Chapter 74. Steal the evidence.

Yue Yining loosened her grip on the roof beam, and dust settled on the golden table. Fu Yao caught her waist and landed lightly, her cloth shoes stepping on the edge of the pool of blood, splashing up two tiny droplets of blood.

"I just saw him put that note in the drawer." Yue Yining frowned as soon as she landed. She covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, but the smell of blood still seeped into her throat.

Fu Yao had already squatted down in front of the desk and opened the drawer. The bloodstained note was under the inkstone paperweight. She quickly said, "Miss, we found it!"

Yue Yining took the paper and examined it closely in the moonlight. The paper was smooth, with delicate and even lines; it was high-quality Fanjiang paper, often used for formal invitations or letters between royalty and nobility. The seemingly neat ink strokes meandered across the paper, laying out a sinful agreement.

This is an instruction to increase the lead content in copper coins from 10% to 40%. It is covered with numerous signatures and official seals from relevant units and departments at various levels.

The fact that someone signed their name on it indicated that they were aware of the matter beforehand and were involved, and Jin Yuanxiu's name happened to be at the bottom of the paper.

This would be irrefutable evidence that sent Jin Yuanxiu and others to prison.

The sound of the night watchman's drum came from outside. Yue Yining composed herself, put away the note, and said, "Let's go. It's getting late, and we have the evidence. We should head back."

Fu Yao nodded. She had already pushed open the window, and the night wind swirled coal dust onto her face.

As the moon began to set in the west, they reached a gap in the collapsed wall. Before bending down and crawling out, Yue Yining glanced back at the mint one last time; several furnaces, rising with blue smoke against the horizon, resembled incense sticks stuck in the earth.

The covered wagon was parked under the locust tree, with an unlit lantern hanging on the shaft. Her tense nerves only gradually relaxed as she climbed into the wagon. She sat down against the soft cushions and realized her legs were weak.

The cart wheels rolled over the stone pavement, causing the cart to jolt slightly. Fu Yao looked at her, hesitatingly saying, "Miss, now that we have both witnesses and evidence, shouldn't we...?"

"Don't rush." ​​Yue Yining pressed her temples, feeling exhausted from the night's travel and tension. She barely managed to keep her mind clear. "Although there are witnesses and physical evidence, this is still Suyang. Judging from the current situation, the Jin family is fearless and has already taken control of Suyang. It's not advisable to act rashly."

"And there's another place I haven't figured out."

How was the replaced copper transported away so quietly? Copper ore is large and heavy; if it were transported out of the mint in truckloads, it would be very conspicuous and impossible to escape her watchful eyes.

But the truth is that the guards she sent to guard the mint observed day and night and only found convoys transporting lead into the mint, but no convoys transporting copper away. All the other vehicles entering and leaving the mint were on the government's declaration list, and they were transporting materials that other mints needed on a daily basis.

Yue Yining had her doubts. The only things being transported out were scrap and coins; if they wanted to transport copper, they had to work on those two.

However, the guards had tracked both types of vehicles. The scrap trucks would return to the mint after being transported to the landfill, while the coin trucks would be transported directly to the dock. When the guards reported back, they said that they had personally witnessed the people from the canal transport office opening and inspecting the boxes, and that the boxes being transported were indeed filled with copper coins.

It's really strange. The enormous copper mountain that was replaced simply vanished into thin air.

However, no matter how well they try to conceal it, they ultimately need to transport the copper ore away from Suyang in order to make a profit.

There are only two transportation methods: land and water. Suyang is located at the confluence of the Ganjiang River, and water transport is cheaper and reaches more prosperous areas, so it is the most likely route. As long as we have irrefutable evidence, we can raid the government's transport ships and seize the stolen goods on the spot. With the evidence and the suspects caught red-handed, Jin will have no way to deny it.

Therefore, one should never act rashly without being absolutely certain of success.

Night falls like ink, and banyan leaves dye the courtyard green.

After returning to the room, Fu Yao tidied up Yue Yining's desk in the outer room, putting all the evidence she had brought back from the mint into the drawer and under the miscellaneous items.

Seeing that the candlelight behind the screen had not gone out, Fu Yao picked up the calming tea on the table and went around to take a look, only to find that her young mistress was divining.

