"What?"
Su Man and Ao Xi were both attracted over, and both of them stared at the bracelet in Military Advisor Yuan's hand.
Military Advisor Yuan pointed at the pattern on it and said, "This flower is called Yesiming."
"Yesiming..."
Su Man repeated it in her mind, "Judging from the name, it doesn't look like something from the Central Plains?"
"Yes, this flower originated from the Western Regions. People in the Central Plains call it the Jasmine Flower. However, this flower has only been in the Central Plains for a short time, and few people know about it, let alone carving it on a bracelet. So this bracelet is probably not from the Central Plains."
Su Man hesitated, "It's not new for people from the Central Plains to trade with the Western Regions. Besides, this place is only two cities away from the Western Regions, so it's not far."
Military Advisor Yuan nodded. "Madam, you're right. It's not surprising that things from the Western Regions are found in the Central Plains. However, not everyone can use this kind of Yesiming. This flower is the national flower of the Western Regions, and only those of noble rank or higher can use it."
So the question is, since only nobles can use it, how did Mr. Zhou, a mere country gentleman, get it?
Ao Xi licked his back teeth and said, "It seems that this batch of treasures came from a great source."
Since the problem was with the things, Ao Xi immediately asked someone to bring the items that were snatched back from Mr. Zhou's house.
Most of the things were smashed and crushed, and the only things left were hairpins and rings, nothing special.
Ao Xi was a little annoyed, "I should have kept those gold items instead of smashing them all."
"No, not all of them were destroyed. One was left."
Su Man spoke each word with emphasis, "Cui Niang's gold pendant."
The pendant was not destroyed because it was small and Tiger Eye was eager to present the treasure to his wife.
Cui Niang, who was summoned, took it from her neck and handed it to Military Advisor Yuan. Su Man had not looked at it carefully before, but was amazed when she saw it now.
The sculpture above depicts the entire body of a ferocious beast, with a lion's head, a wolf's body, and a fox's tail. The sculptor's skills are so exquisite that even the mane on the neck is outlined with fine lines, making it look lifelike.
Among the people present, only Military Advisor Yuan had some knowledge of the Western Regions. Su Man and Ao Xi were eagerly waiting for Military Advisor Yuan to answer their questions.
Su Man had been staring at Military Advisor Yuan, so she could clearly see the changes in his expression. First, surprise, then shock, and finally solemnity.
"How?" Ao Xi asked.
Military Advisor Yuan frowned, "The carving on it is a sacred beast from the Western Regions. The only thing that can be used is..."
He paused and uttered two words, "Royal Family."
As soon as these words came out, Ao Xi's face changed.
Not to mention a country gentleman, even a prefect like Fang Qingshan might not be able to see such a thing.
But why would such a thing appear in the home of a squire in Pingchuan County?
After a moment's silence, Su Man speculated, "Every year, the Western Regions pay tribute to the Central Plains with beauties and jewelry in exchange for trade. Could these things have originally been sent to the imperial palace?"
The Yuan army advisor confirmed Su Man's guess, "If it weren't for the tribute, I'm afraid these things wouldn't have flowed into the Central Plains."
"So, Mr. Zhou and even Prefect Fang know the origins of these treasures. That's why they are so nervous." Su Man continued.
"My lady, you are wise. I'm afraid they are attacking us just to buy time, so that we can focus on fighting the enemy and have no time to divide up these treasures, let alone investigate their origins."
"Military Advisor is right. Little do you know that the more you try to hide something, the more obvious it becomes. The more you do this, the more suspicious it becomes."
“…”
Su Man and Military Advisor Yuan were talking back and forth, and Ao Xi couldn't even get a word in, looking very depressed.
Su Man didn't notice Ao Xi being "isolated". She touched the red jade bracelet on her wrist and said, "It's just that even though we know the reason, it's not easy to make peace."
It is now clear that there is some hidden secret between Prefect Fang and Mr. Zhou. If the secret behind it can be found out, perhaps Prefect Fang can be brought down.
But before that, they couldn't let Prefect Fang and his men know that they already knew that the treasures were of illegal origin. If they did, Prefect Fang might become desperate and do something desperate.
It is not an easy task to deal with their withdrawal to delay the investigation, but also not to alert them and let them notice anything unusual.
Seeing Su Man and Military Advisor Yuan looking at each other in silence, Ao Xi felt as if his teeth were soaked in a vinegar jar, and he felt sour from the roots of his teeth to his heart.
Ao Xi gnashed his teeth, forcing himself into the group chat between the two men. "Since this treasure wasn't obtained cleanly, why don't we turn the tables on old thief Fang and make a killing from him?"
His words caught Su Man's attention. Su Man raised her eyebrows and said, "This is not a bad idea. Their goal is to get back these hot potatoes. If we give them away openly, it will inevitably arouse suspicion. It is better to use the name of blackmail to let them redeem them at ten times the price."
"ten times?!"
Military Advisor Yuan and Ao Xi said in unison.
What they looted from Pingchuan County was not a small amount to begin with, and ten times that was simply unimaginable.
Compared to the brothers' shock, Su Man seemed extremely calm. "This is a serious matter. If the truth comes out, the prefect Fang will not only lose his official hat, but also his life. He will definitely take the gold and silver."
Ao Xi was happy. "My lady, you are right. That old thief Fang is very careful about his life. It's just ten times the ransom. Although it won't bankrupt me, it will still cost me a lot."
He looked at Su Man with an inquiring expression, "My lady, this boudoir lady is more like a bandit than a bandit like me."
Su Man was wary, wondering if Ao Xi had become suspicious of her. She held her forehead with her hand, looking weak and said, "I am a woman, and if I weren't concerned about the safety of the village master, I wouldn't do this. Since the village master has made a decision, I will take my leave."
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