My father ordered me to kill the emperor, but His Majesty bestowed a princess upon me instead.

The black leather suitcase was sent to the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue.

This sentence sounds simple.

However, the back alleys in the capital are often harder to search than the main gate.

The main gate has a plaque, officials, and rules.

The back alley is filled with cars, mud, and indiscriminate feet.

The back alley of the Ministry of Revenue was narrow, with high walls on both sides. At the base of the walls were several bundles of old straw mats and a few overturned, broken wooden barrels. Further ahead was a narrow path leading to a foot inn and a carriage shop.

I stood at the entrance of the alley, looking at the tire tracks on the ground.

The car has left.

But they left in a very fast pace.

The wheels rolled deep, and some mud was thrown onto the base of the wall in several places.

Yan Xiaoyi squatted down, took a look, and picked up a bit of mud.

"Aquatic plant mud".

A thought struck me.

"Over at the water gate?"

"picture."

I also squatted down to look.

There were some bits of aquatic plants and fine black ash in the mud.

It's not road dust.

It's paper ash.

The ashes from the paper in the brazier of the old treasury of the Ministry of Revenue.

Looking to the side, there was some old medicinal powder on the ground, brownish-yellow in color and with a very faint smell.

The tranquilizer-like properties from the South Soup Porridge Shed resurfaced.

Ah Liu stood behind me, holding the evidence bag, and whispered, "Young Master, this carriage is too busy. It runs to the Water Gate, Qinghe, and the Ministry of Revenue."

"Busy cars mean people are even busier."

Wang Gui was forced to stand aside by Qin Er, trembling like a piece of paper in the wind.

He was just dragged out from behind the cabinet, and his face is still covered in dust.

I asked him, "How big is the black leather suitcase?"

Wang Gui compared them.

"It's so long and so wide, it takes two people to carry it."

Is it heavy?

"Heavy. Not an empty box."

"Is there a booklet inside?"

Wang Gui hesitated.

I looked at him.

He immediately said, "I didn't see it! But there was a rattling sound inside when it was being lifted, like a booklet or a wooden box."

"Is there writing on the box?"

"no."

"What about in the car?"

"Without emblem".

"Where's the driver?"

Wang Gui thought for a moment.

"He had a wooden plaque on his waist."

"Write what?"

"It seems to be... Spring."

"spring?"

"There's also the character for 'foot'."

Spring feet.

I looked at Yan Xiaoyi.

Yan Xiaoyi said, "The Spring-themed foot carrier."

Ah Liu's eyes lit up.

"Does Master Yan know?"

Yan Xiaoyi glanced at him.

"I am not you."

Ah Liu was so used to being choked that he stopped arguing.

I asked, "Where is the Chunzihao Foot Massage shop?"

"Behind the East Market. Lots of carts and a diverse crowd, hauling goods for grain shops, pharmacies, and money exchanges."

well.

Qinghe Lane is near old grain shops and money exchange houses.

The black leather suitcase exited from the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue, but it used a carriage belonging to the Chun-branded porter company.

This indicates that the car was not officially registered with the Ministry of Revenue.

Zheng Huaien could say he didn't know.

The Minister of Revenue could say he didn't know.

Anyone could say this is a private job taken on by a porter.

This is the method that the accounting committee likes the most.

The knife belongs to someone else.

The blood belongs to someone else.

My life belongs to someone else.

The account ended up in their hands.

I asked Wang Gui, "Did you see the old man in the car?"

Wang Gui shook his head.

"The carriage curtain was drawn. Only coughing could be heard."

"A few coughs?"

He froze for a moment.

"You even need to ask that?"

"want."

Wang Gui thought with a bitter face.

"Three sounds. First short, then long. Like someone who is very ill."

I looked at him.

"Does it look real?"

"picture."

"Have you ever heard the Minister of Revenue cough?"

Wang Gui's expression changed immediately.

That reaction is enough.

I said, "Have you heard of it?"

Wang Gui lowered his head.

"I've heard of it once from afar. The Minister has been ill for a long time and coughs frequently."

Fan Yong, Minister of Revenue.

We've finally gotten to him.

This Minister Fan has been like a shadow from the very beginning.

Zheng Huai'en, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue, took the lead in shielding the enemy from the attack. He was responsible for all the tents, soup kitchens, and medicine kitchens.

Fan Yong then claimed to be ill and refused to leave the house.

It works very well for patients.

The patient does not need to attend court.

The patient does not need to reply.

If pressed for answers, the patient can still say that they are physically unable to cope.

