The old troupe master lost his confidence. After all, based solely on a young scholar’s few words, he didn’t dare fully believe it. So he could only turn his gaze toward Ji Yinshu.

Thinking to himself: You must produce evidence!

“The things are definitely in the inn, and they’ve been hidden securely. The contents are certainly safe and sound,” Ji Yinshu said, taking down the towel draped over the waiter’s shoulder. She even pulled a piece of straw from it, twirled it between her fingertips a few times, and tilted her head curiously. “It’s also truly strange—how could a perfectly good towel have a piece of straw on it? What’s even stranger is that this towel has the smell of horse manure on it. For a waiter serving tables, having dust on his sleeves is still understandable, but having straw and the smell of horse manure on the towel on his shoulder—isn’t that very strange? But while it’s strange, it’s also not strange at all. After all, to hide those three large boxes in a concealed place, getting these smells on oneself would be inevitable.”

As soon as she finished speaking—

The waiter’s legs went weak and he nearly collapsed to the ground.

Everyone stared.

Ji Yinshu tossed the towel back onto the waiter, then turned and said to the old troupe master, “Old troupe master, under the straw in the stable, there should be a hidden room. Your boxes are inside. Just have someone move them out.”

The old troupe master responded and sent people to the stable.

Before long, the troupe members indeed returned carrying the three missing boxes.

The leading man gasped for breath and said, “Old troupe master, these three boxes were indeed found in a hidden room beneath the stable.”

The evidence was conclusive!

The old troupe master’s confidence was restored. “Innkeeper, the things have been found. What do you have to say now?”

San Niang’s face looked terrible. Suppressing the ball of rage about to erupt in her eyes, she raised her foot and viciously kicked the waiter.

She rebuked him, “You worthless thing! You dared to steal?”

The waiter fell directly to his knees. “San Niang, please spare me. My hands just got itchy, so…”

“Itchy?” San Niang was furious. “Fine, then let’s chop off that hand.”

The crowd was shocked!

The waiter wailed and cried, begging for mercy. “San Niang, please spare me. I won’t dare again, truly won’t dare. If you chop off this hand, I’ll really be ruined. San Niang, considering I’ve followed you all these years, please spare me. I guarantee there absolutely won’t be a next time.”

San Niang didn’t waver. With a cold expression, she glanced at her subordinates and ordered, “What are you standing there for? Hurry up and chop off his hand.”

“Yes.”

Two men came forward. One held down the waiter’s hand while the other raised a blade to strike down.

“Wait.”

Ji Yinshu stopped them in time.

The blade-wielding man’s hand paused.

In the middle of the night, she didn’t want to see blood, so she said to the old troupe master, “Old troupe master, since the things have been recovered and you’ve suffered no loss, and San Niang has also said she’ll compensate you double, I think this matter should end here. There’s no need to cut off his hand.”

Though the old troupe master was angry, the things had indeed been recovered, and it was Ji Yinshu who had helped. So he couldn’t very well refuse.

After thinking for a moment, he let out a heavy breath and waved his hand. “Since you’ve spoken up, young master, then let it go.” He then said to the waiter on the ground, “Listen well—if there’s a next time, I’ll definitely send you to the authorities.”

“Yes, yes, yes…” The waiter kowtowed repeatedly.

The old troupe master also ordered people to move all the boxes upstairs.

The group dispersed.

San Niang looked at the waiter. “Your hand doesn’t need to be cut off, but that doesn’t mean you’re off the hook. Since your hand caused the trouble, your arm must take the beating—fifty strokes. If you can endure it, endure it. If you can’t and it breaks, then it breaks.”

The waiter didn’t dare beg for mercy again and was dragged away.

Of course, San Niang didn’t forget to thank Ji Yinshu. “Thank you, young master. If not for you, I wouldn’t have known I was harboring a thief in my inn. When day breaks, I’ll send him to the authorities.”

Ji Yinshu replied, “Your move was quite good—a seamless frame-up, clearing yourself completely of this matter.”

“Young master, what do you mean by that?”

“Those boxes are so heavy—they don’t seem like something he could carry alone. Moreover, having a hidden room beneath the stable—isn’t that very strange? So, San Niang, your subordinates must have done such things quite often, right? Or perhaps… you participated as well.”

She spoke the truth plainly!

San Niang’s expression didn’t change.

She leaned toward Ji Yinshu and said, “Miss is truly a clever person.”

Miss?

Ji Yinshu was slightly surprised.

San Niang opened her fan. The feathered tip of the fan lightly brushed Ji Yinshu’s cheek as she wrinkled her nose and said, “The fragrance on men and women is different. I, San Niang, have seen more people in my lifetime than the salt you’ve eaten. One glance and I can tell whether someone is male or female.”

“…”

“But still, I must thank you for showing mercy, young master.”

Ji Yinshu said, “I wasn’t showing mercy. I’m just tired and don’t have time to make this matter bigger. Since you’re framing someone, I could only make an example to warn others. I hope you, San Niang, as that monkey, will restrain yourself.”

“Good. I, Du San Niang, will remember those words.”

With that, she smiled and left.

After everyone had dispersed, Jingrong walked over. “This San Niang is a clever person. You not exposing her was right. After all, when traveling, one must always watch one’s words.”

She nodded!

“Alright, rest early. We still have to travel tomorrow.”

“Yes.”

The two went upstairs.

However—

In a room on the first floor, the waiter who had been beaten with fifty strokes knelt on the ground, his hands hanging limply at his sides as if dislocated.

His body trembled, his face pale.

San Niang sat in a chair, her face fierce and murderous. She extended her foot and kicked the waiter.

“Useless thing.”

A reprimand.

The waiter fell to one side.

“San Niang, please spare me.” His voice trembled.

“I told you before not to have crooked thoughts. The people who came to this inn are ones we can’t afford to provoke. You actually didn’t even listen to me and acted on your own. After following me all these years, today you tripped me up. If I hadn’t been able to control that situation just now, I would have taken your life.”

“San Niang, how was I to know that a scholar would appear in this inn who just happened to know everything? I…”

“You still dare speak! If that young scholar hadn’t let us off, you and I would already be in custody at the yamen.”

The waiter was confused.

San Niang said, “Could you alone have lifted those boxes? Did you dig that secret chamber in the stable by yourself? She simply didn’t want to make the matter bigger, so she let us off.”

The waiter thought for a moment and suddenly said, “Then San Niang, should we…” Kill her.

Before he could finish speaking, San Niang slapped him.

Smack!

“You death-seeking thing! Do you know who they are?”

The waiter asked in confusion, “San Niang, who are they?”

“The man in blue robes who was with that young scholar—he’s a prince.”

Uh!

The waiter was dumbfounded and frightened.

“A… prince?”

His whole body shook.

San Niang narrowed her eyes and began to ponder. After a long while, she instructed the person beside her.

She said, “Go notify Liu Zhiliang. Tell him to behave himself. Anfu is about to welcome a prince.”