Chapter 121 The family property is just a case of things not being big enough.
“They are the palace's shadow guards,” Mei Shiyu said in a low voice.
"Shadow Guard? Eagle Guard?" Guan Ye asked in a low voice.
Mei Shiyu put down his teacup, speaking slowly and deliberately, “The guards at the money shop are the Shadow Guards. The Imperial Guards are divided into two types. The Eagle Guards are responsible for protecting the royal family, and their weapons are swords or sabers. The Black Eagle Guards are a branch of the Crown Prince’s personal guards.”
"Luo Yichen is the leader of the Black Hawk Guard?" Guan Ye murmured. "The Black Hawk Guard is always by Mu Chenbi's side."
“That’s right.” Mei Shiyu continued, “There are Shadow Guards in the shadows. As their name suggests, they are like shadowy figures in the night. They mainly use hidden weapons and move around unnoticed. They are also involved in dirty and shameful things.”
Xiao Ma sneered, "This little bit of firearm actually alarmed the Shadow Guards. I, Xiao Ma, have quite a lot of influence."
Mei Shiyu looked serious and shook his head at Xiao Ma, saying, "You must not be careless. When the fake copper coins reappeared, I originally thought it was just that the descendants of the Ma family wanted to reopen the case, which was not an impossible thing. I reported to the court and asked the three departments to re-examine the old case... But what happened afterward made me feel that this matter was not as simple as I and you thought."
"Oh?" Xiao Ma still looked arrogant. "Guan Ye said she was afraid things weren't big enough, the bigger the better. I'd like to know, how exactly are they not simple?"
When Mei Shiyu was young, his father had told him about Ma Yi and Ma Yanyu. Ma Yi was heroic and bold, while Ma Yanyu was handsome and refined. Although they were father and son, their appearances and personalities were very different. The little Ma he had recognized today looked exactly like the Ma Yanyu in the painting, but his personality was more like his grandfather's. If Grandpa Ma were still alive, he would definitely say something as bold as, "I'm just afraid that things aren't big enough."
Mayi was not afraid of death. No matter how hard it took Xiao Ma to get to the city of the emperor and clear his family's name, he was not afraid of anything.
"It was you who reminded me," Mei Shiyu said softly. "You said that since the Salt and Iron Bureau is not doing anything, we should bypass them and find someone who can speak up. I did as you said."
"Who did you contact?"
—"Crown Prince Mu Chenbi".
Mu Chenbi? Guan Ye's lips twitched. Mu Chenbi also knew about the old case of the Ma family.
“Just a few days after we went to see Mu Chenbi, the Shadow Guards showed up at our door… You know what happened after that.” Mei Shiyu observed Xiao Ma’s expression.
Before Xiao Ma could speak, Guan Ye preempted him, saying, "Mu Chenbi isn't that kind of person."
Mei Shiyu looked at Guan Ye suspiciously, "You also recognize Prince Shen Bi?"
Guan Ye nodded, "Mu Chenbi is passionate about forging and loves swords as much as his life. Swords are like gentlemen, and those who cherish their swords are often gentlemen as well. He is an upright person, and I believe he would not do anything underhanded."
Mei Shiyu frowned, as if pondering what Guan Ye had said. Mu Chenbi visited the Mei family at night and spoke with integrity. Since he still dared to go to the Mei family in person, it was enough to prove that he had a clear conscience. But if it wasn't Mu Chenbi's doing... there were very few people who could control the Shadow Guards.
“If it’s not Mu Chenbi, then who else could it be…” Xiao Ma muttered to himself, then suddenly met Mei Shiyu’s calm gaze. “The Shadow Guards are imperial guards, and only members of the royal family can command them. If it’s not Mu Chenbi, then it can only be…”
Guan Ye Hongyi shuddered. Had her mouth been blessed? She had just said the bigger the matter, the better, but if it got to the sky... could the few people in the room really tear the sky apart?
Xiao Ma held his sword horizontally, stroking it inch by inch in his palm. "Originally, I thought I would use the fake copper coins to bring up the old story and take the opportunity to overturn the case for my family. It was just a furnace of fake copper coins. My father and I thought that someone was jealous of our family's ancestral property and was framing our family for the sake of their own power. But the Shadow Guards have taken action. It seems that the person behind the scenes is after more than just profit."
