Chapter 799: Please Yourself into the Jar

It was a very small secret chamber, barely big enough for two, yet quite a few things had been stored inside.

There were some rare treasures, quite a few letters passing back and forth, and several account books.

Pan Yun flipped through them and quickly found what she was looking for.

Xiao Hong glanced at the beginning of a letter and let out a gasp. "It's addressed to the Lu Wang Shizi."

Pan Yun's gaze grew solemn. "A letter kept in the Lu Wang's study—is it really addressed to the Lu Wang Shizi?"

Xiao Hong: "Huh? Could it be that the Lu Wang has been borrowing his son's name to do shady deeds out there?"

"Not necessarily borrowed, but judging from these letters and account books, the Lu Wang is far too clean," Pan Yun tucked away a few important letters and two account books, saying, "Someone this clean is either a great loyalist or a great villain."

Xiao Hong thought too much and got a headache. "Loyal or villain, who cares—his eldest son can't be saved anyway. Leave the rest to Wu Zhihong to investigate."

Pan Yun smiled and took all the treasures from the secret chamber. "Such a big case is more than Wu Zhihong can handle, but he really has turned misfortune into blessing—his position as county magistrate should be safe now."

There were quite a few treasures in this room, and they all looked extremely valuable.

Of course they're valuable—anything the Lu Wang Fu would stash in a secret chamber must be worth a fortune.

Pan Yun took them all.

Coming out, she wandered around the study and pocketed every valuable thing she could see.

She also brought Xiao Hong back to the Lu Wang Shizi's small study and took all the banknotes from the box.

Xiao Hong looked puzzled. "The denominations on these banknotes are so large—won't they be spotted the moment they're used?"

Pan Yun: "You didn't know? I have a masterful art of disguise. Once I'm made up, even my own parents wouldn't recognize me."

At that, Xiao Hong took the land deeds and house deeds from another box and stuffed them into her hands. "Then take all these and sell them too."

Pan Yun looked at her with a sigh. "Xiao Hong, they're not all fools—we should still be kind."

The New Year was approaching, and as a five-good Daoist Priest with faith who earned merit, Pan Yun decided to relieve the poor and share in the people's joy.

So they took the banknotes and the treasures copied out of the Lu Wang Fu and headed south, buying grain along the way and distributing it on the spot to the local poor.

Of course, they didn't only buy grain—they also bought cloth and cotton, and whatever they bought was handed straight out to the local poor, with some sent to the foundling homes as well. Money flowed out like water.

"Sure enough, if you want to spend money, do charity."

Along the way, Pan Yun disguised herself and her companions, sending out only two people at a time to make purchases.

The guards from the Lu Wang Fu who had tracked them down were stumped—how could thieves change their appearance three times in a single day?

Not only was the gender not entirely the same, even their height and build differed.

"I knew it was a gang job—otherwise, how could so many things from the Wang Fu vanish overnight?" Thinking of the paper slip lost on his person, Sun Xin, who had not slept for two nights, felt a burning misery in his heart.

He had searched all night and still couldn't find that paper slip, yet he didn't dare give up.

It was a slip that could cost him his life—if someone picked it up and read it, his days would be numbered.

So no matter how impossible it seemed, he kept searching his room, his courtyard, over and over, until a scream came from the study—the Wang Fu had been robbed!

Only then did he realize in horror that the paper slip in his hand had very likely been stolen by the thieves too.

Although he didn't know how the thieves had done it, if they could steal under the protection of the guards, they could certainly steal a letter right under his nose.

Sun Xin took the initiative and shouldered the blame, personally going to investigate the thieves.

He had expected it would be very hard to track them down, but who would have thought they'd dare to spend the banknotes stolen from the Wang Fu right there in Yanzhou.

Once the banknotes were brought to him and they confirmed they were the ones missing from the Wang Fu, he immediately led men in pursuit.

But they were always one step behind.

By the time they arrived, the people were long gone. The grain the other side had bought was either handed to an escort agency to haul to nearby villages for distribution, or given out on the streets by hired hands to the poor.

