Daming: The system rejected my request for salted fish

Chapter 1382

The amount of color-changing ink stored in this barrel by the Ministry of Works could print more than two hundred times the amount of silver notes currently held in the national treasury.

In other words, there is no need to worry about the ink running out for at least ten years, and the ink itself does not have a very long shelf life.

Once the ink's shelf life expires, it will naturally be disposed of, and the task of disposing of this ink is naturally entrusted to the Ministry of Industry.

By then, he and Qian Jingguang will be able to eliminate the hidden danger completely without anyone noticing.

But who would have thought that those people went too far and exchanged a large amount of silver in a short period of time, causing the matter to be exposed prematurely.

What's more troublesome is that the imperial court has focused its attention on the color-changing ink, which has made him and Qian Jinguang very anxious.

In order to protect themselves, the two had no choice but to devise a plan to burn down the warehouse and destroy all the evidence.

But now the fire has indeed been set, and the warehouse has been successfully burned down, yet the most crucial evidence, which they most wanted to destroy, is still there!

Now, Mai Zhide's heart was in his throat, and his previously calm demeanor turned tense again.

At the same time, a crucial question came to mind: since the Embroidered Uniform Guard had discovered the mercury, why didn't they arrest Qian Jinguang?

In an instant, Mai Zhide's mind was filled with chaotic thoughts, and for a moment he even thought that Qian Jinguang had betrayed him in exchange for his survival.

However, this thought quickly dissipated. The money exchange case was too serious; betraying someone wouldn't save one's life.

The most likely scenario is that Qian Jingguang was also arrested, but he wasn't interrogated with him; instead, he was detained separately.

After he had been interrogated, Mao Xiang would interrogate Qian Jingguang separately and then compare their testimonies.

The more Mai Zhide thought about it, the more likely it seemed, and he couldn't help but feel a little anxious, because neither of them had considered this situation beforehand.

The main reason is that Qian Jingguang said mercury would disappear at high temperatures, so if the plan to burn down the warehouse had actually succeeded...

Then the mercury will naturally disappear, and even if you investigate, you won't find anything. Conversely, if you fail to burn down the warehouse...

The fire had nothing to do with them; after all, it was caused by a dog, so it had nothing to do with them.

So much so that the two of them never thought of colluding, but who would have thought that even after the fire was burned out, there would still be mercury residue.

If the two of them were interrogated separately by Mao Xiang, there was a real possibility that their testimonies would not match and something would go wrong!

Thinking of this, Mai Zhide cursed Qian Jingguang in his heart for being unreliable, while his mind raced to come up with a solution.

However, just as Mai Zhide remained silent, Mao Xiang spoke up again.

"Color-changing ink is extremely precious, and only the Duke of Zhenguo can provide it. I specifically asked the Duke of Zhenguo about it."

"I learned from the Duke of Zhenguo that mercury has never been present in the ingredients used to make color-changing ink."

"In other words, this mercury was added intentionally. Who did it, and what was their purpose?"

Although Mao Xiang was speaking, his gaze was not on Mai Zhide; instead, he appeared to be deep in thought.

It was as if what he said was not a question to Mai Zhide, but merely a soliloquy of reasoning.

However, every word he uttered weighed heavily on Mai Zhide's heart, increasing his pressure.

But that wasn't the end of it, because Mao Xiang didn't stop there; he continued talking.

"Only two vice ministers from the Ministry of Works had access to that warehouse and the color-changing ink, so it must be related to these two people."

"As for why they would add mercury to the color-changing ink, it could only be to cover up their ulterior motives."

"For example, by matching the stock of color-changing ink with the consumption of the mint, the fact that the ink has been stolen can be concealed!"

The more Mao Xiang talked, the more cold sweat poured down Mai Zhide's back, and even his forehead was covered in sweat.

It was obvious to the naked eye that he was very nervous, but he forced himself to appear calm.

But at that moment, Mao Xiang, who had been talking to himself, once again fixed his sharp gaze on Mai Zhide.

Then he asked him a question in a chilling tone.

"Mai Zhide, do you think my speculation makes sense?"

Why did Mao Xiang talk so much with Mai Zhide? It was actually a form of torture, designed to put pressure on the other party.

He knew very well that what he said, though unverified, was likely true.

No matter how strong a person's mental fortitude is, once they hear the truth, they will inevitably worry about being exposed and become anxious.

In fact, Mao Xiang was right, because Mai Zhide was furious when he heard his speculation.

"Does it make sense? Is this even a question of whether it makes sense or not? You've already deduced all the facts directly."

However, he only dared to think this in his heart; on the surface, he still had to answer Mao Xiang's question cautiously.

"Commander Mao, I admit there's some merit to your speculation, but it's all just speculation."

“Your men found mercury residue in the oil drum. Only Qian Jingang and I had access to the ink, so it was us who did it.”

"But we are both officials of the third rank, why would we risk doing something that could cost us our lives? In my opinion, you are clearly slandering us!"

Mai Zhide was a little nervous at first, but as he spoke, he seemed to regain his confidence.

After recounting Mao Xiang's slander, he interrupted Mao Xiang before he could speak, saying:

"I am the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. I know that mercury will quickly dissipate when it comes into contact with fire or heat."

"I remember that there were a lot of kerosene drums stored in that warehouse. Once a fire started, I can't imagine how fierce it would be."

"Under these circumstances, mercury could not possibly withstand intense heat, yet you claim to have found mercury in the remaining oil drums."

"Can I deduce that all of this was done by you, Commander Mao Xiang, who were eager to solve the case, and deliberately framed us and falsely accused us?"

After speaking, Mai Zhide immediately looked at Mao Xiang and found that Mao Xiang did not respond, but was just thinking about something with his head down.

He thought he had refuted Mao Xiang until he was speechless, but what he didn't know was that Mao Xiang was actually listening to Wei Wu speak.