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

The writing on the paper crane was very clean.

It's so clean it doesn't look like a threat.

At midnight, at the bell tower of Ci'en Temple.

He came alone.

Take that half of the seal with you.

I watched it for a long time.

Ah Liu watched for a long time as well.

Then he looked up, his face full of sincerity, and asked, "Young master, could we pretend we didn't see anything?"

I folded the paper crane and tucked it into my sleeve.

"cannot."

Ah Liu sighed.

"I knew it."

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the alley wall and yawned.

"I also think we shouldn't go."

I looked at him with some surprise.

He said lazily, "This paper crane is hung so obviously, as if afraid you wouldn't pick it up. We arranged to meet at the Bell Tower of Ci'en Temple, a high place with narrow roads, and no one around at this hour. If I were to commit murder, I'd also prefer a place like this."

Ah Liu nodded immediately.

"Master Yan is right!"

Yan Xiaoyi glanced at him.

"Don't call me 'sir,' it makes me sound old."

Ah Liu immediately changed his tune: "Brother Yan is right!"

I asked Yan Xiaoyi, "So what do you think we should do?"

"Go back to the mansion and sleep."

"..."

This person certainly doesn't seem like an inside guard.

Even the coldest person in the inner guard wouldn't talk about sleeping so confidently.

I shook my head.

"I have to go."

Yan Xiaoyi frowned: "Are all you scholars crazy? You know it's a trap, but you still insist on stepping into it."

I corrected him.

"I am an imperial censor."

"Is there a difference?"

"Yes. For scholars, falling into traps is a matter of integrity; for censors, it's just a job."

Yan Xiaoyi was silent for a moment, then said seriously, "It's better for scholars to die with dignity."

Ah Liu whispered from the side, "Young master, why don't we resign from our official posts?"

I glanced at him.

He immediately shut up.

I visited Ci'en Temple once during the day.

Back then, I borrowed the princess's carriage to leave the city, pretending to be an accountant, but actually I was looking for Fang Zhoushi. Now, only a few days later, I have to go to the bell tower of Ci'en Temple in the middle of the night to meet an accountant who I don't know if he's a human or a ghost.

The capital city is a strange place.

The more you try to stay away from danger, the more polite danger becomes, even sending you paper cranes in advance to make an appointment.

I didn't go immediately.

He first went back to a nearby alley and, using the back wall of a closed liquor store, took out the thin paper with half an ink pad on it.

The ink pad is too light; it's not safe to take it directly with you.

If the other party takes it away, I won't even have half a "nei" (inner/inner) left.

I took a small piece of charcoal from Ah Liu's arms.

Ah Liu was stunned.

"Young master, I found this on the road to warm my hands."

"borrow."

I placed the back of the paper over another blank sheet and gently traced it with charcoal.

A blurry red and black shadow was drawn out from the edge of the inkpad.

Although not as clear as the original, at least half of the character "内" and a border of the seal can be seen.

I folded the original paper and stuffed it into the lining of the shoe sole.

Put the rubbing paper into your sleeve.

Ah Liu was stunned.

"Young master, you even hide things in the soles of your shoes?"

"My dad taught me that."

"The master is such a meticulous person."

"His exact words to me were: the hardest place to search a living person is the place that smells the worst."

The admiration on Ah Liu's face gradually faded.

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the wall and looked around, then suddenly chuckled.

"No wonder His Majesty said you were hard to kill."

My hand paused.

"Does Your Majesty really say that?"

"almost."

"What were the exact words?"

Yan Xiaoyi thought for a moment.

He said, "People like you are troublesome to kill."

I felt no joy whatsoever.

To be described by the emperor as troublesome to kill sounds less like a compliment and more like a butcher describing a pig that's difficult to control.

I wrote another short message.

The letter contained only a few sentences.

If I do not return before dawn, there are copper button molds in the dark room of the Tao family's iron workshop, and clues about the person who entrusted the tent in the bell tower of Ci'en Temple.

He handed it over to Zhao Guanlan of the Censorate.

After I finished writing it, I handed it to Ah Liu.

Ah Liu's hands trembled as he received the letter.

"Young master, what does this mean?"

"The second move."

"What about the younger one?"

