Chapter 117
"Minister Xie, would it be convenient to show me around your residence?" Li Tianyou suddenly turned to Xie Jincheng and asked.
Show him around his own home?
Xie Jincheng couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the request felt off.
Still, it wasn’t something he could easily refuse.
"If Minister Li doesn’t mind the simplicity of my humble abode, I’d be happy to give you a tour," Xie Jincheng replied quickly.
Yet his mind was racing, recalling the recent court investigations into financial records.
"Minister Li, isn’t the current audit focused on the Ministry of Revenue’s accounts?" Xie Jincheng asked in a hushed tone as they walked.
After all, they were in his own home, and the man before him was the father-in-law of his sworn brother—someone he could tentatively consider an ally.
So Xie Jincheng didn’t hold back in his questioning.
"It is," Li Tianyou replied, finding the Deputy Minister of Personnel rather amusing for asking so directly.
"So, does that mean you’re here to audit my household?" Xie Jincheng joked.
To his surprise, Li Tianyou merely shot him a sidelong glance, thinking, Who asks something so bluntly?
How was he supposed to answer?
The Emperor had sent him on this mission in secret.
But he had already discreetly visited the residence of Lu Zhengyu, the Minister of Personnel.
As for the Xie family, he hadn’t bothered sneaking in—mainly because he was familiar with them.
Rather than skulking around, he figured it was better to come openly.
"Damn!" Xie Jincheng thought as he watched Li Tianyou’s silence. He had guessed right.
So, while the Emperor appeared to be auditing the Ministry of Revenue, the real goal was to inspect the homes of officials across all six ministries—no, perhaps even all officials in the capital.
The realization sent a chill down Xie Jincheng’s spine. The Emperor’s move is brilliant!
Still, he had nothing to fear. Xie Jincheng was a man of integrity, and everything in his estate was inherited from his ancestors.
"Are you afraid?" Li Tianyou raised an eyebrow.
"Why should I be? Others should be the ones worrying," Xie Jincheng replied with a hint of pride.
"Good. I hope Minister Xie continues to uphold such principles," Li Tianyou said, though his inspection of the Xie residence was merely a formality.
They already had a rough idea of which households were problematic and which weren’t.
He had already sent people to investigate discreetly.
After all, the two covert guards Xu Heming had assigned him were quite capable—slipping into officials’ homes without a trace.
While Li Tianyou’s mission was progressing smoothly, Xiao Guozhi was facing far greater difficulties.
Most officials flatly refused him entry, leaving him stranded outside their gates. How could he uncover any irregularities if he couldn’t even get inside?
Xiao Guozhi assumed Li Tianyou must be struggling even more, given that he was unfamiliar with the capital.
At least he himself had managed to visit Minister Wen’s residence, though there was nothing noteworthy there.
Now, he was trying to figure out how to enter the home of Liu Bozheng, the Minister of Justice, since the two estates were close.
But he couldn’t find a way in.
As he loitered near a side gate, pondering his next move, a carriage pulled up.
The occupant knocked twice, and soon someone emerged to usher them inside.
Xiao Guozhi’s eyes widened. Earlier, he had tried the main gate, only to have his request rejected outright.
But if the side gate was an option…
He hurried over and knocked.
"Coming, coming!" A servant woman opened the door, eyeing Xiao Guozhi with suspicion. He looked unfamiliar.
"Here for Lady Lin?" the woman asked, frowning.
"Ah, yes!" Xiao Guozhi had no idea who Lady Lin was, but if it got him inside, he didn’t care.
"Fine, come in. The lady’s waiting," the woman said, sizing him up. This one looks so frail—will he even be up to the task?
But it wasn’t her place to question her mistress’s affairs.
Xiao Guozhi was too thrilled about entering the Minister of Justice’s residence to notice the servant leading him to a secluded courtyard.
Lin Qiao'er was growing impatient. If not for her desperate need to secure her position by bearing a child—and the Minister being long past his prime—she wouldn’t have resorted to such a risky plan.
"Douya, go see what’s taking so long!" Lin Qiao'er snapped from inside the room.
She was worried the Minister might come looking for her.
Too many eyes in the estate were watching her—she couldn’t afford to be caught.
"At once, my lady," the maid Douya replied, stepping out just as the servant woman brought Xiao Guozhi over.
Xiao Guozhi frowned at the remote courtyard.
What are we doing here?
"Hurry along, Douya’s waiting for you," the servant woman said, pointing at the maid before scurrying off.
She didn’t want to risk being caught in such a scandal—punishment would be severe.
Still, she could understand the lady’s desperation. The Minister was over thirty with no heirs.
Back in her village, she had heard of cases where the husband was the problem—maybe the Minister was the same.
"You’re not the same as yesterday," Douya muttered, eyeing Xiao Guozhi with suspicion.
"What?" Xiao Guozhi was baffled—he had never met this girl before.
"No matter. The lady’s waiting," Douya said, dragging him toward the room.
"W-what are you doing?" Xiao Guozhi stammered, his throat dry. Since when do servants manhandle guests like this?
But Douya simply shoved him inside and shut the door behind him.
"Let me out!" Xiao Guozhi panicked as the door closed.
What kind of nightmare is this?
"Come here," Lin Qiao'er commanded, her frown deepening at the sight of his frail frame.
How is someone this weak supposed to get the job done?
Douya really had poor judgment in men.
But since he was here, she might as well try.
"Who… who are you?" Xiao Guozhi finally noticed the woman inside, her robes partially undone.
He squeezed his eyes shut, chanting inwardly: Do not look! Do not look!
"What, am I not beautiful?" Lin Qiao'er strode forward, yanking his hands away from his face.
"Beautiful!" Xiao Guozhi kept his eyes tightly shut, his mind screaming for escape.
This was pure madness!
"Then are you dissatisfied with me?" Lin Qiao'er demanded.
Xiao Guozhi’s thoughts were solely on fleeing—he barely registered her words.
