Chapter 235

Ah! Teacher!

Tuan Tuan instantly felt guilty.

Since the initiation ceremony, she hasn't been to the Song Residence, let alone study and do homework.

Song Jingxian, however, smiled and said, "Tuan Tuan, how did you come to Zichen Hall?"

"Because of this!" Tuan Tuan held the ledger, pattering over to Xiao Jieyun's side: "Imperial Uncle, look! Feng Zhou is truly innocent! Don't blame him, okay?"

Xiao Jieyun took the ledger, flipped through it, and gradually his face darkened.

Seeing this, Song Jingxian said, "Tuan Tuan, come here to the teacher."

Tuan Tuan walked to his side and said, "Grandfather Song, what's wrong with the Imperial Uncle?"

Song Jingxian shook his head, silently waiting for Xiao Jieyun to close the ledger: "Your Majesty, what displeases you?"

Xiao Jieyun said, "The Ministry of War previously memorialized that the theft of the Nine-Star Repeating Crossbow was the work of jianghu people."

"I never imagined these people would be so audacious!"

"Tuan Tuan, where did this ledger come from?"

Tuan Tuan chattered on about how Su Yuheng sought help at the Prince's Mansion, how she and Third Brother went to rescue the old pavilion master, how she became Lord Master of Tianji Pavilion, and how she obtained the ledger.

Of course, besides Xiao Ze secretly coming to tell her a private matter, that must not be let known to the Imperial Uncle.

Song Jingxian listened with a look of astonishment.

Tuan Tuan ran to the Emperor's side, tugged at his robes, climbed onto his lap, and rubbed against him like a little cat: "Imperial Uncle! Tianji Pavilion is now my people; don't punish them, okay? Punishing them is just punishing me!"

Xiao Jieyun put on a stern face: "Nonsense! This is a state affair; how could I consider personal feelings?"

Tuan Tuan looked at him, oh no, the Imperial Uncle is angry; I need to coax him well!

She scrambled onto his back with hands and feet, clenched her tiny fists, and solemnly pounded his back:

"Imperial Uncle, you're the best! Whatever Ming-Qiu stuff! They're all harmed by villains, and now they all listen to me!"

"If you arrest them, who will help me catch the real big villain?"

She slipped out from under the Emperor's arm, rolled into his embrace, faced him, and blinked her big eyes: "They're helping me now, which is helping you! If you punish them, aren't you aiding that villain? How fortunate!"

Xiao Jieyun was taken aback by her childish "pros and cons analysis," and seeing her fawning little expression, his expression relaxed considerably.

Eunuch Cheng standing nearby bowed his head deeply, the corners of his mouth turning up, his shoulders slightly shrugging.

This matter really needs the Little Princess to say it; if it were anyone else, Your Majesty would already be furious, and that Tianji Pavilion would likely already be surrounded by the Xuanwu Guard.

Song Jingxian smiled and said, "Your Majesty, this old subject thinks that although the Princess (Commandery)'s words are childish, they make considerable sense."

He looked at Tuan Tuan, his eyes full of compassion and praise: "Tianji Pavilion, having realized its error and returned, its situation is pitiful, its conduct commendable."

What's more valuable is that the clues they hold may become the key to solving this case and uncovering the mastermind behind it; to punish them severely now would be tantamount to cutting off one's own arms.

He paused slightly: "I think, Your Majesty, you might grant clemency and allow them to atone through meritorious service."

"This way, it fulfills the Princess (Commandery)'s promise, displays Your Majesty's benevolence, and takes advantage of this opportunity to sweep away all the troublemakers who disrupt court order in one fell swoop."

"Your Majesty, may this old subject be allowed to examine that ledger?"

Xiao Jieyun handed the ledger to Eunuch Cheng, who hastily took it, walked to Song Jingxian's front, and respectfully presented it.

Song Jingxian quickly flipped through it, then returned it to Eunuch Cheng: "Your Majesty, the goods listed in this ledger have now been scattered to the four corners; tracking them down is like finding a needle in a haystack."

"What this old subject worries about is where the money behind this comes from; being able to mobilize such vast funds, their power is unfathomable."

He looked at the Emperor: "This old subject believes the urgent priority is to drain the pond to catch the fish."

"We should first thoroughly investigate the source of this money, cut off its roots. Once the roots are cut, these scattered goods will become water without a source; then cleaning them up will achieve twice the result with half the effort."

