Chapter 317 Big Scam
[Wow, there are quite a lot of aliases. Today it's Wang, tomorrow it's Li, and the day after tomorrow it's Zhou. What's going on? Are you trying to go through all the Hundred Family Surnames?]
Chu Liuzheng fiddled with the system.
[When happy, he sells the Tianlian fruit to the Duke of Yingguo's mansion. When needed, he goes back to the Duke of Yingguo's mansion to steal the Tianlian fruit. Is he treating the Duke of Yingguo's mansion as a free and safe warehouse?]
[Even if he earns money, it's his own. Tsk tsk, when it comes to shamelessness, even the Duke of England would have to admit defeat.]
Xiao Jingfan's eyebrows jumped when he heard this. It turned out that the Tianlian Fruit was stolen by that scholar.
What is the identity of that scholar?
Duke Ying was unaware that Chu Liuzheng had already used the system to identify the thief who stole the Heavenly Lotus Fruit. He tried to dispel the Emperor's suspicions:
"After the theft of the Tianlian Fruit, I not only ordered a thorough investigation within the government but also reported it to Shuntian Prefecture. Although I never specifically stated that the stolen medicinal ingredient was Tianlian Fruit, the theft should have been recorded in Shuntian Prefecture. If Your Majesty does not believe me, you may summon Lord Dong to the palace for questioning."
Xiao Jingfan already knew that the Tianlian Fruit was indeed stolen, so he didn't waste his time. He waved his hand and asked him to stand up and answer.
In the eyes of others, this move meant that the emperor trusted the Duke of England.
Shufei's heart relaxed a little.
The Duke of England had been kneeling for so long that his legs were numb and he had lost all feeling.
Zhou Yuande stepped forward and helped the man up.
The Duke of England felt as if he was stepping on a ball of cotton, his legs were numb and painful, and he unconsciously put most of his weight on him.
Fortunately, Eunuch Zhou was strong and managed to hold on.
Seeing this, Xiao Jingfan still gave him a seat.
"Thank you, Your Majesty." The Duke of England sat down on the chair. The numbness in his legs eased a little, but the itchiness was intense and uncomfortable.
Concubine Shu looked at him worriedly, and the Duke of Ying shook his head slightly at her, indicating that he was fine.
When he bought the Tianlian fruit last year, he had thought about presenting it to the emperor and gaining some benefits for the Duke's Mansion.
But good things must be used wisely.
The political situation is ever-changing, and no one can guarantee smooth sailing all the time. There are bound to be ups and downs. Good things like Tianlian Fruit should naturally be saved for when it is most needed.
Unfortunately, man proposes, God disposes.
Not only did the emperor learn from other people that there was a Tianlian fruit in the Duke of Yingguo's mansion, but the Tianlian fruit also happened to be stolen, leaving him no chance to make amends.
Although he managed to come up with a plausible explanation, he knew the emperor wouldn't believe it. If the emperor disliked the Duke of Ying's mansion because of this incident, only Concubine Shu could mediate.
Therefore, he must not let Concubine Shu be implicated.
Xiao Jingfan looked at the Duke of Yingguo and asked, "The Duke's Mansion is heavily guarded. How did the thieves steal the Heavenly Lotus Fruit?"
"I don't know," the Duke of England sighed and said truthfully, "I stored the Heavenly Lotus Fruit in a cold jade box in a secret room. The stone platform is sealed with a glass cover, and the only opening is locked with a mechanical lock. Only the key I carry with me can open it."
"Last month, I entered the secret room to check. The locks and the glass cover were intact, and the cold jade box was sealed. Only the Heavenly Lotus Fruit inside was missing."
Xiao Jingfan asked: "Where is the key?"
The British justice said: "I have always carried the key with me and never lost it."
[Tsk, how could a mere mechanical lock stump the Thousand Hands Scholar? He opened it in less than a cup of tea.]
Xiao Jingfan:!
Scholar with Thousand Hands? !
What this woman meant was that the person selling the Tianlian fruit was the Thousand-Handed Scholar?
