Chapter 10: Enter the Black Water and open the door quickly to watch the fun
"Not really..." Tangli tilted her head and looked at him for a moment, then shook her head and said firmly, "I remember that man was fat."
After returning to the West Courtyard, Luo Wan asked Tang Li to carefully identify the portrait, but the result was still disappointing.
After carefully putting the scroll away, Tangli brought in a quilt and, as she made the bed, she breathed a sigh of relief. "New Year's Day is just half a month away, and the weather is getting colder every day." She tucked the quilt in for Luo Wan, her eyes gleaming with anticipation. "But we'll just have to wait until spring. I wonder if the pear trees in the yard are dead, and whether they'll bloom next year."
The night was deep and the entire Chi Mansion was in deep sleep.
"call--"
With a breath, the fire starter at Luo Wan's fingertips suddenly lit up, drawing an orange arc of light in the darkness.
The furnishings in the accounting office were simple. There were only two worn desks between several rows of mottled bookshelves, which were used by the accountant to keep accounts.
Luo Wan, dressed in night clothes, walked quietly between the bookshelves. The firelight illuminated the faded labels on the books: the tenth year of the Zhenzhi reign, the eleventh year of the Zhenzhi reign, the twelfth year of the Zhenzhi reign...
Her fingertips suddenly paused, and Luo Wan sighed secretly. She had forgotten to ask Tangli what year Ye died before she came.
When she met Chi Wanwan in Xiliang, she looked like a young girl of marriageable age. Tang Li said that Ye died when Chi Wanwan was four years old. Based on this, Ye died about ten years ago, probably between the eighth and twelfth year of Zhenzhi's reign.
Luo Wan pulled out an account book from the tenth year of Zhenzhi's reign. Dust fell down, and when he turned the yellowed pages, he found that it was the year when Ye died.
It was clearly written on it: On the ninth day of the seventh month of the tenth year of Zhenzhi, Mrs. Ye was buried, seven hundred taels.
Continue forward flip:
On the second day of the third month in the tenth year of Emperor Zhenzhi's reign, Mrs. Ye had her pulse examined by a doctor and was given thirty liang of medicine, fifty liang of herbs.
On February 11, the tenth year of Emperor Zhenzhi's reign, Mrs. Ye had a pulse check by a doctor, and was given ten liang of medicine, and thirty liang of medicine.
In just ten days, the price of medical treatment doubled.
There was also a note in small print at the bottom of the account book: Ye's medical expenses all came from her dowry.
Luo Wan threw the account book back to its original place. What use is there for a fake account book?
What Madam Liu called the funds allocated from the account office was actually all money from Ye's dowry, which was euphemistically called medical expenses. Was Ye terminally ill, or were some people greedy for money?
The real account book is not here. Putting the real account book in the accounting office is tantamount to handing the handle to someone else.
Luo Wan retreated to the door and re-examined the entire accounting office as if he were a newcomer.
There are two desks facing the door, with bookshelves on both sides. The desks are shiny and smooth, obviously they are used every day.
In this way, there would be no secret room here. No matter how stupid Chi Jingan and his wife are, they would not set up a secret room in a place where servants can enter and exit freely. No matter how hidden it is, there is a risk of being discovered over time.
Then there is only the study.
Luo Wan nimbly climbed out of the accounting office window and came to Chi Jing'an's study in the east courtyard. The sound of two guards yawning continuously could be heard from under the eaves.
Luo Wan raised an eyebrow. These people had the same habit of hiding their secrets in the study.
"thump!"
The rockery fell into the pool, splashing water everywhere.
"Who is it?!" The guard suddenly woke up and rushed towards the source of the sound with a knife in hand.
A black shadow flashed behind the two of them, and Luo Wan accurately struck the back of their necks with both palms.
Take a nap if you feel sleepy.
He came to the door, took out a silver needle from his sleeve, probed the tip of the needle into the keyhole three times, and the lock opened with a light "click".
Luo Wan didn't want to waste any more time, so after entering the study, he relied on his experience to find the secret room mechanism.
The vases on the shelf, the paintings and calligraphy on the wall...
The dark clouds dispersed and the moonlight poured in like water.
