Chapter 28: Snatching Life from the Tiger's Mouth (Part 3) Update
Chi Mu frowned.
He took a few steps forward, stepped over the threshold, and walked around the entire warehouse.
Just as he saw, this cold treasury, like an ice cellar, both inside and out, was exactly the same as it was presented to everyone at this moment—
Empty.
When Chi Mu came out again, he saw the young Marquis of Xiguan with a face full of shame, as if his past had been exposed and he had lost face in front of everyone.
Chi Mu: ...
Did he really misjudge this young marquis of Xiguan?
However, the supplies and money obtained from the Xiguan Governor's Mansion were by no means a small amount. Could it be that the young marquis had consumed them all in just one month?
Even if this batch of goods is really exhausted, doesn't the Xiguan Marquis Mansion itself have any extra reserves?
Next, as the treasuries were opened one after another, the guards were amazed by the extremely clean warehouses.
How could the youngest grandson of the Holy Ancestor of the Great Zhou Dynasty end up in such a state?
Even among the guards with the most ordinary family background, the various storehouses in their houses can fill up seven or eight rooms.
With this mood, they opened the last door of the treasury.
I thought I would see another empty and cold scene, but I didn't expect that in the middle of the warehouse, there were several large black lacquered boxes neatly placed.
Chi Mu also saw these boxes, and his brows were filled with confusion.
He didn't even bother to look at Liu Ziye, and immediately raised his hand to ask someone to open the box.
The guards were all very curious, so their movements were very quick. With a wave of their swords, the copper lock on the box fell to the ground.
As the black boxes were opened one after another, everyone's expressions of shock were blatant and could no longer be concealed.
Nothing else.
This was because these nine large boxes were all filled with neatly stacked gold and silver cakes that were so dazzling that they were enough to blind one's eyes!
It’s a pity that they felt sorry for this young marquis just now!
Now it seems that even a lean camel is bigger than a rough horse.
Chi Mu stepped forward and walked slowly around the boxes. He took out a few pieces from the box, confirmed the quality, and put them back in.
He walked back outside the mansion, looked at the anxious Marquis Xiguan, and asked, "Young Marquis, could you tell me what's going on?"
"this……"
Liu Ziye stuttered and didn't speak.
Chi Mu said, "It's okay. Take your time to think about it. I'll wait here."
He then waved to the guards, "Count the records, reseal the boxes, and take everything away."
“Here!”
"Stop! Stop, stop, stop..." Liu Ziye shouted repeatedly.
Outside the warehouse, the old steward Liu Biao also looked anxious.
Hearing Liu Ziye's shouts to stop the imperial guards, even though the strength of both sides was much different at this time, Jin Jie still ordered all the private guards in the mansion to surround and block the entrance and exit gate of the treasury.
Chi Mu looked at this group of misfits as if they were watching a joke, and he was too lazy to even curl his lips.
He continued to explain to Liu Ziye, "Young Marquis, I must take all this gold and silver away. Why are you trying to stop me?"
Liu Ziye broke through several guards surrounding the boxes and stretched out his hand to seal one of the boxes tightly!
After all, his status as a legitimate royal family member was obvious, so these guards did not dare to fight him, for fear of really harming the royal bloodline.
Despite knowing this, Jin Jie, who was the captain of the palace's private guards, still followed Liu Ziye closely into the palace treasury, always staying within three steps of Liu Ziye.
"I, the Marquis, have no intention of interfering! Because apart from this box, which contains the capital I have reserved for myself for the next three years, the contents of the other eight boxes were originally intended to be presented to the Emperor's uncle!"
Chi Mu frowned slightly and subconsciously asked, "To present it to His Majesty?"
“That’s right!”
At this point, Liu Ziye suddenly remembered something and said to Chi Mu, "Tell these people to leave. This is the inner story that I don't want too many people to know."
There was no objection to this. Chi Mu waved his hand, and the dozen or so imperial guards gathered around the box all withdrew.
The gate of the mansion was closed, and for a moment, only Liu Ziye, Jin Jie and Chi Mu were left.
Liu Ziye glanced at the door anxiously before lowering his voice and saying, "Next March, according to the imperial decree, I can come to the capital to pay my respects."
"Huh?" Chi Mu was confused for a moment.
But his doubts were only for a moment.
Almost the next moment, he understood what Liu Ziye meant.
