At first, Lu Baichuan thought it was a conspiracy of theirs, deliberately placed on the table to attract attention. But after looking through it for a while, he immediately realized that this person was careless and just left important things lying around.
Ironically, in his letter he also instructed the prefect of a neighboring city to keep some important items safe and not to make any mistakes in front of the people sent by the imperial court.
The letter also said that the court had provided a lot of relief funds this time, and that once the storm had passed, the money could be used for other purposes. The money would then be used to fill the gap with counterfeit goods made in the mountains, without anyone noticing.
They also found an account book that recorded the profits over the years and how much money each of the people involved had received.
However, the breakdown is incomplete; a large portion is missing, which is likely the mastermind behind it.
As Lu Baichuan looked at each item, he could already guess what was going on in the mountains.
I never expected these people in the southwest to be so audacious, to do these things so openly. It's unprecedented and probably will never happen again.
He took the more important letters and account books and left the prefect's residence directly.
I found a place to rest in the city and bought some food before heading out at dawn.
Surprisingly, in this remote area, a steamed bun costs three coins.
The old woman I asked yesterday said her son only earns two coins a day doing manual labor.
With such a complete mismatch between income and prices, it's no wonder that ordinary people can't live well.
He paid to leave the city and go up the mountain. By now, Gou'er was already up and practicing martial arts outside the tent. He had been doing this for years, no matter when or where.
Jiang Jiuniang was awakened by the fragrance. She poked her head out and saw Lu Baichuan returning with food. She immediately asked, "How is it?"
Lu Baichuan didn't answer immediately. He called out to Gou'er and then said, "Eat first, and we'll talk while we eat."
Jiang Jiuniang didn't mind and took the food. Only then did Lu Baichuan take out the account books and letters he had brought to look at.
Good heavens!
Jiang Jiuniang stared wide-eyed, feeling as if she had gone blind.
"Is this something you can just find anywhere?"
Lu Baichuan shrugged: "I was surprised too."
"Is it possible that this is fake?"
"No, there's nothing on that table. They probably thought the imperial officials wouldn't arrive so quickly, so they didn't take it seriously."
Jiang Jiuniang couldn't help but give a thumbs up: "Wow, amazing! I'm really curious how this person has survived until now?"
More importantly, it's truly remarkable that his partners trust him so much and have dared to cooperate with him for so many years.
After carefully examining it, Jiang Jiuniang said, "I'll take it to my space and make a copy. You can return the copy to her so as not to alert her."
Lu Baichuan nodded; that was what he thought too, which was why he brought it back to show his wife.
I've seen my wife's high-tech gadgets before, it would be a shame not to make use of them.
While making copies, Jiang Jiuniang took a moment to ask, "Now that the identities of these low-level henchmen are clear, who do you think is behind them?"
"These people below are all prefects of several cities in the southwest region. The only person who can get them all to cooperate and curry favor with one person is undoubtedly their superior."
"The only person who is also their superior and wields considerable power is probably the Southwest Military Governor."
Lu Baichuan guessed this person when he was reading those letters. Although he was never mentioned in the ledgers or letters, he received the most benefits.
As the military governor, he couldn't possibly be unaware that several prefects were working together.
Even if he wasn't involved, failing to report it is still a crime.
In short, a visit to the residence of the Southwest Military Governor is imperative.
Lu Baichuan said, "After I send these things back to the prefect's residence, I will go to the residence of the Southwest Military Governor, and then things will basically be in progress."
Jiang Jiuniang disagreed: "Don't rush. Send these back first. I'll go with you to the governor's residence. That way, things will be done faster."
"But you..."
Lu Baichuan subconsciously looked at her stomach, his face full of worry.
Jiang Jiuniang waved her hand dismissively: "It's nothing. I've been lying in bed for days, and I'm so bored. Going there won't be any problems. I know what I'm doing."
No matter what, she would never joke about her child's safety; she knows her own body best.
Then she turned to Gou'er and said, "Son, it's a bit dangerous at the governor's mansion, so your parents won't be taking you. You need to be careful."
The dog nodded. Even his mother was worried about his father going to such a dangerous place alone. It was best if he didn't cause any trouble.
Seeing her insistence, Lu Baichuan simply said, "Alright then, but you have to stay behind me and not act impulsively."
If his son had gone with him, he might have impulsively grabbed her by the back of her collar and done it. But since she's his wife, he can't do that; he can only coax her.
"Don't you trust me to handle things? Go and rest for a while. I'll keep watch outside for you so we can get things done tonight."
Jiang Jiuniang was full of energy and had already picked up all the fallen leaves and branches around her in her spare time, so the dog could only go to a more distant place.
As it turned out, this boy had sharp eyes and spotted two pheasants. He couldn't resist chasing after them.
Jiang Jiuniang glanced at it, ignored it, and continued reading her book.
Children shouldn't be controlled too strictly. The point of this trip is to let them have some fun, and they are capable of doing so. As long as they are happy, that's all that matters.
A short while later, the dog returned excitedly carrying a chicken.
"Mommy, we can have chicken again tonight!"
Jiang Jiuniang glanced at the bloody thing and said perfunctorily, "Okay, then go to the stream and clean it up. You can send one to your Uncle Jingwang later."
"Huh? Didn't we say we couldn't let Uncle Prince Jing know?"
The dog was a little confused. Did they no longer need to hide their identities?
"Just cover your face, don't make a sound, and don't let him see you. Later, your father and I will go out on some business. Your task is to deliver food to your Uncle Jing. Be careful and don't let anyone find you. This is also a test from your mother, okay?"
She had heard Lu Baichuan say before that Prince Jing's place was very safe because there was no one guarding it. She felt at ease letting Gou'er go there.
Most importantly, the route from this mountain to that mountain is almost a straight line, without many twists and turns. Dog has light-footed skills, so at most it will be a little slower, but it won't be too strenuous.
"Yes, Mother! I'm sure I can get things done!"
Upon hearing this, the dog instantly became motivated and took a knife to the stream to clean the chicken's feathers and internal organs.
He had often watched the adults handle chickens and ducks at home before, so even if he wasn't very skilled, he could roughly figure out how to do it. Therefore, Jiang Jiuniang had no intention of helping at all and sat by the fire reading Mary Sue novels and laughing.
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