Great Zhou: Emperor Wu, I need to check your taxes.

The space inside the carriage was even more cramped than Lin Yun had imagined.

The rumbling sound of wheels rolling over the bluestone pavement largely blocked out the sound of rain outside.

The carriage was filled with a faint fragrance of plum blossoms, mixed with the pungent smell of mud and sweat on Lin Yun, creating an extremely strange contrast.

Lin Yun huddled in the corner of the carriage with his eyes tightly closed, seemingly frightened and anxious.

But in reality, he was mentally reviewing everything that had happened that day.

It's now basically confirmed that my third eye ability can be used to investigate things and people.

The search results show audit findings, risk assessments, and information about related parties.

By checking a person's information, you can see their credit rating and financial status.

However, using it seems to consume a lot of energy. I was already very sleepy after using it only three times. I estimate that the limit is four or five times. Any more and I would faint.

Thinking of this, Lin Yun rubbed his eyelids, opened his eyes, and secretly glanced at Shangguan Wan'er opposite him.

It has to be said that this powerful female commander in the capital not only has off-the-charts combat skills, but her figure... is also an S-class asset.

Now that she's seated and has crossed her legs, there's even more to see.

In my past life, my uncles and elders back home would often chuckle and tell me that when it came to finding a wife, you had to find one with wide hips and a big butt, because that was a symbol of being able to bear children.

I didn't understand it back then, but it was only later, when I got older and went to school, that I realized it was something predetermined in my genes.

The larger a woman's buttocks are, the wider her pelvis is considered to be, which makes childbirth easier and is beneficial for the continuation of the race.

Naturally, once men reach adulthood, they will also prioritize choosing and looking at such men.

The female spy chief in front of us, who could crush a person to death, was sitting with her legs crossed and her robe unbuttoned and pulled aside, which revealed her amazing "talent" in this area as well!

Apple's, wider than a shoulder!

And it's even wider than the shoulders, and there's also the midsection!

This is a perfectly standard gourd shape!

Just then, Lin Yun's eyes were glazed over as he frantically reviewed biology in his mind.

"Have you seen enough?"

A cold voice suddenly rang out.

Lin Yun snapped back to reality and met Shangguan Wan'er's cold, phoenix-shaped eyes.

She leaned against the soft couch, toying with a bronze hand warmer in her hand, her fingertips intentionally or unintentionally resting on the hilt of the soft sword at her waist.

"Lin family second son, your courage is greater than your ability."

"Just now outside, you said you could read qi."

"What's wrong? Now that you're in the carriage, instead of looking at the account books, you're taking your anger out on me?"

"What do you want to see?"

As soon as the words were spoken, a palpable killing intent instantly filled the entire carriage, and the temperature inside plummeted to freezing.

Lin Yun's heart skipped a beat, and the little flame in his heart was completely extinguished. He quickly put on a wronged and helpless bitter smile.

"Your Excellency is wise; this humble subject can only use his Qi-observation technique two or three times a day at most, but..."

Lin Yun shrank his neck and pointed to his still dripping sleeve.

"I'm just a humble person covered in mud, cold and hungry. I was just envious of your clothes, sir... They're so warm and don't get wet."

These words were half true and half false, explaining where the gaze was directed while subtly revealing weakness.

You must show weakness in front of the strong to lower their guard and make it easier to extract information and investigate their accounts...

Anyway, I did this in my past life, and it always worked.

And women... if you don't really look at her, she'll be unhappy.

Shangguan Wan'er gave a light snort, indeed reducing her murderous aura somewhat, but the probing look in her eyes intensified.

Immediately afterward, before Lin Yun could react, two slender, white fingers landed on his wrist pulse point.

"Hmm... your Qi is weak. It seems you weren't lying. Using this Qi Observation Technique is very taxing."

As soon as she finished speaking, Shangguan Wan'er raised her other hand, and a black pellet shot out from the purple copper hand warmer, landing squarely in Lin Yun's mouth.

"My lord, please give me..."

"Eat this. It's a Qi-boosting pill. I have some questions for you."

Under Shangguan Wan'er's unwavering gaze, Lin Yun had no choice but to swallow.

As soon as the small black pill entered the stomach, a very cool sensation instantly filled the whole body.

Although it didn't completely dispel the fatigue, my eyelids definitely stopped drooping!

What exactly is this Qi-boosting pill? I felt like I'd been auditing accounts all night, and even ten cans of Red Bull wouldn't have helped!

"Tell me, whose side are you on?"

Shangguan Wan'er leaned forward slightly, making the faint fragrance even more noticeable.

"How could a fallen general's son know about the regular expenses of the magistrate's office? And how could he know the secret of Zhao Wu's ledger?"

"Don't try to fool me with Yuan Tiangang's nonsense. I've killed plenty of swindlers in the capital, one more won't make a difference."

