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

When I rushed back to the Censorate, it was already in chaos.

It wasn't the kind of chaotic mess that's caused by chickens and dogs running around.

The people of the Censorate are, after all, imperial censors; even when they scold others, they follow certain rules, and their chaos is always quite restrained.

Being able to control oneself doesn't mean one isn't panicking.

Two bailiffs stood under the porch in the backyard, their faces pale.

Ah Liu ran ahead, almost tripping over the threshold. He grabbed a pillar and shouted, "Young Master is back!"

Immediately, someone lifted the curtain and came out of the room.

Zhao Guanlan.

His face was as somber as the tea in the Qian family mansion.

"Shen An".

"Is the person still alive?"

"To live."

I had just breathed a sigh of relief when he added, "But it won't last long."

I swallowed the anger that had been building up inside me.

Before entering the room, I smelled a medicinal odor.

It's very light.

It's so faint that if my dad hadn't forced me to identify all sorts of poisonous plants since I was little, I probably wouldn't have been able to smell it at all.

Inside the room, Liu Laoqi lay on the couch, his face ashen, with black blood still smeared at the corner of his mouth.

His eyes were half-open, and his breathing was short and rapid, like a broken bellows.

Standing to the side was an old physician invited by the Censorate, his forehead covered in sweat.

He held silver needles in his hand, and his complexion was not much better than the patient's.

I asked, "What kind of poison?"

The old physician glanced at Zhao Guanlan and hesitated before saying, "It looks like aconite, but not entirely. It's been inside for some time; it wasn't just taken in."

My heart sank.

It wasn't just downloaded.

In other words, Qian Rong had no intention of poisoning anyone in the Censorate.

He logged off a long time ago.

When we found Liu Laoqi, he appeared to be alive, but he was actually half dead.

The reason Qian Rong was so composed when he invited me for tea was not because he could send someone into the Censorate to silence me.

Rather, he knew that Liu Laoqi would die on his own.

I walked to the tatami mat.

Liu Laoqi's lips turned purple, and his fingers twitched incessantly.

Ah Liu whispered, "Young master, he vomited twice just now. Lord Zhao didn't have anyone give him medicine, he just wiped his mouth with warm water."

I glanced at Ah Liu.

"well done."

Ah Liu was stunned.

They probably didn't expect to receive a compliment at a time like this.

His eyes reddened slightly, and he quickly lowered his head.

"It was the young master who said before that we shouldn't eat or drink indiscriminately."

The old physician sighed, "We dare not prescribe medicine recklessly now. If the poison penetrates too deeply, a strong dose might not be enough to help the patient."

Zhao Guanlan asked me, "What did Qian Rong say?"

I briefly recounted the events at the Qian residence.

Petition.

Impeachment petition.

Liu Laoqi's bad deeds.

And then there's Qian Rong's line—whether Liu Laoqi can live to see tomorrow is neither up to me nor up to you.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Guanlan's eyes turned cold.

"He calculated it correctly."

"Um."

"I knew you would save people, and I also knew they wouldn't live long."

"So we can't let him be that accurate."

I looked at the old physician.

"Can it be held up for two hours?"

The old physician's expression changed.

"Two hours? Lord Shen, this is a matter of human life, not lamp oil. You can't just hang someone like that?"

"What about half an hour?"

The old physician hesitated.

"If we just want to keep him from dying, maybe we can try."

"Can you speak?"

The old doctor looked at me like I was crazy.

"Lord Shen, he's on the verge of death, and you still want him to speak?"

I didn't say anything.

I know that's inhumane.

But if Liu Laoqi doesn't speak up, his life will be taken away for nothing.

Fang Yuanshi left behind a small stone before he died.

The old warehouse guard was clutching the "money slip" before he died.

With his last bit of strength, Liu Laoqi hid "I'm still alive" in the truck bed.

They don't want to be cried over.

Someone told others what they had seen.

Zhao Guanlan said in a deep voice, "Take a statement."

The old physician exclaimed urgently, "Lord Zhao!"

"Take his statement." Zhao Guanlan looked at Liu Laoqi on the bed. "If he can wake up, take the statement. If he can't wake up, save his life first."

The old physician gritted his teeth and began administering acupuncture.

As the silver needles were inserted one by one, Liu Laoqi's body convulsed even more violently.

Ah Liu didn't dare to look, turned his head away, but couldn't help turning back again.

As I stood by the couch, I suddenly noticed a faint purple mark on Liu Laoqi's neck.

It's not a ligature mark.

It looked more like the fingerprints left when someone grabbed his chin and forced him to drink something.

I reached out and pulled open his collar.

There was more than one trace.

There are abrasions on the chin, side of the neck, and corner of the mouth.

"He was drugged."

