Chapter 46 The Villa is Robbed
In the side hall, waiting for them was not only the old man who came often, but also a strong, unfamiliar man.
Upon seeing Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang enter, the two immediately knelt down to pay their respects.
"We, Zhao Laosi and Zhao Shuan, pay our respects to Your Highness and Your Highness, and wish you a Happy New Year!"
"Get up."
Lou Jin's voice was calm as he looked at the unfamiliar man: "And who is this?"
Zhao Laosi hurriedly replied, "Your Highness, this is my nephew Zhao Shuan, who is currently helping to manage affairs at the villa in the west of the city. I brought him here today because I have something important to report to Your Highness and the Princess."
Seeing that Zhao Shuan looked uneasy, Ye Xunyang said, "What is it? Please speak freely."
Zhao Shuan knelt down with a thud, his voice choked with sobs: "Your Highness, Your Highness, please, Your Highness, please do justice for us! The villa was attacked by bandits before the New Year!"
"What?" Ye Xunyang frowned.
When did this happen? What were the losses? Were there any casualties?
Although the villa in the west of the city is not as important as the main estate, it is still a property of the royal family and also houses some veterans who followed Lou Jin and their families, so it has a different significance.
Zhao Shuan kowtowed and said urgently, "It happened on the night of the 28th of the twelfth lunar month! A dozen or so people came, masked, and very agile, unlike ordinary petty thieves."
"They robbed the village of the money and some grain that were prepared for the New Year, and they also injured two veterans who were guarding the village. One of them was seriously injured and is still lying in bed!"
"Why didn't you report it to the authorities sooner?" Ye Xunyang pressed.
Zhao Laosi sighed and replied, "Your Highness, you may not know this, but when we reported it to the authorities, the officials came, took a look, said it was the work of bandits, made a record of it, and left."
"With the year drawing to a close, the government offices are also lax, but I feel that this matter is a bit strange, so I came to report to Your Highness."
"Oh? What's strange about it?" Lou Jin asked in a deep voice.
Zhao Shuan raised his head and replied, word by word, "Those people don't seem to be after money alone."
"When they were looting, they specifically asked if any of the veterans who had followed the prince back from the northern border were still living in the village."
Upon hearing this, the side hall immediately fell silent.
Ye Xunyang felt a chill run down his spine and looked at Lou Jin.
Lou Jin's expression remained unchanged, but the fingers resting on the armrests of his wheelchair tightened slightly.
This was by no means a simple robbery.
Were they after the veterans? Or were they after Lou Jin?
"How are the wounded brothers doing now?" Lou Jin asked, his voice devoid of emotion.
"With the medication, my life is not in danger, but I'm old and the recovery is slow," Zhao Shuan replied.
"Why are you only reporting now?" Lou Jin thought that such a thing should be reported as soon as it happens.
"It was my fault. I originally planned to report back the next day, but since no one was killed, it was delayed until today. Please punish me, Your Highness." Zhao Laosi kowtowed and begged for forgiveness.
Lou Jin was silent for a moment, then said to Zhao Laosi, "The Wangfu will cover all the medical expenses for the injured brothers, and we will also take a sum of money from the public funds to double the compensation for the losses of the manor, so that everyone can have a good New Year."
"Yes, thank you for your grace, Your Highness!" Zhao Laosi and Zhao Shuan kowtowed immediately.
"As for this matter..." Lou Jin turned his gaze to Shan Lan.
"Shanlan, you personally lead a group to the villa in the west of the city and investigate carefully to see if you can find any clues. As for the government, the Prince's Mansion will handle things separately and urge them to speed up the investigation."
"Your subordinate obeys." Shan Lan responded, and her figure silently retreated.
Zhao Laosi and Zhao Shuan left with profuse thanks.
Only Lou Jin and Ye Xunyang remained in the side hall.
Ye Xunyang frowned: "Your Highness, this is definitely not a coincidence! Could it be Lou Shang or Lou Yi...?"
“It may not have been them who took action themselves,” Lou Jin interrupted him, his eyes deep and unfathomable.
"Perhaps someone is trying to test us."
He paused, then looked at Ye Xunyang: "It seems someone doesn't want me to have a peaceful New Year."
Ye Xunyang walked up to him, squatted down, grasped his hand, and said with a firm look in his eyes: "Your Highness, leave this matter to me. I will never let them succeed! The defenses of the manor must be strengthened, and those veterans must be properly settled."
Lou Jin grasped his warm hand in return, and the chill in his heart was dispelled somewhat.
