The Empress has abandoned me? I'll support a new emperor and destroy your kingdom!

"Doctor Su," Minister Cui's voice turned somber.

"Governor Liu is a high-ranking official of the court, in charge of the Grand Canal transport, a matter of great importance. How can we easily doubt him without evidence? Moreover, the accounts of the Grand Canal transport are complex and involve many parties, and in such a hasty situation..."

"It is precisely because of its importance that a thorough investigation is necessary." Su Che interrupted him, his tone still calm, but carrying an undeniable chill.

"Your Highness established the Bureau of Investigation and Appointment, granting it the power to investigate first and report later, precisely to break with convention and investigate long-standing abuses."

Minister Cui felt that His Highness's royal decree was not effective in the Ministry of Revenue?

Do you still think that I, a mere junior official in the Ministry of Personnel, have no right to access the department's account books?

He raised his eyes and looked directly at Minister Cui. His gaze was calm and unwavering, yet it sent a chill down the spine of this veteran official who had been navigating the treacherous waters of officialdom for decades.

He recalled the bloodshed at Weiyang Palace that night, and the cunning and manipulative nature of this Mr. Su.

"That's not what I meant," Minister Cui said, taking a deep breath.

"However, this matter is of great importance. Perhaps... we should inform Governor-General Wen Liu of the investigation in advance, to avoid any unnecessary misunderstandings or unrest?"

"Is this a pre-arranged notification, to give him time to destroy evidence, collude on testimonies, and transfer stolen goods?" Su Che's lips curled into a cold smile.

"Minister Cui has served in the Ministry of Revenue for a long time, so he should know the way to audit accounts. The key is speed and surprise."

I am acting on His Highness's secret orders to investigate those who may embezzle state funds and undermine the foundation of the nation!

If, out of consideration for personal relationships or fear of power, I delay and cause the evidence to be destroyed, allowing corrupt officials to go unpunished, how can I answer to Your Highness? How can I answer to the people of the land?

He stood up, walked to Minister Cui's desk, leaned slightly forward, and spoke in a low but clear voice.

"Minister Cui, Your Highness has just assumed regency and urgently needs to establish your authority, as well as funds."

His Highness is determined to get his hands on Liu Guodong, this piece of fat meat.

I am the knife. Minister Cui, do you wish to be the one who hands you the knife, or... the meat on the chopping board?

Don't forget, last year the national treasury revenue was short, and you, as the Minister of Revenue, couldn't escape responsibility for that either.

If you can redeem yourself by assisting the Ministry of Justice in investigating the embezzlement of grain transport funds and recovering the stolen money, perhaps... His Highness will consider your years of hard work and show leniency."

A threat, a blatant threat, yet it carries a hint of enticement in the form of "cooperation."

Minister Cui's expression shifted, and fine beads of cold sweat appeared on his forehead.

He looked at Su Che's calm yet unfathomable eyes, then at the royal decree flag on the table representing the Regent Princess's supreme authority, and finally sighed in despair, as if he had aged ten years in an instant.

"Alright...alright...Please wait a moment, Physician Su. I will...immediately order someone to retrieve all the accounts and documents related to the canal transport."

"Thank you for your trouble, Minister Cui." Su Che cupped his hands and returned to his seat, as if those murderous words had not come from him at all.

Under the strict orders of Minister Cui and the intimidation of Su Che, the efficiency of the Ministry of Revenue was higher than ever before.

Within an hour, dozens of boxes of account books, documents, and contracts related to last year's canal transport were moved to a large duty room specially set aside by the Ministry of Revenue.

At the same time, Minister Cui also "thoughtfully" dispatched more than ten experienced officials who were good at accounting, ostensibly to assist, but in reality also to monitor them.

Su Che didn't even glance at the old officials, but only gave a few instructions to the gray falcon that was following him.

The grey falcon nodded and quickly left.

Soon, more than twenty young men dressed in ordinary clerk's clothes, but with sharp eyes and efficient movements, quietly entered the duty room and took over the account books.

They acted swiftly and had a clear division of labor. Some checked the seals and handwriting, some verified the amount and loss of grain, some compared the documents received by the prefectures and counties along the way, and some specifically looked for contradictions and illogical points in the accounts.

Their efficiency and professionalism left the veteran officials of the Ministry of Revenue speechless.

Su Che sat to the side, casually flipping through several key documents, his expression calm, as if he were appreciating calligraphy and paintings.

In just half a day, the initial doubts were quickly compiled and presented to Su Che.

"My lord," a clerk reported in a low voice.

"Last year, the grain was transported from Huai'an to Tongzhou and stored there. The accounts showed a loss of 5%, which is considered 'normal loss'."

However, after comparing the receipt documents of each lock and warehouse along the route, as well as the itinerary records of the escorting officers, it was found that at least three times, in the sections of "Gaoyou Lake", "Shaobo Lake" and "Sizhou", the escorting fleet had abnormal "stopping for maintenance" records, all of which occurred at night, and there were no large ship repair workshops in the area.

After these "maintenances", the amount of grain received at the next station will be slightly but continuously reduced.

Little by little, the surplus grain from these three locations alone exceeded 20,000 shi (a unit of dry measure).

"In addition," another person added.

"When the Tongzhou granary received the tribute grain, the granary official in charge of the inspection and several clerks had their families purchase new houses and shops in the capital shortly after the grain was put into storage, and the source of the funds was suspicious."

One of the clerks was related to one of Liu Guodong's stewards by marriage.

"And another thing," the third person said, presenting a slightly worn-out file.

