"Wouldn't that expose the silver vault?"
Gu Yaoniang's expression was also solemn: "No wonder our casualties were not many, yet we still managed to protect all the silver. It turns out we had a backup plan."
But...
"It is a bit troublesome, but it's not too bad. The Gu family's treasury is here. Although not many people know about it, it's not exactly a secret. Right now, this cart is only in the courtyard and hasn't entered the actual treasury yet, so it's not a big problem."
There were things Gu Yaoniang didn't say. Even if ordinary people knew the location of the villa Gu Xingzhi had prepared for his family, they might not know the location of the silver itself.
Even if you know where the silver is, you might not be lucky enough to get there.
It's a minor issue, no problem.
Lu Zhaoan's expression was complicated—this Gu Yaoniang, even her little maid knew about the Jianghu tracking powder, and seemed to be a master of it.
The Gu family's treasury is quite intriguing. Although the guards appear ordinary, the inner workings are extremely complex, and I felt completely disoriented as soon as I entered the courtyard.
It's no wonder that Gu Yaoniang didn't take the Crane Powder very seriously.
Gu Yaoniang left Bishuang in the courtyard to clean the Crane Powder off the cart, while she and Lu Zhaoan went to the simple study where they had been.
She cut to the chase: "Do you have any thoughts about the person behind this?"
Lu Zhaoan entered the room but did not look around. He simply sat down as Yao Niang led him.
Gu Yaoniang personally poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him.
His slender fingers unconsciously traced the rim of the glass as he slowly shook his head: "I don't know who it is either. It's too clean; I can't find any clues."
"It's just too clean. In Shuojing City, there are only a handful of families who have the means and the interest to spend this much money."
Gu Yaoniang looked up at him. He remained unhurried: "The Guo family, the Wang family, the Xie family, the Lu family, and the royal family."
Gu Yaoniang was initially listening seriously, but when she heard him include the Lu family and the royal family in the calculations, she burst out laughing.
Lu Zhaoan smiled faintly: "What, you don't believe me?"
"It's not that I don't believe you. But you've included not only all the powerful and influential families in your calculations, but also your own family. What kind of logic is that?"
Gu Yaoniang's eyes were clear and bright. Lu Zhao'an had already suspected all four major aristocratic families in Shuojing City, and had even dragged the imperial family into it.
Judging from the clean-cut style of the villains encountered today, it is indeed only these few major forces that have this ability.
However, this range is essentially no range at all.
Lu Zhaoan looked somewhat embarrassed.
However, he also knew that Gu Yaoniang might not be very familiar with the situation in Shuojing City, so he explained it to her.
"The Wang family, the Xie family, the Lu family, and the Guo family are all long-established aristocratic families in Shuojing City. Don't be fooled by their status as aristocratic families; they are just as powerful and influential as our Lu family. The more established and influential they are, the more they lack money."
The Xie family has been a family of upright officials for generations, traditionally avoiding worldly strife and averse to serving in the court. However, the Xie family's sons are all exceptionally talented, and although they have never held official positions, their influence in the court is considerable. Furthermore, the Xie family has strict family discipline, and its members are mostly straightforward; therefore, in this incident, the Lu family is the least likely culprit.
Gu Yaoniang understood. Recalling her interactions with Xie Danqiu, she roughly understood the meaning behind Lu Zhaoan's frankness—straightforwardness, pure kindness, and sincerity. Such a person would not harbor ill intentions, and even if he did, his pride would not allow him to obtain money through robbery.
They may cheat, swindle, or gamble, but they would never steal or rob.
Lu Zhaoan continued, "The Wang family is also a family of civil officials, unlike the Xie family. Many members of the Wang family serve in the court. Because of the large number of Wang family members, there has always been a tradition of traveling. Generally, they would go out to travel when they were fifteen or sixteen years old and return to the capital before they came of age."
The current head of the household, Wang Chengxian, holds the official position of Grand Counselor and enjoys considerable influence before the Emperor.
For business people to reach this level is no longer just about doing business. Gu Yaoniang understood this principle, and Gu Xingzhi had also explained the situation in the capital to her.
However, Gu Xingzhi and Lu Zhaoan came from different backgrounds and lived in different places, so their perspectives on the story were bound to be different.
Gu Yaoniang listened attentively to Lu Zhaoan's words, and then asked, "Is he Ahan's father?"
Lu Zhaoan was stunned for a moment: "He is Wang Zhilan's father."
Gu Yaoniang then realized that Lu Zhaoan might not know Wang Zhilan's nickname, so she stuck out her tongue and gestured for Lu Zhaoan to continue.
"Lord Wang is adept at social maneuvering and has an excellent reputation. Moreover, the Wang family is one of the wealthiest among the major aristocratic families. The other members of the Wang family are not very bold, so it is unlikely that they would rob someone of their money in the street."
The Guo family are a family of martial artists, impulsive in their actions; robbing people in the street is actually quite typical of their style.
Moreover, the Guo family is the Empress's distant relative, and the Empress has always placed great restraint on the Guo family, not to mention..."
Lu Zhao paused for a moment before continuing, "It's not easy for the Guo family to do something so meticulous and without leaving any flaws. Moreover, the Guo family and the Lu family are now quite close, so it's a bit unethical for them to steal my money. The Guo family wouldn't do that easily."
As for the Lu family…
As he spoke of the Lu family, he leaned back in his chair, appearing somewhat languid. A half-smile played on his lips, and his usually dignified and taciturn face suddenly took on a sinister air, making him look rather eerie.
"You know the situation with the Lu family. Those people are a pack of wolves. They naturally want my silver, but they won't rob me."
They would only think that this money belonged to the Lu family, and if they wanted it, they would come to me and ask for it; they would never set such a complicated trap.
"So, which company do you think it will be?"
Lu Zhaoan shook his head dismissively: "I don't know. I've told you everything I need to know."
Neither of them mentioned the royal family. There were only three people in the royal family: the Emperor, Princess Ruining, and Prince Qing.
The emperor naturally had no need to steal silver, but Princess Ruining was on good terms with both Gu Yaoniang and Lu Zhaoan. Although Prince Qing's relationship with the two was not as close as Princess Ruining's, it was still acceptable.
Most importantly, they are not short of money, and there is nothing extraordinary happening now, so they have no motivation to resort to robbery because they need a large sum of money so urgently.
If it were someone from the royal family, it would be even more absurd.
A moment of silence fell over the study as the two men stared at each other, neither saying a word.
After some analysis, it seemed that none of the capable people had any motive to rob the silver. It appeared to be a stalemate.
"How about you stop giving me money from now on!"
Gu Yaoniang suddenly spoke, breaking the silence in the room.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
