Chapter 36: Introduction to the Study
Yongning Street gradually became bustling in the early morning. Street vendors selling steamed buns were hawking their wares, while stacks of steamers were emitting steaming white steam, and the aroma of dough wafted far into the distance.
Not far away, a man in faded cloth stood there, staring at the soft, white buns. His Adam's apple moved, and he unconsciously licked his cracked lips.
"Sir, two freshly baked meat buns, would you like some?"
The stall owner opened the steamer and steam immediately rose.
The man subconsciously touched the empty purse at his waist, shook his head, and turned to leave.
"Shhh~"
The stall owner sneered and was about to look away when he suddenly felt that there was something wrong with the way the man walked - he looked casual on the surface, but his eyes kept glancing at the waists of passers-by.
The stall owner's heart tightened. His family had run this bun shop for generations, so what kind of people hadn't he seen? The man's eyes wandered, his steps dragged on; it was clear he was looking for an opportunity to strike.
Sure enough, when the man lowered his head, he "accidentally" bumped into a young man in luxurious clothes.
"Blind?"
The attendant beside the young master immediately scolded.
"It's okay." The young master said gently.
In the blink of an eye, the man's fingers had deftly opened the purse at the young man's waist and slipped it silently into his sleeve. He was about to slip away when he heard the bun vendor shout suddenly.
"Mr. Yuan, be careful! Your wallet has been stolen!"
This person was none other than the son of Yuan Yuanwai, who lived in the east of the city. The Yuan family had always been kind and generous, always opening their granaries to distribute grain during years of disaster. They were well-known in the city for their generosity, and anyone who saw them would be reminded of their kindness.
Master Yuan was shocked when he heard this, and hurriedly reached for his waist, only to find that his purse was missing!
"That's him!" the stall owner pointed at the man and shouted, "I saw him steal it with my own eyes!"
When the man heard this, his face suddenly changed and he turned around and ran away.
The whole street suddenly became noisy, and many people chased after him.
The bun stall owner smacked his lips, shook his head and muttered.
"Why steal from the Yuan family's money when you can steal from anyone else? Isn't this just going to end up in jail?"
Several strong men chased him all the way into the depths of the alley. Just then, the commander of the patrol department who was on daily patrol passed by with a team of officers.
"What's the commotion?"
The leading commander asked loudly.
"Sir! There's a thief! The man in the gray and white shirt has gone into the alley!"
How dare they steal in broad daylight? The commander's face darkened. Their patrol inspection department was responsible for public security, so how could someone dare to commit a crime on their own land?
"Sir, I think I saw a dagger on that man's waist!"
Someone in the crowd spoke up again.
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding area erupted in an uproar. The commander immediately led the officers in pursuit. If he really had a weapon and injured the nobleman living in the alley, what would happen?
The thief ran all the way and just as he turned the corner, he ran into a servant who was sweeping the floor outside the courtyard. The servant slipped and fell hard.
The old woman next to her was so scared that she threw away the broom.
The thief stumbled to his feet and looked up. There were only two houses in the alley, and the road ahead was a dead end. He caught a glimpse of the corner door of the house on the right, which was ajar. Without thinking, he rushed over, pushed the door open, and got in.
The inspection team followed closely and soon entered the yard.
The courtyard was quiet and elegant, but there was not a single person in sight.
The officers searched the courtyard for half a cup of tea when suddenly a crisp "clang" sound was heard from the south wing, like the sound of a porcelain bottle breaking.
"Look over there!"
The thief is probably hiding in that room.
The servant who had just returned to the gate of the mansion was almost scared to death when he saw this scene.
He went out to buy things as usual, and went home after finishing his business.
There were rumors on the streets that there were thieves in the area, and he found it quite interesting to hear people talking about it along the way.
But why were there so many people gathered at his gate? What made him even more nervous was that he clearly remembered locking the gate when he left!
"Get out of the way! Everyone, get out of the way!"
He pushed through the crowd and rushed into the yard. When he looked up, he saw several men who looked like officials surrounding the study. He was so frightened that his face turned pale.
"Who are you?! And why are you trespassing into my master's house?!"
Throwing away the object in his hand, he took a step forward and stood in front of the study door.
Fortunately, I have always been cautious and always lock the study whenever I go out.
The young master did this in secret, even the master in the mansion was unaware of it. To prevent the news from leaking out, he has been guarding here alone for the past few days, and there has never been any problems. Why did the officials suddenly come today?
The commander's face darkened and he showed his badge.
"The patrol inspector is investigating! I just saw the thief escape into this yard. Open the door quickly and let us go in and arrest him!"
