Chapter 142 You are really a smart guy
Liu Yu's face turned pale. "What are you talking about? I don't know what marks on the snow are. It's snowing outside again. I'm afraid the marks you mentioned won't be visible in a while.
"I really didn't receive that much food. Now all I have here is rice bran, and no one has been here since. The food is right in front of you, Fourth Master. If you want to push me to be the scapegoat, I'll do it. I just hope that Fourth Master, for the sake of the victims, will quickly think of a way to get more food. I, Liu Yu, thank you again."
The Fourth Master gave Liu Yu a cold look. It was indeed snowing outside, and besides, the wheel marks couldn't be used as evidence, and there was no way to show them to the Emperor. The missing food and fodder was a mistake, and the Emperor wouldn't listen to any explanations.
"You old fox, are you still trying to deny it? Do you really think we are children who can be fooled by you?" The Fourth Master said in a cold voice, "Investigate, investigate for me! Don't leave a single inch untouched, including his house, search thoroughly."
If it was really transported out, it would be impossible that not a single grain of rice was lost.
Liu Yu didn't panic: "The innocent are innocent. No matter how you investigate, Fourth Master, I didn't do it. After the investigation, please give me justice."
The Fourth Master narrowed his eyes. This old fox was really fearless. If there was no real evidence, he would not admit it.
But the Fourth Master couldn't figure it out. If Liu Yu had done it, what was his purpose? If not him, who else could have been so capable of transporting the grain and fodder quietly through the heavily guarded yamen?
This matter is too strange.
Not long after, Buyu came back with a group of people and said, "Master, the government office doesn't have it."
Jiu Ye didn't believe it, so he took people to look for it again, but still found nothing.
After Buyan returned from the prefect's residence, he also shook his head and said, "We only found this much rice." As he said that, he presented the bag of rice that was only enough for one meal.
The Fourth Master took a look and frowned: "Moldy rice?"
Liu Yu said calmly, "You haven't eaten it, have you? Nowadays in Jinyang City, it's good to have some moldy rice to eat."
"Molded rice is poisonous. Are you crazy?" said Jiu Ye.
Liu Yu replied, "Even poison is better than starving to death. Gentlemen, you haven't experienced what it's like to be hungry, have you? Even if it's moldy rice, if you wash it a few times, it will still fill your stomach. It's something the victims can't even ask for."
The Fourth Master looked at Liu Yu carefully again, his brows furrowed even tighter.
This is more like a trap, but the purpose of the person who set it up is something that the Fourth Master still hasn't figured out.
Wen Jiu carefully examined the bag for a long time, and suddenly realized something was wrong: "Master, this bag is not what we brought from the capital!"
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone subconsciously looked over there.
Wen Jiu pointed to the bag of rice and said, "Look, the sacks we brought from the capital are mostly woven with four-strand rope. Because of the long journey, they are woven tightly to prevent them from breaking, and they are also heavier. And this bag of rice bran, although it looks the same, is woven with two-strand rope, which is relatively light. It is not ours."
As soon as these words were spoken, everyone immediately turned around to look at the bag.
"It's really different, Sister-in-law Si, you are amazing." Master Shi's eyes lit up.
The Ninth Master patted the Tenth Master's forehead and said, "You still have the leisure to flatter me at this time!"
He immediately turned to look at the prefect: "Liu Yu, why don't you confess?"
Sweat had already begun to fall from Liu Yu's forehead, but he pursed his lips and said nothing.
The Fourth Master said, "Liu Yu, if you tell me the whereabouts of the grain, I will not make things difficult for you and may even show you leniency."
Liu Yu moved his lips slightly, glanced at the Fourth Master, but ultimately said nothing. He picked up something in his hand and wanted to stuff it into his mouth.
"He wants to commit suicide!" Someone shouted.
After all, Liu Yu was a weak scholar and was also old, so he was subdued in just a few moves and the poison was dug out.
"Master, this is what he has in his hand." He presented it without saying a word.
The Fourth Master took a look and said, "Show it to the imperial physician to see what it is."
Liu Yu's medicine was taken away from him, and he became a little dazed.
The Fourth Master narrowed his eyes and said, "Remove his jaw. Keep an eye on him and don't let him die."
"Does he have any family?" asked the Third Master.
The mustachioed official next to him immediately replied, "No... no, my lord is now alone."
When these words were spoken, everyone was surprised.
"He's still not married at this age?" Jiu Ye asked, "He looks nearly sixty, doesn't he?"
The prefect replied, "Sir, he had a wife who died young and left no children, and he never remarried.
For so many years, the lord has been working hard for Jinyang City and has never thought about himself. He is only forty-seven years old this year, not yet at the age of knowing the destiny, but his hair has turned white due to hard work. He is really a good official, please show some mercy to him, Fourth Prince.
"What nonsense!" Jiu Ye's face turned unhappy. "He is truly a good official who serves the people. Why is he trying to cheat?"
"That's right, a good official would steal food?" The Third Master glared at the prefect. "You scoundrels, you say this city is so poor that people can't even afford to eat, but why are the civilians on the streets dressed neatly? The disaster is so severe, where are the real victims? Nothing you say is true."
After hearing this, the chancellor kowtowed and said, "Your Excellency is truly a good official! Really..."
The Fourth Master looked at him intently. "I'm not saying I won't give him a chance. Where is the food? If you tell me, maybe your master can still survive."
After hearing this, the chancellor subconsciously looked at Liu Yu, and then he shut up and remained silent.
The Fourth Master narrowed his eyes and said, "Imprison the two of them separately."
Then, he waved to Jiu Ye and whispered something to him.
Jiu Ye was stunned, but he clasped his fists in response and went out with his men.
The Third Master scratched his head and said, "Fourth Master, what did you say? What is it that I can't listen to?"
The Fourth Master said, "Third Brother, I just asked Ninth Brother to interrogate the person."
The Third Master rolled his eyes: "Why can't I listen to the interrogation?"
The Fourth Master just smiled and said, "Nothing filthy should be heard. Third Brother, please take a good rest. It's getting late. Tomorrow morning, please bring someone to the dining hall to keep an eye on it. I hope nothing bad happens."
He turned back to look at the Tenth Master and said, "Tenth Brother, take people out to track down the whereabouts of the grain tomorrow."
The Tenth Master immediately clasped his fists and said, "Yes!"
That evening, after dinner, Wen Jiu thought more and more that something was amiss: "Master, where do you think the food is hidden? And what did they do at night? Could it be that the prefect is leading everyone to do something shameful?"
The snowstorm in Jinyang was severe, but they hadn't seen any bodies so far. Houses were severely damaged, and even though the snow had been cleared from some of the houses' doors, no one was visible. Where had all the people gone?
The Fourth Master tapped his fingers on the table intermittently, and suddenly rubbed Wenjiu's head: "You are really a smart little guy."
He immediately turned around and ordered, "Don't say anything. Go outside and spread the news. Say that Liu Yu stole the money and enriched himself. His life is in danger."
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