Chapter 597: Lamp Illuminates Old Scrolls

Pei Ye actually didn't know what kind of symbolism the communication of a water canal had, and what kind of intentions and purposes were hidden behind it in those years.

But he believed that the cold blade that appeared suddenly in the Mingyue Palace was not abrupt. It must have had its foreshadowing; otherwise, they had too many better opportunities to strike. Why did they happen to choose that spring night in the sleeping quarters?

Or rather, if it were free enough, they could have made too many people disappear silently over the years. The Carp Pavilion would not have had a case, the Taiping Cao Gang would not have been destroyed, Yuan Zhao might not have had the chance to ascend to the position of Minister, and Xu Chuo might have been separated from her corpse long ago.

Even for that Mirage City, which seemed to have mastered some kind of law, the Spirit Realm might be too "soul-chilling and secluded," and heartless.

Not to mention that was twenty-three years ago. Perhaps they were still using the most bloody and rough way to screen a Cyan Wind Envoy.

So they must have made many, many preparations in the palace long ago, only to finally facilitate that sword on that spring night. It was just that in that year, people had never heard of such things, so many signs appeared so ordinary, just like birds passing by the edge of the field of vision, and no one would specifically cast any reverie on them.

The time was the next morning. Pei Ye didn't take anyone, picked up the Jade Tiger, tied the Crane Inspector badge on his waist, left the residences of these imperial children and concubines from the Zhu Jingdian, crossed two high walls, and entered the Ye Court Palace on the west.

If the place where Pei Ye lived was the side hall of Zhu Jing, the Ye Court was the side palace of the entire palace city. A large number of palace maids and temple people lived here, washing, sericulture, horse breeding, funeral, and labor... They managed and supplied everything that entered and exited the Great Ming Palace, including expenses, food, and clothing. The Ye Court Bureau of the Inner Servant Province administered this area, and everyone was registered in the book, like another small county town.

In fact, it was indeed the case. People living here would often spend their whole lives in this area. Many entered at the age of ten or so, and until they died of old age and illness, they could never see outside the palace walls. Only those criminal concubines or abandoned daughters who were literate or had talent in singing and dancing were distributed to the Book Bureau or Music Workshop, or still retained the possibility of leaving or entering the Great Ming Palace next to them.

When Pei Ye walked in, his eyes were filled with a busy atmosphere. A dozen palace maids wrapped in headscarves splashed cold water into the water canal, warming their red hands under their armpits, while the older women urged them to dry. Ox carts full of ingredients drove in from the South Gate, driven by a few eunuchs wrapped in cotton-padded clothes. These ingredients would first be unloaded in the Ye Court for preliminary processing, and then sent to the back kitchen of the Imperial Kitchen according to the order.

Pei Ye walked north along the roadside. The courtyards on both sides were written with the names of various workshops, some open and constantly entering and exiting, some with big doors closed, some noisy and some quiet. The sounds lingering in his ears were relatively crisp, firstly because there were many women here, and secondly because the remaining men were all eunuchs.

But these courtyards were not what Pei Ye was looking for. He walked all the way to the end of the north. There were no water stains on the ground here, and the courtyards were sparse, and there were a few low pavilions. He looked up to identify them and stepped into a courtyard with an open door. The three characters on the plaque were "Xi Guan Bureau."

Although it was not crowded, the people coming and going were not endless.

"He Eunuch, you must give me eight or nine people. The cloth is so heavy. The girls' arms are sore after moving and unloading, so how can they do fine work?" The dignified female official stood in the courtyard, "The deadline is tight, and the patterns are complicated."

"The Embroidery Workshop has to wait." The eunuch surnamed He had narrow eyes, held a small booklet, and wrote in the courtyard. He looked calm and said without much strength, "People have been sent out. The Music Workshop needs to set up shelves, and they will return at night. I can give you four tomorrow."

He raised his eyes and glanced at the young man who had just entered. After sizing him up, he raised his eyebrows high, then looked at him and signaled to the seat in the courtyard.

"If you are in a hurry today, I will write you a hand order. You take it to the Inner Servant Bureau to borrow a few people." The female official frowned slightly, and said again, "He Eunuch, next time the Music Workshop comes, don't be so generous. Leave some for us."

He Eunuch hung his two eyebrows: "Big things are approaching, it's not easy for anyone, so be considerate."

He tore off the paper he had written and handed it to the female official, handed the booklet to the little eunuch beside him to deal with, turned around, and looked at the young man standing quietly: "What is this strong man here for? Did you go to the wrong place?"

