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

The moment the words "The old archives building of the Prince's Mansion is on fire" were uttered, it was as if someone had thrown a fire into the Golden Hall.

Although the fire was burning in the Prince's mansion, the heat seemed to have reached the hem of everyone's robes.

The courtiers whispered among themselves.

Some people look at Grand Secretary Wang, some look at the Emperor, and some look at me.

I stood in the hall, still holding that excessively clean old copy of the Zhongshu tablet in my hand.

The supplementary booklet is very light.

But at this moment, it was hotter than a piece of red-hot iron.

Grand Secretary Wang stood on the right side of the hall.

His face showed sadness.

It wasn't the kind of exaggerated grief that was feigned, but a deep sorrow befitting a veteran official.

"Your Majesty, the old archives of the Prince's Palace contain the late Emperor's old handwritten letters, edicts of entrustment, and records of the old dynasty. Now they have been destroyed by fire, and this old minister..."

He paused, as if he couldn't continue.

The court officials also fell silent.

That's how capable this veteran minister is.

The Prince's mansion burned the old archives, so logically, he should be the most suspected person.

But as soon as he put out the words "the late emperor's old archives," the matter turned into the old minister losing his treasure and the old items being burned.

Those who doubt him are seen as disrespecting the late emperor.

Looking at him, I suddenly felt that Qian Rong's loss was not unjust.

Qian Rong's greatest skill was hiding accounts.

A man like Grand Secretary Wang can turn even fire into loyalty.

The emperor looked at the messenger.

"How's the fire?"

The man knelt on the ground, his voice trembling.

"Your Majesty, the fire started on the second floor of the old archives building and is spreading extremely quickly. The guards of the Prince's residence are fighting the fire, and the Imperial Guards have also rushed there."

"Were there any casualties?"

No casualties have been reported yet.

The emperor remained silent.

The quieter the hall became, the colder I felt.

The fire that burned down the old office building was perfectly timed.

It's so coincidental that you don't even need to check to know it's not a coincidence.

I took a step forward.

"Your Majesty, I have something to say."

Grand Secretary Wang looked at me.

His gaze remained calm.

It's a little colder than before.

The emperor said, "Speak."

I held up the supplementary booklet.

"I just requested an investigation of the fire records. Shortly afterward, the Prince's residence reported a fire in the old archives building. If the fire hadn't started earlier or later, but instead occurred just as the fire records were about to be checked, I believe this matter cannot be simply attributed to a fire."

Another low murmur rippled through the hall.

An old minister immediately stepped forward.

"Shen An! The late emperor's old files in Grand Secretary Wang's residence were destroyed, yet you still dare to make accusations?"

I looked at that person.

The head of the Ministry of Rites was surnamed Cui.

He loves to talk about ancestral rules in his daily life.

I said, "Lord Cui is right. The late emperor's old files were destroyed, and they should indeed be investigated."

He choked.

"you……"

"Since it should be investigated, then let the Imperial Guard and the Censorate investigate together." I continued, "Check where the fire started, what burned first, what burned next, whether the fire record is still there, and if not, whether it was already gone or just gone."

Lord Cui's face turned red.

Grand Secretary Wang said slowly, "Imperial Censor Shen, my residence caught fire, yet you insist that someone else started it. Do you know how serious those words are?"

"I understand."

"Then why did you say it?"

"The fire is already burning; no matter how softly I speak, I cannot put it out."

Grand Secretary Wang finally fell silent for a moment.

I pointed to the supplementary register.

"Grand Secretary Wang, you say the deputy register is innocent, so I will ask the fire recorder. If the fire recorder is here, I will admit my mistake in court. If the fire recorder is not here, it at least shows that there are still doubts about the destruction of the old Wei character plaque."

"The fire record may now be burned."

"Therefore, the fire should be investigated even more."

I looked at him and said, word by word, "Find out who made Huo speak for him after Huo was questioned."

The hall fell silent.

That's a very strong statement.

The weight was so great that many court officials dared not accept it again.

Grand Secretary Wang looked at me.

"Censor Shen is truly a rash and impetuous young man."

I said, "I dare not accept such praise; I am merely short-lived and wish to expedite the investigation."

Upon hearing this, someone in the hall coughed softly.

I don't know if she was trying to suppress a laugh or if she was scared.

The emperor glanced at me.

That look seemed to say, "You do know you're going to die young."

He spoke slowly: "Gu Xingzhi."

Gu Xingzhi stepped forward.

"Your subject is here."

"Take the Imperial Guards to the Prince's Mansion. Seal away all the old archives, ashes, and sealed boxes. Send someone from the Censorate to accompany you."

Zhao Guanlan stepped forward: "Your subject obeys the decree."

The emperor then said, "Minister Wang."

Grand Secretary Wang bowed.

"Your subject is here."

"Since the old files in your residence are related to today's case, you are not allowed to touch any items that survived the fire."

Grand Secretary Wang lowered his head.

"I obey your decree."

This statement sounds quite ordinary.

But I know it's actually very heavy.

The emperor ordered the Imperial Guard to seal the old records of the Prince's Mansion.

Even sealing off only the old archives and remnants is equivalent to opening a breach in the Wang family mansion.

Of course, Grand Secretary Wang knew this as well.