"This is an account of the 'Gaojia Weir' repair project that Liu Guodong handled three years ago, before he became the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, when he was the River Conservancy Secretary in the Ministry of Works."

The project budget was 80,000 taels, but the actual expenditure was 120,000 taels. The reasons for the overspending were vague.

The person in charge of the audit at the time was Mr. Jia, a disciple of the late Third Prince.

Less than a year after the project was completed, the Gaojia Weir collapsed again due to "years of disrepair," causing a major flood in the Huaiyang region.

In the aftermath, Liu Guodong was only fined a portion of his salary, and soon after, he was promoted to Grand Canal Transport Commissioner.

The clues, like scattered beads, were quickly strung together by the professionals of the "Jing'an Division".

The unusual berthing, the continuous shortages, the suspicious sudden wealth, the past stains, and the connection with the Third Prince and Mr. Jia... Although no conclusive evidence of Liu Guodong's direct embezzlement has yet been obtained, these suspicious points are enough to constitute grounds for a "special investigation" into him.

Su Che closed the file, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Grey Falcon."

"Your subordinate is here."

"You will personally lead a team, carrying my warrant and His Highness's royal decree, to Tongzhou Granary immediately. Take control of the granary official and related clerks, interrogate them separately, and be sure to obtain their confessions. At the same time, seize their property and search for account books, letters, and other physical evidence."

"yes!"

"I will send another team of skilled men, carrying my secret letter, south to Huai'an, Gaoyou, and Sizhou, to secretly search for boatmen, postmen, and even coerced escorting officers who may have known the truth. They will be offered a large reward for the safety of their families."

"clear!"

"As for Liu Guodong..." Su Che pondered for a moment.

"He should be at the Grand Canal Governor's Mansion right now. This man holds a high position of power and has been operating within the canal system for many years, with numerous cronies. Directly arresting him might cause unrest and alert him."

He walked to the window, looked at the gloomy sky outside, and said slowly.

"In the name of the Qing officialdom, a document was sent to the Grand Canal Transport Office, stating that in order to raise funds for the northern frontier military, the details of last year's canal transport losses were to be verified. The document requested that Governor Liu, along with relevant officials and accountants, go to the Ministry of Revenue three days later to conduct a joint verification of the accounts with the Qing officialdom, the Ministry of Revenue, and the Censorate."

The tone should be polite, but the document must be delivered by the fastest courier, and our men should "escort" the messenger to ensure the document is delivered directly to Liu Guodong, and we should "monitor" his reaction.

This is an open move, but it also serves to alert the enemy.

The purpose was to see Liu Guodong's reaction.

Is it panic, an attempt to destroy evidence, or collusion to fabricate evidence?

Is he trying to appear calm and deal with the situation? Or... is he desperate and resorting to any means necessary?

"What if he claims to be ill and doesn't come, or intends to leave the capital?" Grey Falcon asked.

"That means you have a guilty conscience," Su Che sneered.

"Notify Zhao Jianing that, under the pretext of strengthening the defenses of the capital and investigating spies, patrols should be intensified around the Grand Canal Governor's Office and at major city gates."

Without my written order or His Highness's decree, no one, including Liu Guodong, may leave the capital without authorization.

Furthermore, let our informants within the Grand Canal Governor's Office keep a close eye on Liu Guodong and his trusted confidants, especially at night.

"yes!"

Commands were issued swiftly. Under Su Che's control, the massive "Jing'an Division" began to operate silently and efficiently around Liu Guodong, the Grand Canal Transport Commissioner, spreading an invisible net.

Su Che walked back to his desk, picked up his pen, and began to draft his first formal report to the Regent Princess Yun Jin.

He wanted to provide a detailed account of the initial suspicions, the actions already taken, and the next steps.

Although he has the right to investigate first and report later, maintaining close communication and trust with Yun Jin is of paramount importance.

Especially at this crucial moment when the first fire was lit.

The pen tip landed on the paper, leaving a trail of ink.

He wrote slowly and carefully, not only stating the facts but also analyzing the potential backlash, the support Yun Jin needed in the court, and... how to use this case to further establish the authority of the Qingli Division and deter villains.

After writing the report, he sealed it with sealing wax and ordered it to be sent to the palace immediately.

Su Che breathed a sigh of relief, walked to the window, and looked outside again.

As dusk approached, dark clouds hung low, and it seemed that another snowstorm was brewing.

"Liu Guodong..." he murmured to himself, his eyes devoid of any warmth.

"Then use your head and property to offer as a sacrifice at the opening ceremony of the Qingli Division, to relieve Your Highness's urgent crisis."

"This first fire must burn brightly, so that the whole world knows about it."

"Let everyone see clearly that the rules of this court, the rules of this world... are about to change."

Meanwhile, inside the Grand Canal Governor's Mansion, Liu Guodong had already received the politely worded but murderous document, "Joint Audit of Accounts."

Looking at the bright red royal seal and the signature of "Su Che, Secretary of the Ministry of Personnel" at the end of the document.

This high-ranking official, who was in charge of the nation's grain transport and was usually very powerful, suddenly turned extremely ugly.

The teacup in his hand fell to the ground with a "crack" and shattered into pieces.

"Su Che...the Qingli Division...they came so quickly..." he murmured, his eyes filled with fear and resentment.

He knew that his past actions couldn't withstand close scrutiny. He also knew about Mr. Su's methods.

Storm is coming.

Should we sit and wait for death, or... fight to the death?

A glint of madness flashed in Liu Guodong's eyes.

Night fell completely.

Another covert battle in Lin Yuan City began its bloody prelude in the silence before the snowstorm arrived.