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

Chapter 20 The Little Stone is Gone

After Gu Xingzhi finished speaking, the study remained quiet for a long time.

The light flickered.

The old paper, copper buckles, and teacups on the table were all illuminated in varying degrees of light and shadow.

I looked at him.

He was looking at me too.

This is the part of him that I hate the most.

He only said half of what he meant.

The knife was passed half an inch.

The remaining half inch is for you to push into your heart.

I asked, "If they're not from the Ministry of Works, then whose people are they?"

Gu Xingzhi did not answer.

I rephrased my question: "Are you His Majesty's man?"

He still didn't answer.

well.

This suggests that the answer is at least related to the emperor.

I sighed. "Lord Gu, let's make a deal. Next time, if you only want to say half of something, could you skip the first half? That way I can get a good night's sleep."

Gu Xingzhi looked at me.

You won't be able to sleep tonight.

"Thanks to you."

"It's not all my good fortune."

His gaze fell on the few old papers on the table.

"What you brought back today is enough to keep many people up at night."

I gathered the old papers closer to myself.

"Lord Gu climbed over the wall late at night just to check on my sleep?"

"no."

"Was it to get these papers?"

"I'm going to take it, and you can't stop me."

That's not a nice thing to say.

But it's true.

I looked at him, then at Ah Liu.

Ah Liu very consciously took a half step back, his expression saying: Young Master, don't look at me, I can't stop him either.

I felt even more uncomfortable.

There are too many people in this world with high martial arts skills, which is very unfriendly to someone like me who makes a living by using my brain.

I asked, "Then what exactly is Lord Gu here for?"

Gu Xingzhi said, "Just a reminder."

"What are you reminding me of?"

"These few pieces of paper should not be obtained through the official channels of the Censorate."

A thought struck me.

These are the same words Xiao Lingyi said.

Memorials are unsafe.

The evidence is not secure.

Even the open road isn't safe.

I asked, "Why?"

"Because you don't know who will see it."

"Does Lord Gu know?"

"I know a little."

"Could you tell me more?"

"cannot."

I laughed.

"Lord Gu, you are really suited to be an imperial guard."

"Um."

He actually agreed.

I was speechless for a moment, choked by his words.

Gu Xingzhi looked at the old paper that read "Money approved, circulating into the inner treasury".

"Did you see the inner vault?"

I did not answer.

The fact that he asked that question means he already knows.

I asked, "Where exactly is the inner vault?"

What do you think?

"The Ministry of Works has its own treasury, the Ministry of Revenue has its own treasury, and the palace also has its own inner treasury. Your Highness said that the late Empress also saw these two characters when she investigated the military pay case."

Gu Xingzhi's eyes finally moved.

It's very light.

But I saw it.

I immediately pressed, "What exactly did the late Empress discover back then?"

He didn't speak.

"Lord Gu."

I lowered my voice.

"Is the Yongning River case related to the military pay case from back then?"

Gu Xingzhi looked at me for a long time.

It took so long that I thought he wouldn't answer.

Then he said, "You're investigating this now; you're dying too soon."

My heart sank.

It's not "irrelevant".

It's not that I "don't know".

It means "died too young".

This is more dangerous than a direct answer.

Ah Liu took a quiet breath beside him.

I want to smoke too.

But I held back.

I asked, "Then why did you die a little later?"

"Check the money."

"Qian Rong?"

"money."

He only said one word.

money.

This is very troublesome.

Money can refer to financial assets.

It could also be the surname Qian.

It could be Qian Rong.

It could also be the money behind Qian Rong.

I really wanted to ask him if he could finish his sentence.

But I know I can't.

If he wanted to talk, he would have done so already.

If he doesn't want to talk, even holding a knife to his neck won't help.

The main problem is that I can't put it up myself.

I changed my approach: "Whose men were those two riders who accompanied the princess's carriage today?"

Gu Xingzhi said, "The rider is His Majesty's man."

My eyelids twitched.

"One horse?"

"Um."

"What about the other one?"

"Still under investigation."

I looked at him and slowly said, "The commander of the Imperial Guards followed us all the way. Don't you know whose men the other rider is?"

Gu Xingzhi calmly said, "That's why I said there was more than one group of people leaving the city today."

I fell silent.

One rider is the emperor's man.

In other words, the emperor was indeed watching.

He was seeing if I could find Fang Zhoushi.

Let's see if I die.

