Chapter 41: No Good Banquet (End) Disaster Relief Silver

Xun Shu's divination results coincided with the Dali Temple's inference.

Li Song looked at the copper plate in Xun Shu's hand and asked in confusion, "An hour ago, I ordered people to go down to the pond again and search carefully, but still couldn't find the disaster relief silver... Could it be that too much time has passed, and even the Xuanmen technique is useless?

"The magistrate can't be wrong. The time you gave is when the relief money was stolen. It can only determine where the money was hidden after the initial theft. If the thieves moved the location, it won't be accurate." Xun Shu carefully put the copper plate back into his bag and said slowly, "Do you remember what Zheng Shu said? When County Magistrate Zheng was alive, he often went to the backyard pond to relax at night. Once, Zheng Shu bumped into him, leaving him soaking wet. He said he accidentally fell into the pond. Perhaps, he didn't accidentally fall into the pond, but jumped into the pond and moved the relief money."

Li Song naturally didn't know about this, so he asked curiously, "Why did you suddenly change positions?"

"Perhaps they sensed a crisis." He Xuan leaned against the pomegranate tree, his eyes lowered as he stared at Xun Shu, who sat at the table. "Several of them had been plotting for six months to secure this relief fund, even going so far as to murder the relief officer, the Hedao Governor, and disguise it as suicide. They thought they could wait a few years for peace to settle before they could collect the money and divide the spoils. However, officials from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice quickly discovered that the Hedao Governor's murder was a homicide. This case must be resolved, but County Magistrate Zheng realized with horror that his companions wanted to push him out, take all the blame, even going so far as to threaten his family."

Xun Shu raised his head and looked at He Xuan: "So he secretly moved the disaster relief money and didn't tell anyone else? Isn't he worried that these people will attack his family because they can't find the money?"

He Xuan was about to answer when Li Song spoke first. "A person who even stole the disaster relief money from the victims wouldn't treat his family well, regardless of whether he could get the money or not. If I were Magistrate Zheng, I would also hide this money and tell my family where it is. After my death, this would be their money to support them. If they are implicated by me, this might be their last chance of survival. Unfortunately, Magistrate Zheng was probably taken away before he could prepare everything and tell those around him, and he never had the chance to see them again."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Song felt a chill on the back of his head, as if a cold wind had blown across it. He turned his head and met He Xuan's sinister gaze. Only then did he realize that he had stolen someone else's opportunity to be in the spotlight.

He Xuan narrowed his eyes and approached him. As they passed each other, he bumped into him, causing him to stumble and nearly fall. He Xuan sat down across from Xun Shu, a bright smile already on his face. "Ah Shu, where do you think County Magistrate Zheng will transfer the disaster relief money?"

Xun Shu pondered for a moment, then raised her hands, gesturing as she spoke. "Hundreds of thousands of silver taels are not only heavy, but also look like a small mountain. If he were alone, there would be no way to move it very far without alerting others. I think the money should still be near the pond." A sudden thought occurred to her, and her eyes lit up. She stood up with her hands on the table. "He Xuan, do you remember the heavy rain a month ago? The pond in the backyard flooded, and the servants in the mansion ran to the backyard carrying mud bags wrapped in straw and stones. The servants said that every rainy season, the pond would overflow and spread to the front yard, so the mansion always had things on hand to block the water."

How could he not remember this? He Xuan raised an eyebrow and said, "The backyard pond is full of running water. There must be an underground canal connecting it to the river outside the house. Logically, the water in the pond shouldn't overflow due to heavy rain. Ah Shu means that the money was stuffed into the underground canal by County Magistrate Zheng, blocking part of it. As a result, every rainy season, the rainwater cannot be discharged through the underground canal, which is why it overflows from the pond."

Seeing that the five-year cold case was about to be solved, Li Song was so happy that he wanted to jump into the pond immediately: "I will send someone right away, no, I will go search the culvert myself."

"Wait." He Xuan called out to the person who was impatiently running out of the courtyard, "The disaster relief money may have been moved out of the underground canal. You may not find anything if you go there now."

Li Song was puzzled: "What does this mean?"

