Chapter 2249: Interrogation for Loot
The bandit chiefs and minor leaders who had died in battle were all beheaded. In accordance with Bi Da's order, except for Zhang Tianbo's head—which was packed in lime to dry and stored in a head box for future public display in the county seat—the rest of the heads were impaled on spear tips and displayed on both sides of the roads leading from Dalang Market to the county seat and Yonghua.
"Should we send the prisoners back to the county with the Mountain Company?" Luo Yiming was prepared to escort them all back to the county seat, hold a public trial rally, and then execute the ringleaders as a warning to others.
Bi Da thought for a moment. "No need. The roads aren't safe right now. Even if we send troops to escort such a large group of prisoners, their safety can't be guaranteed. Sun Dabiao's gang has been destroyed, but his sworn brothers are still around—they might ambush us to snatch the prisoners, causing needless casualties. We'll dispose of them on the spot. No sense inviting trouble—besides, this is Sun Dabiao's old nest. The deterrent effect is the same."
Since they were to be disposed of locally, the spectacle naturally couldn't be small—otherwise it wouldn't serve to deter the petty criminals. Therefore, they decided to wait until the militia sent by the county to transport war booty arrived, then hold a ceremony before everyone and execute the prisoners.
"Before that, we have to force the information about these bandit leaders' wealth out of them."
Thus, Dalang Market instantly became a scene from hell. On the cleared open ground amid the ruins, torture racks were set up, and prisoners were escorted out in batches and tied to them for "interrogation."
First came the notorious bandit leaders—except for Sun Dabiao, whom Bi Da instructed to leave for last, lest he accidentally die during the torture.
The interrogation for loot was conducted right on the market ground. Four yamen runners who had rushed from the county took command, selecting minions captured from the "Ticket House" guards to do the hands-on work. The yamen runners wanted to show off their skills; the minor thugs hoped to "atone for their crimes with merit." One by one, they went at it with no taboos, working in shifts. Every torture device that the county yamen possessed was here; whatever the yamen lacked but the bandit den had, they used as well. Day and night the torture continued, and the bandits' screams and wails never ceased. On the first day, three were tortured to death.
The prisoners were all gathered on the market ground to "observe," each trembling with fear. Having been bandits for many years, they had grown accustomed to torturing commoners and tickets—they had long held a sense of superiority in controlling the lives and deaths of others. Now, watching their former associates tormented and tortured half to death, they finally realized that tyranny wasn't their exclusive privilege. One day, it would also fall upon themselves.
"Report to the Magistrate—these few can't take any more. If we continue, I'm afraid they'll expire on the spot..." A yamen runner came to report.
"How much booty have they confessed?"
"Quite a lot, but none of it is here. It'll have to be excavated one location at a time."
"For all booty not located locally, spare their lives for now and treat their injuries—don't let them die too fast," Bi Da instructed. "Bring the next batch to question."
The yamen runners understood the meaning of this female magistrate with her fierce expression. They immediately complied, took the men down from the torture racks, and dragged out several more from among the prisoners.
These new ones were already pale-faced. Seeing someone coming for them, some collapsed to the ground, unable to speak, while others trembled and struggled desperately. One shrieked: "This small one is willing to confess! This small one is willing to confess!"
"For those willing to confess, give them paper and pen. Require them to write everything clearly, one item at a time," Bi Da instructed. "For those unwilling to confess—continue serving them."
"Yes!" The yamen runner answered, then smiled apologetically. "This small one asks the Lord for instructions: can we rest for a moment? From early morning until now, except for eating, we haven't stopped. Can barely lift our arms."
Bi Da nodded. "You've worked hard. Let the prisoners loosen up slightly for a moment."
"That won't be necessary. We have a way to rest while making them confess," the yamen runner laughed.
This method was called "Sitting on the Pot." After bandits caught a "fat pig," they would light a candle or a small pile of charcoal in a toilet bucket and have the "fat pig" sit bare-bottomed on it while tied in place. With slow fire tormenting from below, in less than a few minutes, the tortured victim would cry to heaven and earth. This method worked every time.
When the prisoners being interrogated saw the toilet bucket and candle being brought over, they knew this meant "please enter the jar"—a taste of their own medicine. One by one, they let out sounds of despairing weeping and wailing. Bi Da, however, was completely unmoved, merely flipping through the large stack of "confessions" in her hand.
The content of the confessions was extremely complicated. Besides the locations of hidden property, there was everything the prisoners knew about the situation in the county. Under severe torture, desperate to suffer fewer bouts of pain, they practically told everything they knew.
From these confessions, Bi Da could see the ambiguous relationships between many wealthy households in the county and the bandits—she wasn't surprised. For local magnates, whether it was false compliance for appeasement or outright collusion, cooperating with bandits was nothing new.
However, with this damning material in hand, it would serve as the basis for dealing with the wealthy households in the future. Bi Da narrowed her eyes and looked at the distant mountains. As for how to deal with them—that depended on whether they would "cooperate" with the work going forward.
Reading further down, as expected, the bandits had effectively colluded with the Yao people too. It confirmed what Chief Huang had said: every time the Yao people rioted, local treacherous elements had seduced and coordinated with them.
The situation in Yangshan was truly a tangled mess. Bi Da thought, If one wants to sort it out one strand at a time, it can't be done without three to five years. At present, the only way is to cut the tangled hemp with a sharp blade, clearing the various hidden dangers in one stroke...