The old doctor paused.

Zhao Guanlan walked over.

I pointed it out to him.

"Before we found him, someone had force-fed him something. The strong sour smell in the abandoned vinegar shop in Xiliu Lane masked the smell of the medicine."

Ah Liu immediately said, "No wonder he asked for water the first thing after waking up."

I nodded.

"His throat was injured from being forced to drink it."

Zhao Guanlan's expression grew even colder.

"They don't want him to die immediately; they want him to be rescued and then die."

That's the most ruthless part.

Liu Laoqi died in Xiliu Lane; he was merely a rickshaw puller who was silenced.

Liu Laoqi died in the Censorate because the Censorate failed to protect him properly.

If Qian Rong's indictment were to surface again, claiming that Shen An forced confessions from innocent people and that Liu Laoqi died of poisoning after being taken to the Censorate, then I would be unable to clear my name even if I jumped into the old canal.

Qian Rong's tea has a really strong aftereffect.

Suddenly, a constable entered from outside the door.

"Lord Zhao, someone from the Ministry of Works has arrived."

Zhao Guanlan's eyes darkened.

"Who?"

"Wu Zheng, a senior official in the Ministry of Works, said that Liu Laoqi was involved in the theft of items from the old warehouse of the Ministry of Works. He was ordered by Vice Minister Qian to come and bring people to assist in the investigation."

Ah Liu got anxious.

"Coming to bring someone up now? The person's almost dead!"

I'm not surprised at all.

Qian Rong won't give us a chance to breathe.

Before Liu Laoqi died, he asked for people.

After Liu Laoqi died, he wanted his body.

In short, we cannot let this mouth remain in the hands of the Censorate.

Zhao Guanlan looked at me.

"You stay here."

He finished speaking, turned around, and went out.

I didn't go out with them.

In situations like this, Zhao Guanlan is better suited to block the door than I am.

He's a higher-ranking official than me, has a tougher temper, and most importantly, he wasn't the one causing trouble outside last night.

I stayed behind and kept an eye on Liu Laoqi.

After the old doctor finished the acupuncture, he gave Liu Laoqi some warm salt water, and Liu Laoqi let out a low groan.

I immediately bent down.

"Liu Laoqi".

His eyelids twitched.

"Liu Laoqi, this is Shen An, the one who called for fire."

His lips moved slightly.

I couldn't hear clearly, so I moved closer.

His voice sounded like it was being scraped out of his throat.

"water……"

Just as Ah Liu was about to move, I raised my hand to stop him.

"Don't give it to me yet."

A hint of pain appeared in Liu Laoqi's eyes.

I whispered, "You've been poisoned; you can't drink anything you want. If you want to live, listen to me."

That's a cruel statement.

But it's useful.

When someone is dying, a word of truth is worse than false comfort.

Liu Laoqi's eyes moved slowly.

I asked, "Who poisoned you?"

His lips trembled.

"Gray... gray clothes..."

"several?"

"two……"

"Is the person wearing official boots here?"

His breathing became rapid.

The old physician whispered a reminder: "Don't push too hard."

I paused for a moment.

Ah Liu took a wet cloth and wiped Liu Laoqi's mouth.

Liu Laoqi glanced at A Liu, then suddenly seemed to remember something and twitched his finger.

Ah Liu quickly grabbed it.

"Speak, I'm listening."

Liu Laoqi said with difficulty, "I...I didn't steal the car."

Ah Liu's eyes reddened.

"We know, we know."

"Seventh Brother...didn't steal..."

"Um."

"The box... has a tag..."

I looked at the constable beside me.

"remember."

The bailiffs immediately laid out paper.

I asked, word by word.

Who hired the car last night?

Liu Laoqi said haltingly, "Those wearing official boots... give them silver... silver from the Ministry of Works..."

"Where did the car go?"

"South of the city... old granary... thirty-seven..."

"What did you move?"

"Six boxes...red labels..."

What should be written on the red slip?

"Yongning...stone...inner warehouse...material storage room..."

"besides?"

Liu Laoqi's eyes suddenly widened a little.

"Money approval."

The bailiff's pen trembled, almost spilling the ink.

I continued, "Who said anything about clearing the accounts?"

Liu Laoqi's breathing became heavier.

"The official boots... said... there will be a reward after the accounts are settled..."

I pressed further, "Who is Guan Xue?"

A cracking sound came from his throat.

The old physician said urgently, "No, we can't ask anymore!"

Suddenly, Liu Laoqi grabbed my sleeve, his fingernails almost digging into the fabric.

"six……"

I lowered my head.

"What six?"

"hand……"

"Six hands?"

His eyes reddened with anxiety, but he couldn't finish his sentence.

I moved even closer.