"Go back to the manor."

Ah Liu was taken aback.

"Young master, aren't you taking me with you?"

"It says on the paper, 'Come alone.'"

Ah Liu first breathed a sigh of relief, then felt a little sad.

"If I don't go, will the young master be left without anyone to serve him?"

"Won't."

"Isn't there anyone to take the blow for you?"

I looked at him.

He shrank his neck.

"Then I should go back to the manor."

I patted him on the shoulder.

"If I return before dawn, burn this letter. If I do not return before dawn, go to the Censorate, but do not look for the Princess's residence or Manager Chen."

Ah Liu's relaxed expression disappeared.

He knew I meant it.

"Why not go to the Princess's residence?"

"The princess's residence is now under surveillance. If we make any further moves against her, Fang Zhou and her son may be exposed."

"Where is Manager Chen?"

"Manager Chen will tell my father."

Ah Liu stopped talking.

He may be a chatterbox, but he's not stupid.

Once my father's men find out that I went to Ci'en Temple to meet the person who entrusted me with the debt at midnight, Xu Sandao will probably arrive before the Ministry of Works.

It was already late at night when we emerged from the dark alley.

The fire in the east of the city hadn't completely died down yet, and the faint sounds of the Imperial Guards searching could be heard in the distance. Gu Xingzhi had probably already arrived at the Tao family's ironworks.

I'm not worried about whether he'll find the secret room.

My concern is that he investigated too thoroughly.

I was cleaned up until tomorrow's court session. All the evidence had already been put into the emperor's box, and I was left only with a layer of dust on my body.

Yan Xiaoyi followed me toward Ci'en Temple.

I glanced at him.

"A person is written on the paper."

"I know."

"Then why are you still following me?"

"I am ordered to protect you."

"Didn't you just say that you weren't included?"

Yan Xiaoyi said matter-of-factly, "I'm not going upstairs."

"Where are you going?"

"Sleep outside the clock tower."

I've discovered that when I try to reason with this person about rules, I'm the one who ends up losing out.

Ci'en Temple is very quiet at night.

During the day, many pilgrims visit, and the sound of the bell can be heard in the distance; at night, only the shadows of trees and the sound of the wind remain. The mountain gate is half-closed, and there are no monks at the entrance; a thin layer of dust has settled on the steps.

I paused in front of the door.

Yan Xiaoyi also stopped.

He looked up at the direction of the clock tower, and his lazy gaze changed slightly.

"There's someone there."

"several?"

"not much."

"Not many, how many?"

"At least three."

I remained silent for a moment.

"Is this what you mean by 'suitable for murder'?"

Yan Xiaoyi nodded.

"Yes, it suits me even better than I thought."

I really wanted to turn around and leave.

But the rubbings in my sleeve, the original paper on the sole of my shoe, the death of Fang Yuanshi, and the lives of Fang Zhoushi and her son were all pushing me forward.

Sometimes, it's not about being brave.

There are too few options for retreat.

I went up the clock tower.

The stairs were narrow, the wooden planks were old and creaked underfoot. With each creak, I felt an inch closer to death.

A large bell hangs on the clock tower.

The bell is old and worn, with verdigris on the edges. The bell rope hangs in the shadows, like the long tongue of a hanged man.

There's no one upstairs.

At least there's no one in the public eye.

I stood beneath the clock and said, "I've arrived."

The wind seeped in from all sides.

The bell swayed slightly and emitted a very low hum.

A moment later, a voice came from behind the bell.

"Lord Shen is bolder than I thought."

The voice was low, with a scholarly air, but it was deliberately suppressed.

I can't see people.

All that could be seen in the shadows behind the bell was a glimpse of a gray robe.

"I'm not very brave," I said. "I'd rather know who wants me dead than die in this mansion."

The man seemed to smile.

"Fang Yuanshi was right about him."

A thought struck me.

"You know Fang Yuanshi."

"know."

"Are you the person who entrusted the debt?"

He did not answer immediately.

After a while, he said, "Fang Yuanshi has entrusted things to many people. I'm just one of them."

Those words sent a chill down my spine.

A lot of people.

In other words, Fang Yuanshi knew he wouldn't live much longer before he died, so he broke up the evidence and distributed it to different people.

