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

The Qingzhou officials arrived earlier than noon.

Three hundred people outside Yong'an City.

There are another two hundred in the Qingfeng direction.

They did not bring any weapons.

They only brought a van.

Each vehicle had a seal affixed to it.

Old records of those who died in the Jiangbei epidemic.

Collect and store in a unified manner.

They look like they're here on official business.

If we hadn't unearthed over four hundred living people from the old records, I probably would have thought they were just hardworking local errand boys.

The leading official was the Deputy Commissioner of the Records Department of the Governor's Office.

His name is Fang Chengli.

In his forties.

He was very courteous when he met Xiao Lingyi.

"I am acting on the orders of the Jiangbei Governor's Office to collect the old records of those who died from the plague in the three prefectures."

"Please do me this favor, Your Highness."

Xiao Lingyi asked, "Where is the original general order?"

Fang Chengli handed over the documents.

The security measures are genuine.

The paper is real.

The experience of the Sigeshi is also true.

The only missing item was the red-lined double moon verification slip mentioned by Zhaoyue.

Xiao Lingyi did not directly say it was a lie.

He only asked, "Are you aware of the rules for re-registering those who died of plague fourteen years after Chengxi's reign?"

Fang Chengli remained expressionless.

"The old rules were too complicated."

"Given the urgent disaster situation in Jiangbei, Your Excellency has granted special permission to simplify the process."

"Is there an approval document for simplifying the process?"

"The general order is the same as the approval document."

"Who authorized the governor to abolish the late empress's old system?"

Fang Chengli finally paused for a moment.

"The old system established by the late empress is not a formal law of the imperial court."

"Without a clear repeal, the old practices will continue."

I spoke from the side.

"These days, you all seem to prefer using old practices."

"Why is it that the old rules that could stop you are disregarded?"

Fang Chengli looked at me.

"Lord Shen is ordered to investigate the grain contracts between Yong'an and the Wang family."

"We have no right to interfere with the allocation of archives in the three prefectures."

"Is this sentence also written in the general order?"

"The governor's office has its own authority."

"Then please have the governor come in person."

Fang Chengli said in a deep voice, "The governor is stationed in Qingzhou; how could he possibly come here personally for a minor case in a county?"

The seventy-two men in front of the old granary all heard it.

Someone repeated in a low voice:

"A minor case in a county."

Seventy-two living people.

Twenty-three corpses on the embankment.

One hundred and twenty-six unregistered river workers.

In the eyes of the governor's office, it was just a minor case in a county.

I think that makes a lot of sense.

It only makes sense when the other person isn't human.

Fang Chengli continued, "If Lord Shen insists on obstructing this, he will be defying the governor's order."

"You will bear the consequences."

I nodded.

"Can."

"But the old books cannot be given."

"What gives you the right to deduct?"

"The person listed as dead is still alive."

I asked Ah Liu to open the register in front of the old warehouse.

His voice hasn't recovered yet.

The first sound was still hoarse.

"Zhou Guiniang!"

The old woman stepped out from the crowd.

He was holding up a temporary reinstatement certificate.

"live."

"Zhou Daniu!"

The old man stood up.

"live."

"Tian Cheng!"

Tian Cheng held his back.

The wound has not yet healed.

He still stood up.

"live."

One by one.

All seventy-two people from the Yong'an Old Warehouse stood in front of the old register.

The constables behind Fang Chengli began to whisper among themselves.

They came to collect the list of those who died from the plague.

Now those on the death toll of the epidemic have stepped forward themselves and are not allowed to take it.

Fang Chengli said: "A few individuals falsely claiming ownership are not enough to negate the replacement of the registers by the three prefectures."

Bai Zhi carried out the Qingfeng revised volume from the back.

"Then add another one hundred and twenty-six."

"Ninety-four workers from the Qingfeng River are on higher ground."

"Twenty-three people died in the dike."

"Eight people were transferred to Qingxia."

One person is missing.

"The names, old records, grain accounts, and work registers all match up."

"Is that considered an isolated case?"

Fang Chengli's expression finally turned ugly.

"These matters should be reviewed by the governor's office."

"We were just about to review it for you."

I said, "But not by taking away the old books."

"Right here."

"To do it in front of a living person."

"The governor's office has limited manpower and cannot stay in each county for long."

"Then let's take our time with the nuclear test."

"There is a time limit for exchanging registers in the three prefectures."

"Who made that decision?"

"Your Excellency the Governor."

"Does human life have a time limit?"

Fang Chengli did not answer.

He turned to look at the van.

"Collect the books."

Three hundred constables went forward.

The Imperial Guards and the Princess's Palace Guards blocked them at the same time.

The soldiers from Yong'an County also stood in front of the old granary.

Lin Huan has not yet recovered.

He was still wearing the official robes of a county magistrate and was being supported by others.

He only had half of the genuine county seal.

But he stood very straight.

"The old records of Yong'an shall not be allowed to leave the county without being reviewed by the Red Line Double Moon."

Fang Chengli said coldly, "Lin Huan, you have lost your official seal and county seat, and you are still awaiting punishment."

"Yes."

"A person awaiting punishment has no right to issue orders."

"I will not give the order."

Lin Huan said, "I will only testify."

"It proves that at least 73 people were falsely reported as having died from the epidemic, according to the old records of Yong'an County."

"This booklet is evidence."

"If the governor's office forcibly takes evidence, it must first obtain a warrant from the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, or His Majesty."

