Datang: Hiding private money, exposed by Xiao Sizi

Chapter 706: It’s possible to get beaten!
This is also why Du Chuke was so nervous when he heard that the files were burned.

After all, if such an important file is burned, it means that all past experiences and lessons will be lost, and everything will have to start from scratch.

How much waste and loss will this cause?

With Li Shimin's temper, let alone scolding, he might even be demoted and beaten.

Shen Lian took a look at the content and touched the paper carefully.

The paper is yellow and dull, the pages are a little dry and slightly brittle, and everything bears the traces left by time.

This is in line with the time of the file, is the true standard, and is the appearance that the paper should present.

Shen Lian put the files back and asked, "How many files are there in total? Why did you choose these to take away?"

When everyone heard this, they all looked at Han Xun.

Han Xun said: "There are 275 volumes in total. It took me more than a year to get them out, and then I copied them out myself and put them back."

"The reason why I chose these files is that when I was following Zhang Qin, I found that Zhang Qin would stop in front of the bookshelf of these files almost every time."

"Zhang Qin was very cautious. He didn't always go directly to the bookshelf with these files. Instead, he would often stand at other bookshelves for a while and look around before finally coming to these bookshelves."

"Then, he would look through the files very carefully, even over and over again."

"I don't know what he is looking at, but I know that it will be a good idea to take all the files on this bookshelf away."

"So, I took them all away."

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes and said, "Your process lasted for more than a year, but Zhang Qin never discovered it?"

Han Xun said: "I was very cautious. I started with the files in the corner. I would only replace the files if there were any that could be replaced."

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"Also, the paper I used and the location of the writing were as identical as possible to the original files. In addition, Zhang Qin was very familiar with the contents, and he hardly looked at them carefully, so he didn't notice it."

Shen Lian's eyes flickered, and he asked, "You said that Zhang Qin didn't check the contents carefully?"

Han Xun nodded: "He flips through the book very quickly. It is impossible to read all the contents at such a fast speed."

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Shen Lian looked at the files and started thinking quickly.

Zhang Qin and the fake Han Qian have been searching for the secrets in the files for ten years!

Ten years and more than two hundred files were enough for them to memorize their contents.

However, they still didn't find it.

Later, I even stopped watching the content...

Does this mean that the secrets they are looking for have nothing to do with the contents of the files?
Or is there another reason?

Shen Lian recalled what Mrs. Han had said to him.

Before Han Qian was replaced, he was renovating some building and said he had discovered some incredible secret.

And then it was replaced!

So Han Qian, what building are you renovating?
Since it is a renovated building, there must be files from the previous construction of the building.

So, is this file among the files in front of us?
Which one will it be?

Shen Lian looked at Du Chuke and said, "Master Du, there is something I don't know if you know."

Du Chuke hurriedly said, "Master Shen, please speak."

Shen Lian said: "I heard that Han Qian was in charge of the repair work of a building before his personality changed drastically ten years ago. The reason why he was later replaced by the thief was probably related to the repair of this building."

"So, I want to know if Lord Du knows... what building Han Qian renovated ten years ago."

"This……"

Du Chuke frowned slightly and said, "To be honest with you, Lord Shen, I had not come to the Ministry of Works to take up my post ten years ago. I was transferred to the Ministry of Works five years ago."

"So I'm not really clear about what happened ten years ago."

"But I can ask other senior officials for Lord Shen. They may know."

Shen Lian was about to nod when he heard this.

Suddenly, a voice was heard: "I know what building Han Qian was renovating back then."

As soon as these words came out, Shen Lian looked over suddenly.

The person who spoke was Han Xun.

"you know?"

Du Chuke asked hurriedly.

Han Xun nodded.

"I've been in the Ministry of Industry long enough, and I know a little about a lot of things."

"And when Han Qian received the task of repairing the building, the task was originally to be given to me, but I had other tasks, so I gave it to Han Qian in the end."

"Later, Han Qian asked me for advice on some things. At that time, Han Qian was very humble and polite, and I had a good impression of him. But not long after, Han Qian seemed to turn his back on me, as if he had completely forgotten my help to him... This incident made me feel very uncomfortable, and it left a deep impression on me."

