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

After Manager Chen said, "Little Stone is missing," I stood in the back room for a long time.

The medicine smells very strong.

The mixture of Polygala tenuifolia, licorice, white peony root, and several other herbs I can't name makes one feel suffocated after smelling it for a while.

But I'm not sleepy at all right now.

Not only am I not sleepy, I'm actually a little too awake.

The little stone is gone.

The child said that there was paper inside the little stone's belly.

Fang Zhoushi said that Fang Yuanshi left behind half a secret book before his death.

Gu Xingzhi said that someone went back to search a second time last night.

Manager Chen said that Fang Zhoushi's room had been turned upside down.

Now, the most crucial thing is gone.

I looked at Manager Chen and asked, "Who took it?"

Manager Chen shook his head.

"We haven't found anything yet."

"Did the shopkeeper arrive too late?"

"It's not too late," Manager Chen said in a deep voice. "The person who took the small stone was there earlier than everyone else."

I frowned.

"What do you mean?"

Manager Chen walked to the medicine cabinet, took out a small piece of paper from a hidden compartment, and handed it to me.

"This was relayed back by the people who were keeping watch on Zhao Family Village last night."

The note was small, and the writing was even smaller.

The above is written very briefly.

Around midnight, the first group of four people entered the village and searched Fang's house, making a great commotion.

At 11:45 AM, the second group of people entered the village. There were two of them. They did not enter through the main gate, but entered from the back of the house. They stayed for no more than half a cup of tea.

At the beginning of the hour of Chou (1-3 AM), a third group of people entered the village. They were suspected to be government officials from the capital. They searched the houses, dismantled the stoves, overturned the beds, and scraped the walls.

After I finished reading it, a chill slowly crept down my back.

Three groups of people.

Gu Xingzhi said that there was more than one group of people who said this.

He said he didn't say enough.

Or rather, he only told me half of what I should have known.

I asked, "Who were the first group of people?"

"Like the people who chased you yesterday afternoon," Manager Chen said. "They made a lot of noise and searched urgently. Their targets should be Fang Zhou's family and the old paper."

"What about the third wave?"

"They looked like officials. They searched very thoroughly, even scraping through the cracks in the walls."

"A second wave?"

Manager Chen looked at me.

"That's the most troublesome part."

I looked down and read the note again.

two people.

Don't use the main entrance.

Enter from behind the house.

Do not linger for more than half a cup of tea.

The little stone is gone.

I said slowly, "They didn't search the house."

"Um."

"They know what they're looking for."

"Um."

"After they entered the house, they took the small stones directly."

Manager Chen nodded.

My heart sank.

This is more troublesome than being captured by pursuers.

If the pursuers took the small stone, it means they extracted clues from Fang Zhoushi or the child.

The fact that the second group arrived so early and acted so precisely indicates that they knew something was hidden in the small stone before they even entered the house.

This means that Fang Yuanshi's secret was known to more than just Fang Zhoushi.

Others also know.

I asked, "Besides his wife, who else did Fang Yuanshi have contact with before his death?"

Manager Chen said, "This needs to be investigated."

"As soon as possible."

"It's already under investigation."

He always speaks with composure, but I could tell he wasn't at ease this time either.

I put the note down and tapped the table lightly with my fingers.

"Fang Yuanshi was a clerk. He could discover that the account books had been switched, he could keep private records, he could leave secret accounts, and he could even set up a secret door for his wife to 'meat'."

Manager Chen listened without interrupting.

I continued, "A person like that wouldn't entrust his things to just a woman with a child before he dies."

Manager Chen looked at me.

"What does the young master mean?"

"He also has an accountant."

"The person who entrusted the debt?"

"The one who keeps his real secrets, or the one who transfers them out for him."

Manager Chen pondered for a moment.

"That's possible."

"It's not a possibility, it's certain," I said. "Fang Zhou only knows about Little Stone, but doesn't know where the original account pages are. The child knows there's paper inside Little Stone's belly, but doesn't know what the paper is. Fang Yuanshi left some things with his family just so that later investigators could find a clue."

I paused for a moment.

"The real half of the secret book may not be hidden in the small stone."

Manager Chen's eyes flickered slightly.

"Is the small stone just a key?"

"Or road signs."

The room was quiet for a while.

The sound of a waiter greeting customers could be heard from outside.

"Please take care, sir."

The wind chimes at the entrance of the pharmacy rang softly once.

I looked down at the note.

Three groups of people.

A group of people committed murder.

Take something in one go.

