After this farce, Tan Siwei brushed off the dust on his clothes and returned to the room. He called for Ning Shu to take a seat. The two exchanged a few pleasantries. After confirming that Tan Siwei was alright, the conversation turned to the case.
After hearing the inside story of Yuan Wanting, Tan Siwei sank into endless sighs and disappointment. He lowered his voice and frowned. "Although the Supreme Court is not heavily guarded, it has always been an important location in the capital. It has been in charge of countless unsolved cases and countless files. There are more than three levels of people in charge. How could there be a fire? There must be something fishy about this fire. Do you think it could be the Empress … could it be that person? "
"Even if it wasn't the Empress, it was the work of the Cao family. Don't forget who the supervisor of the two hundred thousand taels of silver tribute was. " Ning Shu rubbed her temples with a headache, "A fire burned all the proofs of the account books, along with the filth hidden in them, until they vanished into thin air. Now, apart from the two silver ingots and the hundred thousand taels of silver that could not be found, there is no other evidence that can clear the Zhao family's name. Just based on our words, no one in the world would believe us even if we said it."
Tan Siwei also knew the ravine. He clenched his fist and said, "The most difficult thing is that the Empress and the Cao family will do anything to bury the truth. When the time comes, we don't know what they will do."
Ning Shu sighed. "Yes."
Tan Siwei frowned. He got up and walked to the window. He looked at the bustling crowd outside. He looked at the faces that wanted to laugh but didn't dare laugh. He wanted to cry but couldn't cry. His face was full of panic. After hesitating for a long time, he finally gritted his teeth and made a decision. He exhaled a long breath, as if he had thrown something heavy out of his chest. He turned back and said, "If you want the account books and proofs, perhaps I have a way."
Ning Shu said in shock, "The entire storeroom was burned. How did Shaoqing get the idea?"
Tan Siwei solemnly said, "Shu-er may not know this, but even in the Supreme Court, not many people know about this matter. Only me, Official Feng, Assistant Minister Zhang, and the four retired ministers who assisted in the transcription at the time. The reason was that a few years ago, before Lord Feng began to change his interests and hobbies, indulging in the art of wine and beauties, one day, for some unknown reason, he suddenly had a sudden impulse to inspect the old archives. He especially flipped through the old records of some serious cases and found that many of the volumes had been eaten by worms and had become a pile of rotten paper after a few years of emptiness. The old man had an idea and ordered us to choose the most typical case and make a copy of it and put it in the secret storehouse for future generations to refer to if they need it. However, because these old cases involved a wide range of people, after receiving His Majesty's approval, the whole process was carried out in secret, so no outsiders knew. I remember that there was a copy of the Han Jiang Prefecture case in the secret vault. Just you wait, I'll go back to the Supreme Court to open the secret vault and take it out. Perhaps it can help us turn the case around! "
Tan Siwei was a man of action. He would go if he said he would.
"Don't go yet!" Ning Shu hurriedly called out to stop him. She frowned and said, "Wait, Shaoqing, you haven't said anything yet, right? According to you, this secret vault was carried out in secret. In the entire capital, other than His Majesty, only the six of you know about it. It has never been announced to outsiders. If you barge in and open the secret vault without permission, you will be greatly reprimanded. Even your safety will be threatened. It's not as easy as you say. Official Tan, don't hide it from me! "
After being exposed by Ning Shu, Tan Siwei smiled awkwardly. When he smiled, two shallow dimples appeared on his round face. He looked as amiable as a ball of cotton, but he said firmly, "I will indeed be punished a little. However, don't forget who my father is. Although he made mistakes, he was once the Tan Qingtian in the hearts of countless people. Even if it's for his sake, His Majesty and the Empress won't do anything to me. Moreover, ten years ago, it was my father who went to the Han Jiang Prefecture to take over the case from that year and convicted the Zhao family. As his son, how can I stay out of it? I am the son of the Tan family, the Shaoqing of the Supreme Court, and an official of the Great Yue Dynasty! "
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