Qi Yu had made considerable progress in his studies of governance lately. A few days earlier, when the procurement of winter coats for the Northern Border was discussed at morning court, he had listened from a partitioned room in the Side Hall. After court adjourned, he returned to the West Warm Pavilion, spread the procurement list submitted by the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War's military supply ledgers across the table, and used the Vermilion Brush to circle every figure that failed to match between the two accounts.
Qi Xiao rose from behind the Imperial Desk and walked over to stand behind him, examining the figures he had circled-the price of cotton was thirty percent higher than last year, and transport costs had been overstated by another five thousand taels. Qi Yu pointed to the transport costs and said that although snow had come earlier than usual to the Northern Border this year, procurement had been completed before autumn, when the official roads had not yet been closed. Transport costs should not have risen so much.
Qi Xiao stood behind him without speaking. He knew the people at the Procurement Office tampered with these accounts every year, but he had not told Qi Yu beforehand.
He wanted to see whether the boy could discover it himself. Qi Yu turned a few more pages, then suddenly looked back and asked who had been responsible for procuring this batch of winter coats.
Qi Xiao said it was the nephew of the Ministry of War's left vice minister. Qi Yu set down the brush and leaned against the back of his chair to think for a while. Then he said they could not simply arrest the man. If they did, his uncle would go and plead with his elder brother, the