That's what you taught me.

Fan Jian sighed, his fingers rubbing slightly, feeling the tactile sensation brought by the piece of paper.

On the paper, a woman's head was drawn with charcoal, although it was only a few strokes, but it was very expressive to outline the woman's demeanor and appearance.

In particular, the eyes of the woman in the painting are so compassionate, gentle, and mischievous...... looked at Fan Jian, who was looking at her.

"Your Majesty asked the great painter to steal your portrait in the palace. Fan Jian looked at the woman in the painting and smiled and said, "But for me, your appearance has always been in my mind, very clear." ”

"Whenever I want to talk to you, I can't help but draw one. ”

"Draw the naughty you, the cold you, the sad you, the happy you. ”

"With so many of you, who is the real you? It's a pity that there is no way to ask you anymore. ”

Fan Jian sighed and handed the paper to the candlestick and burned it. He looked at the beautiful face that gradually disappeared into the flames, and said in a daze: "If Your Majesty and I hadn't returned to our hometown in Lanzhou to spend the summer, I wouldn't have met you, and I wouldn't have ...... There's no more to come. ”

"Perhaps, I am still the painter who lingers in the Qinglou all day long. Master Shang Shu tugged at the corners of his lips and smiled self-deprecatingly: "You said that the world needs the profession of an artist. It's a pity that in the end, I became the one with the strongest copper smell in the whole Qingguo. ”

The flame on that piece of paper gradually burned to the center. Only a few scraps of gray and black paper remained.

"You've always treated me like the most trustworthy brother. Fan Jian finally said: "I am grateful for your trust, so don't worry, even if I don't have the ability to change too much, but at least, I will insist on standing in this Kyoto and watching Xian'er grow up gradually." ”

There was a soft knock on the door outside the study.

"Come in. Fan Jian said with a smile.

Liu walked in with the cup of sour syrup, and gently rested on the desk, with lingering worry on his face, the affairs in the palace had already spread from Yi Gui Concubine's place to the family. As the current hostess of the Fan Mansion, of course she knows what kind of predicament her master will face tomorrow.

Fan Jian glanced at her and sighed, "Don't worry, Your Majesty won't treat me too harshly." ”

A slight resentment flashed in Liu's eyes, and he said softly: "If Your Majesty remembers the old days, how can you not be provoked by those little suppers, and you have to check the household department." Who of these six is clean from beginning to end?"

Fan Jian shook his head and said, "You have to believe in Your Majesty." It is a major matter involving the government and politics, and of course it cannot be ignored. ”

Liu knew that the old man didn't want to continue this sad topic, so he nodded helplessly.

Fan Jian raised the bowl and said to the lingering smell of burning paper above the desk, "Respect each other." ”

Then drink it all.

Liu was slightly stunned, thinking to himself, who is this respectful master?

Day 2. The court meeting was held again, and as expected, His Majesty severely criticized the poor performance of the household department in the past two years, and pushed most of the charge of the emptiness of the treasury to the head of the household department. The leaderless household officials pitifully endured the civil and military attacks of the Manchu Dynasty.

The imperial court issued a clear decree and began to check the deficit of the household department over the years, which was specifically implemented by the Supervision Yuan, assisted by the Ministry of Officials, the Criminal Department, and Dali Temple, and the general of the Hu University of Zhongshu Province under the door to carry out the investigation. His Royal Highness the Crown Prince picked up the gaps on the sidelines.

There was a rumor of the household department, so this incident did not surprise people. But when this formation is laid out. The ministers still felt a trace of consternation, such a big battle, it seems that His Majesty really wants to make the household department suffer some hardship.

I don't know how Lord Xiao Fan in Jiangnan will react after knowing about this?

In the afternoon of the same day, the officials of the various divisions of the joint inventory began to be stationed in the Yamen of the Household Department, and the Kyoto garrison was responsible for the transfer of troops to take care of the warehouses and warehouses of the various treasury divisions, and the first object of the officials was the account problem of the Seventh Division of the Household Department.

For a while, the already lively household yamen on the side of the big locust tree became more noisy, and there were a lot fewer officials who came to collect money today, but there were a lot more officials who came to check the money.

The officials of the household department were extremely nervous to welcome these officials who came to the inventory with a will into the ya, and they did not know that they tossed for a long time before they vacated a sufficient number of Taishi chairs to invite the officials to sit down, and then the left and right attendants reported on the operation of the local household department in the past two years.

