Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

The stable is at the foot of the hill behind the academy.

After all the horses were led out, Li Tianliu didn't care whether it was the third one from the left or the third one from the right. He gave an order and the Yulin Guards pushed all the stone nests aside, and dug three feet into the ground with the stone nests as the center.

Lu Yuanfei did not lie.

Except for a wooden box buried under the third stone nest from the left, the rest of the stone nests are empty.

The Yulin Guard took out the wooden box, broke the lock with a sword, took out the account book inside and handed it to Chen Shao.

There are three account books in total.

The records inside are highly similar to the rosters of several business houses.

The time, place, name, age, family situation, who brought them, who sold them to, and how much they made were all recorded clearly. The time and cause of death of some of them were also recorded.

Chen Shao made a rough count and found that the three account books recorded a total of 107 boys and girls.

One hundred and seven lives, the oldest was eighteen years old, the youngest was only nine years old, and they fell into her hands, just three thin account books. Chen Shao's mind flashed through the piles of bones in those gardens, and then the two bodies hanging on the tree when he first entered Luoyanju, and then the boy who was tortured to death in the house... After closing his eyes and suppressing all the anger that was boiling over, Chen Shao opened his eyes and slowly closed the account book: "Go ask someone where Lu Yifeng and Lu Yuanfei's yard is."

Lu Yifeng was the financial officer of the Imperial Academy, in charge of the academy's economic lifeline. He lived on a low slope in a six-courtyard compound, which was one of the largest and best courtyards in the academy.

Walking up the bluestone steps to the top of the slope, Chen Shao glanced at the plaque of the Lu Mansion, entered the gate, walked around the screen wall, and saw the Yulin Guards stopping a group of people. He couldn't help but ask, "The family of Lu Yifeng and Lu Yunfei?"

Just as the Yulin Guards were about to answer, one of the women in plain clothes suddenly pushed the Yulin Guards aside and rushed out. Under the swords of the other Yulin Guards, she hurriedly stopped, knelt on the ground, and kowtowed, saying, "Sir, Lu Yuanfei still has five account books hidden!"

After signaling the Yulin Guards to withdraw, Chen Shao asked, "What's your name? Who are you to Lu Yuanfei?"

"I, Lu Yuanfei, dote on my concubine Wu'er." Wu'er knelt, tears in her beautiful eyes and a smile on her lips.

After Chen Shao glanced at the rest of the Lu family, he looked back at her and asked, "Where are the five account books that Lu Yuanfei has hidden?"

Wu Er immediately stood up and said, "I will lead the way, sir!"

Li Tianliu stopped Chen Shao for a moment and followed first. Wu'er, holding the hem of her skirt, delicately led the group through three courtyards and a large garden, and then turned into the Wenzhu Courtyard where she lived.

"This is where I usually live." After Wu'er explained, he hurriedly entered the main hall, went to the inner room, took out five account books from the secret compartment of the wardrobe, and handed them over without hesitation.

Li Tianliu took it, flipped it twice, and handed it to Chen Shao.

It has the same handwriting and the same recording style as the other three account books, so it can be confirmed that it is a real account book.

However, those three account books were records of crimes committed in the past five years, while these five account books were records of crimes committed five years ago. There were 107 victims in those three account books, and 164 victims in these five account books. The perpetrators in those three account books were Li Hong, Duan Zhong, and Xiang Yancai, while those in these five account books were Wu Shuisheng, He Pei, Wang Hu, and Xu Jing.

Eight account books, a total of 271 victims, half hidden and half exposed, and he dared to ask her to let him go! Chen Shao slowly flipped through the account books and asked Wu'er: "Did Lu Yuanfei put these account books here for you?"

Wu Er said firmly, "Yes."

Chen Shao asked casually: "Why did he put you here?"

Wu Er still said firmly: "Because I am the person he trusts the most."

Chen Shao raised his eyes and looked at her, "Since she is the person he trusts the most, why would you betray him?"

Wu Er knelt on the ground with a thud, kowtowed vigorously, and said with red eyes: "Please, sir, make a decision for my two brothers!"

Chen Shao paused while flipping through the account book. "Who are your two brothers?"

Wu'er's tears rolled down. "My eldest brother was originally a student in the academy. Just because he was a little more handsome than others, he was kidnapped by Lu Yuanfei and others under the instruction of Mr. Wen Si. Because my eldest brother refused, they beat him to death. Afterwards, they found out from somewhere that I had a second brother, so they kidnapped him as well. My parents didn't know their identities, so they went to the prefectural governor's office to file a complaint. The next day after the complaint, they beat my second brother to death and threw him back together with my eldest brother's body, saying that they were returning them to us. A few days later, they probably still felt unsatisfied, so they came back and broke my parents' legs. My parents lost their two brothers and were already heartbroken. After being seriously injured, they struggled for less than a month before passing away one after another."

"So," Chen Shao looked at her, "you came here for revenge?"

"Yes!" Wu Er wiped away her tears and said firmly, "I sold myself to Wang Hu and intentionally stayed with Lu Yuanfei to gain his trust, just to avenge my parents and my two brothers! After Lu Yifeng was taken away, he secretly asked me to keep these five account books. I secretly looked at them last night. In the second account book, there is a record that my eldest brother and second brother were abducted by them and given to the fourth master Wen!"

Chen Shao took out the second account book.

Wu Er said quickly, "On the seventh page, in the third column, Tao Fengchun is my eldest brother. On the ninth page, in the first column, Tao Yuankai is my second brother. My eldest brother was the most outstanding student in the Imperial College. The teacher in the town said that my eldest brother would definitely pass the imperial examination and he would be able to go to the capital to participate in the spring imperial examination in three years. My second brother was also going to take the imperial examination. If it weren't for them..."

After finding the record she mentioned in the account book, Chen Shao asked, "Does Lu Yuanfei know your identity?"

"He doesn't know." Wu'er's eyes flashed with hatred, "I changed my name and town before selling myself to Wang Hu."

Wu'er's skin is very white, the kind of pink white. Her face is very beautiful, the kind of elegant beauty. Her figure is also very good, the kind of slender and well-proportioned. Although her clothes are simple and elegant, they are made of the best brocade. It can be seen how much Lu Yuanfei loves her, and how perfect she is hiding. After letting her stand up and answer, Chen Shao's eyes moved from her to the account book in her hand, and then looked at the layout of the room, "Besides these account books, is there any other evidence?"

Wu Er followed her gaze and looked at the layout of the room: "I don't know if these furnishings count, these were given to him by those noble families and gentry."

"Okay." Chen Shao said that, and then walked around the room and came out. The furnishings in Wenzhuyuan were better than those in Li Hong's package, but not as practical as those in Li Hong's package. The items in Li Hong's package basically had the logos of various noble families, but those in Wenzhuyuan did not.

She is busy today and has no time to check everything one by one, so she should arrange for Lei Dehou to come and check it out in a few days.

After going out to the outer courtyard, Chen Shao looked at the rest of the Lu family members who were still being stopped, and ordered the Yulin Guards: "Take them all back to the prefect's mansion."

Then he told Wu'er, "Follow me."

Wu Er answered yes and was about to walk out with her when several cries came from the Lu family: "Mother, mother..."