"What did you say?"
When Yu Wenshu heard the news that the treasure under the Confucius Temple had disappeared, he almost jumped up from his chair.
He couldn't believe it, frowned, and took a breath of cold air: "A mountain of gold, disappeared?"
Fu Xiaoguan nodded, "Yes, a mountain of gold disappeared."
Yu Wenshu sank down on the chair, his eyes suddenly blank. He murmured, "The heavens are going to destroy me...!"
Fu Xiaoguan understood what he meant.
If the treasure were found today, Emperor Xuan might spare his life for the sake of such a huge mountain of gold.
But now that the golden mountain is gone, one can imagine how angry Emperor Xuan will be. Then there is absolutely no possibility for Yu Wenshu to survive.
"I came to see you just to ask you, do you really not know that the gold mountain is gone?"
After asking this question, Fu Xiaoguan felt that it was unnecessary. There was no way Yu Wenshu was lying. He needed to rely on the mountain of gold to survive.
Yu Wenshu didn't answer his question. He laughed at himself and said, "You and I are strangers, but you promised to collect my body."
"Um."
"Buried in Nanshan, facing the Nanshan Courtyard."
"good."
"I don't know who stole the treasure, but I'm sure it's not in the hands of the Moon Worshipers."
Fu Xiaoguan frowned slightly, "Reason?"
"It's very simple. I've been to the Moon Worship Sect's headquarters. They live a miserable life there. If it weren't for the gold mine they found in Minshan, they wouldn't be able to make ends meet.
If the treasure was in the hands of the Moon Worshipers, would I need to rebel so urgently?"
Yu Wenshu took a deep breath and continued, "That's a fortune that rivals a nation! If I truly had that wealth, I would slowly and steadily make plans. I would unite all the chieftains of Xirong and make Xirong an impregnable land."
"The Western Rong have a population of over a million. With the chieftains and their guards as a foundation, I can easily train an army of 200,000 to 300,000 men in three to five years."
He laughed bitterly, shook his head, and looked at Fu Xiaoguan: "If I had another army of 300,000 people and rebelled again, would you still be able to defeat me so easily?
Even if I can't defeat the Jinniu Ancient Road, the Jiannan Road and the Jiannan Road will definitely fall into my hands. At that time, the Qinling Mountains will be the boundary, and the mountains will be divided and governed separately... I can accept it, but my father will be upset."
"So," he spread his hands, "this is fate! It seems even God can't stand this thief, and he wants to kill me too!"
Perhaps because Yu Wenshu knew that he was going to die, he talked a lot today.
Fu Xiaoguan also asked some questions, such as who the Grand Elder of Cemen was and whether there were any remnants of the Moon Worship Sect in this palace.
But he didn't get an answer, because Yu Wenshu really didn't know.
Not long after, the eunuch who announced the imperial decree arrived here.
Eunuch Jia bid farewell to Emperor Xuan and ran to Fu Xiaoguan's house to work as a doorman. Now the eunuch who announces the emperor's orders has become Eunuch Nian.
Eunuch Nian had not expected Fu Xiaoguan to be here. He bowed and said, "Hello, Earl Ding'an."
"Hello, Eunuch Nian."
"I wonder if Earl Ding'an has finished his questions?"
Fu Xiaoguan stood up, but Yu Wenshu said, "Wait a moment."
He returned to his room, fetched a bottle of Xishan Tianchun and two wine glasses, and poured two glasses of wine. "Although we are strangers, since I entrusted you to collect my body, I should offer you a glass of wine."
Fu Xiaoguan took the wine glass, the two of them clinked glasses, and drank it all in one gulp.
"Alright, Eunuch Nian, please announce the decree."
…
…
Fu Xiaoguan and Xu Xinyan stood on the execution platform.
This is where criminals are executed, but it is very deserted today because, according to convention, beheadings are usually concentrated in autumn.
Why choose autumn?
Fu Xiaoguan didn't know, and thought that perhaps it was because of the bleakness of autumn that just matched the tragedy of beheading.
Emperor Xuan did not post a notice regarding Yu Wenshu's execution; instead, the execution was overseen by the Dali Temple Minister Su Shanyue, and the only people watching were Fu Xiaoguan and the other two. It seemed rather deserted, but fortunately the sun was shining brightly.
What was Yu Wenshu’s final expression?
Fu Xiaoguan thought carefully but couldn't remember. Perhaps he was nostalgic for the prosperity of this world, or perhaps he was liberated.
He actually collected Yu Wenshu's body, which surprised Su Shanyue very much.
"Mr. Ding'an... Actually, something is wrong."
Fu Xiaoguan understood what he meant, but he did it anyway. "I promised him before he died that this man is dead... once he's dead, everything is over. After all, he's your Majesty's son. If he can't be buried in the imperial mausoleum, let him rest in peace."
Su Shanyue bowed, "Ding'an Earl is noble and righteous."
"Gao Yi is bullshit!" Fu Xiaoguan shook his head and smiled, "Please help me."
"Mr. Ding'an, please speak."
"Find a skilled coroner to sew his head back together."
“…Is this necessary?”
"Yes," Fu Xiaoguan nodded, "It's necessary. At least it will look better underground."
"good!"
Su Shanyue really went to call an old coroner, and while the old coroner was sewing the head, the two of them stood on the execution ground and chatted.
"Just now, His Majesty ordered the Ministry of Justice, the Dali Temple, and the Jinling Prefecture to jointly solve the case. They have a year to solve it... If we can't solve it within this year," Su Shanyue said with a wry smile, "Then His Majesty will chop off our heads. I hope that Earl Ding'an will also collect my body."
Fu Xiaoguan was stunned and laughed out loud, "You must be joking! The treasure has been stolen for who knows how many years. How can it be solved so easily?"
Su Shanyue raised his eyebrows, "But Your Majesty wouldn't think so."
Fu Xiaoguan restrained his expression and thought for a moment. "There's a deeply engraved inscription on the stone wall of that underground river. Why don't you, Lord Su, make a copy of it and see if there's any chance you can decipher something from it? Or...if you come across a painting or calligraphy with similar handwriting, you could even compare the handwriting."
This was clearly like looking for a needle in a haystack, but it was a method nonetheless. Su Shanyue nodded and said, "I'll get to it later. Sigh... that thief was quite formidable. He was able to carry away a mountain of gold without making a sound. He must be a very meticulous thinker. This case is going to be hard to solve!"
Fu Xiaoguan certainly knew that this case was difficult to solve, but he did not say that it might be the abbot of the Taoist temple because he did not have any evidence.
He needed to meet the master of the temple to see what this senior who traveled through time looked like and what he had done in this world.
After Yu Wenshu's head was sewn up, Fu Xiaoguan took the body out of the palace, went to a coffin shop, and then went to Nanshan, where he buried Yu Wenshu on the hillside.
He did not go to the workshops in Nanshan to take a look, but returned to the Fu Mansion.
The sun sets in the west and the tired birds return to their nests.
He and his senior brother Su Jue sat in Taoranting.
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