The small stone was just one example.

"Where's the account?" I asked.

"Lord Shen is too hasty."

"We have to hurry. Fang Yuanshi is dead, Fang Zhou and her son almost died, and I almost got smashed into a pancake in the blacksmith's workshop."

The person behind the bell was silent for a moment.

"The Tao family's ironworks have indeed made their move."

"Did you know they were going to take action?"

"I know they won't dare let you leave alive for too long."

"Then why did you lead me there?"

My tone turned cold.

"Lord Shen, if I don't let you see the copper clasp mold with your own eyes, would you believe me?"

I didn't say anything.

will not.

Everyone in the capital was only saying half a sentence.

The emperor said half a sentence, Gu Xingzhi said half a sentence, the princess said half a sentence, and now even this person who entrusted the tent said half a sentence.

But if you hear half a sentence too often, you'll develop a problem.

Believe only what you see.

"Did you bring half a seal?" he asked.

I took out the rubbing paper from my sleeve.

It's not the original paper.

Zhong Hou stretched out a hand.

That hand was thin, with long knuckles and no calluses on the base of the thumb; it didn't look like a blacksmith's hand, nor did it look like an assassin's.

Like someone who holds a pen all year round.

I didn't hand the paper over.

"What about your other half?"

The man whispered, "Lord Shen is more cautious than Fang Yuanshi."

"He was careless, so he died."

The Empress Dowager fell silent for a moment.

I know this sounds harsh.

But the truth is usually hard to hear.

The man handed another piece of paper from behind the bell.

Half a sticky ink pad was also stuck to the back of the paper.

I didn't go closer, I just reached out and took it.

Two sheets of rubbing paper were put together.

The red and black imprints, pieced together, revealed four blurry characters.

Inner warehouse/material storage room.

I stared at those four words, and my heart slowly sank.

The inner treasury is not a place you can just casually mention.

The Ministry of Works used its own accounts to repair the river. Silver went through the Ministry of Revenue, while materials went through local governments. But now, the fragmented accounts left by Fang Yuanshi point to the Imperial Treasury time and time again.

This shows that the Yongning River case was not just about the Ministry of Works embezzling funds.

Someone transferred money or materials that should have been used for river repairs into the palace's treasury.

Foreign officials cannot access the palace's accounts.

Even the Censorate couldn't investigate.

Unless the emperor agrees.

But what if the emperor had known earlier?

I suddenly remembered the way Xiao Jingheng looked at me in the side hall.

He asked me to investigate the Yongning River case; does he really want me to investigate the Ministry of Works?

Or do I have to pry open a door for him that even he himself can't open?

The man behind the bell said, "The one Fang Yuanshi hid in the small stone wasn't the account."

I looked up.

"What is it?"

"It's that half of the seal sample."

My heart skipped a beat.

So what was originally hidden inside the little stone was half of what was printed in the inner warehouse.

Someone stole the small stone, not to get the complete ledger, but to get the half of the seal that could prove the involvement of the Imperial Treasury.

"Where's the bill?" I asked.

"The accounts cannot be kept in one place."

"Where?"

"South of the city."

He paused.

"Old warehouse."

I frowned.

Which old warehouse?

The man did not answer, but instead handed over a small piece of wood.

The wooden sign was only half-finished, with a few words engraved on it.

Dingmao year, thirty-seven.

I took the wooden sign.

"What is this?"

"The last warehouse number Fang Yuanshi found before his death."

"Number 37, Old Warehouse in the South of the City?"

"Maybe."

"Maybe?"

"I'm only responsible for handing this over to the person who can continue the investigation."

I chuckled.

"You don't even know who I am, yet you dare to hand me over?"

"I understand."

The person behind the bell suddenly lowered their voice.

"Shen An, a man from the southwest, cannot only audit the emperor's accounts."

My fingers tightened suddenly.

he knows.

He knew I was from the southwest.

They know that I have a relationship with Shen Lie.

The wind outside suddenly picked up.

I didn't move immediately.

The dagger is hidden in my sleeve. If he says one more thing he shouldn't, I might not be able to kill him, but at least I can shut him up.

The woman behind the bell did not press the matter further.

