Yinye Bureau.

Old Weng’s grizzled hair and beard were stained with blood. Suspended by ropes in the center of the torture pool, having endured several lashes from the iron-barbed whip, his torn clothing clung to the bloody wounds gouged by the iron barbs. His whole body trembled ceaselessly. Unable to endure any longer, his cracked lips moved: “I… confess.”

“Speak.”

Zhou Ting threw down the iron-barbed whip clinging with flesh and blood, stirring up pale red splashes.

“The silver needles in my master’s head—I indeed did it,” Old Weng said tremblingly, his throat soaked with blood, making his voice rather indistinct. “I had no choice. They have my little grandson!”

“Who are ‘they’?”

Zhou Ting gripped his wrist guards, slightly flexing his aching wrist bones.

“I don’t know…” Old Weng’s eyes were vacant, his voice a murmur. “They were the ones who found me. They promised that after it was done, they would not only return my grandson but would also give me more compensation.”

Zhou Ting was about to question him further when he heard hurried footsteps approaching. He turned to see Chao Yisong quickly descending the steps to the edge of the torture pool.

“Commander Zhou, we searched the Wu residence again, and we also searched this old servant’s home. We only found these.” Chao Yisong raised his hand to show him the thick stack of paper money held within.

Zhou Ting walked over. The light in the torture chamber was dim, but the nearby brazier burned brightly. By its bright firelight, Zhou Ting took one sheet and glanced at it.

“And this.”

Chao Yisong opened his other palm, in which clearly lay an abacus bead.

Paper money was nothing rare. About sixteen years ago, paper money shops had used paper notes as vouchers, allowing people to deposit iron coins that were inconvenient to carry in the paper money shops. The paper notes could be exchanged for iron coins. By now, the people of Qi had grown increasingly accustomed to using paper money instead of iron coins in the marketplace.

The abacus bead in Chao Yisong’s hand was smooth and lustrous, clearly made of fine wood. The hole in its center was inlaid with a jade ring, but perhaps because it had been used for too many years, the characters engraved upon it were blurred.

Zhou Ting picked up the abacus bead and looked back at Old Weng. “Won’t you explain the origin of this thing?”

“It fell from one of them.”

Old Weng was having difficulty breathing.

Zhou Ting carefully examined the character marks on the abacus bead by the firelight. They actually read “Manyu.”

He almost immediately thought of the Manyu Money House in the capital. Although Manyu was not the first paper money shop to appear in Great Qi, it was one of the most renowned paper money shops that had spread paper currency throughout Great Qi. Afterward, paper money shops were renamed money houses, and Manyu Money House first established itself in Daizhou, nearly monopolizing the paper money issuing rights in Daizhou and many surrounding areas.

Zhou Ting looked at the jade ring embedded in the hole. “As expected, only Manyu could afford to use such abacus beads.”

The subordinate officials of the Yinye Bureau went out through the night, bearing Yinye Bureau Commander Han’s warrant. They searched the Manyu Money House from top to bottom but did not find the manager who had recently returned to the capital.

It wasn’t until the next day, when Yinye Bureau subordinate officials searched throughout the city for the Manyu Money House manager, that they only turned up a rotting corpse from a tile-roofed house.

“Manyu’s clerks have already identified the body. They all insist that the dead man is indeed Hu Li, the manager of the Yun Jing branch.” Zhou Ting’s eyes were somewhat red from lack of sleep, though he showed little sign of fatigue.

“The body is rotted—how can they recognize him?” Han Qing set down his tea bowl and snorted lightly.

“They identified him only from his clothing and the belongings on his person.”

Zhou Ting nodded.

“Whether this person truly died or faked his death no longer matters. In any case, he only returned to the capital on Lantern Festival night and then disappeared. After so long, even if he’s alive, he’ll be difficult to find.”

