If I, a death row inmate, am not to become a demon, am I to become a member of the Imperial Guard?

Zhou Yang kicked open the door of the Northern Garrison Command.

The door slammed against the wall with a deafening crash.

He slammed the stack of account books heavily onto the desk. Dust rose and tumbled in the beams of sunlight streaming through the window.

Qin Shuang followed him in. She placed her hand on her knife and stood beside Zhou Yang. Her gaze swept over everyone in the hall, her eyes colder than a blade.

"This thing, is enough to make everyone in the Ministry of War lose their heads several times over?"

Zhou Yang tapped the cover of the ledger with his fingertips. The kraft paper made a dull sound.

No one answered.

The Jinyiwei captain on duty swallowed hard. He recognized the wax seal on the envelope. The dark red wax seal bore the emblem of the Ministry of War's supply depot.

This is deadly.

Zhou Yang dragged over a chair and sat down. He crossed his legs and waited.

Half an hour later.

A commotion arose outside the courtyard. Footsteps were chaotic, sedan chair bearers shouted, and there was the clanging of metal weapons.

Minister of War Li Tingxuan has arrived.

He climbed out of the large green sedan chair carried by four men, his movements so hurried that his official hat was askew. His face was pale, his lips were trembling, and his gray beard quivered.

Where is Zhou Yang?

Li Tingxuan's voice was shrill, like a rooster being choked, "Tie him up! Tie him up!"

A dozen servants and guards rushed in. Their swords were half-drawn, their cold light dazzling. They were menacing, their footsteps making a thud on the bluestone ground.

Zhou Yang walked out of the lobby.

He stood on the steps, motionless. The gold thread on his flying fish robe glittered in the sunlight, making the servants squint.

"Master Li."

Zhou Yang smiled, revealing his white teeth. "You've come at the perfect time. Saves me the trouble of going to invite you again."

He raised his right hand.

The stack of account books slipped from his hand and scattered all over the ground with a clatter. The papers hit the blue bricks with a crisp sound.

A few pages landed right at Li Tingxuan's feet. A gust of wind blew them open, revealing densely packed writing on them.

"The lord's residence has three thousand catties of angelica and five thousand catties of astragalus."

Zhou Yang walked down the steps. He pointed at Li Tingxuan's nose, his fingertip almost poking the other's forehead.

"Do you want to open a clinic, or are you planning to prepare a nourishing soup for the border troops?"

Li Tingxuan's face turned deathly pale instantly.

He looked down at the account book at his feet. The handwriting on it was that of his own son, Li Baoqing. He recognized every single stroke.

"You, you're spouting nonsense!"

Li Tingxuan's fingers trembled as he pointed at Zhou Yang. His nails were neatly trimmed, but now they were shaking.

"This, this is a forgery! It's slander!"

"Forgery?"

Zhou Yang bent down and picked up a page. The paper rustled in his hand.

"In April of the third year of the Tianqi reign, the military supply depot allocated 80,000 taels of silver to purchase 300 dan of gold-plated wound medicine."

He read it aloud, loudly enough for everyone to hear.

"Only fifty dan (a unit of weight) were actually put into storage."

"Whose pocket did the remaining silver go?"

The expressions of the onlookers, the Imperial Guards, changed. Some of them quietly gripped the hilts of their swords.

This matter is far too serious. Deficit in military supplies is a capital offense. If handled poorly, the entire Ministry of War could be wiped out in a bloodbath.

Li Tingxuan took a step back.

His guards dared not approach further. To fight on the Embroidered Uniform Guard's territory was tantamount to suicide. The account books on the ground were like poisonous snakes; no one dared to touch them.

"Take him down!"

Li Tingxuan roared, veins bulging on his neck, "This is a frame-up! This is a plot to frame a high-ranking official!"

Nobody moved.

The servants looked at each other, unable to raise their swords. Their opponents were the Imperial Guards, and they had evidence.

Zhou Yang took another step forward.

He was almost touching Li Tingxuan's face. He could smell the strong sandalwood scent and sweat on the other man. Li Tingxuan was afraid.

"Sir, your son was drinking at Zuixianlou last night."

Zhou Yang lowered his voice, but it was clear enough, "He said there are three more real ledgers in your study. Hidden in a secret compartment."

"Should I go get it now?"

Li Tingxuan's legs went weak.

He held onto the sedan chair pole to keep from kneeling. Sweat slid from his forehead to his chin, dripping onto the front of his official robes. Dark water stains spread across the deep red robes.

"Zhou, Zhou Yang..."

Li Tingxuan's voice dropped eight octaves, pleading, "Let's talk this out...we can discuss it..."

"What are you talking about?"

Zhou Yang interrupted him, "Are you saying I'm a traitor?"

"Or do you intend to sell these medicinal herbs to the Northern Barbarians?"

"Lord Li, this is a crime punishable by the extermination of nine generations of your family."

The charges against him grew increasingly serious. Li Tingxuan trembled all over. He knew he was doomed. Doomed by this lowly commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

"The Commander has arrived!"

A call came from outside the door, drawn out.

The crowd was separated.

Lu Chenzhou, the commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard, walked in. He was dressed in a bullfighting outfit with a jade belt at his waist. His face was expressionless. His gaze swept across the entire room like a blade.

"Have you made enough of a scene?"

Lu Chenzhou spoke.

The voices weren't loud, but everyone fell silent.

Li Tingxuan felt like he had seen a savior. He broke free from Zhou Yang's approach and lunged at Lu Chenzhou.

