Chapter 135: He responded to the invitation.
Zuo Xulin stood still, still with his usual aloof and taciturn demeanor.
He appeared to be waiting for Yue Yining, but in reality, he was carefully considering his options.
It seems he hasn't had a meal with Yue Yining yet.
He wanted to ask Yue Yining if she had time tonight, and if so, if she could have a casual meal with him. However, he was afraid that such an invitation would be too direct and might offend her. But after thinking it over, he couldn't find a more tactful way to phrase it.
Zuo Xulin's thoughts raced, almost tangled, before he finally mustered the courage to look up at Yue Yining, "Lord Yue..."
He was stunned.
Behind the table in front of her, Yue Yining's eyes widened, her fingers holding the scroll of paper trembling slightly. Her gaze was almost glued to the scroll, revealing a numbness and blankness after the shock. Something was definitely wrong.
Zuo Xulin: "Lord Yue? What's written in the annotations of the document?"
To his surprise, Yue Yining nearly jumped up like a startled rabbit as he took a few steps closer, quickly closing the unfolded document with her fingers and looking at him with lingering fear.
Zuo Xulin paused for a moment, and Yue Yining finally came to her senses. She gave him a stiff smile, casually put away the scroll in her hand, and replied, "It's nothing, just a small matter. I can fix it before I leave the capital today. I will then submit it directly to Vice Minister Xie. No need to trouble you."
"Does Lord Zuo have any other business with me?"
Although Zuo Xulin was slow-witted, he belatedly realized that Yue Yining was avoiding him and did not want him to see the contents of that document.
Zuo Xulin pursed his lips and said softly, "...Are you free after you finish your shift tonight?"
"You haven't been in your new post for long. After you finish your official duties today, would you like to have a casual meal together at Xifenglou? I have some questions about the documents and would like to take this opportunity to ask you for some advice, Your Excellency."
Yue Yining was stunned. She looked at Zuo Xulin, who spoke with a calm and composed tone, but whose expression showed a hint of evasion and embarrassment.
She had been wondering why Zuo Xulin would personally deliver the documents to her, but it turned out there was another reason.
It was just a meal, and she had already planned to maintain a friendly relationship with him for the time being, so there was nothing wrong with agreeing.
But.......
Yue Yining looked at him apologetically: "I'm sorry, I have an appointment today."
"Lord Zuo has invited me to dine out, which I gladly accept, but today is indeed not convenient. I am free for the next three days; would Lord Zuo be willing to postpone this invitation?"
Zuo Xulin, who had been dejected after being rejected, slowly brightened up again: "...Okay, I'll be free for the next three days."
“Then let’s do it tomorrow.” Yue Yining looked at him with a smile. “Thank you for your concern, Lord Zuo. See you then.”
After Zuo Xulin left, Yue Yining reopened the scroll, her eyelids drooping, her gaze sharp and dense, like black feathers. She pressed her slender white fingers against the dried bloodstains on the paper, then sighed heavily.
When Zhou Congyi came to find Yue Yining, what he saw was Yue Yining handing a document-like piece of paper to the clerk.
She stopped under the eaves, watching the clerk brush past her, a hint of curiosity on her face. She turned to Yue Yining and asked, "That person just now seemed to be a clerk from the Secretariat, right? What did you give him?"
Yue Yining: "It's nothing, just a document that was sent back and needs to be revised. But you, why did you suddenly come to see me today?"
“By the way, you asked me to check the Ministry of War’s Ordnance Department earlier, and I’ve already done the investigation.” Zhou Congyi remembered the important matter and took out a book from her sleeve. This was the reason she came to see Yue Yining this time. “This is the financial report that the Ministry of War’s Ordnance Department submitted to the Ministry of Revenue last month. I’ve made a copy.”
The book was placed in front of Yue Yining with a very soft thud.
After reporting to Her Highness the Eldest Princess, Yue Yining immediately summoned Zhou Congyi and entrusted her with the task of gathering intelligence on the military equipment procured and manufactured by the Ministry of War and ultimately transported to the border. Zhou Congyi, now a fifth-rank censor under the patronage of Cui Hanlin, was a capable and formidable young official within the Qingliu faction. Having her investigate the Ministry of War was the most appropriate course of action and would not easily arouse suspicion.