Han Qing’s knuckles lightly tapped his knee. “Why exactly the people from Manyu Money House wanted to harm Wu Dai—this servant thinks His Majesty doesn’t really care. Although His Majesty still remembers some old feelings toward Wu Dai, that only extends to not sentencing him to death. As for whether he truly has dementia, who cares? But today, His Majesty issued an edict ordering the Prefect of Daizhou to question Manyu Money House’s owner Cao Dong about this matter.”

“Zhou Ting, do you know why this is?”

“I don’t know.”

Han Qing lifted his eyelids and looked at him, somehow a strange smile appearing on his face. “How long has it been since you returned home? Your father’s memorial has reached the palace. Your family should have received a family letter as well.”

Hearing him suddenly mention his father, Zhou Ting froze, then said: “Commander, may I ask what matter my father memorialized?”

“Wanjiang Transport Commissioner Zhou Wenzheng memorialized His Majesty requesting that, to cope with military expenses, the paper money issuing rights be reclaimed, private paper money shops be prohibited from issuing new paper currency, all already-issued paper money be recalled, and a Paper Money Bureau monopoly be established, changing private paper money to official paper money.”

Although Han Qing rarely appeared before the emperor, he had a godfather who was the Director of the Palace Domestic Service. He learned such news fairly quickly.

“His Majesty… wants to use this matter to make an example of Manyu Money House?”

Zhou Ting immediately understood.

“You also know that in recent years Great Qi has frequently suffered from banditry. Although Danqiu has temporarily ceased hostilities with our Great Qi, there are still frictions. Moreover, ‘In all matters, those who are prepared succeed; those unprepared fail.’ The military must be maintained, but now military expenses are so enormous that the national treasury can barely sustain them. Your father’s memorial is timely rain for His Majesty, but for you, it… brings a hundred harms and not a single benefit. You understand this yourself, don’t you?”

Han Qing’s words carried deep meaning.

“I understand.”

Zhou Ting showed little excess emotion.

His father’s memorial had already harmed the interests of those officials who, like those colluding with paper money shops such as Manyu Money House, monopolized paper money issuing rights.

His father was far away in Wanjiang and would naturally face many storms and adversities, while he in the capital would also likely face retaliation from many quarters.

“Your father doesn’t care about his own life or death, and doesn’t even care about the life or death of this son he hasn’t seen in years. In your heart, don’t you blame him?”

Han Qing was somewhat curious.

“Father’s action is for the nation’s consideration. How could I blame him?” Zhou Ting shook his head. “The Commander also knows that Father wished me to become a civil official. My refusal to follow his command was already unfilial. Now that I’ve chosen this path myself, I should let Father know that I haven’t chosen wrongly.”

“Then during this period you must be even more careful and cautious. Don’t let those whose eyes have gone red with rage scheme against you.”

Han Qing stood and lightly patted his shoulder.

“Yes.”

Zhou Ting responded.

At the morning court session, Director of the Palace Domestic Service Liang Shenfu read aloud Wanjiang Transport Commissioner Zhou Wenzheng’s memorial, immediately causing the court officials to discuss among themselves. But Emperor Zhengyuan did not directly issue an edict approving the matter. Instead, he asked the court officials to express their individual opinions on it.

Some agreed, some opposed. His Majesty in his vermilion round-collared robe remained silent on the imperial throne throughout, quietly listening to the court officials refute each other without stopping them.

“Minister Zhang, what do you think?”

After a long while, Emperor Zhengyuan finally lowered his eyes to look at the elderly man below who wasn’t using his cane, whose form was somewhat hunched, wearing purple official robes.

Hearing this, Zhang Jing immediately stepped forward and bowed: “This minister believes that changing private paper money to official paper money can indeed make it benefit all under heaven.”

“So you’re saying Minister Zhang believes Zhou Wenzheng’s memorial is feasible?”

Emperor Zhengyuan’s tone was flat.

“This minister does not mean that.”

Zhang Jing kept his head lowered.

