The daughter of a noble family is reborn, and she is doted on by her godmother.

Yuan Chen, Aunt Hua, Liu Zhou'er...

No, we must keep a close eye on these people.

Yun Yuke was a little irritable. She couldn't sleep because of insomnia, and she didn't dare to turn over, since there was a little person sleeping peacefully next to her.

Yun Yuke could only stare at the curtain above her head in deep thought: Although there was no evidence, her sixth sense was not wrong. The hair ornament that appeared in the county government office and the gift list from Tong Yuxing must be related to Yuan Chen's jump off the cliff.

Yuan Chen said that the gift list was different from the original notes of Yan Dongjia, so the problem must be with the content.

I must go to the county government office again tomorrow! I must make a copy of Tong Yuxing's gift list no matter what.

Aunt Hua and Liu Zhou'er... Aside from Liu Zhou'er's marriage, Aunt Hua doesn't have much to worry about now. After all, her son has a career, and all that's missing is a daughter. As for her husband... Aunt Hua's husband went out to do business many years ago and disappeared without a trace for over ten years. It can't be because of this husband, can it?

No, the more I think about it that way, the more likely it is to be true. In any case, I still need to keep a close eye on it.

Meanwhile, in the study of the Xin'an County government office.

Magistrate Sun had just finished compiling the testimonies of all the people inside Fenglang Village. He put down his pen and rubbed his temples.

The members of Fenglang Village could not be considered chivalrous figures in the martial arts world. Seeing that they were already imprisoned, they basically confessed to their previous crimes of robbery and plunder.

However, when asked about the secret chamber and hidden treasures within the stronghold, they truly knew nothing. The captured bandits only said that the secret chamber was built by the stronghold's leader, Gou Chenjun, and that ordinary people couldn't enter. This Gou Chenjun was rather cunning; he escaped during the last attempt to capture him.

The county government did not publicize the matter, nor did it mention it in any official announcements.

This strange headdress... looks like it belonged to at least Gou Chenjun's collection.

Noblewomen's jewelry... these were their own possessions, and they would certainly be in their own hands. Who wouldn't keep their own jewelry? A wealthy family losing such a special hair ornament might not...

Could it be that they have already passed away...?

"Master..." Magistrate Sun was about to call for help when he realized it was already night.

"I remember now, I told the clerk to go back and rest... I'll have him check the county annals again tomorrow."

Magistrate Sun was about to blow out the oil lamp next to him when he heard a sound outside, like someone falling from a height, but he didn't know what it was.

Not long after, the sound of patrolling constables knocking on the study door could be heard outside.

"Your Excellency! You must go and see!"

……

Early the next morning.

After giving a few brief instructions, Yun Yuke went to the county government office alone.

The county government office seems even more... bustling than before?

It wasn't the kind of bustling scene where someone came to file a complaint; rather, it was the kind of busy scene where the yamen runners were too busy to attend to anyone.

"Hey, Mr. Yun?"

Yun Yuke turned around and saw that the person speaking was Tian Fengshou, a familiar bricklayer. He was accompanied by two apprentices, and the group of several people were carrying bricks, tiles and mortar. The three of them were about to walk towards the backyard.

"Master Tian? You're here... to repair the county government office?"

"That's right. We received the news this morning that some walls in the backyard of the county government office were damaged and that we should repair them. Not only us, but I saw Mr. Shen from the lumber shop being called over just now. He must be here to make new furniture for the county government office as well."

The bricklayer was in a hurry to get to work, so after exchanging a few pleasantries, he rushed off to the backyard.

The county government finally discovered Boss Yun's arrival and led him to the county government study.

Yun Yuke didn't waste any words and directly expressed her need to copy a list.

“Magistrate Sun, I admit that I concealed something during my last visit.” Yun Yuke got straight to the point and didn’t waste any more words.

