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

The incomplete copy of the list was brought back to the Censorate before dawn.

When Ah Liu saw me return, his first reaction wasn't to ask what I had found out, but rather to ask:

"Young master, you're still alive?"

I nodded.

"To live."

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"That's good."

Then he saw that Gu Xingzhi and Xiao Lingyi were also following behind.

Ah Liu immediately stood up straight, like a bamboo pole suddenly startled awake.

"Your Highness, Commander Gu."

Xiao Lingyi ignored these formalities.

She went straight into the main hall.

Gu Xingzhi also entered the main hall.

As I followed behind, I suddenly felt that this dilapidated place, the Censorate, was becoming more and more like a side hall of the imperial court.

The emperor's men have arrived.

The princess has arrived.

The inner guards are here.

Qian Rong is locked up.

It is inhabited by all sorts of people who are about to die.

Ah Liu calling it an inn is still too euphemistic.

This place now looks like a pot.

There's everything in the pot.

Zhao Guanlan was still awake.

Lu Huaizhou didn't sleep either.

Their faces changed when they saw the tattered copy of the list.

Zhao Guanlan asked first, "Where are the original pages?"

"Lan Bugui is in my hands."

"Is this just a fragment?"

"right."

Lu Huaizhou frowned: "Can a fragmented copy be used?"

I said, "We can't convict someone, but we can force them to talk."

"Who are you forcing?"

"Qian Rong".

I placed the incomplete copy on the table.

The words above were written very lightly.

It can be used to weigh down a person with a light piece of paper.

The old official seal of the Secretariat is sealed: Wei Qingping.

Temporarily suspended in the internal treasury: Liu Bing.

Ministry of Works account transfer: Qian Rong.

Guangchu Gate Night Turn: Season Six.

Qian Rong's name is on it.

Ji Liu is Ji Qing.

Wei Qingping is still alive.

Who Liu Bing is has not yet been identified.

But these few lines were enough for Qian Rong to understand: Lan Bugui had really made a move.

If he still doesn't admit it, Lan Bugui will bring out even more things.

When Qian Rong was brought to the main hall, his complexion was even worse than before.

He was no young man after all, and after being interrogated, stripped of his seal, and imprisoned overnight, even the most docile old fox would eventually lose his fur.

But when he saw that Xiao Lingyi was also there, his gaze paused for a moment.

"Your Highness."

Xiao Lingyi sat to one side and said calmly, "Minister Qian, there's no need for such formalities."

Qian Rong looked at me.

"Lord Shen's trial today was quite a grand affair."

"Minister Qian's case is quite serious."

I pushed the tattered copy of the list in front of him.

Do you recognize it?

Qian Rong looked down.

At first glance, he seemed quite calm.

The second time I looked at him, his expression changed.

When he saw "Old Zhongshu Plaque Sealed: Wei Qingping", his fingers visibly tightened.

I said, "Wei Qingping is still alive."

Qian Rong looked up at me.

"You saw him?"

"I saw him."

"Lan Bugui has also appeared?"

"I didn't see it."

Qian Rong breathed a sigh of relief.

I looked at him.

"Are you afraid of her?"

Qian Rong did not answer immediately.

Xiao Lingyi suddenly said, "Qian Rong, what you're afraid of isn't Lan Bugui, but the last page in her hand."

Qian Rong glanced at Xiao Lingyi.

"Your Highness, the waters of old cases should not be allowed to run too deep."

Xiao Lingyi said coldly, "My mother has already died in this water."

Qian Rong shut up.

He couldn't answer that question.

I asked, "Who is Liu Bing?"

Qian Rong remained silent.

"Temporarily suspended in the Imperial Treasury, Liu Bing. Is this the man who handled the old accounts of the Southwest military funds?"

Qian Rong still did not answer.

Gu Xingzhi suddenly said, "Liu Bing died of illness in the twelfth year of Chengxi. He once served as the deputy director of the Imperial Treasury."

Another death from illness.

I don't want to comment anymore.

I asked Qian Rong, "Is Liu Bingzhen dead?"

Qian Rong looked at Gu Xingzhi.

Gu Xingzhi remained expressionless.

I said, "Don't look at Commander Gu, I'm asking you."

Qian Rong slowly said, "Liu Bing is dead."

"Really dead?"

"This time it's for real."

How did you know?

"Because I was there when he died."

The room fell silent for a moment.

"Who killed him?"

Qian Rong whispered, "It's not killing, it's ordering someone to commit suicide."

Xiao Lingyi suddenly looked up.

"Who bestowed it?"

Qian Rong shut his mouth.

Gu Xingzhi also looked at him.

My heart sank.

The phrase "granted death" is too lofty a claim.

It doesn't necessarily have to be an emperor.

It could be an old decree from the late emperor, a secret order from the inner court, or a forged message from a former minister who had been entrusted with the task.

But it's definitely not something that people like Qian Fu, Qian Cheng, or Lu Pharmacy can touch.

I pointed out the incomplete copy.

"Qian Rong, Lan Bugui asked me to do three things next."

Qian Rong looked at me.

"What?"

"Make Qian Rong confess to his crimes."

He chuckled.

"Lan Bugui will make arrangements."

Do you admit it?

"I don't acknowledge it."

I'm not surprised at all.

If he were so easily identified, he wouldn't be Qian Rong.

I continued, "You can deny it. But Lan Bugui will continue to release more lists. Wei Qingping is alive, Liu Bing is dead, and Ji Qing is still clinging to life. Guess who's on the list after Qian Rong?"

