The Begonia Courtyard still maintained that clean appearance, and before he could wash off his dust, Xi Yun hurried into Xi Yan's study.

Xi Yan still looked like a clear moon, sitting casually behind his desk, reading an ancient book that had been yellowed without distraction. Feeling Xi Yun coming, he freed up one hand and poured a cup of hot tea for Xi Yun.

Originally, Xi Yun was a little impatient in his heart, but seeing that Xi Yan was as calm and calm as ever, his chaotic heart at that moment also calmed down. After Xi Yun slowly drank the tea in the cup, Xi Yan spoke unhurriedly, "What's wrong?" ”

Although it was an inquiry, his voice was steady, as if everything had already been understood.

"We have done everything according to your orders, and we have deliberately found a section of the river embankment where there are no villages around, and after several nights, no one has found our whereabouts." Although Xi Yun was a little tired, he still spoke crisply and neatly, without dragging his feet at all.

Xi Yan nodded slightly, patted him on the shoulder again, and affirmed: "It's really fortunate, next month is the flood season of water drainage, when the water level of the river rises, it will flood a section of the embankment...... You have a good rest first, and then you have to be busy. ”

Xi Yun nodded in understanding, and then said, "But...... This time, I also found traces of the Jing family. ”

"Jingjia?" Xi Yan's tone was still very calm, but a hint of urgency had flashed in his eyes, "Are you sure?" ”

Xi Yun nodded heavily, and said firmly: "The subordinates are sure that the gray stork that sent the letter is unique to the Jing family, and there is no other semicolon." And it was under the moon, and I could see it clearly. ”

Xi Yan was stunned for a moment, and then thought of the news he had gotten these days, and a complete line was about to come out.

"Where do you think that grey stork might have flown from?"

Xi Yun carefully recalled the events of that day, and then compared with the layout of the city, he pondered: "The gray stork flew up from the east, and there were a total of three official residences around the courtyard where I was that night. The one where the fourth prince lives, the one that is guarded by the Taishou of the water city...... and the government office where the Ministry of Industry does the work. ”

Xi Yan let out a "hmm" and nodded slowly: "But this person is by no means Xi Qing, and the Taishou of Chushui City has little to do with the construction of the embankment... It's unlikely that he, it's very likely that there are people from the Jing family among the officials accompanying the Ministry of Industry..."

As he spoke, Xi Yan opened the booklet that recorded the water draining again, but after checking it several times in a row, Xi Yan still had no answer in his heart...... Just when Xi Yan was about to give up, a name fell into his eyes again.

Looking at this seemingly unremarkable name, Xi Yan chuckled lightly and said, "I believe that it won't take long for the news from the northwest to give us the answer." Then, Xi Yan asked again, "What you are doing on the embankment of the Shuishui River, the people of the Jing family should not be aware of it, right?" ”

Xi Yun is very sure of this: "Don't worry, we are very cautious in doing things, and no one will notice." ”

"So...... That's it," Xi Yan began to pace back and forth in the room, and after a moment, he took out the thicker book again and began to read it carefully. Xi Yan tapped his fingers on the table slowly and rhythmically, while looking thoughtfully at the paperwork in front of him. It was a long time before he slowly closed the album.

This time, there was already a look of determination in Xi Yan's eyes.

"Do you have doubts?" When Xi Yun saw him like this, he knew that Xi Yan already knew in his heart.

"Well," Xi Yan nodded, and said, "I shouldn't worry about your actions, but I should worry about Xi Qing..."

"The fourth son? Why would you be worried about him? Xi Yun didn't believe it again, Xi Yan and Xi Qing had already pinched you to death, why did Xi Yan suddenly worry about Xi Qing.

Xi Yan sighed lightly and said, "I once said that he went to water on business, so if his greed for ink is known by the imperial court, then the Xi family will definitely be implicated." I thought it was in my hands, and as long as I didn't move, nothing would happen to him. But now it seems that the Jing family also wants to intervene. ”

"Are you saying that the Jing family wants to poke this matter out first?"

"Yes," Xi Yan did not deny, "but fortunately, the construction of the water has only started for a short time, and there will be no tangible evidence in the hands of the Jing family, and the person who the Jing family planted in the water also happens to be one of the ...... of the officials who are greedy for ink."

"You mean Chen Yueze?"

Xi Yun's guess has some truth, in addition to Xi Qing, only Chen Yueze is directly involved in the matter of water and ink. Xi Yan didn't directly affirm it, but looking at the faint stars in his shining eyes, Xi Yun knew that he was not wrong.

At this moment, the sound of the pigeon's wings flapping came from outside the window...... Xi Yun got up and pushed the door out, and when he came back, he had an extra scroll of letterhead in his hand.

Xi Yan took the tightly wrapped note, and after unfolding it, his originally slightly frowning brow slowly unfolded like a piece of paper.

"It's been verified in the northwest, it's Chen Yueze. It turned out that after he was belittled at the end of last year, he actually found Jing Yuan to rely on. In this way, it makes sense that the number of greedy ink and silver taels is incorrect. ”

Originally, Xi Yan was very sure of his speculation, but this time he had conclusive evidence, and his mood was much better, and a smile naturally appeared on his lips.

