The news that Wei Xihe was ordered to investigate the salt merchants and the grain transport gang reached Xue Shu's ears the next day. After he summoned Wei Xihe to question him, he couldn't help but go looking for Yin Chengyu.

When Yin Chengyu heard the report that "Xue Shu wants to see you," he frowned and asked, "Why is he here again instead of taking good care of his injuries?"

Having said that, they still let the person in.

Xue Shu strode in. Yin Chengyu looked at his wound and saw that it was bandaged tightly. He looked away and looked at him lazily: "Why are you looking for me again?"

"Your Highness, why didn't you ask me to go with you in the investigation?" Xue Shu stared at him closely. He didn't seem to be asking questions, but rather came to collect a debt.

His debt-demanding tone made Yin Chengyu feel a little unhappy. It was really like his kindness was being taken for granted.

Yin Chengyu squinted at him and sneered, "Even if you are a jerk, there is no point in asking you to grind the millstone even if you are injured. If others see it, wouldn't it be considered as you mistreating your subordinates?"

"My wound has healed."

Xue Shu still had a look of dissatisfaction in his eyes. He had rested for six or seven days, and his wounds had been properly treated and were now beginning to heal. He was only bringing people to search his house, which did not affect anything.

But Yin Chengyu assigned the task to Wei Xihe, which made him feel that he could be easily replaced, and he also disliked Wei Xihe.

His Highness should be the only one by his side.

He can do everything from killing people, ransacking houses, to taking care of daily life.

However, Yin Chengyu obviously didn't think so. He was irritated by Xue Shu's nonsense and slammed the book in his hand heavily on the table, saying angrily: "Whether the wound is healed or not is up to the doctor. You should go back and recuperate. You will be needed in the future! If you really have nothing to do, go read some more books by sages and change your bad temper!"

After saying this, he didn't want to listen to Xue Shu's excuses anymore and kicked the man out.

Not only did he fail to get justice for himself and was scolded, Xue Shu was in a very bad mood. He stood at the door, staring at the closed door for a long time before he walked towards the prison.

If he is unhappy, he will make others unhappy too.

The salt merchants and the grain transport gangs were wealthy, so Wei Xihe led his men to search their houses one by one, and it took them ten days to count all the stolen goods.

All the gold and silver items seized had to be registered and put into the national treasury. Yin Chengyu ordered his men to pack the stolen silver into boxes and then prepare to escort Wan Youliang, Guan Haishan and other main criminals back to Beijing to await trial. As for the follow-up matters, Fang Zhengke was responsible for them.

Due to the large amount of garbage, Yin Chengyu used a large yellow boat and a small yellow boat when returning to Beijing.

The cargo holds at the bottom of the ship were filled to the brim with loot, and the waterline of the ship was much deeper than usual.

The ship was carrying a lot of cargo and its speed slowed down. Loading started at noon and the ship left the dock in the evening.

Yin Chengyu was still a little seasick, but because the yellow boat moved slowly and steadily, his reaction was not that big. He just leaned back on the imperial concubine's couch somewhat unhappily.

A young eunuch knelt behind him and gently massaged his temples.

He just didn't know if the eunuch's strength was not enough, he always felt that it was not as comfortable as Xue Shu's, either too light or too heavy. At first he tried to say a few more words, but the eunuch was so frightened that his hands became even more unstable. Yin Chengyu simply stopped talking and just let him press, which was better than nothing.

But I can't help but miss Xue Shu's good craftsmanship.

As expected, whatever he thought about came true. Just as he finished thinking about Xue Shu, Xue Shu came outside asking for a meeting.

Yin Chengyu looked at the person who came in and raised his eyelids lazily: "Why does Supervisor Xue always come to me for no reason?"

Ever since he was reprimanded last time, Xue Shu stayed in the side courtyard of the inn to recuperate and had no chance to see Yin Chengyu anymore.

When he finally saw the person, he looked at him greedily, with only his shadow in his eyes: "The doctor said that my injury is not serious."

"Alright?" Yin Chengyu stood up and waved at him: "Come here and let me see."

Xue Shu took two steps forward, tilted his neck, and pulled his collar down a little so that he could see the healed wound on his left shoulder.

More than half a month later, the ugly wound had healed, leaving only an ugly scab.

"It heals quickly." Yin Chengyu frowned and looked at the scab, thinking that it might leave a scar in the future.

Those old scars on Xue Shu's chest in his previous life were probably earned by such reckless behavior.

"I can continue to serve Your Highness." Xue Shu did not notice his slightly complicated look. After straightening his collar, he stared at the young eunuch behind Yin Chengyu with a very unfriendly look.

