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

The first genuine amulet lay in a black lacquered box.

The front has four characters.

Settle old accounts.

The back is engraved with "丙一, 杜成持".

The cards aren't very big.

But it was much heavier than Tao Kun's sluice gate.

If this is true, then the late empress's investigation of old accounts will no longer be limited to the testimonies of a few former palace servants.

She left behind rules.

Leave the card to play.

There were also six licensees who were mutually constrained.

What Wang Song later changed was precisely this set of rules.

Bai Zhi rewrapped the plaque with oilcloth.

It wasn't given to me.

I asked, "Why won't you give it to me?"

"You'll lose it."

"When have I ever lost any evidence?"

"A knife was hidden under the bed, but Her Highness found it."

"It was found, not lost."

"The result is the same."

She put the real card into her inner tent bag.

I think there aren't many things in this world that Bai Zhi would keep close to her body.

Bai Song's Old Tent

Now there's one more card.

Du Cheng was still sitting on the high ground of the river embankment.

His complexion was getting worse and worse.

With Physician Song absent, the bleeding from his chest wound could only be stopped temporarily.

I had someone put a thick coat on him.

Why is Feng happy the sixth card?

Du Cheng looked at the black lacquered box.

"The six plaques are not engraved with people's names."

"It is based on the evidence."

"Shen refers to Madam Shen."

"Bai refers to Bai Song."

"Lan refers to a person dressed in blue."

"The post station refers to the old post station in Qingxia."

"Chang refers to the envoy from Changning."

"The garment refers to the last sick dress worn by the late empress."

I frowned.

"Wasn't a hospital gown found at the Qinghe Charity Warehouse?"

"That's an outer garment."

"The real undergarment was taken by Feng happy."

Why give it to him?

Du Cheng remained silent for a moment.

"It's not for giving."

"Let him take it."

I didn't understand.

Xiao Lingyi is not here.

If she were there, she would probably have let Du Cheng finish speaking in one go.

I can only ask myself.

"Is there a difference?"

"have."

Du Cheng said, "When the late Empress was seriously ill, fewer and fewer people could freely enter and leave Changning Palace."

"Liu Shen is in charge of the medicine."

"Feng happy is in charge of the gate."

"Han Shangfu is in charge of the sick clothes."

"Her Majesty knows that Lady Han may not survive that night."

"Then Zhaoyue sewed the sixth plaque into the lining of his sick gown."

"Feng happy personally took away the hospital gown."

"He doesn't know?"

"I didn't know at first."

"I found out later."

How do you know?

Bai Song sent a letter.

Tell Feng happy that there's a tag inside the hospital gown.

I looked at Du Cheng.

Why did Bai Song tell him?

"Because those who are most afraid of their past misdeeds being exposed are the least likely to destroy the only thing that can prove they didn't personally administer the drugs."

This method is very risky.

She's also very smart.

Feng happy participated in sealing off the gate.

Collect the hospital gowns.

Transfer to the medicine file.

He is guilty.

But he may not have personally poisoned the late empress.

The genuine artifact inside the sick clothes proves that the late empress was still reviewing accounts on her deathbed, and also proves who handled the sick clothes.

If Feng Xiruo destroys the license, the other five license holders will know that he has destroyed his license.

If he keeps it, he will be forever tied to the old desk by that sick gown.

The late empress did not believe him.

He was also included in the account.

"So the clothing tag has always been in Feng happy's hands?"

"uncertain."

Du Cheng said, "Nine years ago, after Madam Shen was arrested, Feng happy's men came to Yong'an looking for the Six-Pai Gate."

"They don't have clothing tags."

"Otherwise, the door wouldn't have stayed closed."

"Did Feng happy throw away his cards?"

"They might have hidden it."

"It could also be handed over to someone else."

"Who?"

Du Cheng looked north.

"Later, Lan Gu."

This brings us back to Lan Gu.

I've noticed that this group of people really likes to push trouble onto someone who doesn't have a fixed face.

Nothing can be found.

Aunt Lan took it.

Anyone died.

Lan Gu cleared it up.

Any old order suddenly comes back to life.

It was posted by Aunt Lan.

If this investigation continues, Lan Gu will become busier than the emperor.

I asked, "Who was the first Lan Gu?"

"His surname is Lan."

"name?"

"Lan Yue".

"The first Imperial Wardrobe Officer of the Imperial Wardrobe?"