Fang Chengli took out the governor's seal.

"Is this seal insufficient?"

I took out the imperial edict to open the account.

"Then let's see who's bigger."

The two seals were placed together.

A seal of office belonging to the Governor of Jiangbei.

A token personally bestowed by the emperor, issued by imperial decree to open the tent.

Fang Chengli did not order anyone to advance.

The officialdom can be complicated at times.

Sometimes it's simple.

Whoever has the bigger seal speaks first.

I had Bai Zhi erect three wooden signs outside the old warehouse.

The first piece.

The living lists of Yong'an and Qingfeng have been verified.

The second piece.

The total number of deaths from the epidemic in the three prefectures in the past three years.

The third piece.

Suspension of items.

For those listed in the epidemic death register, the transfer of land ownership will be temporarily suspended.

The confiscation of family property by those who have died out will be temporarily suspended.

Temple donations are suspended from being reimbursed.

Unregistered persons in river works, salt fields, and grain routes will have their transfers suspended.

All records of those who died from the epidemic were copied in triplicate.

One copy is kept by the county.

A copy is kept by the Censorate.

A copy is kept by the Princess's Residence Supervision Office.

The original register must not leave the county.

Fang Chengli finished reading and sneered.

"Is Lord Shen planning to establish a new law?"

"It's not a new law."

"Don't rush to change the paper before the old debts are settled."

"You're ordering the suspension of farmland and river works in the three prefectures based solely on an imperial decree to investigate a case?"

"Only those related to deaths from the epidemic will be suspended."

"Jiangbei will descend into chaos."

"It's already in chaos."

I pointed to the seventy-two people.

"It was just messed up underground before."

"You cannot see it."

More and more people gathered to watch.

Someone came from a neighboring county.

He held in his hand the certificate of death of his loved one due to the epidemic.

Some people say they saw their father again at the saltworks after his death.

Some say that the husband was taken away by the county officials for medical treatment, and three days later he was reported to have died of the plague.

Some people only come to ask one question:

"If your name is on the list, does that mean you might still be alive?"

No one can guarantee that.

Some people did die.

Some are alive.

Some died in the live cellar.

The cruelest thing is not knowing whether your loved ones are dead or alive.

The government has already decided for you that you don't need to look for it anymore.

I walked up to the third empty list.

I picked up my pen and wrote down three characters.

Change the list.

Ah Liu stood by and watched.

"Young master, what does this notice say?"

"Write down all the people who come to identify you."

"Record even a single sentence, an old object, or a scar."

"We'll check if it's true or not later."

"Leave your name first."

Bai Zhi frowned.

"There will be imposters."

"That's why it's called the Clue Ranking."

"Not a registered household."

"But we can't prevent a single real person from speaking just because we're afraid of ten dummies."

She thought about it.

nod.

Soon, the first old woman stepped forward.

Her son was reported to have died of the epidemic two years ago.

His name is Li Hesheng.

The left ear is missing a corner.

I can make bamboo baskets.

The last time he was seen was on a salt cart in Nanxian County, Qingzhou.

Write down all of Angelica dahurica.

The second person said the older sister was missing.

The third person said the father might be working at the river.

In less than an hour, the revised list was filled with writing.

We can only erect a second one.

The third piece.

The number of names is increasing.

The three hundred constables brought by Fang Chengli did not confiscate a single old book.

Instead, Lin Huan assigned him to copy books.

Fang Chengli angrily retorted, "They came on the orders of the governor!"

Lin Huan said, "It's perfect timing since I can read."

I think Lin Huan has a very promising future as a county magistrate.

He's at least better at using people than Sun Jing.

Fang Chengli still wanted to refuse.

Some of his officers had already taken their seats at the table.

It wasn't a sudden change of heart.

They also discovered that someone in their hometown was on the list of those who had changed their lives.

The officials from Jiangbei were also people from Jiangbei.

A clearing-up meeting allows each person to do only a small part.

But when the name is placed in front of you, that small section suddenly becomes heavy.

In the evening, the first batch of copies was sent out of Yong'an.

We will not use post stations.

One person each from the Censorate, the Princess's Residence, and Yong'an County accompanied them.

Each of the three people kept one copy.

The routes are different.

Even if one copy is intercepted, the other two copies remain.

The first batch does not include all the old books.

It's just the list of 412 people that has been verified.

I had it sent to Qingzhou, the capital, and Qingfeng simultaneously.

It's not about waiting for the governor's approval.

The first step is to let everyone know that these people have been given new names.

At night, Fang Chengli finally confessed.

He agreed to suspend the book collection for one day.

The condition was that I had to go to Qingzhou in person to verify the order for changing the register with the Governor of Jiangbei.

This was our next step.

I agree.

Before he left, he handed me a private letter that wasn't included in the official document register.

"The governor instructed me to deliver this."

When was it written?

Seven days ago.

It's been seven days since then.

I opened the letter.

There was no small talk inside.

Only one sentence:

If Imperial Censor Shen can revive the dead in Yong'an, then come to Qingzhou.

I have 847 left here.

I looked at that sentence.

Madam Wang prepared to leave Beijing seven days ago.

The governor knew seven days ago that I would be going to Jiangbei.

Not all local officials work for the accounting committee.

At least the person who wrote this letter seems to be waiting for someone who dares to keep the old books.

However, there was a very faint red mark on the back of the letter.

Two moons.

Changning old review signature.

The governor of Jiangbei even had some items left behind by the late empress.