Gu Chengyin immediately turned to another page of the account book in his hands. In the same year, after the autumn taxes of Lanling Commandery were collected in September, there was a reported item for a subsidy regarding the newly established mechanisms of the Weaving Bureau. The account book records an approved disbursement of fifteen thousand taels of silver. Who was the final approver for this fund, and were there any additional conditions?
Gu Xiaoli's gaze remained unfocused, staring calmly into the empty space ahead, yet she answered fluently once again. In September of the five hundred and sixty-third year of Luoli, the Weaving Bureau of Lanling Commandery submitted a memorial requesting the allocation of subsidies for newly established mechanisms.
The initial application was for twenty thousand taels of silver. After the Inner Secretariat verified the weaving tax revenue and budget surplus of that prefecture for the year, a reduction was recommended.
Ultimately, Lord Cui Tingyu, the then Right Vice Minister of the Ministry of Revenue who concurrently managed weaving affairs, approved it on September 28th, setting the amount at fifteen thousand taels.
The additional conditions were that the funds must be used exclusively for their designated purpose, strictly limited to purchasing new-style looms and training artisans, and must not be diverted to other uses. Furthermore, a detailed account of the expenditures and an effectiveness report had to be submitted to the Ministry of Revenue and the Inner Secretariat for the record before June of the following year.
Another perfect answer.
Gu Chengyin was no longer limited to the book in his hand. He quickly pulled out two more account books from different years concerning different matters, flipping them open at random.
His speaking speed grew faster and faster, and the questions became increasingly tricky, even involving cross-year data comparisons and tracing related parties.
In the five hundred and sixty-fourth year of Luoli, the procurement funds for winter cotton clothes in Youzhou City showed an expenditure of eighty thousand taels. Who was the supplier?
In the five hundred and sixty-fifth year of Luoli, the special funds for the Luoshui River dredging project were disbursed in three installments. What were the respective amounts, and how long were the intervals between the previous two?
In the five hundred and sixty-second and five hundred and sixty-fifth years of Luoli, what were the recorded grain procurement prices of Qingwang Grain Store in Qinghe Commandery, respectively? Were there any abnormal fluctuations?
...
Gu Xiaoli stood there the entire time, her posture straight, her expression still maintaining that world-weary calmness.
Facing Gu Chengyin's rapid-fire questions, she did not panic in the slightest. Every time, at the very instant a question was asked or within a remarkably short time, she could provide a precise and flawless answer.
It did not seem like she was recalling memories; rather, it was as if she was directly retrieving clear files from her mind.
Gu Chengyin asked quickly, and she answered quickly.
Between the questions and answers, it was like a duel between masters, or like a precise human-machine interactive system operating at peak efficiency.
When Gu Chengyin finally stopped, he gently placed the account books back on the desk.
He looked at Luo Zhao. Their eyes met, and without needing words, both understood what the other was thinking.
The upcoming auditing work would enter a completely new stage because of Gu Xiaoli's presence.
Those deliberately destroyed or hidden accounts would be resurrected from her memory, becoming the most powerful evidence to nail down those corrupt parasites.
Gu Xiaoli.
Gu Chengyin spoke slowly, his voice solemn. Next, we will have to trouble you.
Gu Xiaoli knew what this meant. Without even needing an order, she took the initiative to walk towards Shangguan Yunying.
With Luo Zhao's permission, Shangguan Yunying led Gu Xiaoli downward.
Luo Zhao's gaze followed their departing figures until they blended into the area below, only then withdrawing her sight.
Sunlight poured down from the skylight, enveloping the two of them in a bright pillar of light. Even the dancing motes of dust in the air seemed to slow down.
Luo Zhao suddenly spoke, breaking the silence between them.
Gu Chengyin, let me ask you.
If Lyu Fang had not sent Gu Xiaoli, did you... have another way?
Hearing this, Gu Chengyin glanced at Luo Zhao, nodded calmly, and let out a clear, single syllable from his nose.
Mm.
Affirmative, crisp, without the slightest hesitation or false modesty.
Hearing this answer, the corners of Luo Zhao's lips curled up very quickly.
She immediately lowered her head, pretending to organize the scattered papers on the desk to conceal that fleeting smile.
She absolutely could not let Gu Chengyin see her looking so... easily pleased.
