Audit
The room was filled with the calming scent of sandalwood incense. Jie Xiangsi immediately poured water to extinguish it, and the moment the cold water hit, the faint fragrance in the room abruptly stopped.
Calming incense?
What she fears most right now is drowsiness. The blood of the entire Xiao family is still warm; how could she dare to fall asleep?
She summoned a maid to help her comb her hair. Just as the comb began to wrap around her hair, Jie Xiangsi suddenly smiled and asked casually, "May I ask, young lady, does Lord Yang have a wife?"
The maid who was combing her hair paused, taking advantage of Jie Xiangsi's inability to see her expression, and glanced at her with a complicated look. What was this concubine of Lord Song trying to do? Could it be that she wanted to climb the social ladder again?
He secretly scoffed to himself, but still replied earnestly, "Yes."
Upon hearing this, Jie Xiangsi exclaimed in surprise and asked, "We've been in the manor for a day now, why haven't we seen Madam Yang?"
"Madam went to Jiangnan a month ago."
Jie Xiangsi was surprised, "Going to Jiangnan?"
That means she didn't spend New Year's Eve with Yang Hui. But why would she go to Jiangnan on a day meant for family reunion?
This is so strange.
"Hmm." The maid finished tying up the last strand of hair, put down the comb, and explained, "It's too cold in Yangqu in winter. My lady is frail and can't stand the cold."
Jie Xiangsi nodded knowingly, "I see."
That's quite a coincidence; the Xiao family's property was also raided a month ago.
Watching the maid walk away, Jie Xiangsi walked to the armchair where Zhou Yanzhi had sat that morning, ground some ink, and began to sort through the information she currently knew.
Since the sum of silver that appeared out of nowhere in the Xiao family was the same as Yang Qu's, even down to the exact same pattern...
So someone smuggled silver from Yangqu into the Marquis's mansion to frame him. Thinking of this, Jie Xiangsi was shocked. The silver from Yangqu was from early summer last year, but the Marquis's mansion was raided in the autumn. So the scheme against the Marquis's mansion started so early?
Secondly, if Yang Qu really did raise a private army, then that sum of money would naturally become military pay. But who would be so bold as to misappropriate disaster relief funds to support an army?
The father's control of the military might have been due to his outstanding achievements overshadowing the emperor's, or it might have been because he was forced into political struggles and became a pawn in the game.
With Father dead, who took over the military command?
Jie Xiangsi abruptly stopped writing, and a person suddenly appeared in her mind.
Zhang Quan.
He is the elder brother of the current imperial concubine and the maternal uncle of the sixth prince.
Thinking of the gentle, smiling general in her memory, Jie Xiangsi frowned. Could it be him?
But what about the fourth prince?
Although she is now certain that the Fourth Prince is the culprit behind the destruction of the Xiao family, the Dali Temple has been investigating but has been unable to find any trace of him.
What's even stranger is that suppressing the Xiao family would only allow the Sixth Prince's power to expand, so why would he do that?
The ink spread out on the rice paper, forming a blotch that resembled the bottomless vortex of the imperial court. Jie Xiangsi crumpled the rice paper into a ball and threw it into the charcoal brazier, letting out a soft sigh.
If only I were a peerless martial artist, I could just send the Fourth Prince to his death with a single blow, and I wouldn't care about anything else.
But the Xiao family case involves too many people, and she wouldn't be satisfied until all her enemies were brought to justice.
...
At the other end of Yangqu City, watching Yang Hui fumble around in the corner for a while before finally pulling out a stack of things wrapped in oiled paper from under a loose brick, Zhou Yanzhi raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly.
It was kept quite well hidden.
Zhou Yanzhi took the ledger from Yang Hui and casually flipped through it a couple of times. His gaze stopped on a certain page, and he tapped the words "disaster relief funds" lightly with his fingertip. He then turned two more pages and frowned.
He remembered that last summer, the imperial court allocated a total of three million taels of silver to Yangqu for disaster relief. According to the accounts, two and a half million taels were used for disaster relief, but what about the other five hundred thousand taels?
Thinking of the 500,000 taels of silver confiscated from the Xiao family.
