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

The gate of the Qian residence appears unassuming during the day.

At night, it looks like a closed mouth.

As I stood in front of the door, I suddenly remembered the last time I came to the Qian residence for tea.

Qian Rong sat in the waterside pavilion and gently told me that people should know how to behave appropriately.

Now, carrying the back gate tokens of the Censorate officers, Yan Xiaoyi, and Qian Cheng, along with the note that read "Take the bottom of the incense burner," I stood in front of his door again.

I think I'm losing my sense of propriety more and more.

The steward in green robes opened the door himself.

His eyes darkened the moment he saw me.

"Lord Shen, what brings you here so late at night?"

I handed over the back door token.

"Qian Cheng, the young master of the Qian family, was detained at Yongfeng Bank while holding the banknotes involved in the case. This token was found on him. There was also a note pointing to a hidden compartment under the incense burner in the Qian family's accounting office."

The steward in green remained expressionless.

"Lord Shen is too kind. My young nephew is unruly and occasionally incurs gambling debts; how could he possibly be involved in a murder case?"

I laughed.

"People in the Qian family always talk about murder cases like they're family matters."

"Lord Shen, please be careful with your words."

"I'm very cautious."

I took out the supervisory badge from the Censorate.

"I will only search the accounts, not the inner quarters, and I will not disturb the family members. If the steward tries to stop me, I will return to the palace now to request permission, and then the search will extend beyond just the accounts."

The steward in blue stared at me.

I looked at him too.

At this point, it's not about reasoning.

It's a matter of whether he dares to make a big fuss.

A moment later, he stepped aside.

"Please, Lord Shen."

The Qian residence was very quiet.

It was so quiet, as if it had been waiting for me for a long time.

The accounting office is located on the east side of the front yard.

A lamp was hanging outside, and the door lock was still on.

The steward in blue said, "There's no one in the accounting office tonight. Lord Shen can check it himself. But if you find nothing, please give the Qian family an explanation."

I glanced at him.

"Don't worry, sir. If nothing is found, I'll write an apology letter to the Qian family."

"Is writing a post enough?"

"I'll offer you another cup of tea."

The steward in blue stiffened.

He probably remembered the cup of tea I had at the Qian residence last time.

I remembered that too.

It's very bitter.

The accounting office door opened.

It's very tidy inside.

The tent racks, desks, abacuses, brush washers, and even the footprints on the floor were swept away.

It's too clean again.

I get annoyed when I see clean places now.

Qian Fu said the key was hidden at the bottom of the incense burner.

There was indeed an incense burner in the accounting room.

It's made of brass and sits on the right side of the desk.

The incense ash in the burner was smooth, as if it had just been wiped clean.

I didn't reach out my hand directly.

Look at the gray first.

The gray surface is too flat.

It was as flat as if someone had scraped it with a piece of paper.

I used a fine needle to pick off a little bit of incense ash.

There was no key inside.

If Ah Liu were here, he would probably whisper, "Young master, you're late."

I am indeed late.

But late doesn't mean empty.

I removed the incense burner and flipped the base over.

There is a shallow indentation around the bottom of the base.

It used to hide things.

The key has been taken.

I asked the steward in blue, "Who has been to the accounting office?"

He said, "No one is here."

"The incense burner moves by itself?"

"Lord Shen, there was nothing under the incense burner to begin with."

I unfolded the note and handed it to him.

"Why did Qian Cheng want to take the incense burner base?"

The steward in blue said calmly, "These unruly children believe rumors."

I stopped asking him.

Ask the table, not him.

I look at the desk.

The indentation on the bottom of the incense burner is slightly to the right, indicating that the person who took the key was accustomed to reaching from the right side.

A bit of ash fell into the crack of the table next to the incense burner.

There was a small piece of wax mixed in with the ash.

I looked at the hidden compartment again.

Qian Fu said the secret compartment was in the accounting room.

The key is hidden under the incense burner; the secret compartment can't be too far away.

I tapped on the right side of the desk.

The sound is real.

Then tap the left side.

air.

I glanced at the Qingyi steward of the Qian family.

His expression remained unchanged.

But his finger twitched slightly.

I laughed.

"On the left."

Yan Xiaoyi walked over and reached out to press down on the corner of the desk.

Click.

The hidden compartment popped open.

The manager in blue finally changed his expression.

The dark compartment was completely empty.

The items were cleared away.

Only a thin layer of ash remained.

The people from the Qian family acted quickly.

Before Qian Cheng returned to his residence, the key to the bottom of the incense burner had already been taken away, and the hidden compartment had been emptied.

This indicates that there was a second source within the Qian family who knew about Yongfeng's troubles.

They even received the news earlier than we did.

I used a fine needle to pry open the bottom of the hidden compartment.

The ash is very fine.

There was paper ash and incense ash.

There was still a bit of fabric stuck in the corner.

When the ledger was taken away, it was probably in such a hurry that the sealing cloth was torn.

I didn't rush to be disappointed.

The more a hidden compartment has been cleaned, the more carefully you need to check how clean it is.

I crouched down and peered into the mezzanine by the light.

There is a very narrow gap between the bottom panel and the outer panel.

Yan Xiaoyi handed over the short knife.

I gently lifted along the seam.

A small piece of paper fell out from inside.

It's very thin.

It's only half the size of a palm.

It looks like it was torn from the corner of a book.

I picked it up.

The text above is small, but clear.

Qian Pi, Deputy Secretary.

Book One of the Locust Trees, I will not destroy it for now, but keep it for self-protection.

Guangchu Gate, seasonally collected.

Three cabinets of silver, money and fortune turn.