"Lord Lu! You must do me justice!"

"This madman is framing an official of the imperial court! He trespassed on private property! He..."

"Shut up."

Lu Chenzhou said coldly.

Li Tingxuan choked.

Lu Chenzhou didn't look at him. He looked at Zhou Yang, then at the account book on the ground.

"Is this true?"

Lu Chenzhou asked Zhou Yang.

Zhou Yang bent down and picked up the thickest book. He presented it with both hands.

"I found it at the Ministry of War's villa last night."

"There are still several boxes of medicinal herbs that haven't been transported yet; the seals haven't been torn off."

"Both witnesses and physical evidence are available."

"Young Master Li even signed the document."

Lu Chenzhou took the ledger. He didn't flip through it, but just weighed it in his hand.

Then he looked at Li Tingxuan.

"Master Li."

Lu Chenzhou turned around and said, "You have a good son."

"You're even bolder than me."

Li Tingxuan's face was ashen.

He understood Lu Chenzhou's meaning. Someone had to take the blame. And it was a capital offense. There was no room for negotiation.

"Baoqing, Baoqing is so immature..."

Li Tingxuan murmured to himself, "He's just a child..."

"child?"

Zhou Yang chimed in from the side, "A twenty-year-old kid?"

"He embezzled 300,000 taels of military funds, colluded with border generals, and falsely reported military achievements."

"Is this what you call being immature?"

That's enough.

Lu Chenzhou raised his hand.

He looked at Li Tingxuan with icy eyes.

"Why don't you come in and have some tea?"

"Would you like your son to come in for tea?"

"Choose for yourself."

"I've made my choice. Now I need to go to the palace to meet the Emperor."

Li Tingxuan's shoulders slumped.

He seemed to age ten years in an instant. His official hat slipped down, revealing his graying temples. His back was also bent.

"I...I've failed as a parent..."

Li Tingxuan's voice was dry and hoarse, like sandpaper rubbing together, "You unfilial son, Li Baoqing, your crimes are unforgivable..."

"Lord Lu, please act according to the law..."

"Good that you understand."

Lu Chenzhou waved his hand, "Men, go to the Ministry of War Vice Minister's residence and arrest Li Baoqing."

"Throw him into the imperial prison."

"Interrogation immediately."

Several Imperial Guards responded and left quickly.

Li Tingxuan stood there, his eyes vacant. He had worked so hard to climb to this position. All of it was for a mere ledger. He feared he might not even be able to hold onto his position as Minister of War anymore.

Zhou Yang bent down to pick up the account books on the ground.

He stacked the papers neatly and blew off the dust. Then he stood up straight and looked at Li Tingxuan.

"Master Li."

Zhou Yang said softly, "Next time you want to open a clinic, remember to put up a sign."

"Otherwise, I'll have to investigate further."

"This is for your own good."

Li Tingxuan suddenly looked up. His eyes were bloodshot. His gaze was like that of someone who wanted to devour Zhou Yang alive.

Zhou Yang ignored him.

He held the account book and walked towards Lu Chenzhou.

"Commander, this case..."

Zhou Yang handed over the account books. "What should we do next?"

Lu Chenzhou accepted it.

He gave Zhou Yang a deep look. His gaze was unfathomable, revealing neither joy nor anger.

"You're very brave."

"It's bigger than I imagined."

"I am simply doing my duty."

Zhou Yang lowered his head, "To share the Emperor's burdens."

Lu Chenzhou snorted.

He turned and walked towards the lobby.

"Send Minister Li back."

"Don't let people say that we Imperial Guards don't know manners."

"Take good care of them."

Two Imperial Guards stepped forward, one on the left and one on the right, to "invite" Li Tingxuan into the sedan chair.

Li Tingxuan was helped into the sedan chair. Before the curtain was lowered, he stared intently at Zhou Yang. His gaze was venomous, like a knife dipped in snake saliva.

Zhou Yang stood on the steps and waved.

"Take care, sir."

"Watch out for the steps."

The sedan chair bumped and jolted away.

The dust in the yard slowly settled. Silence returned.

Qin Shuang walked over.

She looked at Zhou Yang, her brows slightly furrowed.

"You have seriously offended the Ministry of War."

"Li Tingxuan's network of connections in the court was extremely complex and intricate."

"So what?"

Zhou Yang patted his sleeves, brushing away non-existent dust. "They struck first."

"I'm just returning it."

"Li Baoqing is just a starting point."

Qin Shuang said in a low voice, "Li Tingxuan will not let this go."

"He will definitely retaliate."

"I know."

Zhou Yang licked his lips. "So his son has to die."

"He'll only feel pain when he's completely dead."

"I've just realized that there are some people you shouldn't mess with."

Sunlight shone on Zhou Yang's face.

He squinted, smiling like a businessman who had just finished a deal. Completely satisfied.

Qin Shuang looked at him and suddenly felt cold.

This guy is absolutely unwilling to suffer even the slightest loss. Anyone who offends him will have to return the money, plus interest.

"Let's go."

Zhou Yang turned around. "Let's settle the score."

"How much more lifespan was added this time?"

"The system should issue a notification."

He walked into the lobby, his back to the camera, his figure long and slender. The sunlight stretched his shadow long, like a freshly sharpened knife.

Qin Shuang followed.

The hem of the flying fish robe fluttered, like two eagles with their wings folded.

She knew that from this day forward, the entire capital would know the name Zhou Yang.

A madman who dared to bite even the Minister of War.