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

The person who collects my military pay has good handwriting.

At least they're better than me.

This is very careless.

Anyone in Beijing who has seen my official documents knows that my handwriting isn't bad.

It's just not bad-looking.

Especially when rushing to investigate a case, the last few lines often feel like being chased.

This pay slip, however, was written in neat, straight lines.

very patient.

Like someone who has no fear of being stabbed.

A seal was stamped next to the signature.

Seal:

The Prince Consort's Residence.

I stared at it for a long time.

"Do I have this mark?"

Fang Chengli shook his head.

Liang Su also shook his head.

Bai Zhi said, "There is no Prince Consort's residence."

"The prince consort resides in the princess's residence."

"Official business uses the seal of the Censorate."

"Use your own name as the seal for personal matters."

"Where did this seal come from?"

Ah Liu said seriously, "They probably think that since there are already so many young masters, it wouldn't look good if there were one less."

The person who made the seal knows a lot about my identity.

But they didn't understand that the position of imperial son-in-law was not a government office.

This was not made by the Ministry of Rites in the capital.

It's more like the locals, based on rumors, filled in a government office for me that sounded reasonable.

I asked Xu Mingzhang, "Where did the seal come from?"

"The supplies depot was sent to the Bureau of Records along with the document."

Whose writing is this?

"Order from the Ministry of War to allocate grain."

"Cao Heng?"

Xu Mingzhang nodded.

Cao Heng's habit of signing blank military orders has been causing harm all the way from the capital to Qingzhou.

We immediately headed to the Qingzhou military supply depot.

Liang Su did not remain in the examination hall.

He accompanied him personally.

He probably finally realized that sitting in the governor's office looking at the general accounts was not as good as standing in front of the warehouse and watching how others took his seal.

The Qingzhou military supply depot is located in the east of the city.

Upon hearing that the governor had arrived in person, the treasury official first paid his respects.

Take the key again.

The movements were very steady.

The tents had already been set up.

It's like we knew we'd come.

Bai Zhi flipped through only a few pages before asking, "Where are the rebels' provisions?"

The treasury official said, "We have already been transferred to Qingxia according to the urgent order from the Ministry of War."

"when?"

Six days ago.

"How many?"

"1,700 shi of military rations."

"To feed 847 people for a month, would that require 1700 shi (a unit of dry measure)?"

"Also included are provisions for marching."

"Where's the military uniform?"

"It travels along with the grain carts."

"weapon?"

"The old armory allocated five hundred short swords, three hundred long spears, and forty-seven bows."

Add the numbers together.

It is also 847.

Even medical workers and clerks were given weapons.

The accounting meeting demonstrated a fair understanding of the division of labor within the military.

Anyone can wield a knife as long as they are dead.

I asked, "Who will inspect it?"

The warehouse official handed over the receipt for the grain cart.

Qingxia General Warehouse.

Blue clothing verification.

No name.

There is only one gray-blue seal.

The seal face is not a flower.

It is an unfolded garment.

Half a broken orchid is carved on the collar.

"What is a blue-coated pit?"

The warehouse keeper said, "This is in accordance with the old regulations of the Qingxia General Warehouse."

"Every batch of military uniforms and the identity of new recruits are verified by the Blue Clothing Department."

"New recruit status?"

He realized he had said too much.

He immediately changed his tune: "This humble official is only responsible for distributing the funds from the treasury."

"Qingxia also has a Lanyifang (a clothing store)?"

Liang Su asked.

The treasury official bowed his head.

"The old military ration transfer warehouse has always existed."

"Who is in charge?"

"Managed by Luo's Grain Stores"

It's the Luo family again.

I ordered the sealing of the military supply depot and related accounts of the Yimin Army.

The treasury official did not resist.

He simply said, "Your Excellency, there are still daily supplies for the border troops in the treasury."

"Blocking it would harm the army."

"Only the Righteous People's Army will be granted a title."

Liang Sudao.

He finally learned that sealing the tent doesn't necessarily mean sealing the door.

