it in time to determine the appearance of these people, the ships, and even the pseudonyms used when they surveyed the documents, would not let them deny them.

And I used some means to pry open the mouths of these Wu people. Among them, the leader who was secretly ordered to send a mission to Khitan was a counselor under the command of Xu Zhigao, the adopted son of the powerful minister Xu Wen, and Song Qiqiu, who was the judge of the direct army of the Wu Kingdom Hall. As for those entourages, I have also interrogated them one by one, which is enough to determine their identities."

Li Tianqu did not ask in detail what Zhang Xiao said that he "used some means"... According to the punishment of the Wei Dynasty, although the death row prisoners who were destined to be conscientious and did all evil things remained in the punishment, for other criminals who committed the death row, there were no more than beheadings without a complete body or hanging. Moreover, during the interrogation process, local governments strictly prohibited the use of torture and torture, and to prevent violent evidence collection as much as possible.

However, although the secret spy agency of the Patrol Guards Department is not allowed to arrest people at will without the emperor's will, once he takes action, he holds the target and goes to jail for interrogation, he never intends to make a move, but he will also force the target to reveal the truth. Regardless of the torture process or the method, he will certainly not follow the regular judicial process of the people...

Moreover, Zhang Xiao and even senior spies in the Patrol Guards' Department who specializes in torture have been immersed in many years. Not only can they be used to all kinds of tortures, but they are also very good at grasping the right position, so that people can breathe a sigh of relief. The psychological defense line will eventually collapse completely.

Although Li Tianqu did not intend to be like Emperor Liu of Yue, he was notorious for being keen on inventing torture. However, Li Tianqu once mentioned some of the methods used by the Jinyiwei Zhaozhu during the Ming Dynasty, and Zhang Xiao heard it so much. When he returned, he took it seriously and studied and improved it. As for the results, Li Tianqu did not ask in detail...

However, Li Tianqu knew very well that Zhang Xiao said that he had used some means and had come to report, so he could basically confirm that what he interrogated would be the truth.

However, after Zhang Xiao reported that the envoy sent by the Wu State to communicate with the Khitan was named Song Qiqiu, he couldn't help but raise his eyebrows, thinking to himself that the man was Xu Zhigao who changed his name to Li Bing and gradually took power. In the end, he followed the emperor and repeatedly advised the officials. It can also be said that according to the official history line, he played an important role in replacing the Southern Wu and establishing the Southern Tang regime.

Moreover, this guy is not only a civil servant, but also good at using some conspiracies... During the Five Dynasties and Later Jin, Khitan Yelu Deguang sent envoys to the Southern Tang Dynasty, and Song Qiqiu used conspiracy to make delicious food, drink and treat them well. As a result, when the envoy returned to Huaibei, he was killed by Song Qiqiu. A pot of dirty water poured onto the Later Jin Dynasty, which really caused the Khitan to have a rift with him. However, this time he wanted to deepen the hostility between the Wei Dynasty and the Khitans, and he left the territory of Wu and was arrested.

It is said that the Wu State is shameful when contacting the Khitan now, and can only walk on the sea route. However, due to shipbuilding and navigation technology, the Wu State is far away from the Khitan, and it is necessary to dock and rectify the Maritime Bureau under the Wei Dynasty. There is still a possibility of shipwrecking. Therefore, it is said that no one will be sent to a high-level and powerful figure in the court...

However, Li Tianqu recalled the historical records that although Song Qiqiu was well-known by Xu Zhigao and often participated in confidential matters, Xu Zhigao's adoptive father Xu Wen became increasingly disliked Song Qiqiu. Therefore, when Xu Wen was alive, Song Qiqiu was only a judge of the Palace Army and was never promoted. It was also after Xu Wen's death that Xu Zhigao did not have to look at his adoptive father's eyes and promoted Song Qiqiu, who had been subordinate for more than ten years, was promoted to the right officer, and was also appointed as the right censor and the minister of the Ministry of War, and was in charge of the central government. He was later appointed as the right servant of the Ministry of War.

