Chapter 451
Although Shi Fan desperately wanted to prove his innocence, he could not find any evidence to show he had been framed. On the contrary, when questioned by Lord Zheng, Zhao Shensuan and the others implicitly accused Shi Fan of acting suspiciously.
"The thief stole the silver notes when they were tired and exhausted; it must be an old hand," Lord Zheng's gaze remained fixed on Zhao Shensuan and the others in the open space.
Everyone maintained a calm demeanor when questioned, leading Lord Zheng to be certain of Shi Fan's innocence. However, he could not yet determine who had framed him.
Lord Yao nodded in agreement. These accountants had been tallying accounts all day, working for five hours. Shi Fan himself had not noticed the thousand taels of silver notes being planted on him, and it was even less likely for anyone else to have noticed. As long as no one made a mistake, it would be difficult to find the thief in a short period.
Without concrete evidence, they had to start from the motive. However, the difficulty lay in the fact that more than a dozen accountants present were all suspects.
Zhao Shensuan and the others did not want the Shi family to rise again. With Shi Fan, the Shi family's most talented mathematician, being accused of theft, the Shi family would be suppressed in one fell swoop. Therefore, even if they discovered something and knew Shi Fan was framed, they would not speak the truth. Instead, they would conceal the matter for the thief.
"If the two lords have something to say, just say it directly," being stared at by both Lord Yao and Lord Zheng simultaneously, Zhan Feiyu felt fortunate that she could remain composed, otherwise, those who didn't know might think she was the culprit.
"Han Shao, you were ordered to capture the eunuchs, killing them all regardless of age or stature. Some were even mistakenly killed for having no beards." Lord Yao spoke slowly, his words clearly implying that Shi Fan's predicament was actually a consequence of Zhan Feiyu's involvement.
The "accused" Zhan Feiyu spoke with a wry smile, "According to your lordship's words, I can only say that to condemn someone, one needs no excuse?"
Although Lord Yao was teasing, his words were not without basis. The Shi family, which had been in decline for many years, was insignificant in the eyes of Zhao Shensuan and the others. The reason for framing Shi Fan today was simply their fear that Shi Fan would gain favor with Zhan Feiyu.
The Jin family had dominated Longyou Road for many years. Governor Yuan's attempts to probe them had all ended in failure, yet the Jin family was defeated by Zhan Feiyu. Once Shi Fan had Zhan Feiyu as his backer, dealing with Zhao Shensuan and the others would be as simple as crushing ants. Therefore, they had to strike first.
Lord Zheng, who had always been taciturn, also chimed in with a serious tone, "Indeed, it is an unwarranted disaster. Commander Xie will be back tomorrow."
The Jin family had fallen, and Commander Xie was now like a toothless tiger. As long as the imperial documents arrived, he would likely be imprisoned.
Commander Xie hated Zhan Feiyu bitterly. Unable to retaliate against her, he would surely target Shi Fan to annoy Zhan Feiyu.
Reminded by Lord Zheng, Zhan Feiyu also understood the gravity of the situation. According to the laws of Daqing, the amount of theft was one thousand taels. Forget fifty lashes; even ten strokes, under Commander Xie's manipulation, could cost Shi Fan his life.
"My lords, please wait a moment. I will be right back." Zhan Feiyu bowed to the two lords and then led He Nuan towards the courtyard entrance.
Lord Yao watched Zhan Feiyu leave. "What do you think the little girl plans to do?"
Shi Fan being framed was not a major case, but the difficulty lay in Shi Fan's inability to prove his innocence.