Scholar Hu and His Royal Highness the Prince, who were sitting in the middle, did not embarrass these household officials, and waited for the specific investigation to start with a few words of gentle exhortation, but the officials of the Ministry of Officials and the Criminal Department rarely found an opportunity to embarrass the lords of the household department.

Scholar Hu couldn't help frowning, knowing that the chiefs of these two departments were quite on the wrong path with the Fan family, if he didn't keep an eye on it, he was afraid that the matter of the investigation would really become a means for the other party to attack dissidents.

In the face of such a big pomp, looking at so many big people sitting in the hall, including the left and right attendants, all the household officials were a little defeated, and even felt a certain despair, today Fan Shangshu is not in the yamen, these household officials have a feeling of being isolated by the Manchu Dynasty officials, and they know that what they are about to face is the biggest hurdle in their careers and even in their lives.

The officials of the Supervision Yuan monitored the work of sorting out the account books, and after a while, they watched the old officials of the household department clear the account books in as many as seven large bamboo baskets, and everyone carried them to the lobby with great difficulty.

His Royal Highness the Crown Prince was taken aback by so many account books, and said in surprise: "There are so many account books, one by one. When do you have to go?"

The left servant of the household department said angrily: "Your Royal Highness, there are seven divisions under the household department, corresponding to the seven roads of the world's finances, and there are four clear officials corresponding to the river work and other things, there are three major libraries, and the seven workshops such as the Xishan Bookstore were also transferred to the management of the household department last year, as well as the seventeenth warehouse field near the left of Kyoto, as well as the Baoquan Bureau and the Qian Fatang responsible for minting money, as for the warehouse Yamen of Caowu, which is far away in Hangzhou, and there are ......."

The squire said cracklingly. actually talked about the work of a cup of tea, and it didn't stop.

The prince's mind was confused when he heard this, and he quickly waved his hand to stop.

The ministers of the various ministries who came to the household department to check were dumbfounded, they had always only known that the household department was responsible for managing money, where did they think that there was such a complicated institutional setup below, and it seemed that it was not a matter of one or two days at all.

The squire smiled and said, "Your Royal Highness the Prince, the accounts of the ministry are still in the process of being sorted out at this time.

Here are the seven large baskets on the ground, which are the accounts of the Shandong Road Silver Money Division. Because a few days ago, Lord Xiang Shu was ordering the subordinate to be responsible for cleaning up the accounts on this road, so he moved out quickly. As for the total accounts, it will take at least ten days to clear out. ”

The prince was almost blocked by this squire, and he was almost sulky, and reprimanded angrily: "No matter how many accounts you have here, this palace doesn't care how many days it takes. But since Your Majesty has ordered the inventory, you had better hurry up, otherwise don't blame this palace for secretly resisting your will to investigate!"

Who knew that the household servant still said meaninglessly: "Your Royal Highness the Prince, the lower officials naturally don't have the courage to do so, but since the ministers came to investigate according to the emperor's order, they must draw up a charter." In addition to the accounts, when did the inventory of the amount of silver in the treasury begin? Millions of taels of silver, even if it is counted...... I'm afraid I'll have to count for days. ”

The prince waved his sleeves in annoyance, too lazy to fight with this mouthy official, anyway, waiting for the problem to be found. There is no consequence for you to eat.

Scholar Hu looked coldly at the first seat, and he was also very strange in his heart. This household is under the care of Fan Shangshudi, and it is really different from the rest of the departments, although Lord Shilang is not a petty official, but he dares to confront the prince in front of him, which is also too interesting.

He knew that the household servant was angry in his heart today, and couldn't help but smile and explained: "Yu Shilang's words are not bad, since it is an inventory, of course, it must be carried out in an orderly manner, and it is best not to interfere with the daily work of the household department." All the government affairs of the whole country need the transfer of money from the household department, and if the household administration is disturbed too much for the purpose of the investigation, His Majesty must not want to see it. ”

The squire surnamed Yu was obviously much more respectful to Scholar Hu, and said in a harmonious voice: "Everything is under the orders of Scholar." ”

Since I don't know where to start for a while, we must first clean up all the accounts of the household department, and then transfer special officials to check, the Supervision Yuan, the Ministry of Officials, and the Dali Temple all have this kind of professional talent, just look at the appearance, at least until the day after tomorrow to start.