Therefore, in Song Qiqiu's current identity, he was the first to offer plans to join forces with the Khitan to plot against the Central Plains dynasty. After being adopted, his idea was what he thought, so he naturally had to work hard and he had to go on a dangerous journey to contact the Khitan.

Regarding such a prisoner, Li Tianqu said that as a minister of the auxiliary state, Song Qiqiu had obvious advantages and disadvantages... He was in charge of national affairs, committed to developing production, and strengthened the national strength of the Southern Tang Dynasty, and managed to "enlarge the vast land and the mulberry trees were everywhere" under his rule. Song Qiqiu attached great importance to education and founded Jinling's national studies, and produced many famous scholars, which also made the literary style of Jiangnan prosperous in the Five Dynasties countries.

But on the other hand, although Song Qiqiu was once at the top of the political arena of the Southern Tang Dynasty, he was demoted several times because he was jealous of protecting his shortcomings and often had a good time to form cliques. He joined the five most powerful party members under his disciples, arrogant and tyrants, and had no talent. He was called the "Five Ghosts" in the Southern Tang Dynasty... Therefore, after Li Bing, the ancestor of the Southern Tang Dynasty who trusted him, died. After Li Jing, the Yuanzong Li Jing, succeeded to the throne, Song Qiqiu quickly lost power and eventually ended up being imprisoned in Jiuhua Mountain and starved to death. Like Qin Hui, who had been terrified for thousands of years in the Southern Song Dynasty, he received the posthumous title of ugly Miao.

In addition, Song Qiqiu was the first to advise the Khitan to conspire to divide the Central Plains. Although he was completely in the Wu Kingdom... it should be the position of Xu Wen's adopted son Xu Zhigao, but this really violated Li Tianqu's taboo. Even if you have the ability to govern the country, the disadvantages and hidden dangers are also obvious. If you don't care about it, you will propose a conspiracy like bringing the Khitan into the Central Plains. Then I don't need to treat you deliberately favorably.

Moreover, you, Song Qiqiu, are deliberately planning to plot against me in the Wei Dynasty, so let's suffer more in prison first. How to deal with it in the future? Anyway, I'm not in a hurry... Li Tianqu finished thinking in his heart, and then explained to Zhang Xiao:

"At present, Yelu Abaoji intends to annex the Bohai Kingdom, but he cannot join forces with the Wu Kingdom to attack our dynasty. However, since the Khitan and Wu Kingdom had secretly been in contact with each other several times before, both sides must have planned for the future and intended to be unfavorable to our dynasty.

After conspiring between the Khitan and the Wu Kingdom, what do you want to do? You will know the Patrol Guards Department and ask Song Qiqiu to explain it clearly. In short, the man has been keeping his guard. I will only ask what you did to Song Qiqiu, but I must make sure that he can keep his life.

Since he was the judge of the Wu Palace Army, Song Qiqiu pretended to be a businessman who went to sea trade. He was under the control of our dynasty, but he still went north to the Khitan to secretly engage in activities... This person captured our dynasty and declared it out. Then the Wu State's intention was naturally obvious. The letters seized from the Wu State's contact with the Khitan were physical evidence. As for Song Qiqiu, he was the king of Wu State... It should be said that Xu Wen, the adopted father and son, who were ruthless in secret, had witnessed the evidence of Xu Wen's adopted father and son who were openly sanctioned in our dynasty but had made ill-belief in secret!"

When Zhang Xiao heard this, he immediately accepted the order loudly and asked Li Tianqu again:

"Now that Song Qiqiu is captured and imprisoned, and the letters from the Khitan and Wu Kingdom were seized, it can be said that they were stolen and captured, and the evidence is conclusive. Therefore, it is legitimate to send troops to attack Wu Kingdom... Then it is time for our dynasty to assemble a large army and plan to capture Jiangnan?"
Chapter completed!