Three Million Taels

Zhu Qi received a cold shoulder. He let out a dry laugh and mocked himself, saying,

"Lord Wang, please don't take offense. After digging in the dirt all day yesterday, my back aches and my body is exhausted. I simply had no time or energy to catch up on the commotion outside!"

"Sigh, if I had known it was going to be so exciting, I wouldn't have buried myself in hard labor here, getting covered in dirt and grime."

Changing the subject, a hint of smugness crept into his voice, "However, the hard work wasn't entirely in vain. We finally found something..."

Before he could finish, he saw Wang Gangfeng suddenly stand up. With a solemn expression, Wang looked toward the outside of the hall. Zhu Qi quickly turned his head to look as well.

He saw Gu Chengyin striding toward the main hall.

Dressed neatly and radiating energy, Gu Chengyin showed absolutely no signs of having been assassinated recently.

Following half a step behind Gu Chengyin was no longer the handsome young guard from yesterday.

Instead, it was a beautiful young girl with bright eyes and white teeth, wearing her hair in twin ponytails and dressed in exquisite clothing.

Zhu Qi's eyes widened instantly, almost thinking his vision was playing tricks on him.

The eldest miss of the Cui Estate, Cui Zilu!

Good heavens!

A stormy sea of shock surged in Zhu Qi's heart.

The background of this Marquis was simply too formidable.

Yesterday, one could say he was borrowing the Crown Prince's influence.

But today, he had directly brought the eldest miss of the Cui family to his side.

And looking at how closely Miss Cui followed him, her eyes sparkling as she trailed after Gu Chengyin, it was obvious she was extremely close to him.

What did this mean?

It meant that Gu Chengyin had not only gained the Crown Prince's trust and His Majesty's appointment, but even a veteran cabinet minister like Cui Shifan tacitly approved of or even supported him.

These thoughts spun rapidly in Zhu Qi's mind, but the smile on his face grew even more enthusiastic and respectful.

Gu Chengyin had already reached the front of the hall. He cupped his hands toward Zhu Qi and Wang Gangfeng. "Lord Zhu, Lord Wang, I have kept you two waiting."

Zhu Qi hurriedly stepped forward, cupping his hands in return with a genial smile.

"What are you saying, Marquis Gu? We also just arrived not long ago."

Wang Gangfeng also cupped his hands in return, his words concise. "Marquis Gu."

His gaze quickly swept over Cui Zilu behind Gu Chengyin. A flash of surprise appeared in his eyes, but he quickly regained his composure and asked nothing.

Being stared at by two high-ranking court officials, Cui Zilu felt a bit nervous, but she tried her best to imitate Gu Chengyin, straightening her back.

She gave a slight nod as a greeting, then quickly averted her gaze, continuing to play the role of a personal bodyguard by standing rigidly to the side behind Gu Chengyin.

Gu Chengyin's expression turned serious.

"Time is tight, so let's skip the pleasantries. Let us begin."

Saying so, he took the lead and walked into the main hall, sitting down in the master's chair.

Cui Zilu immediately followed and, just like yesterday, stood diagonally behind Gu Chengyin's chair.

Her hands hung naturally at her sides, her gaze fixed straight ahead as she tried hard to put on a serious and earnest expression.

Zhu Qi was the first to clear his throat. Putting away the casualness from their earlier chat, he reported with a serious expression,

"To report to Marquis Gu, yesterday we followed your instructions and conducted a more detailed search of the Left Vice Minister's estate."

"Hard work pays off. We finally discovered an extremely hidden cellar entrance among the artificial rockery in the estate's back garden."

"Inside the cellar, it was piled high with items. There were entire chests of high-quality gold and silver ingots."

"There were banknotes of massive denominations, as well as a large number of highly valuable antiques, jade artifacts, paintings and calligraphy by famous masters, exotic treasures from overseas, and more. A rough estimate puts the total value at no less than three million taels!"

Three million taels.

Gu Chengyin did not show shock at the amount. Instead, he asked, "Can you determine how long these valuables have been stored there?"

"Were they gradually accumulated over a long period, or were they placed there recently?"

This question was of paramount importance.

If the valuables had been stored long-term, it would basically confirm Xiao Michang's corrupt practices.

But if they were placed there recently, it would indicate that this was someone's sincerity.

Zhu Qi had clearly considered this as well. He replied with a grave expression,

"To reply to the Marquis, your subordinate has carefully inspected them. A portion of the gold and silver ingots, as well as the antiques, have indeed been stored for a long time."

"The bottoms of the chests have old water stains, the surfaces of the gold and silver show signs of tarnishing, and the patina on the antiques is natural. They should be the accumulation of many years."

"However, another portion, especially those banknotes and jewelry, look extremely new with very faint signs of storage. They were obviously placed there recently."

"Overall, the valuables in the cellar show a pattern of gradual increase."

"The old ones are at the bottom, and the new ones are on top, accumulating layer by layer."

"They were not placed there all at once, but rather over a long process, with new additions continuing until recently."

After hearing this, Gu Chengyin nodded. This report was clear and convincing.

"In other words," Gu Chengyin summarized, "Xiao Michang himself was indeed involved in long-term, massive corruption. This was his own secret stash."

"As for the recently added portion, it could be the proceeds of continued embezzlement, or it could be bribes given to him by others."

"We cannot even rule out the possibility that someone deliberately put them there after his death to solidify his crimes."

Gu Chengyin looked at Wang Gangfeng. "Lord Wang, how is the progress on your end?"

Wang Gangfeng had been sitting upright all along, his expression stern.

Hearing Gu Chengyin's inquiry, he finally spoke. "The Censorate conducted surprise interrogations on everyone in the Ministry of Revenue who had close dealings with Xiao Michang or fell under his jurisdiction."

"This includes his subordinates, colleagues, and some merchants he had business dealings with. The Ministry of Justice simultaneously verified the whereabouts and interaction records of these people before and after the incident."

"As it stands now."

"The testimonies and whereabouts of these people, as well as some abnormal cash flows and vague accounts we found in the Ministry of Revenue's archives, all match up."

"At the very least, it is a factual certainty that Xiao Michang used his authority to grant conveniences to others and accepted massive bribes in return."

Wang Gangfeng's tone suddenly grew heavy.

"And regarding Xiao Michang's own embezzlement activities, what we found is not just a lot."

"To be precise, it is an extraordinary amount."

"So much that it is shocking to the eyes, and moreover, it took almost no effort to find."

"Oh?" Gu Chengyin's eyes narrowed slightly. "Took almost no effort? What do you mean by that, Lord Wang?"

A cold sneer appeared on Wang Gangfeng's face. "Because these pieces of evidence were just sitting right there."

"The Censorate searched the relevant archives and accounting rooms of the Ministry of Revenue, and even the private cabinets of certain clerks."

"With just a slight search, we were able to find a massive amount of ledger copies, private records, correspondence, and even lists for dividing the spoils, all pointing to Xiao Michang's embezzlement."

"It was as if they had been organized in advance and placed in conspicuous or easily discoverable locations, just waiting for us to take them."

After hearing this, Gu Chengyin did not show any expression of surprise on his face; instead, a hint of realization appeared.

Just as expected.

To prove that Xiao Michang committed suicide out of fear of punishment, relying solely on a suicide note of dubious authenticity was far from enough.

There had to be accompanying, conclusive witness testimonies and physical evidence that could form a complete chain of evidence.

Now, both the witnesses and the physical evidence were complete.

And the most crucial point was that all of this evidence was absolutely genuine.