Chapter 72 The Real Purpose: What They Want to Defeat...
Ye Lan turned to face Fu Jun: "We don't know yet, we're waiting for news."
Qian Qingling also said, "Old Ye and I have already sent people to investigate, and they should bring back news soon."
Fu Yun nodded and walked to the counter, preparing to pour a few cups of tea for everyone to quench their thirst, only to find that the disposable lotus leaf cups were much less, at least two-thirds of them had disappeared.
He asked in confusion, "Why are so many tea cups missing?"
Ye Lan and Qian Qingling's expressions changed slightly, and their gazes fell on the guards who had gone outside to stand watch.
The guard opened his mouth, looking hesitant, as if unsure whether he should speak.
Qian Qingling understood the reason from her expression, and after a moment's thought, she said, "Perhaps business was good this morning, and they sold out."
Fu Yun shook her head and said firmly, "No, the pedestrian traffic on this street isn't that exaggerated."
There are several hundred lotus leaf cups, enough to last for several days. It's impossible to sell so many drinks in such a short time.
Moreover, not long after he left, there was trouble in the store, so the possibility of selling everything was almost zero.
Fu Jun began walking around the counter, placing her hand on the cabinet doors, intending to open all the wooden cabinets and drawers to see if Su Mang and the others had put the cups away.
Seeing that Fu Yun looked like she was about to investigate, Qian Qingling knew that she couldn't hide it anymore, so she gave the guard a look, signaling her to answer truthfully.
"Young Master Su, all the items used to hold tea have been stolen by those who came to cause trouble in the shop."
Fu Yun: "..." This is deliberately cutting off his source of income!
Without lotus leaf cups, customers cannot take their food away, and even for dine-in customers, they need to find containers that can replace lotus leaf cups.
In this day and age, there were no refrigerators, and tea drinks couldn't be kept for long, so all the several buckets of tea drinks that were originally planned to be taken out today were wasted.
Who is it that can't stand to see their own success and insists on causing trouble on the opening day?
It's unlikely that there will be any competitors. After all, everyone saw Ye Lan and General Qian's arrival today, and no one dares to openly oppose the imperial court.
Those who deliberately cause trouble are neither afraid of the imperial court nor worried about getting into trouble, and are suspected of deliberately provoking others.
Who would be so audacious? The answer is almost obvious.
Fu Yun had a vague guess in his mind. Just as he was about to say something, a woman dressed as a general rushed in from the shop entrance.
The newcomer immediately knelt on one knee, cupped his hands in greeting, and said, "This humble servant, Jiu Yue, greets the Commander and the General."
Ye Lan turned to face her, her tone icy: "How's the situation? Have you found out where they went?"
"Reporting to the commander, we tracked the prisoners to the only road leading out of the city when a sandstorm suddenly arose and blinded us. When the sandstorm passed and we tried to continue the pursuit, they had vanished without a trace."
As she spoke, she lowered her eyes and her voice became softer: "I could only send out a few more teams to check the houses and intersections of the nearby townspeople one by one. That's why I had time to come back and report."
"Useless!" Before Ye Lan could say anything, Qian Qingling's face darkened, and he shouted angrily, "If you can't even handle this simple matter, what use are you to me?"
Jiu Yue trembled, her hands landing on her face as she slammed her upper body to the ground, admitting her mistake with fear and unease: "This subordinate knows her mistake, please calm down, General. This subordinate was too careless, thinking that it was just some local thugs causing trouble at the new shop to collect protection money, and that they wouldn't be able to cause any real trouble, so I didn't send anyone to intercept them at the major intersections in advance, which is why they took advantage of the situation."
General Qian's expression suddenly turned cold, and he roared, "Insolence! Who gave them the audacity to collect protection money at the feet of the True Dragon Goddess?"
Jiu Yue's shoulders trembled as she answered timidly, "This humble servant...doesn't know...I only heard from the townspeople that...the people behind these thugs have powerful connections, and the government...doesn't dare to act rashly..."