The number of people involved was so great that even retrieving it all was impossible. Sun Xin had no time to try; he hurried to follow the trail—but… he simply could not catch up.

Pursuing and pursuing, his party drew closer and closer to Ji'an Prefecture in Jiangxi.

Only then did Sun Xin realize something was wrong, and unease rose in his heart.

He stopped and pondered. "Tomorrow is New Year's Eve. Perhaps we should return to the Wang Fu first and make a new plan."

But then, news suddenly came from ahead: "The thieves have been caught by the Ji'an authorities."

Sun Xin's heart leapt. "What did you say? Where did this news come from? Is it certain?"

"Of course it's certain. Didn't the Chief Administrator send people with the Shizi's seal along the way to ask the government office for help? This news was sent by the county government office—they said that the day before yesterday at dusk, the Ji'an Prefecture spotted two thieves acting suspiciously. The county magistrate recalled the Wang Fu's order and immediately had people tail them, taking them down when their guard was down." The guard said, "The authorities searched them and found quite a few of the Wang Fu's treasures. My lord, let's hurry, or those treasures may not be safe."

It was common for treasures to be damaged or lost after being confiscated—even being a prince like the Lu Wang was no help.

Yanzhou was still some distance from Ji'an Prefecture.

The Lu Wang likely had no authority over Ji'an Prefecture.

Yet Sun Xin took half a step back, his face shifting between shades of shadow and light.

These guards did not know, but he did—the Wang Fu had lost not only banknotes and treasures, but also letters and account books… and the letter in his own hand.

The reason he was in such hot pursuit, and the reason the Lu Wang and the Shizi were willing to alarm the authorities along the way to catch the thieves, was to get those letters and account books back as soon as possible—they could cost people their lives.

What a coincidence—precisely and exactly, the thieves had run to Ji'an Prefecture, and been captured there.

Seeing him still lost in thought, the guard could not help urging, "My lord?"

After a brief deliberation, Sun Xin gritted his teeth and said, "Let's go and take a look!"

Upon arriving at Ji'an Prefecture, Sun Xin did not appear in person, but sent the guards to collect the people and the goods.

The guards entered the Prefect's government office and came out again shortly after. "My lord, they say the people are in the Ji'an County jail, and the goods are at the county government office."

Sun Xin frowned and said in a low voice, "Tell them to fetch them and hand them over to us."

"I did, but they're short-handed and overworked right now—they won't pay us any attention at all."

"Didn't you show them the Shizi's seal?"

"I did, and I even brought the Wang Ye's card, but they won't acknowledge it," the guard said indignantly. "A bunch of slippery clerks—they're just taking advantage of the fact that the Lu Wang's fief is in Yanzhou and he has no say here in Ji'an Prefecture, so they're dragging their feet like this."

Sun Xin was displeased. If Qian Zhixiao were here, would the Prefect's government office dare act this way?

Thinking of Qian Zhixiao, Sun Xin grew even more worried. After a moment's hesitation, he still sent the guards to try the county government office.

They left the Prefect's gate, unaware that the Prefect's officials were also watching their retreating backs and muttering, "What a nuisance — tomorrow's New Year's Eve, and they had to pick this day to come handle business. So what if they're a prince, even the Emperor has to give the officials the afternoon off."

When they reached the county government office gate, Sun Xin still refused to go in, sending his guards inside to fetch the person and take the things.

The guards had barely stepped inside when Sun Xin's shoulder was patted from behind.

Sun Xin turned his head and came face to face with a beaming, smiling face.

Seeing it was a young Daoist Priest, young and pretty, with lively features, bright and cheerful, Sun Xin couldn't help but smile as well, and asked gently, "Is the little Daoist here to beg for alms?"

As he spoke, he reached for his money.

Pan Yun beamed, "No, I've come to invite Chief Secretary Sun into the government office for a chat."

Sun Xin's body stiffened; he was about to call the guards to protect him, but the moment his mouth opened, before any sound could come out, his vision went black and he fainted.

Pan Yun immediately reached out and grabbed him, crying out in alarm, "Quick, quick, quick, my lord has fainted!"