On the 20th of the twelfth lunar month, Yin finally had a day off and was at home. All the items prepared for the New Year were ready. He would go to his study at irregular intervals every day. Inside the box containing the ship's hull, there was a counterfeit item, which was nothing more than a picture of a toy cruise ship from the mysterious Qingyan place.
While Qingyan was sound asleep, Yin was already busy in his study, gathering all the servants who could enter the study in the courtyard. The first thing he did every time he went to the study was to check the box containing the warship.
After waiting for several days, the other party finally took the bait, and the box was successfully stolen.
"Eru, surround the courtyard of the study!" Yin stood on the stone steps at the entrance of the study, his hands behind his back and wearing a black sea otter fur cloak. His phoenix eyes gleamed coldly. Among the servants gathered in the courtyard, at least two should have been turned.
Su Peisheng stood to Yin's right, awaiting Yin's orders. A dozen or so young Su knelt on the bluestone bricks in the courtyard. It was now the coldest time of the year, the depths of winter.
Just a cup of tea outside the door made him feel chilly all over. Fourth Master was wearing a cloak, so Su Peisheng quickly took a hand warmer from the study and respectfully placed it in Yin's hands.
"An important memorial has gone missing from the study. Anyone on duty today, have you seen anyone suspicious going in or out? Anyone who provides a useful clue will be rewarded with 100 taels of silver." Yin directly used silver as bait to get the servants to expose each other.
Su Peisheng brought out a grand chair, and Yin sat on it, holding a hand warmer in his arms.
"Master, this servant didn't see anyone suitable!" The head steward in charge of sweeping and cleaning shuddered. If something went wrong, they would all be held responsible.
Later, Qingyan heard a commotion in the courtyard, opened her eyes, and saw that it was still dark outside. Why was it so noisy outside?
"Sulan..." Qingyan called softly. She was wearing a light blue undergarment and covered with a quilt, stretching lazily.
"Master, why are you up so early?" Su Lan came in carrying warmed-up everyday clothes. She glanced at the clock on the long table; it was just 6:30. According to her master's schedule, he should still be asleep.
Qingyan reached out her hand; it was really cold outside. Yuanmingyuan used geothermal heating, so without the burning charcoal braziers, the air inside the room was much better.
"Why is there such a commotion outside?" Qingyan listened intently; they heard someone beating a cane outside the courtyard.
"Something went missing from Master's study. All the servants on duty today are kneeling outside," Su Lan whispered to Qing Yan as she helped her up.
"Yes, I'll have Suzhu come over to see the two children later. You come with me quietly," Qingyan instructed.
Su Lan styled her hair into a small double bun, adorned with a five-treasure plum blossom gold hairpin, and decorated with a purple magnolia in the center. On the left side, she wore a phoenix hairpin with a golden pearl in its beak, and three gold tassels trailing below the pearl.
Qingyan donned a light-colored palace dress, then a sable cloak, and specially made snow boots before stepping out the door.
"Fourth Prince, you're up so early. Have you had breakfast yet?" Qingyan walked to Yin's side.
Yin was slightly taken aback when he heard Qingyan's voice. "Little darling, you're up so early?"
“No, I’m waiting to use it with you.” Yin pointed to the armchair that Su Peisheng had brought over. “Sulan, go prepare breakfast.”
After everyone was seated at the banquet, Su Lan quickly served her red date and goji berry tea. She shivered a couple of times in the cold wind, and Yin reached out to put her hood on her.
"Blueprints?" Qingyan leaned towards Yin and asked in a low voice.
"Yes, we must find this person." It's the Lunar New Year, and Yin doesn't intend to bleed.
When the servants saw Qingyan approaching, they thought that the Fourth Master would not punish him because of Qingyan's presence.
"My lady, I have been diligent and conscientious and have not made a single mistake." The head steward of the study was an old nanny who served Yin, whom Qingyan had always respected. This woman then became arrogant and self-important.
In many ways, Yin listened to Xiao Guai's advice. In order to save his life, the nanny directly used Qingyan to provoke Yin, which hit Yin's sore spot and made him furious.
"Shut up!" Yin snapped.
He frowned slightly. Although this nanny hadn't served him personally, she had still taken care of him as he grew up. Taking advantage of this care, she was putting Qingyan in a difficult position.
"Eru, drag him out and give him 20 strokes of the cane, but make sure there's no blood," Yin ordered.
The old woman still wanted to beg for mercy. Many of the servants around her were in charge of the head steward's duties. Some of those people were not very honest and had caused her a lot of trouble because of their hard work.
"From now on, anyone who dares to mention these things in front of the Fujin will be a role model." Yin felt he had to deal with the servants' behavior, which greatly annoyed him.
"." The servants all became dejected. If Yin could even lay a hand on the nanny who had served him the longest, then what chance did he have against them?
They all lowered their heads, and their kneeling posture became straight.
"If anyone suspicious has entered the study, you can report them to each other. Once it is confirmed, you will receive a reward of 100 taels of silver," Yin reiterated.
Qingyan took a sip of jujube tea and looked down at the servants. Several of them exchanged glances; they had seen someone go in, but were unsure if the news was true.
"If you're unsure, just say so. I'll find you another place to do your job," Qingyan promised directly.
They were hesitant, worried that if they spoke out, their servants would see them as traitors, and their masters would lose trust in them.
“Those who speak out are all loyal people and should be given important positions,” Yin promised.
In an instant, the servants had their own plans, and several began to report.
Suspicious people were kept being called out, and some were even implicating each other. In the end, more people were uncovered.
Qingyan was surprised by this accusation; in such a short time, more than a dozen people had been implicated, and in the end, only four or five were clean.
"Eru, each of these people will be rewarded with 50 taels of silver. Starting today, they will be on holiday." Yin publicly rewarded those who were not implicated.
"Master!" The servants felt reassured. They had not been tempted by the offer; instead, they had gained more trust from their master.
The group left the courtyard to collect their rewards, leaving the atmosphere inside increasingly oppressive. The servants all hung their heads, not daring to utter another word.
They were prepared to remain silent, as long as they didn't give Fourth Master any leverage over them. After all, the law doesn't punish the masses!
"Not going to talk? Like before, expose each other's secrets. As long as it's verified that there's no betrayal, you'll be rewarded with 80 taels of silver." Yin directly added 20 taels of silver, which would be half a year's expenses for an ordinary servant's household.
Qingyan watched coldly as these servants were tempted. Just twenty taels of silver was enough to make their trusted friends betray them.
She couldn't help but wonder if the longans in the shop were prepared in the same way. (To be continued. If you like this work, please vote for it on Qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users please visit m.qidian.com to read.)
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