Lin Yun's heart tightened.

Sure enough, this woman is not easily fooled.

He took a deep breath, his playful smile vanished, and he said seriously:

"My lord, you have seen it for yourself. What I said about the art of observing qi is true."

"Besides, I don't belong to anyone. I'm just a poor scholar who wants to pay off his family's debts and doesn't want his sister-in-law to be sold into prostitution."

Shangguan Wan'er parted her lips slightly, revealing her silver teeth, and a mocking smile curved her lips.

Do you think I'd believe that?

"I know the adults don't believe me."

Lin Yun sighed and pointed out the car window.

"My lord, turn left at the intersection ahead and you'll reach Yong'an Ward. That's where my home is."

"Since you don't believe me, why don't you release this humble subject?"

"I've given you Zhao Wu and the account books, so I've done you a favor. Are we even now?"

"Even if we settle accounts?"

Shangguan Wan'er seemed to have heard a joke.

"Lin Yun, you also come from an official family. You should know that those who see through the secrets of the Judicial Office and the Inner Guard only have two fates."

"Either it's a dead person, or... it's one of our own."

She shifted her legs, her right toes pressing directly against Lin Yun's chin.

"Zhao Wu's ledger is a mess. If nothing can be found out, he'll die, and you..."

"My Qi-boosting pills aren't for your feet, they're not for free. Show me your worth."

As she spoke, she casually pulled a torn page covered in graffiti and coded messages from her sleeve.

"This is the list we found on Zhao Wu; it's full of coded messages. You have the time it takes for an incense stick to burn."

"If you can't solve this, the crossroads ahead will be your burial ground."

Lin Yun took the paper and glanced at it, almost bursting out laughing.

This isn't a bill; it's clearly just scribbles.

It was filled with trivial notes such as "three catties of cabbage" and "two ounces of aged vinegar".

It looks very similar to the transaction record encryption method commonly used in the black market in my previous life.

There was no other way; in order to survive, I had to forcibly reopen my third eye.

The system is currently undergoing a process of tracing the source...

The slight clarity that the Qi-boosting pill had given him was quickly replaced by drowsiness. Fortunately, the pill was very simple, and Lin Yun only glanced at it before looking away.

"A stick of incense has taken too long, sir."

Lin Yun yawned and tossed the paper back to Shangguan Wan'er.

"This isn't some code at all; it's just the loot distribution list that Zhao Wu made for Wang San and his gang."

"Cabbage is smuggled salt, and aged vinegar is kickbacks."

"This page records that on the third day of last month, Zhao Wu transported 300 catties of smuggled salt out of the city through the vegetable transport cart of Chang Le Gambling House."

"The 'toll' given to Zhou Xing of the Judicial Office was recorded as 'fifty catties of rotten vegetable leaves,' which is fifty strings of cash."

Shangguan Wan'er paused slightly as she took the paper.

Her beautiful eyes widened as she looked at Lin Yun in disbelief.

"Are you... sure?"

"If you don't believe me, sir, go check the exit records of Chang Le Gambling House on the third day of last month, and also check whether Zhou Xing renovated a house in the west of the city that day, which was probably worth about fifty strings of cash."

Lin Yun shrugged and leaned back, trying to make himself as comfortable as possible.

"This is the skill of a commoner, sir."

"Numbers may not speak, but they never lie."

As Lin Yun finished speaking, the carriage fell into a deathly silence.

Looking at the seemingly lazy man in front of her, who actually exuded a devilish aura, Shangguan Wan'er's murderous intent gradually dissipated.

Instead, there was a burning passion, like discovering a rare treasure.

After a long while, she put the page back into her sleeve and stopped tapping the hand warmer.

"You don't need to stop at the intersection ahead."

She spoke calmly, her tone carrying an undeniable air of dominance.

"Huh?" Lin Yun was taken aback and smiled wryly.

"Sir, my sister-in-law is still waiting for me at home for dinner."

"Make her wait."

Shangguan Wan'er glanced at Lin Yun, a meaningful smile playing on her lips.

"Lin Yun, you're so audacious as to use the Imperial Guards and me to achieve your own selfish goals, so don't think you can get away easily."

"Return to the Inner Guard. Tonight, I'm going to make you dig out all the dirty secrets Zhao Wu has been keeping."

Looking at her stunningly beautiful face, Lin Yun could only sigh helplessly.

"Sir, could you please give me another Qi-replenishing pill? My body..."

"You don't know internal energy cultivation, and I'm afraid you'll die from taking too many Qi-tonifying pills. It will take another half an hour to get back to the inner palace, so you should get some sleep."

After Shangguan Wan'er finished speaking, she turned her head away, but the smile on her lips became even more pronounced.

It feels like I've struck gold tonight!