The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 402

Seeing that the Minister of Works was going off on a tangent, Xu Tian felt extremely tired and immediately said, "Please, Lord Duan, get to the point."

Upon seeing this, the Minister of Works immediately said, "This time, I request that Magistrate Xu accompany me to the treasury of the prefectural government to check the silver and verify the quantity."

After all, you said there was enough money as soon as it arrived. This may seem like a small matter, but it has a big impact. If the Hongwen Academy, which was personally ordered by the Emperor, cannot be completed on schedule, the Emperor will probably blame me.

After leaving Chang'an, the Emperor instructed me to return to Chang'an within three months to report back, otherwise the Vice Minister of Works alone would not be able to command the Ministry of Works.

"I'm afraid the court will be in chaos then, and I'm sure Lord Xu wouldn't want to see that happen."

Xu Tian felt somewhat helpless. He could imagine how Li Er would agree in court. He immediately nodded and said, "Someone, help me change my clothes."

Soon, Qin Xian walked in, carrying a tray in his hands. This was the official robe of Xu Tian, ​​a seventh-rank official.

Xu Tian put on the official hat of the county magistrate, and then rode his donkey behind the sedan chair of the Minister of Works. The two followed closely and soon arrived at the county treasury.

Xu Tian took a key from his waist, opened the door, and said, "Please, sir."

The Minister of Works didn't stand on ceremony. He smiled, stroked his beard, and took the lead inside. Sure enough, all the silver chests were there, but the silver was probably not enough.

The Minister of Works sneered inwardly and said, "Come on, open all these boxes for me."

At this moment, Qin Xian stepped forward and stood in front of Xu Tian. The Minister of Works glanced at the master and servant, but felt cold in his heart. It seemed that they were preparing to run away. I haven't done anything yet, and you are protecting Xu Tian like this. Do you think you can run to the Western Turks and betray the country like that Magistrate Chen?

Qin Xian seemed oblivious to Duan Lun's expression and coldly said from the side, "Rest assured, my lord, even if I die, I will protect your safety. If absolutely necessary, I will fight my way out for you."

Xu Tian was simply moved, then patted the dust off Qin Xian's clothes.

"General Qin, I am deeply moved. However, it seems you haven't changed your clothes in a long time. General Qin's frugality makes me feel quite ashamed."

At this moment, Qin Xian nodded and then stood behind Xu Tian. The two of them turned their gazes toward Duan Lun, the Minister of Works.

Duan Lun, however, had a smug smile on his face. He quickly opened the boxes one by one, only to find that the silver boxes were actually filled with silver.

The soldier in charge of checking the silver was also shocked, and then walked over to the Minister of Works.

"This is impossible, adults. How could it be completely full?"

Xu Tian walked over and said, "How dare you speak like that? What do you mean by 'impossible'? Are you implying that I betrayed the Emperor and that I embezzled and pocketed the money?"

These words were blatant, a slap in the face to the Minister of Works, but the Minister secretly pondered, "This is impossible. I already transported all the silver away yesterday."

If this silver wasn't borrowed by Xu Tian, ​​then it meant that Xu Tian had already found the silver that Duan Lun had hidden. Thinking about the latter sent chills down Duan Lun's spine.

Seeing the sinister and calculating expression on Duan Lun's face, Minister of Works, Xu Tian could no longer hold back. His clear eyes were filled with anger, and he pointed at the empty boxes with his folding fan.

"Lord Duan, you don't think these boxes are empty, do you? A mere 300,000 taels of silver, you've been moving it around right under my nose."

"Don't even mention transporting silver, I could catch flies even if I were transporting them."