The First National Preceptor of the Tang Dynasty

Chapter 426

"Sir, is there a problem?"

The worker in charge of the desks noticed that Xu Tian had been standing in front of the desks for a long time without making any moves, and asked him anxiously.

"You didn't use the blueprints I designed?" Xu Tian asked, frowning. He reached out and tapped the desk in front of him, the echo from which made his face even uglier. "The timber wasn't the batch I initially decided on either. How many construction changes did you make behind my back?"

"Sir, what nonsense are you talking about?" The worker was taken aback by Xu Tian's response. He wiped the sweat from his brow, looking very nervous. "We made it according to the timber specifications and design drawings you provided."

“No, you’re lying.” Xu Tian shook his head.

The wooden table in this classroom was definitely not designed by him, nor was the type of wood he specified.

"It's true." Qin Xian, who had been following behind Xu Tian, ​​spoke up and handed Xu Tian the design drawings that he had sent someone to retrieve. "Your design drawings have been maliciously altered. Even the standards for the timber have been changed. Only your seal remains unchanged. Someone must be pulling the strings behind the scenes."

Qin Xian knew very well that his boss had a habit of making two copies of everything, so that any lost items could be replaced properly in the first instance.

"Go investigate. These desks are unusable. Go to my place and get another set to be made," Xu Tian instructed before leaving the classroom.

An hour later, Qin gave Xu Tian the results of his investigation.

It turns out that someone deliberately tampered with the drawings on the very first day they were delivered, and even cut corners in the process to avoid being discovered.

"Who are the participants?" Xu Tian asked. With so many desks in a classroom, there must be more than one participant involved.

"The investigation has only reached the Minister of Works so far," Qin Xian replied with a dark face.

He didn't know what was going on, but this Minister of Works was like a dung beetle, constantly causing trouble for their superiors.

"It's him again." Xu Tian sighed, somewhat helplessly.

Although he already had the answer in his heart, he still found it hard to believe when he heard that it was the Minister of Works.

This man is truly stubborn and won't shed a tear until he sees the coffin.

With a sigh, Xu Tian and Qin Xian returned to the construction site, where the Minister of Works, who had just heard about the incident, was on his way in a hurry.

"Your Excellency, please explain." Xu Tian and Qin Xian hadn't expected to run into each other at the construction sites on opposite sides, so they immediately asked the other party.

"I'm innocent!" The Minister of Works cried out immediately upon hearing this. He said, "I've been focused on the construction site all this time. How could I have had time to design Xu Tian? Besides, I've visited you several times to try and befriend you. To do this would be like shooting myself in the foot."

The Minister of Works' analysis was so logical that the two men had no way to refute it.

"What the Minister says is quite true, but all the evidence currently rests on you, you..."

"No, no, no! Lord Xu Tian, ​​this matter really has nothing to do with me. You can ask the workers if I haven't been with them all this time. I'm just a minor official, how could I dare to lie to you!"

When the Minister of Works realized his explanations were ineffective, he resorted to playing the victim: "While I, the Minister of Works, may not be the best person, I am utterly devoted to my work. How could I possibly have done something like this, cutting corners? Lord Xu Tian, ​​you must believe me!"

Xu Tian, ​​Qin Xian: "......" You also know that you have character issues.

"Alright, I'll trust you for now." After a moment of silence, Xu Tian shrugged and agreed with the Minister of Works.

After seeing the other party off, Xu Tian immediately made arrangements, instructing Qin Xian to find someone to thoroughly investigate the recent whereabouts of the Minister of Works.