A search for evidence was launched.

Now, this case is no longer just about the Ministry of Works being afraid of me auditing the accounts.

Some people were afraid of Fang Zhoushi's words.

Some people are afraid of the reappearance of old paper.

Some people had been eyeing the hidden door left by Fang Yuanshi for a long time.

I suddenly feel nostalgic for the very beginning.

At that time, I only felt that I was there to kill the emperor.

Looking back now, at least that job had a clear objective.

It doesn't look like an audit.

By checking one account, I can find three groups of people, four layers of networks, and five or six reasons why they want me dead.

Shopkeeper Chen burned the note.

With a flicker of fire, those few lines of text quickly turned to ash.

He looked up at me and said, "Young Master, the Master has sent a message."

My heart skipped a beat.

It's time to come.

"explain."

Manager Chen lowered his voice.

"Master asks, 'Young Master has been frequently using his undercover agents in the capital lately. Is it to investigate the palace, or to investigate a case for the Emperor?'"

That's a very direct question.

Straight as a knife.

I paused for a moment, then asked, "What did the shopkeeper say?"

"I haven't returned yet."

Why?

"Because I, too, want to know the answer."

I looked at him.

Manager Chen was also looking at me.

He was my father's mole in the capital.

He helped me because I am Shen Lie's son.

It's not because I'm an imperial censor.

It wasn't because I was investigating a case for the emperor.

I'm now using his connections to investigate the Ministry of Works, Fang Zhou's family, and Xiao Shitou. In his eyes, this whole thing is wrong.

He didn't immediately complain to my father, which was already giving me some leeway.

I said slowly, "Does the shopkeeper think I haven't been to the palace enough these past few days?"

Manager Chen remained silent.

"The palace routes I took were different every time the emperor summoned me. The imperial guards, eunuchs, and imperial soldiers on duty also changed frequently. If I wanted to figure out the palace routes, it wouldn't be enough to just look at them."

Manager Chen frowned.

"so?"

"So I need to check the internal database."

As soon as I said it, even I felt it went very smoothly.

It went so smoothly, as if it had been planned all along.

Maybe I really do have a talent for being a con artist.

I continued, "The palace treasury is where money and grain come and go. Anyone who can access the treasury must be close to the emperor. By investigating the treasury, we can find out who in the palace can transfer silver, who can relay orders, and who has access to vital resources."

Manager Chen's expression changed.

I know he listened.

So he added, "The appearance of the words 'Inner Treasury' in the Yongning River case is no coincidence. If we can follow this lead, it might be more useful than me keeping an eye on the palace gates during the changing of the guard."

This is the truth.

At least half of them are.

Manager Chen remained silent for a long time.

"Young Master, are you saying that investigating the case is just the surface, while investigating the palace is the real purpose?"

I nodded.

"good."

If the father heard this, he might believe it.

Perhaps not.

But at least it's much more believable than "I want to punish corrupt officials on behalf of the emperor".

Manager Chen said, "Xu Sandao is also investigating the young master."

My eye twitched.

"What is he investigating about me?"

"Investigate who you met each day, where you went, and whether you are truly seeking an opportunity to get close to the emperor."

well.

The most troublesome thing about Xu Sandao is not just his high level of martial arts skills.

Still very persistent.

I asked, "Where is he now?"

"have no idea."

"You don't know either?"

"He's not under my jurisdiction."

Also.

Xu Sandao was the real knife in my father's hands.

Manager Chen is the thread.

The thread is for concealment, the knife is for killing.

They are not on the same path.

I suddenly felt that my surroundings were becoming more and more lively.

The emperor's men are looking at me.

The princess's people helped me.

Gu Xingzhi reminded me.

The Ministry of Works killed me.

Manager Chen stared at me.

Xu Sandao is investigating me.

I am just a seventh-rank imperial censor.

What merit or ability do I possess to cause so much concern for so many people?

Shopkeeper Chen said, "Young Master, I can help you continue investigating Little Stone. But you must understand, we can't keep this from the Master forever."

"I know."

"If Xu Sandao really thinks you've become the emperor's man, he won't wait for the master's order."

That was said very lightly.

But I understood.

Xu Sandao will kill me.

Or at least, he'll force me to take action in his own way.

I nodded.

"I will handle it."

Manager Chen looked at me, seemingly wanting to ask me how to handle the situation.

But in the end, I didn't ask.

He probably knew that even if I asked him, he might not tell the truth.

I left through the back door of the pharmacy.

Before I left, Manager Chen gave me a packet of calming medicine.

