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

We did not immediately go to Dongjia Alley to find Liu Shuli.

Because Yan Xiaoyi said something.

"Let's go to Hewenzhai first."

I asked, "Why?"

"Pei Shen's attendant just came out of the palace. If he really is related to Hewenzhai, Hewenzhai would be cleaner now."

"Cleaner?"

"So clean there's nothing there."

That sounds like nonsense.

But I understood.

The worst thing about investigating a case is not a chaotic scene.

It's too clean.

Chaos indicates a person's impatience.

Cleanliness indicates that one is not in a hurry and has time to take whatever one wants to see.

Hewenzhai is located north of Anren Bridge.

The storefront is small, with an old wooden plaque hanging on it. The three characters "Hewenzhai" on the plaque have faded somewhat.

According to the tea stall owner, this place uses official-style hidden patterns and doesn't rely on a signboard to attract customers.

The less conspicuous you are, the more stable your business will be.

The Ministry of Justice's seal is now affixed to the entrance.

The seal is neatly arranged.

It's so neatly pasted up, as if afraid others won't see it clearly.

There were two constables from the Ministry of Justice guarding the gate.

As they approached, one of them immediately reached out to stop us.

"The Ministry of Justice is sealed off; all idlers must retreat."

I took out my Censorate badge.

"The Censorate is investigating the case."

The constable's expression remained unchanged.

"The Ministry of Justice investigated the case first."

"What case are you investigating?"

"The case of the theft of embroidery from years ago."

"What did you steal?"

The constable paused for a moment.

"The case is confidential."

I laughed.

"The embroidery workshop stole the embroidery patterns; were they so confidential that they couldn't be revealed?"

The constable coldly replied, "If Lord Shen has any questions, he may inquire at the Ministry of Justice."

He knows me.

This is normal.

My reputation among various government departments is probably no worse than that of a ghost.

I did not force my way in.

The Ministry of Justice sealed its doors; forcing a way in would only add another impeachment petition to Qian Rong's case.

I went around to the back alley.

The back door was also sealed off.

But there was a small patch of burnt ash at the base of the wall next to the back door.

Yan Xiaoyi found the piece of cloth here before.

I crouched down to look.

The dust has already been swept away once.

It was swept very clean.

However, some black ash and gold thread fragments were still hidden in the cracks between the bricks.

I wrapped some in paper.

Yan Xiaoyi stood guard at the alley entrance.

I asked, "Is anyone watching?"

"have."

"several?"

"Two in the Ministry of Justice, one at the street corner, and one on the rooftop."

"Which side of the roof?"

"Judging from his movements, he seems to be an inner guard."

My head hurts even more.

An embroidery workshop—the Ministry of Works wanted to see it, the Secretariat wanted to hide it, the Ministry of Justice came to seal it up, and the Imperial Guards were still squatting on the roof.

This is no longer the Crane Pattern Studio.

These are the guild halls of various government offices in the capital.

Just as I was wondering how to get in, I suddenly heard a soft sound from the wall.

A loose brick next to the back door was pushed outwards.

A roll of cloth was stuffed inside.

Yan Xiaoyi and I looked over at the same time.

No one spoke from inside the wall.

The strips of cloth lay on the ground.

I picked it up and unfolded it.

A few words were embroidered crookedly on it.

Don't knock.

The dye vat on the west side.

The words were embroidered with black thread.

My hands were in a hurry, and the stitches were messy.

But the information is clear.

I looked to the west.

Next to Hewenzhai was a dyeing workshop, but it was half closed, with several large dyeing vats piled up in front of it.

One of the dye vats was upside down.

I walked over and gently tapped the side of the tank.

A very soft voice came from inside: "Lord Shen?"

It was a woman's voice.

very young.

I whispered, "Come out and talk."

A girl of about sixteen or seventeen years old crawled out from behind the dye vat. Her sleeves were covered in ash, and her face was smudged with black, as if she had just crawled out of the stove.

As soon as she saw me, she knelt down with a thud.

"Lord Shen, save me!"

I immediately said, "Keep it down."

She quickly covered her mouth.

Yan Xiaoyi glanced at the alley entrance.

"hurry up."

I asked, "Who are you?"