In the second year after inheriting their titles, local princes and nobles were required to travel to the capital to pay homage to the emperor and express gratitude for his grace. The Zhou Dynasty had clear etiquette and regulations for princes and nobles to pay homage to the emperor. Depending on the prince's status, the princes and nobles must prepare the necessary offerings of wine and gold.
Among them, gold and silver are indispensable.
Not only gold and silver are required, but the size, weight, and even shape and pattern of these gold and silver have very precise regulations.
He glanced over the still-open boxes again, and sure enough, the shapes of the gold and silver had already taken shape.
It must have just gone through the first round of rough firing and has not yet had time to go through the most complicated steps of the subsequent processes.
But for a desolate borderland like Xiguan, Chi Mu could imagine that this young marquis had probably started making preparations as early as when he just woke up and learned that he had been conferred the title of marquis.
It's true, even after being slapped, one still eagerly hopes for flattery and compliments.
Liu Ziye was extremely embarrassed: "But...but didn't the Emperor's uncle tell me not to enter Yanjing for the next three years?"
No matter how thick-skinned he was, at this point, he was unwilling to let the people in Yanjing know—
How on earth could he find himself in this desolate place in the northwest, with his eyes fixed on going to Yanjing, eager to meet his imperial uncle and cousin.
Chi Mu curled his lips helplessly.
Seeing that he just had a natural expression and didn't mean to mock or despise him, Liu Ziye breathed a sigh of relief.
Chi Mu asked again, "So, all the money, grain, and cloth you brought from the Xiguan Governor's Office treasury and Iberi's private storehouse, as well as the business you did in Xiguan County, were exchanged for these boxes?"
Liu Ziye replied, "That's not true! Not every family has gold and silver. To exchange those scattered five-zhu coins for this silver, this marquis emptied out the gold and silver of my sworn brother's entire family. In the entire Yucheng, as well as other wealthy households in Qingcheng, almost every household was spared to exchange for this. But there are no good kilns in Xiguan, so firing those patterns is really difficult. That's why I first made a shape of gold and silver cake!"
As she spoke, she beckoned Jin Jie to come closer and pointed at one of the boxes, saying, "Jin Jie, open the bottom layer of the box and let General Chi take a look."
Jin Jie stepped forward and took out the gold and silver cakes stacked on the top of the box one by one, revealing a layer of plywood in the middle.
Then, the splint opens.
Chi Mu also walked a little closer to the box and looked into the lower layer.
What catches your eye are rows of black-glazed pottery jars.
These boxes were stacked in two rows, with nine pottery jars in each row.
Jin Jie paused and looked at Liu Ziye. Liu Ziye said to him, "Take out a pottery jar and open it for General Chi to see."
The pottery jar was carefully taken out and placed on the floor of the warehouse. Jin Jie untied the linen cloth tied tightly around the mouth of the jar, revealing the snow-white contents inside.
Chi Mu reached out and took some snow-white powder into his palm, then put it under his nose and sniffed it.
He asked, "Is this coarse salt?"
Liu Ziye nodded proudly: "That's right."
Chi Mu looked puzzled. "What's so special about this ordinary coarse salt? Why does it have to be packed so solemnly into a box presented to His Majesty?"
"General Chi, you don't know. What I, the Marquis, want to present to the court is not just these gold and silver cakes, but salt lake salt mines!"
"Young Marquis, what you mean is that there are salt mines in the border counties of Xiguan that the imperial court is unaware of? These coarse salts are produced from the salt mines?" Chi Mu asked for confirmation.
"General Chi is incredibly smart!"
Liu Ziye smiled and said, "What are these boxes of gold and silver cakes worth to my uncle the Emperor and my cousin the Crown Prince? If I only brought these with me on my first visit to the capital, wouldn't that be too insincere and lack any sincerity? This previously unknown salt lake is the true treasure of mine, Liu Ziye!"
Chi Mu continued to ask in a persuasive manner, "Then, how did the young marquis discover this salt lake?"
"Alas, how could I have discovered this salt lake hidden in a place where no one has ever set foot on my own! This is all thanks to my good brother from the Fu family!" Liu Ziye seemed to be completely oblivious to Chi Mu's rhetoric, and continued to show off his glorious deeds to Chi Mu like pouring beans from a bamboo tube.