"Sir, please understand," the servant said, forcing himself to remain calm as he stood in front of the door. "I've been guarding here for a long time and haven't seen any thieves. Besides, this study is locked. I'm afraid your eyes may be blurring out..."
"Sir," an officer stepped forward and replied, "the latch of this window has been tampered with. It seems someone has climbed in here."
The commander's tone became more serious: "Please be kind and do not delay official business."
The servant's forehead was covered with sweat, and he stammered, "My master never allows outsiders to enter the study... Now that the master is not here, the key, the key is not here..."
If it was just an ordinary thief hiding there, why would he try so hard to stop him? But this matter seemed strange no matter how you looked at it. If anything went wrong, the consequences would be something he couldn't afford!
"Isn't this clearly obstructing the authorities from handling the case?"
The people who rushed in immediately started talking and pointing.
"Who knows, he might be the thief's accomplice!" an old woman carrying a vegetable basket said in a serious tone, "otherwise why is he so secretive?"
"That's right!" A man nearby immediately chimed in. "This house is usually so quiet, but there's always the sound of carriages and horses in the middle of the night... Could they be hiding something shady?"
"There must be something fishy going on!"
"Isn't it just a study? What's there to be afraid of?"
The servant's face turned pale upon hearing this, and he shouted at the gossiping women, "How dare you! Do you know the status of my master? How could I allow you to spread rumors and slander others like this!"
An old woman spat out melon seed shells and sneered, "Oh, what a boast! Then tell me, who is your master?"
The servant's Adam's apple moved, and he swallowed the words back at the tip of his tongue, his face flushing crimson.
"Since you can't open it," the commander said in a cold voice, "Come here, break the lock for me!"
He saw with his own eyes that the thief had broken into the study! The servant before him looked panicked and repeatedly blocked the search. There must be something fishy going on inside!
Besides, so many eyes are watching. As the commander of the Inspection Department, how can he turn a blind eye to such a suspicious thing?
"Bang!"
A burly officer swung his sword and cut off the door lock.
"Go in and take a look!"
Seeing that the servant was still trying to stop him, the commander shouted coldly, "This man has repeatedly interfered with public affairs. Capture him first!"
The yamen runners on both sides immediately stepped forward and held him down firmly.
The servant was anxious and afraid, fearing that they would not be able to find the thief and would instead cause trouble for his master, so he hurriedly made excuses.
"My Lord, please understand! I am only afraid of punishment from my Master, and I have absolutely no intention of shielding anyone!"
The commander glanced at him coldly and didn't respond.
Whether he is a suspect or not will become clear once we catch the thief.
The study was simply furnished, and the thief was discovered soon after he curled up behind a half-height porcelain vase on the side of the bookshelf.
"I...I'll return the purse to you! It's all my fault for being possessed by the devil. Don't...don't come over here!"
An officer reached out to catch the purse thrown to him, while his other hand still gripped the knife handle as he approached.
We must not only recover the stolen goods, but also catch the thief.
"you……"
The thief stood up trembling, and in a panic he threw out the books from the compartments of the bookshelf.
The servant secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
The thief was so frightened that he didn't seem to be pretending. He looked like an ordinary thief.
But as soon as this thought came to mind, something unexpected happened.
The thief "accidentally" bumped into the mechanism of the bookshelf. With a "click" sound, the entire bookcase slowly opened in front of the officers.
The thief was so frightened that he trembled. Seeing that there was no way to escape, he went into the crack without thinking.
"grown ups!"
The officers were shocked and suspicious, and looked at the commander one after another.
Who would have thought that this seemingly ordinary study actually hides a secret room.
"Sir, this is just an ordinary ice cellar in the mansion!" The servant forced himself to remain calm. "I know this place well. Why don't you take me down and capture the thief? This will make up for my foolish behavior just now!"
Upon hearing this, the commander suddenly became suspicious. The person who had just tried every possible means to stop the search was now so proactive? Moreover, if this was truly an ordinary ice cellar, why would such a secret mechanism be necessary?
The people watching around could no longer contain themselves and their discussions gradually became louder.
"Who would build an ice cellar in a sunny south location? You're kidding!"
"Why would an ordinary family need such a secret door?"
"There must be something shady inside!"
The commander stared at the servant, thinking to himself: Such a sophisticated mechanism is definitely not something that ordinary people can have. Moreover, the servant's expression was obviously not right when he mentioned his master just now.
In the capital, if you're not careful, you might offend someone you can't afford to offend...
Just as he was thinking about it, a man's scream suddenly came from the depths of the secret passage.
The crowd exploded in excitement.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
