Even the King of Qi had not expected that such a small ghost case would eventually lead to a major silver robbery case that the court had strictly ordered to be investigated.
They had just finished interrogating Gao Feng when the small change sent by Zhuang Jiuge arrived. They took it to the bank for testing and found that it was indeed official silver with a purity of 100%.
Zhuang Tianer is already a confirmed criminal.
If Zhuang Li hadn't been so perceptive, who would have thought that this huge sum of 600,000 taels would end up in the hands of a peasant girl? The imperial envoy sent to investigate the case could never have guessed the true situation.
After a few months, when the storm had died down, the case really became an unsolved case.
Using these six hundred thousand taels of silver to pave the way, Zhuang Tianer was able to climb step by step to heights that she could never reach. No wonder she wanted to ruin Zhuang Li and Zhuang Jiuge's future, but was not afraid of bringing trouble to herself. It turned out that she already had another way out.
"What a bizarre and complicated case. Zhuang Tian'er is no simple person!" After reading the files, even the knowledgeable commander of the guards couldn't help but be amazed.
An hour later, King Qi led a group of people into the mountains and found the cave under Gao Feng's guidance.
The entrance to the cave was blocked by a few rocks and a bunch of vines, and tigers and bears were common, so no one dared to come. The fallen branches and leaves on the ground formed a natural shelter, and even if someone passed by, they would leave no trace.
After entering the cave, a nauseating stench of decay filled my nose. Lighting a torch, I saw the cave was filled with over forty half-decomposed corpses, all of them stabbed in the chest, killed instantly. Only after walking around the corpses could I see dozens of large boxes.
Some of the boxes had been opened, and some were still sealed.
The guards quickly poured the liquor they brought onto a cloth and covered their mouths and noses with it, so that they would not be overwhelmed by the stench of the corpse.
Zhuang Li was almost fainting, and his originally rosy face was now paler than paper.
The King of Qi felt sorry for him and repeatedly asked him to leave, but he kept shaking his head and refused, refusing to leave.
The King of Qi had no choice but to cover him with two layers of cloth and hold his hand tightly.
The two walked slower and slower and fell behind.
Zhuang Li then tugged at his lover's arm and whispered, "Lower your head."
"Huh? What's wrong with you?" King Qi quickly lowered his head.
Zhuang Li ripped off his own veil, then the King of Qi's, and stood on tiptoe for a quick, wine-scented kiss. Then he put his own veil back on and said calmly, "I'm much better now."
The King of Qi was stunned.
Zhuang Li helped him pull the mask back.
The King of Qi suddenly grasped his wrist and said in a hoarse voice, "I feel a little dizzy too. What do you think we should do?"
Zhuang Li couldn't help laughing, so he had to hold his lover's head and continue kissing. The intertwining of lips and tongues brought out the strong aroma of wine, which completely isolated the horror and stench around them.
No matter what situation they are in, it seems that as long as the two of them are together, bad things can turn into beautiful memories.
The two of them disappeared into the darkness, kissing each other wantonly, until they heard a voice calling for the prince from the front, and then they separated reluctantly.
"Are you still dizzy?" King Qi held the young master in his arms and asked softly.
"Still dizzy," Zhuang Li said with a low laugh, "I fainted from your kiss."
The King of Qi also smiled, his eyes full of satisfaction.
Hand in hand, they walked into the area illuminated by the torches and saw dozens of large chests, all of which were open. It was obvious that the guard leader had already counted the silver while they were secretly making out.
"How much is missing?" King Qi asked in a deep voice.
"Two thousand taels are missing." The guard leader looked at Gao Feng who was tied up.
Gao Feng immediately knelt down to clarify: "Your Highness, I really didn't touch this money! I swear to heaven! If you don't believe me, you can search my house! I am usually very cautious. I dare not spend a single ounce of silver until the news has passed. Believe me!"
"That was taken by Zhuang Tianer. She is skilled and bold, so it's not surprising that she secretly took away two thousand taels." Zhuang Li analyzed.
The guard leader immediately nodded in agreement. "She's already given away a thousand taels to buy her life, so she probably has another thousand taels hidden. We can just go to her house and search her."
"Then go search." The King of Qi gave the order decisively.
---
At the same time, Zhuang Tianer was helping Yun Changrong bandage his wound.
She originally planned to take her mother and the remaining one thousand taels of silver and secretly leave Luoxia Village, but unexpectedly she met the Prince of Qi lying in the grass halfway.
The prince was covered in bruises, his arms were dislocated, and his feet, which were wearing straw sandals, were cut by vines and grass leaves and were bleeding.
Zhuang Tianer rushed to the rescue and after careful questioning, she learned that the Prince of Qi had gone hunting in the mountains and had accidentally fallen off a cliff, nearly dying. His guards couldn't find him and had to rush back to the capital to get help.
