There were five people in the room, including Yin Zhe and Liu Yan. Coupled with Cang Lan's strange behavior, Qin Zhaoyue felt uneasy.
Why should I stay in the city?
Qin Zhaoqiong, wanting to save trouble, was genuinely tempted and wanted to agree to his fifth brother's request to visit Prince Rui.
Just as he was about to speak, he heard Yin Zhe transmit a message saying that he had something important to report and asked him to stay overnight in the county town.
Canglan dared not delay and immediately took out the three copper coins, revealing all the information and speculations that Partridge Feather had gathered.
Qin Zhaoyue let out a long sigh and slumped back in her chair, looking utterly listless.
Good heavens, illegal mining and assassination weren't enough, now there's this case of counterfeit money.
These were all major cases involving the confiscation of property and the extermination of entire families, and my sister happened to be involved in one of them.
Unlike her languid and numb appearance, Qin Zhaoqiong gasped.
She carefully weighed the three copper coins. Ordinary people couldn't tell the difference, but a fourth-rank martial artist immediately noticed the difference in weight.
Bailu County was a fiefdom granted to Prince Rui, but it was a nominal fiefdom; he enjoyed a fief but did not govern the county's affairs.
His most important task here was to oversee the copper mines and mint copper coins.
Prince Rui was the son of the late emperor's sister, and according to popular belief, he was the cousin of Qin Zhaoqiong and others.
It is not surprising that such an important matter was entrusted to the royal family. It is said that this prince was very romantic in his youth and never participated in court affairs.
That is why they were not purged fourteen years ago, and were instead given a post and a piece of land sealed off far away.
Qin Zhaoqiong had met this man two or three times during his time as a prince, and he remembered that he was always smiling.
He wasn't particular about formalities and was very caring towards the younger generation, but other than that, I don't have any particularly deep impression of him.
But what do we see now? A prince in name only?
It's ridiculous that Bailu County has been governed like a miniature Fengjing!
From the prefectural governor and deputy governor to the ward chief, military commander, and local officials, they all colluded with each other.
"Is it related to illegal mining and assassination? Are there any traces of sorcerers?"
"Your Highness, the whereabouts of the partridge have not been determined."
The Prince Rui's manor was heavily guarded, and even within her temporary residence, she was watched upon entering and leaving, and her neighbors were also looking after her, so she had no other options.
"What a helpless situation!" Qin Zhaoqiong's chest heaved violently.
"Investigate! We must investigate!"
At this point, she was truly enraged. The problem of inferior currency was even worse than the problem of floods, and it might even shake the very foundation of the court. It could not be tolerated.
But Bailu County is like an impenetrable fortress; how can we investigate? Where should we even begin?
Yin Zhe stepped forward and said, "Your Highness, now that you are in charge of flood control, you attract a lot of attention wherever you go, I'm afraid..."
Qin Zhaoyue, who was slumped in her chair, was startled. What happened?
Before she could even speak, all four people in the room had their eyes fixed on her.
"six……"
"Hey!" Qin Zhaoyue jumped up from her seat. "Why are you all looking at me? I can't do this job!"
What a joke! Look at how well they run their businesses in this county town.
Even ordinary people are spontaneously protecting it. Why? It's all because of their own interests!
A woman from out of town, less than ten days after arriving in the city, was rented a house and introduced to business by the neighborhood head.
They say that as long as you have a skill and aren't lazy, you can survive in this city. Where does that confidence come from?
This was because the city's resources were integrated, and the number of lower-level officials and clerks was greatly increased, making it easier to get information.
A single boatload of dried goods could be bought up by local officials who could gather all the restaurants in the city to share it, which speaks volumes.
If something goes wrong, the clerks of the prefectural government will step in to handle the aftermath.
But where do the salaries of those clerks who are not part of the imperial court's official system come from? Where does the revenue of his prefecture come from?
It is said that interests are the most stable relationship, and Bailu County has taken this to the extreme.
The profits from minting inferior currency have likely formed a massive chain, and what's most insidious is that they haven't completely concealed the information.
By giving back to the people, the entire county is united as one.
Qin Zhaoyue became increasingly alarmed as she thought about it. This method, which defied common sense, had been operating smoothly for fourteen years!
Fourteen years! The imperial court hasn't heard a single word? Even the Xuanji Guard was unaware. Is that reasonable?
That's so damn unreasonable.
These aren't ironwares secretly cast; they're copper coins.
Even if the state government keeps a close watch, these inferior coins still have to circulate, from Bailu Prefecture to the whole country!
Qin Zhaoyue would never believe that no one had made any connections in Fengjing.
The person who made the arrangements was probably not just one or two, and certainly not an ordinary person.
"younger sister……"
A call interrupted her thoughts, startling her awake.
Qin Zhaoqiong slowly stepped forward and grasped her hands tightly. "Of course I don't want you to take risks, but..."
Qin Zhaoyue stared straight into her eyes, "I have shed sweat for my elder sister! I have shed blood for my elder sister!"
"I know, I know..." Qin Zhaoqiong pursed her lips tightly, barely able to withstand her sister's intense gaze.
After pausing for a few breaths, he still had to grit his teeth and speak:
"Sixth Sister, counterfeit money affects people's livelihood and the foundation of the nation. This case must be investigated."
"Yes, we need to investigate, but we can't let my sister do it..."
Qin Zhaoqiong quickly pulled her to sit down again, and in this short time she had already come up with some ideas.
The investigation into this matter is actually quite simple; it all comes down to Prince Rui, who must be the source of the counterfeit currency case.
However, to substantiate this matter, concrete evidence is needed, and there is no more suitable place to search for evidence than the Prince Rui Manor.
As Yin Zhe said, she was too conspicuous; she would be watched wherever she went, but Sixth Sister…
Those close to Zhao Yue naturally knew of her abilities, but others did not, so they were less wary of her.
"Sixth Sister, you don't need to investigate the case yourself. You just need a pretext to stay temporarily at Prince Rui's Manor, just like Fifth Brother."
Qin Zhaoqiong spoke earnestly.
This is probably the only good news. Regardless of what that Prince Rui thinks, the fifth brother has been staying at the manor for ten days.
Given this, it is entirely reasonable for the sixth sister, who is "indulgent and lazy," to emulate her fifth brother.
If it weren't for a last resort, how could Qin Zhaoqiong bear to let her sixth sister take such a dangerous risk again?
However, this matter must not be spread. She did not even intend to tell her fifth brother or Commander Meng, but only the few people in this house.
Otherwise, if the news leaks out, it will be nothing short of a pipe dream to secretly gather evidence.
Qin Zhaoyue understood perfectly what her elder sister meant.
She had taken advantage of the original owner's character before, but she never expected that the boomerang would come back to bite her.
Qin Zhaoqiong then looked at Liu Yan. After entering the room, he remained silent and immediately declared, "Your Highness, rest assured, I will be extremely cautious and careful in gathering evidence."
The fact that this matter could be kept secret for fourteen years indicates that the local Xuanji Guard had also been completely corrupted.
If the matter is not thoroughly investigated, the Xuanji Guard will be severely reprimanded.
"That's not what I meant," Qin Zhaoqiong quickly winked. "What I meant was that in any unforeseen circumstances, you must protect Zhaoyue. Her safety is the top priority!"
"Yes, sir! I obey!"
Qin Zhaoyue rolled her eyes.
What are you doing, ganging up on the child? Do you think she's stupid?
I'm going to make a scene! I'm going to make a scene!
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