Major secret

When Yin Li returned to the Silver Prince's Mansion with He Mo, the morning light had already spilled over the vermilion gate. She held the "Secret Records of the Yin Family Case" in her hand, the warmth of their handshake still lingering on her fingertips, and even her steps were unconsciously light.

As soon as she entered the study, she immediately ordered her maid to stand guard outside the door and not allow anyone to approach—she wanted to carefully sort through the clues found in this secret room and see how big a scheme was hidden behind it.

The secret record lay open on the desk, its yellowed pages bearing neat handwriting, yet each word pierced the heart.

Yin Li flipped through the pages, her heart sinking with each reading: In addition to the records of the clan leader's collusion with Qinglang Mountain and bribing Wei An to frame her second uncle, there were several pages of account books attached, detailing how Wei An, using his position as an eunuch, helped the clan leader transfer the Yin clan's assets—from shops and fields to gold and silver jewelry, and even several salt-producing tidal flats. These tidal flats were registered under the name of "Qingxu Temple," and then transferred by Qingxu Temple to the Qinglang Mountain patriarch.

"So the salt permits were just a cover; the real purpose was to seize the clan's property." Yin Li's fingertips traced the numbers in the ledger, and her heart skipped a beat. What her second uncle had discovered back then wasn't a simple case of "colluding with foreign enemies," but rather that the clan head had joined forces with outsiders to completely drain the Yin clan and seize control of the entire family's lifeline!

Wei An, acting as an inside man, helped them fabricate evidence and cover up traces of transferring clan property. Finally, he used Yin Li to blackmail his second uncle, forcing him to shut up.

She then turned to the records about Wei An's suburban residence, which not only listed the address but also mentioned that "on the first day of each month, a person in purple would deliver supplies."

Yin Li immediately recalled the cloud-patterned token on the waist of the purple-clad man in the dilapidated temple, and the cloud-patterned silk handkerchief in the jailer's hand—these purple-clad men were not only Wei An's old subordinates, but also Qinglang Mountain's spies who controlled the capital's industries. And that mansion might not only be a place to hide silver, but also a base for them to pass messages and store stolen money.

Just as he was reading the crucial part, his fingertips suddenly touched the inner fold of the last page of the secret record—inside was a folded note. Unfolding it, he saw that it was written in the handwriting of his second uncle, Yin Lin. Although it was a bit messy, it was full of force: "Wei An is colluding with Qinglang Mountain and wants to use the Yin clan's property to raise a private army. If something happens to me, Yin Li should quickly seek help from the He clan. The He clan has an old grudge against Qinglang Mountain and can be relied upon."

The He family? Yin Li looked up suddenly, remembering the cloud-patterned token on He Mo's waist and his words about "having an old grudge with Qinglang Mountain"—it turned out that her second uncle had long anticipated that something would happen to her and had left clues for help in advance. He Mo's appearance was not a coincidence at all!

He helped me not only because of Master Mu Han, but also because of the old grudge between the He Clan and Qinglang Mountain, and also to fulfill my second uncle's entrustment from back then.

"Such a huge network of interests..." Yin Li clenched the note tightly, her fingertips turning white. The clan leader wanted the Yin clan's property, Qinglang Mountain wanted to use the property to raise a private army and expand his power, and Wei An wanted to profit from it. The collusion between these parties pushed her second uncle into the abyss and almost brought the entire Yin clan to ruin.

What she had discovered before was merely the tip of the iceberg of this network. She organized the secret records, ledgers, and notes, and locked them in a secret compartment of the secret room.

As she stepped out of the study, the sunlight shone directly on the crabapple tree in the courtyard, casting golden light among the branches and leaves, yet it made her feel a heavy weight in her heart.

However, hidden within this heaviness was a sliver of determination—she not only wanted to find Yin Li and clear her second uncle's name, but also to completely dismantle this web of interests, reclaim the clan property belonging to the Yin family, and make those who colluded with outsiders and plotted against their relatives pay the price they deserved.

Just as she turned around, a maidservant rushed in: "Miss, Prince He Mo sent a letter saying that 'people have been assigned to monitor the suburban residence, and action can be taken on the first day of the month.'"