Liu Laoqi used all his strength to squeeze out a few words.

"Left hand...six fingers..."

The room fell silent.

A person wearing official boots.

Six fingers on the left hand.

This is neither an official title nor a name, yet it is more useful than a name.

There are many people in the capital who wear official boots.

There aren't many people with six fingers on their left hand.

I immediately said, "I'll write it down."

The constable quickly put pen to paper.

After saying this, Liu Laoqi felt as if his bones had been removed, his head tilted to the side, and he fainted again.

The old physician rushed forward to take her pulse, his face grim.

"If you ask again, he'll really be gone."

I straightened up; my back was soaked with sweat.

At least I got the question out.

Ministry of Works Treasury Silver.

Old Warehouse No. 37

Six boxes.

Yongning stone.

Inner warehouse/material storage room.

Money approved.

Settle accounts.

Six fingers on the left hand.

These confessions were incomplete, but enough to keep Qian Rong from sleeping soundly.

The arguing outside the door grew louder and louder.

The people from the Ministry of Works clearly did not want to leave.

Just as I was about to go out, there was a soft sound coming from the back window.

Ah Liu was so frightened he almost jumped up.

Yan Xiaoyi suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the window frame.

A woman's soft voice came from outside.

"Lord Shen, it's me."

Autumn Begonia.

A thought struck me.

Yan Xiaoyi glanced at me.

I nodded.

The window was opened a crack.

Qiu Tang stood outside the window, still dressed in her unassuming maid's clothes, with a speck of morning dew clinging to her hair.

She handed over a small bamboo tube.

"His Highness instructed me to bring it."

I took it.

A bamboo leaf is carved on the bamboo tube.

The secret code for bamboo leaf tea.

I opened the bamboo tube, and inside was a brown pill and a tiny piece of paper.

The note was written in Xiao Lingyi's handwriting.

Calm and concise.

This medicine can prolong life, but it does not detoxify.

One pill can only last until tonight.

The source of the poison must be identified.

Don't die.

The last two words made my eyelids twitch.

This princess treats even caring for people like she's giving orders.

I asked Qiu Tang, "How did Your Highness know?"

Qiu Tang said in a low voice, "After the Qian family invited the lord to tea, the princess's residence also received a copy of the petition."

Qian Rong is ruthless.

He not only prepared to impeach me, but also sent a copy to the princess's residence.

This is to tell Xiao Lingyi:

Your fiancé has gotten himself into big trouble.

If you continue to help him, the princess's residence will also be dragged down.

Xiao Lingyi's return gift was also straightforward.

Delivering medicine.

She didn't act openly, but her actions told Qian Rong:

She was trying to save her breath.

I handed the pills to the old physician.

The old physician smelled it, and his expression changed slightly.

"This is Baoyuan Pill from the palace."

I look at him.

"Can it be used?"

"It's usable, but only for keeping the patient alive. The poison isn't neutralized, and it will flare up again later."

"Hang first."

The old physician immediately prepared the medicine.

Qiu Tang did not linger, but whispered, "His Highness also said that if Liu Laoqi could speak, he could ask if he could smell the incense ash in the box."

"Incense ash?"

"His Highness said that when seasonings are sent to the palace from the Imperial Treasury, incense ash is often used to suppress moisture."

After saying that, Qiu Tang retreated into the alley and soon disappeared.

I looked out the window.

The storyline involving the Princess's residence is getting increasingly complex.

She wasn't helping me investigate the Yongning case.

She was using the Yongning case as an excuse to investigate the imperial treasury and uncover the accounts that the late empress hadn't been able to finish investigating back then.

After the pill dissolved, the old doctor fed it to Liu Laoqi little by little.

This time, I didn't stop them.

Medicines from the palace may not be safe.

But I'm willing to gamble on what Xiao Lingyi sent.

After Liu Laoqi drank the medicine, his breathing became a little more stable.

The old physician breathed a sigh of relief.

"We can manage."

"How long can we hold out?"

"If there is no antidote before nightfall, it's hard to say what will happen."

Before nightfall.

In other words, we only have half a day.

Suddenly, Zhao Guanlan's voice came from outside the door.

"If the Ministry of Works wants people, bring the imperial edict."

Another man said coldly, "Lord Zhao, this is a criminal involved in the Ministry of Works' old warehouse case!"

Zhao Guanlan said, "Now you are a witness in the murder case from the Censorate."

"If he dies in the Censorate, can Lord Zhao bear the responsibility?"

Zhao Guanlan said coldly, "If he is taken away by you, I cannot bear the responsibility."

I walked out the door.

Standing in the courtyard was an official in his forties, dressed in the official robes of the Ministry of Works, with a thin face and a gloomy look in his eyes.