At this time, an official suddenly said to Scholar Hu: "According to the lower officials, it is better to ...... Let's take a look at the accounts of the treasury and the Jiangnan Division first. ”

The house was full of silence.

What is stored in the treasury is the silver taels of the national treasury, and if the household department really transfers the treasury silver to Jiangnan, according to the inference of the Manchu Dynasty's civil and military affairs, it must be the accounts of the Jiangnan Division. This official bluntly proposed to transfer the accounts of the treasury and the Jiangnan Division first, which was obviously in response to this rumor.

Scholar Hu was slightly stunned, and he couldn't find any reason to object, and he really wanted to know if the household department was really bold enough to privately transfer state funds to Jiangnan. After a brief discussion with the prince, he instructed the officials of the Supervision Yuan and the officials of the household department to go and transfer the accounts of the two places first.

Nothing happened overnight.

The next day was fine.

The third day was fine.

From the very beginning, the Qingguo Imperial Court was caught in the boundless ocean of the account war, and the officials who were bent on finding out what problems in the household department were instantly overwhelmed by the account books that were as many as the snow in the mountains.

Above the large lobby, the accounts were piled up into a small mountain, and the smell of dust from old paper filled the air, making it a little difficult for the officials to breathe, and the eyes were full of visually exhausting yellow paper and numbers, which dazzled these officials.

In the quiet inventory hall, there was the sound of turning pages, the sound of crackling and plucking, and the occasional sound of sipping tea.

Quietness is mixed with monotonous and repetitive sounds, and it is very hypnotic.

Therefore, although the inventory officers sitting on the Taishi chair did not have to face the terrifying and complicated numbers with their own hands, they still felt physically and mentally exhausted and full of spring sleepiness.

The officials of the various departments have been busy for several days, comparing the numbers in the account books, but nothing has happened.

Now what is checked is the number of warehouses and Jiangnan Division, and for the time being, I have not found a handle that can overturn the household.

This came as a surprise to everyone, even the Hu scholar, who was secretly inclined to the Fan family. With so many account books, even if they are not intentional, even if they are unintentional clerical errors, there must always be some to be normal, right? With such a huge amount of calculation work, has the household department not made any mistakes at all in the past two years?

The so-called water is clear, there is no fish, and the account is clear, there is no such perfect account in this world, if there is, then it must be a false account.

Scholar Hu thought so, and so did the investigation officials of the Criminal Department of the Ministry of Officials, so they became more and more vigorous in their investigation, as long as they could find the slightest loophole, they could pull their whole body and drag the entire household department off the horse.

However, when the warm but tedious afternoon was over, the officials of the various ministries who had buried themselves in the accounts raised their heads, looked at each other with great astonishment, and shook their heads at their superiors, which caused countless feelings of disappointment to swell in the hearts of the chief investigators.

There is no problem, at least the household department does not have the slightest problem with the accounts of the Jiangnan Division and the treasury.

The household found out at the moment is very clean, unusually clean, and clean as a naked ** after a bath.

......

......

"Something is wrong. Yan Xingshu, the official who rushed to the household department this afternoon, shook his head and said to the scholar Hu beside him: "It's too abnormal. ”

Scholar Hu nodded.

Yan Xingshu squinted his eyes, thought for a while, and said, "Just check the accounts of these two places, of course you can't find a problem. Some people are not stupid, knowing that the court's suspicion is in this aspect, of course they have to wipe this aspect very flat. However, all the accounts and warehouses are under our control, and the physical objects and figures must always match, if there is really a problem with the household, then it must be smoothed out by the silver, I think...... In the next step, we can't just focus on these places, we should expand outward, check the seven divisions and the three major warehouses, and all the accounts must be checked together, and we will definitely find out the tricks in them. ”

Scholar Hu frowned and said, "Not to mention the difficulty, and it will take a long time." ”

As the prince listened from the sidelines, a strange feeling suddenly surged in his heart, could it be that none of these officials around him had reaped the benefits of the treasury under the jurisdiction of the household department? How could they all have such courage to expand the scope of the audit indefinitely? He thought about it, and also agreed with Yan Xingshu's opinion, being able to deal with the Fan family is the thing he wants to see the most now.

The news of the comprehensive settlement of accounts was quickly transmitted to Fan's Mansion by the household department, saying that Fan Jian, who was sick in bed, had the same expression, and only said to himself: "Artists make fake accounts, of course, they must strive for perfection, check it, the wider the investigation, the better, and the bigger the problem is, the better." ”

......

......