Yue Yining had washed her hair today, and her fair and delicate face glowed with a faint luster. Her wet hair, half-dried, hung down her back. She wore a single robe and only her undergarments, sitting cross-legged on the bed, deep in thought as she looked at the bronze plate on her lap.

Fu Yao didn't disturb her, and quietly put down the tea. But before leaving, she remembered that the carriage for tomorrow hadn't been prepared yet, so she turned back and asked, "Miss, are we going out to investigate a case tomorrow? Or are we just staying at the manor?"

Yue Yining raised her head. "Of course, tell people to prepare carriages and horses. I need to go to the government office tomorrow."

What are you going to the government office for?

Yue Yining put the bronze plate away, a smile appearing on her fair face. "I need to confirm something myself."

Night rain dyes the sky and water a deep blue, while the morning sun lends its crimson hue.

The next morning, Yue Yining had slept poorly because she had gone to bed late the night before and was overwhelmed with worry. Her eyes were half-open from the moment she got up, and she started yawning as soon as she got into the carriage.

She turned her head and saw Fu Yao, who was coming up behind her, looking mysterious.

Although Yue Yining was still sleepy, she became curious: "Why does he have such a funny expression on his face?"

"What interesting thing did you overhear this time?"

Fu Yao quickly came closer: "Miss, guess what I just found out?"

"Stop keeping me in suspense, just tell me."

“I went to the side room of the East Gate early this morning, only to find that all three carriages of the Prime Minister’s residence were gone!” Fu Yao’s tone was nonchalant. “I felt something was wrong, so I went to find the servant on duty in the side room and used a lot of coercion and bribery before I finally got him to tell me anything—”

When Yue Yining heard that the carriage was missing, she was a little stunned. Upon hearing this, she quickly asked, "What happened?"

"Xie Qingyu returned to the capital overnight! So everyone in the Prime Minister's residence left in a flash. When I passed by their courtyard, I peeked inside, and it really was deserted!"

Yue Yining was stunned. Xie Qingyu had returned to the capital?

Yesterday she was busy investigating the case and returned to her residence late at night. She had very little contact with Xie Qingyu throughout the day, except for a brief encounter at the government office at dusk, and by chance they rode in the same carriage back to her residence.

Now, all I can recall is him sitting in the car, gentle and refined, looking at her smiling face. His handsome profile was bathed in a soft glow, and his eyes, reflecting her figure, seemed to hold a vast expanse of light.

What urgent matter could have caused them to abandon their case and rush back to Beijing overnight?

Yue Yining frowned. For some reason, she felt something was off, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. She just clearly felt a tightness in a corner of her heart.

“…Something is definitely not right. But it’s unlikely he’ll just walk away. He came to Suyang to investigate the case on behalf of the Seventh Prince’s faction. If no one takes over the case and continues the investigation, the Seventh Prince is doomed to lose this round.”

Yue Yining lowered her eyes and unconsciously rubbed her fingers. "Let's take it one step at a time and follow my original plan. Let's go to the government office now."

Morning mist drifted through the bluestone alley, and the sound of golden bells shattered the frost on the tiles. The carriage carrying the master and servant gradually drove away into the distance.

......

Zhao Xu was very pleased with himself.

He knew he was about to accomplish something big, thanks to his quick wit and exceptional luck.

He returned home yesterday and happened to overhear his father's conversation with his subordinate outside the door. Zhao's father was a protégé of the Xie family. Although he did not hold a position in the capital, he had openly sided with the Seventh Prince. The eldest son of the Xie family had recently gone to Suyang to investigate a case, but had to return to the capital as soon as possible due to family matters. Therefore, someone had to take over the case in Suyang, which was why he approached Zhao's father, who held a position in Luochuan, a large city near Suyang.

The successor chosen by the eldest son of the Xie family was neither his father nor himself, but another outstanding young man from a poor family. This person was currently working under Zhao's father, so the Xie family contacted Zhao's father directly.

What should have been a simple matter turned into a nightmare when Zhao Xu found out about it. He insisted on coming, pleading and begging his father relentlessly.