The issuance date for Angelica dahurica will continue.

Six days ago.

It was completed one day earlier than the complete register of the Yimin Army.

Military rations, clothing, and weapons were the first to be transported.

Military register to be supplemented later.

This shows that they didn't care at all whether the more than 800 people in Qingzhou were willing to join the army.

The items were first sent to Qingxia.

People can be gathered gradually.

If there's a shortage of living people, use the accounts of dead people to fill the gaps.

If there's a shortage of dead people, they'll be manufactured on the road.

I picked up the grain cart receipt.

"Who holds the seal of the Imperial Son-in-Law's Mansion?"

The treasury official said, "The person receiving the pay."

"What does it look like?"

"In my early twenties."

"Wear the official robes of the Censorate."

"Where's your face?"

"With Lord Shen..."

He dared not continue.

I'll speak for him.

"Looks a lot like it?"

The treasury official nodded.

Chen Ping.

Or someone else wearing my identity.

The fake Shen An in Yong'an City was captured by Yan Xiaoyi.

But the underground workshops of the Shangyi Bureau wouldn't just prepare one face.

The sick prince consort.

A tyrant who murdered his ruler.

Young Master of the Southwest.

Each identity may be worn by more than one person.

I asked, "Is there a princess with him?"

"no."

"Who should I bring?"

"A woman in gray."

"Left hand?"

The treasury official pondered for a moment.

"Wear a leather case."

Lan Gu, who is missing her little finger.

They had already visited Qingzhou seven days ago.

At that time, I was still in Beijing investigating Wang Song.

They used my identity to receive military pay, weapons, and uniforms.

This isn't a case of framing me after I leave Beijing.

It has already walked my path.

I asked, "Which areas did the grain carts pass through?"

"East Post Station".

"Baishui Ferry".

"Southern County of Qingzhou".

"Finally, we entered Qingxia Gorge."

"Were you attacked?"

"no."

"Escorted by county soldiers along the way?"

"There is a decree from the Imperial Son-in-Law's residence."

"Who would recognize a government seal that doesn't even exist?"

The treasury official whispered, "Next to the seal is the deputy signatory of the Princess's Relief Supervision Office."

I looked at him.

"real?"

"The seal is verified as genuine."

Xiao Lingyi did not come to Qingzhou.

Her seal arrived before her once again.

The fake seal of the Princess's Mansion in the western courtyard of the Wang family was eventually stamped here.

They did not use it to directly forge military orders.

Used only as a secondary signature.

The order was issued by the Ministry of War.

Even if the auxiliary signature is 70% accurate, the local authorities will not stop supplying military rations for a single auxiliary mark.

Each fake office is not responsible for making decisions.

Their sole responsibility is to ensure that the genuine paperwork proceeds smoothly.

I asked Liang Su, "Is the Qingxia General Granary under the jurisdiction of Qingzhou?"

"Qingzhou borders the southwest and Jiangbei."

"Nominally under the jurisdiction of the Qingzhou Transport Office."

"It was actually jointly managed by grain merchants and border troops."

"Who can open a position?"

"Three-sided seal".

"Qingzhou Transport Seal"

"Old grain stamps of the Southwest Border Army".

"The Luo family's mother contract".

Now all three items are likely in Lady Wang's hands.

The seal of the transport office can be retrieved from the old warehouse.

The old grain seal from the Southwest was used as early as the fourteenth year of the Chengxi reign.

The Luo family's mother contract was one of the three grain contracts that Lady Wang took away.

The Qingxia General Warehouse no longer needs to wait for us.

It can be opened at any time.

Bai Zhi found the details of the forty-nine dead in the military pay list.

These dead people did not receive only one share.

Each person also received an extra settling-in allowance.

The reason given was that the unregistered new soldiers had nowhere to go, and the resettlement rations were stored by the military.

The dead have no home.

Therefore, both instances of settling down can be explained.

"Military rations plus resettlement rations."

Bai Zhi said, "Qingxia actually received at least 2,400 shi (a unit of dry measure).