"Young Master, if someone asks you what you came to buy..."

I took the medicine packet.

"Does the shopkeeper think I need some calming treatment right now?"

"need."

He spoke very sincerely.

I couldn't refute it.

After leaving the pharmacy in the south of the city, I did not immediately return to Chengpingfang.

Instead, they circled around along two side streets.

I stopped at a stall selling used books and casually picked up two tattered books.

The stall owner was a thin old man, dozing off against the wall.

When I turned to the third book, a small piece fell out of the page.

A soft sound.

fall to the ground.

I looked down.

It was a small piece of stone.

Bluish-gray.

I picked it up and rubbed it between my fingertips.

The stone chips are quite hard, unlike ordinary limestone.

It looks more like bluestone.

A thought struck me.

The secondhand bookstore owner still kept his eyes closed.

It's like they know nothing.

I picked up the book.

The book title is old, and the cover is worn so badly that you can barely see the words "construction".

I opened it.

There was a small piece of paper tucked inside the first page.

There were only four words on the paper.

East of the city, ironworks.

I stared at those four words for a moment.

Ironworks in the east of the city.

The gray-clad assassin's copper buckle, Gu Xingzhi said, came from the ironworks in the east of the city.

Now, the clues from Little Stone also point to the Ironworks in the east of the city.

Of course, there are coincidences in this world.

But coincidences in the capital usually involve knives.

I closed the book and asked the stall owner, "How much is this one?"

The stall owner didn't even lift his eyelids.

"Three coins."

I gave him three coins.

Take the books and leave.

After turning the corner, I looked back once more.

The used bookstore is still there.

The stall owner was still dozing off.

People were coming and going on the street, but no one was looking at me.

The clue came too easily.

It was as if someone had deliberately paved the way for me.

The problem is, I have no choice but to take this path.

The little stone is gone.

The assassin's copper buckle came from the ironworks in the east of the city.

Now someone has shoved the words "East of the city, ironworks" into my hand.

Is this an invitation for me?

Or are you trying to lure me in?

As I walked, I tucked the pebbles into my sleeve.

When they returned to Chengpingfang, A-Liu was pacing around the entrance.

Upon seeing me, he immediately came to greet me.

"Young Master, you're finally back."

"What's wrong?"

Someone just delivered something.

My heart sank.

"What is it?"

Ah Liu lowered his voice: "A broken rock."

I stopped in my tracks.

"Where?"

"study."

I hurried into the study.

There was a small, bluish-gray stone on the table.

Only the size of a thumb.

It's not a complete stone doll.

It looks more like a piece that was knocked off something.

There was a piece of paper lying next to it.

Two words on the paper.

want to?

I looked at those two words and suddenly smiled.

Ah Liu swallowed hard.

"Young Master, what does this mean?"

I picked up the fragment of bluestone.

The edge is newly broken, and there are slight signs of hollowness inside.

Very fine.

But that's enough to show that it was indeed knocked off a hollow stone.

The small stones were in their hands.

They not only got it, but they also knew I would care.

I put the fragments back on the table and looked at the piece of paper.

"It means someone invited me to have tea at the East City Ironworks."

Ah Liu's face turned pale.

"Young Master, can we not go?"

I looked at him.

What do you think?

Ah Liu thought about it very seriously.

"Could you please send me a piece of paper saying you don't want it?"

I've thought about it seriously.

"Can."

Ah Liu's eyes lit up.

"real?"

"Then we can wait for them to burn half of the secret book for their ancestors to see."

Ah Liu's eyes darkened again.

I burned the note on the lamp.

The flames flickered and engulfed those two words.

want to?

want to.

Of course I want it.

Not only do they want it, they absolutely must have it.

Because what's hidden inside isn't just half of Fang Yuanshi's secret book.

It may also be the first real key that led me to uncover the Yongning River case.

As I watched the flames die down, I whispered, "Ah Liu, get ready."

Ah Liu asked with a long face, "What are you preparing?"

"Go to the east of the city tomorrow."

"Young Master..."

"Don't be afraid."

How could I not be afraid?

I patted him on the shoulder.

"I'm afraid I'll still go."

He looked at me, and after a long pause, he managed to say, "Young Master, your ability to comfort people is becoming more and more like the Master's."

My hand paused.

That's an unlucky thing to say.

The sky outside the window was gradually darkening.

From the east of the city, the faint sound of blacksmithing could be heard.

a bit.

Another one.

Like someone slowly sharpening a knife in the night.