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

Qian Fu knelt on the ground, crying terribly.

When the fat accountant cried, he was no more attractive than Ah Liu.

But it's more useful than Ah Liu.

Because Ah Liu crying only serves as a reminder that I'm about to have bad luck again.

Qian Fu cried, and he was able to drag Qian Rong out.

Wu Zheng's face went from green to white, and then from white to green again.

He clearly hadn't expected Qian Fu to still be alive, much less that Qian Fu would shout "Pei Fu Ji Qing" in the street.

This name is terrible.

It is not a member of the Qian family.

They weren't from the Ministry of Works either.

It points to the residence of Pei Shen, the Vice Minister of the Imperial Secretariat.

Wu Zheng said sternly, "Qian Fu! Do you know what you're saying?"

Qian Fu was trembling all over.

Of course he knew.

He was trembling like a leaf precisely because he knew this.

I didn't give Wu Zheng a chance to continue pressuring him.

"Lord Wu," I said, "Qian Fu is now a witness in the Censorate's murder case. If you wish to question him, you can do so in court tomorrow."

Wu Zheng stared at me.

"Shen An, what right do you have to take him away?"

"Because he was almost silenced just now."

"Who saw it?"

"I."

Wu Zheng sneered.

"You will testify yourself?"

"And him too."

I pointed to Yan Xiaoyi.

Yan Xiaoyi remained expressionless.

Wu Zheng glanced at him, his expression changing slightly.

He recognized the inner guard badge in Yan Xiaoyi's hand.

Although Yan Xiaoyi always says it's "temporary," outsiders don't know whether it's temporary or not.

The term "Inner Guard" was very useful in the capital.

Sometimes it's even more useful than the Censorate.

Luo Wanqian peeked out from behind the wall and whispered, "There are also younger ones."

Wu Zheng looked at him coldly.

"And who are you?"

Luo Wanqian shrank his neck.

"A warm-hearted citizen."

I almost lost my composure.

Wu Zheng was so angry that a vein throbbed on his forehead.

The Ministry of Works bailiffs behind him tried to step forward, but Yan Xiaoyi blocked them by taking a step forward.

The atmosphere suddenly became tense.

The fire crackled and popped, and thick smoke billowed from the top of the wall.

People in the distance, drawn by the firelight, began to peer out to watch the spectacle.

It's a familiar situation again.

As long as there are many people, it can't be too dirty on the surface.

I raised my voice:

"The former site of the Tao family's ironworks under the Ministry of Works has caught fire again. Qian Fu, the accountant of the Qian family, narrowly escaped being silenced. Shen An from the Censorate is here to protect the witnesses!"

Luo Wanqian immediately shouted in response:

"Protect the certificate! Protect the certificate!"

This guy truly lives up to his reputation as a news peddler; he knows exactly what's important when he shouts it out.

The surrounding people immediately began to discuss the matter.

If Wu Zheng wants to implicate me for arson, he first needs to explain why the Qian family accountant was at the ironworks, why Qian Fu said that Pei Fu Ji Qing wanted to kill him, and why the Ministry of Works arrived so quickly.

He couldn't explain it.

So he could only grit his teeth and say, "The fire must be saved."

I nodded.

"Lord Wu is right this time."

Wu Zheng's face turned even uglier.

I said, "Lord Wu put out the fire, and I'll take the witnesses back to the Censorate. Everyone is doing their job, that's good."

"stop!"

Wu Zheng shouted.

I turned around.

"Is there anything else?"

"Qian Fu is involved in an old case of the Ministry of Works, and the Ministry of Works will also question him."

I smiled.

"Don't worry, Lord Wu. Once he has finished recording his statement at the Censorate, the Ministry of Works can send out the official documents."

"you!"

"It's all about rules," I said earnestly. "Isn't Lord Wu the one who values ​​rules the most?"

Wu Zheng was speechless after I cornered him.

In the end, he could only watch helplessly as we took Qian Fu away.

Of course, saying "take away" is not accurate.

It was Yan Xiaoyi who took it away.

