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

Chapter 42 The Old Flames of the Ironworks

I've been to the Tao family's ironworks in the east of the city once before.

The last time I came, the furnace was still glowing red, and the sound of hammering was deafening. Manager Tao was holding an iron hammer, as if he wanted to smash me, a seventh-rank censor, into a case file.

When I came back this time, it was as quiet as a pot that had gone cold.

The door was sealed with a seal for the inner ward.

The seal swayed slightly in the night breeze.

There was no one at the door.

That's actually wrong.

In places that have been sealed off by the Imperial Guard, at least one or two hidden agents would normally be left behind. Now the area in front of the gate is clean and tidy, and no one is coughing, selling firewood, or pretending to pass by in the alley.

It's too clean.

It was so clean it looked like someone had swept it beforehand.

Luo Wanqian huddled in the street corner and said in a low voice, "Lord Shen, I saw Qian Fu go in through the back alley with my own eyes. The man following him was wearing a blue robe, his left hand was always hidden in his sleeve, and he walked as fast as if he owed money to the King of Hell."

Yan Xiaoyi leaned against the wall, her nose twitching slightly.

"The smell of fire oil."

My heart sank.

Here we go again.

These people really can't live without fire.

The old warehouse was set on fire, and the ironworks was also set on fire.

I looked at the main entrance of the Tao family's blacksmith workshop and asked, "How many people are inside?"

Yan Xiaoyi closed his eyes and listened for a moment.

"At least two. One in the backyard, and one in the hearth."

"Is Six-Fingered Man here?"

"It's hard to say."

"Where is Qian Fu?"

"He must be in the furnace room. His footsteps are heavy, and he's panting heavily, like a fat man."

Luo Wanqian immediately said, "Qian Fu is indeed fat. He gets out of breath after walking just a few steps. He's the kind of rich man who grew up sitting in the accounting office."

I glanced at him.

"Are you familiar with this place?"

Luo Wanqian chuckled.

"The accountant at the Qian family's residence occasionally asks people to inquire about silver prices outside. I sell information and don't discriminate against customers."

"Have you ever sold any information about me?"

His smile froze.

"Lord Shen, this..."

Yan Xiaoyi looked up at him.

Luo Wanqian immediately raised his hand.

"It was sold once! Just once! And it was sold to Manager Chen, definitely not to the Qian family."

I nodded.

"Make a note of this."

Luo Wanqian's face turned bitter.

"Lord Shen, keeping accounts can damage relationships."

"I'm here to audit the accounts."

He dared not speak.

I didn't enter through the main entrance.

The smell of kerosene in the Tao family's ironworks indicates that they were not simply there to collect something, but rather to prepare for burning the site.

If I enter through the front door, close it, and start the fire, Qian Rong will have another impeachment petition tomorrow:

Shen An broke into the sealed-off area at night and set fire to the site, destroying the seal-off area held by the inner guards.

He didn't even need to rewrite it; he just had to change "old warehouse" to "iron workshop".

I went around to the back alley.

The last time I sneaked in from here, there were still tire tracks and stone dust at the base of the wall. Now the tire tracks have been swept away, but the black ash in the corner is still there.

Yan Xiaoyi squatted down and took a look.

"Someone just climbed over the wall."

"Can Qian Fu get through?"

"He can't do it."

"That's Ji Qing."

Yan Xiaoyi nodded.

"The area where the plaster was rubbed off on the wall was very narrow, indicating decent footwork."

I looked at the wall.

not tall.

For Yan Xiaoyi, it was probably like a threshold.

To me, it's a bit like a natural barrier.

Yan Xiaoyi looked at me.

"Do you need any help?"

I still feel a little resentful when I recall the last time he watched me climb over the wall.

"want."

He froze for a moment.

They probably didn't expect me to be so decisive.

I am at peace with it.

I'm about to lose my life, what does saving face matter?

Yan Xiaoyi grabbed me by the back of the collar, lifted me up, and sent me to the top of the wall.

His movements were as practiced as if he were carrying a bag of rice.

I had just settled down when I suddenly heard low voices coming from inside the wall.

"Hurry, we can't let it go."

It was the voice of a strange man.

Low, hoarse, like his voice had been damaged.

My heart skipped a beat.

A six-fingered person.

Ji Qing.

The other voice sounded panicked.

"Master Ji, this tent bag was left by my master. If it's gone, how am I supposed to explain it back home?"

Qian Fu.

Ji Qing said coldly, "If your master still wants to live, he shouldn't have left these things behind."

Qian Fu said anxiously, "But there are bank drafts and ledgers inside, as well as several approvals. Without these things, if they trace it back to me, how can I prove that I was acting under orders?"

