Under night.

Looking at Chang Pingcang, where the flames were blazing into the sky, and the Tongzhou Guards, where the smoke was billowing, Shen Lie sneered repeatedly: "The tricks of these corrupt officials... are really the same as in ancient times and today."

Behind him, the wives and concubines slowly came over and stood side by side with Shen Lie.

And not far away.

A large number of victims supported the elderly and children and pointed and looked at it.

After a while, everyone fell silent.

The fire burned all night.

After a night.

On the second day.

When Shen Lie and Zhang Jianxiu led the factory guards to the Changping warehouse where the fire broke out, what they saw was ashes, and the entire granary was reduced to ashes in the fire.

Also burned to death in the fire was an unlucky watchman.

And also burned together...

Changpingcang’s account books over the years.

The group of people walked slowly through the fire scene with sullen faces. They stopped in front of a stack of unburned account books and heard several captains in brocade clothes discussing softly behind them.

"I heard... the price of rice in the outer city has increased."

"It's true. Yesterday a pound of fragrant rice sold for ten cents, and early this morning it went up to fifteen cents. Look at this situation... there's going to be a food shortage again!"

This discussion.

Shen Lie and Zhang Jianxiu looked at each other, their expressions changed at the same time, and their hearts were as bright as a mirror. They knew that the powerful people's counterattack was coming.

This counterattack is fast, cruel, and accurate...

He looked at the pitch-black fire scene with a faint gaze.

Shen Lie said softly: "Master Zongxian, please survey the scene here and look for clues. I will send you to the palace immediately to report this matter to the Holy One."

Zhang Jianxiu said calmly: "Bring more guards and be careful on the road."

A cold light flashed in Shen Lie's eyes.

Nod.

Then he got on his horse and galloped towards the capital thirty miles away.

An hour later.

Xiyuan.

Turn over and dismount.

Shen Lie hurriedly handed over the sign and walked along the long corridor to the outside of the lake pavilion. From a distance of dozens of feet, he watched the emperor summoning several important ministers.

Even from such a long distance, I can still vaguely hear the roar of Long Live Lord.

It is conceivable.

Long live the Lord must be furious now.

Shen Lie stopped and asked the leader of the guards, "Who is the emperor seeing?"

The leader of the guards hurriedly bowed and said respectfully: "In reply to Master Shen, it is Mr. Zhang Ge, Mr. Shen Ge..."

Shen Lie nodded.

No more words.

Just wait.

See what this means.

The furious emperor was furious, and it seemed that his anger would not dissipate for a while. He looked at Zhang Siwei, Shen Shixing and other pavilion elders from a distance, hunched over and looking pitiful.

Shen Lie sighed.

Especially the acting chief assistant, Zhang Siwei, Mr. Zhang, acted as the cabinet's second assistant in a good manner and did not provoke anyone.

After the chief assistant Zhang Juzheng suddenly fell seriously ill, he was appointed as the acting chief assistant. However, because he had been suppressed by Zhang Juzheng for a long time, Zhang Juzheng was a man who always spoke his mind.

This old man obviously lacks prestige.

None of the officials listened to him.

Come back.

But he had to bear the wrath of the young emperor, and he was like a doormat.

Shen Lie even felt that.

This old man is a little pitiful.

The sun is empty at this time.

This time of year.

It seems that the unbearable midsummer is coming.

I was anxious waiting.

In the heat, Shen Lie unbuttoned a few official uniform buttons and began to fan himself.

And the officials, big and small, who were queuing up around them, waiting for the Long Live Lord to lecture them, had already become a little overwhelmed. They began to unbutton their shirts one by one, and some even secretly found places to hide in the shade.

This is a hot and dry time.

Shen Lie looked around.

Unintentionally.

His eyes fell on a middle-aged official, and he seemed to notice something.

Shen Lie narrowed his eyes and looked under the official's rolled-up sleeves. There seemed to be a red and swollen mark on the white arm.

This redness and swelling...

It looks like a burn.

His eyes narrowed.

Shen Lie remained calm and walked slowly to the side of the leader of the guards. He curled his lips towards the suspicious middle-aged official and asked softly.

"This is..."

The leader of the guards followed Shen Lie's gaze and said quickly, "That's Mr. Jia, a person in charge of warehousing in the Ministry of Household Affairs."

Shen Lie nodded, calmly looked away, turned around a few more times, and quietly retreated from the Xiyuan.

Exited Xiyuan.

Shen Lie thought for a while, turned around and walked towards the Meridian Gate. He first wrote a note to Feng Bao and asked him to come to Shen Mansion for a banquet at noon.

He also asked Dao Shisan to go to Tongzhou Pier to call Zhang Jianxiu.

Done all this.

Shen Lie rode his horse and walked quickly towards his mansion a few streets away, opened the heavy door, and walked in the empty yard.

at this time.

A cold smile appeared on Shen Lie's lips: "The burn...is it such a coincidence?"

Mr. Jia may not have set the fire himself, but at least one thing is certain. Mr. Jia went to Changpingcang, Tongzhou last night.

Afternoon.

Shen Mansion.

"What... Jia Mian, the head of the household department."

As soon as I heard about this person.

Zhang Jianxiu couldn't sit still, his eyes widened, and he rushed to the household department to arrest someone, but was stopped by Shen Lie.

"No need to rush."

Shen Lie grabbed his fourth uncle.

I gave a few words of advice.

"A dignified official of the imperial court, where can he go?"

When saying this.

Shen Lie pondered and thought, and began to ask Feng Bao about the origins of Mr. Jia, trying to dig out some privacy.

An intuition.

Shen Lie felt that the matter was far from simple, so he connected Chang Pingcang, Jia Mian, the head of the Household Department, and the large and small grain merchants who were driving up grain prices.

Behind this.
To be continued...