Liu Yan stopped pretending and returned to the formation to be on guard.
Canglan carefully took out the cloth bag from his bosom and handed it to Qin Zhaoqiong with both hands.
The hidden forces formed a tight encirclement, keeping the wind and rain out.
No one knew what was said inside, but the expressions of the people inside changed drastically, filled with astonishment and disbelief.
Qin Zhaoyue stared blankly at the first page of one of the booklets, her expression as if she had seen a ghost.
I have just learned that the minting of inferior coins began in the second year of the Taiwei era.
The fact that nothing has happened for so many years shows that there must be a protective umbrella in the central government.
But Qin Zhaoyue never expected that the protector was actually the current prime minister and the first-rank official in charge of the Fengtai Pavilion!
Yes, Pei Xuanyun's name was prominently listed at the very beginning of the first page of the booklet.
When you visited last time, you talked about saving money and living frugally, but you old fool, all you brought were two lousy dishes. Who are you trying to impress?
Damn it, the annual dividends are all recorded, I'm not poor at all!
Pei Xuanyun held a prominent position in the court and enjoyed a high reputation among scholars, with students all over the world.
With his protection, it's no wonder we've been safe and sound for the past thirteen years; his protective umbrella is incredibly reliable.
Qin Zhaoyue searched her memory, and if it weren't for the glaring records in the ledger, she would have had a hard time connecting him to the person in question. His cunning was truly unfathomable.
Not only that, his eldest son was a simpleton who knew nothing.
Qin Zhaoyue couldn't believe that Pei Xuanyun, with such a deep mind, wouldn't cultivate an heir. Then she remembered that he had a second son.
I don't have many memories of this, except that my second son was a teacher at the Imperial Academy in Fengjing.
He had two sons; one worked in the Hanlin Academy, a relatively insignificant government office, while the other taught at the Imperial Academy.
Thinking of this, Qin Zhaoyue couldn't help but sigh for Pei Xueqiao.
What do you mean by "eldest son" and "top scholar"? It might just be a facade that the old man is putting on the surface.
The true succession of the Pei family may fall to that second son.
"That's impossible!"
Just as Qin Zhaoyue was checking which other officials were involved, she heard her elder sister shout sharply beside her.
Turning her head, Qin Zhaoqiong was filled with immense terror, her body trembling uncontrollably.
His face was ashen, and he trembled uncontrollably as he clutched the letter in his hand.
She had never seen her elder sister so distraught. "Elder sister, what's wrong?"
After being called several times, Qin Zhaoqiong finally raised her head in a daze, her pupils trembling and unfocused.
Qin Zhaoyue frowned and leaned over to look at the letter in her hand.
It consisted of only a few lines and was very simple: it stated that they had begun minting inferior coins.
This should be the earliest letter, but it is unsigned and its author is unknown.
Could it be Pei Xuanyun? Didn't we all see the name on the ledger? Why is my elder sister so shocked?
Qin Zhaoqiong's chest heaved violently as she finally calmed herself down.
She carefully restored and put the letter away, and inquired in detail about the source of the evidence.
Canglan explained in a few words, and also shared his own judgment, feeling that it had been obtained far too easily.
Based on her experience, this seems more like fabricated evidence deliberately placed in the open to mislead, but that's not necessarily the case.
After all, Prince Rui lived in a remote corner of the country. Judging from the previous situation, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him the local tyrant of Bailu Prefecture.
No one dared to investigate his manor, especially since there was a hidden Divine Martial Realm expert inside. It wasn't unacceptable to have a fourth-rank guard in his study at all times.
But the heir to the throne was living on the estate, so did he really have no doubts at all?
If this had happened to Canglan, she would have found a safe place to hide the evidence before the imperial envoy arrived.
Qin Zhaoqiong remained silent for more than ten breaths before carefully gathering the evidence and placing it in her bosom.
Without needing to inform him, Yin Zhe lifted the blockade at the opportune moment.
"Your Highness, may I speak with you in private?"
After the body was prepared for burial, Prince Rui's expression remained inscrutable.
Even when she heard Qin Zhaoqiong's almost commanding tone, her eyes remained calm and unwavering.
"good."
Everyone dismounted. The deputy commander was about to offer some advice, but before he could speak, he saw Commander Tao make a downward pressing gesture with his palm, and he immediately swallowed his words.
The only intact building recently is the Transport Department office, where the body is temporarily placed, though neither side seems to have any taboos about it.
"Your Highness!"
Seeing that both of the other party's Xuanji Guards had gone inside, one of the guards couldn't help but speak up.
King Rui didn't even turn his head. "Wait outside."
Thus, he led Tao Ling alone into one of the empty rooms.
The door closed, and the aura of the Divine Martial Realm descended, blocking everything outside.
There were six people in the room: Prince Rui, Tao Ling, the Qin Zhaoqiong sisters, Yin Zhe, and Liu Yan, three of whom were at the Divine Martial Realm.
Qin Zhaoqiong took out the cloth bag again, ignoring the two booklets, and only took out the letter at the top.
"Who wrote this letter? Who is behind this counterfeit currency?!"
Her questioning voice carried the force of a raging storm, and she stared intently into the eyes of the Prince Rui opposite her, never looking away for a moment.
Under his intense gaze, Prince Rui remained as calm as ever, even revealing a meaningful smile.
"Little girl, didn't you already figure it out? Why are you asking me?"
"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
Qin Zhaoqiong couldn't help but take a step forward, now only a foot away from Prince Rui.
This is already a very dangerous distance, after all, she herself is at the fourth level of cultivation, and can take a person's life in the blink of an eye.
Ignoring his internal injuries, Liu Yan instantly channeled his power into a state of concealment.
He was still holding a grudge because he had been framed before.
He could keep up with the speed of a sorcerer even in a small space, and if it came to a fight, he was confident that he could instantly restrain the opponent's guards.
Qin Zhaoyue frowned, her gaze not only fixed on the two people facing off, but also on the three Divine Martial Realm experts.
Well, I feel like the atmosphere right now is really strange.
It seems like only the eldest sister and Liu Yan are truly focused in this situation; isn't Prince Rui being a bit too calm?
Even if he wasn't the mastermind, he was one of the bosses behind the shoddy currency scheme, and it's impossible that he didn't understand how unfavorable the current situation was for him.
The two men stared at each other, but remained silent.
Qin Zhaoyue couldn't take it anymore; what kind of riddles were they playing here?
"Um... could you please explain to me what's so special about that letter?"
Qin Zhaoqiong exhaled a deep breath and spoke after several breaths: "The character '泰' on the letter is missing a stroke."
Qin Zhaoyue: ?
No, that's it?
So what if it's missing? Everyone makes a few typos, and missing a single stroke isn't worth the trouble.
"What!"
She was completely bewildered, but then she saw Liu Yan's eyes widen suddenly, and even his breathing became somewhat unsteady.
Qin Zhaoyue couldn't help but kick him, "Tell me quickly, what happened!"
Liu Yan's eyes were filled with disbelief, "The late emperor's name contained the character 'Tai'..."
Although it wasn't explained clearly, a flash of lightning struck Qin Zhaoyue's mind, bringing back some distant memories, and she immediately gasped.
No way...
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