"That Miss Zhong doesn't know who Zhao Jiaxu might have offended, and she doesn't even understand what happened between Zhao Jiaxu and He Wencai. She only mentioned that Zhao Jiaxu had been quite cheerful these past two months, often kept by the master to write essays, but knew nothing else. Zhao Jiaxu mostly visited her in the afternoons and, because of Yu Shi, dared not stay overnight. Even on the rare occasions he did, he had to come up with excuses to deceive Yu Shi."
"The girl also said Zhao Jiaxu was extremely fearful of Yu Shi. Having lost his parents early in life, Zhao Jiaxu knew Yu Shi still had her father and brothers in her clan. If he wronged Yu Shi, they would not let him off lightly. For this reason, Zhao Jiaxu could only bring the girl home after she gave birth to a child."
Qin Guan arrived at the government office early in the morning, and Zheng Baishi elaborated on the matter discovered by Wei Qizhi.
Frowning, Qin Guan remarked, "But Zhao Jiaxu's income from teaching couldn't have been that substantial. Although the Wei family paid him well, Yu Shi must have known about it, right? I heard the girl lives in a separate private residence—even if it's small, it's still a standalone house with its own courtyard. The rent for such a place must be at least ten taels of silver per month. I also heard the two went to the Brocade Embroidery Workshop to buy brocade that day, and items from there are certainly not cheap. As a young woman with no source of income, all these expenses must have been covered by Zhao Jiaxu. But where did he get the money?"
Upon hearing Qin Guan's question, Zheng Baishi smiled and said, "We considered that point as well, Your Grace. Miss Zhong mentioned that besides earning from teaching at the Wei family school, Zhao Jiaxu often sold his calligraphy and paintings. He was skilled in both, producing four or five pieces a month, each selling for one to five taels of silver. The money from these sales was used for Miss Zhong's expenses. Zhao Jiaxu doted on her greatly, believing Yu Shi could no longer bear a son, so he placed his hopes on Miss Zhong. Over the past six months, he had been helping her regulate her health."
"We inquired at all the art dealers Zhao Jiaxu frequented. He still has a few unsold paintings with them. They all confirmed that Zhao Jiaxu approached them himself. His calligraphy and painting skills were average, often appealing to those with limited means who sought works by scholars and literati. Besides him, every art dealer in the capital accepts consignments or purchases paintings outright. They might buy a piece for four or five taels and resell it for ten, profiting from the difference."
"We questioned every dealer—none had traveled west, and none were followers of any religious Path. Moreover, during the days of the incident, they all had alibis corroborated by others. Thus, their suspicions were ruled out."
Qin Guan frowned slightly. "Has the Court of Judicial Review not located the relevant files?"
Zheng Baishi shook his head. "Not yet. Precisely that one small volume is missing. We're unsure if it was misplaced among other documents. The Court of Judicial Review is currently reviewing urgent cases submitted from lower levels, so we can't have everyone search for this one file. Besides, the Court and our office are separate entities—we can't press them too hard."
The Court of Judicial Review oversees case reviews for the entire Great Zhou dynasty and is naturally extremely busy. Understanding this well, Qin Guan asked further, "Will His Highness be coming today?"Zheng Baishi replied, "I'm afraid His Highness won't be able to come today."
Noticing the slight heaviness in Zheng Baishi's tone, Qin Guan sensed something amiss. "What's wrong? Has something happened at the Ministry of Justice?"
Zheng Baishi shook his head with a faint smile. "Not exactly. It's just that news has come from the Northwest Frontier Army regarding some issues with this year's military pay shipment. The Ministry of War is currently investigating. Since His Highness previously served in the Northwest Frontier Army, the Emperor has assigned him to assist the Ministry of War in this matter."
"Problems with military pay?!" Qin Guan was startled. Issues with military provisions were no trivial matter. Hadn't the tragic Gold Heist Case ten years ago, which resulted in numerous casualties among soldiers, occurred precisely because escorted military funds were stolen?