When Shen Lian heard Han Xun's words, his eyes lit up slightly.

It's really like searching for him everywhere!

He looked at Han Xun and asked, "What building are you repairing?"

Han Xun said without any hesitation, "The Temple of Heaven in the Imperial Palace."

"Temple of Heaven?"

Information about the Temple of Heaven quickly appeared in Shen Lian’s brain.

The Temple of Heaven should be called the Altar.

It is the place in the imperial palace where the emperor offers sacrifices to heaven.

However, this altar is different from the altars outside.

In the past, for major events, such as the annual sacrifices during the spring ploughing season and sacrifices during important festivals, the emperor would go to the altar outside the city of Chang'an to perform these sacrifices.

Because these altars allow ordinary people to watch from a distance.

The purpose, of course, is to let the people know that their emperor cares very much about their affairs.

However, in addition to major events, there are also some small events that require sacrifices.

For example, the emperor had a nightmare.

As the Son of Heaven, the emperor would think that their dreams were sometimes unusual. Therefore, when he had repeated nightmares, he would ask the Ministry of Rites to tell his fortune. After the Ministry of Rites finished the divination, the emperor would hold a sacrifice at the Temple of Heaven in the palace.

Worship ancestors and gods.

These things are not suitable for people to watch. After all, in the eyes of people, this is just a nightmare and is not worth such a sacrifice.

But for emperors, they always feel that there are always evil people who want to harm them, so a dream is worth their attention.

The Temple of Heaven that Han Xun mentioned is such an altar.

Located in the southeast corner of the palace.

It has a separate courtyard.

The doors are usually locked.

It will only be opened when the emperor needs it!
Sometimes, it turns on frequently.

But sometimes, it doesn’t even open once a year.

Shen Lian knew about the altar because when Li Shimin arranged his marriage to Changle, after the Ministry of Rites calculated an auspicious day, he went there to offer sacrifices to the heavens and informed the gods in heaven and the royal ancestors.

So, he actually knew something about the Temple of Heaven, but he had never been inside.

After all, outsiders were not allowed to approach the royal sacrifice. And he had not yet officially married Changle, so they were not considered a family.

Shen Lian looked at Du Chuke and said, "Master Du, do you have the files of the Temple of Heaven?"

"Have!"

Du Chuke knew that the matter was of great importance.

The thief obviously had some ideas about the Temple of Heaven.

And Your Majesty often uses the Temple of Heaven.

If something goes wrong, none of them will be able to escape punishment.

So he didn't dare to delay and quickly stepped forward. After searching for a while, he saw something that lit up his eyes.

He directly pulled out a file and said, "Sir Shen, this is it!"

Shen Lian took the file and looked up.

The files contain detailed records of the construction of the Temple of Heaven.

On the title page is a basic introduction to the Temple of Heaven.

It states why the Temple of Heaven was built, why it was built in that way, what construction method was used, etc.

Then, the specific construction situation comes next.

A site drawing is available.

There are materials for each layer.

Information such as who is responsible for design and who is responsible for supervision.

The handwriting is clear and the words are few, but they describe the events very clearly.

Anyone who is an insider in the Ministry of Industry can understand the meaning of each word at a glance.

Although he is not a technical staff of the Ministry of Industry at present, he has a quick mind and has read books on various subjects, so after a little thought, he understood the overall situation of the Temple of Heaven.

Even though he had not seen the Temple of Heaven in person, he already had the overall image of it in his mind.

Shen Lian nodded and said, "The files of your Ministry of Industry are worth learning from for other institutions. There is not a single word of nonsense, and every word has its meaning. This makes the files very concise, but it does not lack any information."

Du Chuke smiled and said, "This is the result of our Ministry of Industry summarizing the experience and learning from the Ministry of Industry files of past dynasties."

"Because our files need to be frequently reviewed later, if there are too many words, it will waste a lot of our time to find useful information."

"So, we have come up with a set of recording methods to make it easier for those who come after us to use them."

Shen Lian nodded, "Dali Temple will also need to study in the future."