Luo Wan narrowed his eyes and looked at the ground illuminated by the moonlight. The material of the bricks was no different, but the gaps between them were wider, as if they were embedded later.
She had seen a mechanism where the bricks on the ground would sink and open a secret door only after standing on them for a specific length of time or reaching a certain weight.
He drew a semicircle on the stone brick with his toes and stepped down hard.
The sound of wooden boards scraping against stone bricks came from behind, and the entire bookshelf slowly opened to the sides, revealing an extremely narrow secret door.
Cold air seeped out from the crack in the door, mixed with the scent of stale ink and rotten wood.
The stone steps extended downwards, and with the light of the tinderbox, Luo Wan entered the secret room.
Luo Wan lit the candlestick on the wall. The four walls of the secret room were lined with bookshelves. He was indeed a small official of the fourth rank, and even his secret room was so petty.
There are several locked wooden boxes in the corner. These should be the large amount of stolen money that the government seized from the Chi Mansion in the previous life. Chi Jingan is really a low-key person. He looks simple and honest, but he is actually very greedy.
Most of the books were covered with thick dust, except for a few on the third layer on the right side that showed signs of being flipped. Luo Wan's fingertips fell on the spine of the book, which was made of the same material as the account book.
On the title page of the account book was written in cinnabar: The tenth year of Zhenzhi.
Luo Wan flipped open the book and the first thing she saw was the page about Ye's burial. The expenses recorded there were completely different from the one in the account book.
Moreover, the account book showed signs of being torn.
After flipping through the pages, I found that all the pages about Ye's medical treatment during the months of her pregnancy were torn off!
No wonder there was no dust around this time. It seemed that Feng Yuyun had been prepared for this. She had just returned home, and Feng Yuyun had already arranged the handle so carefully. It was not unfair that Ye lost that year.
Luo Wan put the book back in its place and turned to the ebony desk in the middle. She sat down on the chair, her hands stroking across the tabletop, her knuckles tapping against the solid wood, making a dull sound.
He reached his hand under the table, stroking it inch by inch, and felt a protrusion on the table leg that was not part of the desk structure. Luo Wan grabbed the wood and twisted his wrist.
"Click!" The crisp sound of the mechanism separating was particularly harsh in the dead silence.
The lock on the black box was shaped like a coiled dragon. Luo Wan easily pried open the lock and found a book and a jade seal in the wooden box.
When I opened the book, a line of small words caught my eye:
"Three hundred thousand taels of silver, passed through Gu's hands and ended up in the Black Water."
The handwriting is smooth and flowing, just like the handwriting in the study, it is Chi Jingan's handwriting.
The power of the Northern Kingdom's noble families expanded, and Chi Jingan even climbed up to the Gu family.
Luo Wan sneered. On the day when the Northern Kingdom was destroyed, these aristocratic families would be the first to die.
Luo Wan flipped forward, and the previous page read: "Two hundred taels of silver, Doctor Xu."
Looking at the ink, it was just a few days ago.
When Luo Wan first entered the Chi residence, she had mentioned her dowry to Madam Liu, and that gossipy Madam Liu must have told Feng Yuyun. Feng Yuyun was afraid that while investigating the dowry, she would accidentally discover the details of Ye's death, so she gave hush money to Doctor Xu. However, something had gone wrong, and Chi Jing'an was unaware of this, continuing to record the whereabouts of every penny as usual.
Doctor Xu Xuan must have been unable to sleep or eat well in the past ten years. He hadn't lost any weight in forty years, and after Ye's death, he lost his appetite and became so thin.
Luo Wan put the wooden box back to its original place and left the door wide open when she left the study. She wanted to make Chi Jingan and his wife nervous and spend every long night in suspicion.
The next morning.
Luo Wan looked at the frost flowers condensed on the window frame, and her fingertips unconsciously tapped on the edge of the table.
"Miss, are you worried about the portrait?" Tang Li pushed the heater towards her. "After all, more than ten years have passed. There's no need to rush."
Luo Wan said calmly: "I'm waiting for someone from the East Courtyard."
The cold wind howled outside the house, rolling up the dead branches and hitting the window paper. Tangli couldn't help but shiver. Just as he was about to speak, he heard footsteps outside the yard.
“Chi Wanwan!” Chi Mingli’s voice pierced through the snow and wind, “Open the door quickly! Come out and watch the fun!”
