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

Yongfeng Bank was very large.

The front hall was spacious, with a sturdy counter and a row of abacuses hanging on the wall.

The abacus beads were polished smooth and shiny, like rows of silent teeth.

Banks are more like government offices than government offices.

People in government offices talk about the law, but people in banks believe in rules.

The word "rules" can sometimes be more binding than the law.

The manager of Yongfeng was surnamed He and named He Younian.

The name is auspicious, and the person looks auspicious too.

He has a round face, narrow eyes, and when he smiles, he looks like a god of wealth who has just been smeared with oil.

He personally invited me to sit down and even had the waiter serve tea.

I looked at the teacup.

He Younian immediately smiled and said, "Don't worry, Lord Shen, our bank does business and we don't tamper with the tea."

I glanced at him.

"Manager He sounds familiar with those words."

His smile remained unchanged.

"There are many important people in the capital, and many taboos. For a bank, the most important thing is to put customers at ease."

I didn't drink tea.

"Open the three cabinets."

He Younian looked troubled.

"Lord Shen, the bank's accounts involve customers' private accounts, and without official documents, it is inconvenient to open them."

I took out the supervisory badge from the Censorate.

Is this enough?

He shook his head.

"The Censorate investigates officials, not civilians and merchants."

I then took out the palace token given to me by the emperor.

"What about this one?"

He Younian's eyelids twitched.

But he still smiled.

"The palace gate is checked, but the banks are not."

This shopkeeper is not easy to deal with.

It's very oily.

I placed the fragments of the crane tent on the table.

"What about this one?"

He Younian glanced down.

At that glance, his smile finally faded slightly.

It wasn't shocking.

Yes, it's confirmed.

He recognizes this thing.

I said, "372, Yongfeng three cabinets."

He Younian slowly raised his head.

"Where did Lord Shen obtain it?"

"The Ministry of Justice's Old Clothing Room".

Upon hearing this, He Younian's fingers curled slightly.

I continued, "If Manager He finds it inconvenient to open the store, I can write a memorial tomorrow, requesting His Majesty and the Ministry of Revenue to investigate Yongfeng together. At that time, we will investigate not just three stores, but possibly from one to eighteen stores."

He Younian sighed.

"Lord Shen, business is all about harmony."

"Investigating cases brings bad luck."

He froze for a moment.

I said, "Too many people have died these past few days, I can't be amiable."

He Younian looked at me for a while, and finally said to the shop assistant, "Open the secret registers in the third cabinet."

Secret register.

He forgot to mention it.

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the door and chuckled softly.

He Younian probably realized he had slipped up, so he simply stopped pretending.

The clerk closed the bank's main door and then locked the inner bolt.

Yan Xiaoyi looked up.

"close the door?"

He Younian hurriedly replied, "To guard against outsiders."

Yan Xiaoyi nodded.

"most."

He stood by the door, like a lazy door bolt.

But I know that if someone tries to break in, this bolt will pin them to the ground.

Soon, the waiter brought out a very thin booklet from the back room.

It's not the official account.

The official accounts are substantial, the rules are followed, and this is for the government to see.

The secret book, telling the truth, is for the dead.

He Younian placed the booklet on the table.

"Lord Shen, the three counters only record the tokens, not the names."

I opened it.

really.

The register contained no names, only the base number, amount of silver, entry and exit dates, and bank note number.

I quickly found 372.

Three seven two.

Entered: 800 taels of silver from the treasury.

Exchange: Sixteen bearer banknotes.

Zhi: Three days ago, at the beginning of Shen (3-5 AM).

Counter stamp: Three.

To gain trust: Golden crane lining.

Gongku Yin.

Ministry of Works Treasury Silver.

Eight hundred taels.

My heart sank.

This is not a small number.

Eight hundred taels of silver is enough to buy many coachmen, waiters, and assassins, and it's also enough to shut up many nobody.

"Who took it?"

He Younian said, "The secret clerk doesn't ask people."

"Who stored it?"

"I won't even ask."

"Manager He, you've really made running this bank so easy."

He smiled bitterly.

"Those who work in the secret storage business won't live long if they ask too many questions."

I believe that statement.

People in silver shops know best how to survive.

I asked, "What were the characteristics of the person who withdrew money three days ago at the beginning of the Shen hour?"

He Younian remained silent.

I said, "Six fingers on your left hand?"

His eyelids twitched.

enough.

"A lining with gold-threaded crane sleeves?"

He didn't answer.

"Do you smell of ink and bitter almonds?"

This time, He Younian's expression changed.

He knows him.

Or at least I've seen it.

I said, "Manager He, now it's not me asking if you want to talk, it's you who needs to think it through. If this person's affair comes to light, will your Yongfeng Bank be protected by him, or will he silence you?"

He Younian closed his eyes.

After a long while, he whispered, "Lord Shen, this isn't the first time this money has been taken."

My heart skipped a beat.

"How many more times?"

"In the past six months, No. 372 has passed by six times."

Six times.

