Chapter 133 Bait
Jiang Lianzhi went to the palace to discuss matters. When he came back and just stepped into the yamen, a clerk came to report that the young marquis of Xuanping Marquis's mansion wanted to see him for something.
"How long have you been here?"
The clerk replied, "It wasn't too long, but I've already drunk five cups of tea and eaten three plates of melon seeds. It looks like I'm not going to leave until I can see you, sir."
Jiang Lianzhi waved his hand to let the clerk leave. When he entered the room, Pei Chunli was lying on the chair with his legs crossed, soundly sleeping.
Melon seed shells were scattered all over the ground, and Pei Chunli still had a handful in his hand.
The clerk was about to call for help, but Jiang Lianzhi raised his hand to stop him. He walked out the door before asking, "He came alone?"
The clerk said, "That's not the case. I have two more followers. I have arranged them in..."
Before he could finish, Jiang Lianzhi strode away and kicked the door open.
The attendants inside were startled.
Jiang Lianzhi stood at the door, "Where's the other person?"
The attendant said, "My Lord, I'm going to the toilet."
Jiang Lianzhi sneered, it was just as he had guessed.
He and Pei Chunli had no connection. A young marquis who only knew how to eat, drink and have fun suddenly came to the Ministry of Revenue to find him. He must be a traitor or a thief.
"Have someone guard each door and don't let anyone out." Jiang Lianzhi gave orders as he walked and stepped into the inner court.
As soon as Chen Yu entered the warehouse, she felt that this trip was probably in vain.
The bookshelves in the warehouse are endless, three meters high, and each shelf has more than ten layers. If the books on a single shelf fall down, it can kill someone.
It is too difficult to find clues in this vast ocean.
The bookshelves were marked with the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches instead of by category or year, probably to prevent someone from coming in and flipping through the books.
With the idea that since she was already here, Chen Yu randomly found a shelf, pulled out a book, opened it and took a look, then put it back.
In fact, you can find clues by reading a few more books. They are not disorganized but divided into categories. In this way, you can always find them by looking for them one by one. It just takes time.
I hope Pei Chunli can be more alert. It would be great if Jiang Lianzhi can hold him back for a while when he comes back.
Time passed, and Chen Yu was flipping through a booklet.
She had found this book with great difficulty, and it was dated exactly fifteen years after Tongxu.
Shen Yu looked through it, but couldn't find the information she wanted.
Just as I was about to pick up the next book, a familiar voice sounded behind me.
"You won't find it."
Chen Yu's hair stood up suddenly.
Jiang Lianzhi! When did he come? Why didn't she notice it?
Shen Yu didn't move, and heard footsteps slowly approaching.
Jiang Lianzhi approached and said, "I might as well tell you that when Ge Liangji was the Minister of Revenue, the account books of the Ministry of Revenue were divided into two volumes, one for people to see, and one for ghosts to see. You are so smart, you should know which is true and which is false."
The footsteps stopped behind her. It seemed that Jiang Lianzhi already knew who she was.
Chen Yu gritted her teeth and attacked with her arm at a tricky angle.
Jiang Lianzhi's back hit the bookshelf with a bang.
The guard outside the door asked: "Sir, is it——"
"Nothing, something has been turned over." Jiang Lianzhi said loudly.
After saying that, he looked at Shen Yu and said, “Look, I won’t hurt you.”
As soon as Chen Yu retracted her fingers, Jiang Lianzhi suddenly had difficulty breathing, but he didn't frown, "What do you want to...find? Something related to Yan...Yanliangguan?"
Chen Yu frowned and applied a little more force to his hands. Jiang Lianzhi finally closed his eyes in pain, but he had no intention of resisting.
He has been called a child prodigy since he was young, and his intelligence is undoubtedly beyond ordinary people.
Last time in the teahouse, he felt that there was something wrong with Pei Chunli. He had heard something about Pei Chunli climbing the wall of Beilin Palace. In addition, Chen Yu was in Beilin Palace, so he quickly connected the whole line, so he went straight to the warehouse.
"Where are the real and fake account books you mentioned?" Chen Yu asked coldly, her grip loosening slightly.
Jiang Lianzhi finally took a breath, "Tell me first, what exactly do you want to do by hiding your identity?"
Shen Yu did not answer.
Jiang Lianzhi said to himself: "Even if you don't tell me, I know that you want to find out the truth and avenge your father, right?"
He picked up the account book that Shen Yu had just taken, took a look at it and said, "Tongxu Fifteenth Year June... It seems that you have already figured out something."
From what he said, he seemed to know the situation.
Shen Yu snatched the account book away, "You are an insider."
Jiang Lianzhi shook his head, "I'm not. I'm not afraid of you laughing at me. Ge Liangji managed the Ministry of Revenue like a rock. I worked in the Ministry of Revenue for three years before I learned anything."
Chen Yu didn't believe him, and Jiang Lianzhi knew it himself.
"I know you don't believe me, but I won't harm you. You should believe that you are following Xie Tingzhou to use him to find out the truth."
Jiang Lianzhi looked at her and said, "I can do the same. If you want to check the account book, I am the closest way. As long as you——"
With a small sound, a sharp dagger was pressed against Jiang Lianzhi's chin.
"I can still make you speak in other ways." Chen Yu said coldly.
Jiang Lianzhi was forced to look up, and he chuckled softly, "Why don't we make a deal?"
“I don’t make deals.”
"Then I can only bait the bait. It's up to you whether you bite the hook or not."
Shen Yu frowned and retracted the dagger, "Speak."
Jiang Lianzhi wiped his chin, with a little blood on his fingertips, "Tell me where you found it first."
Seeing that Chen Yu didn't speak, Jiang Lianzhi nodded slightly, "Then let me tell you, Ge Liangji has been executed, and I took over the Ministry of Revenue. Do you know why a mere bandit suppression has been delayed until now?"
He said solemnly: "Because the Ministry of Revenue is a mess that can't be any worse, the march requires food and wages, the treasury is empty, and the Ministry of Revenue can't allocate money, so naturally it has been delayed again and again."
Chen Yu said in a deep voice: "Ge Liangji embezzled so much money. Isn't it enough to put it into the national treasury after confiscating his property?"
"Five million eight hundred thousand four hundred taels." Jiang Lianzhi said, "This is the money that Ge Ji embezzled on the books. Guess how much was confiscated during the raid?"
Jiang Lianzhi didn't wait for her to say anything and said, "Less than 100,000 taels."
Shen Yu's brows immediately frowned.
There is a huge discrepancy here.
Jiang Lianzhi said: "Even if he was extravagant, the difference wouldn't be so big. Then guess where the remaining five million taels of silver went?"
Shen Yu clenched the account book in her hand.
Jiang Lianzhi glanced at the account book in her hand.
As if he was really baiting Shen Yu, he threw out another question.
"In the 15th year of Tongxu, drought hit Yong'an counties. The Ministry of Revenue allocated 300,000 taels of silver and 80,000 shi of grain to Yong'an for disaster relief. After the disaster was brought under control, the official who went to provide relief was promoted and is now serving as a councilor of the Xuanzhengsi."
Jiang Lianzhi turned around and looked at her, "I know much more than Xie Tingzhou. Will you take this bait?"
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