He noticed when he came in just now that the young eunuch was pressing Yin Chengyu's temples. It must be that Yin Chengyu was seasick again.

The young eunuch's scalp numbed at his fierce gaze. He hung his head and hunched his shoulders like a quail, not daring to meet his gaze.

Yin Chengyu noticed the undercurrent between the two of them, glanced at Xue Shu, waved his hand to let the eunuch leave, raised his chin, and said, "Since the injury has healed, please massage my head for me."

Xue Shu naturally wanted it more than he could ask for. Upon hearing that, he took off his boots, got on the couch, knelt behind him, and began to massage him carefully, controlling his strength.

He controlled the strength extremely well, not too light or too heavy, just enough to relieve Yin Chengyu's discomfort.

The dizziness was relieved and Yin Chengyu felt better. He leaned on the pillow, took a plate of opened pine nuts and peeled them slowly.

Xue Shu looked down and his eyes were attracted by that pair of extremely beautiful hands.

Yin Chengyu's hands have always been beautiful, he knew that.

But today those hands were a little different from usual, with a little more red on the slender fingers.

——It was a bright red agate ring, the face of which was polished to be round and smooth, with a lustrous sheen. It was now on the index finger of Yin Chengyu's left hand.

The bright red is superimposed on the cold white, as if that pure and cold person is also tainted by worldly desires.

Xue Shu's breathing became a little disordered, and his eyes were fixed on that spot of red, never moving away.

Yin Chengyu watched his reaction and knew what was going on when he heard his breathing become disordered. He glanced at the agate ring on his finger, curled his lips slightly, and continued to peel the pine nuts slowly.

"Have you questioned Wan Youliang and the other two? Did you get anything useful out of them?"

Xue Shu's mind was completely focused on that bit of color, so he was slow to react. It was not until Yin Chengyu knocked on the table that he came to his senses. He restrained himself and looked away, and replied: "Wan Youliang admitted that he was the one who ordered the assassin on the boat."

Although the incident of spying on the grain ship that day was nothing compared to the crime committed by Wan Youliang today, Xue Shu had always been a petty person when it came to matters concerning Yin Chengyu.

He would personally ask for every penny back.

"Now that there is no one on the ship spying, go and investigate again and dig deeper into the relationship between Wan Youliang and Yin Chengjing."

According to the confiscated accounts, the eight major salt merchants, the three major shipping gangs, plus Wan Youliang, Guan Haishan and others, seized a total of more than 15 million taels of gold and silver; including other items such as jade, calligraphy and paintings, the total was less than 20 million taels.

However, the deficit in the salt administration over the years was as high as more than 26 million taels.

The difference of more than 6 million taels of silver mostly flowed to other places.

Yin Chengjing is not as obsessed with sensual pleasures as he appears to be. He must have made a lot of money from taking the trouble to get involved.

And the fat sheep he was trying to grab could only be Wan Youliang.

In this life, Wan Youliang failed to fabricate perfect evidence to frame his uncle. Even if he was investigated later, his uncle would be charged with negligence at most. But he was reborn, and his goal was never just to save the Yu family. Even if he failed to expose the true face of the third brother and drag him into the water this time, Yin Chengyu would definitely cut off one of his arms.

"Yes." Xue Shu agreed and continued massaging him gently.

Yin Chengyu was peeling pine nuts while thinking about something. Soon he felt sleepy. He threw the unpeeled pine nuts back into the plate, wiped his hands with a towel, and signaled Xue Shu to stop.

"You go first." Yin Chengyu yawned with his hands covering his mouth, then sent Xue Shu out.

Xue Shu responded, withdrew his eyes from his hand, lowered his eyes and walked out.

He took two steps when he was stopped again. Yin Chengyu pointed to the plate of peeled pine nuts on the small table and raised his chin slightly: "I suddenly don't want to eat it, so I rewarded you."

"Thank you for your reward, Your Highness." Xue Shu thanked him, walked forward to pick up the plate of pine nuts, bowed again before leaving.

After going downstairs, Xue Shu walked to the deck carrying the plate of pine nuts.

He stared at the plate full of pine nuts, but what he recalled in his mind was Yin Chengyu peeling them one by one.

The hands were as white as jade, the fingers were slender, and the slightly raised finger bones were glowing with a light pink color. When peeling pine nuts, curl your fingers slightly, twist the thin pine lining with your thumb and index finger, and twist out the plump pine nuts.

It was obviously just an ordinary action, but when Yin Chengyu did it, it seemed to have some seductive meaning.

Not to mention the red spot between the fingers.

There was a night breeze blowing over the river, bringing with it the coolness of early spring. Xue Shu closed his eyes, slowly exhaled a breath of dry air, picked up a pine nut and put it into his mouth.

