Qin Dynasty: Who offended my frail and sickly minister?

Cao Can's gaze swept over his colleagues who shared the same hatred for the enemy, and the coldness in his eyes gradually melted into a hint of indescribable warmth.

Even if the road ahead is fraught with danger, even if he ends up dead and gone, at least... he, this mayfly trying to shake the tree, is not alone.

He immediately stood up, solemnly cupped his hands towards Xiao He, and said in a calm and decisive voice: "As for how to proceed, I will follow your instructions without question."

Xiao He nodded, his gaze sweeping over each of their faces. After a moment of contemplation, he lowered his head and lightly tapped the documents on the table with his fingertips, his tone extremely solemn:

"Please calm down, everyone. We must prepare for the worst. If the culprit is indeed the Prefect of Chen Commandery, the evidence we have now is far from sufficient."

He raised his eyes, speaking slowly but with great weight: "The first step is to clarify all the details of this case, identify all those involved, find out what each of them did, and obtain irrefutable evidence of their crimes—preferably original letters, personal seals, and the more the better."

He leaned forward slightly and lowered his voice even further: "To appeal to a superior is like throwing an egg against a rock. Without irrefutable evidence, it is tantamount to courting death. Therefore, every step from here on out must be flawless."

As soon as he finished speaking, Xiao He looked up at Liu Bang and called out in a deep voice, "Liu Ji."

Liu Bang immediately straightened his back and said, "Yes, sir!"

"You continue to lead your men to wipe out the bandits in the mountains. Remember to be careful with your actions and make sure to leave as many alive as possible, especially the minor leaders and key confidants among the bandits. Anyone who has someone acting on their behalf may know the inside story. You must not let them die easily. Swords and spears have no eyes. On the premise of ensuring the safety of your own brothers, if you can capture and bind them alive, do not kill them with your sword."

Upon hearing this, Liu Bang grinned, a shrewd glint in his eyes. He patted his chest and assured him, "Don't worry, Clerk Xiao. I know what I'm doing. I'm an expert at kidnapping people. I guarantee I'll bring them back to you safe and sound!"

"That's right, that's right!" Lu Wan immediately stepped forward and echoed, patting her chest to guarantee, "I can also help with this. Before, when Brother Ji lost a fight and ran away, he kidnapped people to vent his anger. I was the one who knocked them unconscious and put them on the head. I know it very well, and my men will definitely know what they're doing."

"Snapped!"

A crisp slap landed on the back of Lu Wan's head.

Lu Wan immediately wilted, covering the back of her head and turning to look at Liu Bang with a pitiful expression.

Liu Bang, slightly annoyed and embarrassed, withdrew his hand, his ears burning slightly. He glared at him with exasperation: "Shut up! What nonsense are you spouting when we're dealing with important matters!"

Lu Wan pouted and muttered a few words under her breath, "I was just talking about serious matters," but Liu Bang glared at her fiercely, and she shrank back and dared not utter another word.

Liu Bang, however, still felt he had lost face and stubbornly tried to salvage the situation: "Besides, when have I ever lost or run away? They were clearly ganging up on us, shameless and their victory was unfair. I was just... making a tactical retreat to stabilize the situation, and then I'll teach them a lesson later. I, Liu Ji, have never lost a fight!"

The tense and heavy atmosphere in the room dissipated considerably after this disturbance, replaced by a more relaxed and harmonious atmosphere.

Xiao He and Cao Can exchanged a glance, their eyes filled with faint smiles, which landed on Liu Bang with a hint of teasing, making him increasingly uncomfortable.

Liu Bang felt a pang of shame, raised his hand and slapped Lu Wan on the back of the head again, lowering his voice in annoyance, "I've always told you to talk less and do more, can't you learn to be a little more composed?!"

Why did they have to reveal all his dirty secrets?!