"A month ago, Madam Zhao passed away. County Magistrate Feng persuaded Magistrate Zhao to build a rockery in the backyard that resembled a grave mound, claiming it would dispel the negative energy surrounding Madam Zhao's death. County Magistrate Feng was fully responsible for this project. He not only built the rockery, but also renovated the pond inside and out. I suspect he must have searched the pond thoroughly and perhaps discovered the relief money."

Li Song scratched his head, feeling somewhat discouraged: "Then where should I look for it?"

How on earth did this guy end up as the Chief Justice of the Dali Temple? He Xuan narrowed his eyes and glared at the person in front of him, his eyes full of disdain.

Xun Shu, unaware of the relationship between the two, said leisurely, "We could flatten that grave, no, that rockery. Perhaps the silver is hidden inside. I think it would be easier to access if we moved it to the surface. Otherwise, I really don't understand why they would build something there that has no feng shui benefits."

-

Li Song got the answer and hurried away. With the matter at Zhao's house settled, Xun Shu and He Xuan could finally leave. They borrowed two donkeys from the kitchen and, braving the scorching midday sun, they slowly and leisurely walked, one in front and one behind, along the shade of the trees toward the coffin.

That day I thought I was just coming for a feast and would be able to return home before nightfall, but I didn't expect that when I left the house and headed home again, it would be three days later.

The sun blazed brightly, the road a burning furnace. He Xuan had barely taken a few steps when beads of sweat began to form on his forehead. The road was deserted, and the shade beneath the trees was narrow. He gave up the little bit of coolness to Xun Shu, while he walked on the outside, a half-step behind, quietly observing the person ahead. Every time the donkey's hooves clunked three times, he would raise his head and glance at the person in front of him, feeling uneasy.

Since leaving Zhao's house, Xun Shu has been silent, and no one knows what she is thinking. He Xuan looked at her like this, feeling anxious and flustered, like an ant on a hot pot, feeling uncomfortable all over, and even the smile on his lips was stiff.

Just before he could no longer bear it and decided to confess everything, Xun Shu finally spoke up, "I can't understand why these people would suddenly take action now after enduring for so many years."

It was actually about this matter. He Xuan breathed a sigh of relief and explained, "Do you remember the disappearance of the Dali Temple Shaoqing half a year ago? He left the capital to investigate this old case, but was ambushed on the way. Who do you think ambushed him?"

"He must be someone who doesn't want this old case to be solved." Xun Shu answered affirmatively, but he was still puzzled. "He must have left the capital secretly, right? How did his whereabouts become known in advance?"

He Xuan smiled bitterly and said, "I don't know about this, but I guess someone close to him must have leaked his whereabouts. The people who stole the disaster relief silver haven't yet divided the money, so naturally, the case can't be solved so quickly. The simplest way is to kill the people investigating. But on the other hand, they also know that with the new emperor's accession to the throne and the replacement of the Supreme Court Minister, it's imperative to investigate this old case. They can't just kill everyone who comes. If they can divide the stolen money quickly and stop contacting each other, they may be able to save their lives. After Madam Zhao's death, the hiding place of the disaster relief silver was exposed, and they immediately put the matter of dividing the loot on the agenda, which led to the subsequent events."

He Xuan's explanation connected everything. Xun Shu sighed, no longer asking any more questions. He only sighed, "So that's how it is. Now that the case has been solved, I hope that all those who have done bad things will receive the punishment they deserve."

"I will."

After explaining this matter, He Xuan's thoughts returned to the matter he had just been struggling with.

Do you want to tell me now? Or should I go back to the coffin shop and find another chance to tell me?

After hesitating for a long time, He Xuan finally made up his mind, hoping to resolve the matter as soon as possible. He rode his donkey forward, walking side by side with Xun Shu, and whispered, "Ah Shu, I have something to say to you. Do you remember what I said yesterday? Actually..."

He wasn't finished talking when Xun Shu interrupted him. Without looking at him, she pointed to the coffin stall not far ahead and said, "Uncle Jiang must be waiting for us at home. We should go back quickly and let him rest assured." She pursed her lips and smiled, "We're already at the doorstep, why rush now?"

He Xuan was stunned. He glanced sideways at Xun Shu's trembling eyelashes, and was shocked to find that the hesitation and entanglement in her heart were no less than his own. He was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Okay, let's go back and tell Uncle Jiang that I'm safe first."