He should be Wu Zheng, the official in charge of the Ministry of Works.

Wu Zheng saw me and sneered.

"Lord Shen is truly capable. Overnight, the southern city was thrown into chaos."

I cupped my hands in greeting.

"Lord Wu is too kind."

"I was not praising you."

"Your humble servant has a thick skin; it sounds like a compliment."

Wu Zheng's face darkened.

"Liu Laoqi is involved in the theft of items from the Ministry of Works' old warehouse and must be handed over to the Ministry of Works for questioning."

I said, "He's been poisoned."

"Then the Ministry of Works should take him back for medical treatment."

"Is the Ministry of Works' medical skill that good?"

"What does Lord Shen mean?"

"It doesn't mean anything." I looked at him. "I'm just curious, if someone who was poisoned during transport in the old warehouse of the Ministry of Works is handed over to the Ministry of Works for treatment, will they be treated too thoroughly?"

A flash of anger appeared in Wu Zheng's eyes.

"Shen An, don't make false accusations!"

"I haven't sprayed it yet," I said. "My mouth is just a little itchy."

Zhao Guanlan glanced at me, as if he wanted me to say less.

But Wu Zheng was already enraged.

"Shen An, don't think that just because His Majesty believes you, you can act with impunity. Vice Minister Qian has already joined several other officials in preparing to impeach you for overstepping your authority in investigating cases and forcing confessions from innocent people. Once the memorial is submitted to the palace, whether you can still wear this official robe is another matter!"

I smiled.

"Thanks for reminding me."

Wu Zheng said coldly, "It's not too late to hand over the person now."

"I can't pay."

"You dare to defy the Ministry of Works?"

I looked at him.

"Lord Wu, Liu Laoqi has just given his statement."

Wu Zheng's expression changed.

"What statement?"

He said that the people who hired the carriage last night wore official boots and were paid with silver from the Ministry of Works' treasury. After the accounts were settled, each of them received a bonus.

I took a step forward.

"They also said that the man had six fingers on his left hand."

Wu Zheng's face visibly paled.

It's not anger.

It was shocking.

He quickly regained his composure, but it was too late.

I saw it.

Zhao Guanlan also saw it.

The two clerks from the Ministry of Works behind Wu Zheng also unconsciously looked at his hands.

Wu Zheng's hands were hidden in his sleeves.

My heart sank.

Could it be such a coincidence?

The next moment, Wu Zheng suddenly flicked his sleeve.

"Ridiculous! A dying coachman spouting nonsense can be used as evidence?"

I saw it clearly when he flicked his sleeve.

His left hand is normal.

Five fingers.

It wasn't him.

But why was he startled just now?

He knew the six-fingered man.

Or, he knows who this characteristic refers to.

I didn't expose him, but simply smiled and said, "Since Lord Wu finds this absurd, why the rush to impeach him?"

Wu Zheng gritted his teeth and looked at me.

"Shen An, you'll regret this."

I sighed.

"Minister Qian just said that. Can you in the Ministry of Works not always keep the same set of accounts?"

Wu Zheng was so angry that his face turned pale.

Zhao Guanlan finally spoke.

"see a visitor out."

Wu Zheng turned and left.

After he left, the courtyard was quiet for a moment.

Zhao Guanlan looked at me.

"Six fingers?"

"It was Liu Laoqi who confessed."

"Wu Zheng knows."

"Um."

"Did you deliberately say it to his face?"

I nodded.

"If we don't tell, how will we know who's afraid?"

Zhao Guanlan remained silent for a long time.

"Shen An, you've got some nerve."

I gave a wry smile.

"You've misunderstood, sir."

"What's wrong?"

"I'm just a little sleepy and not quite fully awake."

Zhao Guanlan did not laugh.

I can't laugh either.

Shortly after Wu Zheng left, a sudden shout came from the backyard.

"Lord Shen!"

The old physician rushed out, his face deathly pale.

"Old Liu is awake."

I was taken aback.

"Isn't it good that you're awake?"

The old physician's voice trembled.

"He kept saying the same thing."

"What?"

The old physician glanced in the direction of the courtyard gate and lowered his voice.

He said the six-fingered man was not from the Ministry of Works.

My heart sank.

Not from the Ministry of Works?

Whose side are those people who wear official boots, take money from the Ministry of Works' treasury, and direct the accounting?

The old medical officer continued:

"He said that the man had a crane embroidered in gold thread on his sleeve."

Golden-lined crane.

I suddenly remembered a place.

The Secretariat.

When Pei Shen came to the Censorate that day, there seemed to be a very faint crane pattern on his cuff.

It's not the Ministry of Works.

It is the Central Secretariat.

This line of communication finally extended from the Ministry of Works upwards to the central government.