Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Xiao He had been chatting casually with a smile on his face, his eyes and brows exuding a relaxed and carefree air. But when he saw Cao Can's solemn expression and his hesitant manner, and when he heard him say that he had important official business to report "privately," the smile on his face vanished instantly.

He immediately put down his chopsticks, lightly pressed his fingertips on the table, and his casual demeanor vanished, his expression instantly becoming solemn.

Xiao He glanced around at the people around him and said to Cao Can in a deep voice, "There are no outsiders here, so please speak freely, Cao Can."

Noticing Cao Can's unusual behavior, everyone had already stopped laughing and joking. Liu Bang slowly put down the wine bowl he was holding; Lu Wan sat up straight without realizing it; Fan Kuai also put down his bowl and chopsticks, stood up straight, closed the door tightly, and then stared intently at Cao Can with his tiger-like eyes, waiting for what would happen next.

The cheerful atmosphere that had just filled the hall vanished instantly, leaving only silence.

Seeing that everyone was treating him with serious expressions, Cao felt slightly calmer. He leaned forward slightly and deliberately lowered his voice, so that it only reached the ears of a few people:

"Clerk Xiao, I have been verifying the household registration of the corpses in Mangdang Mountain for days, and I have also been checking the captured civilians rescued from the bandit's den one by one. I was going to register them, but I was horrified to find that... eight or nine out of ten of the victims and abductees were from Chen County."

Upon hearing the words, Xiao He's heart sank. He had already vaguely sensed the key point, his pupils contracted slightly, and his breath hitched for a beat.

"Moreover, all of them were family members who had gone missing and had gone to the government office to report the incidents before being kidnapped and killed by bandits. I suspect..."

Cao Can lowered his voice even further, almost whispering, "This is no ordinary bandit robbery and murder. Clearly, someone tipped us off in advance. It is highly likely that the officials of Chen County colluded with the bandits to deliberately silence them. Whether to investigate further is up to Clerk Xiao to decide."

"hiss--"

Lu Wan couldn't help but gasp, her face filled with horror.

He personally led the bandits into battle and knew the scale of the banditry in Mangdang Mountain—it still hadn't been completely eradicated.

If what Cao Can said is true, and eight or nine out of ten of those captured and killed by this band of bandits came from Chen Commandery, then this probably means that... the number of missing persons in Chen Commandery will be a chilling figure.

"Clerk Xiao..." Lu Wan swallowed hard, finding it hard to believe. She cautiously probed, "Excuse my boldness, but if someone like you, a county clerk, or even... a county magistrate, were you capable of suppressing so many cases of people being robbed and murdered after reporting them to the authorities, without arousing suspicion or investigation?"

Instantly, three pairs of eyes fixed on Xiao He.

Xiao He remained silent.

He can't.

Even a county magistrate couldn't do it; he couldn't do it even if he were appointed as a county magistrate.

To be able to cover up a case of this magnitude, to let dozens of lives be silently lost, to leave the victims with no way to seek justice, and to have them silenced after reporting to the authorities without anyone suspecting anything—someone who could do all this would probably have to be at least a prefect.

"It could be the Prefect of Chen Commandery."

Xiao He uttered these few words in a very low voice, but they were like a boulder that crashed into everyone's hearts, making them shudder and look horrified.

Cao Shen, in particular, felt his heart sink to the bottom.

He knew better than anyone how difficult it would be to continue the investigation.

Not to mention that Pei County belongs to Sishui Commandery and Chen Commandery is another commandery, cross-commandery investigations are already subject to layers of obstacles and numerous documents, and are hindered at every turn. Just consider this case: if it really involves the governor of Chen Commandery, even if the case is investigated and cleared up, will they be able to submit it to the governor?

The county reports to the prefecture, the prefecture forwards to the Court of Justice, and each level can suppress the report, reject it with "no evidence found," or even accuse the official of "falsely accusing his superior."

At that time, not only will the case be lost forever, but they will also be falsely accused and have no chance to overturn the case, thus losing their lives in vain.

"...Xiao Yuan." Cao Can pursed his lips, his voice slightly hoarse.

He slowly took out the "blood-stained" document from his sleeve, solemnly presented it to Xiao He with both hands, and when he looked up, his gaze was fixed on the other man, as he said, word by word:

"The deceased's family background and the details of the investigation are all here. Please make your decision."

Cao Can gripped the edge of the desk tightly with his fingertips, his knuckles turning white from the force, a resolute glint in his eyes.

He had prepared for the worst.

If Xiao He had ordered the matter to be suppressed, or even burned the document, he would not have said another word and would have acted as if the matter had never happened.

But... he'll investigate secretly on his own.

Cao Shen had already secretly made a backup.

He knew all too well that for someone of his status, a mere prison clerk in Pei County, to try to shake the powerful governor of Chen County was like a mayfly trying to shake a tree or an egg hitting a rock.

But now that it's been delivered right to him, how can he ignore it?

There was nothing Cao Shen could do, he thought to himself with a self-deprecating smile. He couldn't change his stubborn temper; if he couldn't, he'd have to wait until his next life.

That's what he's been doing all his life.

As a prison clerk, if he were to risk his life to adjudicate cases and bring justice to the innocent, and instead watch helplessly as one wronged soul after another dies, how could he possibly have the face to sit in the prison office and uphold justice in the future?

If he himself is corrupt and self-serving, how is he any different from the thugs, bandits, and treacherous villains he has tried? How can he then righteously and solemnly sentence them?

It's better to just slit your throat now, at least you'll be clean!

Xiao He took the documents and carefully read them page by page. Liu Bang and the others also leaned over, their expressions solemn.

The hall was so quiet that the only sound was the soft rustling of pages turning.

After a long silence, Xiao He closed the documents on his desk, raised his eyes, and looked at Cao Can. He asked in a deep voice, "Are you sure that the records above are absolutely accurate?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Cao Shen immediately nodded firmly, his voice resounding: "I dare to guarantee with my life that there will be absolutely no mistake!"

Xiao He did not speak immediately, but put the documents on the table and closed his eyes to think for a long time—so long that Cao Shen's palms were already wet, Liu Bang opened and closed his mouth countless times, wanting to say something but stopping himself, Lu Wan held his breath and almost fainted, and Fan Kuai's breathing gradually became heavy.

Finally, Xiao He opened his eyes.

"Then investigate."

He looked directly into Cao Can's eyes, his gaze sharp and resolute, his tone firm, his eyes as sharp as knives:

"Investigate thoroughly, from bottom to top, one by one, leaving no one out!"

"Investigate! That's the right thing to do!" Liu Bang couldn't contain himself any longer. He gritted his teeth, slammed his fist on the table, and stood up, his fists clenched so tightly they cracked.

"Damn it, these beasts! So many lives, buried alive without a trace, while they count their money and live a carefree life. Why? I won't accept this!"

His chest heaved violently, his voice rose several decibels, and his eyes almost spit fire: "I hate these beastly dogs the most! I was wondering where those bandits got so many weapons, more than I do. Turns out, they have a bunch of bastards with eyes practically glued to their crotches backing them up. How outrageous!"

He abruptly turned his head to look at Xiao He, his gaze intense:

"Clerk Xiao, Clerk Cao, tell us how to investigate, we brothers will do whatever you say!"

"That's right! Clerk Xiao, you say it!" Lu Wan also stood up abruptly, echoing indignantly, "We brothers follow Brother Ji without hesitation, we'll do anything you ask!"

Even the usually silent Fan Kuai clenched his fists and said, "Fan Kuai's blade is always sharp!"