"Is it all from the Ministry of Works' treasury?"

"Not entirely. There were funds from the Ministry of Works' treasury, funds from the Imperial Treasury, and also private banknotes."

Where did these private banknotes come from?

He Younian said, "The rules of the secret guild..."

Yan Xiaoyi yawned at the door.

He Younian immediately changed his tune.

"Some came from the Qian family's accounting office."

I stared at him.

"Qian Rongfu?"

"The bank only recognizes the tickets, not the government offices." He Younian wiped his sweat. "But the person who delivered the tickets was Qian Fu, the accountant of the Qian family."

Qian Fu.

The accounting office in Qian Rong's mansion.

Finally, the money trail circled back to the Qian residence from Ji Qing.

The human trail is at the Pei residence.

The money thread is in the money house.

The door line is at Guangchu Gate.

The evidence is in the old warehouse of the Ministry of Works.

If these four lines can be put together, Qian Rong will not just be suspected, but will be pinned to the spot.

I asked, "How many times has Qian Fu come?"

"three times."

"The most recent one?"

"Before last night."

My heart skipped a beat.

"What time?"

"You Shi (5-7 PM)"

The hour of You (5-7 PM).

That is, before the old warehouse was cleared out, the fire broke out in the south of the city, and Liu Laoqi was silenced.

Qian Fu had come to Yongfeng Bank in advance to collect the banknotes.

This indicates that the Qian family's accounting office was already preparing to pay before the Old Warehouse operation.

I said, "Banknote Shop."

Why did He hesitate for so long?

I looked at him.

"Manager He, the accounts have already been opened, so don't just open half the door."

He gritted his teeth and asked the waiter to bring another ticket stub book.

The document records sixteen bearer banknotes that were exchanged three days ago.

Fifty taels each.

A total of eight hundred taels.

Six of them have already been redeemed.

The redemption locations are:

Tao Family Iron Workshop in the East of the City.

Hitchhiking.

A gambling den in Xiliu Lane.

There's another one, exchanged at the pharmacy on the back street of the Ministry of Justice.

I looked at the last line, and my eyes turned cold.

A pharmacy on the back street of the Ministry of Justice.

Bitter almonds.

Wu Fu San.

Liu Laoqi's poison.

The net is finally beginning to take shape.

Yan Xiaoyi also came over and glanced at the ticket stub.

"A pharmacy?"

I nodded.

Have you been there?

"Know."

"Who opened it?"

"His surname is Lu, and he's an old medicine merchant. He usually delivers medicine for injuries to the old prisons under the Ministry of Justice."

He Younian's face turned pale.

He clearly didn't expect that we could also link up the places where the banknotes were redeemed.

What are bank employees most afraid of?

It's not the government auditing accounts.

It's possible for someone to die if the government discovers the wrong accounts.

I asked, "What about the remaining ten silver notes?"

"Not yet redeemed".

"Where?"

He Younian shook his head.

"Bearer notes, the bank doesn't know who has them. Just bring the notes and you can redeem them."

"Can we stop redeeming funds?"

He was startled.

"Lord Shen, Yongfeng is open for business, but stopping payments damages its reputation."

I laughed.

"Dead men also ruin reputations."

He Younian remained silent.

I said, "These ten tickets are temporarily withheld from redemption."

"No!"

Why?

"Without official documents, banks cannot freeze customer tickets."

"Then I'll write it now."

He Younian grew anxious.

"Lord Shen, even if you write it, the Censorate cannot directly block the bank's bills; the Ministry of Revenue must issue a document."

I frowned.

Ministry of Revenue.

Another government department.

This is the most annoying thing about the officialdom of the Great Liang Dynasty.

Everywhere is a door, every door has a lock, and every lock claims to be very disciplined.

If I go back now to process the paperwork and wait for the Ministry of Revenue to approve it, the remaining ten silver notes will have already been redeemed.

Yan Xiaoyi suddenly said, "Burn it."

He Younian's eyes widened in surprise.

"What?"

Yan Xiaoyi pointed to the ticket stub book.

"If it's burned, just say the bank was damaged and verification needs to be delayed."

I looked at him.

"Your idea is even more despicable than mine."

Yan Xiaoyi looked completely innocent.

"I am not an official."

That's the truth.

He Younian's fat face was jiggling.

"No! If the ticket stub is destroyed, the bank will have to pay compensation!"

I tapped on the desktop.

"Then let's use another method."

"Please speak, Lord Shen."

"Immediately release the news that the ten silver notes of No. 372 are suspected of being involved in the Ministry of Justice's poison case, and Yongfeng is willing to buy them back at double the price."

He Younian was stunned.

"Recycle?"

"Yes. Whoever has the tickets is acting guilty. If we take back double the tickets, they'll make a move."

"What if they don't move?"

"That means they don't lack money, they only lack lives."

I looked at him.

"Manager He, whenever a person moves, they leave a trace."

He Younian remained silent.

He was doing the accounting.

Merchants are the best at calculating.

Offend me, or offend those people who take the money.