Qian Fu hummed all the way, like a bag of rice begging for mercy.

On the way back to the Censorate, Qian Fu tried to speak several times.

Every time I opened my mouth, I would take out Ji Qing's porcelain bottle and shake it.

He immediately shut up.

This is more effective than intimidation.

Because the intimidation might be fake.

The poison bottle is real.

When they arrived at the Censorate, Ah Liu's eyes widened at the sight of Qian Fu.

"Young master, have you brought someone back again?"

I said, "This time it's the accounting office."

Ah Liu looked at Qian Fu carefully.

"He's much fatter than Liu Laoqi, and looks like he'll live a long life."

Qian Fu was so frightened that his face turned pale.

"I don't want to die! Lord Shen, I don't want to die!"

Ah Liu was taken aback by his shout.

"I didn't say you were going to die."

I said, "Keep him and Old Liu in separate rooms. Observe their eating and drinking separately."

Ah Liu nodded.

"Understood. We can't let him eat random things, and we can't let others give him random things to eat either."

"You understand this time."

Practice makes perfect.

These words are a little heartbreaking.

When Zhao Guanlan heard that we had captured Qian Fu, he quickly went to the interrogation room.

When he saw Qian Fu, his first words were:

"Alive?"

I nodded.

"Alive."

Zhao Guanlan looked at me with a somewhat complicated expression.

"You've finally realized that living people are more useful than corpses."

I said, "The main problem is that there are too many corpses, and we can't fit them all in."

Qian Fu shook even more violently.

I put the tent bag on the table.

This was salvaged from the abandoned furnace of the Tao family's ironworks.

The tent bag wasn't large, and the outer layer was old cowhide with shiny edges, clearly indicating that it had been hidden, taken, and rummaged through over the years.

There are two knots at the opening of the bag.

A common knot.

A hidden knot.

The ordinary knot is for outsiders to see, but the secret knot is the true seal.

I didn't rush to demolish it, but instead looked at Qian Fu.

"Will you open it yourself, or should I cut it open?"

Qian Fu swallowed hard.

"I'll drive."

He reached out to untie the knot, his hands trembling so badly that it took him three tries to finally get it right.

The tent bag was opened.

There are three things inside.

A very thin booklet.

A stack of banknotes.

A small wooden stamp.

I picked up the booklet first.

The booklet cover was blank, but the contents were very detailed.

But it's not a complete account.

It's more like a private accounting book.

The lines were all coded messages.

Qian Pi Yi, Yongning Stone Material, transferred to three cabinets.

Qian Pi Er, Jiu Cang Ye Che, Zhi Tao, Shun Feng.

Qian Pisan, Lu from the pharmacy, and another branch.

Money approved for four purposes, urgently needed for clearing accounts, to be collected quarterly.

Money approved.

Finally, it wasn't just two words on a scrap of paper.

It appears vividly in the private records of the Qian family's accounting office.

I looked up at Qian Fu.

"explain."

Qian Fu's lips trembled.

"The money slip... is a secret mark from the accounting office."

"Whose money?"

"My master."

"Qian Rong?"

He dared not say it.

I placed Ji Qing's porcelain vase on the table.

Qian Fu immediately replied, "Yes! It's Minister Qian!"

Zhao Guanlan's face darkened.

I continued, "What does 'money approval' mean?"

"Expenditures that the master cannot approve on official documents are recorded in the private accounts by the mansion's accountant using 'money approval'. These are not official documents and are not stamped with the Ministry of Works' seal; they are simply marked on the private accounts."

"So, the approval document wasn't issued by Qian Fu, but by Qian Rong?"

Qian Fu's face turned deathly pale.

"Yes."

This word is very light.

But it can crush many people.

Qian Rong could say that the Ministry of Works' treasury funds were embezzled by his subordinates.

It can be said that Qian Fu hired the carriage company without his consent.

It can be said that Yongfeng banknotes were used for accounting purposes.

But as long as it is confirmed that the "money approval" was actually Qian Rong's personal approval, he will not be able to clear his name.