Let's see who comes to kill me.

Let's see who comes to my rescue.

The emperor sat in the palace, unable to smell even the incense, yet he could see the muddy road outside the city clearly.

I suddenly remembered what he said in the Xuanzheng Hall.

Of all the officials in the court, I only trust you.

Looking back now, the meaning of the word "trust" in that sentence was probably dirtier than I imagined.

He believes I can investigate.

I also believe that I can attract the people who want to kill me.

I whispered, "So I'm bait today too?"

Gu Xingzhi looked at me.

"You have been that way since the first day you arrived in the capital."

well.

That's really refreshing.

I picked up my teacup, wanting to drink some cold tea to calm my nerves.

The tea has gone completely cold.

It tastes even more bitter than medicine.

I asked, "Isn't Your Majesty afraid the fish will eat the bait?"

"Afraid."

"Then will he still release it?"

Gu Xingzhi said, "If you don't put bait, the fish won't bite."

I smiled.

I don't know if the fish will bite, but the bait is almost chewed up.

Gu Xingzhi did not respond to that sentence.

He turned and walked towards the window.

I called out to him, "Lord Gu."

He stopped.

"How's it going in Zhao Family Village?"

Gu Xingzhi turned to look at me.

"Someone went back and searched a second time."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Where's Little Stone?"

This is the first time I've mentioned those three words in front of him.

Gu Xingzhi's gaze fell on my face.

"It seems you know about Little Stone."

I did not deny it.

"Have they found them?"

"have no idea."

"Didn't your men see it?"

"The person who saw it is dead."

The room fell silent again.

Ah Liu's face turned pale.

I didn't say anything either.

The person who saw it died.

This means that the commotion in Zhao Family Village is more intense than I thought.

This also shows that the small stone has been targeted by more than one party.

Gu Xingzhi said, "Shen An, don't go back by yourself."

I looked at him.

"Is this His Majesty's will, or Lord Gu's?"

"What I mean is..."

"Does Lord Gu actually care about people?"

"If you die, the case will be in trouble."

I nodded.

"That reason is credible."

Gu Xingzhi opened the window.

Before leaving, he added, "If you really want to live longer, don't treat everyone as an enemy."

I countered, "Then who should I consider as one of my own?"

He glanced at me.

"At least, don't push the people who want you to live too far away."

After saying that, he climbed out the window and left.

His movements were so clean, as if he had never been there.

I stood by the window, looking at the night outside.

Ah Liu leaned closer and whispered, "Young Master, what did Lord Gu mean by his last words?"

"If he could speak in a way that you could understand immediately, he wouldn't be Gu Xingzhi."

"So, do you understand now?"

"I understand half of it."

Which half?

"Some people want me dead, and some people want me to live."

Ah Liu asked, "And what about the other half?"

I closed the window.

"The other half is, I don't know if the person who wants me to live does so so that my death will be more useful."

Ah Liu fell silent.

After a while, he said, "Young master, perhaps we should go out less often in the future."

"Will you not die if you stay home?"

"At least I'll die slower."

I thought about it.

That makes sense.

After I finished speaking, I looked at the old paper on the table.

"The little stone must be taken back."

Ah Liu's face fell.

"Young Master, didn't you just say that staying home as much as possible makes sense?"

"Just because something makes sense doesn't mean it can be done."

"Then why are you asking me?"

"Just to cheer you up."

Ah Liu: "..."

I didn't sleep that night.

Gu Xingzhi is right.

Old paper, imperial treasury, money approval, small stones, two riders, the emperor's bait.

Everything is running through my mind.

I finally managed to doze off for a while, lying on my desk, just before dawn.

As soon as he closed his eyes, he heard Ah Liu's voice from outside the door.

"Young Master, Miss Qiutang has arrived."

I looked up and felt a sharp pain in my neck.

"Who?"

"Miss Qiutang from the Princess's Mansion."

When I stood up, I almost knocked the old papers off the table.

Ah Liu quickly helped him up.

I changed into a decent-looking outfit and went out to meet people.

Qiu Tang stood in the front hall.

He was holding a food box in his hands.

She bowed slightly when she saw me.

"Lord Shen."

I looked at the food box.

"Your Highness is inviting me for morning tea?"

"His Highness said that Lord Shen was frightened yesterday and must not have slept well last night."

She opened the food box.

Inside was a cup of tea.

The teacup was covered.

