Chapter 128: Questioning the Case (Part 1)

Zhang Yuelu spent a day to control the situation, understand the situation, familiarize herself with the case, and examine the body.

After the autopsy, Zhang Yuelu did not rush to act. She spent another day and night to carefully check the annual account books and temporary files of "Tianle Taoyuan". Then she invited the Eighth Tianyang to the Tianle Palace to directly interrogate Liu Futong.

Zhang Yuelu did not care about the luxury of the Tianle Palace, but she paid special attention to the "Heavenly Master Ascending to the Immortal Picture". After all, the characters in the painting were her ancestors.

Then Zhang Yuelu asked someone to set up a table in front of the screen. She sat in the main seat behind the table, and the Eighth Tianyang sat on the left to listen. There was a slightly smaller table on the right for Mu Jin to use and take notes.

There was no gavel, so Zhang Yuelu didn't care. He slapped the table with his hand and said, "Bring Liu Futong."

The two Taoists escorted Liu Futong out. Liu Futong was put in a special prisoner's device by Su Ran. His cultivation was sealed. He was not a warrior, so he didn't have much resistance to the two Taoists.

One Taoist pinched his left wrist and twisted it from behind to his left shoulder, and the other Taoist pinched his right wrist and twisted it from behind to the right neck. The two wrists were getting closer and closer to the back of his neck and shoulders, and the joints were "cracking".

Liu Futong had to curl up, his face was flushed, and his two eyeballs seemed to bulge out of his eye sockets, but the two bulging eyes still looked up at Zhang Yuelu and Di Ba Tianyang who were sitting behind the big case.

This look naturally didn't scare Zhang Yuelu, but it made Zhang Yuelu a little dissatisfied, and he said, "He hasn't been convicted yet. Who told you to make him like this? Let go!"

The two Taoists immediately let go of their hands and stood aside with their hands tied.

Liu Futong was able to catch his breath and looked at Zhang Yuelu again.

At this time, Liu Futong naturally no longer had the condescending attitude of a local emperor, but he also did not have the fear and pleading that people waiting for punishment often have. His eyes were gray and calm.

Zhang Yuelu was born in Beichen Hall and Tiangang Hall, both of which were halls where people fought and fought. She was a person with a strong murderous aura, but at this time her eyes were not as severe as they should be, but just as calm as water.

Liu Futong was also an old man in the Taoist sect. He left Wanxiang Taoist Palace at the age of 20 and became a ninth-grade Taoist priest. From a ninth-grade Taoist priest to a seventh-grade Taoist priest, and then from a seventh-grade Taoist priest to a fifth-grade Taoist priest, this took more than 20 years. It was not until later that he climbed up to a backer that he joined the ranks of the fourth-grade priests of Jijiu and became the chief Taoist priest of "Tianle Taoyuan".

He knew all the rules and secrets of the Taoist sect. He thought that Zhang Yuelu would scold him from a moral high ground, but he didn't expect that this promising daughter of heaven would not do so. Although she was not approachable, she did not have the self-righteousness and self-righteousness of those daughters of aristocratic families, nor did she think that she was standing on the moral high ground of justice, arrogant, and unworldly.

This made Liu Futong feel a little unnatural.

It also reminded Liu Futong of a saying for no reason: a brave general starts from the army, and a prime minister starts from the state.

This time, the superiors asked Zhang Yuelu to come down to deal with this matter, and the intention was very obvious.

Maybe it won't be long, maybe one or two years, or maybe three or four years, Zhang Yuelu will enter the local Daofu for actual job training, starting from the relatively low-ranking assistant and deputy palace master, until the second seat, the chief, and finally stand alone, and then be transferred back to Yujing, which means that he has become a great man. As for whether he can finally compete for the position of deputy headmaster or the headmaster, it depends on his luck.

Zhang Yuelu signaled the Taoist priest next to him to bring a chair over and let Liu Futong sit down.

Liu Futong hesitated for a moment, but still sat down.

Zhang Yuelu finally spoke: "Master Liu, before the official order from Ziwei Hall comes down, I will still call you Master.

Whether it is Su Ran, Qi Xuansu, or the Eighth Tianyang, after Liu Futong lost power, they all changed to calling each other by their first names, except Zhang Yuelu, which made Liu Futong feel a little strange. He was touched and alert.

This woman is not easy to deal with.

"Okay." Liu Futong responded.

Zhang Yuelu took a file: "The direct reason why Master Su detained you is that you had an improper relationship with Yue Lian, the manager of 'Tianle Taoyuan'. There is Yue Lian's testimony, and the Eighth Deputy Thousand Household of Qingluan Guard can also testify. Do you plead guilty?"

"Plead guilty. "Liu Futong whispered.

He had already thought about it. Among all the crimes, only this one was the most insignificant. As long as he insisted on this one and denied all the others, there might be a glimmer of hope.

"Very good." Zhang Yuelu nodded. Without her instructions, Mu Jin beside her had already started to take notes. In addition to written records, there were also special image and voice talisman arrays.

Zhang Yuelu continued to ask: "You and Yue Lian were caught in the act in this Tianle Palace at that time. Is it true?"

Liu Futong had a trace of doubt in his mind, but he still nodded and said: "It is true."

Zhang Yuelu turned the page of the file: "Who allowed you to use this Tianle Palace?"

Liu Futong hesitated for a moment and replied: "No one allowed it. I used it privately."

"How many times?" Zhang Yuelu's tone was still calm.

Liu Futong was silent.

Zhang Yuelu slightly emphasized: "Reply."

Liu Futong said: "Only once. ”

Zhang Yuelu did not refute, but said: "It only took one time, and he was caught in the act. It seems that Chief Liu's luck is not very good. But there is a question. Yue Lian's confession and Chief Liu's answer do not match. Who of you two lied? Does Chief Liu want to confront Yue Lian face to face?"