Zhuang Tian'er found this story a bit strange. How could a dignified prince not have his guards search the mountains and find him after he was in danger? But she could never guess that the Prince of Qi was not the real Prince of Qi, and she could never imagine that this person would be expelled from the King of Qi's family.
So she believed Yun Changrong's words and gave up the idea of running away with her mother overnight.
First, after she left, the six hundred thousand taels of silver would remain where it was, and she was worried about it being discovered. Second, she was unwilling to escape like a stray dog. She must live a better life than anyone else and make those who hurt her pay the price!
As long as I can heal the Prince of Qi's injuries and send him back to the palace safely, it will be a great achievement! With the reputation of being the Prince's savior, do I still need to escape?
In this Bazhou City, or even in the capital, who dares to bully me? Thinking of this, Zhuang Tianer quickly helped the Prince of Qi up and took him home for treatment.
Yun Changrong concealed his background.
He was afraid that Zhuang Tianer would be unwilling to help him if he revealed the truth, so he made up a story full of loopholes. Fortunately, Zhuang Tianer was just a peasant girl with little experience and actually believed it.
Yun Changrong planned to stay at Zhuang Tianer's house, recuperate, and then secretly leave. After all, he had been a prince for over a decade and had many friends. Perhaps someone would be willing to help him regain everything he had once had. From noble and extraordinary to lowly and humble, such a gap was simply unbearable for him.
Zhuang Tianer helped Yun Changrong back home, while Qin went around to the back of the house and buried the silver in the backpack back in the ground.
She had run away from home in the middle of the night with her daughter. Her husband would surely be furious if he found out. Would his parents-in-law divorce her? How would she live in the future? Qin pushed open the gate, her heart pounding, only to hear her husband's cheerful voice coming from the candlelit room.
The mother-in-law, who had previously avoided her daughter like the plague, came out of the house carrying a basin of hot water with a flattering smile on her face.
Seeing her daughter-in-law, her smile faded and she asked, "Tian'er said you were in the back mountain helping the prince get medicine to stop bleeding. Where is the medicine?"
Qin quickly took out a few fresh herbs from her backpack, and the mud on her hands was naturally covered up.
Old Madam Zhuang urged, "Why don't you wash it clean, mash it up, and apply it to the young master?"
"I'll wash them right away." Qin walked into the kitchen with the herbs, sat down on a stool beside the stove, and breathed heavily. She was so nervous that her head felt dizzy.
At this moment, Zhuang Tianer walked into the kitchen and whispered as she cooked porridge, "Mom, do you see? As long as we are still valuable, Dad and Grandma will treat us well. Even if they know we go out in the middle of the night to escape, they dare not vent their anger on us."
Qin asked doubtfully, "Just because we saved the prince?"
"Yes, it's because we saved the prince. As long as we send the prince back to the palace, we will be the great benefactors of King Qi. With this relationship, the villagers will have to bow their heads when they see us! Mother, don't be afraid, I will definitely let you live a good life." Zhuang Tianer vowed.
Qin shook her head, her tone somewhat depressed: "Mother doesn't want to live a good life, mother just wants to live a stable life."
Zhuang Tianer sneered, "Without power, your so-called peaceful life is just wishful thinking."
After she finished speaking, she stared at the bubbling porridge and fell into deep thought. She knew that the biggest opportunity was right in front of her. As long as she seized it, she would surely soar to the sky from now on.
She must capture the Prince of Qi, but how?
She knew full well that marrying a peasant girl as a wife was a fantasy for a prince. But what if this peasant girl could bring a dowry of 600,000 taels? Who could resist such a temptation? Even a princess wouldn't have such a grand wedding, would she?
Thinking of this, a gleam of light flashed across Zhuang Tianer's eyes.
Elsewhere, Boss Zhuang and Mrs. Zhuang were also hiding in the utility room, muttering, "Boss, do you think Tian'er is a demon?"
"No matter who she is, as long as she can bring benefits to our family, we will recognize her. She is still a bit lucky. She went into the mountains and rescued the prince of Qi."
"Erbao also said that the prince died suddenly."
"Bah! How dare a young brat like him criticize the affairs of the Prince's Palace? When the Prince recovers from his injuries, I will personally send him back. When I see the Prince, I will definitely complain about Zhuang Jiuge in front of him! He is cursing the Prince!"
"The second son's family is so cruel. They just left without caring about me and the old man. You should also talk to the prince about this matter. Ask the prince what the crime of being unfilial to one's parents is."
"Don't worry, Mom. I will definitely seek justice for you and Dad." Boss Zhuang patted his chest and promised.
