Chapter 346: Fish

Chapter 346: Fish

He Qingxiao came to the bookstore today not just to read, but because of the missing crumpled paper.

He waited and waited, but Inspector He did not leave.

Inspector He usually wouldn't stay long, but today, unfortunately, Miss Zhu was not in the hall. Since he didn't see the person he wanted to meet, he naturally didn't want to leave.

The two silently paged through books, equally distracted.

Hu Boss had already returned, and seeing that Inspector He still hadn't left, he frowned slightly.

Does this young man, who looks older than his years, think that by always coming to read books for free, he could win Miss Zhu's heart?

"Lord He."

Hearing Hu Boss call, He Qingxiao walked over: "Is there something, Boss?"

Inspector He also looked over.

"You enjoy travelogues, don't you? Recently, the bookstore acquired an anonymous handwritten copy that records some very unique customs and characters. I thought you might appreciate it," Hu Boss said with a smile.

"Thank you, Boss."

Watching intently as Hu Boss led He Qingxiao to the back, Inspector He silently put down the travelogue in his hand.

He also enjoyed reading travelogues, so why was the boss treating them differently?

Thinking again of Miss Zhu, who always spoke to him with the respect due to an elder every time they met, Inspector He rubbed his aged face and walked out of the bookstore in dismay.

Outside the bookstore, the little black donkey, tied to a tree, lifted its face happily upon seeing its owner emerge.

He Qingxiao met Xin You in the back room.

"Boss, you two go ahead and talk," Hu Boss said, bringing the person in and tactfully stepping back.

Xin You went straight to the point: "Today I went to the Hanlin Academy and found that the discarded drafts on the ground had decreased."

She and Lord He had agreed on a plan: she would lay the bait, and Lord He would reel in the net. So she didn't pay attention to who was acting suspiciously or who had issues, allowing the other party to act boldly and confidently.

"The one who took the crumpled paper was a Dai Zhao named Li from the East Hall."

Xin You didn't inquire about the details of He Qingxiao's surveillance and didn't have a strong impression of this Dai Zhao Li who took the bait: "This man doesn't talk much, doesn't like to engage in social activities, but appearances can be deceiving. To whom did he give the discarded drafts?"

The Dai Zhao in charge of collating memorials and historical texts in the East Hall seemed to be a rank above those in the West Hall, but in reality, they were only ninth-rank officials. Dai Zhao Li's flipping through discarded drafts couldn't have been merely to satisfy his own curiosity.

The reason was simple: people whose curiosity is strong enough to steal discarded drafts are rarely those who don't like to engage in social activities. Moreover, low-ranking officials wouldn't take such risks purely out of curiosity.

He Qingxiao mentioned a name: "Zhang Yuchen."

"Zhang Yuchen—" Xin You repeated the name, her expression serious. "Is this person a nephew of Chief Minister Zhang Xu?"

She was naturally familiar with ministers like Chief Minister Zhang Xu, wanting to fulfill her mother's ambitions.

He Qingxiao had even deeper knowledge: "Zhang Yuchen is not well-known, but in fact, he is heavily relied upon by Chief Minister Zhang Xu. He was a Jinshi in the eleventh year of Xingyuan, but he began his career when the Great Xia was first established."

"So he must have been very young at that time?"

He Qingxiao nodded: "He was not yet twenty years old then."

"The Zhang family is a prominent southern clan. In their teens, one should theoretically be studying diligently at home," Xin You found it somewhat strange.

"Zhang Yuchen comes from a collateral branch. Although they also bear the surname Zhang, they're not well-off."

"So, he worked first, then took the imperial exams," Xin You had only heard of Zhang Yuchen but had never met him. "Returning to study and take the imperial exams at around thirty shows remarkable perseverance."

He Qingxiao smiled, "Not exactly. Zhang Yuchen passed on his third attempt. Although his work may have distracted him, he wasn't particularly gifted at studying when he was young."

"Three attempts..." Xin You suddenly paused, her expression turning subtle.

"Miss Xin, what are you thinking?"

"It's just something that crossed my mind," Xin You explained first. "Lord He, as you know, Kou Qingqing's father passed the imperial exams in the fifth year of Xingyuan."

Zhang Yuchen took three attempts and was listed on the Xingyuan eleventh year's apricot list, so his first attempt at the spring examinations was in the fifth year of Xingyuan.

"Zhang Yuchen and Kou Qingqing's father took the metropolitan examination in the same year; they probably knew each other. Of course, this doesn't mean anything and probably has no relation to what we're investigating. Having used Miss Kou's identity for so long, I couldn't help but think of it."

He Qingxiao pondered for a moment, "I'll look into whether the two had any connections."

Xin You refocused her attention on Zhang Yuchen, "Since Zhang Yuchen was the one who instructed Dai Zhao Li, then the person behind this should be Chief Minister Zhang Xu."

In the eyes of the world, Chief Minister Zhang Xu is undoubtedly the leader of the Zhang clan.

"Zhang Yuchen obtained the discarded drafts yesterday evening, but he hasn't left his home since," He Qingxiao did not hide his confusion in front of Xin You. "You'd think Zhang Yuchen would have gone to see Chief Minister Zhang Xu right away."

Xin You was quite open-minded about this, "People's motives are the hardest to figure out. Regardless of why he didn't go to consult Chief Minister Zhang Xu immediately, as long as we keep tabs on them and see what they do next."

First, they stole the discarded drafts. What's next?

Xin You had some guesses.

To stop her mother's reforms from spreading, the surest way would be to get rid of her.

Those who dared to go after her mother wouldn't back down from her.

Xin You always remembered what Empress Xin had told her: huge gains can make people crazy.

He Qingxiao was silent for a long time before solemnly saying, "Then you need to be really careful. From now on, avoid eating out or drinking anything outside to stop anyone from poisoning you."

Xin You nodded.

Poison could go through many people, making it hard to stop, and the culprit might get away. By cutting off their opportunity, we can catch them more easily.

"Once this is over, I'll take Miss Xin for crab roe buns at Fengwei Lou," He Qingxiao said this with some hesitation.

Would Ayou think he doesn't want Mr. Shen to take her out?

Xin You didn't think in that direction at all, but because of his hesitation, she thought of Lord He's financial constraints.

"I've been taking colleagues to Fengwei Lou every day and I'm a bit sick of it. I still like Aunt Gui's crispy duck better. I found a noodle place too, their Yangchun noodles are amazing."

He Qingxiao made a mental note: crispy duck, Yangchun noodles.

The next day after work, Xin You went back to Qingsong Bookstore. Soon after, Zhang Xu walked in.

Zhang Xu came alone. At a glance, he saw Xin You and raised an eyebrow, "Running into Kou—oh, I mean Miss Xin—isn't easy."

Although he knew the girl before him was an Imperial Princess, he didn't care much.

If the Emperor really cared about this daughter, why not acknowledge her and make her a princess?

They say he is unlearned, but he also knows that verbal affection and concern are all fake; only the real benefits in hand are true.

"Mr. Zhang, so eager to meet me, is there something?" Xin You asked indifferently.

She had heard from Liu Zhou that Zhang Xu wanted to see her. She came to the bookstore at about the same time for two consecutive days and indeed waited for him.