activa-t Chapter 55 Torture
Chapter 55 Torture
Chang Yuan didn't make wild guesses or wild speculations.
Everyone knows that after Hai Rui was released from prison, his official career flourished, and he rose through the ranks to become Minister of Justice and Grand Secretary.
He pioneered the practice of allowing those with the title of Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) to enter the cabinet, and was a trailblazer in the integration of officialdom and civil service!
Hai Rui not only lived to the age of 92, but also accomplished many great things, investigated numerous important cases, impeached many princes, and made outstanding contributions to the later Jiajing Restoration.
He was praised by the Jiajing Emperor and listed as one of the thirty-six meritorious officials of the restoration, ranking second only to Zhang Juzheng, the chief minister of the restoration.
Not only Hai Rui's deeds have been passed down to this day, but so have those of Zhang Juzheng.
The achievements, stories, famous quotes, and legends of Grand Secretary Zhang are everywhere. Even his demand for sea dog whip from Qi Jiguang can be recorded in a grand manner.
But no one knows what kind of interactions Hai Rui, Zhang Juzheng, Qi Jiguang, and other famous ministers and generals had with the Jiajing Emperor.
Historical records only mention the three words "the emperor believed him".
Thinking hard!
Chang Yuan believed that the Jiajing Emperor was being targeted, and the fact that even Commander Xiao was unaware of this made him worry about being targeted because of his identity as a time traveler.
So you absolutely shouldn't say things you shouldn't say.
The imperial prison was buried deep underground in the Northern Garrison Command.
The main gate was made of thick cast iron, and the walls, floor, and roof were all made of thick bluestone blocks, with molten iron poured between the blocks.
This underground prison was incredibly sturdy, and also dark and damp.
Being imprisoned in the imperial prison, even for just one night, is enough to leave one with lifelong illnesses.
Only someone with a constitution as robust as Hai Rui's could walk out on his own, healthy and lively, after a full month's stay.
When Chang Yuan and Xiao Zexing arrived at the imperial prison, the Embroidered Uniform Guards of the Northern Garrison had already interrogated them for a while.
But the atmosphere at the scene was very strange.
The Imperial Guards tied 39 prisoners to thick wooden stakes. Some whipped them vigorously with water-soaked leather whips, some used iron claws to pull at their ribs, and some used branding irons to roast their flesh...
The whistling of whips cutting through the air, the crackling of flesh being lashed, the sizzling of blood being burned, and the heavy breathing of the Imperial Guards mingled together, creating an eerie silence.
Because no one made any agonizing screams.
In the confined space, the unresponsive torture and the cultists' terrifying silence combined to create an extremely chilling atmosphere.
No matter which cult they were from, even if their bodies were beaten until they were covered in blood and broken, they did not show the slightest pain, and there was no fear in their eyes.
The cultists' "fearless" behavior truly frightened the Imperial Guards, who even lost their strength to beat people.
Upon seeing the commander arrive, a captain of the Imperial Guard quickly ran over and saluted: "Sir, these... these treacherous men are too strange..."
Xiao Zexing waved his hand and said, "No need to say anything, I've seen it all."
He turned to Chang Yuan and said, "Brother Chang, dealing with these cultists is one of the Eastern Garrison Command's specialties. What do you think is going on here?"
Chang Yuan answered in a low voice, "The power of the evil god is like opium; it has the effect of numbing the body, eliminating pain, and creating a sense of pleasure."
"The cultists we caught today are all elites in their respective churches. They have been injected with evil power by evil gods. Even if we beat them to death, they will not feel a single pain."
Xiao Zexing gasped, "Are all cults this sinister?"
The other Imperial Guards were stunned and began to murmur amongst themselves.
"If cult members don't feel pain no matter how much we beat them, how are we supposed to interrogate them?"
"Corrupt officials are easier to deal with. Just hang them on a stake, and they'll confess without even being hit."
"What do we do now?"
"No rush, haven't you seen Commander Qianli arrive with his men?"
It doesn't hurt when you're hit, and people aren't afraid of death, so the Great Memory Restoration Technique is completely useless.
Xiao Zexing now felt only relief that he had invited Chang Yuan, otherwise the Northern Garrison Command would have been humiliated today.
"Brother, what do you think we should do?"