The eldest son of the Xie family has almost finished investigating the case. The successor only needs to wrap things up and can claim the credit for it. This is a huge bargain! If this happened in Yanjing, it would definitely be fought over by those aristocratic scions. If Yanjing weren't so far from Suyang and the case weren't so urgent, his father wouldn't have had a chance to make the decision!

His father always doted on him and understood the principle of keeping the benefits within the family. Seeing his son's eagerness to make a difference, he secretly wanted to give him the opportunity and agreed at his request.

So, on his way to Suyang to take up his new post, Zhao Xu kept replaying his good fortune in his mind, his heart smugly pleased. He was a good-looking but rotten-in-the-inside good-for-nothing, possessing nothing of value, and only able to obtain a minor official position through the recommendation system thanks to his good family background. In terms of ability and talent, he should never have been chosen, but unfortunately, in this world, talent alone does not guarantee success.

A person's fortune determines their potential, and Zhao Xu believed that the greatest fortune in life was determined by one's birth. Therefore, he held officials born into humble backgrounds in contempt. One's fate is determined by the family one is born into, and this has been true for thousands of years.

As for the civil service examination system, it was merely a means for my emperor to demonstrate his benevolence. In other words, the civil service examination system gave these bookish, impoverished scholars an opportunity, so that they could stand in the same court as the sons of noble families.

But so what? These people can still easily enter officialdom by virtue of their ancestors' favor. That's the difference between them and the poor and stingy. It's a world of difference.

Young men from prominent families like him wouldn't feel ashamed of taking credit for others' achievements; they would only feel that exercising privileges is incredibly enjoyable.

In short, it's all because Zhao Xu is lucky and fortunate! This wonderful job would have gone to anyone, but it just happened to fall on Zhao Xu's head. It's as if even God has eyes and can't bear to see him suffer any misfortune!

So early this morning, Zhao Xu happily arrived in Suyang.

The Xie family had informed Jin Yuanxiu in advance, and everyone knew that he was there to succeed Xie Qingyu. The city lord's mansion warmly received him and arranged a separate courtyard for Xie Qingyu and his entourage for Zhao Xu.

As soon as he got back to his room, Zhao Xu became lazy.

Logically, as a newcomer, he should have gone to the government office to learn about the case first, but he remained on the bed and refused to move.

Knowing his habits, Zhao's father assigned him a capable adjutant, and now it was this adjutant who stepped forward.

He lowered his eyes and spoke with utmost respect: "Young Master Zhao, it's not time to rest yet. We need to set off soon to ask the yamen for the files, and then we'll need to visit the mint..."

"Does it really need to go through so much trouble?" Zhao Xu wondered. "I heard from my dad that the case is all solved. Why don't you go and gather up all the evidence we have now, and once it's almost done, we'll go find Jin Yuanxiu. Can he deny it then?"

“Young Master Zhao is right, but the problem now is that we don’t have any evidence yet.”

"No evidence?!" Zhao Xu couldn't sit still any longer. He sat up abruptly, his eyes wide. "What's going on here?! Didn't we say we already had a fake ledger?"

The adjutant, already used to Zhao Xu's incompetence, calmly replied, "Those two ledgers aren't conclusive evidence. They only show that we deduced the cause and course of events based on the accounts. However, the falsified accounts only indicate that the amount of copper and lead purchased was incorrect; they cannot definitively prove that the Jin family did it intentionally."

"The Kim family has every right to make excuses. They could say that the craftsmen stole copper during the casting process and then made a few scapegoats. Or they could say that the lead coins were defective products that should have been destroyed, but were sold by mint workers and entered the market. We need sufficient direct evidence to prove that the Kim family deliberately counterfeited inferior coins."

Zhao Xu was dumbfounded. He had no idea that there was something else he needed to do; that this great achievement was missing one crucial step that needed to be completed before he could claim it.

He suddenly became anxious and could no longer stand still. He stood up and paced back and forth in the room, gritting his teeth in frustration.

Unfortunately, he really lacked the talent for solving cases. After thinking for a long time, his mind was completely blank, and he didn't know what to do next. He could only anxiously ask his adjutant, "What should we do next?"

The adjutant honestly replied, "Go and gather clues, investigate the facts..."

"That's not it!" Zhao Xu snapped, grabbing his collar and yelling, "Are you out of your mind? I asked for a different method! How could I possibly investigate? How could I possibly find out?!"

