"I... I... I don't know!"
The official was stuttering, clearly lying.
Ji Youzhi was an old hand at interrogating criminals; he could tell with a single glance if they were lying.
"Perhaps you think I'm too merciful."
He stood up, seized the official, hoisted him upside down by his feet, and dangled him out over the railing, a hemp rope tied to the man gripped firmly in his hand. The official, terrified, immediately started wailing.
"No, don't throw me into the sea! I'll talk, I'll talk! WAAAH... I'll talk!" he shrieked, begging Ji Youzhi for another chance.
Ji Youzhi hauled the man back up and stared at him intently.
"Speak! I'm giving you one more chance. If you don't tell the truth this time, I'll throw you into the sea, and I won't be pulling you up again."
The official stammered, still trembling, "The residents on both sides of the Yunhang Coast disappeared many years ago. At first, only a small portion vanished.
