Chapter 251: Let Me Test My Hand

Several dozen yamen runners followed in front and behind, surrounding Tuan Tuan's carriage, parading ostentatiously through the streets, and stopped before the grim, black‑lacquered main gate of the county jail.

The carriage door opened, and Tuan Tuan stepped out first, one hand holding Third Brother, the other dragging a reluctant Xiao Ran, hopping and skipping as she followed the yamen runners into the dim jail doorway.

Xiao Er and Lu Qi parked the carriage and closely followed behind.

Inside the jail, the light was dim, the air filled with a musty smell and a faint trace of blood.

The group was taken straight to the innermost cell.

"All in!" the jailer shouted, flinging open the heavy iron lock with a clatter, his tone unpleasant.

Several people filed in one after another.

The jailer gave a cold snort, and with a clang the cell door slammed shut; his footsteps faded away.

Xiao Ran stood in the center of the cell: "Little punk, we really ended up in jail, huh?"

"Don't rush!" she said, and Tuan Tuan lowered her head, untied the embroidered pouch at her waist, and pulled out a small shard of tile.

Xiao Ningxun immediately understood, stepped forward, and tightly embraced his sister in his arms, using his wide sleeves and back to block everyone's view.

Tuan Tuan muttered, "Let us out!" and threw the tile shard at her feet.

A faint light flashed, and the tile shard vanished.

Crack… rustle…

A faint cracking sound came from inside the wall behind them!

Everyone jerked their heads back, astonished to see the surface of what had seemed an utterly solid blue‑brick wall repeatedly bulging and indenting, as if some invisible force were violently striking and gnawing at it from within.

Brick dust trickled down, and after a moment the unsettling motion ceased; the wall grew calm again, its surface merely marked with a few irregular fine traces.

Tuan Tuan slipped out of Third Brother's embrace, walked up to that wall, stretched out her little hand, and shoved hard at its center.

"Squeak—"

With a soft sound, the solid, thick wall—where a space about one person tall and half a person wide lay—gave way like a half‑open door, which she pushed open easily to form a gap.

What lay beyond was no longer brick and stone, but a secluded lane leading who‑knows‑where.

"Come on!" Tuan Tuan turned back, beaming, and waved at the dumbfounded Xiao Ran and Lu Qi.

Xiao Ningxun and Xiao Er, already accustomed, slipped sideways through that strange "wall‑door".

Lu Qi took a deep breath, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and followed close behind.

Xiao Ran's mouth hung open wide enough to fit an egg; after Xiao Er gave him a gentle push, he snapped out of his daze and stumbled through, dazed.

Thus, several people, deep inside the heavily guarded county jail, openly "broke through the wall" and entered the dark secluded lane.

After walking a few steps forward, Tuan Tuan suddenly lifted her little face, tugged at Xiao Ningxun's sleeve, and asked, "Third Brother, is the thing you said that can clear their crimes a ledger?"

Xiao Ningxun lowered his voice: "Exactly, it's the account book. With it we can learn how long they've been at it and how much silver they've embezzled. Based on this ironclad evidence, punishment will convince the public."

"Ah! That thing," Tuan Tuan grinned, "is in the wicked official's study! On the shelf against the wall there's a red‑wood box, and inside that box is a tiny black box where it's kept."

Xiao Ran stared at her, eyes wide: "Little punk, how do you know? Have you been there?"

Tuan Tuan tilted her head: "I just know!"

Beside them, Lu Qi watched their little Lord Master and felt that more and more unimaginable things were happening.

Xiao Er, already used to it, thought, "Our miss is just awesome!"

Since the miss knows the exact location, that makes things easy.

He scanned the surroundings: "The jail is usually in the southwest corner of the yamen, and the internal office's study ought to be in the southeast. I'll go take a look and be back shortly."

Having said that, he was about to move when he suddenly thought of something, turned to Tuan Tuan, and asked, "Miss, after I bring back the account book, should I return to the jail to find you?"

Xiao Ran's face fell instantly: "Go back? No way I'm going!"

Xiao Ningxun couldn't help but press a hand to his forehead, laughing and crying at once: "No need, we don't have to go back."

Tuan Tuan also smiled: "Uncle Er, once we have that thing, Xiao Ran can use his token to give those bad guys a lesson!"

Xiao Ran's eyes lit up: "Finally it's my turn to go on a killing spree!"

"Right! Little punk's got it right! I'm going to the court hall—bring the account book straight there! I'll go up on the bench and interrogate their crimes!"

Xiao Er nodded: "Sure!"

"Wait!" Xiao Ran called out to stop him.

"What is it?"

Xiao Ran gave an embarrassed smile: "Where's the court hall?"

Xiao Er: "…"

Xiao Ningxun waved at Xiao Er: "Never mind him, hurry up."

Xiao Er turned and left.

Xiao Ran protested: "You told him to ignore me, but I don't even know where the court hall is—how am I supposed to go up on the bench and question them?"

Xiao Ningxun sighed: "The court hall is where cases are tried. To show fairness, the government often lets ordinary people watch, so the hall is always placed right inside the main gate."

"Your Highness Ninth Prince, you're a royal after all—how can you not know this?"

Xiao Ran gave an embarrassed grin: "Of course I know! I just… couldn't recall it right away."

Tuan Tuan pinched his cheek: "You don't even know that! How shameful!"

Xiao Ningxun took Tuan Tuan's little hand: "Come on, let's go wait for him at the court hall."

Xiao Ran asked: "Should we first find where that dog official is?"

"No need," Xiao Ningxun said calmly. "We'll go straight to the court hall; once Xiao Er brings the account book, someone will naturally come to fetch him."

Lu Qi heard this, and a flicker of approval flashed in his eyes.

The Third Young Master of the Ning Prince's Mansion has a good mind; this ploy of "turning the guest into the host" is superb—no need to seek them out, we let them come to us.

They walked along the wall's shadow, and moments later a solemn, majestic building with flying eaves and dougong brackets came into view.

Above the doorway, the plaque reading "Bright Mirror Hung High" glimmered with a faint cold light.

The main hall was empty at this moment, with only two rows of water-and-fire sticks standing quietly against the wall.

Tuan Tuan ran up the steps with a "thump thump thump," curiously touching the cold desk, then tiptoed to reach the gavel on it.

Seeing this, Xiao Ran took an arrow step and rushed forward, sitting properly in the main seat, he snatched up the gavel and slapped it hard with a "pah!"

The clear sound reverberated in the empty main hall, startling even him.

"What are you doing?" Xiao Ningxun rubbed his forehead.

Xiao Ran forced himself to stay calm, but his ears turned red: "I, I just wanted to test the feel!"