"My sworn brother is Fu Zhen'er, the young patriarch of the Yucheng Fu clan. His identity, of course, isn't particularly significant; he's just an ordinary border dweller. But what's important is that the Fu clan has lived in Xiguan for generations, and they're incredibly familiar with it! Fu Zhen'er also has a natural fondness for adventure. Whenever he has free time from clan duties, he often ventures into remote areas. And that's how he discovered the salt lake! Ever since I learned of its existence, I've been planning how to surprise my uncle the emperor and my cousin, the crown prince, next year. Unfortunately..."
When Liu Ziye said this, he lowered his head in frustration again.
Chi Mu asked again: "Then, your cooperation with Fu family..."
"What kind of cooperation is this?! How could I, a marquis of the Great Zhou Dynasty, cooperate with ordinary border residents? Fu Zhen'er has made such a great discovery, shouldn't I, the marquis, give them some rewards on behalf of my uncle the emperor and my brother the crown prince? Otherwise, where will the face of my royal family be?! Of course, although I did receive money when I gave those things to them, General Chi, please ask around. I have absolutely not exploited the people in this matter. The price is absolutely fair!"
Liu Ziye gently brushed his hand over the boxes of gold and silver cakes. "This money, along with the original capital of my Xiguan Marquisate, has been put into these boxes by me. Please rest assured, Uncle Emperor and Cousin Prince, the gifts I am about to give to them will not contain a single penny of the people's money!"
She spoke these words with great pride.
Chi Mu, who was standing aside, had already quieted down.
He looked at the shining gold and silver and the snow-white salt grains in the large boxes.
so.
Is this the truth behind the young Marquis of Xiguan who, during this period, seized Iberly's treasury supplies, caused chaos throughout the entire Xiguan County, and "allied" with the Fu family?
The young Marquis of Xiguan had fallen on hard times, but he searched his pockets thoroughly, trying to empty out the last bit of his savings and present them to the Emperor and the Crown Prince in Yanjing.
Even if they got something good just now, they couldn't wait to give it away like a treasure.
Chi Mu spread out his palm, and the snow-white salt grains in his hand fell along the edge of his palm and slid into the pottery jar.
In the quiet and cold warehouse, the only sound was the very light rustling sound caused by the collision of salt grains.
Chi Mu's gaze followed the crystal particle closely.
A moment.
Chi Mu asked, "Is this salt lake that the young marquis mentioned now known to everyone in Yucheng?"
Liu Ziye immediately denied it: "General Chi, do you think I'm stupid? If I spread the news about such a good thing, would I let those daring and lawless people steal it? Only three or five people know about this."
Chi Mu closed his empty palms.
"In that case, I will have these boxes clearly registered in front of everyone in the Marquis' Mansion today, and will send them to the capital to present to His Majesty upon our return. I will also report the matter of the salt lake to Yanjing, and the decision on how to deal with it will be made by Yanjing."
"Of course I can! But you have to keep a low profile for me, General Chi. Don't let those people know that I've been preparing for this. I can't afford to lose face like this! Just think of it as you being ordered to inspect the mansion today. Just take back whatever you find. Is that okay with you?"
Liu Ziye looked at Chi Mu earnestly and asked.
Chi Mu seemed to have turned back into the Chi Mu who was very tolerant of himself.
Liu Ziye looked at him with a dull expression and nodded in agreement.
Her face immediately showed joy again.
By relaxing like this and no longer being timid and timid, the natural advantages of appearance can be revealed again.
Even in this dark room, it is difficult to hide its light.
Unfortunately, the aperture shattered as soon as I opened my mouth.
Liu Ziye spoke in a casual tone, pushing further, "By the way, General Chi, if it's convenient for you, could you please say a few good words for me in front of my uncle the Emperor and my cousin the Crown Prince? You've seen that I'm a man of the highest order, a man of filial piety and brotherly love. I'm nothing like what those ignorant people and Iberi have said, saying they've ruined my reputation! Don't you agree?"
Chi Mu felt a lump in his throat.
For a moment, he felt that the young Marquis of Xiguan had really let down his good looks. Just looking at him made him feel sad and felt that it was a waste of such a gift.
For the time being, Chi Mu could only accept his fate and nodded in agreement: "My Lord, you are right. The rumors out there are indeed mostly untrue."
Liu Ziye was in high spirits when he heard this: "Jin Jie, you heard me! Seal these salt jars again and hide them under the box. Then open the door for General Chi."
