Qingyu Case: Female Minister of Dali Temple

Quan Shuyu had already gotten up and was looking through the account books of Wanhetang. When he heard footsteps, he turned around and saw that it was Chen Shao. He immediately stood up and took a look at the sky outside and said, "Sir, why are you up so early?"

Chen Shao looked at the account book she had read halfway, frowned slightly and asked, "What time did you come back last night?"

"I came back before midnight," Quan Shuyu took a new cup, boiled water in it, poured tea into it and handed it to her, "General Li hasn't come back yet."

"It's not midnight yet, but it's almost midnight." Chen Shao glanced at her face, "You came back and slept for less than two hours, and you're already up again?"

"My son was sleeping and my mother was waking up, exactly two hours." Quan Shuyu sat down, picked up his own cup, took two sips of tea, and said slowly, "Sir, don't worry about my health. Chan Yi has been taking care of me. According to her, my health is better than many people now."

She actually didn't want to get up so early, but when she thought about the fact that the account books she had seen before were all fake, she couldn't fall asleep.

How could Chen Shao not know what she was thinking? He glanced at the pile of account books beside her, thought for a moment, and said, "More than half of the shops in Hongyuan County are under the names of these few families. It is not realistic to read all the account books in a short period of time. The most important thing is that their management is also chaotic, and now they have all been raided. Even if you read all of them without missing a single one, it is very likely that the accounts will not match. So the easiest and quickest way is to just look at the account books of Wanhetang. After reading the account books of Wanhetang, show your meticulous attitude and kill a few chickens to feed the monkeys, so as to give the other shops a chance and let them check themselves first. Afterwards, you can arrange people to register the balances."

After a pause, he continued, "There are so many things to do now, and we are seriously short of manpower. We don't have to be so meticulous about everything."

Quan Shuyu nodded: "Then I will do as you say."

Chen Shao said "hmm" and asked about their search for the real account books last night.

Quan Shuyu concluded: "Although there were some twists and turns, it was still going smoothly."

Chen Shao asked: "What kind of twists and turns?"

Quan Shuyu put down his teacup, unable to hide his smile as he spoke: "Perhaps it was the murderous intent of General Li when he ordered the Yulin Guards and the yamen runners to act the day before yesterday that made those shopkeepers worry that the young master would also kill them all. In the past two days, those shopkeepers have been paying attention to the young master's movements in private. When General Li went to arrest Cao Wenjie, Lu Zhongren and others, they should have been alert. Later, General Li took Lu Zhongren to Zhang Zhong's house to search for the real account books. They probably misunderstood that the young master was going to take action against them. While the young master was interrogating Zhang Zhong and Zheng Fu, some shopkeepers had already fled in the dark, and some shopkeepers moved the real account books to other places. There were also several shopkeepers who intended to set fire to destroy the evidence. Fortunately, Mr. Shen is experienced and knows the terrain of Hongyuan County very well. After arranging people to put out the fire, he immediately took people to take a shortcut and hunt down all the shopkeepers who escaped."

This was not the first time Chen Shao had heard her praise the surrendered robbers. He raised the corner of his mouth imperceptibly and jokingly said, "How much benefit did Wang Dangjia and Shen Dangjia give you to make you go to such great lengths to speak well of them?"

Quan Shuyu's face flushed instantly, and after a while she said, "I saw that you were short of people, so I usually pay more attention to the people around me. You actually made fun of me."

"I misunderstood you. Sorry." Chen Shao chuckled. After watching her face turn red again and again, he changed the subject and asked, "Where are they being held?"

Quan Shuyu covered her cheeks and said, "They are imprisoned in the houses around those gardens."

Facing Chen Shao's inquiring gaze, Quan Shuyu said, "It was Uncle Xu's idea."

Chen Shao raised his eyebrows slightly, "Uncle Xu? Xu Guang?"

"It's him." Quan Shuyu nodded. "In the eyes of ordinary people, being a coroner is a lowly job. We call him Xu Guang in front of the young master, but calling him by his name in front of outsiders will inevitably make people look down on him at his age. So in front of outsiders, we all call him Uncle Xu."

Chen Shao had never paid attention to these things before. After thinking for a moment, he agreed: "Given his age, he really deserves to be called uncle."

After chatting for a few more words about Xu Guang's proposal for them to relocate people around those gardens, Chen Shao took out paper and pen, and using the ink that Quan Shuyu had ground, he began to write another letter to the General Auxiliary State.

The content of this letter was very simple, just asking for troops.

She thought about it and realized that if she wanted to safely deliver the grain from Hongyuan County to the border guarded by the Duke of Chen's Mansion, she had to have an army to escort it. The Chen family army was in Anbei and Anxi, while Hongyuan County was in Annan. If she asked the Chen family army to escort it, it would take a lot of time to go back and forth. There were spies hidden in the Chen family army, and there were too many arrangements to be made for personnel transfers and grain transportation. So she thought about it and decided that the best way was to ask the general of the country to borrow troops.

