Reborn, the daughter of the Marquisate went crazy

The cave entrance beneath the rockery resembled the throat of a giant beast, its darkness thick and bottomless. A chill, damp air, tinged with the stench of decay, lashed the air. The leading figure in black hesitated for a moment before swiftly stepping into the darkness.

"Cha-"

He quickly pulled out a tinder, and a cluster of flames suddenly jumped up, and the dim light danced on the dark cave wall. When the flames gradually stabilized, the scene before him appeared.

At the entrance of the cave, several stone steps meandered downwards. At the end of the steps stood an iron gate with a copper lock hanging on the door knocker, emitting a faint cold light in the firelight.

As he approached, Xie Qingli realized it was a seven-hole concentric lock, with seven interlocking holes and a hidden mechanism. Such a delicate mechanism could only be unlocked by a skilled craftsman. No wonder Xie Jingyuan was so calm and composed, not worried about anyone breaking in.

Xie Qingli was secretly worried when she suddenly heard the leading man in black lower his voice and say, "Miss Xie, don't worry. His Highness has made preparations." Before he finished speaking, he gestured behind him.

A thin man in black immediately stepped forward. He gently put down the cloth bag on his shoulder, half-knelt on the ground, took out a brocade bag from his arms, opened it and took out seven peculiarly shaped keys.

He deftly inserted the keys into the locks one by one, his fingertips twirling in rhythm. Suddenly, a series of crisp clicks echoed through the quiet cave, and the seemingly unsolvable seven-piece concentric lock opened.

A flicker of surprise flashed in Xie Qingli's eyes. The black-clad man's lock-picking technique was so smooth and fluid, there were probably only five people in the world with such proficiency. She had only asked Leng Shuang to borrow a few skilled guards, but who would have thought Chu Yuncang would even send such a person?

While she was thinking to herself, the leading man in black had already raised his hand and pushed open the iron door. With a creaking sound, a stale musty smell hit her face.

The flickering firelight revealed a secret room measuring two meters square, its walls clad in rough stone. Boxes and crates were neatly stacked on the floor, and except for the few that had been brought in that day, the rest were covered in dust.

Xie Qingli walked forward slowly and gently opened the lid of the box with her bare hands. A silver light suddenly came into view. The silver in the box was neatly stacked, and each ingot was shining with a cold metallic luster.

The leading black-clad figure casually opened two boxes, revealing silver of the finest quality. His brow furrowed in fear. This roomful of silver must have at least one hundred thousand taels. How could a mere fourth-rank Shaoqing, with an annual salary of only three or four hundred taels, have amassed such a vast fortune? What a greedy rat!

Time was running out, so Xie Qingli didn't delay any longer and said to the leader of the men in black, "Go ahead, and make sure you do it cleanly and don't leave any traces."

The leader of the black-clad men nodded briefly and gestured behind him. The others immediately and silently set to work, working in pairs. One person opened the box, the other handed the stone. Their movements were skillful and cautious, and the years of dust on the box surface remained untouched, as if no one had ever touched it.

The silver was quickly taken outside the mansion. At the corner of the mansion wall, Xie Qingli's men had been waiting in disguise for a long time. The silver was loaded into the inner compartment of a carriage. The horse's hooves were wrapped in cotton cloth, and the shaft was covered in cowhide. As it drove through the long street in the falling snow, only a faint trace of the silver was left, which was quickly buried by the fresh snow.

The night was dark, and the sound of the midnight clappers could be faintly heard wrapped in the wind and snow. Only half of the silver in the secret room had been taken away.

Xie Qingli tiptoed onto the rooftop to investigate, her gaze fixed on the distance when she suddenly saw two figures approaching through the vast snow. Cautiously, she pressed the whip at her waist, and only when the two men came closer did she see clearly that they were Chu Yuncang and Liuguang.

Chu Yuncang was dressed in a dark brocade robe, his brows etched with a hint of fatigue. He landed lightly beside Xie Qingli and chuckled, "I've just finished my official duties for the day and rushed here. It seems that Lord Xie's private treasury is even more abundant than the national treasury, which is why Li'er has been so busy for so long."

Xie Qingli frowned slightly, and pursed her lips: "We have only taken away half of it, there is still a long way to go."

She suddenly restrained her expression, her voice turning cold. "If this money is really from the illegal salt business... If a small figure like Xie Jingyuan can get such a huge share, then the wealth accumulated by the person behind the scenes must be a pile of gold and jade. With such financial resources, what is he planning to do..."

Chu Yuncang's heart sank, an indescribable bitterness welling up in his throat. The stench of decay within the Chu empire was so thick it nearly made him nauseous. Beneath the illusion of peace and prosperity, maggots were wriggling, eating away at the century-old foundation.

He stared at Xie Qingli and said in a hoarse voice, "Li'er, no matter which royal relative is behind this, I will definitely investigate this matter and eradicate it completely..."

Xie Qingli nodded slightly, a gentle smile playing on his lips. "Okay, Your Highness, let's go together. Third Brother Xie left the capital from the South Gate this afternoon, and I've sent someone to follow him. Now that we've uncovered this thread, we can follow it and definitely catch all those termites."

Her eyes flickered as she whispered, "This batch of silver will be temporarily stored in the villa on Qingyun Street. If His Highness needs it, you can call on it at any time."

Chu Yuncang quickly waved his hands and said gently, "You can't do that. This money is all Li'er's plan. Just do with it as you wish." He suddenly raised his eyes, his voice as gentle as the murmuring of a spring stream: "Not to mention this money, even the key to the Prince's Mansion's treasury... I can give it to you at any time."

Xie Qingli's cheeks flushed upon hearing this, and she lowered her eyelashes, feeling secretly annoyed. She and he were clearly just allies, so why would he hand over the key to the treasury? Yet, a sweet feeling inexplicably welled up in her heart, as if she had accidentally tasted honey, making her feel both embarrassed and annoyed.

Chu Yuncang's ears were already red as he finished speaking. He hastily turned his head away, his gaze fixed on the men in black carrying the silver. His voice was deliberately calm: "Is Li'er planning to empty the secret room? What if Xie Jingyuan finds out..."

Xie Qingli raised the corners of his lips slightly, his eyes full of cunning: "Don't worry, even if Xie Jingyuan is angry to death, he will never dare to make a sound. What's more, I left him a 'gift' in the box..."

……

Time passed, and several days had passed in the blink of an eye. On the surface, the Jing'an Marquis Mansion was still calm.

Xie Jingyuan spent his days flirting with Grand Princess Shuhua. Xie Jingliang was busy currying favor with Minister Zhou. Xie Qingyao, on the other hand, spent her days at various banquets, finding ways to "run into" the Third Prince while also engaging in an open and covert feud with Cao Xiner. Xie Qingli spent most of her time at Yingxueju on Jinxiu Street, occasionally returning to the Marquis's residence to stay. She resumed her appointment as a doctor to Young Master Wuwang, and her days were busy and fulfilling.

However, there was unrest in the imperial court. Urgent reports from all over the country poured into Shengjing like snowflakes. The continuous heavy snow had crushed countless huts, leaving the people homeless and homeless as the New Year was approaching.

A children's rhyme gradually spread among the people: "White snow covers the red gate, cold bones pile up against the palace walls," every word was heartbreaking. Rumors also quietly spread that this was a punishment from heaven, all caused by the emperor's unjust behavior...