"Master, Madam, I am late."
It's not that I'm late, it's that I'm addicted to listening outside the door and want to continue digging out the secrets of Xiahe Village. These rabble refuse to say anything.
Aunt Zhang was so frightened when she saw the newcomer that she was stunned for a moment before realizing the situation was hopeless. She immediately knelt on the ground and cried, "Only we know the secret of the gold mine. As long as you agree..."
Xie Zhao raised his eyelids lightly and said calmly: "No."
Not to mention that he slaughtered more than a hundred villagers, he deserved to die even for blaspheming his wife.
Without the master's orders, the subordinates removed the jaws neatly, not allowing these people to make any noise, and dragged them out quietly.
"My benefactor, I know where they hide the gold!"
Ningxiang took the initiative to step forward. Before her father died, he had a premonition that these people would do something bad, so he transferred some of the gold in advance.
It can be said that apart from her, Aunt Zhang and the others were also unaware of the situation, otherwise they would not have been looking for survivors in the village.
In addition to silencing the witnesses, they also need to find out the whereabouts of some of the gold mines.
Inside the small Buddhist temple, the eternal lamp had burned out, plunging the place into complete darkness.
Xie Zhao did not question Ningxiang. Instead, he lit a tinder to illuminate the room and knocked on the surrounding walls. He said to Jiang Yuzhu, "Yuzhu, the layout of the Buddhist hall from outside is different from that inside. There must be a hidden space inside."
After knocking a few times, Xie Zhao skillfully took out a brick.
There was a mechanism inside. He pressed it with his hand, and with a click, the entire wall moved, revealing a bronze door.
The double door knockers of the bronze door are gilded, with two symmetrical ferocious beasts protruding on the left and right.
"Yuanhe, is there any danger in there?"
Jiang Yuzhu stared at the bronze door, remembering that the storybook said that the secret rooms were all equipped with mechanisms, and reminded Xie Zhao not to take it lightly.
Xie Zhao pointed to the carving on the door knocker and said, "Madam, don't worry. In Da Qi, there are no more than two people who are proficient in designing dark rooms."
The ferocious beast door knocker represents the lowest level of mechanism and is considered a trivial trick.
Back then at Duke Mao's mansion, Xie Zhao led his men to the mansion's secret room, which was the highest level of the secret room. The door knocker was a dragon head, and there were densely packed mechanisms inside, which were linked together.
Open the door knocker of the ferocious beast, and you will see a tung oil-burning eternal lamp on the blue brick wall.
The interior is not big, dry and ventilated, and can hold more than a dozen large boxes.
Xie Zhao opened it casually and found a box of nourishing medicinal herbs inside, which were of top quality.
The rest of the boxes contained mostly jewelry, antiques, porcelain and other valuable items.
Jiang Yuzhu played with the golden butterfly hairpin, examining it carefully by the light of the fire, and said in surprise, "Yuanhe, this is Fendie's jewelry!"
Zhao Fendie's favorite piece of jewelry was a golden butterfly hairpin with twisted threads. She asked a craftsman to carve the word "Fen" on the top.
After she divorced Ji Chengyun, she went back to Ji's house to pack her things. She even had a quarrel with the Ji family in order to find her beloved jewelry.
The maids and the old women just said they didn't see it. In the end, Zhao Fendie had no choice but to admit it as she didn't want to continue arguing with the Ji family.
Xie Zhao came to Jiang Yuzhu and found several palace-made items in the box. He said confidently, "These jewels must have come from the black market in Beijing and were transferred here through channels."
People like Aunt Zhang are ruthless bandits.
After making money from gold mining, spending large quantities of gold will arouse suspicion, so people will try to find ways to launder the money on the black market.
Most of the antiques, calligraphy and paintings purchased with gold were stolen and sold at very low prices on the black market.
They bought them at low prices, then sent them to places like Jiangnan through special channels among the bandits. It was a very profitable business and they made a fortune.
The output of the gold mine is enough to guarantee the wealth of several generations. The villagers want to hand over the gold mine to the government, which is like touching the weak spot. Aunt Zhang and others discussed and decided to do it once and for all.
Ningxiang followed behind him and watched silently, when suddenly her eyes went dark and she fell to the ground.
Hong Jin and others entered the secret room and helped carry Ningxiang out to feed her porridge.
When Ningxiang woke up, it was already dawn the next day.
The large group of people were delayed in setting off and stopped on the official road not far ahead.
With the help of a local official, Xie Zhao watched as the people from the yamen were registered. Only when officials from the capital came to take over did the group prepare to set off.
"Madam, please take Ningxiang in!"
Ningxiang chased the carriage and knelt in front of the horse, crying.
Her parents are gone, and although she still has relatives in her hometown, they all look down on her because she is a girl. Ningxiang has no home anymore.
Xiahe Village will be taken over by government officials, and Ningxiang will be left alone with nowhere to go.
Upon hearing that her benefactor was leaving for the North, Ningxiang shamelessly pleaded, "Madam, Ningxiang can wash clothes, cook, and do needlework and embroidery. If I don't know how, I can learn. Please take me in and give me something to eat!"
Jiang Yuzhu took a sip of tea and pondered for a moment.
Hongli couldn't bear it and pleaded, "Madam, why don't we take Ningxiang in? She's very skillful and can run errands and deliver messages."
Although she is a maid who came here halfway, Ningxiang is smart and can be of great use if she is trained in the future.
"Okay."
Jiang Yuzhu ordered Hongli to take Ningxiang to the carriage. Ningxiang observed Jiang Yuzhu's expression and saw that she was tired, so she helped rub her forehead.
Jiang Yuzhu closed her eyes, breathed a sigh of relief, and said, "Ningxiang, your strength is just right."
Ningxiang hesitated. She had heard that maids were not supposed to say certain things, but she felt uncomfortable holding it in. She asked, "Madam, how did you notice something was wrong with Aunt Zhang? And I said I knew where the gold was hidden, and you found it so accurately without my guidance."
"Red carp."
Jiang Yuzhu called Hongli out to clarify the confusion.
Jiang Yuzhu was not the only one who noticed something unusual. She only realized that Aunt Zhang was lying and that something was wrong.
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