Most importantly, patients often have medicine around, and the smell of medicine can mask many other smells.

I looked at the tire tracks on the ground.

"Go to Chunzihao Foot Massage first."

Ah Liu was stunned.

"Shouldn't we go to the Minister's residence first?"

"The main gate of the Minister's residence will announce that the Minister is seriously ill and will not receive guests."

"What about the back door?"

"They'll say no car has come through the back gate."

"So, ask the driver first?"

"right."

Ah Liu thought for a moment and nodded.

"It's better to ask a living person than to ask about the door."

After he finished speaking, he added, "As long as the living don't become dead."

This statement is increasingly resembling his true feelings.

Zhao Guanlan remained in the Ministry of Revenue to seal the old treasury.

Lu Huaizhou wrote a memorial at the Censorate.

I led Ah Liu, Yan Xiaoyi, Qin Er, and two constables to the East Market.

Wang Gui was also with him.

He is alive now.

The living must never be out of sight.

On the way, Ah Liu couldn't help but ask, "Young master, could the black leather suitcase contain the money?"

"possible."

"Then why didn't they just burn it down?"

"Because some accounts cannot be burned."

Why?

"If it's burned, it won't be able to save your life."

Ah Liu blinked.

"Are they afraid of dying too?"

"The worse the debt, the more people use it to save their lives."

If Qinghe's entry into the tent could truly implicate Zheng Huaien, Feng Ke, the Imperial Treasury, and even the Minister of Revenue, then it would be more than just evidence of a crime.

It is also a talisman.

Whoever holds the reins can negotiate terms.

Qian Rong secretly kept the book of locust trees to save his life.

The same principle likely applies to this black leather suitcase.

However, Qian Rong ultimately failed to save his life.

This shows that the ability to hold a tent also depends on how firmly it is held.

The Chun brand footwalk is located behind the East Market.

The storefront isn't large, but it's very lively.

There were seven or eight carts parked in the yard, the drivers squatted by the wall eating pancakes, and several mules and horses were tied to wooden stakes and swishing their tails.

The shopkeeper was a fat man surnamed Ge.

When Manager Ge saw the Imperial Censorate badge, the smile on his face almost disappeared.

"Sirs, our small shop has always operated honestly and never smuggles contraband."

I looked at him.

"I haven't asked yet."

Manager Ge's smile became even more stiff.

"This isn't just a statement."

"Your attitude was good," I said. "Were there any of your cars in the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue this morning?"

"The Ministry of Revenue?"

Manager Ge's eyes flashed.

I saw it.

"Manager Ge."

"exist."

"To tell the truth, you'll at worst be unlucky. To lie, you might die."

His face turned pale.

"Sir, that's frightening."

"In your line of work, news travels faster than a horse. The old treasury of the Ministry of Rites burned down, people died at the Water Gate, Qinghe Lane was sealed off, and the burning of accounts at the old treasury of the Ministry of Revenue was just discovered. Do you think who would kill you first if you covered for someone else at this time?"

Shopkeeper Ge immediately broke out in a sweat.

Ah Liu whispered, "Young master, you're getting better and better at scaring people."

"I'm being reasonable."

"oh."

Manager Ge finally said, "There is a carriage."

"Who sent them?"

"It's not our own car, it's a car we're using under another company."

"Where's the driver?"

"Old Huang."

"Where is he?"

Manager Ge swallowed hard.

"He didn't come back."

My heart sank.

"Where's the car?"

"He didn't come back either."

That's not good.

The fact that neither the driver nor the carriage returned means that either they continued on their journey or they had been silenced.

Yan Xiaoyi walked around the yard and suddenly stopped in front of a mule.

"This horse has been pulled over."

Manager Ge's expression changed.

"No, no, this horse didn't produce any work today."

Yan Xiaoyi pointed to the mule's leg.

"New mud".

I walked over.

The mule's legs were covered with water plants, mud, and paper ash.

The tracks matched those of the car in the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue.

The car didn't come back.

The mule is back.

This means that someone replaced the car, or the car was removed.

I asked Manager Ge, "Where's the frame?"

Manager Ge was speechless.

Just then, someone outside the courtyard laughed.

"Lord Shen, if you're looking for a carriage frame, asking this fat man won't help."

I turned my head.

A skinny man was standing outside the door.

He was in his thirties, wearing an old blue shirt, with a smile on his face and lively eyes.

He was holding a string of copper coins, waving them around while looking at us.

He doesn't act like an official.

Unlike a business.

He doesn't seem like a good person at all.

Ah Liu immediately became alert.

Who are you?