There were fine beads of sweat on Liu Futong's forehead.

Zhang Yuelu continued: "Also, according to the account records of the branch of Huashengtang, Chief Liu took medicines worth nine thousand Taiping taels from Huashengtang, including scar removal, aphrodisiacs, and aphrodisiacs. It is said that this is true. By coincidence, we happened to find some remaining medicine from the side hall of Tianle Palace. I wonder how Mr. Liu explains it? "

Liu Futong could only say: "About a dozen times, I can't remember clearly."

Mu Jin kept writing notes.

Zhang Yuelu said: "In this case, you are abusing your power."

Liu Futong's face turned pale and he subconsciously said: "Unjustly accused!"

"Unjustly accused?" Zhang Yuelu said lightly, "Did I say this 'more than a dozen times'? Are the accounts of Huashengtang false? Why did Yue Lian devote himself to you? Is it because you are knowledgeable? Or is it your heroism? Yue Lian’s confession is here, do you want to read it?”

Liu Futong was asked.

Zhang Yuelu's eyes always stayed on the case file in his hand, and it was only then that he turned his attention to Liu Futong. Because the two of them were sitting, there was no condescension, they were just looking at each other.

Zhang Yuelu said: "Mr. Liu, are you still saying that you were unjust? Wherever you think you were wronged, you can list them one by one to defend yourself, or you can confront the witnesses in court. I have always dealt with the issue and not the person."

Liu Futong did not dare to meet Zhang Yuelu's eyes, lowered his head and said: "It's not unfair."

Zhang Yuelu put down the file and took out another account book: "This account book was found from the secret compartment of the room you signed for. I took a look at it and found that it is the income and expenditure details of 'Tianle Taoyuan' in the past three years. I think , Chief Liu should have something to say."

Liu Futong only felt that his heart was hit hard, his eyes suddenly became blurred, and he sat there in a daze.

Zhang Yuelu said: "What, Mr. Liu has nothing to say?"

Liu Futong raised his hand and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with slight trembling.

A master who is in the stage of returning to his true nature has his hands shaking and sweating. Even if he has been banned from cultivation, he shouldn't be like this.

All this was seen by Zhang Yuelu, and she continued: "Since Chief Liu doesn't want to say it, then let me do it."

"About one-seventh of the annual net profit of 'Tianle Taoyuan' has been invested by you into a chamber of commerce called 'Yanqing'. This chamber of commerce is engaged in maritime trade. Like Mr. Liu, he has bad luck. Well, the shipwrecked and the company suffered losses every year. But Mr. Liu never forgot his original intention and invested Taiping money in it every year. In just three years, he lost about 250,000 Taiping money. "

Liu Futong took a deep breath and managed to calm down: "The sky is unpredictable, and people are unpredictable. Business matters are unpredictable, and even gods can't tell."

Zhang Yuelu said: "Since you can't be sure, why do you invest money? Who forced you?"

Liu Futong was asked again.

Zhang Yuelu said in a deep voice: "Reply!"

Liu Futong couldn't hide, and replied: "No one forced me, I just... want to make more peace money for Taoism, and I am also eager to make contributions."

Zhang Yuelu said: "What a man who is eager to perform meritorious service. If on the battlefield, because of your eagerness to perform meritorious service, you underestimated the enemy and rushed forward, resulting in the annihilation of the entire army, and afterwards you were eager to perform meritorious service and can cover up the past? If you lose the battle on the battlefield, you will be dismissed from your post and beheaded. Now you There is a problem here. It is said that you have neglected your duties and neglected your duties. Do you plead guilty? "

How dare Liu Futong reply to this, he lowered his head and remained silent.

Zhang Yuelu said: "You don't dare to reply? Well, let me do it."

"In addition to the account books, we also found land and house deeds. I have already conducted a thorough investigation at Wuxu Palace and Wanshou Chongyang Palace. According to the investigation, you purchased more than ten residences in Shimen County, Longmen Prefecture, Xijing Prefecture and other places, with a total value of approximately Ninety thousand Taiping money, among which there are beautiful women, each claiming to be your lover, two women are thick-waisted, pregnant, and two women already have children. These women are not only wearing gold. Wearing silver, a head full of pearls, and being served by hired servants, the daily expenses are much better than that of a Taoist priest like me, who is a fourth-grade wine-sacrificial priest. Taking into account these expenses, it costs one hundred thousand Taiping. Money goes up.”

"I roughly calculated that the Taoist Priest of the Fourth Grade Jijiu can have a monthly allowance of 200 yuan of peace money, plus various subsidies, that's 300 yuan of peace money for you. And considering that you usually spend time in 'Tianle Taoyuan' It has everything, no expenses, no money spent, that is 3,600 Taiping money a year, 36,000 Taiping money in ten years, it will take thirty years to save so much Taiping money. Di, where did these women come from?"

Liu Futong's head lowered further, his chest and abdomen were rising and falling, and he was breathing heavily.

Zhang Yuelu said: "Director Liu, they said that you embezzled and misappropriated about 250,000 Taiping money. Do you plead guilty?"

Liu Futong's expression suddenly changed, and he suddenly raised his head: "I took the money from the account. I accept as much as I take, and I will refund as much as I can. But Deputy Hall Master Zhang said that I had embezzled a huge amount of 250,000 yuan, which is really unjust!" I only took a total of 100,000 yuan in three years, and I used it to buy a house and support my wife. If Deputy Hall Master Zhang doesn't believe it, he will kill me for this amount."

Zhang Yuelu's tone was still so calm: "Where is the remaining 150,000 Taiping money?"