Drunk Bamboo

Chaoyang smiled and nodded, slowly telling me what he had discovered that night: "Last night I crossed the Qing River, followed the dense forest and the mountain wall to the back cliff of Lou Mountain, and found the fluorescent butterfly on the rock wall in the middle of the cliff. There were thick vines hanging from the air all around. I pushed aside the vines and found a cave inside. There was no one there, but there were a dozen boxes containing government silver."

Hua Qinfeng's eyes lit up and he said excitedly: "Great, we finally found the official silver!"

Zhang Xinghe showed a look of relief: "No one would have thought that the government silver was in Loushan and had never left Loushan."

Chaoyang continued, "The front of Loushan faces the sun and has lush vegetation, while the back is a steep cliff with a turbulent river flowing below it. No one would have thought that there would be a cave on top of the steep rock wall!"

Hua Qinfeng was puzzled: "The top of Loushan Mountain is shrouded in mist and clouds, so you can't see any vines at all. There would be no vines growing on the steep rock walls for no reason."

Zhang Xinghe guessed: "Someone had already tampered with the cliff. The vines could be artificially fixed with tools and nailed to the desired position. After receiving the official silver, the bandits threw the official silver off the cliff, into the river, and sank underwater. The bandits had made vines at fixed positions on the cliff in advance. When they jumped off the cliff, they just had to grab the vines and climb into the cave, and they could disappear without a trace."

Chaoyang suddenly realized something: "This may explain why the bandits disappeared from the top of Loushan Mountain. Where else could they go except jumping off the cliff?"

Hua Qinfeng's eyes widened and he said anxiously: "Let's arrest Wang Qingming and find the official silver!"

Now that we know the whereabouts of the government silver, there is no time to waste, so we must act now!

Zhang Xinghe hesitated for a moment and explained, "Your Highness, please wait a minute. Wang Qingming cannot be arrested yet. We have no evidence, only guesses. Moreover, Wang Qingming cannot do these things alone. The real bandit who robbed the official silver has not been found yet, and we don't know who it is."

Hua Qinfeng's eyes were fierce: "If we catch Wang Qingming, we are not afraid that he won't tell the truth."

He was accustomed to torture and had plenty of ways to make people talk.

Zhang Xinghe was worried: "If he refuses to comply or says nothing, wouldn't that alert the enemy?"

Chaoyang said calmly, "Master Zhang is right. Your Majesty, let's not rush. Now that we know where the official silver is hidden, we have ordered people to protect it in secret. If anyone moves the official silver out of that cave, we will not let them go. We can also take this opportunity to catch them."

Hua Qinfeng slammed the table and held his breath: "Now that we know the whereabouts of the official silver and that Wang Qingming is not a good person, are we just going to wait for him to make a mistake? And do nothing?"

It is rare that Hua Qinfeng is willing to listen to advice and not act impulsively.

Sitting down and discussing things calmly has also changed a lot.

Zhang Xinghe sat down slowly and said patiently: "Chaoyang said one method, but what the prince said is not wrong. We can't just sit there and wait for death."

Hua Qinfeng looked up and asked, "Zhang Xinghe, what's your plan?"

Zhang Xinghe's eyes trembled slightly.

What a familiar yet unfamiliar scene.

He quickly came back to his senses and said calmly, "Another batch of official silver will be delivered in five days. If we still get nothing during this period, or even start internal strife, Your Majesty, do you think they will take this opportunity to do something?"

Hua Qinfeng frowned slightly, lowered his head and thought for a moment, then asked:

"Are you trying to rob this batch of government silver?"

The corners of Zhang Xinghe's calm mouth gradually curled up.

Zhongdu, the Imperial Palace.

Xie Yuzhu hadn't been to the palace to pay her respects to the emperor and the empress for a long time. Even though Hua Qinfeng was not in Zhongdu, she would come and visit frequently to keep up the necessary contacts and maintain the relationship.

