Chapter 74: Drag them away and give them a hundred lashes!
Chuchun pushed the door open and walked in, holding a copper basin in her hand. She walked to the shelf and put it down, then came to the bedside, "Miss, wake up quickly."
Lan Xiyue slowly opened her eyes, still sleepy, "Chuchun, it's so early in the morning, but that girl Chuxia has a fever again?" There was a hint of laziness and concern in Lan Xiyue's voice.
"Miss, it's not Chuxia, it's the old lady who sent someone to invite you. Miss, please get up and wash up quickly, don't delay the time."
Lan Xiyue stretched lazily and yawned again. "What time is it?" she asked casually.
"Miss, it's already noon."
Lan Xiyue frowned slightly upon hearing this, muttering to herself, "It's only eight or nine in the morning in modern time, so early? She just fell asleep not long ago." Thinking of this, she couldn't help but lie down on the bed again.
Seeing this, Chuchun hurried forward and grabbed Lan Xiyue's sleeve, saying urgently, "Miss, you can't sleep anymore."
Lan Xiyue had no choice but to stand up after Chuchun pulled her like this.
After everything was packed up, she slowly walked out of the room and headed towards Qingfeng Courtyard.
As soon as she entered Qingfeng Courtyard, Lan Xiyue felt that the atmosphere was extremely solemn.
Lan Xiyue gave a perfunctory bow, "Grandma." After that, she slowly walked to the side and sat down.
The old lady sat at the head of the table, her expression solemn as she swept her gaze over everyone present. "Everyone is here. Today I have something important to say."
Upon hearing this, Aunt Hong frowned slightly, her confusion evident in her words, "Madam, what happened?"
The old lady's face was so gloomy that it seemed as if water could drip out of it. She said in a deep voice, "The storehouse was robbed, completely stolen overnight. Zhenrong is currently in the front hall explaining the situation to Mr. Bao from the Shuntian government office. The yamen runners will search each of your courtyards for clues. Since you are women, you will stay in Qingfeng Courtyard until the Shuntian government office personnel leave."
"What?" Bai Qing was startled when she heard this and started coughing violently. A blush appeared on her pale face, and she was obviously greatly shocked.
Lan Lingrou's eyes widened as she asked in disbelief, "Grandma, you said the storehouse was completely robbed overnight? And the guards at the mansion haven't been alerted yet?"
The old lady sighed softly, her eyes full of worry, "Yes, your father is on leave today and did not attend court. Before, your father accidentally obtained Mr. Yang's calligraphy and paintings, and asked the housekeeper to go to the warehouse to take out Mr. Yang's calligraphy and paintings for appreciation. The housekeeper opened the warehouse and found that it was empty. Everything was gone overnight." There was a bit of heaviness in her tone, as if a huge rock was pressing on her heart.
Lan Jiaoyun was also shocked when she heard this. "How is it possible? There are a lot of things in the storehouse. Who could steal so much money in one night without being discovered by the patrolling guards? Unless someone is stealing from the storehouse."
Yun Qing frowned, "Yun'er, what's with that look in your eyes? Are you looking at me and suspecting that this was my wife's doing?"
"Mother, you are the mistress of the mansion. If it weren't you, who could have stolen all the valuables from the storehouse so quietly? Otherwise, how many thieves would have broken into the mansion overnight and stolen the valuables from the storehouse? And wouldn't they have alerted the guards?"
Lan Xiyue curled her lips and secretly complained in her heart: Hey! Someone is looking for a scapegoat for her. This Lan Jiaoyun's train of thought is really good!
Yun Qing's face was filled with anger. "How could it be me? Lan Jiaoyun, stop your nonsense! Rou'er and I have been sick these past few days and have been recuperating in our rooms. Besides, I am the Madam in charge of everything in the mansion. If I were to embezzle something, what good would that do me?"
The old lady rubbed her head irritably. "Alright, stop talking. Mr. Bao from Shuntian Prefecture is a master at solving cases. He will definitely get to the bottom of it."