Zheng Baishi sighed, the smile fading from his face. "These funds were dispatched at the end of last year. The journey took two months, and they only arrived in the northwest two months ago. This shipment included not only pay but also military provisions. The grain sent to the northwest frontier should have been newly harvested rice and millet from last year's local harvest. Yet when opened at the Northwest Frontier Army camps, it turned out to be moldy, inedible grain that had been stored for who knows how long. Prince Rui has served many years in the northwest, and the Northwest Frontier Army is the most elite force in the region. Various transport commissioners would never dare neglect provisions for this army. Yet now, such an incident has occurred."
"That grain couldn't even fill stomachs—every soldier who ate it suffered from diarrhea. Severe cases experienced days of dizziness and nausea, unable to leave their beds. If enemy forces attacked now, with soldiers too weak to even lift their swords, wouldn't that jeopardize the nation? Military provisions were already scarce, and now the Northwest Frontier Army faces complete shortage. Prince Rui immediately requisitioned reserves from the Liangzhou Garrison Granary, but that will only sustain the army for three or four months. The memorial arrived half a month ago. The Emperor immediately ordered new provisions sent west, though it's uncertain whether they'll arrive in time. Only after addressing the provisions crisis did the Emperor order an investigation into this matter."
Zheng Baishi's expression turned pained. "To think these people would dare target the Northwest Frontier Army! Truly outrageous!"
A chill ran down Qin Guan's spine. Last year's corruption case involving several southeastern Salt Commissioners had just concluded, and now this problem with military provisions emerged. If even the Northwest Frontier Army's supplies were compromised, one could only imagine the situation elsewhere! Frequent corruption cases boded ill for the Great Zhou Dynasty. Rampant graft among officials was like a house rotting from its ridgepole downward—surely the entire structure would soon collapse.
"These people's audacity is truly..." Qin Guan trailed off. As a woman speaking with Zheng Baishi, she felt it improper to comment excessively on court affairs. Instead, she asked, "Will this investigation prove difficult?"
While local magistrates typically handled civilian legal cases, corruption involving salt transportation far exceeded their jurisdiction. For such major official scandals, the Emperor usually dispatched trusted ministers as imperial commissioners to investigate. She wondered how the Ministry of War planned to handle this matter.Zheng Baishi and Qin Guan had grown quite familiar, and coupled with his admiration for her remarkable capabilities that rivaled any man's, he was willing to share more. He said, "Those in higher positions certainly cannot escape blame for negligence in this matter. The question is where the critical breakdown occurred. Several transport commissioners along the northwest route will inevitably face charges. But when good grain was replaced with moldy millet, where did the embezzled funds go? We still have no leads. Once we uncover this, we'll have found the root of the crime. If subordinates confess readily, it'll be easy to investigate. If they refuse to talk, it'll take considerable effort. We don't yet know how His Majesty will arrange things."
After hearing this, Qin Guan could sense that the court was bound to undergo another upheaval over the military provisions issue. Having grown up in the Northwest Frontier Army, Yan Chi would undoubtedly be furious that someone had set their sights on targeting the army!
Qin Guan nodded. "Currently we only know the culprit is deeply concealed. Other clues related to the perpetrator are difficult to uncover. Have you considered going to Guanyin Town, sir?"
Zheng Baishi quickly responded, "Does the County Princess believe this was done by the culprit from the case six years ago?"
Qin Guan nodded. "I think so."
Zheng Baishi pondered briefly. "Very well, in that case I'll arrange for someone to make the trip. I hope we can gain something from it."
Qin Guan acknowledged this, aware that Zheng Baishi had other official duties besides investigating the case, and didn't dare disturb him further. She immediately rose to take her leave. After exiting the government office and boarding her carriage, a thought gradually surfaced in her mind.
She instructed, "To the Court of Judicial Review—"
Baiying, who accompanied Qin Guan, quickly asked, "Miss, why are we going to the Court of Judicial Review?"
Qin Guan thought for a moment. "Minister Li has no time to search for the files. I want to see if I can help look for them."