The charcoal fire in the house crackled, and Luo Wan slowly raised his eyes.
Tangli ran to open the door. Just as she opened it a crack, Chi Mingli rushed in, wrapped in cold air, with unmelted snowflakes still hanging on the ends of his hair.
"Father's study was robbed last night, and the two guards who were on night watch are being punished." Chi Mingli leaned towards the stove. "Mother asked everyone in the house to see it and teach them a lesson."
"The study was robbed?" Luo Wan seemed surprised: "Did anything get stolen?"
"Father didn't say he lost anything, but Mother looked very unhappy." Chi Mingli urged, "Hurry up, hurry up, or Mother will be angry again if you're late."
The three of them walked on the snow and saw from afar that the area outside Rong'an Hall was full of people.
Feng Yuyun was standing on the steps in a crimson jacket and skirt, her face gloomy. Two guards were pressed on a bench, and the board made a dull sound when it fell.
"Look carefully!" Madam Liu said sharply, "This is what happens when you neglect your duty!"
Chi Mingli listened to the guards' wailing and begging for mercy, clicked his tongue softly, then took Luo Wan through the crowd and stood on the steps.
"Wanwan is here." Feng Yuyun turned and greeted, "It's really embarrassing for you, an unmarried girl, to see these things, but the rules of the Chi Mansion cannot be broken. Letting everyone in the mansion come to see is to avoid the possibility of a thief in the house being caught."
Women's sixth sense is very accurate. Feng Yuyun suspected her, but had no evidence, so she asked Chi Mingli to call her in order to point her out in person and try to find out the clues.
"You deserve to be punished. If you do something wrong, you should be severely punished. That way you will learn your lesson." Luo Wan looked at Feng Yuyun innocently. "Auntie Feng, Wanwan is right, isn't she?"
"Wanwan is right." Feng Yuyun smiled gently.
"Bang!" Another board fell heavily, and the guards screamed incessantly.
Soon, Feng Yuyun saw that the punishment was almost over, so she waved her hand and said, "Let's stop here for today. Mingli, it's getting late, it's time to call your sister to go to Hongwenguan."
The crowd dispersed, and Chi Mingli lost interest. He lazily replied, "Oh."
Luo Wan suddenly interrupted: "Wait."
"Wanwan, is there anything else?" Feng Yuyun stopped.
Luo Wan said, "My younger brothers and sisters are all going to study at Hongwenguan, so what about Wanwan?"
Luo Wan initially had no plans to go to Hongwenguan, as she felt it was a waste of time. However, Chi Mingli's words, "I'm better than you, but you haven't even met Shen Zhiyan," made Luo Wan suspicious.
Shen Zhiyan left the capital ten years ago. Chi Mingli was just a child who could not remember anything at that time. Chi Jingan had a low official rank and was associated with the Jiang family, so he had no connection with the Shen family. So how did Chi Mingli meet Shen Zhiyan?
She immediately thought of the Hongwenguan mentioned by Pei Siqi, the gathering place for children from aristocratic families.
Chi Mingli, who had never even been to the No. 1 private room, had no other place except Hongwenguan where he could meet the prime minister's son.
Since Chi Mingli met Shen Zhiyan at Hongwenguan, Luo Wan had to go.
She didn't know much about the Shen Mansion and couldn't rush in rashly. Now the only way to get the medical book was to get close to Shen Zhiyan, find out the terrain of the Shen Mansion and the location of the medical book, and then wait for an opportunity to steal the medical book in the chaos.
Feng Yuyun wore a kind smile on her face. "It would be best if Wanwan is willing to study, but you are weak, so it would be best if you stay at home to recuperate. It won't be too late to go again when the weather warms up in the spring."
Luo Wan had long expected that Feng Yuyun would not let her go to Hongwenguan easily. Feng Yuyun probably still hasn't gotten over the shadow cast by Chi Wanwan's superiority over Chi Mingshi in childhood, which is why she spoke derogatorily to Luo Wan when she just returned home, and "persuaded her kindly" when Luo Wan proposed to go to Hongwenguan.
Waiting for spring is her excuse now, and there will be another excuse after spring. Besides, she can't wait.
