The burly man slightly opened his eyes and said angrily:

"What's pitiful? Who got schemed against?"

Little Fu Bao propped her chin on her hand, looking completely bewildered, and asked, "Big brother, Master, is stealing government silver illegal?"

Gu Yu nodded.

Xiao Heng looked at Xiao Fubao with doting eyes, his gaze practically saying, "My little girl is so smart..."

“Each residence has its own silver, and can also use civilian currency. If they give you silver, why not use silver engraved with your own residence’s name?” “Or just use unengraved silver, or official silver?”

"I suppose you've never seen silver before?" Most people use copper coins and have never seen silver, let alone understand the meaning of official silver.

Even among officials, not everyone could use official silver as their salary.

Although the Great Zhou Dynasty practiced rewarding scholars with generous stipends, a county magistrate, for example, received thirty taels of silver and one hundred shi of grain per month. However, the thirty taels of silver sometimes had to be paid in copper coins, usually in unmarked pieces of silver.

Official silver was ingots, which were very difficult to use. If you wanted to use it, it had to be melted down in the official kiln and made into unmarked silver before it could be used.

For officials, possessing official silver was more of an honor. Only when they retired and returned to their hometowns would they apply to have it melted down in the official kiln to create fire-damaged silver.

Stealing government silver is a serious crime.

Ordinary, ignorant people only know that it's money, but they don't know how powerful it is.

Xiao Heng said:

"It seems this young master Tao is trying to kill two birds with one stone. He plans to wait until you ruin Weixiangzhai, then frame you for stealing government silver." "Stealing government silver is punishable by exile for three hundred li."

They were exiled to the mines.

You may be destined to enter, but you may not be destined to leave.

Even if they survive, they'll be badly injured.

The tall, burly man immediately panicked, kneeling down and saying, "We didn't steal! We're illiterate, we don't know anything about government silver!"

Xiao Fubao said, "Where's the evidence? If you didn't steal it, how did this government silver end up in your hands?"

Except for the man who was being stepped on, the other three men kowtowed repeatedly.

"This was given to us by Young Master Tao. He gave us the silver, saying that as long as we ruined Weixiangzhai... We have elderly parents to support and young children to raise, so we were blinded by greed for a moment! Miss, gentlemen, we were wrong!"

Little Fu Bao said:

"But you have no evidence to prove that it was given to you by Young Master Tao! Moreover, the Tao family probably already knows about it by now."

"I, I'm willing to testify against Young Master Tao! I have evidence!"

Upon hearing this, Xiao Fubao and Xiao Heng couldn't help but become interested. "Oh, what evidence do you have?"

Gu Yu listened with interest and eagerly listened.

Xiao Heng released the man he had been stepping on. The man was in so much pain that he was barely breathing and didn't utter a word.

"I have a contract with Young Master Tao's seal on it! It says that Young Master Tao is willing to pay us fifty taels of silver for our cooperation, with ten taels in advance, and even the date is specified!" the tall, burly man said.

“But you can’t read. What if the contract is fake?” Xiao Fubao said.

Tall and strong Han Dao:

"No, no, we can't be. Although we can't read, we're not stupid. We specially asked the village schoolteacher to help us." "I really hate myself for not listening to the teacher!"

Little Fu Bao got excited. He hadn't expected that these idiots were actually quite clever, not really stupid!

Xiao Heng said:

Where is the contract?

The tall, burly man said, "Here I am!"

As he spoke, he hurriedly searched through layers of paper, finally taking off his shoes and finding the contract from the soles of his feet.

He was so frightened he lost his mind.

Xiao Fubao asked Xiang'er to bring it over, and then handed it directly to Xiao Heng to look at. Xiao Heng looked at it and said:

"I never imagined that someone so young, only sixteen or seventeen, would be so cautious in his actions."

Gu Yu glanced at it and said:

Even the most meticulous plans can have flaws.

The men were completely confused by what the two men were saying.

Little Fu Bao looked at the two of them, feeling completely bewildered.

The Way of Reunion:

"Miss, what do the young master and Master Gu mean by this?"

Xiao Fubao shook her head, even more confused.

Xiao Heng said:

"Take them to the backyard."

Niu San and Niu Mao led the four men to the backyard and let them stay there temporarily.

Seeing that there was no more excitement to be seen, the people around dispersed.

Xiao Fubao pestered Xiao Heng to explain it to her.

"Let go," Xiao Heng said. At this time, Xiao Heng was going through puberty, and his voice sounded like a male duck, quacking and unpleasant.

The little guy, who wouldn't let go, hung around Xiao Heng's waist like a small pendant.

Xiao Heng sighed helplessly, patted Xiao Fu Bao's head, and said softly, "Let go of me, I'll go to the backyard with Master to talk to you."

Little Fu Bao just let go.

When we arrived at the backyard, the female workers were busy at work.

Xiao Heng found a stone bench under a tree and sat down, scooping Xiao Fubao into his arms. He said, "I said he was meticulous because the seal on that contract wasn't real." "He drew it himself, and it's exactly the same as a real seal."

"Then how did you know it was a drawing?"

Xiao Fubao said.

The seal is drawn so realistically that it's practically a forgery.

"The seals are all made of stone. The seal carvers usually just tap a few times during the carving process, leaving irregular cracks that can't be faked." "Furthermore, the paper will show marks on the back." "Take another look at this paper."

The back is very smooth.

“Young Master Tao is probably suspicious by nature. He probably wouldn’t entrust things like engraving seals or writing on behalf of others,” Gu Yu added. “His handwriting is also written by himself.”

Gu Yu had seen the calligraphy of his beloved grandson hanging in the old master Tao's mansion. The young master Tao passed the imperial examination at the age of thirteen and was known as a child prodigy since childhood. Although he failed the imperial examination this time, he was still favored by the old master Tao because of his reputation as a child prodigy and his excellent handwriting.

Grandpa Tao would boast to everyone he met about the calligraphy of his illegitimate grandson.

Niu San invited Lord Liu over.

This Lord Liu is a young man who took office here after Magistrate Wang and Magistrate Li were exiled. He was a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination) three years ago and has been here for two years.

Young men often have the fearless spirit of a newborn calf, and under his leadership, Niushan County has undergone considerable changes in the past two years.

After planting medicinal herbs, life in Niushan Village has visibly improved. Not only have all the families built new houses, but they have also gotten married, and their children have all entered the Niushan Village School.

I can eat meat a few times a month now.

After Lord Liu arrived, he immediately opened the court. Normally, when a county magistrate hears a case, he only needs to send a few constables to take the person away.

However, since Young Master Tao is the son of Vice Minister Tao and a wealthy local merchant, it would probably not be easy for him to pass on his mantle. So Lord Liu came in person.