As he spoke, his brain began to ponder the information in the file.

The records in the entire file are all very normal.

Whether it’s the personnel, the materials, or the design.

At least Shen Lian didn't find any problems.

He looked at Du Chuke and said, "Master Du, please take a look at this file and see if there is anything you find strange."

Upon hearing this, Du Chuke hurriedly took the file.

After reading it carefully, he shook his head and said, "This file is normal and in line with our record keeping habits. I don't notice anything wrong with any of the information on it."

Shen Lian narrowed his eyes, but he didn't feel that surprised.

After all, Zhang Qin and the fake Han Qian had been searching for ten years. If it was so easy to find the problem, they would not have spent ten years without any results.

Shen Lian pondered for a moment, then looked at Han Xun and said, "Master Han, do you still remember why you built this Temple of Heaven? What problem did you come up with during the talks?"

Han Xun thought for a moment and said, "The Temple of Heaven has been weathered for a long time. It is not used much and no one takes care of it. Some plants have opened gaps in the ground, and there are also some cracks on the surface... But they are not serious, so it should not be difficult to repair it."

Shen Lian nodded slightly.

It sounds like the problem isn't that big of a deal.

However, the construction of the Temple of Heaven would be the main reason for Han Qian's replacement.

Then there must be a problem that they haven't discovered.

What did Han Qian discover at that time?

What secrets were discovered during the renovation?

Or……

Did you discover a secret while reading the files?
But he also looked at the files and didn't notice any problems.

After Shen Lian pondered for a moment, he slowly exhaled.

"It looks like I have to go to the Temple of Heaven myself tomorrow."

If there is nothing wrong with the files, then there may be something wrong with the Temple of Heaven.

Therefore, Shen Lian must go to the Temple of Heaven in person.

At this time, footsteps were heard outside.

Lu Shisan strode over.

As soon as Zhao Yeqin saw Lu Shisan coming, his breathing became tense. He asked hurriedly, "Master Lu, my family, how are they...how are they?!"

Du Chuke and others also looked at Lu Shisan.

Lu Shisan smiled and said, "Fortunately, we have fulfilled our mission. Although Zhang Qin's men are very cautious, they still have no power to fight back against our Shadow Guards."

"Master Zhao, don't worry. Your family has been rescued. I have sent them back to your house. You will be able to see them when you return."

Hearing Lu Shisan's words, Zhao Yeqin was immediately excited.

He first bowed deeply to Lu Shisan, then quickly turned to Shen Lian and bowed again, "Sir Shen, I am grateful for your kindness. If you have anything in the future, just tell me. Whether I can do it or not, I will do it with all my heart."

Hearing this, Shen Lian smiled and said, "Go home and spend time with your family. They need your company the most right now."

"As for repaying you...if I really need your help in the future, I won't hesitate."

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If there is nothing wrong with the files, then there may be something wrong with the Temple of Heaven.

Therefore, Shen Lian must go to the Temple of Heaven in person.

At this time, footsteps were heard outside.

Lu Shisan strode over.

As soon as Zhao Yeqin saw Lu Shisan coming, his breathing became tense. He asked hurriedly, "Master Lu, my family, how are they...how are they?!"

Du Chuke and others also looked at Lu Shisan.

Lu Shisan smiled and said, "Fortunately, we have fulfilled our mission. Although Zhang Qin's men are very cautious, they still have no power to fight back against our Shadow Guards."

"Master Zhao, don't worry. Your family has been rescued. I have sent them back to your house. You will be able to see them when you return."

Hearing Lu Shisan's words, Zhao Yeqin was immediately excited.

He first bowed deeply to Lu Shisan, then quickly turned to Shen Lian and bowed again, "Sir Shen, I am grateful for your kindness. If you have anything in the future, just tell me. Whether I can do it or not, I will do it with all my heart."

Hearing this, Shen Lian smiled and said, "Go home and spend time with your family. They need your company the most right now."

"As for repaying you...if I really need your help in the future, I won't hesitate."

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"As for repaying you...if I really need your help in the future, I won't hesitate."

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