Xiao Jieyun pondered for a moment, his gaze falling on Tuan Tuan: "Tuan Tuan, since you are doing your utmost to protect Tianji Pavilion and have already become their Lord Master,"

"then I will give Tianji Pavilion a chance to offset merit against crime; if you can uncover who stands behind this money, I will pardon Tianji Pavilion's past offenses."

Upon hearing this, Tuan Tuan's face instantly blossomed with joy; she patted her little chest: "Great! Imperial Uncle, rest assured, I will surely drag that villain out for you!"

She stretched out her little finger, gazing pleadingly at the Emperor: "Let's pinky promise! I'll help you find the big villain, and you won't scare Tianji Pavilion's people anymore!"

Xiao Jieyun laughed and cried at once; for such a major matter, she actually treats it like child's play!

He hesitated a moment, then extended his finger, satisfying Tuan Tuan.

Tuan Tuan jumped up happily: "Thank you, Imperial Uncle! Thank you, teacher!"

Having said that, she hastily performed a salute and ran out of the hall.

Song Jingxian watched her retreating back, smiled faintly: "Your Majesty truly knows how to employ people; entrusting this to Tuan Tuan is equivalent to entrusting it to the Ning Prince's Mansion. The Yuanheng family will surely lend strong assistance."

Xiao Jieyun nodded: "Teacher, you have discerning eyes."

Song Jingxian pondered: "Has Your Majesty noticed that this child Tuan Tuan seems innately gifted at winning people's hearts?"

"At such a young age, yet able to command those others cannot, it's truly interesting."

Xiao Jieyun blinked slightly: "What the teacher says is absolutely right."

Tuan Tuan pulled Xiao Er to the Fu Yun Tea House.

Upon entering the private room on the third floor, the waiter was about to leave.

"Wait!" Tuan Tuan shouted, pulling out that jade tablet.

The waiter, seeing the jade tablet, immediately bowed: "So it's the Lord Master arriving."

Tuan Tuan looked at the jade tablet in her hand, quite surprised: "This thing is really effective, huh?"

The waiter replied: "By the pavilion master's order, seeing the token is like seeing the Lord Master; may I ask what instructions the Lord Master has?"

"I want to see Uncle Lu Qi!"

"Yes." The waiter turned and went out.

Shortly after, Lu Qi pushed the door and entered.

Tuan Tuan sweetly called out: "Uncle Lu Qi!"

Lu Qi stumbled on his feet, nearly falling, and Xiao Er's teacup landed with a thud on the table.

Tuan Tuan hurried over, pressed close, and hugged Xiao Er's arm: "Second Uncle, Uncle Lu Qi looks so much like you! You're both so tall! So big!"

"Calling him Uncle Lu Qi is exhausting, so I just call him Uncle Qi!"

Xiao Er couldn't help but press his hand to his forehead. "Miss, your words are so sweet! Who could not like you?"

Lu Qi steadied his stance; usually solemn and with a cold, rigid expression, his face now showed utter helplessness: "Lord Master… just call me Lu Qi."

Tuan Tuan patted the brocade stool beside her: "Uncle Qi, come over."

Lu Qi's mouth twitched, he walked to the brocade stool, sat up straight, his back as rigid as iron, his fists clenched and placed on his knees.

Tuan Tuan asked, "Uncle Qi, who provides the silver for the Tianji Pavilion to purchase those items? Do you know?"

Lu Qi replied, "I know. Each time a masked man delivers them, using only gold ingots, packed in a box. I have never seen the man's face."

Then how do we find him!

Tuan Tuan's brows furrowed.

Xiao Er asked, "Brother Lu, are you keeping that box?"

Lu Qi nodded, "I've kept them all, right here. I'll go fetch it now."

He stood up, left the private room, and after a short while returned with a small box in his hand.

It was a very ordinary, common small wooden box, half new and half old, with nothing special about it.

Tuan Tuan stared at it for a while and asked, "Uncle Qi, is it the same box every time?"

Lu Qi nodded, "Yes, Lord Master. Every time we use this kind, only the sizes sometimes differ. There are dozens of them, all stored in the tea house's storeroom."

Xiao Er frowned, "Miss, this box has no distinguishing features, and the deliverer is masked each time, making it impossible to trace."

Tuan Tuan's small hand rubbed the wooden box, pondering for a while, then her eyes lit up: "Second Uncle, Uncle Qi, the only ones who would recognize this box are the Tianji Pavilion and the person who loads gold into it, right?"

The two burly men exchanged a glance and nodded.

Tuan Tuan shook her little head, a look of triumph on her face: "I've got a way!"