Jin Jie watched the whole process silently, cleaned up the scene quietly, and turned around to open the wooden door.
Light from outside the door shone in, and Jin Jie leaned sideways, hiding in the shadows. "General Chi, please."
·
When the imperial guards withdrew from the Xiguan Marquis' Mansion, they carried away boxes of gold and silver that they had found in the warehouse.
The young marquis of Xiguan followed behind the team, his eyes full of reluctance, unwillingness and shame.
For some reason, the entire Imperial Guard, having witnessed firsthand how shabby the Xiguan Marquisate was, couldn't help but feel sorrow for this young Marquis, a direct descendant of the Holy Ancestor...
They actually let the young marquis pull the hair of several of them and kick them a few times, but they just looked at him tolerantly and didn't look really angry at all.
Steward Liu Biao and personal guard Xiying: ...
Is this even possible?
As the last guard stepped over the threshold, the door of the marquis' mansion slammed shut behind them.
The exposed back of the guard's clothes was caught in the crack of the door. The guard turned around and pulled it twice, and with a "hiss", half of it was torn off.
The guard smiled bitterly, patted his body and turned around, and saw that all the guards, including their General Chi's deputy general Miao Tailin, were looking at him with pity on their faces, with a loving mother look of "you have suffered".
It would be even more similar if some of them didn’t have their hair pulled askew!
Inside the mansion, Liu Ziye turned his head away without any reluctance the moment the door closed.
The old housekeeper, however, couldn't be as calm as her. He chased after them and asked, "Young Marquis, are you really going to let them carry them all away?"
That’s eight whole boxes of gold and silver cakes!
In all their years at the Xiguan Palace, they had never seen so much gold and silver, yet they hadn't expected it to slip away in the blink of an eye. There would be three years of no income left. His young master was a man who only cared about spending, not bringing in, and the old housekeeper was constantly worried about this.
Liu Ziye, however, didn't care and kindly 'comforted' him: "Isn't it just a few boxes of gold and silver? This Marquis doesn't care about them at all!"
In the face of the coming severe winter snowstorm, gold and silver are neither edible nor useful. How can they compare to the supplies he had previously received from Iberia?
Besides, what Chi Mu took away today will have to be sent back to his house sooner or later.
The old butler opened his mouth and his face wrinkled into a bitter gourd.
He felt like he was going to cry because of the young marquis's "kind comfort".
Xiying smiled and supported the old butler: "The young marquis is just joking. You know that the young marquis likes to play around, right?"
Du Hui had been keeping a low profile for many days, and at this moment he came out from the steward's room in the backyard of the Marquis's Mansion.
When Liu Ziye saw him, he asked, "Is everything okay?"
Du Hui said confidently, "Don't worry, young marquis."
"Okay. Sir, please follow me to the study."
Liu Ziye said to Du Hui, took two steps and suddenly stopped, waving to the private guard captain Jin Jie and Xi Ying behind him: "Come here too."
After thinking for a moment, he said, "Liu Bing, please send someone to Brother Fu's yard and tell Ah Huan to push Brother Fu over to the study."
"Yes." Liu Bing accepted the order and went to invite Ahuan and Fu Zhener.
When Xiying saw the young marquis calling him, he quickly asked someone else to take care of the steward Liu Biao.
Liu Biao had already recovered his breath and said to him, "You can go ahead. I'm fine! I've watched the young marquis grow up and have been with the prince for so many years. What kind of scene have I not seen?"
As the three of them followed Liu Ziye to the study, Xiying couldn't help but look at Jin Jie several times, who was walking steadily beside him. He was almost a head taller than her, with broad shoulders and long legs.
As he looked at it, he couldn't help but puff out his chest.
This person has only recently caught the young marquis's eye!
He did not run away when the Marquis' Mansion was in trouble, and he handled several things in succession to the Marquis' satisfaction. It seems that his position as the captain of the Marquis' Mansion's private guards is secure in the future.
But private guards are private guards, and he is the only personal guard in the Marquis's mansion!
He just didn't believe that this kid could compare to the bond he and the young marquis had shared since childhood!
Although her figure seemed good, her appearance was quite ordinary. Their young marquis had never had much patience for such plain-looking people.
We must never lose in momentum.
So what if I'm a head taller? I'm still growing!
