The world of film and television begins with Hikaru no Go

Hu Jinghui rode at the forefront, dressed in a flying bear robe and carrying a sword. Twelve elite riders followed behind, all dressed in the same color and with the same expressionless faces.

A blue cloth carriage trailed far behind, its curtains hanging low.

Finally, he stopped in front of the city gate, took out a bright yellow silk scroll from his horse, showed it to everyone, but did not unfold it.

The twilight shone on the bright yellow silk, and the five-clawed dragon pattern embroidered with gold thread flashed.

Upon seeing that bright yellow figure, the guards' knees buckled, and they all knelt down.

"Seal off the city! Only allow entry, no exit." Hu Jinghui accepted the imperial edict, turned his horse around, and said to the two elite soldiers behind him, "You two stay here and take over the defense of the city gates."

The two men dismounted, took the command arrow, and stood on either side of the doorway, their hands on the hilts of their swords, their eyes level, completely blocking the doorway.

He then dispatched another fast horseman towards the governor's mansion in the city.

Zhang Rui watched from the sidelines. Seeing this scene, he revealed the imperial edict and uttered a few commands, crisp and efficient, without any superfluity. He was truly skilled.

The fast horse galloped through the streets and alleys, its hooves striking the twilight streets with a series of crisp sounds.

Inside the governor's mansion, Fang Qian was reviewing official documents.

An official rushed in: "Sir, a messenger from the city gate reports that an imperial edict has arrived!"

Fang Qian paused, the ink spreading into a small blot on the paper. He looked up; the paper was taut.

"Twelve Flying Bear Guards, one carriage. Leading them is Hu Jinghui, the Lieutenant General of the Thousand Ox Guards, who carries an imperial edict and has already sealed off the city."

Fang Qian's Adam's apple bobbed. He put down his pen, stood up, and straightened his clothes.

"Come with me out of the city."

Having said that, he immediately walked out along the corridor, with his subordinates following behind, lined up in two rows, heads bowed.

The sedan chair was already prepared at the gate of the mansion, but Fang Qian did not get in. Instead, he walked straight towards the official road.

After leaving the city gate, head south along the official road for about a mile.

On both sides of the official road were harvested wheat fields, the stubble rustling in the evening breeze. In the distance, farmers carrying hoes passed by, and upon seeing this group of people, they stopped at a distance.

Fang Qian set up an incense table by the roadside, knelt before it, clasped his hands together, and his forehead was almost touching the ground.

The subordinate officials knelt in the two rows behind them, heads bowed.

The curtain was lifted slightly, and Di Renjie stepped out of the carriage.

He was dressed casually, with a dark gray cloak over his clothes and a soft-brimmed turban on his head.

The man, nearing sixty, stood ramrod straight.

Standing beside the carriage, the twilight fell on his shoulders, and the edges of his cloak were gilded with a pale gold.

Hu Jinghui loudly proclaimed, "Where is Fang Qian, the governor of Youzhou? Why does he not kneel before the imperial edict?"

"Your subject is here."

Hu Jinghui took out the imperial edict from his bosom and held it high: "By imperial decree—"

Fang Qian prostrated himself on the ground and bowed again: "Your subject respectfully listens to the divine message."

"Since the reigns of the Three Sovereigns and the Five Emperors, the emperors have established their own order. The emperors are responsible for the governance of the people and the state, and should embody the virtue of Heaven's love for life, extending blessings to all things. When the ruler is wise, the ministers will be virtuous, and the court and the people will be of one mind. Youzhou is the capital of the court, governing the people internally and defending against the barbarians externally. It cannot be underestimated, and the administration of officials is of utmost importance. Therefore, I hereby appoint Di Renjie, concurrently serving as the Grand General of Youzhou and concurrently as the Chancellor of the Phoenix Pavilion and the Luan Terrace, to tour the land on behalf of Heaven, investigate the administration of officials, and act expediently. Wherever he goes, it will be as if I were personally present."

"Long live--"

Fang Qian prostrated himself on the ground, his forehead covered in dust, and his subordinates followed suit, bowing down. The shouts of encouragement echoed across the wilderness.

Hu Jinghui accepted the imperial edict and stepped aside.

Judge Di slowly stepped forward and stood before the incense table.

