Chapter 92: Caught Red-Handed

"Second Brother, that's not right. If Mother beats her to death, how do we get a bride price? The three of us brothers are still counting on using her to exchange for a bride price to marry wives!" Lin San squatted on the ground, pulled out a porcelain bottle from his chest, opened it and sniffed: "What kind of medicine is in here! Why is it so fragrant?"

"This is the pill made from the chicken-shit vine you pounded."

A cold voice came from behind.

The three men squatting on the ground started, a flash of panic crossing their faces.

"B... Boss."

Chi Nan Yi looked down at them from above, his gaze falling on the porcelain bottle in his hand, and smiled faintly: "So it was in your hands!"

"This..." Lin San's eyes darted about: "I picked this up."

"Oh, you picked it up!" Chi Nan Yi's lips curved slightly: "Where did you pick it up? Was it on the table in the courtyard?"

"I..."

Chi Huai Qian stepped forward quickly, took the porcelain bottle from his hand, and found another porcelain bottle hidden in his chest.

"You picked up one bottle, but two as well?" Chi Nan Yi looked at the two men beside him: "Are you two going to take them out yourselves, or should we search you?"

Lin Da and Lin Er lowered their heads, their faces deathly pale, and reached into their chests to take out the pills.

"It really is you three little bastards." Aunt Li pointed at them and said angrily: "We were nearly ruined by you!"

"Exactly! You don't learn anything good, and specialize in these petty thieving deeds! Since you were little, you'd either steal food or steal things to use, and now you've set your sights on the pills, nearly costing us such a good job. People like you should be thrown straight into prison!"

"That's right! Report to the authorities!"

Hearing talk of reporting to the authorities, the three Lin men were so frightened they nearly wet their pants.

"Boss! I know I was wrong, Boss! We'll never dare again!"

"Yes, Boss, we'll never steal again, I swear!"

The several men kowtowed and bowed on the ground without cease, but Chi Nan Yi only watched coldly, the expression on his face unchanged.

After a long while, blood faintly seeped from the tops of those men's heads, and only then did Chi Nan Yi slowly speak: "Though we're fellow villagers, and I originally didn't want to hand you over to the authorities, you probably don't know who the person who bought these pills is." Chi Nan Yi said in a low voice: "Stealing that person's things, I hear, means having both hands cut off and being exiled."

What?

Cut off both hands?

Exile?

Lin Lin stood at the very back, her expression constantly shifting.

Seeing that she did not step forward to plead, Chi Nan Yi's lips curved up slightly.

A smart one, knowing this might be a good opportunity to be rid of these three wolves.

Chi Nan Yi turned to look at Yun Shui and said with a smile: "Guard Yun, the thieves have been caught. How to deal with them is for you to decide."

The Lin brothers looked at Yun Shui in terror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.

"You, you, you can't arrest me, you're not government people!"

"Heh, I'm indeed not government people, but the government is managed by our master." Yun Shui waved his hand, and several guards stepped forward, swiftly and cleanly tying up the three Lin men.

"Daring to steal our master's things, your courage is certainly not small! Take them away!"

Just then, Fang Juan hurried toward the Chi Family.

This was Chi Nan Yi specifically having someone go notify her.

A family should always be together, neat and complete.

Besides, Fang Juan treasured her three sons so much, how could she bear to let them be exiled alone?

"What are you doing, what are you doing? Why are you arresting my sons?" Fang Juan rolled up her sleeves and was about to charge forward, but upon seeing that Yun Shui and the others all held long swords in their hands, her expression changed abruptly, and she stopped in her tracks and stepped back.

"You... you all..."

"Mother! Save us! Save us!"

"Mother, they want to take us to the authorities! Mother! Save us, please!"

Seeing Fang Juan, the three Lin brothers cried out for help without stopping.

"Bah!" Aunt Li sneered: "You think the authorities are run by your family! Still asking your mother to save you, doing these petty, lowlife deeds all day long, you deserve it!"

"That's right, you deserve it!"

How dare Fang Juan say anything? Her gaze fell upon Lin Lin in the crowd, and she strode forward, raising her hand and slapping her across the face: "You little tramp! Was it you! Was it you who stole the things and framed your brothers? Speak!"

"It wasn't me!"

"Not you? If not you, then who? Who doesn't know that your three brothers are the most honest and simple-hearted? If you hadn't egged them on, they would never have stolen anything!"

At this point, the best solution was to make Lin Lin take the blame.

Her three sons absolutely could not come to harm, otherwise their old Lin Family's lineage would be cut off.

Lin Da came to his senses and shouted, craning his neck: "That's right! It was her! She put us up to it!"

"She told us to steal things!"

"I did not," Lin Lin said loudly: "I didn't do this. It was you yourselves who grew greedy. You stole things, and it was the Boss who caught you himself. How can you pin it on me?"

"You wretched girl! If I say you stole it, then you stole it!" She dragged Lin Lin in front of Chi Nan Yi: "Boss, it was her, she's the one who stole them, let my three sons go! Take her away, whether she lives or dies doesn't matter."

Lin Lin looked at Fang Juan with sorrowful eyes, her gaze filled with despair.

Chi Nan Yi smiled: "Lin Lin, do you admit to what your mother says?"

Lin Lin shook her head: "I don't admit it."

"You wretched girl!"

"Good." The smile on Chi Nan Yi's face grew wider: "Whoever the stolen goods are found on is the thief. I only believe what I see with my own eyes. Guard Yun, take them away."

"No! No!" Fang Juan gritted her teeth, steeled her heart, and blocked Yun Shui's path: "If you want to take them, take me along too!"

Hearing this, Yun Shui snorted coldly: "You think you can escape? Take her away."

Fang Juan never imagined that her casual remark would actually result in him having her tied up as well.

"You all! You're not government people, how can you arrest people at will?"

Yun Shui couldn't be bothered to waste words with her and was about to take the people away, just then, a group of constables walked over quickly.

Seeing this, Madam Fang cried out loudly, "My Lord! I beg Your Lordship to do justice for this humble woman!"

Xie Yuwei dismounted from the carriage and immediately heard Madam Fang's wailing.

Dressed in official robes, he stepped forward with a frown.

"What is going on?"

"Lord Xie." Yun Shui did not bow, but said plainly, "This old woman's three sons stole my master's belongings. Now, I am taking these people back."

"Guard Yun." Xie Yuwei gave a slight nod, then looked at the detained Lin Family members. "They stole the Prince's belongings?"

Yun Shui and Chi Nan Yi had not spelled out the identity of the person who purchased the pills, but Xie Yuwei's words were clear enough for anyone with ears to hear.

The Prince... the Prince's belongings?

The pills they stole weren't being sent to a pharmacy, but to the Prince?