Chapter 252 - Fish on the Chopping Block
Su Yi only snapped out of his daze when Senior Fan's carriage disappeared around the street corner. He had not expected the old man would request for dignity on Qi Zongbi's behalf. Senior Fan and Qi Zongbi shared little to no personal ties in or out of the court. Senior Fan's unwavering loyalty to the imperial family made him Qi Zongbi's natural adversary. Despite this, Senior Fan still spoke those words. On one hand, it was a testament to his high regard for Su Yi; on the other, it was because... he was a truly discerning man.
Su Yi raised his head, looked around, and, seeing no one else nearby, straightened his posture and headed toward the Zhang residence's main gate.
Not long after knocking on the door, a servant came to open it. Upon seeing Su Yi, the servant showed no surprise, only bowing respectfully and ushering him in.
Su Yi nodded silently, realizing that someone had notified the residence in advance of his arrival.
The servant led Su Yi through the residence, all the way to the study in the inner hall. Pushing the door open, Su Yi found Zhang Li already waiting inside.
"Assistant Minister Zhang," Su Yi greeted Zhang Li with a cupped fist salute. "You worked hard today."
Zhang Li's mouth bore a visible bruise, seemingly treated only with a quick application of ointment. The faint scent of medicine lingered in the study.
Zhang Li returned the gesture with a forced smile and said, "Thank you for your concern, Grand Tutor. Now that you’ve achieved your goal today, might I trouble you to hand over the ledger to me?"
"You're quite direct, Minister Zhang," Su Yi replied with a faint smile as he seated himself in a chair opposite Zhang Li, separated by a table. "If someone were to see your eagerness, it might not bode well for you."
Zhang Li frowned and opened his mouth, seemingly about to retort, but after a moment, he smiled and said, "Grand Tutor Su, let’s not play coy. Something as critical as this—concerning life and death—is best kept in one’s own hands."