"Yes!" You Ye accepted the order with a stern expression. Princess Rongchang held a superior position and was upright and incorruptible. Her intervention was enough to intimidate Xue Mingyi and give her father a chance to breathe.
“Furthermore,” Xin Jiuwei called after him, her eyes flashing coldly, “Xue Mingyi’s businesses in the capital, especially the pharmacy she just took over… it’s time to make a move. Have the people Xin Kui left behind dig out every last piece of evidence of price gouging and hoarding of substandard medicines! Be quick! Make sure the evidence is irrefutable!” Although Xin Kui was with the army, Xin Jiuwei had already taken over the intelligence network she had built.
"Understood!" A fierce glint flashed in You Ye's eyes.
You Ye accepted the order and left. Xin Jiuwei sat back down at her desk, spread out the letter paper, and dipped her brush in ink. This time, her handwriting was no longer a copy of Xiao Xun's vigorous style, but carried a sharpness of her own, a calmness that was almost detached from reality. She was going to write a letter to her sister, Xin Xiyao, who was far away in Yuncheng.
"Dear elder sister:"
"My sister is still able to manage things in the capital. My brother-in-law has already detailed the dangerous situation in Yingzhou. Xue Mingyi, that poisonous woman, came to Yingzhou ostensibly for inspection, but in reality to frame us. Her intentions are despicable! My sister has already asked Princess Rongchang to send someone to help, hoping to alleviate Father's predicament. However, this treacherous woman will not let this go easily."
"Sister, I think that what they want to find fault with Father is nothing more than money, resettlement of displaced people, and official corruption. Sister, you are in Yuncheng, and the Qi family has many eyes and ears. Please ask you and your husband to secretly keep an eye out for: which local officials in Yingzhou are closely associated with Xue Mingyi? Whose land was 'swindled' from displaced people after the disaster? Are there any grain payments of unknown origin circulating in the market? Pay special attention to whether there are any key minor officials or witnesses who have 'disappeared' or 'died unexpectedly'?"
"This is not a personal vendetta! Xue Mingyi's actions go beyond obstructing disaster relief; they are truly causing chaos in the region and shaking the foundations of the nation! Our soldiers are shedding blood on the front lines; how can we allow parasites to rot in the rear? Gathering evidence of her crimes is not for the Xin family, but to seek justice for the millions of lives in Yingzhou! My sister is always meticulous, and my brother-in-law is exceptionally capable. I entrust this matter to my sister and brother-in-law so that I can feel at ease. I urge you to be cautious and protect yourselves! Your sister, Jiuwei, bows deeply!"
The letter was written, the ink still wet, when Xin Jiuwei ordered her trusted confidant to send it to Yuncheng as quickly as possible. Qi Huaihe's composure and cunning, and Xin Xiyao's meticulous attention to detail, were the couple's greatest strengths. In Yingzhou, Xue Mingyi, an outsider, wanted to rule with an iron fist? Dream on!
After doing all this, Xin Jiuwei felt a deep weariness wash over her. She leaned back in her chair and closed her eyes. Before her eyes, she seemed to see her brother, Xin Yunzhou, fighting a bloody battle beneath Tongguan Pass; she saw Xiao Xun, his heroic figure commanding the battlefield; she saw Xin Kui carrying her medicine chest, weaving through a hail of arrows, calmly treating the wounded, perhaps… also protecting her brother; she saw her father, on the muddy riverbank of Yingzhou, enduring Xue Mingyi's harassment, his voice hoarse as he directed flood control efforts; she saw her sister, under the lights of Yuncheng, whispering plans with Qi Huaihe, searching for evidence of the enemy's crimes…
The nation, the world, and the common people—personal loves and hates pale in comparison to this grand tide. The resentment she felt at being poisoned by Qi Huaiyu in her past life now seemed distant. Qi Huaiyu? A cold smile curved Xin Jiuwei's lips. He was probably in some dark corner right now, plotting how to get a share of this chaos. A mere clown! Once she had the time, her cousin Qi Huaihe would deal with him! What she needed to deal with now was Xue Mingyi, the remnants of the Second Prince, and those parasites sucking blood from the nation's misfortune!
She opened her eyes, the weariness gone, replaced by a steadfast resolve. She rose and walked to the window, opening it. A gust of cold wind rushed in, carrying a biting chill, yet also invigorating her. Under the dark night sky, the capital city's myriad lights shone, seemingly peaceful, but who knew how many secret plots were brewing, how many demons and monsters were stirring within?
Her battlefield is right here.
"Someone come here!" Xin Jiuwei's voice was clear and melodious. "Light the lamps! Bring here all the old files from the Ministry of Revenue regarding the allocation of funds for river works and disaster relief over the years, especially those involving Yingzhou and Yuncheng! Also, invite two learned scholars who are well-versed in finance and criminal law to the residence! Tonight, we will have a good 'study' of them!"
Wasn't Xue Mingyi planning to manipulate the accounts to frame her father? Then she would strike first, thoroughly investigating the Ministry of Revenue and uncovering any shady accounts and loopholes that might have existed in the Xue family over the years! She wanted to teach Xue Mingyi that if you want to play with fire, you should be prepared to be burned to ashes!
The brightly lit West Garden council hall once again became the center of the storm. The clatter of abacuses and the rustling of files being turned filled the air.
Xin Jiuwei buried herself in the vast sea of files, her eyes sharp, not letting go of any suspicious number or any vague annotation.
She is Xin Jiuwei, wielding a sharp sword to clear away the worries of the soldiers on the front lines and to seek justice for the people of the world!
The night is still long. Xin Jiuwei's war has only just entered its most intense middle stage.
Meanwhile, on the distant battlefield, the clash of iron and blood is about to begin its most brutal prelude.
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