The poorest member of the Imperial Guard, the Empress begged me to embezzle.

“Your words are reasonable, my two ministers. We shall go in and find out what is going on.”

"Jiang Wan'er, go and knock on the door!"

Murong Si nodded slightly, her tone carrying an undeniable authority.

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Jiang Wan'er responded and stepped forward, gently knocking on the door.

"coming."

A gentle, warm voice came from inside the door.

With a creak, the door slowly opened.

A young man dressed in the official robes of the Northern Garrison Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard came into view.

He was incredibly handsome, and his heroic spirit was palpable.

It was Chu Xiu.

Chu Xiu was stunned for a moment, then immediately saw Murong Si wearing a dragon robe. He quickly bowed and said, "Your humble servant Chu Xiu greets Your Majesty."

"Minister Chu, you may dispense with the formalities."

Murong Si stepped into the courtyard, her gaze falling on an iron pot emitting a faint fragrance. A look of surprise and doubt appeared on her face. "What are you doing...?"

"Your Majesty, I just went fishing and caught a fresh fish. I was just about to cook it into porridge for breakfast. I hope Your Majesty will forgive my poor performance."

Chu Xiu bowed and replied, his expression calm.

"The Commander of the Northern Garrison of the Great Zhou Dynasty, a high-ranking official of the fourth rank, actually has to personally fish and cook porridge?"

Murong Si looked around and saw that there was no one else in the courtyard except for Chu Xiu. Her suspicions grew even stronger. "Does Minister Chu not have any servants or maids at home that can be arranged for me?"

"Your Majesty, I lost both my parents at a young age and live alone. I have no servants or maids."

Upon hearing this, Chu Xiu pondered for a moment before truthfully replying.

"I see!"

Murong Si suddenly realized, and then said to Dugu Tai, "Minister Dugu, you will personally be in charge of the investigation to see whether Minister Chu is an honest official of our Great Zhou Dynasty or a corrupt official who embezzles and breaks the law but dares not spend the money!"

"The minister obeys the order."

Dugu Tai responded and strode into Chu Xiu's house.

A group of censors and officials followed suit and began a thorough search.

Chu Xiu raised an eyebrow, understanding dawning on him.

Presumably, someone impeached him for embezzlement and bribery?

Murong Si did not believe it, so she brought all the civil and military officials to his home to investigate and try to prove that he was not a corrupt official.

This matter must be closely related to his arrest of Zhang Wenqing, a censor in the Ministry of Rites.

After a cup of tea.

Dugu Tai walked out of a room with a frown on his face.

The censors and officials looked surprised and suspicious.

They searched Chu Xiu's house thoroughly, but couldn't find a single copper coin!

Outrageous!

Outrageous!

"Lord Dugu, the kitchen has not yet been searched!"

An imperial censor suddenly remembered and shouted urgently.

"Come on, let's go in and take a look!"

Dugu Tai led the censors and officials straight to the kitchen.

Soon after, an imperial censor shouted, "Grand Secretary Dugu, there is a rice jar here."

Chu Xiu's ill-gotten gains might be hidden in this rice jar!

Chu Xiu's expression was strange. Were these people possessed?

Even if he really did embezzle and accept bribes, how could a rice jar possibly hide it?

"Rice bin?"

"Step aside, let this old man see if there are any silver or gold notes hidden in this rice jar."

Dugu Tai shouted loudly and addressed the censors.

The censors and officials respectfully made way for Dugu Tai to conduct the search personally.

Dugu Tai walked to the rice jar, opened the lid, and stared at the rice inside with a look of astonishment.

This rice jar is about half a person's height, but the rice inside is less than a foot long.

After hesitating for a moment, Dugu Tai reached into the rice jar and began to rummage around.

however……

He searched and searched, even the bottom of the jar, but found no silver or gold notes.

"Chu Xiu, tell me the truth! Where exactly are you hiding the money you've embezzled and taken bribes?"

"If you confess honestly, I can ask His Majesty to spare your life!"

Dugu Tai glared at Chu Xiu and coldly rebuked him, "Otherwise, if I find out, things won't be so easy!"

"Cough cough..."

Chu Xiu coughed and chuckled, saying, "Grand Secretary Dugu, how can you be so sure that I am corrupt and have accepted bribes?"

Perhaps I have never embezzled or accepted bribes, and therefore have no way to obtain any such funds.

"Move the rice jar aside and see if there's a tunnel underneath."

Dugu Tai gave Chu Xiu a deep look and then addressed the censors.

"Yes."

Censor Chen Wenli rolled up his sleeves, revealing his strong and powerful arms, picked up the rice jar, and put it aside.

The censors and officials, however, did not see anything wrong with this scene.

The civil officials of the Great Zhou Dynasty were not weak and powerless scholars.

The Great Zhou Dynasty was founded on military strength, and even its civil officials possessed considerable power.

"Elder Dugu, please."

Chen Wenli extended his hand in invitation.

Dugu Tai nodded slightly, squatted down where the rice bin had been, gently tapped the ground with his right hand, and said, "The ground is solid; there is no tunnel here."

There are indeed no secret rooms or basements in this courtyard.

After saying that, Dugu Tai slowly got up and walked out of the kitchen.

A group of censors and officials quickly followed suit.

"My dear minister Dugu, have you discovered anything?"

Seeing the expressions on Dugu Tai's and the others' faces, Murong Si already knew the answer, and she said with a smile.

"Your Majesty, we have searched every corner of Chu Xiu's house, but found nothing."

Dugu Tai said calmly.

"Minister Dugu, can you now prove that Minister Chu is an upright and honest official?"

Murong Si was secretly pleased, but on the surface she asked calmly.

"I believe that Chu Xiu must have another residence."

"This villa must be the real place Chu Xiu uses to store his gold and silver treasures!"

"I have heard that corrupt officials, after embezzling and accepting bribes, dare not keep their gold and silver treasures at home, but instead choose to buy a separate courtyard elsewhere to store them."

"This person must also be..."

Dugu Tai's face was solemn as he solemnly said, "Because this courtyard is too clean, so clean that not even a single copper coin can be seen."

This in itself is the biggest point of suspicion.

"Does Minister Dugu mean that Minister Chu has another separate residence?"

"Specifically used to store gold and silver treasures obtained through embezzlement and bribery?"

"Is that why this place looks so clean?"

Murong Si paused for a moment, glanced at Dugu Tai, and said.

"Your Majesty, the facts are conclusive, and that is indeed the case."

"Your Majesty, I humbly request that you immediately dispatch capable personnel to conduct a thorough investigation in the capital."

"We will surely find clues and bring everything to light, revealing the truth!"

Dugu Tai spoke with absolute certainty and full of confidence.

"Somebody come!"

Murong Si glanced at Dugu Tai with a deep look in her eyes and said in a deep voice.

Her voice was soft, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

She knew that Dugu Tai would not give up easily if he did not achieve his goal.

A captain of the Imperial Guard stepped forward in response, his steps steady, and respectfully bowed to Murong Si, saying, "Greetings, Your Majesty."

"As you, Minister Dugu, have said, we must investigate this matter as quickly as possible."

Murong Si’s voice was steady and powerful as she glanced at the assembled officials. “My beloved ministers and I will wait here for good news.”