Chang Yuan nodded and said, "This is not difficult. Stop everything, put the person down, and transfer them to the prison for custody."
"The interrogation room must be changed according to my requirements, and all the torture instruments must be replaced with new ones."
Without hesitation, Xiao Zexing commanded, "What are you all standing there for? Did you hear what my brother Chang said?"
"If you hear that, get to work right away!"
Amidst the chaos of war, the appearance of the imperial prison changed drastically.
It was clean and tidy, painted white, and lit by more than a dozen kerosene lamps, illuminating everything brightly and revealing every detail.
The instruments of torture also changed from rusty iron hooks, whips, wooden sticks, iron brushes, and branding irons that were mixed with blood and emitted a strong fishy smell, to gleaming surgical scalpels.
The torture chamber exuded the cold, operating room atmosphere.
It was bright and clean, yet it made you feel cold to the core.
The Imperial Guards of the Northern Garrison were used to bloodshed and torture, and considered themselves to be incredibly brave men, but they were all terrified when they entered the new-style torture chamber.
Xiao Zexing was also terrified: "What the hell? This is just a silkworm room (a Ming Dynasty operating room), why does it look so creepy?"
The same applies to cult members.
As per Chang Yuan's instructions, the Imperial Guards of the Northern Garrison tied the cultists to a platform and then lined up gleaming pliers, knives, and saws, instantly elevating the atmosphere to a whole new level.
The cult members, who had remained silent even when beaten until their skin was torn and bleeding, were now experiencing inexplicable fear even before being hit, and their bodies began to tremble uncontrollably.
Upon seeing this, Xiao Zexing couldn't help but marvel: "Impressive! To be able to manipulate hearts and minds to such an extent without even lifting a finger, the Eastern Garrison Command is truly skilled!"
Chang Yuan laughed and said, "Brother Xiao is right. The most important thing to deal with these cultists who have been brainwashed by the power of evil gods, who are not afraid of pain and can hardly feel death is to attack their minds."
"They need to realize that they will die, and that they will be butchered like pigs, not killed as human beings."
"By bypassing the pain and directly evoking the fear of death, the atmosphere created by surgeons is still the most effective."
"Come on, let's begin."
"First, cut off his fingers and toes..."
"Don't just throw it away! Wash it clean, arrange it neatly on the plate, and remember that order is the most important thing..."
"Stop the bleeding immediately! How can you let someone keep bleeding like this..."
The cult members watched as their bodies were cut up, their wounds were carefully bandaged, and their severed limbs were meticulously cleaned and neatly arranged...
The eerie sense of order suddenly triggered his fear.
He couldn't feel any pain, but he was still afraid and terrified, and involuntarily emitted a sharp, explosive sound.
"No—!"
Chang Yuan remained calm and composed, and ordered indifferently, "Men, gag him. I don't need him to answer any questions before we complete the current procedure."
The Jinyiwei captain, who was assisting Chang Yuan, trembled as he picked up the thick hemp rope, intending to use the knot to gag the cultist.
But his hands were shaking so badly that he had to try several times before he could barely manage to insert it.
When he realized that Chang Yuan was looking at him with displeasure, his legs went weak and he collapsed to the ground.
Xiao Zexing roared in fury: "You disgraceful piece of trash, get out of here!"
No one noticed that Lord Sengoku's roar was broken, and it was a trembling sound.
Chang Yuan didn't notice anything amiss and focused on continuing his work.
Only after cutting off all the cultist's fingers and toes, bandaging him to stop the bleeding, and cleaning him did he reach for the knotted hemp rope and ask, "Now can you answer my question?"
The cult members looked at Chang Yuan with eyes full of fear, as if they were seeing Mara, the demon king, in the deepest hell.
His whole body stiffened, he trembled violently, his mouth opened and he stammered, trying hard to say something, but he couldn't make a sound.
Chang Yuan exclaimed, "He's a tough guy! Let's continue with the second round..."
As he spoke, he picked up a knotted rope to stuff into his mouth.
The cult has completely collapsed!
He lost control of his bladder and bowels at the same time, and his whole body was limp as mud.
But his body finally relaxed, and he screamed, "No! I'll talk! I'll tell you everything!"
"Tell me everything—"