"Dead people don't need proof."

The courtyard suddenly fell silent for a moment.

Qian Fu's voice trembled noticeably.

"What do you mean by that, Master Ji?"

Ji Qing said, "Clear the accounts."

When I heard those two words, a chill ran down my spine.

Settle accounts.

For them, accounts are not accounts.

People are also accounts.

Burn what needs to be burned, replace what needs to be replaced, and let what needs to die die.

Qian Fu finally got scared.

"Master Ji, I've done so much for the Qian family, you can't..."

That's why I came in person.

No sooner had he finished speaking than a muffled thud came from the courtyard.

It looks like someone has fallen down.

Just as I was about to move, Yan Xiaoyi had already climbed over the wall and landed silently.

He glanced at me and mouthed: Don't rush.

Of course I'm not in a hurry.

The main problem is that his legs haven't come down from the top of the wall yet.

Yan Xiaoyi reached out and took me down.

We peered inside, pressed against the wall.

A small flame was shining from the direction of the furnace room.

It's not a stove fire.

It's a fire folding board.

Qian Fu fell to the ground, supporting himself with his hands as he crawled backward, his round face filled with fear.

A man in blue stood in front of him.

He has an average build.

Her face is also ordinary.

It's so ordinary that if you throw it into a crowd, it's hard to get a second glance.

But his left hand is quite unusual.

The cuffs were slightly drooping, revealing half of the palm.

Six fingers.

I stared at that hand, and my heart skipped a beat.

I finally met him.

A few golden threads were visible on the inside of his sleeve in the firelight.

It looks like half a crane's wing.

And he did indeed have a very faint bitter almond scent.

It also smelled of ink.

Liu Laoqi was right.

Bai Laoxiu was right.

The gatekeeper at Guangchu Gate was not wrong.

The six-fingered man is Pei Fujiqing.

Ji Qing was holding a small porcelain bottle in her hand.

When Qian Fu saw the bottle, he turned pale with fright.

"No! I can't die! I still have debts to settle! Ji Qing, you can't kill me!"

Ji Qing said calmly, "I will take the tent bag with me."

"You'll die even if you take me with you!"

"You deserved to die."

That was said so calmly.

Qian Fu is not a person, but just a mistakenly written account page.

I felt a very uncomfortable feeling.

Qian Fu is certainly not clean.

He laundered money, transferred bills, paid for Qian Rong to silence him, killed the old warehouse guard, and almost killed Liu Laoqi.

But when Ji Qing said he "should have died anyway," I suddenly realized that everyone in this network would eventually be eliminated by those above them, like accounts being cleared out.

It's good that you're in charge, Zhou.

Manager Tao is fine too.

Qian Fu is also good.

Even Qian Rong might not be an outsider in some larger scheme.

Ji Qing was about to stuff the porcelain bottle into Qian Fu's mouth.

I whispered, "Move."

Yan Xiaoyi has already made a move.

He emerged from the shadows, a short stick now in his hand.

Ji Qing reacted extremely quickly.

Almost the instant Yan Xiaoyi moved, he threw away the porcelain bottle, flipped his left hand, and a short dagger slid out from his sleeve.

when!

A short stick struck a short spike, and a spark flew.

Qian Fu screamed and scrambled backward.

I rushed out too.

Of course, I'm not targeting Ji Qing.

I am self-aware.

Charging against a master at this time is called heroic sacrifice.

I wish you good fortune.

When Qian Fu saw me, it was like he'd seen a ghost.

"Shen An?!"

I stepped on the hem of his clothes.

He's fat and climbs slowly.

That kick was very effective.

Qian Fu fell back to the ground with a thud, and a tent bag rolled out of his arms.

I bent down to pick it up.

Ji Qing's eyes turned cold, and with a feint, he suddenly lunged towards me with his short dagger.

Yan Xiaoyi blocked the way with his stick.

"Your opponent is me."

Ji Qing's voice was low and hoarse.

"Inner guard?"

Yan Xiaoyi said, "It's temporary."

Ji Qing sneered.

"The emperor is truly generous."

"It's alright," Yan Xiaoyi said lazily. "At least they provide meals."

The two continued talking, but their hands didn't stop.

Ji Qing's short thorns are very fast.

His left hand had six fingers that looked strange, but his movements were extremely steady. The short daggers spun along his wrist bones, each strike aimed at a vital point.

Yan Xiaoyi remained calm and composed, using his short stick to block, flick, and press. He appeared lazy, but he didn't retreat an inch.

I picked up the tent bag and just as I was putting it in my arms, Qian Fu suddenly grabbed my leg.

"Lord Shen, save me! I'll confess! I'll confess everything!"

I looked down at him.

"Let go first."