Even if it damages their reputation, it could still embroil Yongfeng in a murder case to cover it up.

After a moment, he finally gritted his teeth.

"That's fine. But Yongfeng Bank will only release the information and won't come forward to testify against anyone."

"OK."

I added, "I need to make a copy of these ticket stubs."

"Only the ticket number can be copied."

That's enough.

I copied down the serial numbers of sixteen banknotes, as well as the locations where they had already been cashed.

One of the cards was exchanged at the Tao family's iron workshop in the east of the city, and it matched the copper buckle mold.

One card was exchanged at Shunfeng Caravan, and it was matched with Liu Laoqi's.

A card was exchanged at a pharmacy on the back street of the Ministry of Justice, and it was matched with poison.

There's another one, redeemed at the gambling den in Xiliu Lane.

I asked, "Who cashed in the money at the Xiliuxiang gambling den?"

He Younian shook his head.

"I don't know."

But I thought of Liu Laoqi.

He was a gambler and in debt.

Qian Rong wrote down his gambling debts clearly on that piece of paper.

Perhaps it wasn't just a simple smear campaign.

Someone knew that Liu Laoqi loved to gamble, so they started by targeting the gambling den, controlling him, and forcing him to take over the car.

Every penny of dirty money has a destination.

Every place you go is entangled with a person.

I closed the booklet.

Where is Qian Fu now?

He Younian said, "The Qian family."

"Sure?"

"I'm not sure. But he came to the bank last night."

I looked up abruptly.

"last night?"

He Younian's forehead was covered in sweat.

"It wasn't the one from three days ago, it was last night after midnight when he came to inquire about the redemption status of the three counters."

"What do you want to ask?"

"I asked if the ticket for Tao's Iron Workshop had been redeemed, and I also asked if the ticket for Shunfeng Carriage and Horse Service had been redeemed."

My heart sank.

Qian Fu was still checking the ticket redemption status after midnight last night.

In other words, after the old warehouse caught fire, the Qian family's accounting department was still checking whether the money intended to silence witnesses had been spent.

Qian Rong could say he was unaware of the situation.

Qian Fu cannot.

Catching Qian Fu is a safer option than directly attacking Qian Rongfu.

I stood up.

"Walk."

Yan Xiaoyi asked, "Where to?"

"The Qian family mansion."

He frowned.

"Didn't you say you wouldn't directly investigate the Qian family?"

"Things are different now."

"What's different?"

I held up the ticket number copy paper in my hand.

"It's not Qian Fu who's being investigated now, it's Qian Fu."

Yan Xiaoyi thought for a moment.

"A big difference?"

"He's just missing the face of a third-rank official."

"Would your face let you in?"

"Won't."

I looked at the darkening sky outside the bank.

"So we don't enter through the main entrance."

Yan Xiaoyi finally smiled.

"Lord Shen, you are becoming less and less like an imperial censor."

I sighed.

"no way."

"What's wrong?"

"If the censors go through the main gate, they'll be killed."

He Younian, who was listening nearby, turned pale.

"Sir, Yongfeng Bank..."

I turned to look at him.

"Don't worry, if anyone comes to redeem the remaining silver notes number 372 tonight, just stall them according to the rules."

"How long will it drag on?"

"Drag it on to me."

"What if it's an important person who has come?"

I smiled.

"Then we should delay even more."

As we left Yongfeng Bank, night had already fallen.

The streetlights came on.

The capital city has become a different place again.

People who follow the rules during the day start haggling over prices at night.

With a string of banknotes in my hand, I suddenly felt like I had finally gotten to the bottom of Qian Rong's business.

We haven't caught it yet.

But the scales have already been scraped off.

Just then, Luo Wanqian appeared from the street corner.

He seemed to have been waiting for us, his smile a little ingratiating.

"Lord Shen, would you like the information?"

I looked at him.

"More money?"

Luo Wanqian rubbed his hands together.

"This is really valuable."

Yan Xiaoyi glanced at him.

Luo Wanqian immediately replied, "But you can pay me back first."

I asked, "What news?"

Luo Wanqian lowered his voice.

"Qian Fu, the accountant of the Qian family, left through the back door half an hour ago."

My heart sank.

"Where to?"

"Carrying two bundles, head east of the city."

"Where in the east of the city?"

"Near the former site of the Tao family's ironworks."

I frowned.

Hasn't the Tao family's ironworks already been investigated by the Imperial Guard?

What is Qian Fu doing there at this time?

Luo Wanqian added, "There's one more thing."

"explain."

"He is not alone."

"Who else?"

Luo Wanqian looked around and lowered his voice.

"A man in blue with six fingers on his left hand."

Ji Qing.

He did not leave Beijing.

They are still in the capital.

I looked at Yan Xiaoyi.

Yan Xiaoyi was no longer sleepy.

He only asked one question:

"Chase?"

I tucked the ticket number into my sleeve.

"Chase."

This time, it's not about chasing a stand-in.

It was a real fish, and it finally floated to the surface.