Denghuangtai

"Marquis Yin'an"

As soon as Pei Qingyan arrived at the Grand Marshal's office, a square-faced, burly man walked towards him. The man walked steadily and had a warm smile on his face. When he greeted Pei Qingyan, his voice was loud and clear.

"Uncle Qian," Pei Qingyan greeted politely. This man was Qian Wudu, one of her father's former subordinates and an official under the Grand Marshal.

Qian Wudu chuckled as he looked at Pei Qingyan. "Pei girl, are you looking for someone or something?"

"I've come to borrow the military register of the northern lands."

Qian Wudu immediately stopped smiling and became serious. "My dear niece, your father was the former Grand Marshal, so we, his former subordinates, should do you a favor. But this military register concerns the state of our dynasty's border defenses and cannot be easily borrowed."

"Uncle, rest assured, I know the rules. Please inform the Grand Marshal that I, Pei, am requesting an audience."

The Grand Marshal she mentioned was Ban Rong, the newly appointed head of the Ban clan, who was stationed in Liaodong after her father's death. In terms of seniority, he was comparable to Pei Qingyan's father, Pei Xuan.

As the general guarding the northern lands, it was perfectly reasonable for Pei Qingyan to request an audience with the Grand Marshal who commanded the military of the entire country, and Qian Wudu had no reason to refuse.

"Come here."

Qian Wudu casually beckoned a minor official over and smiled at Pei Qingyan, "Niece, go with him to the side hall for tea. Your uncle will be right back."

Pei Qingyan smiled and nodded in agreement, watching Qian Wudu leave.

The minor official, unaware of Pei Qingyan's identity, could only smile and flatter him, "Please come with me."

Pei Qingyan followed the minor official, passing around the main hall and arriving at the back side hall. All the officials he encountered along the way were unfamiliar faces. The saying "a new emperor, a new court" applies equally to officialdom.

Qian Wudu, on the other hand, as her father's former subordinate, is quite remarkable for being able to maintain such a smug and self-satisfied demeanor while in office.

"General Pei."

Pei Qingyan had barely sat down when Grand Marshal Ban Rong, with his slightly protruding belly, walked in. His deep voice echoed faintly throughout the hall.

"Grand Marshal." Pei Qingyan stood up and bowed.

Ban Rong waved his hand, "This is not a council hall, General Pei, please don't be so formal, please sit down."

"Grand Marshal, you are kind, but I am here today to see you on state business. I dare not be presumptuous and hope you will understand."

"State affairs?"

"Yes, I have been ordered to thoroughly investigate the murder of the Imperial Envoy, so I have come to borrow the military records."

"Why would an investigation of a murder case require military records?"

Upon hearing this, Pei Qingyan sneered inwardly; Ban Rong was truly asking a question he already knew the answer to.

The murder of the imperial envoy caused a great uproar, with even the common people discussing it, let alone the officials in the court. All sorts of news spread like wildfire, reaching the ears of the officials as soon as they heard it.

She couldn't believe that Ban Rong, as a high-ranking official, wouldn't know about her argument in the Xuanzheng Hall this morning, or guess the reason why she borrowed the military review book.

It's just that the old fox is pretending to be confused.

"Reporting to the Grand Marshal, the Imperial Envoy secretly investigated a case of embezzlement of military funds and subsequently lost his life. Therefore, I intend to investigate from the root cause, and I hope you will grant my request."

"no problem."

Ban Rong was surprisingly straightforward. Before Pei Qingyan could even utter the follow-up words he had prepared, Ban Rong summoned Qian Wudu in.

"You will accompany General Pei to the rear pavilion to review the documents."

"Yes," Qian Wudu immediately agreed.

"General Pei, I have other official duties to attend to, so I will take my leave. I wish you every success."

After saying that, Ban Rong turned and left. Watching Ban Rong's retreating figure, Pei Qingyan felt a mix of emotions.

The rear cabinet.

Qian Wudu placed the thick ledgers on the table, saying, "My dear niece, these are the military records of the North in recent years."

Pei Qingyan thanked him, then sat down at the table, the iron chain on his chest making a crisp sound with the movement.

"They actually pierced your collarbone?"

"When you're eager to solve a case, you always have to use some methods," Pei Qingyan said casually, with a hint of sarcasm in his words.

Qian Wudu sighed, indignantly saying, "Those people are only bullying the Pei family because they have no one to rely on. If the general were alive, they wouldn't dare to treat you so cruelly, even if they had the guts of a lion."

Pei Qingyan tightened his grip on the military register, his eyes revealing sorrow.

Seeing this, Qian Wudu sat down and lowered his voice, saying, "If there is anything I can do to help you, please let me know, and I will do my best to assist you."

"Thank you, Uncle."

Pei Qingyan thanked him verbally, but had no intention of asking for help. Her father's death was shrouded in mystery, and in this muddy water, she trusted no one.

"My dear niece," Qian Wudu said, seeing that Pei Qingyan wasn't responding, so he had to take the initiative to start a conversation, "Did the imperial envoy leave any backup plans, such as secretly sending account books or other evidence to you or his family?"

Pei Qingyan was looking down at the military register when he heard this. He looked up, his face showing difficulty, and shook his head.

Qian Wudu watched as Pei Qingyan shifted his attention back to the military register, letting out another long sigh. His worried expression suggested he was quite concerned for Pei Qingyan. Yet, a faint smile played on his lips.

In his elation, he failed to notice that Pei Qingyan had already noticed his reaction out of the corner of his eye.

The room was silent except for the sound of Pei Qingyan turning the pages of paper. After about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Pei Qingyan got up to take his leave.

Before leaving, Qian Wudu asked with concern, "Have you found any clues?"

Seeing Pei Qingyan shake his head, Qian Wudu pretended to comfort him, saying, "If you ask me, you're getting stuck on one thing. The statistics of soldiers in various places are compiled once a year, following the old rules set by your father. Your father is extremely meticulous, and there's no way there could be any discrepancies. Instead of focusing on the accounts, you should start with the family of the imperial envoy. No matter how loyal he is to the emperor, he still has to think about his family and leave them some chance to survive."

This sounded reasonable. If Qian Wudu hadn't repeatedly steered the conversation toward the imperial envoy's family, Pei Qingyan might have believed that he was genuinely offering advice.

but……