Because of Yun Shu's insistence, Tang Bingfu had no choice but to trail behind her helplessly, preparing to take yet another walk along the dikes outside the city.
The two stepped out of the house and made their way to the front courtyard.
The officials who had accompanied Tang Bingfu earlier were still lingering nearby.
Yun Shu cast them a brief, disinterested glance, then turned away without so much as a word, continuing toward the gate.
Tang Bingfu deliberately dropped back two steps. Without a change in expression, he made a discreet hand gesture toward one of his trusted men in the courtyard.
Unbeknownst to him, every move had already been observed by the Dragon Shadow Guards hidden in the shadows.
—
They left the city on horseback, which should have been significantly faster than taking a carriage.
However, Tang Bingfu was clearly unskilled at riding. The moment the horse picked up speed, he began wobbling in the saddle, crying out that his old bones were about to fall apart.
Yun Shu, ever patient, slowed her pace to accommodate him. With the air of a leisurely countryside outing, they ambled their way toward the river dike.
They had departed in the morning, but by the time they arrived, the sun had already begun its descent into the west.
As Tang Bingfu had said, the road near the embankment was a muddy mess.
From a distance, the riverbank was covered in a clear layer of freshly laid soil. Yet it seemed some finishing work was still incomplete.
Laborers could be seen hauling dirt and stone, busy with their tasks up and down the slope.
As Yun Shu and her party approached, several workers caught sight of Tang Bingfu and greeted him with familiarity.
"Tang Daren, weren't you just here this morning? What brings you back so soon?"
"Just taking another look," Tang Bingfu replied cheerfully, his hands tucked into his sleeves as he nodded enthusiastically. "Carry on, no need to mind me."
Yun Shu observed with quiet interest. She said nothing at first, simply watching the exchange. Once the greeting workers had gone a bit farther, she raised a brow ever so slightly.
"It seems Tang Daren is quite well acquainted with these laborers."
"Indeed," Tang Bingfu said, his smile fading into a more reflective look. "These men are farmers from the surrounding villages. Life is not easy for them. When the fields are idle, they try to find work like this to earn a few coins to take home."
"We provide them with two meals a day while they work on the dike, and pay between fifty to one hundred wen in wages. Naturally, they're grateful. And since I'm the face of this project, that gratitude often falls on me."
"I see."
Yun Shu nodded thoughtfully. After a brief pause, she turned, her expression puzzled.
"But from the Waterworks Bureau to this place, we spent over two hours on the road today. Tang Daren, if you made a round trip this morning, that means you were on the road for more than four hours."
She narrowed her eyes, voice soft yet sharp. "That would mean you left the city around the second or even first watch of the night. Was something urgent happening at the dike so late?"
Tang Bingfu's smile froze for a brief moment.
Trouble. In all the fuss of trying to stall for time earlier, he had completely forgotten this detail. But his expression quickly shifted into a smooth sigh, as though he had merely recalled something distasteful.
"Your Highness, forgive this subject for bringing up an embarrassment, but… there was indeed a bit of an incident last night."
"Oh?"
Yun Shu nearly laughed aloud. She covered her mouth and gave a delicate cough, barely maintaining her wide-eyed, innocent act.
"What sort of incident?"
"Well…"
Tang Bingfu hesitated, clearly struggling with how to begin. After a long pause, he sighed.
"As I mentioned, these laborers are paid for their work. In addition, the cost of supplies and logistics is quite considerable. To simplify things, I had the Ministry of Revenue deliver two full chests of silver, which were kept in a locked room with guards posted outside. Only our own people had access.
Yet late last night, word came that the silver had been stolen."
His tone turned grim. "The report was vague, but it strongly implied that the thief must be one of our own. In order to get to the bottom of it, I summoned everyone involved immediately, and after questioning…"
His voice lowered. "We discovered that it truly was an inside job."
"Stealing government silver. That is bold indeed."
"He made up that tale in mere seconds?" Yun Shu marveled silently. He really ought to consider writing for the Capital Weekly.
Still, she couldn't help wondering—who had he picked to take the fall this time?
She raised a brow again. "Was the thief caught?"
"…He escaped."
"He escaped?"
Yun Shu's tone sharpened. "You had all those men and yet he got away?"
"This subject bears full responsibility."
Tang Bingfu looked ashamed.
"I knew the man. He was always quiet, kept to himself. Never shirked work, and never caused trouble. His family is poor, and his father is gravely ill. I imagine he must have been truly desperate to do something like this. I hesitated, Your Highness… but I have already sent men after him. He will not get far."
"Very well."
Yun Shu nodded absentmindedly as she spoke, grinding her shoe against the muddy ground beneath her feet. She seemed visibly uncomfortable with the environment.
Seeing this, Tang Bingfu took the opportunity to speak again.
"Your Highness, as you can see, the dike is still a mess. There's mud everywhere, and no clean place to stand. The hour grows late… perhaps we should return?"
"That's fine."
She had seen enough. Now she understood why the original course of events had led to a dam failure.
There was no reason to linger further.
Turning on her heel, Yun Shu headed back toward the spot where they had dismounted.
From the way she moved, she looked every bit like a spoiled little princess who had insisted on seeing something new, only to grow bored and stomp off the moment it failed to entertain her.
Tang Bingfu, unaware of the truth, assumed he had successfully fooled her. The anxiety that had plagued him all day finally lifted.
But what he did not know was that, upon returning to the palace, Yun Shu immediately summoned the Dragon Shadow Guards.
"Did you find anything?" she asked coldly.
"Reporting to Your Highness," one of the guards knelt and spoke crisply. "After Tang Daren agreed to accompany you to the dike, he made a secret hand signal to one of his trusted subordinates. I followed the man."
The guard's tone darkened. "He rushed to the riverbank and abducted someone. They attempted to drown the victim in a hidden side channel."
"Where is the person now?"
Yun Shu's expression hardened. "Was he saved?"