So he remained silent for a little longer than before.

I returned the copy to Wei Zhi.

The emperor looked at Qian Rong.

"Qian Rong".

Qian Rong lay prone on the ground.

"Your subject is here."

"You have already admitted to the Ministry of Works' official seal, Yongfeng silver notes, empty treasury records, money approvals, privately kept documents, and missing pages torn out."

Qian Rong had a gold brick stuck to his forehead.

"I acknowledge it."

"In the Yongning River case, Fang Yuanshi was interrogated because of his account, the old warehouse guard was killed, Liu Laoqi was poisoned, and Fang Zhou and his mother were hunted down. All of this stemmed from this case."

Qian Rong remained silent.

The emperor's voice grew even colder.

"You're only admitting to oversight?"

Qian Rong's shoulders twitched.

The hall was eerily quiet.

After a long silence, he finally said, "I am guilty."

With these three words, the first major obstacle in the Yongning case was finally lifted.

That's not the whole truth.

But it was enough to make Qian Rong never be able to stand up again.

The Emperor said, "Strip Qian Rong of his official position, imprison him in the Ministry of Justice, and have him tried jointly by the three judicial departments. His family property, account books, and private assets shall be sealed and investigated. No one from Qian's household shall leave the capital without imperial decree."

Qian Rong closed his eyes.

"Your subject...accepts his punishment."

Grand Secretary Wang did not look at him.

I didn't watch it from beginning to end.

Qian Rong was just a burnt-out old lantern.

Throw it away if you need to.

But I was looking at Qian Rong.

He did not relax when he confessed.

Only desolation remains.

I know he hasn't finished saying the most crucial thing yet.

Account settlement meeting.

Old accounting office.

The person behind Grand Secretary Wang.

The emperor already knew a great deal.

None of these have been put on paper yet.

But today, it's impossible to drag everyone out of the Golden Palace all at once.

The imperial court is not a ditch.

You can't just shovel up all the mud.

If you flip it too quickly, poison gas will spray from below.

The emperor looked at me again.

"Shen An".

I'm stepping forward.

"Your subject is here."

"The initial trial of the Yongning River case was successful."

I was just starting to feel a little relieved.

The emperor then spoke his next sentence.

"But the old case remains unresolved, Lan Bugui has not yet appeared, the old Wei-character plaque with the fire mark has been destroyed, and Ji Qing has not yet given a full confession. You continue the investigation."

I lowered my head.

"Your subject obeys the decree."

This is not a reward.

This is like pulling me out of one pit and putting me in an even deeper one.

The courtiers looked at me with even more complicated expressions.

Some people think I'm lucky.

Some people think I'm crazy.

Some people even think I'm going to die soon.

I personally agree more with the third option.

Grand Secretary Wang suddenly spoke up: "Your Majesty, this old minister has a request."

The emperor said, "Speak."

"The old archives building of the Prince's residence has been damaged by fire. This old minister requests to remain behind closed doors pending investigation. I will return to court to discuss matters once the fire record is clear."

These words alarmed many senior officials.

"Grand Secretary!"

"You mustn't, Grand Secretary Wang!"

Grand Secretary Wang raised his hand, silencing the crowd.

He looked at the emperor.

"This old minister cannot put Your Majesty in a difficult position."

What a fine saying, "We cannot put His Majesty in a difficult position."

He was clearly forced into this situation, yet he portrayed it as him taking the initiative to show compassion for the emperor.

The emperor looked at him.

"allow."

Grand Secretary Wang bowed.

"Thank you, Your Majesty."

He stepped back to his chair.

The movements were very steady.

But I know that his step back today is not a defeat.

It means moving the battlefield from the Golden Palace back to the old officials' net.

Qian Rong has fallen.

Grand Secretary Wang has retired.

But the real internet is still there.

At the end of the court session, Wei Zhi announced the imperial edict, ordering Qian Rong to be taken to the Ministry of Justice prison.

As Qian Rong was being led down from the hall, he suddenly stopped beside me.

His voice was very low.

"Shen An".

I looked at him.

"Does Lord Qian have anything else to say?"

He smiled.

He is no longer Minister Qian.

"You think you're investigating the Ministry of Works?"

I didn't speak.

Qian Rong leaned closer, his voice so soft that only I could hear it.

"You're investigating someone close to His Majesty."

My heart sank.

He continued, "The accounting meeting..."

As soon as those three words were spoken, my pupils contracted.

Account settlement meeting.

This is the first time someone has explicitly stated this name.

Qian Rong wanted to say something more, but was pushed by the escorting officer.

He staggered half a step and stopped speaking.

I stood in front of the palace gate and watched him being led down the long steps.

The morning light shone on the gold bricks, making them dazzlingly bright.

The Yongning case was won.

Qian Rong has fallen.

Grand Secretary Wang has retired.

But I'm not relaxed at all.

Because those three words, Qian Rong, felt like a cold piece of iron, pressing down on my heart.

Account settlement meeting.

So this net really does have a name.

Having a name means it's not a scattered group of people.

It has rules.

It has hands and feet.

There is a knife.

There will be another person to be eliminated.

I looked down at my cuffs.

It was still covered in mud from the old ditch.

Suddenly, I felt that this mud was much more real than the light in the golden palace.