drilling holes
This idea is still in its infancy and has no evidence to support it yet.
Xiao Yingzhu deliberately intervened in the matter of the Tongzhi so that the truth could be revealed and the grudges between Yu He and Meng Zheng could be dispelled.
"disease?"
Meng Zheng's eyes fell on Jiang Nian's face. He thought for a moment, and surprisingly did not ask any more questions. He knocked on the table, summoned the servant waiting outside to come in, and turned his head to say a few words to him.
The light but significant sense of oppression around him disappeared in an instant, and Jiang Nian breathed a sigh of relief.
It seems that Meng Zheng has connected the hidden clues in the two events together.
The Tongzhi had been waiting outside for a long time. When he saw the three influential people in the court, his face turned pale and he knelt down to pay homage without thinking.
Meng Zheng invited him to his seat and handed him the letter that had been passed around for a while. "Does this letter look familiar to you?"
The Tongzhi thought about it over and over but couldn't figure out where he had made a mistake. He pretended to be calm and opened the letter in public. The red seal inside was very conspicuous and familiar. It was the one he had ordered the soldiers to deliver to Yu He before.
He lowered his head and looked at the letter carefully, but didn't notice any problems. It was just a seal that was different from the seals sent by others before. It was sent to Yu He because he was puzzled. Now it was sent back. Could it be that the nature of it had changed?
"Your Highness, I am quite impressed by this letter. It seems I have come across it before."
Meng Zheng smiled and asked, "Has this seal been verified to be authentic?"
There was a problem with the seal, and it seemed that the person had now traced him back to him, but he had no idea what to do.
Although this check was done carefully when it was taken over, there is still a possibility of error if it is changed by someone else.
The job change was too hasty at that time, and he was replaced temporarily. Not only had he not yet warmed up to the position, he had not even figured out Yu He's temper. If he gave a wrong answer now, would he lose his head?
The commander felt his hair stand on end at Meng Zheng's gaze, and subconsciously looked away. But when he saw Xiao Yingzhu's chilling smile again, he became nervous, and the answer he had been hesitating to answer came out of his mouth, his words trembling.
"Your Highness, I have verified the seal and there is absolutely no mistake!"
"So, if there's a problem with the seal, whose fault is it?"
Meng Zheng looked at him intently for a moment, then tapped the table thoughtfully, a smile on his lips, like a leisurely prince who was temporarily summoned for a conversation. His attention was wandering and he didn't really take this matter to heart.
The commander-in-chief was left with nowhere to go. He said in embarrassment, "Your Highness, I have taken on this position, but many matters are still unclear to me, and I am not fully aware of the seal issue. I am really worried."
This gave him an opportunity to ask questions. Yu He tilted his head and said calmly, "Tongzhi, who nominated you for this position?"
This Tongzhi was transferred here after Emperor Changde ordered the blockade of Cangjun City. There was a shortage of manpower at the time, and he was responsible for all the trivial matters, big and small. Therefore, Yu He and the Tongzhi were not very familiar with each other.
"My Lord Commander-in-Chief, I was appointed to this position by order of the Imperial Court and after being selected by the Ministry of Personnel."
Yu He hummed, his expression distant, his current mood unrecognizable. "I am merely inquiring, as per the rules, whether the official files the Tongzhi has taken over have indeed not been accessed by anyone else."
"..." Confused by the situation, the commander-in-chief couldn't come up with any other answer, so he could only reply, "Your Excellency, Commander-in-Chief, I have indeed not been contacted by anyone else."
After this moment was recorded on the paper, no one in the room asked any more questions. Tongzhi didn't know what had happened. He wanted to look around to see what had happened, but he didn't have the courage to do so. He could only sit there uncomfortably and continue to sit there.
The room was silent for a few seconds. Jiang Nian's gaze suddenly stopped while she was checking the records on the paper. The faint sound outside the door attracted her attention. The hurried footsteps came from far away, and three or four people were walking towards here.
After a while, after knocking politely, the door was opened.
Jiang Nian was unfamiliar with the leader's face, but Ai's presence later on enlightened her somewhat sluggish thoughts. The scattered words from last night's conversation matched the man's cold expression.
If my inference is correct, his name should be Xuan Gui.
Xuan Gui stepped forward and said, "My Lords, the Ministry of Personnel has arrived. May I enter immediately?"
When the commander heard this, he stared at the door in disbelief.
The official who had arranged him earlier looked calm. He walked in calmly, saluted everyone, and took his seat.
Although, like the commanding officer, he had no idea why they had summoned him, he remained calm and composed as he examined the seal. After listening to the questions, he glanced at the frightened officer and explained in a businesslike manner:
"After verification, it is safe and secure. I am willing to pledge my life to ensure its safe delivery."
Knowing that his visit wasn't just for confirmation, Yu He continued to question him, and the official had already formulated his words: "Your Excellency, I have a clue. While it may not be definitive, it may be helpful. The previous Tongzhi was robbed, and the stolen seal may have been replaced at that time."
"Stolen?" Yu He's eyebrows moved. "When?"
"Some time before... that Tongzhi passed away."
That was after Princess Qingping’s birthday banquet.