The pine nuts were oily. Xue Shu sipped them carefully and suddenly felt thirsty.

That hand is as white as snow. If you put it in your mouth, it may quench your thirst and stimulate your saliva.

…

Xue Shu finished a plate of pine nuts before heading to the lower cell where the prisoners were held.

When Wan Youliang heard his footsteps, he shrank into the corner of the wall in fear, staring at the direction where the footsteps came from.

——When Xue Shu brought someone to trial before, he was half dead. Now when he saw him, he suddenly remembered the feeling of being worse than death.

People like Xue Shu cannot be called human beings at all.

He is essentially a demon that crawled out of the underworld.

Watching him walk closer step by step, Wan Youliang's teeth were chattering with fear, and his bulging eyes were trembling in his sockets, full of fear.

Xue Shu stopped in front of him, looked at his frightened expression, smiled, and said, "Bring him to the torture chamber."

Two soldiers opened the cage and dragged the man out.

Wan Youliang had been tortured once before, and his body was covered with invisible injuries. When he was dragged out by his arms, his legs dragged weakly on the ground.

Xue Shu didn't want to waste any more time talking to him. He tied his hands and hung him on a rack. He also ordered people to bring a burning charcoal stove and put a pair of iron shoes on it with pliers to burn.

"The confiscated accounts did not match the deficit amounts, so His Highness sent me to ask Lord Wan, who got the missing money?"

Wan Youliang shook his head desperately: "I really don't know. I've told you everything I know."

Xue Shu laughed: "Master Wan, I'm afraid you don't know what this is?" He used pliers to pick up the iron shoes that were slightly red from being burned on the charcoal fire: "This iron shoe is called 'Red Embroidery Shoes'. Do you know why it is named like this?"

Without Wan Youliang's reply, he answered himself: "If you put iron shoes on the fire for a long time, won't they burn red?"

He placed the red-hot iron shoes under Wan Youliang's suspended feet, and the cold voice floating in the air suddenly sank, like the voice of death demanding his life: "I think Lord Wan wants to try the taste of these 'red embroidered shoes'."

The red-hot iron shoes were emitting hot steam and were only two inches away from Wan Youliang's toes.

"I'll tell you, I'll tell you." Wan Youliang bent his legs desperately, shaking his body on the shelf: "It was Chen He. He got hold of something I could not do to him. I have to give him 60% of my annual income."

"Minister of the Ministry of Revenue Chen He?" Xue Shu went through the names of officials in the court and quickly found the corresponding candidate.

"How can he be so brave alone? Who is behind this?"

"It's the Third Prince." Once he opened his mouth, Wan Youliang had nothing to worry about. The red-hot iron shoes under his feet were like a death warrant. He didn't dare to hide anything and confessed everything like a bamboo tube pouring beans.

In the first year of Wan Youliang's tenure as the transport commissioner, Chen He was ordered to inspect the salt tax at the Changlu Salt Commissioner's Office. Except for the stubborn Fang Zhengke, the previous salt inspectors and local salt commissioners only went through the motions when inspecting the salt tax.

After all, salt politics is complicated and no one wants to get involved in trouble.

At that time, Wan Youliang was far from being as cautious as he is now, and was accidentally caught by Chen He, who used it to threaten him to give him 60% of the annual income.

He took all the risks, but Chen He took the lion's share. Wan You was naturally unwilling to do this, but under the threat, he had to accept it. But he was not a man who would sit and wait for death. After sending Chen He away, he sent someone to secretly follow Chen He to find evidence against him.

Unexpectedly, he discovered that the silver he gave to Chen He as a filial gift under the pretext of "ice to charcoal" was secretly sent to the private residence of the third prince.

After knowing that the Third Prince was behind Chen He, Wan Youliang no longer dared to make trouble and obediently delivered the filial tribute of silver disguised as "ice and charcoal" to Chen's residence on schedule.

If the Zhao family had not suddenly withdrawn from the plan to move the family to Wangjing this year, catching him off guard, he would have felt uneasy and wrote a letter to Chen He, implying that he was willing to be loyal to the third prince and asking Chen He to help him solve the Zhao family's troubles, and none of these things would have happened later.

"Do you have any evidence?" Xue Shu asked.

"No." Wan Youliang shook his head: "Chen He is very cautious in his actions. He always sends his trusted aides to handle the case and does not leave any evidence."

At first he wanted to leave evidence, but later he gave up the idea when he found out that the person behind Chen He was the Third Prince.

Xue Shu seemed to be thinking about something.

What Wan Youliang said was probably true, but without evidence, it makes no difference whether it is true or false.