The two men dismounted their donkeys in front of the coffin shop's main entrance. The door was wide open, and there was no one inside, only coffins lined up side by side. Xun Shu walked ahead, leading the donkey into the shop. He Xuan was about to follow when he caught a glimpse of someone standing in a corner of the street. He turned to look at the person, who made a few gestures and quickly left, his steps pausing.

Xun Shu noticed that he hadn't followed, so he turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

The door of the shop is like a dividing line between light and darkness.

The sun outside the door was very strong, and the light was so dazzling that every detail was visible. The coffin bed inside the door was dim and blurry, and nothing could be seen clearly.

Xun Shu stood inside the door and looked at the people outside, his eyes full of confusion and expectation. He Xuan stood outside the door in the sunlight, not knowing how to start.

After a while, he suppressed the uneasiness and bitterness in his heart: "I need to leave first. I can't have lunch with you and Uncle Jiang."

Xun Shu breathed a sigh of relief, revealing the small dimples on her cheeks: "You look so bad, I thought you had encountered something. Go and do your work first. The coffin shop is here, and Uncle Jiang and I are here too. When you are done, just remember to come back. Don't forget--" She looked straight into the depths of He Xuan's eyes and said slowly, "I'm still waiting for your explanation."

He Xuan nodded, suppressing his heartbeat like a drum, and laughed: "Okay, I will go and come back soon. You must wait for me to come back for dinner, and I will bring you bubble cakes."

He Xuan climbed onto his donkey, waved his hand, and left without further delay. After he left, Xun Shu walked back into the sunlight, watching the figure gradually recede until it completely disappeared. Then he sighed and turned to walk back to the coffin shop.

As she turned around, a huge face appeared before her, frightening her so much that she took a step back and nearly fell. When she finally managed to stand, she saw that the person in front of her was Fang Yanshi, and the clay figurine also became angry: "What are you doing!"

Fang Yan hadn't expected to scare her, and said apologetically, "I'm sorry. I saw you hadn't come in for a long time, so I came to see what you were doing. I didn't expect to scare you." He looked behind Xun Shu, "I seemed to hear He Xuan's voice just now. Where is he?"

"He has other things to do and will be back later."

"What could possibly happen to him? He's just a clerk in a coffin shop." After the words fell, Fang Yan seemed to realize something and asked in shock, "Could it be that his memory has recovered?"

How should she answer this? He Xuanshang hadn't told her the secrets he was hiding yet, so what else could she say? She could only vaguely say, "It's a bit like that, but I can't be sure. I'll ask him again when he comes back tonight."

The two walked through the shop and into the courtyard. Jiang Zheng had already prepared a large table full of dishes. Xun Shu glanced at them one by one and felt that these dishes looked much more delicious and tempting than the banquet at Zhao's house. His appetite was whetted at the first sight.

Jiang Zheng greeted Xun Shu with a smile, just like he had done countless other days. He didn't see He Xuan, so he asked the same questions as Fang Yan, but Xun Shu still gave the same answer. Seeing her unusual expression, Jiang Zheng knew there must be something going on, but with outsiders present, he couldn't ask any more questions. He swallowed his curiosity and invited the two to eat.

Xun Shu and Fang Yan briefly recounted to Jiang Zheng what had happened in the past few days. He was so amazed that he suddenly slammed the table and said, "I got a jar of good wine a few days ago, and now is the time to drink it. You two wait a moment, I'll go back to the house to get it."

Fang Yan held Jiang Zheng's shoulder and said, "Uncle Jiang, you've been busy all morning. Take a break. I'll go get it."

"That's fine. It's on the little table next to my bed. You can see it when you come in."

Seeing Fang Yan's enthusiasm, Xun Shu didn't argue with him. He continued to talk about the Zhao residence while eating. A moment later, Fang Yan came out of Jiang Zheng's room holding a jar of wine and said with a smile, "Uncle Jiang, is this the wine brewed by Aunt Wang next door? She also gave a jar of this wine to the funeral clothing store. It's a pity that no one in the family likes to drink it. I'll send that jar to the coffin shop tomorrow. Good wine should be tasted by those who appreciate it, so as not to let it go to waste."

"That's great! I was just worried this jar of wine wouldn't be enough!" Jiang Zheng smiled, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes softening with age. "Tomorrow I'll pickle some duck and send it to you. It's Uncle Jiang's unique craft. I'm sure you'll want to eat it again and again after trying it once!"