Zhao Li's eyes lit up.
That was right! Auditing the accounts would be such a hassle, and he'd have to spar with those old foxes, too. Going straight to catch them in the act was simple and direct. That was more his style!
"Good! That's what we'll do!" Zhao Li slapped his thigh. "Mr. Liu, I'll leave this to you! Put all our men to work. Have them stake out every granary like nails driven into the ground! Don't let even a single rat slip past!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" Liu Chengzhi bowed to accept the order, but an inexplicable unease rose in his heart.
He couldn't shake the feeling that he had... overlooked something.
This game of chess had grown too large. Were they really the Chess Players? Or were they nothing more than... Chess Pieces in someone else's eyes?
The night was as dark as ink. Tongzhou Granary, on the outskirts of the Capital City.
It was one of the Great Yun Dynasty's most important state granaries, storing enough grain to feed the Capital City's million soldiers and civilians for three months. At that moment, it resembled a giant beast lurking in the darkness, silent and oppressive.
Granary clerk Gu Chuan carried a dimly glowing lantern between the grain stacks, which towered over him. The air was filled with the distinctive scent of grain, mixed with a faint, oddly sweet smell of rot that was almost impossible to detect.
He stopped and reached into the sack before him.
It felt warm to the touch, with a damp, sticky feel.
His brows furrowed into a deep crease.
Not again.
This new strain of rice, called "Golden Ear," had been promoted last year as an Auspicious Omen by the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of Revenue. It was said to