As I looked at the cup of tea, I suddenly remembered the code that Xiao Lingyi had mentioned yesterday.

If a bamboo leaf is placed in tea, it means the person is fine.

The fact that there were two pieces indicates that someone has found out where they went.

If you don't give me anything, it means you shouldn't ask any more questions.

I reached out and lifted the lid of the teapot.

The tea was clear.

A bamboo leaf was floating inside.

one slice.

I felt a slight sense of relief.

Fang Zhou and her son are temporarily safe.

Ah Liu saw it too, and visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

Qiu Tang said, "His Highness also said that tea doesn't taste good when it gets cold."

I picked up the teacup, about to drink, when I suddenly noticed something at the bottom of the cup.

It's not tea.

I slowly poured the tea into the empty cup next to me.

A small, thin piece of paper was attached to the bottom of the teacup.

The paper was soaked in tea, and the edges became soft.

I carefully peeled it off and spread it on the table.

There were only a few words on it.

The handwriting was crooked and messy, unlike what an adult would write.

It looks more like a child tracing words taught by someone else with charcoal.

There was paper inside the little stone.

I stared at those words and remained silent for a long time.

Ah Liu leaned closer, and after reading it, his expression changed.

"Young master, did that child write this?"

I nodded.

It should be.

Fang Zhoushi dared not send the message directly, and the princess's residence also did not feel comfortable asking too many questions.

So I had the child write these words.

There was paper inside the little stone.

Yesterday, my child said, "The little stone has a hole in its belly."

It's now confirmed.

It's not hollow inside.

There was paper hidden inside.

Half of the secret book, or at least part of it, is inside that stone doll.

Looking at my expression, Qiu Tang seemed to have already guessed what was going on.

"Lord Shen, His Highness asked me to pass on a message."

"Please speak."

"His Highness said that if Lord Shen wants to return to Zhao Family Village, he should write his will first."

I paused for a moment.

"Does Your Highness really say that?"

"The exact words."

This is so Xiao Lingyi.

Even when you're trying to show concern, you have to say it like you're cursing.

I carefully put the piece of paper away and asked, "Are Mrs. Fang and the child still safe?"

"Safe for now."

"temporary?"

"Last night, someone checked on widows with children in the south of the city."

My heart sank.

"Have you found out about the princess's residence?"

"no."

Qiu Tang paused for a moment.

"But if the investigation continues, it will get closer sooner or later."

This is urging me on.

The small stone must be obtained as soon as possible.

Otherwise, Fang Zhou and her son wouldn't have been able to hide for long.

I asked, "Does Your Highness have any plans?"

Qiu Tang said, "His Highness said that no one from the Princess's residence should be involved in this matter."

I see.

Lending the car yesterday was already a huge risk.

If the people from the Princess's residence were to go to Zhao Family Village today, it would be too conspicuous.

Moreover, Zhao Family Village is now under surveillance, and the other side will know as soon as the Princess's Mansion makes a move.

After Qiutang left, A-Liu immediately closed the door.

"Young Master, are we really going to Zhao Family Village?"

"I can't go."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

"Just because we can't go doesn't mean others can't go."

He had just relaxed when he felt a surge of relief.

"Who?"

"Manager Chen."

Chengnan Pharmacy.

The old thread my father left in Beijing.

I've never wanted to delve too deeply into this area.

The deeper the involvement, the easier it would be for my relationship with Shen Lie to be exposed.

But now, the Princess's residence cannot be touched, the Censorate cannot be touched, and I myself cannot be touched.

The only person left who could take the secret route was Manager Chen.

Ah Liu's expression was complicated.

"Young master, if we make a move against Manager Chen, won't the master find out?"

"meeting."

"What if the master asks us why we're working so hard to investigate cases for the emperor...?"

"Just say I'm looking for an opportunity to enter the palace and kill the emperor."

"Does the master believe that?"

I looked at him.

What do you think?

Ah Liu shook his head honestly.

I don't believe it either.

Perhaps my father will believe it just this once.

I won't believe it a second time.

Xu Sandao has already arrived in Beijing.

Before he arrived, my father could still urge me from 1,200 miles away.

After he arrived, my father's eyes were practically fixed on me.

But the small stones must be taken.

I carefully collected the old paper, the copper buckle, and the piece of paper the child had written on.

"Walk."

"Where to?"

"The South City Pharmacy"

Ah Liu hesitated for a moment.

"Young Master, shall I go?"