Emperor Zhengyuan’s eyes narrowed slightly, his expression seeming to darken. “If you don’t mean that, then what do you mean?”

“Without capital reserves, it will harm the nation’s foundation.”

In the silent Hall of Audience, Zhang Jing’s voice alone was clear and forceful.

Meng Yunxian at the side couldn’t help but feel his heart skip. He raised his head and indeed saw His Majesty’s expression on the imperial throne change repeatedly. He sighed helplessly. The phrase “without capital reserves, it will harm the nation’s foundation” meant that if the iron coin reserves were insufficient while paper money was issued without restraint, the circulation of paper money among the people would far exceed actual needs. The value of paper money would depreciate again and again, and as goods became more expensive, it would harm the people’s livelihood fundamentals.

The “nation’s foundation” in Zhang Jing’s words referred to the people.

Changing private paper money to official paper money could indeed make paper currency circulate more widely, benefit the people’s livelihood, and temporarily relieve the urgent need for military funds.

Zhang Jing’s words were not opposing Zhou Wenzheng’s memorial, but rather remonstrating with the emperor that paper money issuance must never be allowed to run rampant without restraint.

Meng Yunxian couldn’t help but frown. He had always felt Zhang Jing was somewhat strange today. Although Zhang Jing was an upright official, he wasn’t incapable of reading the situation. But today, Zhang Jing seemed to be deliberately trying to anger His Majesty.

“What a Minister Zhang who serves the nation and the people.”

Though Emperor Zhengyuan was smiling, his eyes were cold and heavy.

Until the court session ended, Emperor Zhengyuan still had not decided the matter. But everyone knew that official paper money replacing private paper money would eventually become a foregone conclusion.

“Chongzhi, you used to be too lazy even to calculate your own expenses. Your household didn’t even have an abacus. How is it that now you’re so concerned about fiscal matters?”

Having left the Hall of Audience, Meng Yunxian didn’t wait for He Tong to help Zhang Jing and walked forward himself.

He Tong came out a step later and saw the two ministers walking together ahead, descending the steps while conversing. He cautiously followed behind, only paying attention to his teacher’s footsteps.

“I can be muddled about household matters, but not about national affairs.”

Zhang Jing supported himself on the white jade stone railing, walking down slowly.

“Why did you anger His Majesty today?” Meng Yunxian truly felt he was too abnormal. “These past days you’ve been investigating officials’ performance records, yet there’s been no next step in your plan. Now you’re concerned about fiscal matters—I suppose you’ve met with Pan of the Three Departments? I can’t understand what exactly you’re doing.”

“Someone must speak the remonstrance His Majesty doesn’t want to hear. It’s not only spoken for His Majesty to hear, but also for the court officials to hear. If even a few dare to speak the truth before His Majesty, that would be good. Even if not, I’ll consider these words spoken for the common people to hear. Someone must tell the people right from wrong.”

“As for what I’m doing—”

Zhang Jing’s knees ached terribly. He placed one hand on the white jade stone railing and stopped. “Whatever my reason for returning was, that’s what I’m doing.”

The uprightness of an upright official should not be upright only for the sovereign father.

——

Manyu Money House’s owner came from Daizhou, so this branch in the capital was also built with considerable Daizhou flavor—buildings on four sides supporting a central courtyard, with colorful paintings everywhere.

Xu Hexue carried a lamp upstairs, Ni Su following close behind. Even though the Yinye Bureau had temporarily sealed this place, the vast money house still had people guarding it. She could only make her steps as light as possible.

The lamplight illuminated a long square ebony table. On it sat neat rows of abacuses, the beads round and full, the holes inlaid with jade rings. Ni Su scanned those abacuses. “It seems none are missing beads?”

“If any were worn out, they probably wouldn’t be displayed on the surface either.”

Xu Hexue lightly flicked one bead with a finger. The bead rotated to reveal the other side engraved with the characters “Manyu” and special patterns.

