Shen Rui sat before a mountain of documents and stared at them with the same expression a condemned prisoner might wear while looking at the execution platform.
The imperial study was quiet.
Too quiet.
Across from him, Xiao Jingyuan reviewed a memorial with an unreadable expression. Eunuch Wei stood nearby, while two Black Guard officers guarded the entrance.
A tray of breakfast rested between Shen Rui and the documents.
The food had been excellent.
The workload was unforgivable.
This is clearly an act of revenge. I mocked the emperor’s sleeping habits, so he decided to bury me beneath seven years of paperwork.
Shen Rui picked up the first record.
The title read:
Northern Campaign—Military Grain Distribution, Year Seven.
He immediately put it down.
I suddenly remember that I cannot read.
Xiao Jingyuan lifted his eyes.
“Begin.”
Shen Rui glanced at him. “Your Majesty, I have a question.”
“Ask.”
“Why must I review records from seven years ago?”
“Because the missing grain, fabricated military salaries, and the Black River Alliance are connected to that campaign.”
“That sounds like a reason for the Ministry of Revenue to investigate.”
“They already have.”
“Then perhaps they should investigate harder.”
Eunuch Wei lowered his head.
Shen Rui smiled politely. “I am merely concerned about interfering with the work of experienced officials.”
“You discovered irregularities they failed to notice.”
“That was an accident.”
“Accidents do not identify forged seals.”
Shen Rui fell silent.
This emperor has a terrible habit of remembering useful things.
He opened the first register.
The records were arranged according to prefecture, shipment date, grain quantity, receiving officer, and military destination. At first glance, everything appeared orderly.
Too orderly.
Shen Rui turned several pages, his eyes moving quickly across the figures.
The same quantities appeared repeatedly.
Three thousand sacks from Yunzhou.
Three thousand from Qingzhou.
Three thousand from Lin’an.
The numbers were suspiciously round.
He took a brush and began marking the margins.
Xiao Jingyuan watched him.
“What did you find?”
“Nothing yet.”
“You have already marked six pages.”
“I am marking the places where I found nothing.”
The emperor’s brow moved slightly.
Shen Rui continued examining the records. His fingers paused over a shipment dated the eighth day of the sixth month.
The document claimed that two thousand sacks of grain had been delivered to the Northern Army’s Third Supply Camp.
But the receiving signature was different from the one on the next page.
Not merely different in style.
The pressure of the brush was wrong.
One signature had been written by someone who pressed heavily at the beginning of each stroke. The other was lighter and more hurried.
Shen Rui leaned closer.
“Your Majesty.”
Xiao Jingyuan set down his memorial.
“What is it?”
“This signature.”
He pushed the register across the table.
“The receiving officer recorded here was Commander He Rong.”
“And?”
“Commander He Rong was a left-handed man.”
Xiao Jingyuan’s gaze sharpened.
Shen Rui pointed toward the signature. “This was written with the right hand.”
Eunuch Wei stepped forward. “How can you tell?”
“The final stroke curves inward. A left-handed writer would naturally pull the brush in the opposite direction unless deliberately imitating another style.”
Shen Rui paused.
“Of course, there are exceptions.”
But whoever forged this signature did not know that. Amateur work. Very disappointing.
Xiao Jingyuan gestured toward the Black Guard officer.
“Find out whether Commander He Rong was left-handed.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The officer left immediately.
Shen Rui continued reading.
The more he examined the documents, the more inconsistencies appeared. Some delivery dates overlapped, making it impossible for the same shipment to reach two distant camps. Several officials had signed for grain on days when they were recorded as being elsewhere.
Then he discovered something stranger.
A whole section of the records had been rewritten.
The paper was older than the ink.
Someone had removed the original entries and replaced them with new ones, but the replacement paper had been carefully aged to match the rest of the register.
Shen Rui rubbed his chin.
This is not simple theft. Someone wanted the records to survive inspection while hiding the actual route.
He turned the page over.
A faint impression remained on the back.
Shen Rui held it near the window.
There were marks pressed into the paper—traces left by writing on the sheet above it.
He took a thin piece of charcoal and rubbed it gently across the surface.
Lines slowly appeared.
A list of numbers.
And beneath them, three words:
Black River. East Depot.
Shen Rui’s expression changed.
“Your Majesty.”
Xiao Jingyuan rose and came around the desk.
He stood close enough that Shen Rui could hear the quiet movement of his robes.
“What is it?”
Shen Rui showed him the impression.
The emperor studied the faint writing.
“Can it be restored?”
“Some of it.” Shen Rui pointed to the numbers. “These may be shipment codes. The words are clearer.”
“Black River.”
“And East Depot.”
Xiao Jingyuan’s face became cold.
“Was there an East Depot during the northern campaign?”
Eunuch Wei answered immediately. “There was one, Your Majesty. It was an auxiliary supply station near the Black River. It was abandoned after the army withdrew.”
“Why?”
“The official report stated that the depot had been destroyed during the retreat.”
Shen Rui looked up.
