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

The residence of Fan Yong, the Minister of Revenue, was located in Anrenfang.

It's not far from the Ministry of Revenue.

The house wasn't ostentatious, but the stone steps in front of the door were very clean, and the plaque on the door was quite old.

It's old in a very tasteful way.

The old officials in the capital all understand this sense of propriety.

Too new, it seems greedy.

Too worn out, it looks dilapidated.

The best is something that is old but not outdated.

When the gatekeeper heard that Shen An from the Censorate was requesting an audience, his expression changed immediately.

Not surprised.

It was the kind of tightness that came from being prepared in advance.

"Lord Shen, my master is seriously ill and will not receive guests."

I looked at him.

"I am not a guest."

The gatekeeper choked.

"That……"

"I am an imperial censor who was ordered to investigate the case."

The doorman was sweating profusely.

"But my husband is really seriously ill."

"One should see someone who is seriously ill."

Why?

"Someone used his cough to siphon off secrets from the Ministry of Revenue's old treasury. If he doesn't know, I'll investigate for him. If he does know..."

I paused for a moment.

The doorman's face turned pale.

I continued, "Then we should meet even more."

The gatekeeper hurriedly went in to report.

Ah Liu stood behind me and whispered, "Young Master, you're starting to sound more and more like Commander Gu."

"How is it similar?"

"It doesn't sound like an insult, but it makes you want to kneel down."

I thought about it.

That's a compliment.

A short while later, a man who looked like a butler came out.

He called himself Fan Ping, an old servant in the Ministry of Rites.

Fan Ping's face was somber, but his tone was polite.

"Lord Shen, my master is bedridden and cannot talk for long."

"You can answer as long as you can breathe."

Fan Ping's face stiffened.

Ah Liu lowered his head behind him.

I know he might want to remember this sentence again.

Fan Ping didn't stop us anymore and led us into the backyard.

The backyard of the Minister's residence smelled strongly of medicine.

The smell of medicine was stronger than that in a typical patient's home.

But it's not chaotic.

The medicine jars were neatly arranged, the young apprentice walked very lightly, and several white cloths were drying in the courtyard. Even the sound of coughing seemed to be suppressed by the rules.

I smelled a fragrance.

It's very light.

Hidden beneath the bitter taste of the medicine.

Albizia julibrissin.

I paused slightly in my steps.

Ah Liu also stopped and asked in a low voice, "Young master, what's wrong?"

"fragrant."

He immediately tensed up.

"Is it fragrant again?"

"Um."

"Does this fragrance also help people fall asleep?"

"possible."

"Could the younger one go outside and catch some fresh air first?"

"cannot."

He resigned himself to his fate and followed.

A thick curtain hung at the entrance to the ward.

The curtain was lifted, and a warm medicinal aroma wafted out.

The room was dimly lit.

An old man was lying on the bed.

His hair was gray, his face was thin, his lips were pale, and his eyes were sunken.

He was covered with a thick blanket, and next to him were a spittoon, a medicine bowl, and a small incense burner.

The smoke from the incense burner was very thin.

It was as thin as a thread that was about to break.

This is Fan Yong, the Minister of Revenue.

One of the highest-ranking officials in the Great Liang Dynasty, in charge of the nation's finances and provisions.

Now he lies on his sickbed, coughing like an old piece of paper.

"Lord Shen."

His voice was low and hoarse.

I bowed.

"Minister Fan".

Fan Yong coughed twice.

The cough was short at first and then became longer.

Just like what Wang Gui said.

Ah Liu glanced at me secretly.

I was also looking at Fan Yong.

The cough sounds like...

People are like that too.

The more similar they look, the less likely you are to recognize them immediately.

Fan Yong said, "I have been ill for a long time and am unable to get up to perform the proper greetings. Please forgive me, Lord Shen."

"Minister Fan, you're too kind."

"I heard that Lord Shen is inspecting the old treasury of the Ministry of Revenue."

"Yes."

"They've found my residence?"

"A cough was detected."