Zhou Congyi calmly sat down opposite Yue Yining, straightened his official robe sleeves, and said solemnly, "On the surface, the accounts are clear, and the expenditures, receipts, and losses are all in accordance with regulations. However, after careful examination, I still found some suspicious points."
"The three batches of military equipment transported to Yan Hui Pass in the northern border in the first two months had an extremely high loss rate, which was quite unusual. However, the Ministry of War's Ordnance Department ultimately determined that it was within a reasonable range. The Ministry of War's loss report explained that the equipment was damaged due to heavy rain during the transport, continuous erosion, and the bumpy road."
Yue Yining stroked her chin: "Go on."
Zhou Congyi: "Yes. The accounts are meticulously kept, but I think the problem lies precisely in the reasonable losses."
Yue Yining finally reached for the booklet, her slender fingers slowly turning the pages. The pages rustled softly under her fingertips. She read quickly, almost ten lines at a glance; the voluminous numbers and dense entries on the booklet flowed past her eyes like water, as if they had come alive.
"The loss rate is constant," Yue Yining said calmly, hitting the nail on the head.
She turned to the pages recording the losses of three batches of military equipment transported to Yanhuiguan, her eyes fixed on the center, her fingertips tracing the almost identical numerical proportions of each line.
“Exactly.” Zhou Congyi nodded, a hint of delight flashing in his eyes, admiration for Yue Yining’s strong insight and analytical ability displayed in a very short time. “I knew that Lord Yue could see through it at a glance.”
“From the capital region to Yanhui Pass, the distances and weather conditions varied, and the escorts were rotated. Normally, the loss rate would fluctuate. Sometimes, continuous heavy rain would exacerbate erosion; other times, the mountain roads would be difficult to traverse, and the bumpy ride would increase the loss. However, these three batches of military equipment were transported two months apart, and the loss rate was exactly the same, accurate to the millimeter.”
"The forgers thought they were being clever, but they ended up making a mistake. This very constancy is the biggest flaw."
“You’re right. The records from the Ministry of War’s Ordnance Department are too obviously covered up.” Yue Yining concluded, closing the book and putting it back on the table. “The Ministry of War’s damage report emphasizes the torrential rain, but I find it strange. There are only one or two official roads that can be taken north to Yan Hui Pass, and they all pass through Suyang and Ganli. The weather in these two places becomes stable after October when autumn arrives, and it’s not as cloudy and rainy as in summer. On the contrary, there are more sunny days.”
"What a coincidence that all three arms transports this autumn encountered such rare torrential rains?" Yue Yining pondered for a while, then looked up at Zhou Congyi again. "The weather records from the Ministry of War don't match the weather conditions recorded by other caravans and postal reports that passed through this route at the same time, do they?"
Zhou Congyi nodded repeatedly, a slight smile playing on her lips: "Yes, you've hit the nail on the head."
"I sent my subordinates to visit the major post stations in the suburbs of the capital and gather intelligence from the merchants who frequently travel the two official roads to the north. During the transport of two batches of military equipment, the weather along the route was fine and there was no large-scale rainfall. The so-called rain erosion is just a pretext."
The duty room fell silent for a moment, with only the soft rustling of bamboo shadows swaying in the wind outside the window.
Yue Yining remained silent, her fingertips tapping unconsciously twice on the table: "Constant losses, false weather. This method is somewhat clumsy, but very bold. Unless someone secretly and deliberately investigates this part, it is difficult to discover their tricks. One can simply assume that the Ministry of War's accounts are clear and the losses are well controlled."
Zhou Congyi: "Yes, based on the current analysis results, I speculate that the real loss is not erosion or turbulence, but a transfer that is covered up by the name of loss. Under the guise of reporting loss, the real purpose is to intercept and then transport it to other places for profit."
Zhou Congyi's speculation hits the nail on the head.
