Chapter 154 Even Heaven is Helping the Eagle Claw
Ah Jiu still didn't quite understand, "Isn't it a good thing if it's more than enough? It's better than not being able to pay at all."
Guan Ye shook his head. “Brass is thin and brittle and easy to handle. It is mostly used as an auxiliary material in weapons and armor. It can be used, but it should never be overused. If too much brass is used in the blade, it will not be able to withstand the opponent’s heavy blows. Look at these broken pieces. They were not cut off, but broken by shock. So I dare to conclude that there are definitely more than 800 catties of brass in these mixed copper swords.”
"Who would dare to pass off inferior goods as superior ones in the military?" A-Jiu suddenly thought of something, "These swords are..."
"The tomb guards," Guan Ye and A Jiu said in unison.
Wan Qixi said that these swords were military equipment of the guards outside the city. Why would the soldiers guarding the tombs need to fight on the front lines? If it were really their turn to take action, the Great Jin Dynasty would not be far from being destroyed. So, they would not be able to find out if there was a problem with the weapons... But... why did they mix brass into the weapons of the guards?
The Bloody Crossbow Case—the Battle of Eagle Ridge was a real, life-or-death struggle. Victory meant eternal glory and glory, while defeat meant death and ruin. That's why someone tampered with the crossbows, resulting in the deaths of three thousand archers at Eagle Ridge, and the Jin Dynasty almost falling into the hands of the rebels who stormed Rongdu…
The tomb guards haven't been able to use their weapons for decades; their precious swords are just for show. To tamper with the guards' swords... surely it's not like... a bunch of petty thieves are planning to rob the imperial tomb... that doesn't make sense.
Unless… Guan Ye's body twitched slightly. Little Ma, Ma Lin… Guan Ye remembered, that night Little Ma said:
"My father said that the amount of counterfeit copper coins was not too large, and only one batch was cast, yielding 500 strings of cash."
Guan Ye and Xiao Ma also calculated that 500 strings of cash was roughly 400-500 catties of brass. This amount wasn't a lot, but it wasn't a small amount either. However, it was nothing to the wealthy Ma family, and Old Master Ma wouldn't risk his life for such a thing...
Guan Ye also asked Xiao Ma if the brass that had been withheld had been found afterward.
Little Horse shook his head: They're all gone.
— Gone.
Apart from Old Master Ma Yi, no one knew where the brass went. Ma Yi surrendered himself to the authorities and was executed a few days later. The Ma family was exiled to Lingnan, and the case was closed. It was never mentioned again.
Not long after the Blood Crossbow Case, the Ma family got into trouble, and the court revoked their qualification to manufacture weapons and mint coins for the imperial court. After talking with Xiao Ma that night, Guan Ye felt something was strange. The two cases were only a month apart, and there were some similarities. How could the two wealthy families who were least likely to commit crimes have gotten into such a big mess?
The hundreds of kilograms of brass that disappeared from the Ma family's possession... Could it be that the mysteriously vanished brass is...? Guan Ye looked incredulously at the broken sword of the tomb guard... It was among these thousand miscellaneous bronze swords...
"Guan Ye? Guan Ye?" Ajiu shook her hand. "What are you thinking about?"
Guan Ye came to her senses. "We'll only know for sure once all the swords have been melted down. I also want to know... if that's really the case."
Ajiu seemed to understand, but he didn't press further. From Guan Ye's eyes, he could tell that this matter was no small thing. After leaving Xingguo Fang, every step was fraught with difficulties, both overt and covert, and Ajiu believed that Guan Ye could do it. No matter if it was a mountain of knives, a sea of fire, a dragon's den, or a tiger's lair, Guan Ye would not be alone. Even if the sky fell, he would draw his sword to hold it up for Guan Ye.
As the furnace blazed, the swordsman threw the broken sword into the kiln. Thick smoke billowed, blinding Guan Ye. The truth behind the brass that disappeared twenty years ago and the case of the Ma family's counterfeit copper coins might... lie in this molten lava about to melt.
"No one deserves to die. The dead are gone, and the living must live well. As long as I live, the Ma family case is not closed. We met on Canglang Island, and I even let you keep this last fake copper coin. I believe this time, God is on our side."