Fan Yong smiled.

He coughed after laughing.

"Can coughing be used to detect illnesses?"

"Yes. Accounts can lie, and coughs can sometimes too."

Fan Ping stood to the side, his face showing displeasure.

"Lord Shen, my master is seriously ill. Why must you interrogate me like this?"

I ignored him and only looked at Fan Yong.

Fan Yong raised his hand.

Fan Ping shut up.

The old man looked at me.

"The black leather suitcase, I know it."

The room fell silent.

Ah Liu's eyes widened.

I was also a little surprised.

Fan Yong admitted it too quickly.

It was as fast as if they were waiting for me to ask.

"Does Minister Fan know?"

"Know."

"Has the box been to your residence?"

"I've been here before."

Why?

Fan Yong took a breath.

"Someone delivered a box of old ledgers from the old treasury of the Ministry of Revenue, which I need to examine."

Who delivered it?

"Deputy Director Jiang Wen."

Jiang Wen.

The former deputy treasury manager of the Ministry of Revenue who had requested leave due to illness.

I asked, "Where is Jiang Wenren?"

"I don't know."

"Where's the box?"

"I did not accept it."

Fan Yong coughed a few times.

"He was ill and unable to attend to departmental affairs. I only asked him a few questions through the curtain before sending him back to the Ministry of Revenue."

"Send it back to the Ministry of Revenue?"

"Yes."

I looked at him.

"But according to my investigation, that car later went to the south of the city."

Fan Yong's eyes flickered slightly.

Very fine.

But it moved.

"Then I wouldn't know."

That's too clean a statement.

Fan Yong admitted that the box had been there.

They acknowledged that Jiang Wen had sent it.

He admitted that he had confiscated it.

Then push everything afterward back to "I don't know".

This is better than complete denial.

Because a complete denial would easily be contradicted by the ruts, the driver, and Luo Wanqian.

Acknowledging only half of it makes one appear open and honest.

I asked, "Why didn't Minister Fan accept it?"

"I have already resigned due to illness, and Zheng Huai'en will temporarily take over the affairs of the ministry."

"If this box of old accounts involves the Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief funds, would Minister Fan refuse to accept it?"

"The more serious the case, the less it should be accepted by an ailing old man like me."

That's very true.

That's so annoying.

My gaze fell on the incense burner.

"Did Minister Fan use incense while he was ill?"

Fan Yong said, "The physician said to calm the nerves."

"Acacia benzoin?"

He looked at me.

"Does Lord Shen recognize him?"

"I just met him."

"I received a small amount of this old palace incense as a reward when I was young. I used it when I was ill and unable to sleep at night."

The lingering fragrance of the palace.

reward.

This is yet another reasonable explanation.

I asked, "Who gave it to you?"

Fan Yong remained silent for a moment.

"The reign of the late emperor."

"The late emperor?"

"When I was a secretary in the Ministry of Revenue, I accompanied the disaster relief team to the palace to present my report. The late emperor bestowed incense upon me."

"Is there still any left?"

Fan Yong smiled.

"Lord Shen is young and doesn't know how to cherish old things and people."

I looked at the incense burner.

"I only know that this fragrance is also present on the palace robes."

Fan Yong's coughing stopped for a moment.

very short.

It was so short that even Fan Ping might not have noticed.

But I saw it.

Fan Yong said, "It's not surprising that palace clothing uses palace incense."

"The late Empress also used this incense during her illness."

The room was even quieter.

Fan Ping's expression changed.

Fan Yong, however, remained steadfast.

"Why did you mention the late Empress when you were investigating the Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief case, Lord Shen?"

"Because I have recently discovered that many things that shouldn't be together always seem to end up together."

I pointed to the incense burner.

"The Ministry of Revenue had benzoin and acacia wood incense on its sickbed. The palace robes also contained benzoin and acacia wood incense. The late Empress also had benzoin and acacia wood incense during her illness."

Fan Yong closed his eyes.

It seems like they're really tired.

"Lord Shen, incense is just incense."