Lu Yao, clears the mouth.

If things are urgent, offer blessings and forgo acceptance.

The room fell silent.

The manager in blue robes turned pale little by little.

Promote blessings, abandon acceptance.

Push money and bring good fortune.

He abandoned the money.

These are not words Qian Funeng wrote to himself.

It wasn't something Qian Cheng could have made up.

This is the coldest room inside the Qian family mansion.

The servants can be pushed.

Relatives can be abandoned.

As long as Qian Rong is protected.

I blew on the piece of paper and put it into the certificate bag.

"Manager, this thing is quite interesting."

The steward in green spoke with a strained tone.

"Lord Shen casually took out a piece of paper from a hidden compartment and claimed it was a certificate from the Qian family?"

I said, "Didn't you just say there were no hidden compartments in the accounting room?"

He shut up.

I continued flipping through the hidden compartments.

There was no other paper.

However, there is a trace of wax seal at the bottom, indicating that there should have been a thin booklet with the edges sealed with wax.

It was taken away not long ago.

I touched the wax.

It's still soft.

"It was taken away within half an hour."

The steward in blue asked, "How does Lord Shen make this judgment?"

"The wax hasn't cooled down yet."

"Perhaps it's old wax."

I looked at him.

"Manager, every explanation you give now feels like you're providing me with additional evidence."

He stopped talking.

Yan Xiaoyi suddenly said, "Someone has left the backyard."

I looked up.

"Bringing something?"

"His steps were light, but he was panting heavily. As if he were carrying a booklet."

The manager in blue changed his expression.

I immediately shouted, "Chase them!"

Yan Xiaoyi had already climbed out of the window.

The steward in blue stepped forward to stop me, but was blocked by two constables from the Censorate.

I looked at him.

"Manager, I told you, I'll only check the accounts."

He said coldly, "And where is Lord Shen now?"

"Now the things in the accounting office have run away."

After saying that, I walked out.

Of course, I didn't climb through the window.

I went through the door.

After all, not everyone is like Yan Xiaoyi, who can use a window as a road.

A muffled thud came from the backyard of the Qian residence.

Soon, Yan Xiaoyi returned carrying a gray-clad servant.

The servant was holding an empty cloth bag in his arms.

empty.

Yan Xiaoyi said, "The items have been transferred."

Who answered?

The servant said he didn't see it clearly.

I looked at the servant.

The servant was so frightened that he trembled all over.

"I didn't see clearly! I was just ordered to deliver the bag to the back wall, and someone took it from outside the wall."

"On whose orders?"

He glanced at the steward in blue.

The steward in blue had a livid face.

The servant immediately lowered his head, not daring to speak.

I understand.

I asked, "How many fingers does the person outside the wall have on their left hand?"

The servant was taken aback.

"I...I didn't see a hand."

"Can you smell the medicine?"

He thought about it.

"It tastes a little bitter, and also has an ink-like flavor."

Ji Qing.

It's him again.

The original copy of the deputy record book in the secret compartment of the Qian residence was taken away by Ji Qing or his men.

We only managed to grab a small corner of a page.

Winning by half a step, losing by half a step.

This has become the norm recently.

I ordered the bailiffs to take the servant away with me.

The steward in blue finally couldn't hold back any longer.

"Lord Shen, the Qian residence is not a prison of the Censorate!"

"Not now," I said. "It's hard to say what will happen in the future."

He stared intently at me.

Just then, someone came to report from the direction of the main hall.

"Manager, the master requests your presence."

The steward in green robes subtly changed his expression.

I looked at him.

"Is Minister Qian at home?"

"Master has just returned from the palace."

No wonder it's so quiet.

Qian Rong is waiting for me.

The steward in blue took a deep breath and regained his calm demeanor.

"Lord Shen, my master requests that you have a discussion in the main hall."

Yan Xiaoyi walked to my side and whispered, "There might be an ambush."

I nodded.

"Definitely."

"Where to?"

"go."

"You're going astray now; you know there are pitfalls, but you're jumping into them faster and faster."

I carefully kept the tattered copy of the money approval document.

"Someone is waiting for me in the pit."

"Who?"

I looked towards the main hall.

"Qian Rong".

Since Qian Rong took the initiative to invite me, it means he knows that the fragment of the secret compartment has fallen into my hands.

He either wants to steal it.

Either I want to talk.

Alternatively, you could try to cover up this tattered page with something bigger.

I have to hear either one.

The main hall of the Qian residence was brightly lit.

Qian Rong sat in the main seat.

He still had that gentle face.

Tea was laid out on the table.

I glanced at the teacup and suddenly felt like laughing.

"Minister Qian, I really dare not drink the tea served at your residence."

Qian Rong also laughed.

"Then we won't drink tea today."

He raised his hand, and the steward in blue stepped aside.

Qian Rong looked at me and slowly said:

"Lord Shen, now that you've investigated this far, what do you want?"

I was taken aback.

That's a very direct question.

He's not like Qian Rong at all.

I said, "The truth."

Qian Rong smiled.

"the truth?"

His gaze suddenly turned a little cold.

"Lord Shen, do you think what you've uncovered is the truth?"

I didn't speak.

Qian Rong took a piece of paper from his sleeve and placed it on the table.

The paper is old.

The edges and corners are yellowed.

There is only half a line of text above.

In the eleventh year of the Chengxi reign, the military funds for the southwest were merged into…

My pupils suddenly contracted.

The bottom page is missing.

Qian Rong actually had one of the pages in his hand.

He looked at me and spoke very softly.

"Lord Shen, the Yongning River case is nothing more than a shallow river."

"If you really dig down, you'll end up in the southwest."