Hearing that Xie Qin was safe, Wen Xian finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Yet he worried and remained vigilant. “It seems we all underestimated that prince. After all this circling around, he actually used a counter-intelligence stratagem against us.”

Wang Bo said, “It was truly too dangerous just now. If the young master hadn’t appeared in time, I wouldn’t have been able to immediately hide the secret passage entrance and fake that fall to deceive that guard.”

Even now thinking about it, he still broke out in cold sweat.

Wen Xian gazed at the ink-dark sky outside, narrowing his eyes. “Now that we’ve aroused their suspicion, we must act carefully from here on. The grand plan absolutely cannot have any problems.”

Moreover—

Wang Bo said, “Young master, actually these past few days… I’ve sensed that someone has been watching us from the shadows.”

“Watching us?” Wen Xian’s expression immediately changed.

“It’s just a feeling, I’m not certain. I’ve been deliberately paying attention, but haven’t discovered anything. Perhaps I’m being overly sensitive, but it’s also possible that those watching us from the shadows are all experts, so they’re hiding extremely well, which is why I haven’t been able to discover any trace of them.”

Ah!

“Experts?” Wen Xian thought. “Does this mean that even before this assassination attempt, they had already noticed us?”

Wang Bo was shocked. “Young master, could it be because…”

His words remained unfinished.

He was interrupted!

“Don’t throw ourselves into disorder. If they had sufficient evidence, they would have come to arrest us long ago. Why would they hide in the shadows to monitor us? In any case, you must remember one thing: this place is a silk shop, a place for buying and selling goods. We keep our doors open and conduct business honestly and openly. We are all legitimate merchants.”

Although he too was worried in his heart, his tone sounded very calm.

Wang Bo said solemnly, “Yes.”

“Also, take good care of Xie Qin. During this period, you must make sure he hides well.”

“But what if…”

“There is no ‘what if.’ They want evidence, don’t they? Then I’d like to see how they find their evidence.”

…

Anchang Courtyard.

That guard was the first to return and report, explaining everything clearly about how Xie Qin had awakened from the mass grave and then made his way to the Si family.

Crystal clear!

In the hall, Jingrong, Ji Yunshu, Muruo, and Tang Si were all present.

“We subordinates saw with our own eyes him going in. Before entering, he even spoke some coded phrases. The one who came out to receive him was that old man who manages the Si family’s silk shop, which is why Guard Lang had this subordinate return first to report to Your Highness.”

Jingrong’s gaze turned cold. “The Si family silk shop, again the Si family silk shop!”

His fingers lightly tapped on the table.

He fell into contemplation.

The Si family?

What kind of place was that?

Why would Jingrong have such an expression?

Ji Yunshu and Muruo, sitting opposite, exchanged glances. Both caught the meaning from that phrase “again the Si family silk shop,” but very tactfully said nothing.

Only Tang Si had to be different, looking full of fighting spirit. “The way I see it, it was definitely people from that Si family who sent assassins to kill you all. I say, you’re all being too wishy-washy. If it were me, I’d directly lead people to attack them, raid that entire place, find that person who was thrown into the mass grave, and then with solid evidence, let’s see how they can deny it.”

She didn’t know the critical aspects of this matter, so naturally she spoke lightly.

Muruo glared at her. “You just sit quietly with your mouth shut, or else get out.”

“I’m offering you suggestions.”

“Not needed!”

“You…”

How infuriating!

She could only sit there sulking.

Ji Yunshu then asked Jingrong, “The Si family silk shop, what kind of place is that? Why do you have such a reaction?”

Jingrong said, “Because when investigating the disaster relief silver, the trail led to the Si family silk shop.”

“The Si family is connected to the disaster relief silver?”

How surprising!

Jingrong nodded and continued, “What’s especially coincidental is that this assassination matter is also connected to the Si family.”

Wasn’t this too strange?

Muruo pondered deeply. “Could this matter be like a whirlpool?”

Growing larger and larger!

Tang Si simply couldn’t understand, and couldn’t endure it any longer. With a look on her face that said “you people are idiots,” she glanced disdainfully several times and lifted her bottom.

“Are you all stupid? Isn’t this matter obvious now? Those people stole the disaster relief silver, so they’re worried you’ll discover it, which is why they sent assassins to silence you. It must be like this. Now sending people over is most appropriate. Then you search out that disaster relief silver, find that person, and with solid evidence, it’ll be enough for them all to die a hundred times over.”

“Reckless woman,” Muruo tossed out.

“What did you say?”

“I said you’re a reckless woman!” He spoke lightly. “Males are reckless men, so females are naturally reckless women.”

Oh my, what a great term!

Tang Si glared fiercely at him. “I’m offering you suggestions. If you don’t want to adopt them, fine, but you’re like a dog biting Lu Dongbin, not recognizing a good heart. I’d rather be a reckless woman than be like you brainless people who only know how to flap your lips here.”

Having said this, she turned and went outside.

She stood in the courtyard outside, plucking leaves and venting all her frustration on them.

If only matters were as simple as she imagined!

Inside the hall, the atmosphere was tense.

Even Muruo was rarely clearheaded, looking toward Jingrong whose expression showed deep concern.

“What are you thinking?”

Jingrong said, “If these two matters are truly both connected to the Si family, then behind this, there must be extensive entanglements. After they stole the disaster relief silver, they were still able to openly operate this silk shop in Yufu County for so many years, all safe and sound. Moreover, a single merchant household can mobilize so many experts to work for them. This is definitely not a simple matter.”

Layers upon layers of mystery!

Before long, Lang Bo arrived.

He explained everything that had happened at the silk shop.

“Wen Xian?”

“Yes!”

Everyone was shocked that Wen Xian was actually the owner of that silk shop.

Jingrong said, “Actually, when investigating the disaster relief silver, we discovered that the Wen family’s cloth goods all came from the Wen family. At the time I already found it strange. Now, it probably makes sense. I just didn’t expect that the Si family silk shop would actually belong to Wen Xian.”

Ji Yunshu said, “The entire matter… might also be connected to the Wen family embroidery workshop.”

“Not might be, definitely is.”

“But when those assassins attacked, he saved us.”

“But the person thrown into the mass grave definitely entered the Si residence, and he appeared so coincidentally. As soon as he appeared, the trail went cold. Isn’t that very strange?”

Ji Yunshu was left speechless.

Jingrong then asked Lang Bo, “Are you certain you searched everything in that room?”

“Certain. But there truly was nothing. That person—this subordinate saw with my own eyes him entering.”

“There must be a secret passage in that room, you just didn’t discover it.”

“Then Your Highness, what should we do now?”

“Although matters are as we’ve analyzed, catching thieves requires catching them with the stolen goods. Right now we haven’t seen the disaster relief silver, haven’t found that person, and there are still many things we haven’t clarified. How did they transport the disaster relief silver away? And why exactly did they steal the disaster relief silver? Why assassinate this prince but not kill Teacher Ji, and even come to rescue people? In all of this, there are too many suspicious points.”

Isn’t that the truth?