"Yes, I'll leave this to you." He paused, then added.
"We don't need to make too much noise, lest we alert them. But we also need to let those behind the scenes know that the Jinwang Mansion is not something they can easily manipulate."
"Understood!" Ye Xunyang nodded emphatically.
Lou Jin gazed at the snowflakes falling again outside the window, his eyes as deep as the night.
Very well, this is a good opportunity to see who is stirring up trouble behind the scenes.
Shanlan was extremely efficient; in just two days, she brought back preliminary investigation results.
Inside the study, the crackling of charcoal fire illuminated Lou Jin's serene profile.
"Master, I have investigated the scene at the villa. Those thieves were very skilled; they left almost no valuable clues at the scene. The government's previous investigation was indeed hasty." Shan Lan's voice was as cold as ever.
"However, I questioned everyone who was present that night, and one of the old servants who was in charge of feeding the livestock mentioned that when the thieves left, he vaguely heard one of them mutter a complaint in a low voice, with a slight southern accent."
"Southern accent?" Ye Xunyang looked at Lou Jin.
Lou Jin tapped the table lightly with his fingertips: "The south... that's too vast. Is there anything else?"
"Yes," Shan Lan continued.
"My subordinates have investigated whether there have been any similar cases or gatherings of unfamiliar faces in Beijing and the surrounding areas recently."
"It was discovered that around the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, a group of about ten people from out of town briefly stayed at an abandoned warehouse in the southern part of the city. They kept a low profile, but left in a hurry on the morning of the 29th of the twelfth lunar month. The timing coincides with the attack on the villa."
"Has the owner of the warehouse checked?"
"We investigated and found that the warehouse is registered under the name of a small merchant with a clean background. However, we discovered that this small merchant's brother-in-law works under one of the Fourth Prince's stewards."
The clues seem to vaguely point to Lou Shang, who was recently stripped of his title.
Ye Xunyang clenched his fist: "Why is it him again? Why is he always targeting us? We've already been keeping a low profile enough."
Lou Jin did not immediately draw a conclusion. He pondered, "Lou Shang has just suffered a major setback. He should be keeping a low profile right now. What benefit would he gain from rashly using such methods to attack one of my insignificant villas? Unless..."
"Unless he deliberately left a loophole to frame someone else?" Ye Xunyang realized.
"Or perhaps someone wants to use him to test me."
Shan Lan lowered her head: "Should I continue to investigate the whereabouts of that group and their connection with the Prince of Shang's Mansion or the Fifth Prince's Mansion?"
"Investigate," Lou Jin ordered, "but be more discreet. Focus on the origins of that group, especially the southern accent. Also, find out who Lou Shang had contact with during and after his confinement, especially... people connected to the south."
"Yes!" Shan Lan accepted the order and disappeared into the shadows once more.
Ye Xunyang felt his mind was a bit confused: "Your Highness, this is too complicated and convoluted."
Lou Jin pulled him over and made him sit on the stool next to him, his tone softening: "That's how power struggles are, full of truth and falsehood, reality and illusion. Many times, the clues you see are just what others want you to see."
He picked up a pastry and handed it to Ye Xunyang: "It doesn't matter. As long as they make a move, they will leave traces. We just need to wait patiently and grasp the most crucial clue."
Ye Xunyang took the pastry, took a bite, and said, "I still prefer to fight for real."
Lou Jin chuckled: "Sometimes, the battle on the chessboard is more dangerous than the battlefield."
Just then, Wang Quan reported from outside the door: "Your Highness, Your Highness, the Fifth Prince's residence has sent an invitation, inviting Your Highness to come to the residence tomorrow to attend a small plum blossom appreciation banquet."
Ye Xunyang was taken aback and looked at Lou Jin: "Lou Yi? What did he ask me to do?"
Lou Jin took the invitation and glanced at it. The invitation was politely worded, saying that the plum blossoms in the mansion were in full bloom and inviting several members of the imperial family and their families to enjoy them together.
"It seems someone wants to meet you in person." Lou Jin put down the invitation, his gaze deep.
"Should I go?" Ye Xunyang asked.
"Go." Lou Jin nodded.
"Let's see what he's up to. But be careful, bring Mushan and enough guards with you."
He paused, then added, "Remember, speak less and observe more. Whatever he says or asks, just make sure it relates to my condition and that I need to rest."
"Understood!" Ye Xunyang nodded, feeling both nervous and eager to try.
Is he finally going to have to face the open and covert struggles among these princes?
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