Aunt Hong's face was full of worry, "The warehouse was robbed, what are we going to do with our expenses in the future?" There was some anxiety in her voice. After all, her family was poor and relied on her for support.
The old lady pondered for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Ahem...everyone in the mansion has started to tighten their belts and reduce their food intake. Yunqing, you are the mistress of the mansion and your health is almost back on track. It will be up to you to make the arrangements from now on."
In the front yard, Lan Zhenrong's face was ashen and his brows were furrowed, as if water could be squeezed out of him.
He stood in the courtyard, his eyes fixed on Mr. Bao in front of him, his tone filled with urgency and pleading: "Mr. Bao, you must investigate thoroughly and recover the property in our mansion!"
Lord Bao, dressed in a straight official uniform and with a stern face, spoke slowly in a steady and powerful voice: "My Lord, rest assured, I will do my utmost to bring this thief to justice and recover your losses."
After saying this, Mr. Bao turned around and said to the several yamen runners who had just returned from the search, "Did you find any useful clues?"
A leading yamen runner bowed and said, "Sir, we have searched every courtyard in the mansion, even the most hidden corners, but we have found nothing."
Bao Hang frowned. At this moment, two more yamen runners hurried in. They looked solemn and saluted. "Sir, we asked the guards guarding the warehouse, and they all said that everything was normal last night. They didn't hear any unusual sounds or see any suspicious people. The warehouse was empty and there were no clues. Moreover, the warehouse lock was not damaged."
Bao Hang looked at Lan Lan Zhenrong and said, "My Lord, let's go to the warehouse together."
Lan Zhenrong nodded.
A group of people came to the warehouse, and Bao Hang went forward to check. He was concentrating on examining the lock that seemed intact. The keyhole was smooth and without any marks, without any signs of damage.
Bao Hang frowned, wondering: This keyhole is intact. Could it be that there's really a thief inside the mansion? Or is the thief so skilled that he can easily open the lock without damaging the keyhole? His Shuntian government office has caught thieves with such skills before.
He slowly walked into the warehouse, his eyes scanning the empty surroundings.
Inside the warehouse, there was nothing else except the footprints of their group and the footprints left by the housekeeper when he first came in.
There was a sense of depression and dullness in the air, as if even breathing became heavy.
Bao Hang's eyes became sharper and sharper. He searched every corner carefully, but there was no clue.
Lan Zhenrong looked anxious, "Master Bao?"
Bao Hang shook his head.
Lan Zhenrong's heart sank to the bottom. When he thought of the stolen property in the warehouse, Lan Zhenrong felt a pain in his heart as if it were being cut by a knife.
Bao Hang naturally sensed Lan Zhenrong's anxiety and anticipation. He sighed softly, his tone reassuring, "Don't worry, Lord. Since I've taken on this case, I'll get to the bottom of it. I believe this thief, who was able to steal property so unnoticed, must be no ordinary person. However, no matter how cunning a thief is, he'll always leave clues."
He paused and continued, "I will investigate to see if there are any thieves in the capital, or if other mansions have suffered similar incidents. Once I have any clues, I will inform the Marquis immediately."
Lan Zhenrong was still extremely anxious when he heard this, but he also knew that he could only rely on Bao Hang at this moment.
He forced a smile and nodded, "Then I'll have to trouble you, Master Bao. If you can recover the property of the Marquis' Mansion, I will definitely reward you handsomely."
As Bao Hang and his group left, the atmosphere in front of the warehouse suddenly became solemn.
Lan Zhenrong turned his gaze to the guards who were in charge of patrolling the warehouse last night. At this moment, those guards were standing aside trembling, their faces as pale as paper.
"Come here, drag them away and give them a hundred strokes of the cane!" Lan Zhenrong's voice was as cold as ice, without any emotion.
"Master, please spare my life..." The guards immediately knelt on the ground, begging for mercy one after another.
Soon all the guards were dragged away.
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