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

Whether I'm polite or not depends on whether the business can be done.

Lin Yun completely ignored the guard and continued talking eloquently.

"I'm just an ordinary man, a businessman. What you're after isn't that thousand strings of cash, but me as a person, or rather..."

"They're after my ability to bring the dead back to life and the living to death!"

Upon hearing this, Wu Yuanmin, who was inside the sedan chair, was stunned and forgot to crack the melon seeds in his hand.

This kid... he's got some skills.

He actually guessed everything correctly?

"Since we've come this far..."

Lin Yun walked to the table, sat down again, and this time was more relaxed.

"I seized the horse that day to carry out urgent official duties of the Plum Blossom Guard, to serve His Majesty. This falls under the category of 'emergency requisition,' and according to the law, the court will provide compensation afterward, but this is paid from public funds."

"If you really want to pursue that thousand strings of cash, then you are going against the Imperial Guard and against His Majesty."

"If I were to take this charge of extorting an official of the imperial court seriously, I'm afraid it would be difficult for you all to keep your estate running."

Lin Yun's words were a combination of offense and defense, using a powerful banner as a shield while also subtly threatening the other party.

The guards opposite looked at each other, clearly having never seen anyone so good at deceiving people.

"However..."

Lin Yun changed the subject, a warm smile appearing on his face.

"We're all friends, why make things so awkward?"

"Since you have accounts you don't want outsiders to know about, and I happen to be good at this..."

"We can write off this debt of one thousand strings of cash. I can help you check the account."

"but!"

Lin Yun extended a finger, his eyes burning.

"I have one condition."

"I need you to provide me with medicinal herbs. And they must be high-quality elixirs, and the price... you have to pay me at cost."

"I also have some pills that I can sell to you first. This is called mutual benefit and a win-win situation. How about it?"

The sedan chair was deathly silent.

After a long while, a muffled cough was heard, as if the person had choked on a sunflower seed shell.

Wu Yuanmin's eyes darted around rapidly inside the sedan chair.

This kid not only guessed my intentions, but also tried to take the initiative and renege on the debt, and even tried to steal the medicinal herbs from me?

But... the confidence he exuded when he spoke made him seem quite reliable.

"Cough cough..."

The maid received the coded message from inside the sedan chair. Although somewhat speechless, she cleared her throat and forced herself to maintain a cool and aloof demeanor.

"Lord Lin is indeed a man of few words."

"In that case... my master agrees."

"However, let me make this clear from the start. If this account isn't settled, we'll have to settle the matter of that thousand strings of cash, principal and interest!"

"Snapped!"

A thick blue ledger was thrown out from the gap in the sedan curtain and landed squarely on the table in front of Lin Yun.

"My master said that this is the book you are looking for," the maid continued coldly.

"I'm giving you three days. If you can't find out the truth, or if even the slightest leak goes unnoticed..."

She didn't finish her sentence, but the black-clad guards all took a step forward, their weapons slightly drawn, gleaming coldly.

Lin Yun was not intimidated by this display. He reached out and picked up the account book, casually flipping through a couple of pages.

Upon handling the account book, the warmth of its contents aroused Lin Yun's suspicion.

It's very hot, like the kind of heat you carry around inside your clothes, or something you sit on and warm up with your body heat.

Subconsciously, Lin Yun twitched his nose and sniffed twice.

It smells like flowers, but I'm not sure what kind of flowers they are.

"Smell..." Lin Yun brought his face closer and smelled it again.

"How dare you...you're so insolent!"

The maid blushed immediately upon seeing this and hurriedly reprimanded her.

She knew better than anyone where the account book was kept; the princess had stolen it from her home and even slept with it close to her body!

"Ahem... I couldn't help myself, I'll watch it now."

Lin Yun smiled awkwardly and started reading again.

But upon seeing this, even though he was mentally prepared, he couldn't help but feel a surge of shock.

