Begonia Courtyard has always been the purest place in Xi Mansion, Xi Yan has never liked too many people to serve, so in addition to Xi Yun in Haitang Courtyard, there are only a few people, although there are not many people, but they are all smart and diligent.

Although Xi Yan is usually lenient, there is a rule in Haitang Courtyard that no one can touch, that is, when Xi Yan is working in the study, no one is allowed to trespass.

Wan Xing had been wandering outside the study for most of the hour, and the lotus seed soup in her hand had been cold several times and hot several times. But without Xi Yan's permission, she could only wait outside.

When Xi Yun stepped into the courtyard, he happened to see Wanxing wandering under the porch, and when he saw that the door was closed, he naturally understood the reason, so he took the stew pot in Wanxing's hand and entered the study by himself.

There was still a faint fragrance of agarwood incense in the room, and Xi Yan was sitting with his body leaning forward slightly, holding his forehead and closing his eyes to think. Soft daylight filtered through the lattice, casting silhouettes on his eyelashes. Feeling that someone was entering the door, Xi Yan quickly raised his head, and only after seeing that it was Xi Yun who came, he relaxed a little.

During this time, Xi Yan was indeed a little tired, and he had been holding two threads in his hands, one involved in the robbery and murder case in Shigu Alley, and the other involved in the embankment construction project on the other side of the water. But now the robbery and murder case has become a rebellion case, and there is faint movement on the other side of the water......

Xi Yan felt that he was about to lose the two threads in his hand...... Once these two threads are out of his control, then he will be greatly counterattacked, and even have to be crushed to pieces by the involvement of these two threads.

"What's the matter?" Xi Yan's tone was still as crisp as before, but Xi Yun could see that he was already a little tired.

"Reports came from everywhere, and the fourth prince began to run his tea house and silk village again...... And his caravan has also begun to consolidate again. ”

Xi Yan said "um", and reached out to take the lotus seed soup handed over by Xi Yun, "Can you find out how much he is greedy?" ”

"There is no exact number yet, this time the fourth prince acted too cautiously, and none of our people were able to insert it." Xi Yun shook his head lightly, and then said, "But judging from his handwriting in various places, it will not be less than 300,000 taels." ”

"Is it only 300,000 taels?" Xi Yan seemed to be a little unconvinced, "But according to the information found by the secret guard, the amount of silver that was actually embezzled reached 500,000 taels. Moreover, according to Qi An's words, the household department requisitioned no less than 4 million taels of money for the water collection...... He couldn't bear it so much? ”

"I don't know," Xi Yun frowned and thought for a while, and said: "But it is impossible for the fourth prince not to tell anyone, although he is the person in charge, but these silver taels do not go through his hands in the end, at least all the purchases of the water water project are in charge of a person named Chen Yueze." ”

"Chen Yueze?" Xi Yan seemed to have thought of something, and said busily, "Is it an official sent by the Ministry of Industry to be an assistant?" ”

Before Xi Yun could answer, Xi Yan pulled out a thick booklet, which recorded almost all the incidents in the water and the list of officials in charge of the matter.

Turning the pages one by one, by the time I found the name Chen Yueze, it had already passed half a cup of tea.

"This person only came to serve in Shuishui at the end of last year, but he is only a seven-grade magistrate, but he ...... Hey? ”

At the end of last year? This sensitive time obviously touched a certain nerve in Xi Yan, and he immediately found a thicker booklet, and this booklet recorded almost all the officials above the ninth rank in the Great Zhao Dynasty, and even the roster file of the Ministry of Officials was not as comprehensive and detailed as it was here.

After another cup of tea, Xi Yan turned to Chen Yueze's file.

"Unexpectedly, this Chen Yueze was one of the officials implicated in the Northwest ink corruption case last year, and he was demoted by two grades and transferred to Shuishui."

"But it shouldn't be," Xi Yan frowned, and said slowly, "If you are implicated, you should also be transferred to the borderlands, why did you just transfer it to the water?" It is only a few hundred miles away from Chongdu, and the news of the embankment has been released years ago...... He was an official who was demoted for his greed for ink...... How did you get to the water, and you are still responsible for such an important thing as purchasing? ”

"Do you think there's something going on?"

Xi Yan said "um", obviously not denying it, "I just think there is something strange about this matter, you immediately send someone to investigate what Chen Yueze has done in the northwest over the years, the more detailed the better." ”

Although he is just a person who is not very important, Xi Yan does not dare to take it lightly, the matter of water is too important, even if it is just an inconspicuous seven-grade official, it may affect the entire overall situation.

While Xi Yan was thinking about it, Xi Yun asked out loud again, "Is that once the evidence is verified, you will have to hand over the human and physical evidence to the Criminal Department?" ”

"When did I say I was going to stab this to the Criminal Department?" Xi Yan glanced at him lightly, "Anyway, he is always a member of my Xi family, if he makes such a big mistake, although he must be finished, which one can please me or my father?" ”

"Then last time he sold smuggled salt, aren't you still going to hand over the matter to the government?"

"Are these two things the same?" Xi Yan couldn't help but glance at Xi Yun, and explained kindly, "Selling smuggled salt is his own private matter, and watering is a business trip." Besides, the water is related to people's livelihood, if this matter is smashed on his hands, what will His Majesty think? What will be the consequences for the Xi family? ”

Xi Yun also immediately understood, and said, "Then since you are not going to poke this matter out, why do you have to go to great lengths to force him to be greedy for ink?" ”

"Did I force him?" Xi Yan was pure and innocent, flashing his star-like eyes, "It's obvious that he can't control the greed in his heart......"

"So what's next?"

"Next," Xi Yan gently pinched his chin, and a cold light flashed in his eyes, "The matter of greedy ink will definitely be revealed, but someone has to carry it up, but this person is ...... can't have the slightest involvement with the Xi family. ”

As he spoke, Xi Yan's gaze had already fallen on the roster he had just flipped through, and a name had fallen into his eyes.

"You mean Chen Yueze?"

"Yes," Xi Yan nodded decisively, "The silver taels allocated to the water are nothing more than used to requisition the people and purchase the materials used to build the embankment." It is inconvenient to requisition and issue people's husbands, so they must have done something to buy this piece. ”

"So only by pushing Chen Yueze out, will this matter not be implicated at home?"

Xi Yan nodded slightly, Xi Yun wanted to ask, since Chen Yueze carried this matter, what should Xi Qing do? But when the words came to his lips, he suddenly remembered that by the time the ink case happened, Xi Qing had already been defeated......

For this scramble, achievement is life, defeat is death. Water ...... It is the battlefield where Xi Yan and Xi Qing finally compete.

Xi Yun's heart is inevitably a little heavy, although Xi Yan has always been very sure, but the forces involved in this matter have long exceeded the limit of what he can contend with, if the matter is revealed...... Xi Yun didn't dare to think about it anymore.

As soon as he turned around, he found that Xi Yan had eaten the lotus seed soup casually, as if this matter did not need to be worried about him at all. Seeing his breezy appearance, Xi Yun's heart was no longer worried.

But what has my son-in-law done over the years, which one is not like wading into the abyss? But in the end, what was not done? Thinking of this, Xi Yun also became calm, at least on the surface.