"Yes."

"Didn't she die of illness in the thirteenth year of Seung-hee's reign?"

"suspended animation."

"Who changed it for her?"

"Bai Song".

Why did you save her?

"She relayed the first batch of orders to clear up old accounts on behalf of the late Empress."

"After Lady Wang began purging the old guard in Changning, she was the first to be written to die."

"And then?"

"She took Bai Song out of the capital."

"He also brought the blue card from the six-card set."

I recalled the old woman with a white film over her right eye that Luo Chenghai had confessed to.

Eleven years ago, I received a letter at the Yongfeng West counter.

A few days ago, he went to Beijing with Du Chang.

She is very likely Lan Yue.

The first Lan Gu.

The person who originally settled old scores for the late empress.

Later, "Lan Gu" became a messenger for the Clearing Accounts Association.

If Lan Yue were still alive, she would have watched her own name become a murder card; one wonders what she would think.

Du Xiangcheng guessed what I was thinking.

"Lan Yue is not the Lan Gu of today."

"It wasn't like that at least nine years ago."

"And now?"

"have no idea."

Again, I don't know.

I've heard too much today.

Just as I was about to ask more questions, the sound of horses' hooves suddenly came from below the riverbank.

More than one.

The torches drew closer from afar.

There were about two hundred people.

The leader was holding the Qingfeng County flag.

When Tao Kun saw the flag, it was like finally seeing someone who could save his life.

"Magistrate Xue has arrived!"

I stood up.

Xue Zhong, magistrate of Qingfeng County.

The holder of the other master switch key.

They are also the people who should really be present at tonight's opening ceremony.

Xue Zhong led the county soldiers to the high ground.

Around forty years old.

Face pale.

His beard was neatly trimmed.

He first looked at Tao Kun, who was tied up.

Let's look at the severed brake cable.

They only looked at me last.

"Lord Shen."

"I have received a report that the son of a rebel has trespassed on the river works, damaged the imperial sluice gates, and abducted the river works."

"We've come to arrest them."

I nodded.

"They came very quickly."

"The river works are in dire need of attention, so we must act quickly."

Who delivered the newspaper?

"River management officials".

When should it be delivered?

Xue Zhong paused for a moment.

"You Shi (5-7 PM)"

"I haven't reached the hour of You (5-7 PM) yet."

"How did you know from the report you received that I was the one who destroyed the power gate?"

The soldiers from the surrounding counties showed slight changes in their expressions.

Xue Zhong, however, remained calm.

"The whole north of the Yangtze River knows that Lord Shen has left the capital by imperial decree."

"You search the live warehouses all the way."

"The incident in Qingfeng is naturally related to you."

"That makes sense."

I said, "Then Magistrate Xue should also know that I have His Majesty's decree on me."

"Know."

"Do you want more?"

"The imperial edict orders you to investigate the distribution of relief grain and the register of those who have been released from poverty."

"I didn't ask you to destroy the sluice gate."

"I admit to the crime of destroying the dam."

"Before you take my money, explain why you opened the floodgates ahead of schedule."

Xue Chong frowned.

"With the autumn flood season approaching, the county is conducting a routine test of the sluice gates."

"Is it going to rain today?"

"The upstream waters are swift; we can't just look at our own county."

"Where's the water level register?"

"At the county government office."

"Where's the gate control?"

"This is my password."

I smiled.

Tao Kun said it was a test gate.

"You said it was a password."

"But there is a document in the gatehouse that bears the seal of Qingfeng County for opening the gate."

"Was Magistrate Xue's command a verbal password or a written document?"

Xue Zhong looked at Tao Kun.

Tao Kun immediately lowered his head.

When two people are only responsible for different parts of a project, they work well together.

Now that they're all in the same place, they're starting to not know whose advice to take.

I had the guards fetch the order to open the gate.

Zhenxian Seal.

Real signature.

The hour is written as 子时 (Zi Shi).

But the person who opened the gate had already taken action by the end of the day.

Xue Zhongdao said, "The gatekeeper's unauthorized advance is none of my business."

"Where is the gatekeeper?"

"Investigating."

"Where's the main switch key?"

"On my person."

"The other one is in Tao Kun's hands."

Tao Kun said urgently, "My keys were lost yesterday!"

I looked at him.

Why didn't you say so earlier?

"I forgot for a moment."

I failed to notice that he didn't come today.