Zhou Yanzhi slammed the ledger shut and tossed it onto the center of the desk.
"The three million taels of disaster relief money from last summer." His voice was devoid of emotion, except for a slight rise in pitch at the end. "The accounts show two and a half million taels, but there's another five hundred thousand taels. Tell me, where did it go?"
Unexpectedly, Zhou Yanzhi had observed things so closely. Yang Hui's back stiffened abruptly. He carefully rubbed his dusty hands, which had been rummaging through the hidden bricks, on his sleeves, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead.
Wiping away sweat with his sleeve, Yang Hui explained with feigned composure, "The remaining 500,000 taels were naturally deposited in the bank as Master intended."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Yanzhi narrowed his eyes and said coldly, "Lying."
Yang Hui chuckled awkwardly, "You jest, sir."
Zhou Yanzhi tapped the armrest of the armchair, a half-smile on his face. "My lord, you must be joking. The master sent me to Yangqu not just to check the accounts. You'd better be honest."
Sensing the meaning behind Zhou Yanzhi's words, Yang Hui paused and said in a low voice, "Lord Song, are you currently in Yangqu?"
The tone was blatantly threatening.
However, Zhou Yanzhi seemed oblivious, slowly picking up the cold tea on the table. He swirled the lid halfway around the rim of the cup to skim off the foam, and then reminded him, "Yang Hui, you've been in Yangqu for ten years now. Your master is aware of your intentions, but this time your actions have been a bit too much, which has displeased him."
The teacup clattered on the table. Zhou Yanzhi looked up at Yang Hui across from him, his pupils cold as if they were made of ice. "So, you think that the master sent me here unprepared?"
Leaning forward, Zhou Yanzhi gently tapped the table. Watching Yang Hui's expression gradually stiffen with each tap, Zhou Yanzhi secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The gamble paid off; it seems Yang Hui's methods aren't exactly clean either.
Otherwise, how could they have been intimidated by a few harsh words?
The tapping of his fingertips suddenly became heavier, and Zhou Yanzhi's lips curled into a faint smile, but his eyes were icy cold. "Lord Yang should think carefully, lest he make a wrong step and be unable to turn back."
A chill crept up from the soles of his feet, and Yang Hui's Adam's apple bobbed. Looking at Zhou Yanzhi's warm smile, he felt as if he were standing in a snowstorm outside, and a chill ran through him.
After a long pause, he finally lowered his head, his voice almost piercing the ground, "Yes... I took it, but I only took 100,000 taels. The rest never reached Yangqu from the beginning. Although the accounts recorded 3 million taels of disaster relief funds,... but only 2.6 million taels actually reached Yangqu. The higher-ups took it..."
By the end, his shoulders had slumped, his fingers were tightly gripping the hem of his clothes, and his voice was trembling.
Zhou Yanzhi remained silent.
If that's the case, then where did the Xiao family get the 500,000 taels?
Leaving Yang Hui aside, Zhou Yanzhi reached out and picked up the ledger that had been thrown on the table. He frowned, glanced at it, quickly flipped through two pages, and then his fingertips paused on one spot.
here……
Why do I remember that one million taels were transported to Danzhou?
Looking up at Yang Hui, Zhou Yanzhi held up the ledger and pointed to that spot, asking, "This one million taels...?"
He stopped at the right moment, waiting for Yang Hui's reply.
"It was sent to Danzhou according to Master's wishes," Yang Hui replied quickly and shrewdly. "This humble official does not know the purpose of this money."
Zhou Yanzhi nodded, his long eyelashes lowering to conceal the doubt in his eyes.
Danzhou?
My cousin's house?
My cousin was also one of the targets in the assassination attempt on New Year's Eve.
Is it because of this one million taels of silver?
The candlelight on the table suddenly flickered, casting flickering light on his face.
...
On Anle Street in Yangqu, Jie Xiangsi took a bite of the rice cake she had just bought. The moment it entered her throat, she couldn't help but frown. Calling it a rice cake was an understatement; it was clearly made of coarse rice flour, with a rough texture and a slightly earthy, astringent taste.
