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

When I returned to the Censorate, Ah Liu was peering out through the crack in the door.

It looks a lot like a mouse watching to see if the cat has gone far.

When he saw me return, his eyes lit up and he immediately came to greet me.

"Young master! You're back!"

"Is Liu Laoqi still alive?"

"To live."

"Where's Xiaoxiu?"

"Also alive."

"Is anyone coming to steal it?"

Ah Liu puffed out his chest.

"Two minor officials from the Ministry of Justice came, but Lord Zhao scolded them away."

"And you?"

"I glared at them from the side."

I look at him.

Ah Liu added somewhat guiltily, "Although they didn't look at me."

I patted him on the shoulder.

"I've done my best."

Ah Liu suddenly perked up again.

"Young master, did you see Manager Bai at the old prison of the Ministry of Justice?"

"I saw him."

"Is the person still alive?"

"temporary."

"Did you find out where the crane tent is?"

"I found out."

Ah Liu's eyes lit up.

"Where?"

"Inside the clothes of the dead in the old prison of the Ministry of Justice."

Ah Liu's eyes slowly dimmed again.

"This place doesn't sound like a place I'd like to go."

"Nobody wants to go."

"Shall we go?"

"go."

Ah Liu sighed.

"I knew it."

Inside the main hall of the Censorate, Zhao Guanlan was already waiting for me.

Tea was laid out on the table.

The tea is still hot.

I glanced at it, but didn't move.

Zhao Guanlan said, "Don't worry, it's not poisonous."

I said, "Recently, hearing the words 'non-toxic' has only made me more uneasy."

Zhao Guanlan glanced at me.

"You've certainly improved since Qian Rong treated you to tea."

"It came from hardship."

Yan Xiaoyi sat down beside him, as if he had finally found a place to rest.

As soon as he sat down, Ah Liu asked, "Brother Yan, would you like some steamed buns?"

Yan Xiaoyi looked up.

"Has it been tested for drugs?"

Ah Liu said seriously, "I bit half of it, and it's not dead yet."

Yan Xiaoyi thought for a moment.

"Then give me the other half."

I can't be bothered with the two of them.

I told Zhao Guanlan everything that Bai Laoxiu had said in the old prison of the Ministry of Justice, without missing a single word.

The clothes of the dead in the old prison.

The character "庚" is twenty-seven.

Used clothes room.

Pei Mansion, Ji Qing.

By the end, Zhao Guanlan's face had darkened considerably.

"Ji Qing from the Pei family?"

"Yan Xiaoyi said that Pei Shen's personal attendant is named Ji Qing."

Zhao Guanlan looked at Yan Xiaoyi.

Yan Xiaoyi nodded, half a steamed bun dangling from his mouth.

"What about your left hand?"

I asked.

After Yan Xiaoyi finished chewing, he said, "It's usually hidden in my sleeve. I've only seen it from afar a few times, so I can't see it clearly."

Zhao Guanlan said in a deep voice, "We cannot directly investigate the Pei residence."

"I know."

"We can't just write Pei Shen directly in the folded paper."

"I know even better."

I don't really want to die.

Who is Pei Shen?

Vice Minister of the Secretariat.

A close advisor to the emperor.

The most dangerous old fox in the early to mid-game.

If I were to present the testimony of an old embroiderer who had been beaten half to death by the Ministry of Justice, and say that Lord Pei's head maid was a six-fingered accountant, Pei Shen would only need to ask gently, "Where is the evidence?" and I could shut him down on the spot.

Bai Laoxiu's confession cannot be used directly.

Xiaoxiu's testimony cannot be used directly.

Liu Laoqi's confession can prove that Six-Fingered Man cleared the accounts, but it cannot prove that Ji Qing is Six-Fingered Man.

What we lack now is the physical goods.

Crane tent.

Only when the fragment of the No. 372 crane tent is found, with the recipient, bank name, and delivery gatekeeper written on it, can Ji Qing's trail truly be considered complete.

Zhao Guanlan said, "The Ministry of Justice will not hand over the old clothes to the warehouse."

"So we can't let them think we're inspecting their tents."

