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

When Pei Shen said this, many people in the hall changed their expressions.

Tail.

Docking the tail.

These two words are too straightforward.

He was unlike Pei Shen.

Pei Shen usually speaks in a roundabout way.

A single sentence can take many turns; it sounds gentle and polite, but after thinking about it all night, you realize that you've already been pushed down the well by him.

But he didn't beat around the bush with this one sentence.

Zheng Huaien knelt in the hall and looked up at him.

"What does Lord Pei mean?"

Pei Shen said gently, "Since Vice Minister Zheng said that the old method of reconciliation came from the old treasury of the Secretariat, there must be evidence to support this claim."

"Your subject has."

Zheng Huaien took out a small key from his sleeve.

"The old inventory of the Secretariat was borrowed by my subject under orders years ago. The key and token are still in my possession."

All eyes in the hall were fixed on the small key.

I looked at it, but I wasn't particularly surprised.

From the moment I found Pei Shen's sealed letter in the hidden compartment of the Buddhist shrine at Ci'en Temple, I knew that Zheng Huai'en must still have a knife in his hand.

This knife might not be able to save him.

But it can drag others down with it.

The most terrifying thing about the accounting meeting is this.

No one is completely clean.

No one is completely the master.

They held each other's weaknesses and passed each other knives; when it came to death, each wanted to take the other down with them.

Pei Shen looked at the key, his expression unchanged.

"Minister Zheng, keys are things that can be replaced if lost, or hidden if stolen. You just said your private notes were lost, and now you're using an old key from the Secretariat as evidence. That's quite interesting."

Zheng Huaien said, "Lord Pei, there's no need to rush to clear your name. In the fourteenth year of Chengxi, Bai Song entered the Ministry of Revenue to review the old accounts of grain restitution, which was right after the case of the old treasury of the Secretariat was transferred."

Bai Zhi suddenly looked up.

The fourteenth year of Chengxi.

The year her father died.

I looked at Pei Shen.

Pei Shen remained calm.

Grand Secretary Wang suddenly coughed.

"Your Majesty, it is nearly dawn tonight. The Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief case involves the Qinghe Granary, Ci'en Temple, and medicine sheds, and now it has also implicated the old treasury of the Secretariat. This old minister believes that this case should not be hastily concluded in the court."

The old fox has made his move.

He wasn't in a hurry to save Zheng Huaien.

He wants to stall.

They dragged it into the three departments, into the old warehouse, and turned it into a lump of mud.

Once the case changes from the Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief efforts to the Secretariat and the Ministry of Revenue accusing each other of old accounts, readers and ordinary people alike will not be able to understand it.

If the common people don't understand it, the imperial court can slowly wear them down.

Grind until the witness dies, grind until the ledgers are lost, grind until everyone says the same thing:

The situation is complex.

I hate these four words the most.

Because when people say the situation is complicated, it usually means that someone wants to hide simple crimes.

The emperor did not look at Grand Secretary Wang.

He looked at Zheng Huaien.

"Zheng Huai'en, do you admit that you failed in your supervisory duties regarding Qinghe Granary, Ci'en Temple, Nanyao Shelter, and the underground warehouse?"

Zheng Huaien lay prone on the ground.

"Your subject admits to the crime of negligence."

"You admit that the seal of the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue appeared on rice coupons, medicine tickets, and donation ledgers?"

"Your subject admits to the crime of misuse of the seal."

"Do you admit that Deng Huai and Ma Cheng were both subordinates of your Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief housing unit?"

"I acknowledge it."

"You admit there's a deficit in the Jiangbei disaster relief funds?"

Zheng Huaien remained silent for a moment.

"I believe that the Ministry of Revenue's verification was not rigorous enough, resulting in the unclear whereabouts of the relief funds."

The emperor's eyes turned cold.

"Where did the relief funds go?"

Zheng Huaien bowed even lower.

"I am guilty."

He still refuses to acknowledge corruption, harm to the people, or the clear accounting.

But he admitted to far too many minor offenses.

These minor offenses were enough for the emperor to arrest him, but not enough to immediately sentence him and his entire family to execution.

He was saving his own life.

It also gives time to the people behind the scenes.

The emperor slowly said, "Strip Zheng Huai'en of his seal as Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue and imprison him in the inner prison."

The hall fell silent.

Zheng Huaien kowtowed.

"Your subject accepts his punishment."

His voice was surprisingly calm.

It's as if I knew it would come to this.

Looking at him, my heart sank even deeper.

He was too calm.

This doesn't look like someone who was brought down in front of the emperor.

It's more like someone who has completed some kind of task.

Deng Huai suddenly cried out, "Your Majesty! Zheng Huai'en wasn't negligent! He was the mastermind! He ordered us to bring the disaster victims into the tent! He was..."

The emperor looked at him coldly.

Deng Huai's voice faltered.

The emperor said, "Deng Huai aided and abetted the tyrant, falsely sounded the drum for petitioning the emperor, and framed court officials. He has been imprisoned in the inner prison for further trial."