"The account is just a piece of paper."

I looked at him.

"Paper can kill, and so can incense."

Fan Ping couldn't help but exclaim, "Lord Shen!"

Fan Yong raised his hand to stop him.

The old man looked at me; his eyes were cloudy, but he was not confused.

"What does Lord Shen wish to inquire of me?"

"Black leather suitcase."

"As I said, it has not been accepted."

"Then I shall investigate the back gate of the Minister's residence."

Fan Ping immediately said, "Absolutely not! How could the Minister's residence allow this..."

Fan Yong coughed twice.

"Let him investigate."

Fan Ping was stunned.

"master!"

"Let him investigate."

Fan Yong's voice was low, but very steady.

Minister Fan was clearly well aware of this.

Since I can find the backdoor, blocking it won't help.

The more they try to stop him, the more guilty he seems.

Fan Ping could only lead us to the back door.

The back gate of the Minister's residence is narrower than the front gate, and the ground is paved with blue bricks.

The brick surface had just been rinsed with water.

Very clean.

It's too clean.

I crouched down to look at the watermarks.

Ah Liu also squatted down.

"Young master, has this been washed again?"

"Um."

He whispered, "Why are they all so obsessed with cleanliness?"

"Because there's too much dirt."

Water washes over the ground, but it can't wash away the fine ash in the cracks between the bricks.

I scraped a little off with a piece of wood.

Paper ash.

There's also a little bit of medicine powder.

Similar to the ruts in the back alley of the Ministry of Revenue.

Yan Xiaoyi returned from outside the door.

"The car came by."

"How long will the shutdown last?"

"It's very short."

"Was the box taken down?"

"It didn't go down. The tire marks from the rear tires haven't lessened."

This matches up with the information about Luo Wanqian.

The black suitcase didn't get off the vehicle.

I'm just here to show it to the people in the manor.

Or perhaps we could have someone in the manor confirm it.

I asked Fan Ping, "Where is Jiang Wen responding from behind the curtain?"

Fan Ping pointed to the small hall inside the back door.

The small hall window faces the parking area outside.

There is a curtain inside the window.

In other words, if Fan Yong was ill and unable to leave his room, he could listen through a curtain in the small hall, and even without looking at the box, he could just listen to what people were saying.

But Fan Yong just said that he "asked a few questions through the curtain".

That's also very true.

It's as if I thought about it beforehand.

I walked around the small hall and noticed a black mark on the windowsill.

Like it brushed against the corner of a box.

"The suitcase wasn't unloaded?"

Fan Ping said, "I didn't enter the mansion."

I pointed to the windowsill.

"What is this?"

Fan Ping's face stiffened.

I reached out and touched the black mark.

It's not the corner of the box.

These are leather scratches.

Someone carried the black leather suitcase to the window so that the people inside could look through it.

They did not enter the residence.

They didn't stay in the car either.

Stuck in the middle.

In this way, Fan Yong could be said to have confiscated it.

The coachman could say that he had been to the Minister's residence.

Both sides are telling the truth.

But the real question is, what exactly did the people inside the room see?

I returned to my ward.

Fan Yong coughed a few more times.

I stood outside the curtain, without sitting down.

"Minister Fan, bring the black leather suitcase to the window."

He was not surprised.

"Yes."

"Have you seen it?"

"I can't see it clearly. I can only see the cover."

"What cover?"

"Dark-skinned".

"Are there any words on it?"

Fan Yong remained silent for a while.

"have."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What character?"

"Qinghe enters the tent."

The room fell silent again.

Ah Liu's pen trembled, and a drop of ink fell onto the paper.

I asked, "Why didn't Minister Fan accept it?"

Fan Yong looked at me.

"Because if I accept it, I won't live to see you come asking about it."

This statement is finally not in accordance with the rules.

Like the truth.

I looked at him.

"Who would kill you?"

Fan Yong slowly closed his eyes.

"have no idea."

Again, I don't know.

But this time, I could tell he wasn't unaware.

It's not about saying it.