"Don't worry, if I wanted to expose you, I would have done so already."

"Who exactly are you?"

"A person who doesn't want anyone to die anymore."

This answer sounds like nonsense.

But his tone didn't seem like it.

Just as I was about to ask further questions, a soft sound came from downstairs.

Like a tile being crushed by someone stepping on it.

The person behind the bell immediately fell silent.

I held my breath too.

The next instant, a crossbow bolt shot from the stairwell.

It wasn't aimed at me.

It was shot at Zhong Hou.

The gray-robed man groaned and his figure blurred.

My expression changed, and I immediately rushed over and grabbed the bell rope.

The bell rang loudly.

Boom!

The bells rang out in the night.

The entire Ci'en Temple seemed to be awakened by this sound.

The footsteps downstairs suddenly became chaotic.

I drew my short blade as the bell rang, and rolled to the side, skimming along the bell.

The second crossbow bolt grazed my shoulder and embedded itself in the wooden post.

Wood chips flew everywhere, stinging my face.

A voice downstairs said coldly, "Kill them."

I cursed inwardly.

Can't these people in the capital come up with some new and fresh methods?

They'll either silence them or seal off the door.

I touched the bell.

The man in the gray robe knelt on the ground, an arrow wound in his shoulder, blood quickly soaking his clothes.

I reached out to help him.

He grabbed my wrist and shoved something into my palm.

It is a small copper key.

It's very small, and the key handle is engraved with the number "thirty-seven".

"The old granary in the south of the city".

His voice was so low it was almost inaudible.

"Don't trust... people who wear official boots."

I frowned.

"Who?"

He didn't answer.

The footsteps downstairs were getting closer.

I pulled him into the shadow of the bell.

"Are you still able to walk?"

He gasped for breath.

"I can't leave."

"Then why did you ask me to come up here?"

"Someone has to... take over the bill."

He said it very softly.

It was as light as Fang Yuanshi had said before he died.

I feel a tightness in my chest.

I don't like this kind of entrustment.

I came to the capital just to survive.

But these dead, half-dead, and dying people all stuffed things into my hands, as if I were someone very trustworthy.

Heaven and earth conscience.

I don't even really believe in myself.

The people downstairs have already climbed the wooden stairs.

I gripped the short blade tightly, ready to fight.

Just then, Yan Xiaoyi's lazy voice came from outside the clock tower.

"Feed".

The footsteps downstairs paused.

Yan Xiaoyi said, "He came alone, not you."

The next moment, a muffled thud came from downstairs.

Someone fell down the stairs.

Someone let out a low scream.

Someone swore, but then fell silent before finishing the sentence.

Yan Xiaoyi did not go upstairs as expected.

He simply knocked all the people coming upstairs downstairs.

Very disciplined.

They're also really annoying.

I breathed a sigh of relief and looked back at the gray-robed man.

After the bell, all was empty.

The person has disappeared.

There was only a pool of blood on the ground.

And a piece of gray robe tattered and soaked in blood.

I was taken aback for a moment.

How could he walk after being wounded by an arrow?

Or did someone take him away?

Downstairs, Yan Xiaoyi shouted, "Lord Shen, is he dead yet?"

I put away the brass key and the wooden plaque, and wiped away the half-drop of blood on the ground.

"not yet."

Yan Xiaoyi sighed.

"That's a pity, I'll have to keep protecting them."

I walked down the clock tower.

Ah Liu is not here.

Yan Xiaoyi stood at the top of the stairs, with two people lying at his feet, each holding a short crossbow.

His face was unusually not so tired.

"Army crossbow".

I looked at him.

"What?"

He handed me the crossbow.

"This is not a cheap knock-off, nor can it be made by an ordinary craftsman."

I took the crossbow, and my heart sank.

First, the Ministry of Works.

Next is the internal treasury.

Now crossbows have appeared.

The Yongning River case has become increasingly tangential and no longer resembles a river at all.

The large bell at Ci'en Temple was still swaying slightly.

The echoes of the bells had not yet faded, but the night had grown even deeper.

I looked down at the small brass key in my palm.

The number "Thirty-Seven" on the key handle was stained red with blood.

The old granary south of the city.

The next pit has already been dug for me.