“This one is a bit different from the one at the old servant’s home in the Wu residence,” Ni Su walked to his side to look. “That one only had characters, no patterns.”

Before Chao Yisong went to search the old servant’s residence, Ni Su and Xu Hexue had already been there once. They were the ones who first discovered that thick stack of paper money and that abacus bead, then put them back in their original positions for Chao Yisong to take back to the Yinye Bureau.

“That was an old bead, probably Manyu’s previous style.”

Xu Hexue looked at these abacuses inlaid with gold and jade. “Ni Su, when I was alive there was no paper money yet. Tell me, do paper money shops all care greatly about their abacuses?”

“After all, it’s a business exchanging paper money for iron coins. When people deposit iron coins at paper money shops, the shops’ abacus calculations are of utmost importance and cannot be careless. But small paper money shops can’t compare to great money houses like Manyu. How could they afford to use such abacuses?” As Ni Su learned from him to play with the beads, she said, “I’ve heard that only Manyu has this kind of custom with abacuses. Inlaying the beads with gold and jade—apparently their owner in Daizhou wanted an auspicious sign for prosperous business.”

“So even worn-out abacuses should be properly stored.”

Xu Hexue raised his eyes and saw an abacus hanging on the opposite wall. Though not inlaid with gold or jade, the beads strung on it were each delicately carved miniature sculptures.

“Then let’s search for them.”

On the dim upper floor, no one could see Xu Hexue’s lamp. Only Ni Su could see by this light she had personally lit. Afraid of alerting the night patrol guards in the courtyard below the atrium, she carefully opened a cabinet door. The moment the creaking sound arose, she immediately stopped and looked back.

Xu Hexue watched her. Beneath the veil, his eyes curved with an extremely unfamiliar trace of a smile. Seeing her about to pull it open a bit more, he raised his hand and pressed it against the carved cabinet door, stopping her further movement.

Ni Su looked up in confusion. Through two layers of light gauze, she couldn’t quite see him clearly.

Xu Hexue lowered his voice: “Searching this way, I’m afraid we won’t finish even by dawn.”

“Then what should we do?”

She also spoke very quietly.

Before this cabinet door, the luminous white shadow and pitch-black shadow nearly overlapped. Her fingers still hooked the copper clasp above, her knuckles unknowingly reddened from the pressure. Xu Hexue reached out to grasp her wrist, extracting her fingers from beneath the heavy copper clasp.

Ni Su’s spine went rigid. She clearly couldn’t see his face, clearly he had no breath, yet she looked at her reddened knuckles and heard her own breathing.

It was somewhat chaotic.

“Doesn’t it hurt?” Xu Hexue was also looking at her hand.

Ni Su replied in a low voice.

Xu Hexue didn’t hear clearly and leaned down slightly. Ni Su looked at his ear and moved closer. “I said, it doesn’t hurt.”

He hadn’t expected her to come so close.

Warm breath lightly brushed his ear. He almost trembled, immediately straightening up, saying softly: “We should still find someone.”

The young man who had been dozing by the stairs when they arrived was now snoring. Xu Hexue transformed into pale mist, flowing downstairs, then grabbed the man’s collar and brought him to the second floor.

The young man woke with a start. Before he could react, Ni Su, fearing he would cry out, grabbed in her urgency a black thing from the porcelain jar beside her.

Xu Hexue pressed his sword against the young man’s throat. The cold thin blade made the young man’s whole body tremble. When he saw the veiled woman holding in her hand a turtle still moving its limbs, he became even more panicked, wishing he could close his mouth even tighter, desperately hoping she wouldn’t stuff that thing into his mouth.

“…Put it back.”

Xu Hexue saw that even she was startled by what she’d grabbed. His usually calm voice gained an imperceptible trace of amusement.

Ni Su sheepishly put the turtle back in the porcelain jar.

Xu Hexue turned back to look at this trembling young man whose legs had gone soft with fear:

“Whatever I ask, you answer. If you dare cry out, I will certainly kill you.”