"My name is Xiaoxiu, and I am an embroiderer from Hewenzhai."

Why hide it here?

"Before they sealed the door, the shopkeeper told me to crawl out through the back wall and said that if I saw Lord Shen, I would give him the things."

It's for me again.

Lately, people in Beijing like to give me things when they're in trouble.

I feel like a junk collector.

They still collect deadly junk.

I asked, "Why is the Ministry of Justice sealed off?"

Xiao Xiu shook her head.

"I don't know. Before dawn, the shopkeeper told us to burn the embroidery pattern. We had only burned half of it when someone came through the back door. When the shopkeeper saw them, his face changed. Not long after, people from the Ministry of Justice arrived and said that Hewenzhai was involved in an old case of stolen embroidery and that they were going to seal off the shop and arrest the people."

Who came in through the back door?

"Wearing a blue robe, like a servant in a wealthy household."

My heart skipped a beat.

"Does your left hand have six fingers?"

Xiao Xiu was taken aback.

"I didn't see clearly. His hands were always inside his sleeves."

It was in the sleeve again.

"A golden crane on the cuff?"

Xiao Xiu shook her head.

"Not the cuffs."

I frowned.

"no?"

She whispered, "My lord, the golden crane is not embroidered on the outer sleeve."

Yan Xiaoyi and I exchanged a glance.

Xiao Xiu continued, "Our Hewenzhai makes hidden patterns for nobles, and there are many kinds. Officials use them themselves, and they are mostly embroidered on the lining; those used by servants and clerks in the mansion are embroidered on the inside of the sleeve lining, so that they can be identified by their family and status. They are not visible from the outside, and they are only revealed when someone raises their hand to hand over documents or name cards."

A glimmer of hope slowly appeared in my heart.

No wonder Liu Laoqi said he saw a golden crane on the cuff.

He didn't see the official's outer robe.

Instead, what I saw was a corner of the sleeve that peeked out when the man handed over the silver, waved his hand, and pressed the person down.

In other words, the golden crane may not necessarily be the high-ranking official himself.

More likely, they were servants, clerks, or retainers who ran shady business for high-ranking officials.

This explains why Pei Shen cannot be directly examined.

The crane is not on the sleeve of the main figure.

In the sleeve of the person who does things for the right person.

I asked, "Whose secret mark is the golden crane?"

Xiao Xiu bit her lip.

"I dare not say."

Yan Xiaoyi lazily interjected, "It's fine if you don't want to talk about it. We'll take you back to the Ministry of Justice and question you slowly."

Xiao Xiu's face turned pale.

I glanced at Yan Xiaoyi.

This guy is quite adept at scaring little girls.

Xiao Xiu finally said, "They're not from the same family, they're from the same category."

"What do you mean?"

"Hewenzhai used to work for the palace in his early years. After leaving the palace, some of his former colleagues still recognized his craft. The gold-threaded crane was originally a subtle pattern for the sleeve linings of female officials in the palace, but it was later borrowed by several government departments. People from the Secretariat, the Ministry of Rites, and the Imperial Treasury all made it."

Zhongshu (Secretariat).

Ministry of Rites.

Internal warehouse.

It's those same places again.

"Is there a roster?"

Xiao Xiu nodded, then immediately shook her head.

"Yes, but the shopkeeper said he couldn't give it to me."

Why?

"The manager said that once the roster is released, everyone at Hewenzhai will be doomed."

"So what did he ask you to give me?"

Xiao Xiu took out a small embroidery hoop from her bosom.

The embroidery hoop was old, and half of the fabric had been cut off.

The remaining half of the golden crane.

Next to the crane, there is a row of extremely small needle dots.

It's not a character.

Like a number.

I don't understand.

Xiao Xiu whispered, "These are the embroidery pattern codes. Every piece with a hidden pattern has a code, corresponding to the register. The shopkeeper told me to tell the master that what was burned was the embroidery pattern, not the account book."

A thought struck me.

"Where's the account?"

Xiao Xiu shook her head.

"The shopkeeper didn't say."

Where is the shopkeeper?

"He was taken away by the Ministry of Justice."

"Where to take it?"

"It's said to be an old prison under the Ministry of Justice."

The old prison of the Ministry of Justice.

This place doesn't sound like a good place at all.

