Chapter 80: Let's go see for ourselves

Tuan Tuan also jumped in fright: "Big brother? You went begging for food?"

That "refugee" stumbled over, excited to the point of almost tripping, grabbed Xiao Ningxun's arm in one clutch, voice trembling with tears: "Wuu wuu wuu! Third brother! Tuan Tuan! It's really you! Big brother, I'm so miserable……"

Although he had an eidetic memory, this time when he went out to do business, the refugee surge scattered his caravan, and all the servants disappeared without a trace.

Later he also encountered bandits, who looted all his possessions; having no choice, he mixed among the refugees, enduring hunger and hardship all the way, struggling back to Jingcheng.

Thus, on the carriage back to the mansion, there were now three people.

But the big brother's smell was truly too "rich", causing Xiao Ningxun and Tuan Tuan to have to press tightly against the other side of the carriage window.

Upon entering the Prince's Mansion, Tuan Tuan rushed into Cheng Ru'an's arms: "Mother! We found big brother!"

"Ah?" Cheng Ru'an, seeing his eldest son like this, felt both heartache and amusement, quickly ordered someone to take him away to wash up.

After scrubbing seven or eight times and changing three buckets of water, Xiao Ningyuan finally regained his original appearance, put on clean clothes, though his complexion remained somewhat pale from days of hunger and fatigue.

Arriving at the Flower Hall, he was about to stretch his limbs when Xiao Yuanhang walked in.

"Father…… Father."

Xiao Yuanhang sized him up from head to toe, grunted: "As long as you're unharmed, that's good."

Xiao Ningyuan then relaxed, his eyes shining as he looked at Tuan Tuan nibbling snacks, wanting to approach but feeling a bit embarrassed: "Little sister, this time we owe it to you and third brother……"

Before he could finish, a servant hurried in to report: "Prince, Princess Consort, just now rumors are spreading wildly on the streets that the Wei family's secret granary hidden in City West Mountain has been discovered by the refugees! It's been completely looted!"

"Pfft—" Xiao Yuanhang spat out a mouthful of tea, his gaze falling on his own little daughter.

He had just heard Xiao Ningxun finish speaking about this, never expecting to hear this news.

Xiao Ningxun also looked toward his sister who was earnestly eating snacks.

Tuan Tuan lifted her head, blinking her big eyes at father and brothers, wearing an innocent expression that said "Not my business."

Only Xiao Ningyuan looked bewildered: "Wei family? Zhenhai Houfu? Their granary was looted? How…… how does this concern us?"

Xiao Ningxun silently withdrew his gaze: "They got what they deserved, naturally it has nothing to do with us."

Xiao Yuanhang asked: "Did the Wei family not report to the officials?"

The servant blinked: "Never heard of it. Everyone on the street is praising, saying the Wei family's granary was looted yet they don't pursue it—truly loving the people as their own children."

Xiao Ningxun snorted: "With Wei Bing'an's demeanor, loving the people as his own children? Ridiculous!"

Xiao Yuanhang waved his hand, and the servant retreated.

"Yuan'er, you followed the refugees all the way back to the capital—how were they?"

Xiao Ningyuan pondered: "Father, the whole north is now suffering a great drought, crops almost completely failed, and the villagers were forced to flee their homes."

"Along the way, the refugees grew more numerous, bandits on the road incessant, grain prices constantly soaring."

"Besides hunger, the refugees also suffer illness. Elders, children, and the sick are mixed together; the son is very worried—if not resolved promptly, an epidemic will break out."

Xiao Yuanhang frowned: "As father, I am also worried about this; the disaster grows worse by the day, I don't know when it will end, if not treated promptly, epidemics cannot be avoided—by then this capital may well be in peril."

"But the disaster is so severe, the relief silver…… is a huge sum."

"Silver? I have some!" Tuan Tuan didn't even lift her head: "Father, the thousand taels of gold given by Imperial Uncle, take it to buy food for them."

Xiao Yuanhang gently stroked her head: "Tuan Tuan is truly good, but that's not enough either—still far short."

Tuan Tuan lifted her head from the snack pile: "Father! Whipping the bad old man's house yields lots and lots of gold and silver! Looting his home would be enough!"

Xiao Yuanhang picked up his daughter: "Oh? How does our Tuan Tuan know about his affairs?"

Tuan Tuan shoved the snack she was holding into her father's mouth: "I just know! I also know where his treasures are hidden!"

"Father! No wonder the Wei family's granary was looted and they didn't report it—those grains surely aren't their foundation; they merely seized the chance to earn a good reputation!" Xiao Ningxun fumed.

Xiao Ningyuan, who had been doing business away, understood well: "The Wei family stockpiles grain, surely to profit when prices spike. Their fortune originally came from this, and these years they've made plenty of black-hearted money."

"Those refugees looting them is truly satisfying."

Xiao Yuanhang glanced at his daughter: "Tuan Tuan, where does his family keep their silver?"

The two brothers, upon hearing, both had their eyes light up and also looked at the sister together.

Tuan Tuan pointed with her little hand: "It's right in that mountain outside the city in this direction."

"Father, there's lots and lots of gold and silver there!"

Xiao Yuanhang laughed: "Go call Chen'er back; tonight we'll go see for ourselves!"

"Yes, Father!" Xiao Ningxun hurried out, arranging for someone to go to the suburban Main Camp to summon the second brother.

That evening.

Xiao Yuanhang brought his second son, third son, little daughter, and several dozen guards from the Prince's Mansion to the southern hills outside the capital that Tuan Tuan mentioned.

The reason they brought Tuan Tuan along was that she simply couldn't be shaken off; upon hearing that father and brothers were going to raid the villain's treasury, she wouldn't sleep and insisted on coming along.

No matter how Cheng Ru'an tried to coax her, she refused, so Xiao Yuanhang had no choice but to bring her along as well.

"It's right in this mountain ahead!" Tuan Tuan lay on her third brother's back, pointing with her little hand.

Xiao Ningchen snorted: "Indeed a cunning rabbit with three burrows—the granary is in the western suburbs, the gold and silver in the southern suburbs."

"Let's go!" Xiao Yuanhang led the way, sneaking into the mountains.

Not long after, everyone stopped at the mountain base; Xiao Er went alone to scout ahead quietly.

After a while, Xiao Er returned: "Prince, ahead there is a mountain cave; at its entrance are several hunters' thatched huts, inside all filled with people."

"Also three people dressed as hunters are chatting outside the cave. These hunters are likely the guards of the treasury in disguise."

Xiao Ningchen snorted: "Quite thoughtful—since wild beasts sometimes appear here, posing as hunters is reasonable and doesn't attract attention."

Xiao Er asked: "Prince, should we just charge in?"

"Inappropriate." Xiao Yuanhang thought: "This terrain is easy to defend, hard to attack; if we force a breakthrough, there will be casualties, and once Jingzhao Prefecture gets involved, things will become complicated."

"Best to silently empty it out, leaving the Wei family unable to voice their suffering, only able to deem themselves unlucky."

Several people looked at each other, all pondering how to achieve that.

Tuan Tuan yawned, and Xiao Ningxun immediately said: "Tired? Sleep then, just doze on third brother's back."

Tuan Tuan rubbed their eyes: "I'm not sleeping! I haven't seen the gold yet!"

Dad, let Goo-goo come help us!

"Goo-goo? What's that?" Xiao Yuanhang stared, stunned.