I picked up the small wooden stamp.

The wooden seal is very small, with only one character on the seal face.

money.

It is not an official seal.

It is a private seal.

I had someone bring me inkpad and pressed it onto the white paper.

A tiny character for "money" appeared on the paper.

It matches the half-character mark of "money" that we found in the Dingche repair wood.

Zhao Guanlan took a deep breath.

"Sealed up".

Qian Fu was completely paralyzed.

"Lord Shen, I've already told you, you have to protect me!"

Whether I protect you or not depends on what you say.

"I'll talk, I'll talk!"

I opened the stub of the banknote.

The three counters of Yongfeng Bank still have all the bills.

The six redeemed tickets all have their destinations recorded in Qian Fu's private diary.

Tao Family Iron Workshop.

Hitchhiking.

The gambling den in Xiliu Lane.

Lu's Pharmacy on the back street of the Ministry of Justice.

The other two are labeled "City Gate Substitute" and "Alleyway Child".

I frowned.

"Is the one who impersonated Ji Qing at the city gate today?"

Qian Fu nodded.

"Yes, give him ten taels, the rest is for the backup fee."

"Where's the boy at the alley entrance?"

"Little beggar."

A thought struck me.

The little beggar who delivers the wooden plaque that reads "Liu Laoqi, the Carriage and Horse Shop"?

"Is he one of yours too?"

"No, no," Qian Fu hurriedly said, "The original intention was to give him money to give a false report and lead Lord Shen elsewhere. But the little beggar has disappeared, and the money hasn't been paid out."

I felt a little relieved.

After taking Liu Laoqi's wooden plaque, the little beggar probably didn't dare take the money from the Qian family.

People who are cheap sometimes know what money they shouldn't take.

I continued flipping through the pages.

Of the ten unredeemed tickets, three were marked with "槐" (Huai).

I asked, "What does '槐' mean?"

Qian Fu's expression changed instantly.

It is clear.

This is the key point.

I didn't rush him, I just pushed the small porcelain bottle in front of him.

Qian Fu stared at the porcelain vase, then exclaimed in despair, "The Locust Blossom Courtyard!"

"Where?"

"A separate courtyard outside Qianfu City."

"What are you hiding?"

"The bottom volume".

Zhao Guanlan immediately asked, "What inventory?"

Qian Fu looked miserable.

"Yongning River Channel Review Register".

My heart skipped a beat.

Review the original work.

This thing is heavier than the tattered ledgers, red slips, and bank drafts we have.

The Ministry of Works falsified accounts; the main ledgers could be altered, the supplementary ledgers could be burned, and the income and expenditure records could be rewritten.

However, the original records were different.

It is a draft document left by the Ministry of Works when verifying the project, materials, construction period, and funds.

This isn't a showy account presented to the imperial court.

Instead, it was a dirty secret used by their own people to reconcile accounts.

The document will contain the actual number of stones, the actual flow of silver, the actual transfer points, and may even include the signatures of the people involved.

If we obtain it, the Yongning River case can be transformed from "a series of doubts" into "ironclad evidence."

I stared at Qian Fu.

"Is the original register not in the Ministry of Works?"

"It's not here." Qian Fu shook his head. "The Ministry of Works' copy was replaced a long time ago. The real register has always been in the master's hands."

"Why not burn it?"

"It cannot be burned."

Why?

"The bottom register isn't just about the Yongning case," Qian Fu said, his voice trembling. "It also contains several old accounts. The master said it can't be burned; if it is, others will kill him too."

Zhao Guanlan and I exchanged a glance.

Qian Rong held the ledger in his hand, not just for his own accounting.

It was also to save their lives.

He also kept his own talisman in the online accounting system.

No wonder Qian Rong is so composed.

Because he not only knows how to silence others, but also knows how to save his own breath.

I asked, "Why destroy it tonight?"

Qian Fu said, "Ji Qing said that Lord Shen has already found out about Yongfeng's three cabinets, and the crane tent has also been exposed. The records cannot be kept."