[Audit Scope: Military Supplies Procurement and Personnel Salary Details]

[Related Units: Northern Imperial Guards (Yulin Guard), Sixteen Southern Guards]

[Audit findings: Numerous vacancies for employees without actual staff, inflated arms procurement figures, abnormal wear and tear on warhorses...]

[Risk Assessment: Extremely High. Involves the core military force of the imperial power.]

The Northern Imperial Guards were the emperor's private army, while the Southern Imperial Guards were the country's regular army!

The accounts of these two armies have always been top secret; apart from the Minister of War and a few specific prime ministers, no one can touch them.

Who exactly is the person inside this sedan chair?

How dare they let an outsider examine something like this?

"Could it be... really some noble lady from the palace?"

Lin Yun's mind raced, but he showed no sign of it on his face.

He closed the ledger, put it in his pocket, and then stretched out a hand.

"Where's the money?"

"What money?" The maid was taken aback.

"It's a deposit," Lin Yun said matter-of-factly.

"If I investigate this kind of account that could cost me my head, shouldn't I charge some compensation for emotional distress?"

"Besides, as I just said, I need to buy medicinal herbs. How can I buy them if I don't have money?"

"you!"

The maid was so angry she wanted to draw her sword.

Didn't this person just say he'd use the audit results to pay off the 1,000 guan debt? Why is he asking for money again now?

Wu Yuanmin, inside the sedan chair, was also furious and kicked the air twice with her small feet.

This poor wretch is obsessed with money!

"Give it to him!"

Wu Yuanmin gritted her teeth, took the jade thumb ring off her hand, and threw it away without even looking at it.

"Whoosh—"

Lin Yun reacted quickly and caught it.

The ring feels warm and smooth to the touch, and carries a faint, subtle fragrance.

That was the unique scent of a young girl.

And now it's confirmed that it's a light scent of crabapple blossoms.

"nice one."

Lin Yun held the object to his nose and sniffed it lightly. This action made the maid beside the sedan chair frown even more, feeling that this person was extremely frivolous.

"This thumb ring is... it was carved by a master craftsman, and it's worth at least eight hundred strings of cash," the maid explained, barely suppressing her displeasure.

"That's enough for your deposit."

"That's enough, that's enough."

Lin Yun smiled and put away the ring.

"Next time we meet, remember to prepare a list of the medicinal herbs I need. As for this ring, I'll leave it with you as a token for now."

After saying that, he didn't linger and turned to leave.

"Hello!"

Suddenly, Wu Yuanmin's slightly anxious voice came from inside the sedan chair.

When can you provide the results?

Lin Yun stopped, turned around and smiled, holding up three fingers.

"Three days. In three days, I will give Miss the clear truth."

……

On the way back, the moon was bright and the stars were few.

Lin Yun rode on his horse, letting it stroll slowly, and opened the account book again by the moonlight.

The more I look, the colder my heart becomes.

The army of the Great Zhou Dynasty deteriorated even faster than he had imagined.

The Imperial Guards of the Northern Garrison, relying on their status as the emperor's confidants, brazenly embezzled public funds.

The battalion was supposed to have 500 men, but probably less than 300 actually showed up. The rest of the pay went into the pockets of the generals.

The soldiers of the Southern Army were in an even worse situation, as all their military equipment was substandard.

The quoted price for a horizontal sword is five strings of cash, but the actual cost to the user is probably less than one string; it will dull after only two cuts.

"The foundation of the Wu Zhou dynasty's golden age is being hollowed out by these parasites."

Lin Yun sighed and closed the account book.

These kinds of accounts are easy to uncover, but the difficult part is how to handle them.

If not handled properly, it could lead to a mutiny.

When Lin Yun passed by the shop called "Huanhua Fang" in the east of the city, he stopped even though it was already closed.

He took out a two-hundred-string coin from his pocket, wrote a note on it, stuffed it into the money bag containing the silver notes, and then, with a clever twist, threw it directly into the shop's second-floor window.