I glanced at him.

"Do you know how to talk to Manager Chen?"

"Just say you're taking the stone doll."

"and then?"

"And then...let him take it?"

I sighed.

"You may stay at the manor."

Ah Liu asked anxiously, "Young Master, what am I supposed to do staying at the manor?"

"If anyone comes looking for me, tell them I was injured last night and I'm sleeping."

"What if Lord Gu comes?"

"He can climb through the window; you don't need to greet him."

Ah Liu: "..."

I left the mansion through the back door.

This time he wasn't wearing official robes, nor did he bring a carriage.

He changed into an ordinary blue shirt and walked along the side street with his head down.

It's not close to the pharmacy in Chengnan from Chengpingfang.

I changed routes at least three times along the way.

He deliberately entered the teahouse twice.

Once, I went out through the back door of a cloth shop.

This is something my dad taught me.

He said that if you suspect someone is following you, don't keep looking back.

Looking back only tells the other person that you were scared.

We need to change routes.

When it's the other person's turn, they can't help but make a mistake.

Unfortunately, the other party didn't make any mistakes today.

Or rather, nobody was with me at all.

This actually made me more uneasy.

Because Gu Xingzhi said last night that there would be more than one group of people leaving the city today.

In Beijing, those who are truly skilled at keeping an eye on people won't let you know you're being watched.

When they arrived at the pharmacy in the south of the city, Manager Chen was weighing medicine behind the counter.

There were two customers in the shop getting medicine, an old man and a young woman.

I didn't go forward immediately.

I looked around the entrance first to make sure there was nothing unusual before going inside.

Manager Chen looked up at me, his expression unchanged.

"What medicine would you like, sir?"

"To calm the mind."

"Can't sleep well?"

"Yes, lots of dreams."

What did you dream about?

"I dreamt that there was paper hidden inside a stone."

Manager Chen paused for a moment while holding the steelyard.

It's very light.

So light that others couldn't even tell.

But I saw it.

He turned to the waiter and said, "We're running low on the Polygala tenuifolia in the back; I'll go get some more."

After saying that, he lifted the curtain and went into the back room.

I followed them inside.

The back room smelled strongly of medicine.

Manager Chen closed the door, his face darkening.

"Did the young master leave the city yesterday?"

"Um."

"It caused quite a stir."

"It seems the shopkeeper knows."

"This morning, several lines in the south were in motion." Manager Chen looked at me. "Some people were searching for people in Zhao Family Village, some were checking vehicles at Ci'en Temple, and others were checking the Princess's carriage at the city gate."

I frowned.

"You sent people too?"

"Young Master moved the Princess's carriage yesterday and implicated Fang Yuanshi's family. I cannot ignore this."

He spoke calmly.

But I understood.

Manager Chen not only knew that I had left the city, but also knew that the Princess's Mansion was involved.

If this news gets to my father, it will cause a lot of trouble.

I asked, "Will the message be sent to my dad?"

Manager Chen did not answer immediately.

I looked at him.

He finally said, "The master will find out sooner or later."

sooner or later.

It's not that I can't.

My heart sank.

This is the price of using Shen Lie's old line.

With each movement, the father learns a little more.

But I have no choice now.

I handed him the piece of paper the child had written on.

Manager Chen frowned after reading it.

"Xiao Shi?"

"The stone doll that Fang Yuanshi made for the child had paper hidden inside its belly. It could very well be half of a secret book, or a clue to the location of the secret book."

Shopkeeper Chen asked, "In Zhao Family Village?"

"Originally at Fang Zhou's house."

"That may not be the case now."

I looked up: "What does the shopkeeper already know?"

Manager Chen remained silent for a moment.

"Someone went back last night and turned Fang Zhoushi's house upside down."

"Who?"

"At least two groups of people."

Two groups.

I get a headache just hearing that word now.

"And the result?"

Manager Chen said, "The stove and pots have been dismantled, the bed boards have been lifted, the woodpile has been overturned, and even the cracks in the walls have been scraped."

I asked, "Did you find anything?"

"I don't know."

"What about the little stone?"

Manager Chen looked at me and lowered his voice.

"Something is missing from the room."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What?"

The stone doll that used to be by the child's bedside is gone.

The back room fell silent.

A customer outside, who was getting medicine, coughed, and the shop assistant responded in a low voice.

The aroma of the medicine is very strong.

But I only felt my palms getting colder.