[Tsk tsk, the Thousand Hands Scholar is such a rip-off! First, he sold Xiao Fuzi Han Sui San, along with an antidote that didn't work; then, he sold Tian Lian Guo to the Duke of Yingguo, along with stealing services. It's unlucky for anyone who does business with him! No wonder he can only go to the black market. If he were to show up and do business, he'd definitely be chased and beaten.]
Chu Liuzheng flipped through the pages and suddenly caught a glimpse of a piece of gossip.
[Frog Fun! The painting Wei Mingliang gave to the tyrant was not painted by the Thousand Hands Scholar at all!]
Xiao Jingfan:?!
[Hahahaha! This guy actually bought a random painting from a stall, stamped his own seal on it, and made up a bunch of stories to fool Wei Mingliang.]
Chu Liuzheng wanted to laugh out loud whenever he thought of Wei Mingliang cherishing a painting he bought for two cents of silver like a treasure for two years.
As she laughed, she suddenly felt something was wrong.
[Wait! Wei Mingliang isn't a fan of Thousand Hands Scholar, so it's understandable that he can't recognize Thousand Hands Scholar's paintings. But doesn't Tyrant like Thousand Hands Scholar's paintings? Why can't he recognize them?]
Xiao Jingfan didn't understand. Aren't fans just food? What does that have to do with Wei Mingliang and Qianshou Scholar?
[Oh my, is Tyrant a fake fan? ]
Chu Liuzheng pondered secretly.
"That's not right. The tyrant is the emperor. There are so many famous paintings waiting for him to appreciate. There's no need to pretend to be a fan of a scholar, right?"
[Hmm...why do I feel like there's something wrong here?]
Chu Liuzheng began to search the system again, guessing as he went along.
[The Tyrant has been sending people to search for the whereabouts of the Thousand-Handed Scholar. Could there be some unknown past between the two?]
Xiao Jingfan: "..."
This woman is really bold.
[Tsk, I haven't seen any interaction between Tyrant and Thousand-Handed Scholar. It's always Tyrant who's looking for people unilaterally. Could it be that Thousand-Handed Scholar has another cover that I haven't uncovered?]
Chu Liuzheng continued to search the system with great interest.
Although Xiao Jingfan was overwhelmed by the gossip, he still remembered that he had unfinished business. He asked the Duke of Yingguo, "I heard that the person who sold you the Heavenly Lotus Fruit was a scholar. What do you know about that scholar?"
"Your Majesty, the person who sold the lotus fruit to me was a Nanyang merchant, not a scholar." The Duke of England looked puzzled. "Where did your Majesty hear this?"
Hearing this, Xiao Jingfan looked at Feng Jing.
Feng Jing hurriedly said, "It was that scholar who told me that he was the one who sold the Tianlian fruit, and there was no Nanyang merchant."
"That's nonsense!" The Duke of Ying frowned and looked at him. "I personally purchased the Heavenly Lotus Fruit from that merchant. How could I not know who he is?"
After all, the price of Tianlian Fruit is not cheap, and he is not a simple sucker. Naturally, he has to investigate before buying it, and will only make a purchase if there is no problem.
Feng Jing felt that the scholar had not deceived him and said, "Perhaps the Nanyang merchant first bought it from the scholar and then resold it to the Duke's Mansion."
Everyone who heard this felt that this was indeed possible.
Xiao Jingfan asked: "Where is that Nanyang merchant now?"
Britain said: "I only know that he comes to the capital once every three years, but I don't know where he is now."
[It's fake. The Nanyang merchant had already been killed by people sent by the British. He was buried at the foot of Xiaoshao Mountain on the outskirts of the city. The grass on his grave is already three meters high.]
Chu Liuzheng flipped through the gossip in front of him.
[Tsk tsk, who says only the dead have the tightest lips and are best at keeping secrets?]
This merchant was unlucky. He thought he had found a great bargain from the Thousand Hands Scholar, but he hadn't expected that everything was within his control. Even the lavish buyer, the Duke of England, had been chosen by the Thousand Hands Scholar.
[Alas! A world where only unlucky merchants get hurt... Hmm? Wait!]
She clicked on the gossip next to it and read it quickly.
[Frog fun! The Thousand-Handed Scholar tricked this merchant just to enforce justice!]
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