"If it's not for profit, then what is it for?" Mei Xiaoqing was dumbfounded.
Xiao Ma pointed his sword straight at the sky, saying, "Before the word 'profit' is the word 'power.' Power is greater than the sky and the earth. With great power in hand, there is nothing that cannot be done. The fact that my fake copper coins have been mobilized by shadow guards shows that my fake copper coins have alarmed that person. He is in a hurry to destroy the evidence, fearing that my Ma family's fake copper coins will cause a huge upheaval and destroy the power he holds."
Mei Xiaojing rubbed her head and looked at Guan Ye for help, "Guan Ye, did you understand? These are just fake copper coins... why is it like this? Or did I miss something?"
Yes, Guan Ye and Mei Xiaojing had the same doubts. A batch of fake copper coins was only a thousand strings of cash. At first glance, it seemed like a lot of money. The daily turnover of Rongdu Market was no less than a million. A thousand strings of cash was not a lot when spread out. Moreover, most of them had been collected more than ten years ago. Now, there were only a few dozen coins in the world. They couldn't even afford a good meal at the night market. Why would the Shadow Guards need to take action?
Unless... there are more connections behind the case... and the investigation continues along the lines of the case, only then can that person's power be truly overthrown... who... and who could that person be, and who else could it be?
The doors and windows of the main room were tightly closed, the bronze stove was burning hot, and the freshly brewed tea was scalding hot... Why was she getting colder and colder as she sat there? Guan Ye couldn't help but hug her shoulders and shiver.
After becoming a fugitive himself, he had to hide and run because of the Blood Crossbow Case. Xiao Ma, on the other hand, was determined to seek justice and was even more desperate than him. If he failed to get justice, he would be crushed to death by the sky. Guan Ye was not afraid of death. Every day she had lived since birth was a bonus. Xiao Ma... was also willing to die?
Mei Shiyu calmly stood up and walked towards Xiao Ma, who was clutching his sword tightly. "Would you like to take a look at the furniture you've stored at home?"
Xiao Ma's heart stirred slightly, his lips parted as if he wanted to speak but then stopped. He had fled Lingnan alone, boarding Hu Xian's dilapidated and swaying ship. He had trained hard on Canglang Island for years, and there were still sword wounds from Lou Cangyu... Countless sleepless nights were endured thanks to the family's wealth, which they could never finish eating in ten lifetimes. When his father was starving, he would say, "Think about the money our family has in the Mei family. If we can make it back to Rongdu, there will be many good days waiting for us. The fried cakes on West Street are really delicious."
—The fried cakes on West Street… Little Ma licked his dry lips. Yes, he hadn’t eaten any yet.
Little Horse would love to watch, but not now.
Xiao Ma wanted to but didn't dare, while Guan Ye not only dared to think about it but also dared to speak up. "Can I... take a look?" Guan Ye stammered, "How much of the family property that Xiao Ma has been so eager to own?"
"Guess," Mei Shiyu chuckled teasingly.
Guan Ye unleashed her imagination, holding up a finger to Mei Shiyu, while Mei Xiaojing blurted out, "Ten thousand taels?"
"One...one thousand taels of silver?" Guan Ye asked boldly.
Mei Xiaojing laughed, her laughter ringing out like silver bells. "Guess again."
“That’s ten thousand taels.” Seeing Mei Shiyu remain silent, Guan Ye affirmed, “It must be.”
Xiao Ma chuckled softly, holding his sword. Mei Shiyu nodded and smiled, "Whether you look or not doesn't matter. As long as the Mei family exists, your things will remain. Even if I, Mei Shiyu, am gone, I will still protect your things, not a single penny will be missing." Mei Shiyu pointed to two portraits on the wall, "Old Master Ma's family property entrusted to the Mei family is a full 100,000 taels of silver."
