Chapter 5
Ernest crept forward, silent as a shadow.
His blade flashed, quick and deadly.
The two guards slumped to the ground, not even making a sound.
We pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The air in the study was filled with the musty scent of old ink.
I quickly scanned the room.
Everything was just as I'd uncovered in my investigation.
On the wall hung a painting of a fierce tiger coming down the mountain.
Behind that painting was supposed to be the trigger for the secret room.
I pulled the painting off the wall.
Sure enough, I found a plain copper ring that was barely noticeable.
Just like the intel said, I twisted the ring three times to the left, twice to the right, then pressed it down hard.
A faint sound echoed in the room.
The bookshelf slowly slid aside, revealing a shadowy hole in the wall.
"General, let me go first," Ernest said, stepping in front of me with his ready.
I nodded.
The passage was pitch black, and the air was thick with a damp, musty smell.
After walking a few dozen steps, the space suddenly opened up before us.
We found ourselves in a small stone chamber.
In the center of the room stood a massive iron chest.
Next to it were a few smaller wooden crates.
Ernest stepped forward and pried open one of the wooden crates with his knife.
Inside, neatly stacked gold bars glinted in the dim light.
Under the flickering light of the torch, they shone with a blinding brilliance.
That big iron chest held exactly what I'd come for, the ledger.
I stepped up and took a closer look at the lock on the chest.
It was an intricate lock. Without the key, there was no way to crack it.
"Let me take care of this, General," Ernest said, already pulling out his dagger.
He was ready to force the lock open.
"Wait," I said, stopping him.
I held him back.
"We can't mess up the lock, or Ferdinand will notice immediately," I said.
I pulled out two thin wires from inside my coat.
I'd learned this lock-picking skill from a veteran scout up in Firenier.
I didn't expect I'd need it here.
I slipped the wires into the keyhole, holding my breath.
With my ear pressed to the lock, I listened for the faintest click or shift inside.
Seconds slipped by, each one dragging on.
Tiny beads of sweat broke out across my forehead.
Finally, another soft click sounded.
The lock clicked open.
I breathed out in relief and lifted the heavy lid.
Inside was a stack of thick ledgers, more than ten in all.
I grabbed one and flipped it open.
Every page was crammed with grain deals.
Dates, places, amounts, names, everything was there, including the cash funneled straight into the Prime Minister's estate.
Each entry hit me like a punch to the gut.
This was solid proof that Tom had been colluding with the enemy, betraying the country, and throwing the government into turmoil.
I told Ernest, "Keep them safe. Let's go,"
We retraced our steps, making sure everything was just as we'd found it.
It was like no one had ever been there at all.
By the time we got back to the Nelson estate, the sky was just starting to lighten.
My dad had stayed up all night, waiting for me.
When he saw the ledgers in my hands, he finally let out a breath he'd been holding.
He said, "Good.
"Hayden, you really didn't disappoint me!"
But I couldn't bring myself to celebrate.
Because deep down, I knew this was only the beginning.
I had the evidence, but getting Ferdinand to confess and implicate Tom was the real challenge.
Andrew only wanted results.
He wanted a result where the evidence and the criminal were both right there, undeniable.
Early the next morning, shocking news swept through the imperial court.
Ferdinand, the Minister of Revenue, had hanged himself in his own mansion, unable to bear the shame of his crimes.
He left behind a final letter, admitting to everything, embezzling funds, selling off government grain, all of it.
He shouldered all the blame alone, not dragging anyone else down with him.
When the news reached me, I was wiping down my spear. The cold steel matched the chill in my heart.
I knew that Andrew lost this round.
Tom had played the lizard's trick, cutting off his own tail and slipping away clean.
He threw Ferdinand under the bus to protect himself.
Now, with Ferdinand gone, there was no one left to point a finger.
The ledgers in my hands were just a stack of useless paper now.
There was no one left who could vouch for their authenticity.
Just then, the butler rushed in.
He said, "General, someone from the palace is here.
"Crown Prince wants you in the palace, now."
My heart sank. I knew that this was bound to happen.
I changed into my official robes and rushed to the Crown Prince's Palace.
Andrew was in his study, working on his calligraphy. He didn't bother to look up, just asked calmly, "So, you botched it?"