The scandal of a theft in an official's home was far less publicized than the birthday banquet of Princess Qingping, so it was naturally covered up by the rumors at the time.
Jiang Nian's thoughts gradually increased, and as she thought of some possibilities, she subconsciously wrote the time next to the event. The tip of the pen stained with black ink was suspended in the air. She frowned and lightly slid a few marks on the numbers.
There are rarely any typos when taking notes. When I was a student, my notebooks were always neatly written. Even if there were a lot of words, they would not look messy. Therefore, I felt annoyed about the ink marks that were crossed out. I looked at them for a moment before looking away and continuing to write.
Qin Lan looked slightly thoughtful. He turned his head to see Xiao Yingzhu's reaction, but his eyes followed Xiao Yingzhu's gaze and fell on Jiang Nian's fair hands.
She was erasing the typo.
...What's there to see here?
Qin Lan couldn't understand why Xiao Yingzhu was paying attention to this serious conversation. While he was questioning her, Xiao Yingzhu casually looked away and gave instructions to Xuan Gui who was waiting outside the door.
"Investigate the family background, assets, and connections of the former commander."
Xuan Gui's expression flashed with a hint of wanting to say something but he hesitated, but it quickly disappeared. He responded briefly and then disappeared.
In just a short time, the commander's heart changed with the situation. He went through the feeling of his head being in danger and then the inexplicable stability of his official position. Now he relaxed and felt his forehead was wet. He was frightened and sweating. When everyone's attention was not on him, he raised his sleeve to cover his face and wiped his head.
The two matters will have results in just a few days. The problems encountered in Cang County were solved unusually smoothly. After leaving the attic and returning to the State Guesthouse, Ai, who had not been seen for a night, returned to Jiang Nian's side.
I caught a cold last night due to the cold wind and felt groggy when I woke up in the morning. Everyone was sitting around at the meeting, and they were all powerful and influential. I sat there and took notes, just like I was sitting next to my boss. I had to be alert the whole time, and I felt like I was a modern office worker.
The scenery of the State Guesthouse is pleasant. After the cold rain has gone away, the slightly tipsy breeze of early autumn emerges again, blowing softly and gently on the face, and my heart is lifted up, just like a kite flying freely in the sky, with the other end of the string on the solid ground, floating near and far, sometimes peacefully.
There was still some distance to go back to the room, and the scenery I passed by was near the pond where I had the dispute with Xiao Yingzhu last night.
Now that there was no one around, she didn't need to worry about whether her manners were appropriate. Her tired and exhausted expression was immediately visible, no longer trying to hide it.
"Ms. Jiang?"
Before he had finished half a bowl of tea and relaxed his body and mind, a voice popped up in his ear, startling Jiang Nian so much that he subconsciously took a step to the side.
“…Ai?”
Ai responded and followed her naturally.
"The Pavilion Master asked me to see you off."
Qin Lan?
Thinking of the relationship between Qin Lan and Xiao Yingzhu, Jiang Nian immediately understood.
"Um."
The silence along the way was awkward, so Jiang Nian found a topic for himself: "How was the mission trip last night?"
"Mission?" Ai was silent for a second, then nodded in agreement, "We went to Qixia Mountain."
There were still undried water stains on the stone road.
"Was the road difficult to walk on last night?"
Ai shook his head: "Compared to the mountain road, the basement is more troublesome."
Seeing her bewildered look, Ai explained, "Xuan Gui and the others are going to the base of the statue called "Lu" to find the hidden pages related to the mine."
"The basement was damaged by external forces in the early years. Heavy rains would carry mud and dirt into the room, and the loose leaves must not be damaged."
"Have you got it now?"
Ai shook his head: "...I found half of it, and I don't know where the other half is."
"We can only wait until they come back to find out."
Jiang Nian didn't have a deep understanding of this kind of thing, so he couldn't offer any useful opinions. He could only look away and agree: "Yes, Xuan Gui went to collect other physical evidence. Perhaps it will take some time before those scattered pages can be brought to light."
Ai didn't answer again. He just murmured and landed in a distant area where only high-ranking officials and prominent nobles lived. He said hesitantly, "Miss Jiang, is this the way?"
Last night, Xiao Yingzhu brought her back to the floor where he lived. He asked her to stay in his room temporarily and then asked the servant downstairs to book a room for her, which was opposite Xiao Yingzhu.
Obviously, the two of them have no relationship at all, so why does it feel a bit weird to say it?
Jiang Nian paused subtly, then nodded confidently: "Yes, where I live."
This morning someone brought her luggage from another room. It was almost unpacked last night, so it was very convenient to carry.
Given Xiao Yingzhu's personality, he would not let unfamiliar people interfere in anything concerning him, so the only one left was the elusive secret guard.
"oh."
Ai didn't say much, but her calm face showed an air of "I understand everything". Jiang Nian turned around and saw her self-conscious look, and his words were choked. He was afraid that she would turn around and report to Qin Lan, the gossiper, so he added a little bit to cover up the truth.
"To avoid suspicion, it's best not to tell anyone about this."
Ai's eyes moved, and he thought that Tao Yu and Qin Lan were not included in the category of outsiders, so he agreed immediately.
"Um."
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