"Ji Qing was allowed to be destroyed?"

"Yes. But the master initially refused."

"And then?"

"Later..." Qian Fu swallowed hard, "Ji Qing delivered a message."

"What did you say?"

Qian Fu's voice lowered.

He said, "If you clear the accounts but not the people, then the people become accounts."

The room was eerily quiet.

If you clear the accounts but not the people, then the people become accounts.

These are not words that Ji Qing would normally say.

He was just spreading the word.

There are still people up there.

I asked, "Who said that?"

Qian Fu shook his head.

"I don't know. I really don't know."

I looked at him.

He doesn't seem to be lying this time.

He genuinely didn't know.

Qian Fu was the accountant of the Qian family. He had access to banknotes, private seals, and ledgers, but he had no access to the people who actually issued the orders.

Even Ji Qing might not be able to get in touch with him.

They are all just strokes in the book.

I continued, "Where is the Locust Blossom Courtyard?"

"Ten miles southeast of the city, beside the old locust grove. There are two old locust trees at the entrance."

"When will the final copy be destroyed tonight?"

Qian Fu said, trembling, "Before midnight."

I looked out the window.

It was already completely dark.

The ionization time is not far off.

Ah Liu stood at the door and whispered a reminder: "Young master, you haven't eaten yet."

I glanced at him.

He immediately changed his tune: "I haven't gone to sleep yet either."

Zhao Guanlan said, "I will be transferred to the Censorate as a constable."

"not enough."

I shook my head.

Since Qian Rong intended to destroy the records, he couldn't have only sent a few servants.

Ji Qing is still outside.

The shadows of the Ministry of Works, the Ministry of Justice, and the Secretariat were all present.

Sending just a few constables from the Censorate would be suicide.

Yan Xiaoyi said from the side, "Find Gu Xingzhi."

I looked at him.

"Inner guard?"

"If the bottom register truly involves the palace's inner treasury, Gu Xingzhi will not ignore it."

He was right.

But seeking out Gu Xingzhi is tantamount to handing over some of the initiative to the emperor.

I was still hesitating when a familiar, cold voice suddenly came from outside the door.

"No need to look."

Gu Xingzhi walked in from the darkness.

He still doesn't use the main entrance.

Ah Liu was so frightened he almost jumped up.

"Commander Gu, could you please knock next time?"

Gu Xingzhi ignored him and only looked at me.

"His Majesty's oral decree."

Everyone in the room turned serious.

Gu Xingzhi's Way:

"Shen Ancha visited the Huaihua Villa, accompanied by the Imperial Guards."

My heart sank.

The emperor found out.

Or rather, the emperor had been waiting all along.

Gu Xingzhi then looked at Qian Fu.

"The witnesses will be kept in the Censorate."

Qian Fu nodded repeatedly in fright.

Gu Xingzhi looked at me one last time.

"Lord Shen, His Majesty said one more thing."

I asked, "What?"

Gu Xingzhi's voice was calm:

"If the complete record is destroyed, you don't need to come back."

I closed my eyes.

very nice.

When the emperor protected me, it was like letting dogs run free.

They rush me like they're killing a dog.

I stood up and handed Qian Fu's account book to Zhao Guanlan for safekeeping.

Then he touched the short blade in his sleeve.

Ah Liu was looking at me from the doorway, his voice tense.

"Young master, are you going out of the city again?"

"Um."

"This is going to be dangerous, isn't it?"

I thought about it.

"A little more dangerous than last time."

Ah Liu's face turned pale.

Because he knows that when I say "one point," it usually means "many points."

I walked to the door, then stopped.

"Ah Liu."

"exist."

"I'll owe you the hot pancakes for now."

Ah Liu's eyes reddened, but he still nodded.

"Young master, come back. I'll buy it for you."

I smiled.

"Buy three."

After I finished speaking, I followed Gu Xingzhi into the night.

Ten miles southeast of the city lies a secluded courtyard adorned with locust blossoms.

The original complete map of the Yongning River channel is right there.

Before midnight, someone was going to burn it.