Luo Wan smiled and said, "Thank you for your concern, Auntie. Wanwan has been back home for a few days and her body has adapted. She was delayed a lot in the early years by seeking medical treatment everywhere, and now she doesn't want to delay any longer."
"It's freezing cold right now. If Wanwan wants to study, I can arrange for some teachers for you in the mansion." Feng Yuyun said, "It doesn't matter where you study."
"When I first returned home, Aunt Feng said that the teaching at Hongwenguan was the best." Luo Wan bowed and said, "Wanwan's mother died young, so please don't be biased, Aunt Feng."
Feng Yuyun suppressed her anger and said gently, "Wanwan, you don't know that the admission regulations of Hongwen Academy are quite strict. It's not that I'm partial. Even if I let Wanwan go to Hongwen Academy today, they wouldn't accept her."
"What Aunt Feng said is true." Luo Wan gathered her sleeves and took out a yellowed document from her bosom. "A few days ago, when Wanwan was sorting through her mother's belongings, she accidentally discovered the imperial edict that Wanwan studied in the Hongwen Academy as a child."
The imperial edict was discovered by Tangli when she was cleaning the house just after arriving at the West Courtyard. Feng Yuyun never thought that Chi Wanwan would come back again, and never thought that Chi Wanwan would go to Hongwenguan again, so these things were left in the West Courtyard without being dealt with.
Chi Mingli, who was listening in confusion, interrupted and said, "Since Chi Wanwan has an imperial decree, let's go together!"
Feng Yuyun's chest heaved violently, and she forced a smile, "In that case... Madam Liu, go get my pair of cards and prepare a car for the young lady."
Chi Mingli said, "Oh, it's too late. Chi Wanwan and I will ride in the same carriage with Chi Mingshi."
The carriage was already waiting at the gate of Chi Mansion.
"Chi Mingli, what are you dawdling about? If you're late, you'll be punished by the teacher!" Chi Mingshi impatiently lifted the carriage curtain and saw Luo Wan. She asked unhappily, "Why is she here?"
Chi Mingshi still remembered the day when Luo Wan embarrassed Liu Ma in Rong'an Hall. Although Liu Ma was a servant, she was still an elder who had taken care of her for many years. Luo Wan made her look bad in public and even beat Liu Ma with a willow branch. Of course, she was angry.
Chi Mingli said, "Let's go to Hongwenguan."
Chi Mingshi rolled her eyes and said, "Three people riding in one carriage, don't you think it's too crowded?"
Chi Mingli complained: "You are just a spoiled child."
Luo Wan didn't get angry with her and just said, "Mrs. Feng originally asked Madam Liu to prepare another carriage. If Third Sister feels crowded, she can take the other one."
"Let's go." When Chi Mingshi got off the carriage, she turned around and sarcastically said, "Also, don't call me sister. You're so hypocritical. Aren't you tired of pretending?"
"Don't mind her, that's just her temper." Chi Mingli said, "You haven't told me who you met in the No. 1 private room last night."
Last night, Luo Wan shook off Chi Mingli and hurried back home, but she didn't expect that she couldn't escape his curiosity today.
Luo Wan couldn't help but feel suspicious: "Why do you insist on asking who I met?"
Chi Mingli said, "If you know anyone from the four great families, could you introduce me to General Jiang? I want to follow him and lead the troops into battle!"
It’s Jiang Cichen again, Chi Mingli is seriously ill.
Luo Wan replied perfunctorily, "I'll definitely introduce you to him when I have the chance."
"But," Luo Wan added, "you have to keep it a secret, lest you be accused of forming a clique for personal gain."
Feng Yuyun didn't mention what happened at the Zuixian Inn yesterday morning, so Chi Mingli must not be a talkative person. However, she couldn't prevent herself from trying to trick him into revealing information, so she had to find ways to keep it a secret.
Chi Mingli nodded immediately: "Hmmmmmm!!!"
The author has something to say:
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The author of the lying corpse also ushered in the final week [crying][crying][crying] (it doesn’t matter, I have saved some manuscripts~), and I will still update every other day [scatter flowers][scatter flowers][scatter flowers][scatter flowers]. Supplementary words 2: I originally wanted to schedule it, but I didn’t expect to click publish directly...
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