On weekdays, anyone in the mansion could say a few words to Hua Qinfeng, but when Hua Qinfeng left the mansion, they would follow every word he gave as if it were an imperial decree.

So Baiguo insisted on accompanying her into the palace, and at Xie Yuzhu's insistence, Yunling finally agreed to stay in the mansion to take care of the nanny.

Xie Yuzhu thought that if Hua Qinfeng really got angry, it would be scary.

Suddenly I thought of Nanny's health a few days ago, so today I might as well ask Baiguo about it.

"How is Mammy doing lately? Is your cough getting better?"

Bai Guo thought for a moment and said, "I cough occasionally before going to bed, but it's much better than a few days ago. Maybe the doctor changed the prescription and said it's nothing serious."

Nodding, he said with relief, "That's good. I see that Madam doesn't want me to mention seeing a doctor when I'm sick, so she definitely won't be willing to go with me to see Grandpa Zhao for a pulse check. Grandpa Zhao is busy at Renjitang and can't spare time. I'm glad Madam is fine. When the prince comes back, I'll ask him to persuade her. By then, I'll have to let Grandpa Zhao see her to feel at ease."

Some older people don’t like seeing doctors, nor do they like others saying that they are sick, so Xie Yuzhu didn’t force it.

When seeing a doctor, the patient's cooperation is always required.

Bai Guo lowered his head slightly and replied, "That's right, Princess."

Xie Yuzhu was surprised and said, "Yunling was nervous and cautious when she entered the palace. Why are you imitating her?"

Bai Guo said very seriously: "I am the only one accompanying the princess to the palace. I have the important task of protecting her, so I cannot be careless."

This serious look is very similar to Hua Qinfeng's serious look. You will become like the person who raised you.

Xie Yuzhu waved her hand: "Alright, Yunling said you have a good foundation in martial arts, so I had to let you accompany me. Ever since the prince left Zhongdu, everyone in the mansion has been trying to protect me. I have calluses on my ears. Do I look so weak?"

Seeing that she was unhappy, Bai Guo smiled and said, "The princess is the most powerful, but she doesn't know martial arts, which makes people a little worried. But don't worry, princess, I am good at light martial arts, and I will never let you get hurt. If there is danger, I will take you away."

Xie Yuzhu shook her head secretly: "It would be better if there is no chance for you to show your skills."

They soon arrived outside Baoping Palace, where Eunuch Dong was guarding the door.

"Eunuch Dong, is father free?"

Eunuch Dong bowed his body, lowered his eyebrows and smiled: "Your Majesty is taking a nap, I'm afraid it's inconvenient to disturb him."

"Then please trouble Eunuch Dong to give this basket of fruits to our father." Xie Yuzhu said, and Baiguo stepped forward and handed Eunuch Dong a basket of fresh fruits.

"It's my honor. Your Highness is so thoughtful." Eunuch Dong accepted it.

"Is the method in the booklet I gave to my father-in-law useful?" Xie Yuzhu asked in a low voice.

"It's very useful. Your Majesty is much better now." Eunuch Dong's eyes moved slightly, and he glanced around before speaking.

"That's good. Thank you for taking care of our father every day." Xie Yuzhu said with relief.

"Princess, what are you saying? This is what we should do. The Minister of War, Lord Chen, has arranged for people to deliver the silver raised by Lord Liu to Jiangbei County early tomorrow morning. Your Highness will meet them at Loushan. As long as the official silver can be delivered safely this time, Your Highness will have made a contribution."

Xie Yuzhu: "Thank you for your comfort, Eunuch Dong. I know that there has been no progress in the Loushan case. Eunuch Dong is afraid that I will worry. But I believe in the prince, and there is also Lord Zhang who is knowledgeable and detective like a god. They will definitely be able to catch the bandits and recover the lost 100,000 taels of official silver."

Eunuch Dong: "Princess, you are absolutely right."