Pei Ye raised his waist badge, clasped his fists and said: "Immortal Platform Crane Inspector Pei Ye, here to inquire about some matters."

He Eunuch's narrow eyes rolled, but Pei Ye still saw him roll his eyes, his two eyebrows drooped again, he bowed, turned around and said: "Xi Guan Order He Xu, please come in."

He gathered his clothes and climbed the steps, muttering to himself: "Troublesome things one after another—what do you want to ask?"

Pei Ye's ears were very sharp, following behind and smiling slightly: "He Eunuch hasn't heard my words yet, how do you know it's troublesome."

He Xu glanced back: "Not troublesome, I can't see a man with a long hanging."

"..." Pei Ye's expression remained unchanged, "The Xi Guan Bureau is the place in the palace that manages labor. I think the construction of this dynasty must have passed through here."

"That's true." He Xu frowned and glanced at him. The two walked into the room, "But how many years has it been since the palace built any palace rooms—are you asking about the three sheep pens repaired in the Ye Court last year?"

He pulled out a chair: "I'll check your documents first."

Pei Ye put all his tokens and the like on his table and leaned on the desk: "I want to ask about the Yusan Garden built more than twenty years ago."

He Xu was stunned, and his inspection stopped. He frowned and looked at the documents in his hand.

Pei Ye said: "Yusan Garden."

"..."

He Xu frowned and looked at the documents one by one.

Pei Ye said: "In Yusan Garden, a water canal was introduced, which was introduced from Jing Pool, circled the garden, and then flowed into Taiye Pool. You should have construction records here. I want to check who built it."

"Nonsense, when did Jing Pool ever introduce a water canal." He Xu frowned and put down the document, looking up at him.

Pei Ye also frowned: "Oh? He Eunuch is covering up the construction of this water canal?... I'll write it down."

He lowered his head and opened his small booklet.

"Eh?!" He Xu immediately turned back and stopped him, putting his hand "pfft" on his small booklet.

Pei Ye looked at him, he looked at Pei Ye, the two frowned and looked at each other for a while, He Xu slowly moved his hand away and rolled his eyes with his narrow eyes.

"Don't talk nonsense with me. I only came to this place nine years ago. Check if you want to check." He turned around, lit a lamp candle, held it, and went into the dark inner room.

Pei Ye followed behind him.

The smell of paper and ink for many years, this place was obviously different from the file room of the government office. Documents and materials were thrown on the shelves at will, and no one had entered to search for them for many years. He Xu spent a lot of effort to count forward by year, frowning and muttering: "Yusan Garden... Who else knows when this garden was built?"

Pei Ye said: "You don't necessarily have to look for Yusan Garden. I'll give you a year period. Turn out all the construction from the first year of Suolin to the fourth year of Suolin."

"Obey~ order."

He Xu counted for a while, hugged a large stack of dusty documents, some of which were moldy. He turned them one by one on the table. After searching for a while, the candle light fixed, and Pei Ye's hand had pressed on that thin old paper.

"... There really is one." He Xu stood up straight and muttered: "'Repair of the two-foot canal from Jing Pool through Yusan Garden to Taiye · Approval Document'... 'Autumn of the third year of Suolin'."

Pei Ye glanced at him: "Who built this canal?"

"The third year of Suolin, sir, who knows?" Seeing that there was such a canal, He Xu also became serious, "The Xi Guan Bureau is a government office that does work. Holding this document in hand is a voucher and approval for starting work. With this approval, you can work. It doesn't matter whose instruction it is... When the Sage first ascended the throne that year, everything was waiting to be done, and things were not so strict."

Pei Ye pointed: "The seal is stamped here, whose seal is it?"

"It's not 'whose', it's the Inner Servant Province's." He Xu glanced at it, "This is no problem either. We all listen to people's instructions, and people said it very clearly—'Yusan Garden needs to introduce water for watering and aesthetics. Taiye is low and far away, so it is introduced from Jing Pool, and leaked to Taiye'."

Pei Ye just lowered his head and checked the drawings, continuing to ask: "He Eunuch is older, do you remember who was in power in the Inner Servant Province in the third year of Suolin?"

"... That," He Xu paused, and subconsciously said, "Naturally it is Grand Eunuch Yu, there is no other." ===== CHAPTER 598 =====

"... That," He Xu paused, and subconsciously said, "is naturally Eunuch Yu, there is no one else."