At 5:45 a.m., the seventh drop of water fell from the bronze clepsydra in the Lu Mansion study. Mr. Zhou pushed up his reading glasses and neatly stacked twelve account books. The red ink annotation on the top one, "Remnant Plum Pavilion monthly turnover 100,000 taels," made Jiang Wan’s eyes ache. She tapped her fingertips against the rosewood desk, gazing at the pre-dawn light outside. "The West City Rice Shop supports three thousand dead soldiers, Yumantang handles the flow of weapons, and Cien Temple serves as a repository for secret messages—these three locations are the roots of the malignancy."
Lu Jingyuan gripped the Withered Plum Token, the wolf-head pattern pressing a faint red mark into his palm. "Only by cutting off their financial path can we sever their lifeline. Mr. Zhou, is the seal from the Ministry of Revenue ready?"
"Answering Shizi, the Ministry of Revenue seal is ready," Mr. Zhou replied, tapping his knuckles against the ledger. "The Prefect of Shuntian finished tallying the Remnant Plum Pavilion’s businesses in the Capital last night, but Lord Li of the Ministry of Punishments blocked the deployment of bailiffs, citing 'insufficient evidence.'"
Chapter 270