He glanced at the soldier beside him, said "torture him", and went to find Yin Chengyu to report.

Wan Youliang's heart-wrenching howls and curses behind him were blocked out in the bottom cabin.

After Xue Shu finished interrogating the people, it was just after midnight. He learned from Zheng Duobao that Yin Chengyu had just woken up, so he went into the house to report the results of the interrogation to Yin Chengyu.

Yin Chengyu knew that Yin Chengjing would definitely intervene, but he didn't know that the chess piece under Yin Chengjing's hand was actually Chen He.

Chen He was from Jiangsu and Zhejiang. He was the second runner-up in the imperial examination during the reign of Emperor Chengzong and served as the Minister of the Ministry of Revenue. About two years ago, he was sent by Emperor Longfeng to the Changlu Salt Commissioner to inspect the salt tax in Changlu.

This man has made remarkable political achievements and is good at networking. He is also considered one of the leaders of the southern faction officials.

Yin Chengjing is indeed quite capable in being able to recruit such a person and use him for his own benefit.

"Since there is no evidence, let's create one." Yin Chengyu thought for a moment and came up with a plan: "Go and bring the old Taoist priest out alone, let Wan Youliang dictate, and the old Taoist priest will forge the correspondence. If I remember correctly, the files sent back to Beijing have Chen He's comments and seals."

In his previous life, Yin Chengjing was able to use Taoist Wangchen to fabricate evidence to frame the Yu family. Now, he can naturally use his own method to get back at them.

In the past, he would not have used such despicable means.

But now, right or wrong, good or bad, he just wants to win.

The dusty past was brought up again. Yin Chengyu lowered his eyes, a gloom flashing across his vision.

Seeing Xue Shu standing in front of him, his mood became even worse.

He squinted his eyes and looked at Xue Shu. The old things that he couldn't say were churning in his heart. The resentment was stuck in his chest, and malice began to grow.

Want to torture him.

This thought turned around in his mind for a few times, and Yin Chengyu asked someone to bring a small basket of pecans.

He relaxed his body and leaned closer to the armchair, folded his hands, and with his right hand he slowly turned the jade ring on his left index finger.

"I suddenly want to eat walnuts. Please peel them for me."

Along with the basket of pecans came the tools for shelling them.

The kernel of pecan is delicious, but the walnut skin is hard and the kernel is fine and broken, making it very difficult to handle. However, because Yin Chengyu likes to eat amber walnuts, Zheng Duobao asks people to store a batch of walnuts with skin every autumn.

The basket of walnuts on the boat was specially collected by Zheng Duobao from hunters in the mountains.

Xue Shu glanced at him, picked up the tools silently, and started peeling the walnuts with some clumsiness.

Yin Chengyu sat in the upper seat, looking at him with his chin propped up.

Peeling walnut kernels is a trivial job, but there was no impatience on his face. He lowered his eyes and carefully picked out the whole walnut kernels and put them on the plate.

In just a quarter of an hour, he had become very skilled at the technique and a shallow layer of walnut kernels was spread on the white porcelain plate.

Yin Chengyu's depression became more and more difficult to relieve, and he was feeling suffocated. He narrowed his eyes and deliberately said, "Actually, I don't like to eat this at all." I just want to torment you on purpose.

Xue Shu was silent for a moment, then looked up at him, as if puzzled: "Why is Your Highness unhappy?"

He was very sensitive to Yin Chengyu's emotions. Ever since Yin Chengyu said that he wanted the old Taoist priest to forge the documents, he started to feel uncomfortable.

"Of course it's because there are too many people who make me angry." Yin Chengyu said casually.

Xue Shu frowned and said without hesitation: "Then I will kill them for Your Highness."

Unexpectedly, he said this suddenly. Yin Chengyu was stunned for a moment, then he laughed, and the anger in his chest dissipated.

"Then you can't kill him completely."

He leaned forward, touched Xue Shu's lips with his fingertips, and then slid down along his jawline, pressing his Adam's apple. He lowered his voice and said in a low and hoarse voice: "Besides...what if you are one of the people who makes me unhappy?"

He glanced at Xue Shu with a half-smile and asked slowly, "Are you going to kill him too?"

Xue Shu was silent, trying to recall the past, and he didn't know when he had upset him again. But he still said, "Your Highness can punish me."

"You are quite cunning." Yin Chengyu laughed when he heard that. He suddenly raised his hand and grabbed his collar, pulling him closer. Their faces were close together, almost rubbing their ears. "I won't kill you, I will just punish you. How about that?"

The author has something to say:

Gou Gou: Punish me for sticking!

Your Highness:?