I asked, "Zheng Huai'en?"

Fan Yong did not answer.

"A debt settlement meeting?"

He still did not answer.

"Is she someone from the palace?"

Fan Yong suddenly coughed.

This cough was very severe, it felt like I was coughing up my lungs.

Fan Ping immediately stepped forward to feed him the medicine.

I saw a faint trace of incense ash on the edge of the medicine bowl.

Ashes from Albizia julibrissin and benzoin.

Fan Yong's face turned even paler after drinking the medicine.

"Lord Shen, I can only tell you that the box was not left in the manor."

"Where did you go?"

"South of the city."

"Qinghe Free Clinic?"

Fan Yong opened his eyes and looked at me.

For the first time, his expression showed a genuine change.

"You already know."

"I just found out."

Fan Yong gave a wry smile.

"Then why are you asking me, old man?"

"Let's see just how serious your illness is."

"Did you notice?"

I looked at the incense burner.

"The illness is real, but incense may not necessarily cure it."

Fan Yong did not refute.

He looked at me, his voice so low it was almost inaudible.

"Don't rush to the free clinic tent."

Why?

"They don't treat illnesses there."

My heart sank.

"Treat what?"

Fan Yong looked at me.

"Treat the living mouth."

This sentence silenced everyone in the room.

Free clinic tent.

Treat the living mouth.

The meaning is very clear.

The black leather suitcase was moved there not to hide the tent.

It's for dealing with those who know the accounts.

Or, turn a living person into a suitable dead person.

I turned around immediately.

"Walk."

Ah Liu hurriedly followed.

Fan Yong suddenly said again, "Lord Shen."

I stopped.

"Does Minister Fan have anything else to say?"

He coughed twice.

"You're investigating too fast; you'll die."

I smiled.

"If the investigation is slow, you'll die too."

Fan Yong looked at me.

"Are you scared?"

"Afraid."

"Are you afraid they'll investigate again?"

I thought about it.

"Because they even took my wedding dress."

Fan Yong was taken aback for a moment, then he actually laughed.

She laughed softly, and seemed very tired.

"Princess Zhaoning...chose a troublesome person."

I corrected him.

"It was His Majesty who chose it."

Fan Yong closed his eyes.

"That would be even more troublesome."

After I left the Minister's residence, Luo Wanqian's men were already waiting at the street corner.

He was a twelve or thirteen-year-old beggar.

He handed me a piece of oil paper.

It says:

The free clinic tent closed in the afternoon; one car entered, but the black box did not leave.

Also, a patient named Jiang Wen was admitted to the shed last night.

Jiang Wen.

Deputy Director of the Old Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue.

The person who claimed illness and did not arrive.

He was at the Qinghe Free Clinic.

The black box was also at the Qinghe Free Clinic tent.

Fan Yong said that the place was where they treated the living.

I put the oil paper away.

Ah Liu's face turned pale.

"Young Master, is Jiang Wen going to be executed?"

"possible."

"Shall we go now?"

I looked towards the south of the city.

"Go now."

Yan Xiaoyi suddenly said, "Bring men."

I look at him.

His expression was unusually serious.

"Free clinics are not like soup kitchens. Places that can treat survivors will have no shortage of knives."

I nodded.

"Go to the Censorate to transfer personnel, and then ask Commandant Luo for help."

Ah Liu was taken aback.

"Commander Luo of the Army?"

"He signed the papers last night, so he can't run away now."

Ah Liu thought about it.

"Young master, you're getting more and more adept at dragging people down with you."

"This is to save him."

Will he believe it?

"If you survive, you'll have faith."

The carriage turned around and sped south of the city.

The short blade in my sleeve was pressed against my wrist bone.

Qinghe Granary, Qinghe Soup Dispensary, Qinghe Medicine Tent, Qinghe Old Clothes, Qinghe Palace Robes.

Now, at the Qinghe Free Clinic.

This net has finally revealed its most sinister side.

It doesn't just provide food for the dead.

It doesn't matter when living people should shut up.