The General of the State was stationed in Lintao, Hezheng, and Anchang counties in the Longyou Road area. From Hongyuan County to Anbei and Anxi, nine out of ten times, you have to pass through his territory. The Chen family army was short of food, and the General of the State must also be short of food. A large amount of food passed through his territory, and he could not remain indifferent.

Since you have to give him a part anyway, why not take the initiative to give it to him in exchange for his escort?

"Young Master, do you want to borrow troops from the General of the State?" Chan Yi woke up and saw that Chen Shao was not there. After washing up quickly, she rushed to the study. Seeing that she was writing a letter, she naturally came over and read the contents of the letter. She subconsciously exclaimed. Li Tianliu, who had just returned from outside, heard her voice and stopped in his tracks, but his eyes looked straight at Chen Shao.

After the people of the Fuguo General came, he had to make arrangements. Chen Shao wrote the last word, and when the ink dried, he explained to him: "To send the grain from Hongyuan County to the border, it is bound to pass through the county city guarded by the Fuguo General. Instead of finding excuses to detain our grain, it is better to take the initiative to send him half in exchange for his people to escort us. This is the first. Longyou Road is adjacent to Jiannan Road. The Fuguo General must know the various routes from Hongyuan County to Anxi and Anbei better than us, and he must know how to deliver the grain quickly better than us. This is the second. Using the grain, we can completely tie the Fuguo General to us, so that he will not be indifferent when the Chen family army cleans up the traitors. This is the third. As for grain, Hongyuan County has so much, and other counties must have a lot. Using half of the grain in exchange for a powerful ally is a good deal."

"That's a good idea." Chan Yi agreed. "Although Wang Dangjia and Liu Dangjia are powerful, they are no match for the Auxiliary General. With the Auxiliary General escorting us, we can not only rest assured, but also save ourselves from worry."

Li Tianliu didn't say anything, but his expression eased a lot.

Seeing this, Chen Shao handed him the letter and said, "Shu Yu has already completed half of the investigation. The letter has been delivered to the General of the State. If he sends someone over, it will be almost done."

After reading the letter, Li Tianliu handed it to Chanyi. Chanyi folded it, sealed it with beeswax, and handed it back to him. Li Tianliu took the letter, beckoned to the Yulin Guard, and sent the letter out.

It's daybreak.

A thin mist covered the distant mountains and nearby water, making the sky look gray and gloomy, with a depressing atmosphere.

The courtyard was in an uproar.

Chen Shao followed the voice and walked out of the study. Looking at the teams of imperial guards and yamen runners carrying account books to Chengfeng Courtyard, he asked, "Have all the shops been searched?"

Li Tianliu said "hmm" in a disinterested manner.

Chen Shao tilted his head to look at him, seeing his tired face, and said gently: "Go and rest if you are tired. I will not go to the farm today."

Li Tianliu was indeed tired. They had almost searched Hongyuan County all night. Rubbing his brows, he looked at Chanyi and said, "Those shopkeepers are locked up together and are likely to cause trouble. Keep an eye on your young master and don't leave the county town at will."

Chan Yi nodded without arguing with him, "Got it, go and get some rest."

Li Tianliu turned around, walked a few steps, stopped, paused for a few breaths, and then walked away again.

Chan Yi looked at him in confusion, and waited until he left Chengfeng Courtyard and entered the courtyard next door before she asked, "Sir, how do you plan to deal with those shopkeepers?"

Quan Shuyu followed her out and stood with her, looking at the account books that were gradually piling up in the yard while listening to Chen Shao's answer.

Chen Shao did not answer, but asked first: "Fu Jiu hasn't come back yet?"

Chan Yi shook her head: "Not only did no one respond, there was no news either."

Chen Shao asked again: "What about Hu Qinglu and the assistants and historians of the Ministry of Household Affairs?"

Yesterday she asked Li Tianliu to arrange for someone to retrieve them, but then she was busy dealing with the real account books and almost forgot about it. It was only when she saw the Yulin Guards and the yamen runners moving the account books that she suddenly remembered it.

"In the prison." Quan Shuyu replied, "When the Imperial Guards found them yesterday, the Master had already gone to bed, so they locked them up in the prison."

Chen Shao gestured to Chan Yi: "Send someone to bring them to the second hall."

Chan Yi went to the courtyard and asked two Yu Lin guards to go to the prison to pick up the person. Chen Shao went back to her room to change her clothes, and then came out to follow her to the second hall. Several Yu Lin guards followed them consciously.

As the group walked to the back door of the second hall, one of the imperial guards who was going to the prison to pick up someone came running over and reported in a hurry: "Sir, Lord Hu committed suicide!"