Baiying said no more as the carriage proceeded along the main street from the government office toward the Court of Judicial Review.
When they arrived at the Court of Judicial Review, it was still early. Last time Qin Guan had come with Zheng Baishi and others, but this time she came alone. Ordinary women couldn't even set foot in the Court of Judicial Review, but given her status, the minor officials still welcomed her in. "Is Minister Li available?"
The clerk smiled apologetically. "His Excellency has gone to the palace and hasn't returned yet."
As Minister of the Court of Judicial Review, Li Muyun frequently attended court audiences. Hearing this, Qin Guan said, "So he hasn't returned yet. It seems I've come at an inconvenient time. By the way, has that file you've been searching for been found?"
These past few days, everyone in the Court of Judicial Review knew an important file was missing from the archives, and this clerk was naturally aware. He smiled bitterly and said, "Please forgive us, County Princess, but we haven't found it yet."
Qin Guan showed dissatisfaction. "Have you truly been searching these past few days?"
Although Qin Guan wasn't of formal royal blood, everyone knew she currently enjoyed the Emperor's high favor and was the Empress Dowager's beloved. The clerk didn't dare neglect her and quickly explained, "We are searching, we are! We've already conducted two preliminary searches but found nothing. Now Minister Li is having us open all the sealed file boxes to search through them one by one. But it's extremely difficult to find, and recently the office has been very busy. So far we've only opened about a dozen boxes, with many more untouched."
Qin Guan sighed. "That is indeed very difficult to find. But the office urgently needs that file..."The minor official hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, rest assured, we dare not be careless. It's just that there have been so many matters lately. You haven't seen our archive—the files are piled up like mountains, making it truly difficult to find anything..."
Qin Guan looked at the minor official. "In that case, take me to have a look."
The minor official was taken aback. The Court of Judicial Review's archive was managed by specialized personnel and not just anyone could enter. However, he then thought that this was no ordinary person—she was the County Princess holding an honorary position in the Ministry of Justice.
Feeling Qin Guan's gaze fixed upon him, the minor official grew flustered. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Then... then please come this way, Your Highness."
Qin Guan followed behind the minor official, stepping toward the archive of the Court of Judicial Review.
She had been here before.
The archive of the Court of Judicial Review was a highly important place. Only the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review and another chief official held the keys, and there were always personnel on duty daily. When Qin Guan arrived outside the archive, she indeed saw two men guarding the entrance. Their eyes widened at the sight of her, never having imagined a woman would come to the inner quarters.
"Who are you?!"
Hearing the unfriendly tone, the minor official quickly stepped forward. "This is Yongci County Princess. She has come from the prefectural office to inquire about the file. I told her we haven't found it yet, and she said she wanted to see for herself."
At this explanation, the two guards promptly bowed. Qin Guan then said, "You say you haven't found it, but I can't help thinking—how much could there possibly be in the Court of Judicial Review's archive? If you can't find it, perhaps I should look for it myself."
The two men looked somewhat helpless upon hearing this. "You want to search yourself?"
Qin Guan nodded. "Aren't you unable to find it? If I find it, I'll have to ask Lord Li about this..."
Though her tone was gentle, her words carried an implicit threat. Though inwardly resentful, the two men dared not show it on their faces. Normally, outsiders weren't allowed into the archive, but given Qin Guan's status and her pointed remarks, they let her enter, thinking to themselves—let her see just how much was stored inside!
Exchanging a glance, neither of them attempted to stop her.
As soon as Qin Guan entered the archive, the light dimmed noticeably. Her eyes fell upon towering bookshelves, so high they nearly touched the ceiling. Retrieving anything from the top would require a ladder. Every compartment on the shelves was crammed with files—some bound into volumes, others rolled into scrolls. The sheer sight of it made her scalp tingle.
The three men following her remained silent, their occasional glances seeming to say, "See? This isn't as simple as you thought."
The minor official added, "These shelves hold files from the past two years. Older ones have been boxed and stored. If you wish to see them, Your Highness, you can proceed further ahead..."