"Then what to check?"

"Investigate the case of stolen embroidery."

Zhao Guanlan was taken aback.

I said, "Didn't the Ministry of Justice say that Bai Laoxiu admitted to stealing embroidery, privately selling official embroidery patterns, and forging old palace embroidery designs?"

"Yes."

"Since this is a case of stolen embroidery, the evidence should be inventoried. Hewenzhai burned the embroidery patterns, the Ministry of Justice shut down the shop, and Bai Laoxiu claimed that he had been privately making hidden patterns for many years. Where did those hidden patterns end up? Shouldn't the Ministry of Justice investigate?"

Zhao Guanlan looked at me, and his expression slowly changed.

I continued, "If the Ministry of Justice doesn't investigate, it means they're not handling the case properly. If the Ministry of Justice does investigate, they'll have to inventory all possible locations where stolen evidence might be stored. Bai Laoxiu confessed in the old prison of the Ministry of Justice that there was stolen evidence in the old clothing room, so it's reasonable for us to request joint verification."

Yan Xiaoyi swallowed the steamed bun and commented, "That's really unethical."

Ah Liu nodded as well.

"That's pretty unethical."

I look at them.

Ah Liu immediately added, "But there's a reason why it's missing."

Zhao Guanlan remained silent for a moment, then nodded.

"There's definitely a reason why they're in short supply."

I suddenly felt that the Censorate was much more pleasing to the eye than when I first arrived.

At least when people here call me immoral, there's a hint of approval in their tone.

Zhao Guanlan sat down, picked up his pen, and laid out paper.

"You tell me, I'll write."

I was a little surprised.

"Written by the adult himself?"

"Your mouth is better suited for provoking people than for writing for His Majesty."

That's true.

I dictated, and Zhao Guanlan wrote it down.

Pei Shen wasn't mentioned at all in the folded paper.

There was no mention of the Central Secretariat.

Ji Qing wasn't even mentioned directly.

We only wrote four things.

First, Bai Laoxiu of Hewenzhai has been identified by the Ministry of Justice as a criminal for stealing embroidery, which claims that he forged official hidden patterns.

Second, in the Yongning River case, there were multiple witness testimonies and physical evidence related to the golden crane pattern, and this pattern is suspected to be related to the entrance and exit of Guangchu Gate.

Third, Bai Laoxiu had confessed in the old prison of the Ministry of Justice that there might be hidden evidence of stolen goods in the old clothing room. In order to avoid controversy caused by the Ministry of Justice conducting the investigation alone, it is advisable for the Censorate to jointly verify the evidence with the Ministry of Justice.

Fourth, Your Majesty, please allow us to inspect the old clothing room of the former prison of the Ministry of Justice, to verify the authenticity of the stolen embroidery evidence and to confirm the relevant clues in the Yongning case.

The most despicable thing about this fold is:

He spoke from the side of the Ministry of Justice.

The Ministry of Justice said that Bai Laoxiu had stolen the embroidery.

Well.

We helped the Ministry of Justice investigate evidence of stolen goods.

The Ministry of Justice stated that Hewenzhai had forged official secret patterns.

Well.

We helped the Ministry of Justice investigate the flow of funds.

If the Ministry of Justice refuses, it will seem as if they don't want to investigate their own case.

After Zhao Guanlan finished writing, he read it over himself.

Then he looked up at me.

"Shen An".

"Your humble servant is here."

"Did you used to frequently set traps for people?"

"no."

"Then how come you seem to know me so well?"

I thought about it.

"Maybe it's because I've been scammed so many times these past few days that I'm learning faster."

Zhao Guanlan gave a cold laugh.

He affixed the seal of the Censorate and ordered it to be sent to the palace immediately, along with a copy to the Ministry of Justice.

Ah Liu was stunned.

"This will force the Ministry of Justice to hand over the clothes?"

I shook my head.

"cannot."

Ah Liu's face fell.

"Then why write it?"

"Force them to move."

"move?"

"If they panic, it means the clothes are still there. If they don't panic, it means the clothes have been changed. Either way, it's easier to investigate than if they don't move."

