Lei took the news the way he took most things — sprawled sideways across a cushioned bench with a cup of tea balanced on his knee, looking for all the world like a man being told about the weather.
It was, Yuan had come to understand, exactly how Lei looked right before he said something that mattered.
"Grain," Lei said slowly, turning one of the maps over in his hands. "Someone's been stealing *grain*."
"And skimming the reports to cover it," Jian said. "For at least two seasons, based on the numbers."
Lei let out a low whistle, setting his tea aside for once. "That's either very stupid or very well protected. There's no middle option with a theft that size — someone would have noticed by now unless they had help keeping the ledgers clean."
"Which means someone with access to the ledgers," Jian said.