Qian Qingling's eyes were filled with rage as she pointed at the right deputy general on the ground, her fingertips trembling: "You..."
She was clearly furious, gritting her teeth as she said, "Very well! You didn't even report such an important matter to this general, do you think your position as deputy general is too secure?"
Her gaze sharpened as she looked towards the door: "Someone come here!"
Two soldiers quickly entered through the door, bowed, and knelt on one knee, saying, "Your subordinate is here!"
Qian Qing said sternly, "Take the Right Vice General away and give him fifty lashes."
The two replied in unison, "Yes!"
Jiu Yue knelt on the ground and admitted her punishment in a hoarse voice: "This subordinate is willing to accept the punishment."
Two soldiers approached the right deputy general and whispered, "Right deputy general, please forgive us."
The two grabbed Jiu Yue's arm and dragged her towards the door without any mercy.
Fu Jun looked at Ye Lan and saw her squinting at the door, seemingly deep in thought. He then spoke casually, "Commander Ye, isn't the way those people suddenly disappeared similar to what happened at the inn last time?"
Ye Lan's eyes widened for a moment, then, as if she had figured something out, she hissed, "Wait!"
The two soldiers stopped, turned around and looked at Ye Lan with a puzzled expression, then looked at Qian Qingling, waiting for her reaction.
Qian Qingling glanced at Ye Lan and said in a deep voice, "Old Ye, you don't need to plead for her."
Ye Lan shook her head and said, "No, I know..."
Qian Qingling waved his hand, interrupting, "You don't need to say anything more. It's all my fault for being too lenient with them, which has allowed them to become so complacent. Within the jurisdiction of the capital, there are even local bullies who collect protection money. It's outrageous! Where do they place us? Where do they place His Majesty's face? They must be severely punished this time to serve as a warning to others."
Ye Lan said irritably, "Alright, Lao Ye! Can you calm down and let me finish what I have to say?"
Qian Qingling then composed herself and gestured to her two subordinates to release her: "You two can go now."
"Yes!" The two soldiers responded and withdrew.
Jiu Yue consciously lay back down on the ground and didn't say anything more.
Qian Qingling turned her gaze away with a stern face and looked at Ye Lan: "You speak."
Ye Lan said, "I know why they suddenly disappeared, because they never left the city."
"Oh?" Qian Qingling was quite surprised: "What do you mean?"
Ye Lan said, "They entered the secret passage."
Qian Qingling's expression shifted slightly, and she suddenly understood: "You mean these people aren't thugs, but rather people deliberately impersonating them?"
Ye Lan nodded: "That's right, they couldn't have left so quickly. They must still be hiding in the secret passage, waiting for nightfall so they can come out without anyone noticing when curfew starts."
Qian Qingling's eyes shone brightly: "I understand. I'll have people check all the entrances and exits right away."
Ye Lan nodded and reminded, "Search every house carefully to see if there are any secret passage entrances."
Qian Qingling: "Alright! I'll go handle it first. You stay here and protect Young Master Su."
Ye Lan didn't say anything, which was taken as tacit agreement.
"Young Master Su, don't be afraid. These people wouldn't dare to take lives so easily. Young Master Lu and Young Master Cheng will at most suffer some injuries, but their lives will not be in danger."
Fu Yun replied, "Yes, I know. The person they want to target is me. Their goal isn't to kill me, but to retaliate against me and teach me a lesson."
Seeing that his thinking was so clear, Qian Qingling stopped talking and shouted at Jiu Yue, "Get up and go and atone for your crimes. If you don't handle this matter properly, you can go back to the barracks and train new recruits!"
"Yes! Your subordinate obeys!"
As soon as Qian Qingling finished speaking, she stormed out of the shop.
The right deputy general followed closely behind her with his head down.
Ye Lan glanced around the shop, her gaze settling on the several buckets of tea drinks, her expression grave: "What do you plan to do with these?"
Fu Yun didn't answer, but instead asked a completely unrelated question: "When you and General Qian arrived here, did you see Su Mang?"
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