After transmigrating into the book, I helped my mother reconcile with her divorced husband.

The millet was newly harvested before the Mid-Autumn Festival. According to past practice, after reserving enough seed millet, 70% of it was to be sent to the Marquis's residence for the Lady to manage. However, due to the Marquis's early return to the capital and the sudden death of Steward Lu, the delivery of the millet was delayed.

But how did this millet end up in Steward Lu's possession?

There is a folk saying about placing five kinds of grains, but these grains are placed before the funeral procession. The cause of death of Steward Lu is unknown, and the body is laid out for burial. How could millet be placed there?

Xie Chaoyun pondered, "On what day did Steward Lu come back to life?"

Xu whispered, "It was the night we brought him back from the estate."

She paused, then continued, "His passing was so sudden, the house was a mess, and even the clothes he was wearing were bought from a funeral shop and didn't fit him properly. As for this mourning hall, according to the customs of our neighboring county, it was originally set up outside, but it was moved indoors because of that incident. As for the millet and rat droppings, I really don't know where they came from! There shouldn't be these things here."

Xie Chaoyun pondered: "Lu Yong said that you were all there that night and witnessed the whole thing."

“I saw it, but not the whole thing.” Madam Xu shook her head. “I was heartbroken and fainted for half a day. When I woke up, I was still groggy. I only got up to check when I heard shouts in the courtyard. I have two sons. The older one went to see the grave with the funeral director and hadn’t returned home when the incident happened. The younger one is not even six years old and went to bed early. Only my daughter-in-law and two servants were keeping vigil. Around 3 a.m., they were also feeling sleepy and groggy. My daughter-in-law said that she was awakened by screams and saw the person sitting in the coffin.”

Xie Chaoyun's eyes darkened: "Therefore, neither the Madam nor her daughter-in-law, nor the two servants, saw Steward Lu come back to life."

"Although I didn't see how he got up, he was definitely sitting down." Madam Xu looked at the house opposite: "When I came out of that house, my legs went weak with fright. Fortunately, the deputy steward arrived in time and helped me calm down."

Lu Yong stepped forward, cupped his hands, and said, "Reporting to Madam, I came to deliver something to Madam Xu. I had just reached the door when I heard someone shouting in the courtyard. When I entered the courtyard, I saw Madam Xu slumped in front of the house. Madam Xu's daughter-in-law and two maids had fainted in the mourning hall. I mustered up my courage and went forward to check, and found that Steward Lu's eyes were open, and his clothes were torn by himself."

"A dead person opening their eyes?" Lu Huai asked curiously, "Aren't you afraid?"

"Your Excellency, I am naturally afraid. I have only heard of such things as corpses coming back to life, but I have never seen it. However, Steward Lu is my steward, and we have been together for many years. Moreover, this is his home, and I believe he would never harm his wife and children. The so-called corpse coming back to life is probably because the cause of death is unclear and there are unfinished business."

Xie Chaoyun glanced at Lu Yong, then turned his gaze to the few rat droppings: "Did you see any rats or hear any noises when you came back to life?"

Lu Yong shook his head and did not reply. Xu Shi and the two maids who were on duty to keep vigil that day also shook their heads.

The room was silent. Ruan leaned against the coffin as if she had no bones: "If we can't catch the rats, we can always find the millet, right? Since it's this year's new millet, why don't you go and take a look in the granary?"

The Lu family set up a special granary in a neighboring county, not only to store grain from their own estate but also to store grain that Xie Chaoyun had collected from the surrounding areas. With General Xie leading troops in the field, the imperial court was unaware of the situation at the border and, believing the words of treacherous officials, always withheld grain supplies from the border.

How can soldiers fight if they can't even get enough to eat?

The imperial court disregarded these considerations. Victory was seen as divine favor, a testament to the emperor's boundless blessings. Defeat, however, was considered the general's fault, a punishment worthy of death. To ensure the Xie family's safety, the Xie siblings unanimously chose to engage in commerce. They exchanged their profits for cloth, grain, and medicine, sending them to the border to help the soldiers defend the frontier.

The Xie family was certainly disheartened by the court's actions, but as the old general said, they were protecting not only the country, but also its people.

The granary is divided into an east granary and a west granary. The east granary stores the Lu family's rice and grain. The key is kept by Steward Lu. According to the rules of the estate, the steward and the deputy steward must be present when opening the granary to take grain. However, this is not necessary when entering the granary; only Steward Lu needs to be present.

The western warehouse is Xie Chaoyun's private warehouse, with two keys: one in Xie Chaoyun's possession and the other in Lu Yong's. Inbound and outbound transactions require registration; the inbound ledger is held by the warehouse manager, and the outbound ledger by Lu Yong. Xie Chaoyun will conduct random checks around mid-year or year-end.

The granary was pitch black, with neither lanterns for illumination nor any patrolling staff. Lu Yong went to knock on the door and returned looking flustered.

The guard dog was dead, a gruesome death. The warehouse manager was missing, as was the patrolman; judging from the bloodstains on the ground, their fates were grim. There were clear drag marks on the ground; following the marks, they found the warehouse manager and the patrolman hastily buried.

The warehouse manager was lying face down in the pit, with one of his employees pinned beneath him.

"Killed instantly with a single stab wound to the abdomen, with no obvious signs of resistance or struggle."

His gaze fell down to the warehouse manager's trouser cuffs. "They were scorched and covered in paper scraps, probably from the lantern catching fire after it fell to the ground. They're still warm, so the time of death couldn't have been more than half an hour. The warehouse manager is an old member of the Lu family, always cautious; anyone who would get him to open the door at this hour must be an acquaintance."

Upon hearing the word "acquaintance," Lu Yong's hand tightened. Xie Chaoyun stopped and turned her gaze to the two men in the pit.

One man, dressed in patrol uniform, was hacked to death from the front. The cuts were jumbled, and his expression was bewildered; he didn't realize what had happened until his death. Another man, wearing an undergarment, his hair loose, and shoes on but no socks, was killed while opening the door to check. The knife first struck his face, and after he fell to the ground, the killer stabbed him several more times.

They acted swiftly, accurately, and ruthlessly; they were organized and purposeful; and they had some understanding of the management and deployment of the granaries—they were no ordinary bandits.

The warehouse door was open, but the grain inside was gone.

The entire granary consisted of thirty-two stacks, containing not only rice but also fodder for the warhorses. The rice was stolen, and the fodder was destroyed; the thieves had planned this. There were many footprints and wheel tracks between the stacks, all pointing towards the back door.

"I'll take men and give chase right away!"

"Wait!" Xie Chaoyun stopped Lu Yong: "Since they dared to come and rob, they must have left themselves a way out. It's getting late, send people back to rest. Tomorrow morning, have someone go to the coffin shop to pick out three coffins and give them a proper burial along with Steward Lu."

Seeing Xie Chaoyun about to leave, Lu Huai became anxious. Pointing at the stacks of grain, he shouted, "Where's the grain? Just like that, it's been stolen? Xie Chaoyun, do you know how much the grain in these stacks is worth? My Marquis's mansion is counting on this grain for the rest of the year!"

Xie Chaoyun said coolly, "So? Does the Marquis plan to take men to capture him?"

Lu Huai was taken aback and asked in return, "Shouldn't I go and capture him?"

Xie Chaoyun bowed slightly: "It is only right, but does Your Excellency know where they escaped to? And how many men should you take with you?"