Deng Huai collapsed to the ground.

He probably finally understood.

Giving up Zheng Huaien does not guarantee one's own survival.

He also has people on his hands.

However, looking at him, I didn't feel any pleasure.

Such people are hateful.

It's also tragic.

No matter how tragic it may be, the debts that must be repaid still need to be paid.

Ma Cheng, Lu Wenjing, Mingjue, Zhao Ji, and others were also temporarily detained or placed under protection.

The Song physician and Bai Zhi stayed behind to organize the medical records and accounts.

The emperor then ordered that the Qinghe Granary be jointly guarded by the Censorate and the Princess's residence, with real grain to be distributed first, and the Ministry of Revenue not to allocate it independently.

Only after this order was given did Zheng Huaien's expression truly change.

Because this isn't just about taking him.

This is like cutting off a piece of the Ministry of Revenue's hand over the disaster relief funds in Jiangbei.

Grand Secretary Wang finally frowned.

"Your Majesty, the Princess's residence's involvement in guarding the granary may be seen as interference in politics."

Xiao Lingyi looked at him.

I thought she would retaliate.

Unexpectedly, the emperor spoke first.

"Your Majesty's permission is granted."

Three words.

Grand Secretary Wang could only bow his head.

"Your humble servant obeys the imperial decree."

The emperor looked at me again.

"Shen An".

"Your subject is here."

"The case of the disaster relief funds is not yet closed. Although Zheng Huai'en has been detained, the flow of the relief funds, the Yongfeng Bank, the Ci'en Temple's donation ledger, and the old treasury of the Central Secretariat must continue to be investigated."

I sighed inwardly.

really.

The case is not over.

It's an upgrade.

I bowed.

"I obey your decree."

The emperor looked at me and suddenly said, "You've already expressed your gratitude for the emperor's favor on your wedding day."

For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall became eerie.

I was also taken aback for a moment.

To be honest, I had completely forgotten about it.

I came here today to express my gratitude.

As a result, the gratitude led to the discovery of sandbags in the granary, fire at Ci'en Temple, sleeping pills in the southern medicine shed, and the accounts inside the stomachs of the dead in the underground warehouse. In the end, the Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue was sent to the inner prison.

This way of expressing gratitude is indeed quite unique.

Ah Liu whispered behind me, "Young master, thanking me like this is really exhausting."

I almost lost my composure.

The emperor looked at Xiao Lingyi.

"Zhaoning".

Xiao Lingyi stepped forward.

"Your subject is here."

"You did a good job today."

Xiao Lingyi lowered her eyes.

"Your subject dares not claim credit. The disaster victims are not yet at peace, and old cases remain unresolved; your subject feels ashamed."

The emperor looked at her, his expression complex for a moment.

Like a sense of relief.

It also feels like guilt.

I suddenly remembered that old dress of the late empress.

I recall the side hall of Changning, a place sheltered from the wind, quiet, and dimly lit.

The emperor must know something.

When he sees Xiao Lingyi like this today, will he think of the late Empress?

I do not know.

At times like this, I don't dare to ask.

The emperor finally said, "You may all return to your residences and rest."

Take a rest.

Two words that describe how extravagant they are.

I feel like I could fall asleep standing up right now.

But I also know that I might not be able to sleep after I get back home.

Zheng Huaien passed by me as he was being taken away.

He paused for a moment.

The Imperial Guards restrained him.

He simply looked at me and whispered, "Shen An, did you win?"

I looked at him.

"At least you lost."

He smiled.

"I lost the seal of the Right Vice Minister, I lost Deng Huai, I lost the charitable granary, and I lost the medicine shed."

His voice was very low, and only I could hear it.

"But do you know who won?"

I frowned.

Zheng Huaien looked at Pei Shen, then at Grand Secretary Wang.

Finally, his gaze fell back on me.

"You've found the account."

"But the moment you opened the book, it no longer belonged to you alone."

After he finished speaking, he was taken away by the Imperial Guards.

I stood there, my unease growing stronger.

Ah Liu came over.

"Young master, what does he mean?"

"It means he's not quite dead yet."

"What should we do then?"

"Kill him completely."

Ah Liu blinked.

I glanced at him.

"On the case."

"oh."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"It gave me quite a fright."

Pei Shen paused briefly as he passed by me.

He remained gentle.

"Lord Shen, you've had a long day."

I looked at him.

"Lord Pei has had a tough time, getting splashed with dirty water in the middle of the night."

Pei Shen smiled.

"In the imperial court, who isn't a little wet?"

"Lord Pei, this water seems to flow from an old reservoir."

He glanced at me.

His eyes were very deep.

"When young people are investigating cases, what they fear most is not that they can't find the answer."

I continued.

"They found something they shouldn't have."

Pei Shen's smile deepened.

"Lord Shen has a good memory."

"I've been scared so much, I can't forget it."

