Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Cen Yuanzhi nodded repeatedly: "That's it, that's how the Liang Ge family in Yunhe Town disappeared."

Chen Shao gestured for him to explain more clearly.

"Liang Ge's grandfather was a butcher. He spent a lot of money to buy a position as a clerk for his uncle. His uncle didn't want to make money with other clerks, and he told Lord Li about what the other clerks did," Cen Yuanzhi spoke very quickly, as if someone was chasing him from behind. "After the other clerks knew about it, they also reported him to Lord Hu, and Lord Hu drove him out of the prefectural government. In order to retaliate against him, the other clerks would always select their family for corvée labor, and always asked them to clean the riverbed of Dafeng River, repair the city wall of the county town, and clean the toilets of the prefectural government. They also found various excuses to extend their corvée labor. In addition to these, Lord Hu occupied all their land in his farm in Yunhe Town."

Chen Shao was about to ask him where he heard this, but Cen Yuanzhi continued, "They also falsely accused Liang Ge's grandfather of theft, forcing Liang Ge's grandfather and uncle to hang themselves."

After waiting for a while and making sure that he had nothing to add, Chen Shao said, "Did Liang Ge tell you this, or did you hear it from somewhere else?"

Cen Yuanzhi's face froze, then turned red, and his voice softened in frustration: "I heard it from Chai Chaonan."

He added, "Chai Chaonan's aunt lives in Yunhe Town, just a few doors away from Liang Ge's family."

"Is Chai Chaonan also serving in the military?" Chen Shao asked.

Cen Yuanzhi nodded: "Yes."

To make his words more credible, he added: "Chai Chaonan not only told this to me, but also to Cai Yuchun, Zhang Yingdou and Zhang Wanmin."

He added: "Cai Yuchun, Zhang Yingdou and Zhang Wanmin are also serving in the army. If Your Excellency wants to see them, I can go and call them over."

"Then please show Fu Jiu the way," Chen Shao said.

Cen Yuanzhi answered yes and couldn't wait to take Fu Jiu there.

Chen Shao had been in Hongyuan County for four or five months, and Fu Jiu, as her personal guard, had long been well known. Cen Yuanzhi was taken away by Fu Jiu, and the yamen runners didn't know what had happened. They were all whispering and waiting for him to come back or secretly asking for news.

When they saw him coming back, they subconsciously wanted to gather around him, but when they saw Fu Jiu was there, they retreated. It was not until Cen Yuanzhi sent away the pale-faced Chai Chaonan, Cai Yuchun, Zhang Yingdou, and Zhang Wanmin that they started talking again.

It was already dark, and the candlelight swayed gently in the night breeze.

Chai Chaonan, Cai Yuchun, Zhang Yingdou and Zhang Wanmin instinctively stood in a row with Cen Yuanzhi and bowed to Chen Shao with tense hearts.

"From your looks, Cen Yuanzhi hasn't told you why I asked you to come here," Chen Shao said with a smile on his face, speaking gently, "I asked Cen Yuanzhi to come here to ask him about the clothes and shoes you rented earlier. During his explanation, he mentioned Liang Ge from Yunhe Town. Since he heard this from Chai Chaonan, I had no choice but to ask you to come here to confirm it as well."

Seeing that their expressions had eased somewhat, but not completely, Chen Shao repeated what he had said to ease Cen Yuanzhi's tension. After they had completely let down their guard, Chen Shao looked at Chai Chaonan and asked, "Can you tell me more about Liang Ge's family?"

Chai Chaonan stuttered.

Basically the same as what Cen Yuanzhi said.

Chen Shao sorted out his words a little and asked, "When did it happen?"

Chai Chaonan couldn't remember the exact time, he only remembered that he heard these words when he was thirteen or fourteen years old. He is twenty-one now, and thirteen or fourteen was seven or eight years ago.

"Seven or eight years ago..." Chen Shao had this guess when Cen Yuanzhi said that Liang Ge's uncle had revealed the crimes of the other household officials to Lord Li. Now that it was confirmed, he did not pursue the exact time, but continued to ask, "Does Liang Ge's family still live in Yunhe Town?"

Chai Chaonan shook his head: "After his grandfather and uncle died, they moved away. I don't know where they moved to."

That's right.

Some time ago, she did not see Liang Ge's family among the more than 700 accusations or disputes.

Chen Shao tapped the armrest twice with his fingers and asked again, "Do they have any relatives at home?"

"I think so," Chai Chaonan said uncertainly, "I don't know either."

After asking a few more questions, Chai Chaonan didn't know most of the time, so Chen Shao stopped asking and turned to ask about renting clothes and shoes. After asking clearly, he thought about it again and again before instructing: "I'd like to trouble you to follow Fu Jiu to Yunhe Town and ask Liang Ge's family's former neighbors and relatives about their whereabouts."

Several people responded in unison.

Chen Shao transferred two more Yulin Guards to follow Fu Jiu.

After they left, Chen Shao was about to ask someone to invite Hu Qinglu and the assistant and clerk of the Sihu Cao over, but Li Tianliu came back first with Cao Wenjie, Lu Zhongren, Jia Wenguang and Dong Dacheng.

As soon as the four entered the main hall, they knelt on the ground.

Chen Shao did not ask them to get up. He first asked Li Tianliu to arrange for someone to invite Hu Qinglu and the assistant and historian of the Ministry of Household Affairs. Then he looked at them and asked directly, "Where is the real account book of Wanhetang?"

Several people looked at each other, and no one dared to answer rashly.

Chen Shao said "hmm" neither lightly nor heavily.

"Your Excellency," Cao Wenjie, the oldest of the group, gritted his teeth and answered after they all shuddered, "The account books of Wanhetang are kept for ten years. All the account books from the eleventh year of Yuanhe to the present have been handed over to Miss Quan."

"Of course I know that you have already handed everything over to Miss Quan," Chen Shao said coldly, "What I'm asking now is where your real account books are?"

"This... Your Excellency is very clear," Cao Wenjie answered again, "The account books handed over by Wanhetang are the real ones."

This is a case of not crying until you see the coffin. Chen Shao picked up the roster of Wanhetang, looked at the record about him on the roster, and said in a cold voice: "Did you enter Wanhetang in the seventh year of Taikang?"

Cao Wenjie didn't understand why she suddenly asked this question, and could only say yes in fear.

"It has been forty-nine years since the seventh year of Taikang." Chen Shao spoke slowly but coldly, "For these forty-nine years, you have been working as a doctor at Wanhetang."

Cao Wenjie understood what she meant instantly. His face slowly turned pale and his body began to tremble uncontrollably.

Chen Shao raised his eyes and looked at him. "Did you make all the account books for Wanhetang?"

Cao Wenjie's lips trembled rapidly, and his teeth began to creak: "No, it's not."

"If it's not true," Chen Shao asked word by word, "how do you know that all the account books of Wanhetang have been handed over to Miss Quan, and how do you know that the account books handed over by Wanhetang are the real ones?"

"Little man, little man..."

Chen Shao interrupted him: "Let me ask you again, where is the real account book of Wanhetang?"