Qian Rong's face finally darkened.

I said, "If you now only acknowledge that you are primarily responsible for the Yongning River case, that you personally approved the 800 taels of silver from the Ministry of Works treasury, that you hid the Huai register, that you tore up the bottom register, that Qian Fu was just transferring money on your behalf, and that Qian Cheng was just returning the receipts on your behalf, then perhaps you can still separate the old accounts from the Yongning case."

Qian Rong looked at me.

I continued, "If you don't admit it, once Lan Bugui releases the last page, you won't just be the main culprit in the Yongning case."

"What is that?"

"One of the people who knew about the old accounts from the eleventh year of Chengxi's reign."

Qian Rong's eyelid twitched.

That's what he's really afraid of.

The Yongning case could cost him his official position or his life.

However, the old grievances from eleven years ago could cost his entire family their lives.

They might even nail him to the annals of history.

Qian Rong said in a low voice, "Shen An, you're forcing me to cut off my own arm."

"Minister Qian, if you don't cut your own head now, someone else will do it for you."

That's very impolite.

But it's very useful.

Qian Rong remained silent for a long time.

So long that Ah Liu didn't even dare to breathe loudly outside the door.

Finally, he said, "I can admit that the Yongning case was not properly investigated."

"not enough."

"Ren Qianfu is acting on my orders to transfer silver."

"Not enough."

"The eight hundred taels of silver inscribed with the imperial seal were personally approved by this old man."

"It's already been acknowledged."

Qian Rong looked at me and finally gritted his teeth and said, "The book of Huai books is mine, and the missing pages were torn out by me."

The room fell silent.

This statement carries significant weight.

The Huai book is the base book.

The missing page is from an old account book in Southwest China.

His admission of tearing pages from the collection is tantamount to admitting that he was not deceived by Qian Fu, but rather that he actively possessed key evidence.

Zhao Guanlan immediately picked up his pen to take notes.

Lu Huaizhou's eyes shone as if he had read a brilliant article that could kill someone.

I continued, "Why tear out the page?"

Qian Rong closed his eyes.

"To save my life."

"Whose life should we save?"

"mine."

"Anything else?"

He did not answer.

"Qian Rong".

Xiao Lingyi suddenly spoke.

"Among the torn pages, are there any old cases involving the late Empress?"

Qian Rong's face turned even paler.

After a long silence, he whispered, "Yes."

Xiao Lingyi pressed her fingertips against the edge of the table.

"Where did Mother find the clues back then?"

Qian Rong did not look up.

"Internal database found."

"and then?"

"It was discovered that the military funds in the Southwest were not embezzled by Shen's army."

Xiao Lingyi closed her eyes.

These words finally came out of Qian Rong's mouth.

It's clearer than missing pages.

I immediately asked, "Then who swallowed it?"

Qian Rong's voice was as soft as a breeze.

"Not just one person."

"A debt settlement meeting?"

He did not answer directly.

He simply said, "Back then, it wasn't called the Account Clearing Meeting."

Zhao Guanlan and I exchanged a glance.

It's not that I wasn't here back then.

It wasn't called that back then.

Qian Rong continued, "Back then, it was just called the Old Account Bureau."

Gu Xingzhi's expression finally changed.

Xiao Lingyi asked, "Who's in the game?"

Qian Rong's lips moved slightly.

But he didn't say it.

I pushed the shredded copy of the list closer.

Say one.

Qian Rong's forehead was covered in a fine layer of sweat.

"king……"

He had barely uttered a word when an urgent report came from outside the door.

"Lord Shen! Something terrible has happened!"

I turned around abruptly.

The constable rushed in, his face pale.

"A message has arrived from the Princess's residence: Ji Qing has been poisoned and is dying!"

The expressions on everyone's faces in the room changed.

The second thing Lan Bugui asked me to do was to have Ji Liu recognize the palace gate.

If Ji Qing dies, this matter will be over.

Gu Xingzhi turned and left.

Xiao Lingyi also stood up.

I glanced at Qian Rong.

Qian Rong's face was ashen, as if he had just returned from the brink of death.

The word "king" that he was about to utter was interrupted by Ji Qing's poison.

Is that a coincidence?

In Beijing, there are no surprises, only arrangements.

I said to Zhao Guanlan, "Make a note of it. Qian Rong acknowledged that the Huai album was his, and that he tore out the missing pages."

Zhao Guanlan nodded.

I looked at Qian Rong again.

"Minister Qian."

He looked up.

"You'd better keep this 'king' character."

Why?

"Because if you don't finish speaking, the number of people who die tonight might not just be Ji Qing."

Qian Rong didn't say anything.

I turned around and followed Gu Xingzhi and Xiao Lingyi.

As I was leaving, Ah Liu handed me a hot pancake.

I look at him.

His face was pale, but he still kept pushing the pancakes forward.

"Young master, eat on the way."

I took it and tucked it into my pocket.

"Not eating this time?"

"Save lives first."

I rushed out of the Censorate.

The sky was already turning white.

Another night has passed.

Shen Lie's two-day countdown has less than two days left.

Just as Lan Bugui handed over the incomplete copy of the list, Ji Qing was about to die.

This shows that the net is also in a hurry.

They would rather expose more people than let Ji Qing shut up.

As I sat in the carriage, I suddenly remembered Lan Bugui's words.

Make Qian Rong confess.

Let Ji Liu recognize the place.

To make the emperor aware of it.

The first thing I just mentioned was that I had just started talking about it.

The second thing is to stop breathing.

This whole affair is truly relentless, leaving no room for respite.