Guan Ye also believed that even the heavens were helping her this time.
Ever since Mei Xiaojing came to the neighborhood to find Xiao Ma, Pei Bi has handed over all the business dealings between Xingguo Fang and the money shop to Xiao Ma. Xiao Ma is decent in his dealings, quick-witted, and most importantly, he's extremely happy with it. Does Pei Bi not see through the affairs of young men and women? Who hasn't been young?
Originally, there was no need to go to the Mei family today. Pei Yuan had already prepared money for the New Year, but Mei Xiaojing insisted on coming to his house to deposit the money. It had only been a few days since he deposited it. With the festival approaching, expenses in the neighborhood were considerable, and he would have to go to the money exchange to withdraw the money. All this back and forth was troublesome, but Xiao Ma was happy. With the job in hand, Xiao Ma had to praise Mei Xiaojing's cleverness. Now, he could go to the Mei family without any worries.
"—Remember, take two hundred taels, and make sure each tael is ingot..."
"No mistake." Little Ma leaped onto the carriage, and in the blink of an eye, he had already sped far away.
Seeing Ji Fang with a mouthful of dirt still staring longingly, Feng Shisan asked in confusion, "You want to go too? Then come along."
“I can’t go.” Ji Fang seemed a little depressed. “They want to see Xiao Ma.”
"Oh." Even if Feng Shisan was dull-witted, he wasn't a human being; if he couldn't understand this, he'd be a waste of his size. "Miss Mei, you like her too?"
Ji Fang's eyes revealed a hint of sorrow, "Who wouldn't like it?" Realizing he had spoken too quickly, he blinked and glared at Feng Shisan, "This liking is not that liking, you are not allowed to tell anyone."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Feng Shisan retorted angrily. "Some people belong here, and some people don't. You, Ji Fang, are going back to Canglang Island. Do you expect everyone to go with you to that godforsaken place?"
Yes, Ji Fang suddenly understood, and his expression brightened again. He would be able to see A Yuan when he returned to the island. Ji Fang then wondered if A Yuan might like Miss Mei.
The carriage sped along the bustling West Street. Little Ma whinnied and tightened the reins, glancing back at the fried cake stall they'd just passed. The enticing sweet aroma wafted from several feet away. "Perhaps I should bring some for the Mei siblings," he thought. Just as Little Ma was about to jump off the carriage, a figure darted in. Before Little Ma could see clearly, the person burst into the carriage, bumping Little Ma's back with something hard. "Don't look back, hurry on," the figure said.
The voice sounded familiar. Without thinking, Xiao Ma calmly raised his whip, "Giddy up, giddy up..."
"Are you going to the Mei family?" The person in the car lowered his voice. Xiao Ma lifted the curtain with his hands behind his back and glanced at the person out of the corner of his eye. He saw the person move to the back of the car and peer through the gap with his fingertips. As if he sensed that someone was watching him, the person turned around and their eyes met. Both of them were startled.
"—Leader Luo…" Little Horse recognized the face. "You didn't have to go to such lengths to hitch a ride."
"I'm nimble on my feet, why would I need to hitch a ride in your carriage?" Luo Yichen moved closer. "I'm asking you a question, are you going to the Mei family?"
Xiao Ma relaxed and responded softly, "I'm going to Gongcheng Money Shop. The owner asked me to get some silver."
Seeing the empty box containing silver in the carriage, Luo Yichen knew that Xiao Ma wasn't lying, but... how could someone from Xingguo Ward have sent silver...?
“Chief Luo,” Xiao Ma interrupted Luo Yichen’s thoughts, “why aren’t you hitching a ride? What are you doing sneaking in like a ghost? I’m going to Gongcheng Bank, are you… going the same way?”
"Hmm," Luo Yichen responded sullenly. "Was I in your way by going to deposit the silver?"
Xiao Ma was abruptly jolted, and though he wanted to retort, he didn't dare to say it aloud. "It's no trouble at all. It's just me in the car. You can bring a few more Eagle Guard brothers and they'll all fit. Please, make yourself at home."
That's more like it. Luo Yichen snorted, remained silent for a moment, but couldn't help asking, "You went to the Mei family's money exchange...nothing else?"
