To the First Emperor of Qin: The state has decreed this!

Zhao the Cripple felt as if he had been granted a pardon and scrambled out of the study.

The door closed, and the room fell silent once more.

Zong Yu stood there, his hand on the cold corner of the table. Although he had forced down the blood in his chest, a metallic taste still lingered in his throat.

Should we send someone to investigate the prison?

If the Lieutenant's Office had truly captured Liu Kui, he would have been a highly confidential and wanted criminal. How could they have allowed the servants of the Imperial Household Department to easily find out his details?

By the time the news got back, it was too late!

If Zhang Fan had already entered Zhangtai Palace with the account book by now...

The mere thought of Ying Zheng's domineering eyes sent chills down Zong Yu's spine, and cold sweat instantly soaked through his inner robe.

can not wait!

If you wait even half an hour longer, the guillotine hanging overhead might fall an inch!

He had to test the waters himself and see Zhang Fan's attitude for himself!

"Get the car ready!"

Zong Yu suddenly raised his head and shouted sharply towards the door:

"Prepare a light vehicle, avoid the main gate, and take the back street to the East City Museum of Natural History! Quickly!"

The servants outside the door dared not be negligent.

Before long, an inconspicuous carriage with a green canopy emerged from the back alley of the Shaofu Palace, braving the biting north wind and churning through the muddy remnants of snow, hurrying towards the Gewu Academy.

……

The Institute of Gewu, the warm pavilion in the back courtyard.

The underground heating was burning brightly, making the room warm and cozy.

Yesterday, Zhang Fan was busy verifying the blueprints for "Heaven on Earth" and spent most of the day wandering around the East Market in disguise. He was exhausted and went to bed early. At this moment, he was fast asleep, wrapped in a thick brocade quilt.

"Young master... young master, wake up."

A gentle shoving and whispers rang in my ears.

Zhang Fan frowned slightly, turned over, and muttered as he tugged at the blanket, "Stop messing around... If the sky falls, we'll talk about it when it's light..."

"Young master, something terrible has happened. Please get up quickly."

Another crisp voice, tinged with urgency, rang out as a delicate hand gently lifted the bed curtains.

Zhang Fan opened his eyes groggily and saw two slender figures standing side by side by the bed.

Luo Li held a thick black sable cloak in her hands, her expression somewhat strange;

Beside her, Luo Ying carried a warm yellow glass lantern, her expression a mixture of amusement and exasperation.

Zhang Fan rubbed his sleepy eyes, glanced at the pitch-black sky outside the window in the lamplight, and yawned:

"What time is it? Has the Lieutenant's Office caught someone? Or has that brat Hu Hai caused trouble in the east of the city again?"

Luo Li shook her head, bit her lip, and whispered, "Neither... Someone came from outside, it's Lord Lingzong of the Imperial Household Department."

"Zongyu?"

Zhang Fan was stunned for a moment, then propped himself up on his arms and sat up from the couch, his eyes still somewhat glazed: "In the middle of the night, with the wind and snow raging, why isn't he at home embracing his concubine? What's he doing here? Bringing news of a death?"

Luo Ying couldn't help but chuckle softly, then coughed lightly to suppress her laughter and replied in a low voice:

"The young master has come in person, without even two attendants. He is waiting in the front hall."

The gatekeeper asked him what brought him here so late at night, and he said... he said he had caught a cold during the night and was feeling restless and unable to sleep, so he had come to invite the Marquis to... to enjoy the moon together.

"Moon viewing?"

Zhang Fan froze completely on the bed, his mind buzzing, utterly stunned.

He turned his head and stared intently at the howling wind and the swirling snowflakes outside the window.

Dark clouds loomed overhead, making it so dark you couldn't see your hand in front of your face; not even a single star could be seen, let alone the moon.

"On this day... are you trying to get me to admire the moon?"

Zhang Fan's lips twitched violently a few times. He raised his hand to rub his temples, his face filled with existential doubt.

"This old geezer...did he get his head stuck in a door? Or is he tired of living and sleepwalking here in the middle of the night?"

"Moon gazing..."

Zhang Fan rubbed his temples and sneered, "Where is he going to look at the moon in this pitch-black snow? He's up to no good, like a weasel offering New Year's greetings to a chicken."

Luo Li brought over a cup of warm water and handed it to Zhang Fan, asking softly, "Young Master, should we see him or not? Lord Zong is shivering outside from the cold, and the gatekeeper said he looks very pale, as if he's seriously ill."

"Why would you want to see him?"

Zhang Fan took the water cup, took a sip, lifted the blanket and lay back down. "In the middle of the night, a lone man and a lone man, what kind of talk will this make!"

Go tell him I've already gone to bed, no matter what. If he really wants to admire the moon, he can sit on the stone bench in the front yard and watch it to his heart's content, then close the door and leave.

Luo Ying placed the glass lantern on the table, smiled, and said, "What if the gatekeeper can't stop him? Lord Zong is one of the Nine Ministers, after all. If he tries to force his way in..."

"Shall he give it a try?"

Zhang Fan pulled up the brocade quilt, closed his eyes, and said, "The backyard of the Gewu Academy is a heavily guarded workshop area, with Mo family mechanisms and guards. If he tries to force his way in, just treat him like a thief and break his legs. Go ahead, and tell him I'm asleep and won't see him."

"promise."

Luo Li and Luo Ying exchanged a glance, covered their mouths and chuckled softly as they retreated, closing the door behind them.

……

The lobby of the Gewu Institute.

Zong Yu was wrapped in a thick fox fur coat and held a small bronze hand warmer in his hands.

The charcoal fire in the stove had long since gone cold, and his fingers were frozen stiff, his knuckles turning bluish-white.

He paced back and forth in the hall, glancing up at the dark courtyard outside every few steps.

He had a heavy weight on his mind.

Liu Kui has disappeared, and the whereabouts of ten thousand taels of silver and the secret accounts of the Shaofu are unknown.

If Zhang Fan made the move last night, his study would be brightly lit right now, and he would be interrogating Liu Kui and checking the account books all night long.

If Zhang Fan didn't take action, then there's something fishy about this.

He had to see for himself whether Zhang Fan was sleeping or checking accounts in the backyard.

Footsteps approached, and Luo Li, carrying a lantern, slowly walked into the front hall.

Zong Yu's eyes lit up, and he quickly stepped forward, a smile spreading across his wrinkled face: "Miss Luo Li, has the Marquis of Huguo risen yet? I truly have important matters to discuss with you, matters concerning... matters of great importance concerning the court's taxation!"

Luo Li stopped and gave a slight curtsy, her tone calm and even: "Reporting to the young master, this servant has just informed the inner quarters."

My lord was checking the construction plans yesterday and stayed up until the wee hours. He was exhausted and had long since fallen asleep. I called him twice, but he didn't even lift his eyelids; he just turned over and went back to sleep.

Zong Yu's smile froze.

"Sound asleep?"

Zong Yu frowned, his voice rising slightly involuntarily, "Is he really fast asleep? Did you look closely, young lady? Was the Marquis not in the study looking at memorials or checking any official documents?"

Luo Li glanced at Zong Yu, her eyes indifferent: "What you're saying is strange, sir. Who would be reading official documents in the dark in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

My lord said that the wind and snow are heavy on winter nights, and if the young master is not feeling well, he should go back to his residence early to drink some ginger soup to sweat it out, so as not to catch a cold.

"It is too late tonight, and the Marquis is not receiving guests. Please leave, sir."