"I won't let go! If you don't save me, I'll die!"

"If you don't let go, I'll fall and die first."

Qian Fu finally relaxed a little.

But just then, a burst of fire suddenly ignited in the corner of the furnace.

Kerosene!

Ji Qing had kicked over an oil can without anyone noticing, and a tinderbox fell in, causing flames to spread rapidly along the ground.

Luo Wanqian peeked out from the wall and was so frightened that his voice changed.

"Lord Shen! It's on fire!"

I cursed.

As the fire flared up, Ji Qing used his short dagger to force Yan Xiaoyi back half a step, then turned and leaped onto the stove platform.

He turned around and glanced at me.

There was not a trace of panic on that ordinary face.

"Lord Shen, not just anyone can check the accounts."

I said, "Not just anyone can kill a person."

Ji Qing's lips seemed to twitch slightly.

"Then let's see how many you can save."

After saying that, he climbed out through the flue behind the furnace.

Yan Xiaoyi was about to chase after him, but I immediately called out to him.

"Don't chase!"

Yan Xiaoyi paused in his steps.

The fire had already spread up the wooden frame.

Qian Fu was still on the ground, the tent bag was in my arms, and Luo Wanqian was so frightened by the wall that he almost collapsed.

If they chase Ji Qing at this point, Qian Fu will be burned to death.

Even the tent bag might not be saved.

Ji Qing's calculations were accurate.

He ran away not because he couldn't win.

It's because he knew I had to save people.

Yan Xiaoyi gritted his teeth, turned around, and grabbed Qian Fu.

Qian Fu screamed in fright.

"Gently! Gently! I can walk!"

Yan Xiaoyi said, "You can't."

Then they dragged him into the back alley like they were carrying a pig.

I followed behind, the smoke stinging my eyes.

Luo Wanqian also ran outside, shouting as he went, "Lord Shen, isn't the information I brought valuable?"

I coughed and said, "Let's talk about it while we're alive!"

When we climbed over the back wall, the fire had already reached the roof beams of the stove.

The Tao family's ironworks caught fire for the second time.

The first time, it hid small stones.

The second time, it was hidden in the government's account bag.

I stood in the back alley, watching the flames rise from the top of the wall, and suddenly felt that this place was like a rotten stove.

Each time a fire is lit, it brings up a bit of old grievances.

Qian Fu was thrown to the ground by Yan Xiaoyi, and he groaned as he fell.

I crouched down and patted his face.

"The money and accounting office."

Qian Fu's face turned deathly pale.

"Lord Shen, save me! I can testify!"

I asked, "What kind of testimony?"

"The Qian family! Yongfeng! The Ministry of Works! I know them all!"

"Where is Ji Qing?"

Qian Fu's eyes darted away.

I took out the porcelain bottle that Ji Qing had dropped and held it in front of his nose.

It has a bitter almond flavor mixed with the bitter taste of medicine.

Qian Fu trembled all over when he smelled it.

He said he would settle the accounts.

I said, "Next time, he'll speak even faster."

Qian Fu cried.

really cried.

"I'll tell you everything!"

Looking at the burning ironworks, Yan Xiaoyi suddenly said, "Someone's coming."

"Inner guard?"

"It doesn't look like it."

Footsteps could be heard in the distance.

Quickly, very neatly.

This was not an ordinary constable.

My heart sank.

Ji Qing set the fire not just to escape.

It's also to attract people.

Who will be coming this time?

A moment later, a group of people appeared at the entrance of the alley.

The one leading them was none other than Wu Zheng, a senior official in the Ministry of Works.

When he saw me, when he saw Qian Fu, and when he saw the burning Tao family ironworks, a perfectly timed look of shock immediately appeared on his face.

"Shen An!"

He shouted sternly, "You're setting fire to destroy evidence again!"

I looked at him.

I suddenly feel like laughing.

These people really don't have any new words.

I lifted Qian Fu off the ground and pushed him forward.

"Lord Wu, you've arrived just in time."

Wu Zheng frowned.

"What do you mean?"

I said, "Qian Fu, the accountant of the Qian family, was involved in clearing accounts for the Yongning case, transferring old warehouses, and laundering Yongfeng banknotes."

I pointed to the fire.

"Also, I didn't set up the Tao family's ironworks."

Wu Zheng sneered: "You say it's not, so it's not?"

I laughed too.

"Of course not."

I patted Qian Fu on the shoulder.

"It only works if he says no."

Qian Fu shuddered when I slapped him.

Wu Zheng's expression changed instantly.

The way he looked at Qian Fu didn't seem like he was looking at a witness.

It's like looking at a dirty tent that can't be burned off.

Qian Fu finally realized that he only had one way to survive.