After tidying up a bit, when she raised her head again, her face had returned to its usual coldness.
She casually picked up one of the incomplete account books from the pile in front of her.
Luo Zhao gently rubbed the rough edges of the paper with her fingers, her voice carrying an icy edge.
Since these parasites are so insidious and despicable that they even resorted to such underhanded tricks.
If we don't take this opportunity to make good use of it, it would be a total waste of their painstaking efforts.
Saying this, she gently handed the problematic account book in her hand toward Gu Chengyin.
The gesture was casual, but the intent could not be more obvious.
Gu Chengyin's gaze fell on the handed-over account book, then quickly lifted to meet Luo Zhao's eyes, which were chillingly cold yet held a hidden expectation.
In that instant, he completely understood Luo Zhao's unspoken subtext.
Make a scene! Blow this matter up! Make it known to everyone!
Make a fuss until the streets and alleys, teahouses, and taverns of the Divine Capital all know that the Crown Princess's Palace is auditing the Ministry of Revenue's accounts.
But the audit is going very poorly, because the crucial accounts have coincidentally all been destroyed!
Her Highness was indeed not a character who only knew how to endure or act recklessly.
When it was time to be ruthless, her sharp tactics and meticulous mind were in no way inferior to those old foxes in the imperial court.
Gu Chengyin reached out and steadily took the account book.
Feeling the rough texture of the paper with his fingertips, it was as if he could touch the filth and arrogance hidden behind it.
I understand Your Highness's intentions.
He pondered for a moment, seemingly thinking of a certain link. It is just that... doing so might wrong Lord Shangguan.
Gu Chengyin looked at Luo Zhao with a hint of consultation. I hope Lord Shangguan can appreciate Your Highness's good intentions and not harbor any resentment because of this.
Hearing this, Luo Zhao gently shook her head.
It does not matter. With Shangguan Yuan's experience, not only will he not be angry, but he will also cooperate with you quite tacitly.
No one knows better than him how deep and muddy these waters are.
Over these years, whether he was acting against his will, intentionally turning a blind eye, or secretly collecting something, only he himself knows.
But one thing is certain: he is absolutely unwilling to be a scapegoat for the insatiable greed of certain people, much less have his reputation ruined because of it.
Your going there this time is actually giving him an opportunity. He will only go with the flow and will never resist stubbornly. In fact, he might have been waiting for someone to cause this scene all along.
As for Yunying... A trace of softness flashed in Luo Zhao's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by firmness. I will personally comfort her. You just go all out and do it without any scruples. The bigger the commotion, the better.
She spoke the last sentence with absolute decisiveness.
Gu Chengyin nodded in agreement, took the problematic account book, and got up to walk toward the door.
Going downstairs, he passed through the female officials who were still immersed in their work.
Gu Chengyin did not look at anyone. His steps were extremely fast, and the expression on his face was already completely different.
rowess are unmatched, commanding a million-strong army! Yet, the Emperor wants to depose him for the sake of a false prince? Hold on, are you throwing me into some female-oriented romance plot? How can I tolerate this? With a grand wave of his hand—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! Slander the Emperor? Very well, all of you shall die! ... The False Prince: "Although I am not the biological son, Father and Mother love me more. The throne should be mine!" The Female Lead: "Qin Xiao, you are the Emperor, and I am a commoner. If you wish to marry me, you must abdicate. Otherwise, you will never have me!" The Empress: "After we divorce, you must give me half the empire!" The Transmigrator Consort: "You worthless Emperor, why should I kneel to you? All men are equal—I advise you to be kind!" The Great General: "The enemy general is my childhood sweetheart. For her sake, I willingly abandon the frontier defenses!" The Retired Emperor: "Although Yu'er was adopted, I prefer him. Qin Xiao, you should abdicate and let him become Emperor!" ... Very well! So this is how you want to play? Facing this twisted world of female-oriented tropes, Qin Xiao grins and raises his hand to unleash—the Nine Clan Extraction Technique! I am the Emperor. Why would I bother reasoning with you? Seal the gates! Leave none alive!
lanned to earn money steadily and take life at a slower pace. But he never expected... his father's remarriage, and the stepmother bringing along a dependent, would completely disrupt his life's plans...
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