“Destroyed?”
“Yes.”
“Then why are there shipment codes connected to it?”
No one answered.
Shen Rui looked back at the page.
If the depot was destroyed, someone should have reported the loss of all supplies. But if the grain was secretly moved before the destruction, the depot could have been used as a transfer point.
His gaze moved to the numbers.
And if someone wanted to hide stolen grain, an abandoned military depot would be an excellent place to begin.
Xiao Jingyuan’s voice was low. “What are you thinking?”
Shen Rui pointed to the faded list.
“Someone may have redirected the grain through the East Depot before the official retreat. The depot was then recorded as destroyed, removing it from future investigations.”
“Could the grain have been sent to the enemy?”
“Possibly.”
“Or?”
Shen Rui’s eyes narrowed.
“Sold elsewhere. Stored underground. Used to pay people who were never soldiers.”
The silence that followed was heavier than before.
Xiao Jingyuan turned to Eunuch Wei.
“Send a sealed order to the military archives. I want every report concerning the East Depot, including maps, casualty records, and withdrawal orders.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“And send a message to General Xu in the northern garrison. He is to investigate the ruins without informing the local officials.”
Eunuch Wei bowed and left.
Shen Rui lowered his eyes.
Excellent. We have found another dangerous location. Naturally, I will be sent there next.
He began gathering the documents.
Xiao Jingyuan noticed.
“What are you doing?”
“Finishing my work.”
“You have only reviewed one register.”
“I have reviewed it thoroughly.”
“You have uncovered evidence of falsified military records.”
“That is more than most people accomplish in a morning.”
“You will continue.”
Shen Rui slowly raised his head.
“Your Majesty, I believe I have contributed enough for today.”
“You have been here less than an hour.”
“An hour is a long time when one is suffering.”
Xiao Jingyuan stared at him.
Shen Rui stared back with complete sincerity.
If staring could create a hole in the wall, I would already be halfway out of the palace.
At last, the emperor returned to his seat.
“Continue until noon.”
Shen Rui’s shoulders slumped.
Cruel. Absolutely cruel.
Near midday, the Black Guard officer returned.
He knelt before Xiao Jingyuan and reported, “Your Majesty, Commander He Rong was confirmed to be left-handed.”
Shen Rui leaned back.
“Then the signature is forged.”
“Not necessarily,” the officer replied. “However, the records show Commander He Rong was stationed at the northern front when the shipment was supposedly received. He could not have signed the document in the capital.”
Shen Rui slowly turned toward the emperor.
“Your Majesty, that is what we call a problem.”
Xiao Jingyuan ignored the remark.
“What else?”
“The East Depot was officially destroyed on the seventeenth day of the sixth month. However, a military courier reported seeing supply wagons near the depot three days later.”
“Who signed the courier’s report?”
The officer hesitated.
“Commander He Rong.”
Shen Rui’s fingers stopped moving.
Xiao Jingyuan’s gaze darkened.
“Bring me the report.”
“It was removed from the military archives.”
“By whom?”
“We are investigating.”
Shen Rui leaned back in his chair.
Of course it was removed. Why would a useful document ever remain where people could find it?
The emperor looked toward him.
“Do you have another observation?”
Shen Rui considered the question.
“Only one.”
“Speak.”
“If the report was removed, someone knew it existed. If someone knew it existed, they may have known what Commander He Rong saw.”
Xiao Jingyuan’s eyes narrowed.
“And if Commander He Rong was killed?”
“Then his death may not have been related to the retreat.”
The room fell silent.
Shen Rui looked down at the documents.
There are too many dead people connected to this case. At this point, the investigation is practically a cemetery.
Xiao Jingyuan stood.
“Prepare a team.”
The Black Guard officer bowed. “Where are we going, Your Majesty?”
“The military archives.”
Shen Rui immediately looked up.
“Your Majesty, surely you do not need me there.”
“You will accompany me.”
“Why?”
“Because you notice things others miss.”
Shen Rui’s expression turned bitter.
That is the worst compliment anyone has ever given me.
He rose reluctantly.
“Then I request one condition.”
Xiao Jingyuan looked at him.
“After we finish, I want lunch.”
The emperor stared at him for a moment.
“Agreed.”
Shen Rui’s eyes brightened.
“And a nap.”
“No.”
“Then I withdraw my cooperation.”
Eunuch Wei closed his eyes.
Xiao Jingyuan turned toward the door.
“You may sleep after reviewing the next register.”
Shen Rui followed, his expression grim.
One day, I will escape this palace. I will find a small village, buy a house, raise chickens, and never look at another document again.
Behind him, Xiao Jingyuan’s gaze lingered briefly on his back.
The emperor had heard the thought clearly.
And for the first time, he wondered whether the boy truly desired an ordinary life—or whether he was hiding from something far more dangerous than court politics.
Outside the imperial study, a palace servant stood beside a pillar, pretending to sweep the floor.
As Shen Rui passed, the servant lowered his head.
A small black crow had been embroidered inside his sleeve.