The adjutant stared at him intently. "Young Master Zhao, just do what you've always done."

Zhao Xu was stunned for a moment before he realized what his adjutant meant.

Seeing that he had let go, the adjutant straightened his collar and resumed his submissive demeanor. "I heard that all three princes have sent people to investigate this case. The other two officials investigating the case are from humble backgrounds, so they must be quite capable. They should have found some evidence by now."

Zhao Xu understood what the adjutant meant; he wanted him to find someone to steal the physical evidence that the other two officials had found.

The adjutant was right. Zhao Xu had always done this: stealing credit and appropriating others' achievements. As long as he could successfully claim them for himself, no one dared to challenge him because of his family background and status. He wouldn't provoke those he couldn't afford to offend; he only bullied officials from humble backgrounds because he knew they had no backing and would have nowhere to seek justice if he robbed or stole from them.

Furthermore, the Suyang Green Ghost case is merely a political struggle disguised as an investigation; in reality, it's a contest of achievements for various factions vying for the throne. Everyone will use various methods to squeeze out their opponents and win. Throughout history, there have been countless instances of people secretly hiring assassins or framing others to seize the throne. What does it matter if he steals a piece of evidence?

Zhao Xu suddenly realized that his previous worries were unfounded; he had simply been too anxious because the incident had happened so suddenly.

“You’re right, that’s a good idea.” Zhao Xu patted his adjutant’s shoulder with a smile. “I didn’t expect you to be so clever sometimes! Don’t worry, after it’s done, I’ll definitely say a few good words about you to my father, and I’ll make him promote you.”

The adjutant didn't say anything, but simply bowed his head and responded.

Zhao Xu was a man of action in this regard. After making his decision, he ordered his guards to patrol the courtyards of Yue Yining and Ye Miheng's groups, focusing on arresting the Jin family servants who frequently entered and exited the courtyards. Not long after, the guards returned with a woman who looked to be about twenty years old. Judging from her terrified expression, she had obviously been captured on the way and brought here by force.

Zhao Xu sat in the armchair and got straight to the point: "Don't worry, I don't mean to make things difficult for you. I just want to ask you for a favor."

He spoke with a warm smile and a sincere tone, which gradually put the woman at ease. However, upon hearing that he intended to steal from other people's yards, the old woman's face turned deathly pale. Terrified, she knelt on the ground and begged for mercy: "Sir, this is truly impossible! I can't do it! If my master finds out, I'll be dead!"

This wasn't the first time Zhao Xu had done something like this; he was already quite adept at it. He said, "Hey, don't rush. You believe me? If I said my guard had taken a liking to you, your master would hand over your indenture to me in a heartbeat."

The woman's hands trembled, and her face was filled with horror. "No..."

"Don't worry, if the Jin family makes things difficult for you afterwards, I'll take care of it for you. If you want to leave the City Lord's Mansion to do something else, I'll help you too, and I'll give you a generous reward." Zhao Xu promised a figure and smiled, "This money is enough for your family to live like gods for the rest of their lives, right?"

The woman was stunned. She had never seen such a sum of money in her three lifetimes. Faced with such enormous profits, she was just an ordinary person, and she was inevitably tempted. However, perhaps out of fear, conscience, or some kind of animalistic intuition, she had a vague sense that a storm was brewing.

The woman tried to struggle a bit more, "Why did you choose me, sir? There are people more suitable than me. Those tall and strong guards are definitely more capable than me... I really don't have the confidence to do a good job..."

Zhao Xu's smile faltered. His expression darkened, and he casually picked up an inkstone from the table and smashed it on the ground. The woman was so frightened that she dared not utter a sound.

“Someone like you is perfect. You’re an honest person who gets scared easily. You don’t seem like the type to do anything petty theft, so no one will be on guard against you. There’s nothing you can’t do. If I told you that you would die if you couldn’t do it, wouldn’t you be able to do anything?” The gloom on Zhao Xu’s face only flashed by for a moment. He softened his expression and snorted, “Such a simple thing, as long as you want to do it well, you can do it well.”

"Go ahead. Remember to keep your hands and feet clean. I'll have my guards assist you."