"One hundred thousand taels?" Guan Ye's mouth dropped open and her eyes widened. This amount was too huge, too huge for Guan Ye to even imagine. Guan Ye stared blankly as she shifted her gaze to Xiao Ma's calm and composed face. Him? Xiao Ma, Ma Lin... the little swordsman wearing the Pei family's black robe with its sword patterns, holding an old sword from the old workshop, who had been eagerly asking her for money... actually... had one hundred thousand taels of silver? Her father had gone to great lengths to prepare the small courtyard, which only cost a hundred or so taels. Xiao Ma... could he buy the entire street? Really... Guan Ye wished she could gouge out her own eyes. She had eyes but couldn't recognize a person of great stature.
“Little Ma…” Guan Ye’s lips trembled, “You’re really rich.”
Xiao Ma seemed not to listen to Guan Ye's words, and walked closer to the portrait, asking suspiciously, "My things...are here?"
Mei Shiyu tapped the wall with his knuckles and nodded, saying, "Otherwise, how could we have escaped the court's repeated audits? Your family's savings were never recorded in the bank's ledgers. My father used 100,000 taels of silver to build this wall, then plastered it with lime, making it look like an ordinary wall. He then hand-painted landscape paintings behind them. Not only my Mei family, but your grandfather and father also guarded this wall every day, for the Ma family, for you, waiting for the day when you would return here."
"Hidden here..." Xiao Ma walked blankly to the wall, his trembling palms pressing heavily against it. He seemed to feel the deep heartbeats of his grandfather and father, their smiles gazing at the descendant of the Ma family, as if they were saying:
"Ma Lin, you're finally back."
Watching Guan Ye and Xiao Ma leave the money exchange, Mei Shiyu looked up at the sky, letting the afterglow of the setting sun spread across his face, making his pale skin glow with excitement. Xiao Ma's appearance was like a magic potion, summoning the soul in his heart. The things that his predecessors had not finished would be accomplished in their hands. Mei Shiyu believed they could do it.
"Cousin," Mei Xiaoqing leaned against the doorframe, watching Xiao Ma's departing figure without blinking, "what should we do next?"
“We don’t need to do anything.” Mei Shiyu said in a deep voice, “The Shadow Guards have appeared, and the person behind them has already made a move. Following the trajectory of the fake copper coins, we will know what to do when they make their next move.”
Mei Xiaojing's brows furrowed with worry. "Nobody knows Xiao Ma. You've already given him the money, so why doesn't Xiao Ma take it? The world is vast; he could find a place to live in seclusion. Perhaps that's what his parents are hoping for too. The Shadow Guards' deployment must be part of a massive net. Knowing the road ahead is treacherous, why insist on continuing down this path?"
Mei Shiyu turned to look at his cousin's somewhat melancholy face, "If he really takes the silver and runs away, he won't be the little horse you worry about anymore."
Mei Xiaojing's cheeks burned, and she only reluctantly looked away after Xiao Ma's figure disappeared around the corner.
As they walked out of the Gongcheng Money Exchange, the setting sun was gradually disappearing, its afterglow spreading and reddening their excited faces.
"Guan Ye," Xiao Ma whispered, "Am I really that stupid..."
"I knew it." Guan Ye glanced sideways. "You're regretting it, aren't you? Ten thousand taels of silver, how about we go back to the Mei family and smash that wall down?"
Xiao Ma Jun's face flushed red, and the veins on the back of his hand gripping the sword hilt bulged. "My grandfather and father are watching me like that. If I really recklessly smash the wall, they'll crawl out from underground and strangle me. The Ma family's spirit still lives on. I may be greedy for money, but I won't smash the wall now. Someday... someday..."
"I wasn't wrong about Xiao Ma after all." Guan Ye started walking again, "When that day comes and you get the silver, what will you do with it?"
"Let's get everyone together and book the Shiyage Pavilion for a good drink first." Xiao Ma's eyes lit up. "Once the injustice is overturned, the ancestral home will be returned to the Ma family. After the house is repaired, they won't have to squeeze into one room in Xingguo Lane anymore. They can all come to my house, one courtyard per person, and live together until we're old and have fun. How about that?"
"So many people..." Guan Ye pointed to the heads, "Are you going to keep an eye on them until they're old?"
Little Ma brandished his sword, frolicking like a colt down the street. "Guardian! This is the life my father dreams of day and night: calling friends, drinking until dawn, enjoying life to the fullest, squandering all his wealth, and living it all up. Let's go, now that I've finished my important business, it's up to you, Guan Ye."
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