He nodded slightly, said nothing more, and turned to leave the hall.

Bai Zhi stood to the side of the hall, still holding the accounting book in her hands.

She looked in the direction Zheng Huaien was being taken away, but there was no joy on her face.

I walked over.

"Miss Bai."

She whispered, "My father wasn't wrong about the accounts back then."

"I know."

"He discovered that Daoweiji had been used to falsify accounts."

"It should be."

Bai Zhi looked up at me.

"I need to investigate the old accounts from the fourteenth year of Chengxi's reign."

I looked at her.

The girl's eyes were red, but she didn't cry.

I said, "Check."

She gritted her teeth and said, "This might not be the Ministry of Revenue's disaster relief fund."

"It wasn't originally like that."

I looked up at the sky outside the hall, which was just beginning to brighten.

"From the moment the late Empress's old clothes appeared in the Qinghe Charity Warehouse, this case was no longer a simple disaster relief fund."

Bai Zhi asked, "What is that?"

I thought about it.

"It's the tail end of an old story."

"What comes after the tail?"

I sighed.

"They're probably a bunch of old geezers who bite."

Bai Zhi remained silent for a moment.

"Then we must investigate even more."

I nodded.

"check."

When I walked out of Xuanzheng Hall, the sky was already turning white.

Torches still hung on the palace walls, but their light was dimmed by the morning light.

I didn't sleep all night, and my steps were so weak it felt like the Ministry of Revenue had just taken my soul.

Xiao Lingyi walked beside me.

She didn't sleep all night either, but her back was still very straight.

I couldn't help but ask, "Isn't Your Highness tired?"

She glanced at me.

"tired."

"Then why are you walking so steadily?"

"I'm used to it."

Those three words made me feel uncomfortable.

Xiao Lingyi seems to have been used to not getting tired, not being chaotic, and not falling apart since she was very young.

This is probably how she grew up after the late empress died.

Just as I was about to say something, Ah Liu suddenly caught up from behind.

"Young Master, Your Highness, there is a carriage from the Princess's residence outside the palace gates. Sister Qiutang said that hot soup has been prepared."

My eyes lit up.

"What kind of soup?"

Ah Liu said, "Ginger soup."

The light in my eyes dimmed by half.

Xiao Lingyi said calmly, "You've been in the water before."

"I understand."

"drink."

"I never said I wouldn't drink."

Ah Liu whispered from the side, "Young master, the tone you're using sounds like I'm being scolded."

I look at him.

"Are you feeling smug?"

"I wouldn't dare."

The car was quiet on the way back home.

I leaned against the car wall, my eyelids drooping with sleep.

Xiao Lingyi sat opposite, holding the corner of the charred blue-patterned cloth in her hands.

She remained silent.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, making a soft sound.

After a long time, she suddenly spoke.

"Shen An".

I opened my eyes.

"Your subject is here."

"Why are my mother's old clothes in Qinghe Granary?"

I paused for a moment.

"have no idea."

She looked at me.

I continued, "But I will investigate."

She looked down at the corner of the cloth.

"Zheng Huaien is just one link in the chain."

"Um."

Pei Shen knows about the old warehouse.

"Um."

"Father also knows."

I didn't respond immediately.

That's a very strong statement.

The emperor knew.

Once those four words are uttered, it no longer signifies an investigation.

It's touching the dragon's scales.

Xiao Lingyi looked up at me.

Are you scared?

I thought about it.

"Afraid."

Her eyes were slightly cold.

I added, "But it won't delay the investigation."

She stared at me for a long time.

Suddenly, she gathered up the corner of the cloth.

"After returning home, I slept for two hours."

I was taken aback.

"and then?"

"Go to the Censorate."

"Investigate what?"

"Zheng Huaien isn't completely dead yet."

I looked at her.

She was looking at me too.

After a while, I couldn't help but laugh.

"Your Highness is speaking more and more like a subject now."

Xiao Lingyi said coldly, "That doesn't sound like a nice thing."

Ah Liu interjected from outside the carriage, "Your Highness, Young Master Gang said the same thing."

There was a moment of silence in the car.

I closed my eyes.

"Ah Liu."

"exist."

"You're out of money this month."

Ah Liu's grief-stricken voice could be heard from outside the car.

"Young master, I am a witness! You mustn't silence me!"

Xiao Lingyi finally smiled.

It's very light.

It was as light as the morning light falling on the back of a knife.

But I still saw it.

Then I leaned against the car wall and finally couldn't stay awake any longer and fell asleep.

Before I fell asleep, the last thing that flashed through my mind was not Zheng Huaien, not Pei Shen, and not the Clearing House.

It was Zheng Huaien's words that mattered.

You've checked your account.

But the moment you opened the book, it no longer belonged to you alone.

I thought about it vaguely.

It's fine if it doesn't belong to me.

Accounts are something that shouldn't be kept in one person's possession in the first place.

The stall was set up in the sun.

It will keep all those who owe money awake at night.