Fang Qian's head was still pressed against the ground, so his expression was not visible, but a fine layer of sweat seeped from his forehead.

Di Renjie bent down and extended his hand.

His fingers landed behind her ear, slid down her jawline to her chin, and then gently peeled away a thin layer of skin from the fake Fang Qian's face, which fell into the dust beside the incense table.

One of the kneeling officials twitched his shoulder, then froze firmly.

The governor, Fang Qian, who had just been shouting "Long live the emperor!", collapsed to the ground, his lips trembling, trying to say something but unable to utter a sound.

"Take it down."

Two Flying Bear Guards stepped forward, one on each side, and lifted the man who was lying on the ground, dragging him to the side of the road.

Judge Di turned to face the kneeling officials and said, "From this moment forward, all official business of the Youzhou Prefectural Governor's Office will be under my control. Former officials should remain in their posts. Those who cooperate with the investigation will be pardoned. Anyone who dares to tip off others or destroy documents will be treated as an accomplice."

The officials kowtowed in unison, their foreheads touching the yellow earth, and none of them dared to raise their heads.

"Return to the residence."

In the main hall of the governor's mansion, incense smoke rose straight up and slowly dispersed between the beams and pillars.

"Jinghui".

"Your subordinate is here."

"You led the search of the mansion, leaving no place untouched—the second hall, the main hall, the backyard, the storeroom. You've raided many houses in the Thousand Bull Guard; you're familiar with this kind of thing."

Hu Jinghui met Di Renjie's gaze and clasped his hands in a fist salute: "Yes."

Having said that, he immediately turned and walked out. As he passed the incense table, the cigarettes were stirred by the wind from his sleeves, scattered for a moment, and then gathered back together.

Di Renjie sat down in the chair behind the desk, and Zhang Rui floated to his side.

"Did the lord deliberately order Hu Jinghui to search the mansion, and even place the second hall at the very front?"

"Yes and no, he worked in the Thousand Bull Guard for raiding and seizure operations."

Normally, the second hall of a governor's mansion should be built next to the main hall, but in Youzhou, it is built in front of the treasury. It is said that this was specially designed by the former governor Fang Qian, so it is not surprising that he specifically chose the second hall.

Hu Jinghui led four soldiers to search the backyard, looking very serious. They would walk close to the wall from time to time and even squat down to look at the cracks between the bricks.

I found the second hall, and ran my index finger along the crack in the brickwork, getting some fresh mud on my fingertip.

Zhang Rui floated in mid-air, watching him squat down and tap the bricks one by one with the scabbard.

Boom, boom, boom.

When they reached the third brick in the corner, the sound was hollow.

Hu Jinghui didn't look up, but the muscles in the back of his neck tensed.

Carefully using the tip of a knife, I pried open the brick surface, revealing a dark hole, and a damp, earthy smell rose up.

The opening wasn't wide, just enough for one person to crouch down and squeeze in.

The stone wall has artificial chisel marks, and water droplets seep down wetly, making the bottom surface smooth.

Inside the main hall, Di Renjie was looking at a map of Youzhou.

"My lord, there is a secret passage beneath the second hall that leads directly to the treasury."

Di Renjie looked up, unsurprised.

"Walk."

Li Yuanfang went to the second hall first, following the entrance of the cave, followed by Di Gong, and then Hu Jinghui.

Zhang Rui was already inside. Below was a dark passage, not long, only about thirty steps.

Water seeped through the stone wall, making the ground slippery and leaving trails of drag marks.

At the end is an escalator, with a cover plate overhead.

Yuanfang pushed open the cover and climbed up, shining the torch forward.

empty.

The three warehouses were empty, the shelves that should have been full of official silver were bare, with only a few silver dusts scattered on the ground, making a crunching sound when stepped on.

The shelf bears gray marks, clearly showing its size, height, and spacing.

Di Renjie walked out of the secret passage, and without looking at the airs, squatted down and touched the ground.

The drag marks varied in depth and age, and were layered several times.

"This was a long-term, phased transfer, not a spur-of-the-moment decision." Di Renjie stood up, dusted off his hands, and looked at Hu Jinghui. "You're the one who discovered this route."

Hu Jinghui, standing beside him, had half his face illuminated by the torchlight and the other half shrouded in darkness.