“Or replacement,” Yue Yining added, her gaze clear and insightful. “Inferior equipment was used, crudely made from inferior iron and rotten wood, replacing the high-quality military equipment that should have been delivered. The superior materials saved were either sold off for personal enrichment or used for other purposes. That huge amount of production funds silently ended up in the pockets of certain people.”
If that's the case, then she understands how Sun Cheng, the general of the Sun family who guarded Black Tiger Gorge, died.
Yue Yining: "If the border generals responsible for receiving and verifying the goods collude with them, they will naturally turn a blind eye to these inferior goods and even cooperate in issuing receipts confirming that the goods have passed inspection."
The method is sophisticated. By simply manipulating the manufacturing process, they can completely substituted inferior products at the source. Losses during transportation are merely a smokescreen to conceal the poor quality of the final product, or to offset the quantity of qualified products that have been replaced. The real profit comes from the misappropriated value of materials and the inflated production costs.
The border region is bitterly cold, and once war breaks out, the lives of soldiers depend on superior weaponry. The manufacturing and transportation of these weapons are extremely important, yet they have become a means for some to amass wealth.
She paused for a moment and looked at Zhou Congyi: "Where did you get this transcript? Is it from the Ministry of Revenue's archives?"
Zhou Congyi shook his head slightly: "I have checked the Ministry of Revenue's records, and they are consistent with those reported by the Ministry of War. They are done flawlessly."
“This,” she pointed to the ledger on the table, “is a draft account privately kept by an old clerk in the Ministry of Machinery. This man is timid but cautious and meticulous. In addition to the official accounts, he also secretly kept a detailed record of daily transactions, including small changes in the daily inflows and outflows of goods and weather notes.”
"He is getting old and about to retire. He is uneasy and intends to join the ranks of the upright officials. A few days ago, he heard that I was investigating the Ordnance Department, so he went to great lengths to send this draft account book to me."
The last vestige of conscience revealed by an elderly man nearing the end of his life as he left office.
Yue Yining understood: "It's a breakthrough. But the rough account alone is not enough to be considered conclusive evidence. The Ministry of War can easily argue that the rough account was incorrect or that the old clerk was old and senile."
Zhou Congyi nodded: "According to regulations, the Ministry of War should keep a small number of samples of the same batch of military equipment delivered to the border for inspection. If we can obtain the samples that he marked as abnormal batches, and compare them with the material specifications in the Ministry of Revenue's archives, as well as the genuine high-quality military equipment, then we will have irrefutable evidence."
“Alright.” Yue Yining uttered a single word, making a decision. “The sample storage area is a sensitive place and not easily accessible. However, as the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Shen Liude has the authority to inspect the warehouses of the Six Ministries. Tomorrow, I will ask her to personally visit the Instrument Department’s warehouse under the pretext of conducting a routine inspection of the warehouse’s fire prevention, moisture control, and sample storage.”
Yue Yining then looked at Zhou Congyi with absolute trust in her eyes: "The Imperial Censor has the right to submit memorials independently. I ask Lord Zhou to assist her and also pay close attention to the movements of all parties."
Zhou Congyi nodded: "Yes."
The two briefly discussed the next steps in their investigation, sipping tea to soothe their throats.
As they were discussing, Zhou Congyi noticed Yue Yining's serious expression and suddenly said, "Why don't I go to the Princess's residence tonight and invite Lord Shen and Lord Qiu over as well?"
“We will have dinner with the Princess, and then we can use the time to discuss this matter, which will save Lord Yue from having to send someone to Lord Shen’s residence.”
Yue Yining was taken aback by her sudden suggestion. After realizing what she meant, she lowered her head and smiled, "This suggestion is excellent, but I have a prior appointment with someone tonight, so I can't make any changes."
Zhou Congyi sighed in disappointment: "So that's how it is."
Yue Yining glanced at Zhou Congyi, who was clearly downcast, shook her head, smiled, and picked up her brush again. In her heart, she wondered if Xie Qingyu had already finished reading the invitations she had sent.
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Author's note: Xie Qingyu, you should be secretly happy.
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