Ah Liu seemed to be deep in thought.

"Is investigating a case about forcing others to make mistakes?"

"almost."

"That young master has made quite a few mistakes lately."

I looked at him.

Ah Liu immediately lowered his head.

"I'm going to see Liu Laoqi."

He ran very fast.

Zhao Guanlan watched his retreating figure and suddenly said, "Your servant is quite good."

"Afraid of dying, a chatterbox, and a big eater."

He didn't run away at the crucial moment.

I smiled.

"So I'll keep it."

No sooner had he finished speaking than someone came to report from outside the door.

"Lord Zhao, the palace has sent a reply."

So fast?

Zhao Guanlan and I both looked towards the doorway.

The one who came was Wei Zhi's personal attendant.

He was sweating profusely as he ran, holding a red-inked approval slip in his hand.

Zhao Guanlan took it, unfolded it, and his expression changed slightly.

I moved closer.

There are only two lines of text above.

The Censorate, together with the Ministry of Justice, verified the evidence of stolen goods from the old clothing warehouse.

They only inspect the items, not the people.

The emperor approved it very quickly.

It was as fast as if they had been waiting for this fold.

A thought struck me.

Did Xiao Jingheng know about the Ministry of Justice's used clothing warehouse?

Or perhaps he doesn't know, but is willing to try it out with my help?

Zhao Guanlan put away the vermilion annotation.

"Walk."

I rubbed my temples.

"Now?"

"Didn't you say you wanted to force them to act?"

Zhao Guanlan stood up.

"Then don't give them time to finish."

This Lord Zhao, though he seems cold on the surface, is actually more eager than I am when he gets moving.

Just as I was about to leave, Ah Liu ran out from the backyard.

"Young Master!"

"What's wrong now?"

"Old Liu woke up briefly."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What did you say?"

"He said he remembered. When the six-fingered man was giving the old warehouse guard medicine, there was a smell on his sleeve."

"Bitter almonds?"

"no."

Ah Liu shook his head.

He said it also smelled of ink.

"The smell of ink?"

"It smells strongly of ink, like it just came from an office."

Zhao Guanlan and I exchanged a glance.

Clerk.

Chang Sui.

Zhongshu (Secretariat).

Ji Qing is no ordinary errand runner.

He likely spent many years writing, delivering, and revising documents for others.

This explains why the supplementary book of Guangchumen was written so steadily.

He understands accounting books.

He also understands documents.

I nodded.

"Understood. You continue to keep watch."

Ah Liu asked, "Where is the young master going?"

"Ministry of Justice"

Ah Liu instinctively said, "I'll go too."

I looked at him.

He then looked at the backyard.

Finally, gritting his teeth, he said, "I'll stay."

I smiled.

"I'll bring you some hot pancakes when I get back."

Ah Liu's eyes lit up.

"several?"

"two."

He immediately said, "Then the young master must come back."

I turned and went out.

Just as I reached the door, I heard Xiaoxiu calling me softly again.

"Lord Shen."

I turned around.

Xiao Xiu stood under the eaves, her face still pale, but she was a little more composed than before.

She took a thin needle from her sleeve and handed it to me.

"If you find a dead man's clothes, don't just look at the words on them."

"What are you looking at?"

"Look at the needle."

She whispered, "The crane curtain isn't written down, it's embroidered. Some curtains are hidden on the back of the stitches; from the front, it's just a broken thread, but the numbers are on the back."

I took the needle.

Xiao Xiu added, "Number 372, three dots under the crane's feet. If it's a real account, there will be a backstitch on the reverse side."

I nodded.

"I've got it."

She suddenly knelt down.

"Lord Shen, if you see the shopkeeper..."

"He is still alive."

Xiao Xiu's tears fell.

I didn't comfort her.

Because I can't guarantee how long Bai Laoxiu will live.

All I can say is:

"I'll try my best to make sure he didn't suffer that beating for nothing."

Xiao Xiu prostrated herself and kowtowed.

As I held the thin needle, I suddenly felt as if I had a very thin knife in my hand.

This knife can't kill anyone.

But they can find living evidence in the clothes of the dead.