The skinny man smiled and said, "Me? I am Luo Wanqian."

I looked at him.

Luo Wanqian.

Street-smart intelligence brokers.

I was wondering when I would go to see him, but he came to me on his own.

This is good.

That's not good either.

When a broker comes to your door, it usually means he smells money and blood.

Luo Wanqian bowed to me.

"I've long heard that Lord Shen is a master at auditing accounts and cherishes his life. Seeing him today, I can see he doesn't look well at all."

Ah Liu retorted angrily, "How dare you speak to me like that?"

Luo Wanqian laughed and said, "To be honest, it's cheap, no charge."

I looked at him.

"What if it's a lie?"

"It depends on how much the buyer is willing to pay."

"Where's the message?"

He collected the copper coins.

"Lord Shen, I'll sell the information, but not my life. If you want to buy my life, you'll have to pay more."

Not bad.

His catchphrase has come out.

I asked, "Do you know where the frame is?"

Luo Wanqian held up three fingers.

"Three taels."

Ah Liu's eyes widened.

"Go ahead and rob me!"

Luo Wanqian looked at him.

"Robbing is illegal, selling information is legal."

Ah Liu wanted to say something, but I raised my hand to stop him.

"Three taels is fine. But if the information is false, I will have the Censorate check your tax deeds for the past three years."

Luo Wanqian's smile froze.

"Lord Shen, business should be conducted with amicable harmony."

"I'm only talking about survival."

He sighed.

"Okay. The cart frame is behind the old well in the East Market. It was just dismantled. Half of the cart body was burned, but the axle is still there. Old Huang didn't die. He was drugged and dumped in the woodshed of Chunfeng Foot Inn."

"Who did it?"

"This is no longer the price of three taels."

"How many?"

"Ten taels."

Ah Liu almost jumped up.

"Why don't you become an official in the Ministry of Revenue!"

Luo Wanqian said seriously, "Does the Ministry of Revenue accept people? If so, I'll consider it."

I almost burst out laughing at what he said.

"Give it to him."

Ah Liu felt as if his own flesh was being torn apart, and reached into his purse for silver.

Luo Wanqian collected the money very quickly.

"The people who do this aren't regulars at Qinghe Lane; they come from the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue. The leader is dressed in gray and coughs terribly."

My eyes narrowed.

"An old man?"

"Not necessarily old. Cough, that's for sure."

"Where did you go?"

Luo Wanqian said, "The carriage first went to the back gate of the Ministry of Revenue's residence, stopping for less than half a cup of tea. The black leather suitcase didn't get out of the carriage, as if it was just for a quick look. Then it turned to the south of the city."

"Where in the south of the city?"

Luo Wanqian reached out his hand again.

Ah Liu gritted his teeth.

"Do you want more?"

Luo Wanqian is innocent.

"Lord Shen is asking about the next life."

I looked at him.

"explain."

"Qinghe Free Clinic in the South of the City"

Qinghe Free Clinic Shed.

Qinghe has gained another face.

Charitable granary.

Soup shed.

Medicine shed.

Now it's a free clinic tent.

They really know how to use the word "righteousness" very well.

I asked, "Why did you take the initiative to come find me?"

Luo Wanqian smiled.

"Lord Shen is currently being hunted down throughout the capital. Although following you is dangerous, the information you provide is invaluable."

"Aren't you afraid of dying?"

"Afraid."

He is very serious.

"So I only sell information, I don't take the blame for you."

Ah Liu muttered to himself, "How come this guy is even more honest than me?"

Luo Wanqian heard this and smiled at him.

"Young man, being afraid of death isn't shameful. What's shameful is being afraid of death and running slow."

For a moment, Ah Liu found that what he said made sense.

I will not delay any longer.

"Yan Xiaoyi, go to the woodshed and check on Old Huang."

Yan Xiaoyi nodded.

"And you?"

"The Ministry of Rites"

Ah Liu was stunned.

"Not going to the free clinic booth?"

"When the black leather suitcase passes through the back gate of the Minister's residence, we must first find out who has seen it."

"What about the free clinic tent?"

"Let Luo Wanqian keep an eye on it."

Luo Wanqian immediately said, "Watching is fine, but I'll pay more."

I looked at him.

"Keep an eye on him, and give him twenty taels."

His eyes lit up.

"Can't you keep a good watch?"

"I'll burn some paper money for you."

His smile faded slightly.

"Lord Shen is quite the businessman."

"We were forced into it."

I turned and walked out.

The Ministry of Revenue's Office.

It's finally time to meet Minister Fan, whose illness is just right.