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Li Xu snorted coldly and remained silent.

"Speak up!" Mo Yan reached out from the gap and tugged at his hair. "What are you doing pretending to be a dashing knight-errant at a time like this!"

"snort……"

Li Xu's hair was being pulled painfully by her, but he stubbornly remained silent. Actually, it wasn't that he didn't want to talk, but with Zhan Zhao present, how could he confess to stealing something in front of this cat?

Zhan Zhao naturally understood what he was thinking. Without looking at him, he simply said, "Which is more serious, theft or murder? I believe Brother Li has his own judgment."

Upon hearing this, Li Xu snorted coldly again.

Mo Yan impatiently tugged at his hair again: "Stop humming!...Speak up! Do you really expect me to storm the execution ground?"

“...I went to Zhang Yaozuo’s residence the night before last,” he finally said reluctantly, “but I didn’t take anything, just three, four, five, or six things at random…” He spoke even softer after that, only vaguely mentioning the rest.

"Nobody noticed?"

He raised his head and said, "Did you think my lightness skill was practiced for nothing? I managed to shake you off completely."

That means they were discovered after all—Mo Yan thought for a moment: "Zhang Yaozuo, isn't he the Three Commissioners?"

"You stole from the residence of a high-ranking official of the imperial court." Zhan Zhao turned to look at him, seemingly lost in thought.

Before Li Xu could speak, Mo Yan said with dissatisfaction, "Zhang Yaozuo only controls the court because his niece is the emperor's favorite concubine. He holds a large part of the Song Dynasty's wealth in his hands. With the emperor and his beauty before him, he has forgotten the ancestral rule against appointing relatives of the empress, and actually gave Zhang Yaozuo the position of Minister of the Three Departments." She added dismissively, "It's no big deal if someone like him steals."

Although she spoke the truth, she was unreserved in her words and even expressed some dissatisfaction with the Emperor, which made Zhan Zhao frown slightly.

"Besides that place, have you been anywhere else?"

"No." He glanced at her sideways. "This godforsaken place, the capital, is no fun at all. If it weren't for waiting for you, I would have left long ago."

Mo Yan stared at her toes, spun around twice, still unable to figure it out, and looked up to ask, "Then... have anything strange happened around you these past few days?"

Li Xu shook her head, swept the hair that Mo Yan had pulled earlier to her chest, and carefully combed it.

"Fifth Brother, please stay in this prison for a few more days. I'll think of something." Mo Yan turned and asked, "Lord Zhan, when will my senior brother be brought to court?"

"There are many doubts in this case, and it is unlikely that it will be heard in court in the near future."

"Xiao Qi! You mustn't be reckless!" Li Xu said sternly. "You should be careful!"

Mo Yan laughed and said, "Don't worry, that's all I'm capable of. I won't cause any major trouble anyway."

The two left the cell and went to the outer room. She looked up at Zhan Zhao and asked softly, "If we can't catch the person who framed me, does that mean my senior brother has to die?"

Seeing Zhan Zhao remain silent, Mo Yan understood the answer and gritted her teeth, saying, "Then we must find that person no matter what!"

“Miss Mo, this is a matter of the imperial court, and Lord Bao will do his best to handle it. It would be best if you didn’t interfere,” Zhan Zhao said in a deep voice. “It concerns my senior brother’s life and death, how can I ignore it!” Mo Yan said anxiously, “Even if Lord Bao has three heads and six arms, he can’t be perfect in everything. If I find out who that person is, I will not only save my senior brother, but I will also be helping you!”

"Investigating cases is not a game of the underworld; there are official rules to follow. You are not a member of the government, so it is not appropriate for you to interfere."

"you……"

Mo Yan bit her lip and didn't say anything more.

He ordered the yamen runners to escort Mo Yan out of the side gate, and Zhan Zhao returned to the outer study to report in detail.

“Li Xu visited Zhang Yaozuo’s residence the night before!” Bao Zheng frowned and looked at Gongsun Ce. “Could there be a connection?”

Gongsun Ce nodded and said, "You mean the relationship between Zhang Yaozuo and Bai Baozhen... I think Bai Baozhen's trip to the capital this time is very strange. The emperor did not summon him, and his sudden arrival in the capital is very likely to be to see someone. If this person is Zhang Yaozuo, then many things make sense."

"This is merely my speculation." Bao Zheng's brows furrowed even more deeply.

Zhang Yaozuo was in charge of the Song Dynasty's finances and had made many connections with court officials in the capital. He wielded considerable power and was also protected by the emperor. If this matter were to involve him, it would indeed be extremely troublesome.

Gongsun Ce knew what Bao Zheng was thinking and that he was inevitably troubled, so he changed the subject and asked Zhan Zhao with a smile, "Has that young lady gone back yet?"

"They've already gone back."

“That girl is indeed very intelligent,” Gongsun Ce said with a smile. “It’s a pity that she is still young and a girl. Otherwise, I would really like to ask you to bring her into the yamen. She would definitely be a great help.”

Upon hearing this, Bao Zheng smiled faintly: "No wonder they say that talented people emerge in every generation; that's quite true. It's a pity, though, how many of them can truly be used by the court?" Among the ministers in the court, only a handful have gained the emperor's favor through genuine talent and learning, and among those in high positions of power, how many are truly dedicated to the fate of the Song Dynasty? Thinking of this, he felt a deep sense of melancholy and couldn't help but sigh.

"grown ups……"

Gongsun Ce hadn't expected that his words would stir up Bao Zheng's thoughts. He laughed and said, "If you say that, my lord, then both I and Guard Zhan are ashamed."

Zhan Zhao laughed and said, "I am but a mere martial artist, and it is truly an injustice to you, sir."

Hearing the two of them exchanging pleasantries, Bao Zheng couldn't help but chuckle. He waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, you two, don't try to trap me. Guard Zhan, you should go and have your meal first, as you may have other matters to attend to later."

Zhan Zhao drew his sword, bowed, and smiled, saying, "This subordinate will take his leave now."

Watching him leave, Bao Zheng sighed, "This corruption in Jiangnan has only just begun, and a high-ranking official of the third rank has already died. Thinking about what will happen in the future, I am truly alarmed."

“Everything in this world has a cause and an effect. Why should you trouble yourself with such a trivial matter?” Gongsun Ce said. “His Majesty has finally made up his mind to thoroughly investigate the corruption in Jiangnan. You must not be soft-hearted.”

“What you say is absolutely right, sir.”

Bao Zheng stood up. A ray of sunlight shone through the window, falling on the paper and ink on the desk, slightly dazzling.

Chapter Three

The author has something to say: To clarify, one tael of silver in the mid-Northern Song Dynasty was roughly equivalent to RMB 600-1300. The setting here is based on RMB 800 at night.

The Kaifeng Prefecture was completely silent, except for the candlelight still burning in Bao Zheng's outer study.

The patrol officers worked in pairs, with six groups patrolling in shifts, changing shifts every two hours. Each officer was solemn and showed no sign of negligence.