Picking out the bits of shell that hadn't been completely crushed, Jie Xiangsi couldn't help but mutter to herself, "This Yangqu is really... a place where people live in hardship."
Just as I was thinking, I was suddenly bumped in the back of my leg. The force wasn't great, but it carried a sense of panic and urgency.
"Ouch!"
Jie Xiangsi lowered her head and met a pair of dark eyes that were filled with a hint of fear.
Wow! It's someone I know.
Qin Wang clutched his tattered cotton-padded coat tightly. Perhaps it didn't fit properly, because a small section of his thin arm, so thin that you could see the bone, was exposed, covered with large and small chilblains.
What he was holding in his arms was an oil paper package, which was wrinkled from the force he used.
Before she could speak, several rude curses came from ahead, and a man carrying a stick chased after her, followed by a woman with an anxious expression.
"You little bastard, how dare you steal my steamed buns!" The rough, loud voice was painful to hear. "Those were for my daughter! I'll spank your ass until it's bruised and battered!"
Qin Wang trembled and turned to run, but was suddenly grabbed by the back of his collar.
The fabric that Jie Xiangsi's fingertips touched was as thin as a sheet of paper. Her fingertips paused slightly, but she still hardened her heart, ignored his pleading gaze, and pulled him in front of the other person.
The man grabbed Qin Wang's ear, making him hiss and gasp in pain. He cursed, "You're so young and already learning bad habits! These steamed buns are for my sick daughter to eat to help her recover, and you actually stole them! You have no manners at all!"
Seeing the frostbite on Qin Wang's arms, the woman beside him felt a pang of pity and pulled on her husband's arm, saying, "This child is quite pitiful, how about... we share some with him?"
The man frowned and shoved the woman's hand away. "He's pitiful? Isn't our girl pitiful too?!"
After finishing his tirade, without waiting for the woman to say anything more, he turned to Xie Xiangsi, a kind smile plastered on his face, "Thank you for stopping him, otherwise my young lady would have no food to eat."
After saying that, he snatched the oil paper package that Qin Wang was tightly clutching and was about to leave, but unexpectedly Qin Wang suddenly pounced on him and dragged him away.
Seeing that the man was about to get angry, Jie Xiangsi quickly pulled Qin Wang back and smiled apologetically at the man, "I'm sorry."
Seeing this, the man didn't say anything more, but muttered under his breath, "No manners!"
Watching the man and woman walk away, Jie Xiangsi squatted down and looked at Qin Wang, who was silent with his lips pursed, and said, "Why did you steal their steamed buns?"
Qin Wang glanced at her but didn't say anything, as if he were blaming her in this way.
Unable to resolve her longing, Jie Xiangsi could only coax her, saying, "I'll give you money to buy steamed buns, but on the condition that you tell me why you stole their steamed buns?"
Qin Wang's Adam's apple bobbed, and tears suddenly welled up in his dark eyes, but he stubbornly refused to let them fall.
He looked down at his filthy shoes and said in a hoarse voice, "Aunt Liu is dying and wants to eat a steamed bun."
Jie Xiangsi paused, then nodded, "Okay, I'll take you to buy it."
...
Holding a large bag of steaming hot steamed buns, Qin Wang couldn't hide his joy.
Seeing his unusually happy expression, Jie Xiangsi sighed inwardly. Now that they were in Yangqu, they were under surveillance everywhere, so she couldn't do too much.
After escorting the person to the city gate, Jie Xiangsi took off her own cloak, knelt down to drape it over the person, and looked up at them gently, saying, "Go back now."
Qin Wang nodded, turned and walked towards the city gate, but stopped after taking only two steps. He then turned and ran towards Xie Xiangsi, whispering in her ear under her puzzled gaze, "I'm not an ill-mannered little bastard."
Jie Xiangsi was surprised, wondering why he suddenly said that.
Under her surprised gaze, Qin Wang said somewhat dejectedly, "I have parents, but my father was swept away by a flood while repairing a water valve, and my mother went to the capital to work."
Upon hearing this, Jie Xiangsi's heart trembled slightly.
Could the woman from Yangqu that Zhou Yanzhi mentioned that day be Qin Wang's mother?
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