Qin Guan moved forward along the narrow Path, finding the storeroom seemingly endless. After walking several dozen yards, she finally saw a partition with a Moon Cave Gate. Beyond it, shelves and large chests stood side by side, evidently containing the older files.
Standing at the entrance of the Moon Cave Gate, Qin Guan asked, "Are you certain that file was misplaced in here? Could it be... that it was lost when it was originally stored away?"One of the guards immediately grew displeased. "That certainly won't happen! Once something enters the Court of Judicial Review, it doesn't get lost! All our successive officials have been extremely cautious and meticulous! Especially our former Shen—"
As soon as the word "Shen" was uttered, the expressions of all three men changed. The speaker seemed to realize he had said something wrong and immediately fell silent, adding, "In any case, nothing will be lost. It's just that these documents and files are quite complex, and it's possible they might get mixed up—that much really can't be entirely avoided."
Qin Guan's expression remained indifferent, as if she didn't quite believe the man's words. She only said, "Fine, then you all go about your business. I'll search for it myself. I don't believe something that hasn't been lost can't be found."
The clerk and the two guards felt somewhat indignant but couldn't say much. All three thought that searching for things was laborious work. Since Yongci County Princess refused to accept their word, let her experience the difficulty of searching for herself.
The three acknowledged her words, and the clerk obsequiously asked a few more times if she needed tea before withdrawing.
As soon as the three left, Qin Guan indeed entered through the Moon Cave Gate. However, after glancing at the boxes and shelves inside, she didn't immediately start rummaging. Instead, she waited until all three had exited through the main door, then turned and walked back into the large storeroom outside.
The shelves in this large storeroom held the most recent files.
Baiying was surprised to see Qin Guan acting this way. "Miss..."
"Shh." Qin Guan made a silencing gesture. "Go keep watch outside and see where they went."
Baiying nodded and walked out with extremely light footsteps. She reached the outermost shelf and looked out, only to see one guard sitting on a folding stool outside the door. Baiying turned back and softly reported this to Qin Guan, who nodded and immediately began examining the shelves one by one. Yan Chi had said that the Ministry of Justice had no files on Prince Jin's case. Since the Ministry of Justice didn't have them, only the Court of Judicial Review would. And for a proper case to have no files—that indicated a major problem!
The mastermind behind the scenes might destroy many pieces of evidence, but they wouldn't prevent the files from being kept. Doing so would make everyone in the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review feel uneasy, only creating more complications.
Searching shelf by shelf, Qin Guan spent considerable effort before finding the files from July and August of last year. Looking at the volumes at the bottom, she could tell they were unrelated to Prince Jin's case. However, the other files were stacked high on the shelves, and she needed a ladder to reach them. A ladder was placed not far away, and Qin Guan decisively dragged it over.
Baiying didn't know what Qin Guan was looking for. "Miss, what are you searching for? Tell me, and I'll help you look."
Qin Guan shook her head—this was naturally not something she could tell Baiying!
Seeing this, Baiying could only help by moving and steadying the ladder, watching with great concern as Qin Guan climbed precariously. Once on the ladder, Qin Guan indeed saw more files from July and August of last year. Prince Jin's case had occurred in early June of last year. Throughout that June, both the Ministry of Justice and the Court of Judicial Review had been investigating the matter. But by July, her father's attitude when discussing the case had drastically changed. It was also at that time that her father began speaking in Prince Jin's defense. For a case involving a prince of the realm, it wouldn't be unusual for an investigation to last over half a year. If no results were found, it could even become an unsolved case. But by the end of July, her own family had met with disaster. From the incident to the disaster, only a little over a month had passed. If there were no foul play in all this, it would be truly strange!Qin Guan's frown deepened as she thought. Just as she was rapidly flipping through one book after another, suddenly, a voice came from outside the storeroom door.
"I heard the Duchess has come to the storeroom?"
Qin Guan's hand, which had been flipping through books, paused, her brow furrowed tightly.
Li Muyun had returned!
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