I forgot to start the call.

Yan Xiaoyi returned from the gatehouse.

He was carrying a person in his hand.

He was a clerk in the county government.

A master switch key was hidden in his sleeve.

A red string was tied around her left wrist.

Five knots.

Half a wooden sign was hanging from the rope.

There is a single character on the back of the card.

grain.

The clerk was thrown to the ground.

Xue Zhong's expression finally changed.

I asked, "Do you recognize him?"

"There are many clerks in the county, and I..."

The clerk looked up and shouted:

"Sir, save me!"

Xue Zhong shut up.

Whether we know each other or not, there's no need to ask anymore.

Yan Xiaoyi searched the clerk's pocket and found another short order.

There is no name on it.

Write only eight characters.

Open the warehouse.

Sealed genuine product.

The short order was stamped with the private seal of the Wang family's West Courtyard.

Madam Wang knew that the first genuine token was on the Qingfeng River embankment.

She had the floodgates opened ahead of schedule, not just to flush out the twenty-three losses.

The black lacquer box also needs to be rinsed off.

If we hadn't come.

The box collapsed into the river along with the old dike.

The first real card is gone forever.

If we come.

Xue Zhong then arrested me on charges of destroying the sluice gate.

County soldiers can conduct body searches in public.

Take the cards back.

She had considered both options.

The only thing I didn't expect was that Bai Zhi didn't hand the cards to me.

Xue Zhong looked at the tent bag in Bai Zhi's arms.

His gaze lingered for only a moment.

Bai Zhi had already taken two steps back.

"What are you looking at?"

Xue Chongdao said, "The genuine token is an old item from the imperial court and should be handed over to the county government for safekeeping."

Bai Zhi asked, "What are you using as collateral?"

"Seal of Qingfeng County"

"The order to open the gates was also stamped with this seal."

"Then we absolutely cannot give it to them."

Xue Zhong's face darkened.

"How dare a commoner's accountant confiscate evidence belonging to the imperial court?"

Bai Zhi did not answer.

They just held the tent bag even tighter.

I walked in front of her.

"She's not stingy."

"He was a witness in the Censorate's account during the three-party verification process."

"If Magistrate Xue wants to get the token, he'll have to bring all 126 dead people in your county back to life first."

"Further explain why the twenty-three bodies were found in the embankment."

"Finally, explain why your person is holding a blue badge and opening the gate."

Xue Zhong looked around at the river workers.

These people are no longer queuing to board the bus.

Someone picked up a wooden stick.

Someone stood in front of the burial trough.

The county soldiers had knives.

There are more river workers.

If things really come to a head, it's not certain who will panic first.

Xue Zhong took a deep breath.

"Lord Shen."

"Are you trying to incite unrest in Qingfeng?"

"It wasn't me."

I said, "It's the people inside the dike who are talking."

How can the dead talk?

"The name will."

I asked Bai Zhi to open the revision book.

"A, number twenty-one, Xu Mu."

"A, number 13, Guo Cheng."

"Yi Qi, Liu Shuang."

One by one, the names were read out.

One by one, living people from the river construction team stepped forward to identify themselves.

This is my brother.

This is my uncle.

This is my village.

The body hasn't been exhumed yet.

But the name has already emerged from the embankment.

The county soldiers behind Xue Zhong began to lower their heads.

They may not necessarily sympathize with the river workers.

But no one is willing to kill for a dam that holds twenty-three bodies.

I looked at Xue Zhong.

"Take it down."

He suddenly stepped back.

The county soldiers did not move.

Gu Xingzhi was not present.

Yan Xiaoyi then saved him the trouble of taking a few steps.

He kicked Xue Zhong in the back of the knee.

The magistrate knelt down on the spot.

The official hat rolled to Tao Kun's feet.

The most respected person in a county.

Finally, he knelt before the living people he was about to wash away.

The old letter from Bai Song in the black lacquered box remains unopened.

But Madam Wang's brief order has already proven that the accountants are even more afraid of the real deal being exposed than we are.

As Xue Zhong was being led away, he suddenly looked at me and said something:

"Shen An".

"You think you can save Jiangbei by taking over one county?"

"At noon tomorrow, all the old records of those who died from the plague in the three prefectures will be sent to Qingzhou."

Why?

He smiled.

"Replace with a new booklet."

"Replace the old booklet."

"The person you write about today can die again tomorrow."