As the mother and son were imagining their future, a series of horse hooves and running sounds rang out from outside the courtyard. Then, a group of soldiers holding torches, leading hunting dogs, and wielding machetes menacingly entered the Zhuang family's home, shouting, "Where is Zhuang Tian'er?"
Mr. Zhuang and Mrs. Zhuang hurried out of the utility room.
Old man Zhuang, who pretended to be deaf and dumb, opened the window and looked out furtively.
Zhuang Tianer guessed that this group of people were here to look for the prince, so she walked out calmly and replied, "I am Zhuang Tianer."
"Catch him!" The leading soldier gave the order, and Zhuang Tianer's hands were handcuffed behind her back and pressed to the ground.
Zhuang Tianer shouted in panic, "Why are you arresting me? What have I done wrong? The prince is in the room, and I saved him. I am the prince's savior!"
"What do you mean by Crown Prince or not? We in Prince Qi's Mansion have never had a Crown Prince." The leader of the guards walked out from behind the crowd with a scornful smile on his face.
"No, didn't your prince fall off the cliff? I saved him. He is in the house. Really, you will know if you go in and take a look!" Zhuang Tianer was still struggling.
"Go into the house and search!" The commander of the guards waved his hand, and a group of officers and soldiers rushed into the house.
The initially nervous Zhuang Lao Da and Mrs. Zhuang were immediately relieved, and Zhuang Tian'er, who was pinned to the ground, also breathed a sigh of relief. Seeing the living prince, these people would let her go.
Unexpectedly, a moment later, the soldiers dragged the battered Yun Changrong out and threw him to the ground. Then they ran back into the house and tore down the heated kang, walls, and floor tiles. It was obvious that they were not looking for the prince at all, but something else.
What was even more strange was that when they saw the Crown Prince, none of the officers and soldiers saluted him. Instead, they showed expressions of disgust and contempt.
Yun Changrong did not scold them, nor did he reveal his identity. Instead, he lowered his head, as if he was too ashamed to face anyone.
What's going on? Zhuang Tianer was confused.
The guard leader stared at the top of Yun Changrong's head and sneered, "From now on, if I hear that anyone is deceiving others by claiming to be the prince of the palace, I will definitely arrest that person and imprison him until he dies. Do you understand?"
Yun Changrong lowered his head and said nothing.
The guard leader suddenly raised his voice and shouted in a very authoritative tone, "Did you hear that?"
Under pressure, Yun Changrong had no choice but to raise his head and grit his teeth in a humiliating response: "I heard it."
"Don't you understand the etiquette for talking to court officials?" The commander of the guards didn't let him go.
Yun Changrong held his breath and said in a hoarse voice, "I heard it."
The commander of the guards then snorted coldly and looked at the manor that had been torn to pieces.
Hearing Yun Changrong call himself a commoner, Zhuang Tianer, who had been struggling violently, collapsed instantly. She vaguely realized that something terrible had happened without her knowing. If these people were not looking for the prince, what were they looking for?
She suddenly opened her eyes wide, revealing an expression of extreme fear.
The next moment, a hunting dog came around the back of the house and dug out the 1,000 taels of silver that Qin had hastily buried with its claws.
The silver was not crushed and was still intact. The words "official silver" were engraved on the base, which was solid evidence.
At the same time, all the villagers in Luoxia Village were arrested by officers and soldiers, and the small change they had taken from the banker during the day was seized.
The two piles of silver put together were exactly the lost two thousand taels.
The guard leader waved his hand, and Zhuang Tian'er was lifted up by an officer, heavily shackled and leg ironed, and dragged out of the courtyard like a dead dog. Zhuang Lao Da, Qin, Old Madam Zhuang, Old Man Zhuang, and even ten-year-old Zhuang Haisheng were all shackled, strung together, and loaded onto a prison van.
The villagers of Luoxia Village were also tied up with ropes by the officers and soldiers and taken to the government office for interrogation.
Along the way, everyone was cursing Zhuang Tianer. She was labeled as an evil spirit, a bitch, and a wild ghost. Some people even ran to the prison van and spat at her.
It was hard to imagine that not long ago, Zhuang Tianer was the lucky star of Luoxia Village, praised and loved by everyone. Her life had changed so quickly, so fast that she had no time to react.
She ignored the saliva spitting in her face, squeezed to the edge of the cage, and asked in a hoarse voice: "I didn't rob the silver, I just found it. The court shouldn't sentence me too harshly, right?"
The guard leader, who rode beside the prisoner's wagon, sneered, "You did indeed pick it up by chance, but then you set up a scheme to embezzle the silver. Your crime is no different from robbery. A sentence of lingchi (death by slicing) wouldn't be unjust."
Hearing this, Zhuang Tianer fell down in the prison van, her gums were bitten unconsciously, and her mouth was full of blood.
Why was she executed by lingchi again? Could it be that her rebirth could not change anything?
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