Barely two hours had passed since the Miao remnants’ disturbance and assassination attempt on Feng Luan, when the Jingzhaofu, Ministry of Punishment, and Dali Temple simultaneously located the officials involved in the sale of household registration documents.
The incident was labeled an assassination because Yin Silan’s existence was a closely guarded secret. The royal family could not possibly reveal that she had impersonated the Empress Dowager to poison the former emperor and control the harem for decades. If the court officials and citizens of Lin Yuan were to learn that the Lin Yuan imperial family had been infiltrated by Miao remnants to such an extent, it would not only ruin the royal family’s reputation but also sow doubt and mistrust in their capabilities.
Thus, the rescue operation two hours prior was disguised as a street assassination!
Within the Ministry of Revenue, Xing Weimin, amidst dusty archives, searched for household registration records of individuals marked as deceased but whose registrations had not been nullified.
"Sigh~"
After a long search, he found only one. In the past, there had been many such unregistered individuals. However, in the last two years, they had been gradually sold off. The illicit gains were then used to bribe superiors, making the profits far less than anticipated. The silver notes merely passed through his hands, leaving him with a meager sum and the intoxicating scent of money, while the rest vanished into others’ pockets.
He picked up the teacup on his desk and drank it down in a few gulps.
The tea was already cold, serving purely to quench his thirst.
"Clang~"
A flying knife shot through a crack in the window frame, striking the teacup in his hand. The cup shattered instantly, and the over-steeped tea leaves spilled onto his clothes. Fortunately, he had just finished drinking the tea, otherwise, he would have been drenched.
After shattering the teacup, the flying knife embedded itself in the filing cabinet next to him, its tail quivering for a moment before finally settling.
Still reeling from the shock, Xing Weimin’s hands remained in the posture of holding the teacup. He stiffly turned his head to look at the flying knife embedded in the cabinet filled with household registration files. A small note was pierced through the tip of the blade.
He shakily stood up, his legs buckling, almost causing him to fall. He leaned on the table to steady himself. After a few minutes, he trembled as he walked to the cabinet, pulled out the flying knife, and retrieved the note.
The note contained only one line: You sold household registrations to Miao remnants. The Jingzhaofu, Ministry of Punishment, and Dali Temple are heading to the Ministry of Revenue. Escape quickly!
Upon reading the note, Xing Weimin felt as if he had been struck by lightning. His entire body went numb, his legs weakened, and he collapsed onto the floor.
His hands, clutching the note, trembled slightly: How could this happen? How…
Selling household registrations wasn't a heinous crime. It wasn't just him; which head of household registration in the Ministry of Revenue hadn't engaged in such practices? In the Ministry of Revenue, it was common practice. As long as it wasn't excessive, even the esteemed Minister would turn a blind eye. However, if it involved Miao remnants, it would be a major case that could reach the emperor’s ears at any moment. If his selling of household registrations had allowed the Miao remnants to hide for so many years, then he wouldn't have enough heads to be executed, even if he had a hundred!
Run, yes, run quickly.
Xing Weimin crumpled the note into a ball in his hand. He rushed to the innermost cabinet in the row where the household registrations were kept. Kneeling, he pried open the bottom drawer and retrieved several silver notes that were stuck on top. Then, he went to another cabinet and took out a pouch filled with silver fragments and copper coins.
It wasn't that he had been planning to abscond all along, but rather to save up private funds to visit the Huancai Pavilion for some leisure.
Little did he know that the money for visiting the pleasure house would now become his travel expenses for fleeing.
Stuffing the silver notes and the money pouch into his robes, Xing Weimin hurried to the door. Just as he was about to open it, he paused. He adjusted his attire, shook off the tea leaves clinging to the hem of his clothes, and tidied his sleeves before calmly opening the door and walking out.
"Chief Clerk Xing!"
"Master Xing!"
Xing Weimin clasped his hands behind his back and nodded to his colleagues who greeted him. Only when he stepped out of the Ministry of Revenue and reached a street corner out of sight of the main gate did he lift the hem of his robes and break into a run.
His speed was so great, it was as if he were being chased by dogs.
He ran all the way to Sishui Street, where he found a coffin shop and ordered a coffin. Then, he went to a courier agency and arranged for a delivery – to transport a corpse, along with the coffin, to Liuyun Pavilion outside the city.
Afterward, he collected the coffin. The courier agency received the coffin at the location he designated, loaded it onto a cart, and transported it out of the city.
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the personnel from the three ministries arrived at the Ministry of Revenue.
Yuan Renjie of Dali Temple pushed the door open, his piercing eyes scanning the surroundings. Noticing the shattered teacup and spilled tea leaves on the ground, he stepped forward and knelt, rubbing the leaves between his fingers. The leaves were still somewhat damp, indicating that the teacup had not broken long ago. Just as he was about to stand up, his peripheral vision caught a mark on a nearby cabinet, seemingly left by something being thrust into it.
He rose and approached for a closer look.
The entire sequence of events instantly played out in his mind. He abruptly turned and shouted to his colleagues from the Ministry of Punishment and Jingzhaofu, "Someone passed a message to Xing Weimin. Quickly inform the city gate guards and conduct strict checks on everyone exiting!"
"Yes!"
Recognizing the gravity of the matter, everyone dared not delay. Four of them quickly ran outside, mounted their horses, and galloped towards the four city gates.
The Ministry of Punishment also immediately posted a wanted notice and took control of Xing Weimin's family members.
Yamen runners from the Jingzhaofu, officials from the Ministry of Punishment, and constables from Dali Temple, armed with still-wet portraits, fanned out from the Ministry of Revenue in a widening search.
"This person… ah, I remember now. This person bought a coffin from this humble one half an hour ago. He asked us to deliver the coffin to a courtyard at the end of Sishui Street and then sent us away."
"This person? This person hired us for a delivery. Transporting a coffin. Where did he ask us to transport the coffin? He asked us to deliver the coffin to Liuyun Pavilion outside the city."
Soon, Xing Weimin's whereabouts were discovered.
Upon hearing that he had purchased a coffin and hired a courier, Yuan Renjie led his men at full speed towards Liuyun Pavilion.
There was no trace of the coffin at Liuyun Pavilion, only two carriage tracks found on a small road southwest of the pavilion. Yuan Renjie did not follow this path but instead divided his men into five groups, radiating outwards from Liuyun Pavilion in five directions: west, southwest, south, southeast, and east, to track the movements.
...
Yamen runners from the Jingzhaofu guarded the front and back gates of the Xing residence, allowing no one to exit.
Along the perimeter walls, yamen runners patrolled. Not a single person, not even a fly, could get in.
In a teahouse not far from the Xing residence, a man with a full beard sat by a second-floor window. He cast a few glances towards the Xing residence, his face, hidden beneath his beard, showing a hint of anxiety and unease.