Lu Wan received two slaps in quick succession, making her even more aggrieved. She covered her head, muttering with a mixture of grievance and resentment:

"Brother Ji, when did you say that? Besides, I've always been like this, and I've done my fair share of work. If you want someone reliable, go find Fan Kuai!"

After saying that, he looked at Fan Kuai with a hint of resentment.

Fan Kuai, who was inexplicably dragged into this, was speechless.

"Ahem, Brother Ji." Fan Kuai coughed lightly and turned to Xiao He: "Let's hear what Xiao Yuan has to say about serious matters."

With business at hand, Liu Bang didn't say anything more, but glared fiercely at Lu Wan, who had repeatedly undermined him. Lu Wan shrank back and wisely shut his mouth. The three of them turned their gazes to Xiao He.

"Okay, okay, stop joking."

Xiao He straightened his expression and looked at Cao Can: "Cao, the prison clerk, you should have already made arrangements for those rescued prisoners, right?"

Although it is a question, the tone is affirmative.

As Cao Can had predicted, he nodded and said, "Don't worry, Xiao Yuan. I have already ordered people to quietly settle the rescued prisoners to ensure their safety and to prevent anyone from approaching them for the time being. I will go back later and investigate them one by one, trying to get as many clues as possible from them."

"Very good."

Xiao He's eyes showed even more approval, and he nodded to himself inwardly. Although Cao Yuyuan was young and inexperienced, he was able to think things through and act meticulously. Every step of his plan coincided with his own thoughts and ideas. Moreover, he was of upright character and was truly a rare find.

"But..." Cao Can hesitated, a hint of worry appearing between his brows, and said tentatively, "Xiao Yuan, after we've investigated the matter thoroughly and gathered irrefutable evidence, should we ultimately submit it to the Supervising Censor? I'm afraid..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but the deeper meaning was already self-evident.

As the name suggests, the Imperial Censor was an official appointed by the imperial court to be stationed in various prefectures. His or her duties were to investigate corruption and illegal activities by local officials and to supervise the administration of officials and the state of the people. If they wanted to report their superiors, this was the most direct way.

However, the case was far more complex and involved more lives than a typical bandit crime. One innocent life after another was lost in the desolate mountains, and Cao Can did not believe that no one in Chen County had noticed it.

But the fact that the case was allowed to be buried and the villains to run rampant forced these minor officials from the neighboring county to secretly investigate and pursue the truth, making him think twice.

It is highly likely that the supervising censor had already colluded with the prefect of Chen Commandery, with officials protecting each other and working together in cahoots. Those righteous people who wanted to expose the truth and speak out for the people probably disappeared without a trace on their way to report the truth, leaving no trace behind.

If this matter is not resolved, what use will it be if they investigate thoroughly and have overwhelming evidence?

Cao Shen looked up at Xiao He.

Xiao He understood his meaning and said in a deep voice, "Therefore, we will not report this to the Censor."

His jaw clenched slightly, a resolute glint flashing in his eyes, and he said in a deep voice:

"When the time is right, I will use all my connections to secretly plot and find a legitimate and unsuspecting pretext to enter Chen County—whether it's to apprehend a fugitive or to take a vacation to visit a friend. Once we have thoroughly investigated the details of this case and obtained solid evidence, you and I will travel day and night without rest to Xianyang and report to the Imperial Censor Kui."

He paused, as if reassuring himself and the others: "I believe that Doctor Wei is upright and impartial, and will surely be able to seek justice for these dozens of wronged souls!"

Having said that, Xiao He's gaze slowly swept over everyone present, and suddenly a faint smile, tinged with a solitary courage, appeared on his lips:

"But in this endeavor, we fear we might not even be able to keep our lowly positions as minor officials in Pei County. Once we set off westward to Xianyang, we will inevitably be exposed, and we may even perish along the way. But if we succeed, this heinous injustice will be redressed, and the innocent souls of the dead can finally rest in peace."

"Gentlemen, would you be willing to take a gamble with me?"