"In this way, wouldn't the evidence of the fourth son's greed for ink also come to Jing Yuan's hands?"

"Absolutely not," Xi Yan's eyes were as calm as water, and he said firmly, "If I were Jing Yuan, I would make a two-handed plan." He took great pains to arrange Chen Yueze to the position of purchasing, didn't he have a trace of wealth? ”

"What do you mean," Xi Yun frowned and thought for a while, then understood, "Jing Yuan arranged Chen Yueze to be in the water just to let Chen Yueze help him collect money?" However, when Chen Yueze was demoted to the point of dripping water last year, the matter of building an embankment had not yet been settled......"

"So when Chen Yueze told Jing Yuan that Xi Qing was greedy for ink, Jing Yuan must have made another plan." Xi Yan already had a conjecture about this matter, and then analyzed, "After all, no one dares to guarantee that this matter will never happen, so the safest thing to do is ...... It's to make people carry this thing up. And the most important thing is that the matter of greedy ink cannot be cleaned, even if the number is wrong, but 300,000 and 500,000...... Isn't it hard to do it? ”

Thinking of this, Xi Yan had to admire Jing Yuan's boldness and carefulness, "While Xi Qing and Chen Yueze were plotting to be greedy for ink together, Chen Yueze was greedy for ink again according to Jing Yuan's request. In this way, even if the East Window incident happens, this matter will not be found on Jing Yuan's head, and all the responsibility will have to be borne by Xi Qing. ”

"Then it seems that Chen Yue Ze is willing to do things for Jing Yuan...... Presumably a deal has been made between the two of them. After this incident is over, even if Chen Yueze is degraded again, the benefits he has received are enough for him to enjoy glory and wealth for the rest of his life. ”

But Jing Yuan is by no means a person who is greedy for money, he knows that Xi Qing is greedy for ink, how can he not poke this matter out? All he needs is an opportunity, and Chen Yueze must be the first accusation he arranged, all the evidence will be in Chen Yueze's hands, and Jing Yuan is hidden behind it from beginning to end. So this opportunity ......"

Xi Yan frowned deeply, he was really negligent before, and he was indeed a little annoyed at this time, "It's a pity that I have already given him this opportunity, when it starts to rain in Chongdu, you will go back to the water immediately, no matter what, you must do it before the Jing family." ”

Xi Yun is also a person who understands everything, listening to Xi Yan analyze so much by himself, he also secretly sighed at Jing Yuan's plan in his heart, seeing Xi Yan frowning deeply, he still said with relief, "You don't have to worry too much about it first, the speed of our secret guards is ...... Jing Yuan's side still can't catch up. Besides, now that he is in the light, we are in the dark, and the fourth prince is greedy for ink, Jing Yuan is categorically reluctant to tell others. ”

"That's right," Xi Yan took a sip of the tea in the cup, but said with some concern, "I just hope that Xi Qing's hands and feet can be clean, so that others don't find out about his ......."

"The fourth prince has Mr. Gu by his side, and we all know how meticulous that Mr. Gu is."

"This time is different," Xi Yan shook his head and said with a wry smile, "When he made the decision to be greedy for ink, Gu Zhiyuan happened to be sent to Lingjiang by him. And if Gu Zhiyuan was there, he would definitely stop him. ”

"Why?"

"Why..."Xi Yan repeated, as if a chill flashed in his deep pool-like eyes, "Because Xi Qing wants to win too much, if a person is too competitive, then he will definitely be hurt by his own sharpness." In my fight with him, Xi Qing is a man in the game, so it is easy to ignore those external forces that can influence the chess game. And Gu Zhiyuan is different, although he follows Xi Qing, he is behind Xi Qing after all. Outside of the chess game, it's easier to see what's really important. ”

"For example, the support and ideas of His Majesty and other courtiers?"

"That's right," Xi Yan nodded approvingly and continued, "Since the incident of private salt, I have drawn Xi Qing's attention to the matter of money, so he can only hold the word money in his eyes now." But he ignored one point, that is, he is not just a son in the business of a family, he is first an official of the imperial court, and then the son of the Xi family. ”

Xi Yan smiled lightly, sneering like ice: "Although Xi Qing is temporarily blind, Gu Zhiyuan can see it very clearly, he understands that as long as Xi Qing is on the road to the top, he doesn't have to care about what status he will have in the family." In the final analysis, the status of the family still depends on the strength of the court, and as for the amount of business and savings under his hands, it is not a very important matter at all. So Gu Zhiyuan will definitely stop him, because once this kind of thing is exposed, what will be ruined is his future. ”

"It's a pity, it's a pity." Xi Yan played with the jade pendant on his waist, and said confidently, "Since he has taken this step, there will be no turning back, even if he wakes up now, it will be useless after all." The alum oil at the edge of the water had already fallen, and even if he figured it out to fill the gap of greedy ink, what should have happened had to happen. ”

"But the fourth prince will not wake up......"

Xi Yun is right, in this matter, Xi Qing will only sink deeper and deeper into the quagmire.