Just as she was pondering the problem, someone came to report: "Pan Tianshun has arrived!"
"Invite him over."
Pan Tianshun had received Bi Da's order with mixed feelings of joy and disappointment. Joy because Sun Dabiao, this bane of the Yonghua Yao people, had finally been captured and would be beheaded—a great enmity avenged. Disappointment because he had originally planned to use the full turnout of Yonghua Yao able-bodied men as a bargaining chip to demand occupation of Dalang Market henceforth.
Unexpectedly, this female magistrate had destroyed Sun Dabiao without a sound! Although Pan Tianshun was somewhat disappointed, happiness was still the predominant emotion. Hearing that he was being asked to return to Yonghua to recruit soldiers, he knew the county still intended to rely on the Yonghua Yao people, so he immediately set out.
As soon as he arrived at the entrance of Dalang Market, he saw two large grave mounds standing by the road. Many spears were erected on the grave mounds and along both sides of the road, impaling heads that had been dried with lime. He couldn't help but shudder. Walking to the intersection, he saw a head receiving treatment different from the others—individually packed in a head box, with a banner hanging below: "Head of Zhang Tianbo."
Pan Tianshun naturally knew Zhang Tianbo's notorious name. Seeing the head of this illustrious "Three Tyrant" hanging at the intersection with its ferocious, frozen expression, he couldn't help sighing with emotion.
Since he was passing through Dalang Market, Pan Tianshun thought he should pay a courtesy visit to offer congratulations—after all, this woman would be the "Marquis of a Hundred Li" here for the foreseeable future. The quality of life for the Yonghua commoners depended entirely on her. Moreover, looking at her conduct, she was clearly not of the same temperament as Old Master Wang. It would be better to be exceptionally deferential.
"Pan Tianshun, the Magistrate is calling for you," Zhou Da said arrogantly.
"Yes, may I trouble you to lead the way." Pan Tianshun was very polite.
He had just heard that Bi Da was conducting an "interrogation for loot" and wondered secretly—he hadn't heard of magistrates managing such matters personally. Could the county truly be in such dire straits? Only when he stepped into the torture scene did he realize it wasn't about a mere bit of money.
On the wooden racks, bloody bodies were tied or hung one by one. Branding irons were stuck in raging fires; the ground was littered with blood-stained leather whips, rattan canes, bamboo paddles... squeeze-sticks of various sizes, finger-presses... Shocking large puddles of blood, vomit, and excrement covered the muddy floor.
The screened bandit chiefs, large and small, were separately locked in rough wooden cages. Among them were big chiefs like Sun Dabiao, and also small chiefs who had led only three or four bandits. At this moment, they no longer wore their initial air of arrogance; their expressions were listless as they squatted in the cages, each posing as though awaiting death with closed eyes.
Beside the field, seven or eight corpses of those tortured to death were discarded, each appalling in appearance, beaten beyond recognition... Pan Tianshun didn't dare look again after one glance, only feeling a stream of cold air pour straight from his head down to his feet—this woman is truly ruthless!
However, he didn't dare show a hint of this thought. He still walked respectfully before Bi Da—since the Australians didn't practice kneeling, he bowed ninety degrees and spoke words of congratulation.
"Not at all—you speak too politely," Bi Da said. "This is all the comrades' credit. You Yonghua commoners also contributed greatly."
"Not at all, not at all. Sun Dabiao's gang harmed Yonghua for many years. It is the Magistrate who removed this plague for us—the Yonghua commoners are endlessly grateful. We are willing to serve at the Magistrate's command."
Bi Da smiled. Although her smile didn't carry a sneer, it made Pan Tianshun shiver with cold fear.
"I will now obey the order and return to Yonghua to recruit soldiers. Does the Magistrate have any other instructions? The Yonghua commoners will definitely exert themselves to repay..."
"Repaying isn't necessary—you're also in difficulty. Many able-bodied men were killed or wounded. I'll be very satisfied if you bring one hundred able-bodied men." Bi Da didn't know the thoughts in his heart but was quite sincere. "When you return, tell the leaders of the various stockades that the market fair here at Dalang Market will soon be restored. The county has also transferred a good deal of salt and general goods here. Ask them to come over to trade—fair buying and selling, honest with old and young alike."
"Yes, yes, this is all by your grace, Magistrate. As soon as I return, I'll proclaim to the various stockades and tell them to bring goods to trade."
"You overpraise. As the head of a county, I must protect the peace of this region—it can't be called any merit or virtue." Bi Da sensed Pan Tianshun's attitude was somewhat strange, wondering what was wrong with this Yao headman. Suddenly she heard a few prisoners "Sitting on the Pot" screaming miserably for mercy again, and only then did she understand.
She had originally wanted to comfort him with a few words, but thinking of the chaotic and complex situation in the county, letting this Yonghua Yao headman maintain a certain measure of fear wasn't a bad thing.
"Go quickly and return quickly. The county still needs you to handle matters."
"Yes, I will definitely handle it well and return as soon as possible, not daring to delay the assignment!"
"Go to the Dragon Mother Temple warehouse." Bi Da wrote out a slip. "First receive a salt ticket for one thousand jin of salt. Issue ten jin to every enlisted able-bodied man."
Next Update: Volume 7 - Guangzhou Governance Part 454 (End of Chapter)