I asked, "How much was burned before the Ministry of Justice was sealed off?"

"Most of the embroidery patterns were burned, but the shopkeeper kept some."

"Where to hide it?"

Xiao Xiu looked towards the back wall of Hewenzhai.

"Down in the well."

I was taken aback.

It's a well again.

Xiao Xiu hurriedly said, "It's not in the well, it's in the wall of the dry well in the backyard. There's a hidden compartment there. The shopkeeper said that if you dare to investigate, you should look for the third blue brick in the dry well."

I looked at her.

"Does your shopkeeper know me?"

Xiao Xiu shook her head.

"I don't know him. But the shopkeeper said that there's only one seventh-rank censor in the capital recently, and he's knowingly jumping into a trap."

Yan Xiaoyi chuckled.

I don't want to laugh at all.

This reputation is becoming more and more fitting.

I asked, "What did the servant in blue robes who came through the back door say to the people from the Ministry of Justice?"

Xiao Xiu tried hard to recall.

"I only heard one sentence."

"What?"

"That man said, the crane-shaped tent has been burned, but the crane-shaped tent cannot be kept."

Crane tent.

My heart sank slightly.

Is this the meaning of "The crane is not in the sleeve, but in the tent"?

The golden-lined crane is not the focus.

The key point is that there is a record of who made the golden crane pattern.

If we get hold of that ledger, we can find out which family the six-fingered man belongs to, and even which government agencies share this secret network.

I then asked, "Have you ever seen someone with six fingers on their left hand?"

Xiao Xiu's face turned even paler.

She nodded.

"I've met him once."

"When?"

"About two weeks ago, that man came to pick up his sleeve lining, and the shopkeeper personally greeted him. When I brought in the tea, I noticed that he had an extra little finger on his left hand."

"What does it look like?"

"His face was ordinary, like a clerk, not an adult."

"age?"

"Thirty-something."

"sound?"

"Low voice, like someone has a damaged throat."

"Do you remember the sleeve lining size?"

Xiao Xiu looked down at the embroidery hoop in my hand.

"This is it."

My fingers tightened slightly.

This half of the gold-threaded crane embroidery pattern actually corresponds to the six-fingered man.

"What does 'bottom code' mean?"

Xiao Xiu said, "Three stitches for the crane's head, seven stitches for the crane's wings, and two stitches for the crane's feet. The shopkeeper said this is number 372."

Three seven two.

I almost thought I misheard.

Old Warehouse No. 37

The character 广 is fourteen.

Now we have embroidery pattern number 372.

These numbers may not be relevant.

But now that the investigation has gone on for so long, I no longer dare to treat any coincidence as a coincidence.

Yan Xiaoyi suddenly said, "Someone is coming."

Xiao Xiu trembled with fright.

I tucked the embroidery hoop into my bosom.

"Where can you go?"

She shook her head, her eyes filled with panic.

I looked at Yan Xiaoyi.

He sighed.

"Again?"

"Take her to the Censorate."

"Should I protect you, or her?"

"There's a Liu in the Censorate."

"Whom can Ah Liu protect?"

"You can shout."

Yan Xiaoyi thought for a moment.

"Yes, that's true. He has a good voice."

Xiaoxiu was even more frightened by what he said.

I whispered, "Go to the Censorate and find Zhao Guanlan. Just say that Shen An sent you. Don't say anything on the way. We'll talk when you get there."

She nodded.

Yan Xiaoyi led her away from the back alley of the dye shop.

I didn't follow.

Because someone had already arrived at the alley entrance.

People from the Ministry of Justice.

The leader was a middle-aged official in a scarlet robe, with deep-set eyes and a blank expression on his face.

He saw me and stopped in his tracks.

"Lord Shen?"

I cupped my hands in greeting.

"Which official from the Ministry of Justice?"

"Han Jun, Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Justice."

Yuanwailang.

His official rank wasn't particularly high, but the fact that he could lead people to Feng Hewenzhai indicated that he had powerful connections.

Han Jun glanced at the dye vat behind me, then at the back door of Hewenzhai.

"Why is Lord Shen investigating the Yongning River instead of the embroidery workshop?"

I smiled.

"There are a few pieces of cloth in the riverbed case."