Starting tomorrow, eat two more bowls of rice at each meal!
Jin Jie followed the young Marquis of Xiguan without looking away.
He seemed unaware of the inexplicable rise in Xiying's aura beside him, and just slightly lowered one corner of his mouth.
The weather is getting colder and colder, and it is too cold to sit in places where there is no sunlight indoors.
But as soon as they entered the study, they immediately felt the warmth coming towards them.
They were not surprised at all. They all knew better than the other that the young marquis could not stand the slightest cold.
Once he entered the room, locking the severe cold outside, Liu Ziye took off his outer robe, rubbed his red, frozen hands, sat on a plush cushioned chair, and sighed comfortably.
Xiying hung up his outer robe as usual.
Liu Ziye pointed to the area around the stove and said to the four people, "Find a chair and come sit down."
Du Hui came here more often, and when he heard this, he moved a chair over very familiarly. Jin Jie also followed and found a chair for himself.
By the time everyone was seated, the young marquis seemed to have warmed his hands by the fireplace in the room.
At this moment, he was sitting quietly by the stove, unfolding a four-foot long and wide dark yellow leather map in his hand. Looking at it from a distance, one could vaguely make out some zigzag lines and patterns.
It looks more like a map.
Xiying knew that since the young marquis had taken it out in front of them, he would naturally not avoid being seen.
He bravely asked, "Young Marquis, is this a map?"
Unexpectedly, it wasn't the young marquis who answered him, but the relaxed Mr. Du: "Indeed. This is a topographical map of the mountains and rivers of our Xiguan County."
What shocked him even more was that Jin Jie nodded in agreement very naturally after hearing what he said.
So he is the only one in the study who doesn't know about this?
Her original curiosity was instantly trapped by the frustration of defeat. Xiying drooped her eyelids. If it weren't for the rules she had learned since elementary school, she would have almost let out a long sigh in front of the young marquis.
After hearing Xiying's question, Liu Ziye looked up at him and said, "This is more than just a map. With it, you can expect to prosper with me in the future!"
Just one sentence made Xiying full of energy again.
He asked in disbelief, "Could this actually be a treasure map? Young Marquis, are you going to take us to dig for treasure?"
Although this was what he meant, Du Hui couldn't help but laugh at his fantasy.
Liu Ziye didn't explain, still keeping the secret, and said, "It's a map, not a treasure map. However, with it, our Western Border Fortress will become a golden land full of treasures."
Xiying's eyes lit up when she heard this: "Really?"
At this moment, there was a polite knock on the study door.
Needless to say, it must be Fu Zhener who has arrived.
Xiying was about to stand up to open the door and take Fu Zhen'er into the study, but Liu Ziye put away the map in his hand and said, "You sit down, I'll do it."
When the door opened, it was indeed Fu Zhen'er standing outside wearing a fox fur cloak.
After nearly two months of recuperation, he had regained the ability to walk, sit, and lie down, though he still tired easily and was physically weak. His clean, distinct face, framed by the fox fur, was even more striking.
He did not bother Ah Huan and Ah Bi to come and see him off, but walked over slowly on his own.
"Brother Fu, it's cold outside, right? Come in and warm up." Liu Ziye said gently.
When Fu Zhen'er saw Liu Ziye, she also smiled warmly and nodded: "Yeah."
When Xiying saw how attentive her lord was, the slight unhappiness she had felt just now, that Jin Jie knew more information than she did, was largely dispelled.
This is the one that their young marquis is most proud of!
The young marquis could go open the door himself, but he couldn't be bothered with moving the stools. Xiying tactfully brought the chairs over and, taking matters into her own hands, placed Fu Zhen'er's chair next to the young marquis's seat.
Liu Ziye brought Fu Zhen'er over, took a look at her, but didn't say anything. He let Fu Zhen'er sit beside him.
Seeing this, Xiying glanced at Jin Jie, who remained silent, with a hint of pride.
However, the other party still did not respond to his provocation.
Fu Zhen'er observed the situation in the study, and after sitting down, she asked naturally, "Zi Ye, did you call me here to discuss something?"
Liu Ziye handed over the Xiguan topographic map in his hand and said, "Brother Fu, take a look at this."
Fu Zhener took it, glanced at it for a few seconds, then looked up at Liu Ziye: "This, this is actually a topographic map of Xiguan?"
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