Crown Prince's Mansion, rear garden study.
Rain pattered against the eaves, fine and cold.
Xue Qinghe sat beneath the lamplight, a black wooden box placed before him.
Inside the box was the copy of the true ledger Di Yao had sent over.
It was not complete.
But it carried enough weight.
When Xue Qinghe opened the first page, the smile on his face faded considerably.
By the third volume, the gentleness in his eyes had nearly vanished entirely.
Outer city nobles.
Black Market Soul Hunting Group.
Soul beast material smuggling.
Counterfeit Tang Sect Hidden Weapons.
Peripheral contacts of the Clear Sky Remnants.
And several seemingly insignificant trade routes tied to collateral branches of the Heaven Dou Imperial Family.
Xue Qinghe's finger stopped on one particular line.
A secondary residence under Prince Xue Xing's Mansion had temporarily held two batches of soul beast materials.
He looked at it for a long time.
Then he suddenly gave a soft laugh.
"Di Yao, you really dared to give this to me."
His confidant beside him said quietly, "Your Highness, Di Yao placing the true ledger in the Crown Prince's Mansion is likely meant to force you to take a stance."
"Likely?" Xue Qinghe closed the Account Ledger, his voice gentle.
"He is forcing me."
His confidant's expression changed slightly. "Then should we return the Account Ledger?"
Xue Qinghe glanced at him.
"Return it, then tell everyone that the Crown Prince's Mansion is afraid?"
His confidant immediately lowered his head. "This subordinate misspoke."
Xue Qinghe rose and walked to the window.
Through the curtain of rain, the lights of Heaven Dou City blurred into haze.
He still wore Xue Qinghe's warm and refined expression, but a trace of chill had entered his eyes.
Di Yao had placed the true ledger with him.
It was