"847 sets of military uniforms."

"Eight hundred and forty-seven weapons."

Where are they?

The warehouse keeper said, "The receipts for the main warehouse have all been completed."

"Are all 847 people here?"

"That's what it says on the ticket."

The 847 files from Qingzhou are still there.

All 798 living people have been recounted.

Qingxia had already received another 847 "righteous soldiers".

The same bugle call.

Two groups of people.

Qingzhou is the real name.

Nobody knows who Qingxia is.

I suddenly understood what the so-called blue-shirt verification was for.

It's not a clothing inspection.

It's about determining which living person is suitable to inhabit the identity of which dead person.

height.

age.

accent.

scar.

We'll see how many we can match.

If it doesn't match, cover it with your clothes.

As long as he has the military register, Jia Shiqi can be called Feng Dashan.

It can also be called Han Shi.

It could even involve a salt farmer who had been dead for five years.

I had people search the military supply depot for old clothing samples.

Sure enough, a blue-clad body scanner was left behind in the warehouse.

The height is carved on the wooden frame.

shoulder width.

Arm length.

There was also a record book without a cover next to it.

Each bugle call was followed by:

It's a few feet tall.

A few inches from the shoulder.

Where is the injury?

What accent do you speak?

This is not a standard military uniform size.

It's an identity size.

Bai Zhi turned to the last page.

"New Record".

Qingxia walnut shell.

A1 to A109.

Tonight at midnight.

The 109 people who were transferred from Yong'an and Qingfeng have been placed in the Lan Yi Fang (a type of clothing room).

Eight workers on the Qingfeng River.

One hundred and one households from Yong'an and Qingzhou who were previously affected by the epidemic.

They will lose their original names tonight.

I put on someone else's bugle.

I looked up at the sky.

It takes at least a day by fast horse from Qingzhou to Qingxia.

I missed midnight.

But the treasury official suddenly said, "There is a shortcut."

"where?"

"Qingzhou Old Salt River".

"The waterway is downstream, and it takes half a day to reach Qingxia Outer Warehouse."

Liang Su frowned.

"The Old Salt River was closed to navigation five years ago."

Why was it sealed off?

"The water is shallow."

"The official ship cannot pass."

Bai Zhi looked at the guard's tent.

"The Luo family's grain ships can pass."

For years, grain merchants have been smuggling salt into the river using small boats.

Official ships were shut down.

Private boats are allowed to sail.

It's very much in line with the rules of Jiangbei.

I asked, "Where is the boat?"

The treasury official pointed to the north of the city.

"Chen's Shipping Company".

The certificate of Qi Xiaoman, a fugitive from Qingfeng, who fell into the river, was also stamped with the seal of Chen's Shipping Company.

Another hidden passageway leading to the live warehouse.

Ah Liu whispered, "Young master, this shipping company is very busy."

"Dead people go into the water."

"Living people board the boat."

"Let's go see if they'll accept any censors today."

I put away the book of walnuts.

One hundred and nine people will not live to see tomorrow.

The reform of Qingzhou's list of successful reformers cannot be stopped.

I asked Liang Su to stay and preside over the event.

He asked, "Are you going to Qingxia?"

"Let's go by water first."

"Where are the soldiers?"

"don't want."

"The Qingxia General Warehouse already contains more than 800 weapons."

"You're only taking a dozen or so people?"

"If they bring too many, they can actually write that the imperial court is sending troops."

Liang Su looked at me.

"Shen An".

"You always end up using yourself to cover your debts."

"I'm afraid of dying."

"I didn't notice."

"Because Lord Liang only looks at the general ledger."

I turned around and left the warehouse.

Bai Zhi called out to me from behind.

"Don't go yet."

She pointed to the fake seal of the Prince Consort's residence.

There is a newly engraved small character at the bottom of the seal handle.

He is not a prince consort.

It wasn't Shen An either.

There is only one place name.

Qingxia, Shen Residence.

Next to the Qingxia General Warehouse, there is actually an old house belonging to the Shen family.