Xiao Ma had a bad feeling. Something was definitely amiss. This guy was following him because he was after Mei Xiaoqing. He had noticed that Mei Xiaoqing was unusual to him. She was actually... his love rival.
Xiao Ma chuckled dryly and said casually, "Yes, Xiao Jing said her family has prepared a lot of rare tea fruits and snacks, and she told me I must go and try them."
"That shouldn't be the case," Luo Yichen muttered to himself.
"Shouldn't you? If I shouldn't, then you should?" Xiao Ma was furious, raising his whip as if he wanted to lash him a few times. "You're jealous, aren't you? Fine, we won't go to the Mei family. Your Grandpa Ma will take you straight to Phoenix Perch Mountain and teach you a lesson, see if you still dare to have designs on Mei Xiao Jing." Just as Xiao Ma was about to turn the carriage around, Luo Yichen lifted the curtain, gripping the door frame and saying, "Don't turn back, don't take detours, we're going straight to the Mei family."
Xiao Ma was surprised again. He hadn't even made a move yet, and the other man had already seen through it? After all, he was a member of the Eastern Palace Black Hawk Guard. Although he looked simple-minded, he was not to be underestimated.
As they entered the streets and alleys of the Mei family, Luo Yichen lifted the curtain at the back of the carriage and glanced back a few times. Just as Xiao Ma was about to turn around to see what he was looking at, Luo Yichen pressed the hilt of his sword against his back again, saying, "I told you to keep going forward and not to look back."
"You think you can see that?" Xiao Ma reached for his sword. Anyone who dares to use a sword to stab a swordsman in the back must have a bad temper.
"Let me see if anyone's following you," Luo Yichen said angrily. "Are you stupid? You were followed the whole way and didn't even notice, and all you could think about was buying a piece of fried cake?"
Did they even notice I wanted fried cakes? Xiao Ma blushed, then suddenly realized, "Someone's following me? What are they doing with me?" With the New Year approaching, was Mei Xiaojing right? Was someone trying to rob me?
Luo Yichen gestured for Xiao Ma to continue forward, "Shadow Guard, you have a Shadow Guard with you. Let's talk when we get to the Mei family."
Shadow Guard? Xiao Ma's body tensed up as if someone had acupunctured him. At this moment, Luo Yichen was his everything, and he would do anything without hesitation.
"A shadow guard is following Xiao Ma?" Mei Xiaoqing covered her mouth as soon as she shouted, turning to look at her cousin's face, her eyes filled with undisguised fear. Seeing her cousin glance at Luo Yichen, Mei Xiaoqing immediately understood and leisurely lowered her hand, saying, "Luo Yichen, have you been an Eagle Guard for too long and now you see everyone as an Eagle Claw? Shadow Guard? I think it's you, the Eagle Guard, following him."
Luo Yichen was not annoyed by her mockery. He took out a heavy brocade pouch from his pocket and placed it on the coffee table. "The Eagle Guards paid their salaries yesterday. I come to Gongcheng Money Shop every month on this day. If anyone asks about it today, it won't arouse suspicion."
Just as Mei Xiaojing was about to stuff the brocade pouch back into his hands, Luo Yichen said with a somber expression, "I passed by West Street and saw the curved sword flag on the carriage in Xingguo Ward. I wanted to take a closer look, but then I noticed two people following the carriage from Xingguo Ward at a distance of a few feet away..."
"That's ridiculous," Mei Xiaojing interrupted. "West Street is packed with people. Following Xiao Ma? Are all the people behind the carriage tailing him?"
"Xiao Jing," Mei Shiyu shook his head at his cousin, "let him continue."
Luo Yichen continued, "I thought I was overthinking it, until..." Luo Yichen glanced at the silent Xiao Ma, "He wanted to eat fried cakes, so he suddenly stopped the carriage. The two men were caught off guard and stopped as well, then slipped into a shop on the street, afraid of being discovered by Xiao Ma... If I couldn't even see that... I'd have wasted all these years as an Eagle Claw... Pah, pah, pah..." Luo Yichen wanted to slap himself, how could he have insulted himself like that? "They were Eagle Guards."
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