"Should the cloth be returned to the Ministry of Justice?"

"The account is returned to the Censorate."

Han Jun's gaze turned slightly cold.

"This place has been sealed off by the Ministry of Justice. Lord Shen cannot stay here without official documents from the Ministry of Justice."

I nodded.

"Lord Han is right."

He probably didn't expect me to be so easy to talk to.

"It's good that Lord Shen understands."

I turned to leave.

He took two steps, then stopped.

"Lord Han."

He frowned.

"What is it?"

"Has the old manager of Hewenzhai been taken to the old prison of the Ministry of Justice?"

Han Jun's eyes darkened.

"Lord Shen is quick with his news."

"My hearing is good."

"This case involves old cases from the Ministry of Justice; it would be best if Lord Shen did not get involved."

I nodded seriously.

"clear."

"Does Lord Shen truly understand?"

"Understood," I said. "Old cases from the Ministry of Justice, old warehouses from the Ministry of Works, old artifacts from the Imperial Treasury, old people from the Secretariat—everyone likes the old things."

Han Jun's face turned completely cold.

I just smiled.

"I'm just a little curious, why are so many old things being cleared out in the last two days of all of this?"

After saying that, I turned and left without waiting for his reply.

Han Jun's gaze from behind was like a knife.

I can sense it without even turning around.

After leaving Hewenzhai, I did not return to the Censorate, but went to Anren Bridge first.

The water under the bridge is not deep, but there is a lot of silt.

Last night, carriages with blue curtains, carriages with crane patterns, and carriages from Guangchu Gate all circled around Anren Bridge.

This place is more than just a road.

It is a transfer knot.

I stood on the bridge, looking at the water below.

Sleepiness surged up in waves.

I really want to jump down and wake myself up.

But then I thought about the possibility of bodies in the water, so I decided against it.

Not long after, Yan Xiaoyi returned.

Xiao Xiu was not behind him.

"Has it been delivered?"

"It's been delivered to the entrance of the Censorate. Ah Liu received it."

"Is he alright?"

"Two guys who wanted to fight on the way fell down."

I'm too lazy to even ask how I fell.

Yan Xiaoyi handed me something.

A very small fragment of a blue brick.

"This was brought to you by Ah Liu. Liu Laoqi just woke up once, and when he talked about Guangchumen, he mentioned another word."

"What?"

"Under the bridge."

I looked down at Anren Bridge.

Yan Xiaoyi continued, "He said that the carriage with the blue curtain stopped for a quarter of an hour under Anren Bridge before entering Guangchu Gate."

My heart skipped a beat.

Under the bridge.

Therefore, not all six boxes of goods necessarily made it into Guangchumen.

It's possible that a portion was already allocated before even starting the course.

I immediately got off the bridge.

The muddy ground under the bridge was damp, and the tire tracks had long been trampled by pedestrians, but near the bridge pier, there was a patch of silt that had been turned over.

I crouched down and used my short blade to pry open the mud.

Soon, the tip of the knife hit a hard object.

Yan Xiaoyi and I worked together to dig out a small iron box.

The tin box was small and wrapped in oilcloth.

There was a little incense ash pressed on the oilcloth.

I opened the tin box.

There were no ledgers inside.

There was only a piece of embroidered pattern fabric left.

Golden-lined crane.

A complete crane.

Three small dots are embroidered on the crane's feet.

There was a thin piece of paper pressed down next to it.

There were only eight words on the paper:

The crane is not in my sleeve, but in the tent.

This time, it wasn't someone else relaying the information.

Someone left these words under the bridge.

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

The three-day deadline has just begun.

But I've already sensed that this network isn't getting clearer the more you investigate.

The more I investigated, the more it seemed like someone was leading me step by step to the real account.

The question is, does that person actually want me to overturn the verdict?

Or do you want to use me to drag all those damned people down with you?

I put the tin box away.

The bridge gradually became lively with the sounds of people.

Daylight began to fall in the capital.

Vegetable vendors, cart drivers, officials going to their posts, breakfast eaters—everyone acted as if nothing had happened.

Only I know that since last night, several fires have been set off in the shadows of this city, several people have died, and several vehicles have disappeared.

There's another ledger, hiding somewhere, waiting for me to look through it.