It's impossible for them to settle the unearthed ledgers on their own. The men Xie Lang brought are skilled in combat, but when it comes to accounting, they all feel overwhelmed and say they are not good at it.
"Don't make things difficult for them. Everyone has their strengths. Let them go out and find some accountants to bring back. Also, let's talk about the accountants that are already in the prefecture. Anyone who dares to tamper with things will be severely punished as a warning to others."
Wen Heming suggested.
Xie Lang understood this principle as well.
He waved his hand: "Listen to the Grand Tutor, go and come back quickly."
As long as they weren't made things difficult, anything was fine. As soon as he finished speaking, the person in front of him disappeared in a flash. He was bolder than the people who had been with Xie Lang for years.
Wen Hemian let Xie Lang do whatever he could without interfering, and he was surprised to see how Xie Lang trained his subordinates.
Xie Lang seemed to see her confusion and smiled, "It's not a good thing if my subordinates are completely afraid of me."
Wen Hemian nodded: "That makes sense."
Xie Lang's men acted quickly and soon found many accountants. Even in the urgency, they made sure to find out the backgrounds of these people and confirmed their innocence before bringing them before the Emperor.
With time running out and the task heavy, while checking the account books, Zhou Ting also led his men to search the prefectural government office. They found not only several boxes of silver ingots, but also some letters. Although they had not been disposed of, the correspondence was very careful, and the words did not reveal much.
Therefore, encrypted emails are always valid.
Ning Hechu hid this place very well, seemingly very concerned, but in reality, he had already made preparations. If anything unexpected happened, he would probably abandon it immediately.
"Old fox."
Wen Hemian frowned slightly and gave a brief comment.
This was also her first impression of Ning Hechu.
Xie Lang: "Sooner or later they'll show their true colors."
"Speaking of which..." Wen Hemian suddenly said, "He was once the top scholar in the imperial examination, so how did he become a treacherous official? Is there really no other reason behind this?"
The original book's description of Xie Lang is already brief enough, and its description of Ning Hechu is even more brief.
After all, he appears as a background character, and his life trajectory is almost entirely blank. Apart from the time when he was finally brought down, which was described in some detail, he was not mentioned before.
"I don't know. I sent people to check, but they couldn't find anything."
Xie Lang was unwilling to let a major threat run rampant under his nose, so the spies were never withdrawn. As a result, they didn't find out anything about Ning Hechu, but instead discovered Wen Hemian's secret.
How can this not be considered a blessing in disguise?
Xie Lang gently stroked the teacup.
“I still feel something is off.” Wen Hemian didn’t jump to conclusions. “Since we’re in his hometown now, we can investigate further.”
At this point, Wen Hemian suddenly realized that Mingzhou must have some luck, since Xie Lang's mother and Ning Hechu were both from this area.
Xie Lang nodded nonchalantly, "Mm."
Regardless of Ning Hechu's past, he is going to be eliminated. It would be better to investigate him to put the Grand Tutor at ease.
Wen Hemian saw through his thoughts but didn't point them out. Instead, she said, "Since we're already here, why don't we build a cenotaph for the Empress Dowager?"
Xie Lang didn't say much, but he was actually concerned about it. In the second year of his reign, he proposed to posthumously honor his mother as Empress Dowager Huiyi. It was just a title, something that didn't really matter, and since no one objected, it was implemented.
When the Empress Dowager died, she was a concubine in the cold palace, and a small tomb was erected for her. After being posthumously honored, she was naturally moved to the imperial mausoleum. But nowadays, probably no one knows that she was born in Mingzhou.
A cenotaph is just a memory.
It all depends on whether Xie Lang wants to or not.
After he finished speaking, there was a long silence.
Wen Hemian wasn't in a hurry to get his answer, nor did she continue speaking. Her gaze slowly swept across the teacup, and she noticed that Xie Lang's fingertips, which were holding the cup, were turning slightly white, making him seem less calm than he appeared.
After a long while, the young man said in a low, hoarse voice, "I will send someone to inquire where she used to live."
Wen Hemian was unsure of his feelings for his mother; only he could untangle this knot in his heart.
After all, being born into an imperial family is the greatest tragedy.
"I've heard that most women in Mingzhou are passionate. I imagine the Empress Dowager will be pleased that you've come here to take a look."
Wen Hemian spoke lightly; she didn't want Xie Lang to fall into sadness.
Xie Lang didn't refute: "Mm."
The heavy atmosphere around him dissipated somewhat, and he pulled himself out of his previous emotions, a smile appearing on his face: "My subordinates will investigate the matter of officials' corruption. Grand Tutor, will you accompany me for a walk?"
There won't be a result anytime soon.
Wen Hemian nodded.
Their arrival was quite a commotion, and it was no secret that the prefectural government office was surrounded. After all the commotion, it was already evening, and the area outside was filled with onlookers. In the end, they had no choice but to leave through the back door.
Mingzhou was not wealthy, but the people lived a decent life. Their days were uneventful, but the news about the prefectural governor caused a stir everywhere, and even the street vendors couldn't escape the gossip.
"Come to think of it, the prefect has always been quite kind to us. What did he do wrong?"
"Wow, that's good, but his sons are all troublemakers. I heard they were investigated because they offended someone important."
The speaker was an elderly man with a wrinkled face, speaking in a low voice, yet with great conviction.
"A distinguished person? But isn't our prefect on very good terms with the Grand Secretary in the capital? Could there be someone more distinguished than that?"
"Hmph, it's probably just for show. 'Don't forget me when you're rich and powerful' is just empty words." The man sneered again. "To be honest, I used to serve in the Zhong family, and I even saw those two fight over a woman..."
The hushed voice reached the ears of Wen Heming and Xie Lang, who were seated on the other side.
Wen Hemian glanced at the guards who had seamlessly blended into the conversation, and raised an eyebrow: "Is that so?"
Xie Lang snorted: "Who knows?"
It's clear he's genuinely uninterested in Ning Hechu's affairs.
Wen Hemian, unusually, wanted to get to the bottom of things. She tapped the table and ordered, "Investigate the news from earlier thoroughly."
The guard beside him responded.
It was clear that the man didn't know much, and any further words would just be useless nonsense, so the guard quietly slipped away.
Wen Heming and Xie Lang found it boring to continue sitting, so they paid and went out for another stroll.
Customs vary from place to place. As Wen Hemian said, women in Mingzhou are much more enthusiastic. The flower sellers and handkerchief sellers have clear and elegant shouts.
Wen Hemian caught a glimpse of something and had an idea.
Xie Lang glanced at the hairpins and jewelry being sold at the stall next to her, thinking that she should find an opportunity to get them. Regardless of whether the Grand Tutor liked them or not, she wanted to have what others had.
As I was pondering this, I felt a light tap on my shoulder; I didn't think twice about who was giving it that much force.
Xie Lang snapped out of his daze: "Teacher..."
The next second, a large bouquet of flowers was suddenly stuffed into the boy's arms.
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