"Tong Yuxing was the largest merchant house in Chang Le Town in the north. At that time, I hadn't yet come to Xin'an City to do business. I had indeed cooperated with them before, although it wasn't for long. Tong Yuxing was honest and fair, and their prices were reasonable. Some of their products were even exclusively supplied to the royal family. Our cooperation was quite pleasant. It's just very strange, it's probably because..."

Yun Yuke looked up and recalled the specific time, "Eight years ago, in the twelfth year of Changlong. Tong Yuxing was suddenly shut down by the local county government. It was said that the manager of Tong Yuxing had colluded with foreign enemies. It had been verified, and the whole family was executed."

"Direct beheading? No autumn execution?" Magistrate Sun sensed something was amiss.

Yun Yuke nodded, "Yes, very fast, unbelievable. Back then, there were no pro-commerce policies. Although Tong Yuxing was a large business, when things were down, everyone pushed it down. The imperial edict was delivered directly, and no one dared to disobey, let alone come to plead for them. Therefore, when you asked me last time, I really didn't dare to say that I knew their family. I was indeed afraid of being implicated."

"No problem, I understand."

“I really can’t live with myself. Mr. Yan from Tong Yuxing is such a good man. So, I thought I’d make a copy of that gift list and study it carefully when I get back. If I find anything noteworthy, I’ll tell you right away.”

Magistrate Sun listened quietly, and when he heard a key point, he seemed to have thought of something. He kept flipping through the documents on the table. "If Mr. Yun is willing to cooperate, I am naturally happy to see it happen. However, it may be troublesome for Mr. Yun to wait a little while... There was some trouble at the county office yesterday. The backyard wall is malfunctioning. It seems that there are rats."

A mouse? Yun Yuke was initially surprised, but when she saw Magistrate Sun wink at her, she suddenly understood the situation.

This was a pre-arranged code used when they collaborated with Magistrate Sun.

Behind these words lies the implication that the current situation is unsafe, the surroundings are uncertain, and there might even be a mole within the ranks, necessitating caution. The last time Magistrate Sun uttered these words was during their investigation into a mole within the county government. The two had agreed that if any was discovered, they would use "a mouse in the house" as a euphemism.

Yun Yuke understood, nodded to the magistrate, and then walked around the county government office study.

The surrounding area seems normal at the moment. Magistrate Sun quietly shook his head, while gesturing with his eyes to another door inside the house.

"Mr. Yun, please wait a moment. I have already asked people to repair the walls of the county government office. We will go there after the warehouse is repaired."

Magistrate Sun deliberately raised his voice and wrote something on a piece of paper.

After writing it down, he showed the contents of the paper to Yun Yuke.

"There is someone inside the room, suspected to be Fenglang Gouchenjun. This person has not been captured. Later, he will return home with an empty box, and we will lure him out with the secret treasure, and then capture him."

Seeing this, Yun Yuke understood and asked in response.

"Alas, there is one more thing. I have a request. I would like to borrow that crown for a short while. Your Honor, please rest assured, I only wish to take a look at the treasure. Last time I shared this with my family's craftsmen, they were quite curious. I wonder if I could borrow it for a day?"

Magistrate Sun smiled, knowing that Boss Yun understood his plan. He also needed to cooperate, so he spoke with a forlorn air, feigning difficulty, "This...this is, after all, important evidence..."

"Please rest assured, sir, I will bring it back exactly as it was. If any bead is knocked off, Yunji will compensate you exactly as it was."

Yes, Boss Yun is portraying Magistrate Sun as a greedy person. Magistrate Sun doesn't mind and nods in acquiescence.

“Ah…” Magistrate Sun hesitated for a moment, then said, “Alright then, the gift list cannot be taken away; it can only be copied.”

After their performance, the two simply chatted about everyday things.

Magistrate Sun casually burned the note he had just written and handed a book to Boss Yun.

Yun Yuke took it; it was inscribed with "Chronicle of Events in the Twelfth Year of Changlong".

The book is marked with a label, and when you open it, you will find that it contains an old case from the twelfth year of the Changlong reign—the case of Wu Jinggong's embezzlement.