One “we’re wronged” after another!

Listening to them, they didn’t seem to be lying.

Jingrong looked at those craftsmen kneeling on the ground, then walked to that iron wall and reached out to feel and probe around the edges of the hidden compartment.

It was like a drawer that opened to both sides. Not knowing which mechanism had been triggered, it had just opened like that.

He asked, “When this iron wall was built, which of you was in charge?”

“It was Master Xiao!”

“Is he here?”

“He’s already dead, died of illness many years ago.”

“Dead?” Jingrong frowned slightly.

Were they really this unlucky?

Investigating a case that had already produced such bizarre events was one thing, but now they’d finally found a clue, yet the only person connected to this matter was dead. How could they continue investigating this case?

Attendant Official Lin sensed his gloomy expression and walked over trembling. “Your Highness, perhaps this hidden compartment was installed by someone later.”

“Impossible!” He denied it. “Since it’s iron-walled, after being built, it naturally wouldn’t be easy to open a hidden compartment in the wall later. There’s only one possibility—it was already designed when it was being built.”

Uh!

Attendant Official Lin was left speechless, losing his confidence. He could only look at the craftsmen kneeling on the ground.

Slapping his thigh, he asked, “You several had better tell the truth! What’s the story with this hidden compartment on the wall?”

“Lord Lin, we truly don’t know. This wall was Master Xiao’s responsibility back then, but he’s already dead. Even if you lock us up in the county jail now, we can’t say even half a word about it.”

“This…”

How difficult!

Attendant Official Lin’s face turned pale as he smacked his lips a few times.

He said nothing more!

Jingrong continued examining that hidden compartment, looking all around and on the ground.

No buttons!

No moveable objects!

No protruding or recessed points!

In short, there was no way to know how this hidden compartment opened.

Had they touched something during the demolition process?

He wasn’t familiar with these mechanisms and buttons. If he tried to study it, he wouldn’t figure out anything useful in a short time.

So he gave up!

His eyes darkened as he asked, “This Master Xiao, who was he?”

One of those kneeling on the ground answered, “He was an old master craftsman with very good handiwork.”

“Speak clearly.”

“That Master Xiao used to be a carpenter in another region. When he first came to Yufu, he heard that the post station was building a storage room to hold disaster relief silver issued by the court, so he came along. That wall was always his responsibility. I don’t know… whether he installed a hidden compartment inside, but since he’s dead, there’s no way to know.”

“So he wasn’t from Yufu?”

“No!”

“When did he die?”

“He died a month after the storage room was completed.”

“What about his relatives?”

“Seems like he had none, just himself.”

Question and answer!

How would those people dare to lie now? They were scared half to death, each hanging their heads, not daring to look at that imposing prince before them.

After Jingrong remained silent for a long while and gained no clues, he waved his hand and had everyone leave.

Attendant Official Lin carefully inquired, “Your Highness, what should we do now? The person is dead.”

How the hell could they investigate!

“You may withdraw.”

“Ah?”

“Withdraw.”

His voice was cold and severe.

Attendant Official Lin was stunned for a moment, swallowed, and led all his subordinates away.

Jingrong stared at that wall, his expression stern.

Lang Bo understood his intention in suddenly sending people away and asked, “Your Highness, what are your orders?”

“Find out by any means necessary who exactly that Master Xiao was. The faster the better.”

“Yes!”

Lang Bo immediately went to investigate.

Jingrong didn’t leave the post station but had someone bring over a chair and sat in the courtyard, waiting for Lang Bo to return with information.

This prince was truly quite strange!

With him sitting in that courtyard, naturally everyone in the post station felt uncomfortable. Everyone was terrified, after all, a hidden compartment had appeared on the storage room wall, and the disaster relief silver might have been switched out through that hidden compartment, so everyone in the post station was suspicious.

Seeing Jingrong, that great Buddha, sitting openly in the courtyard, how could it not make people’s hearts tremble?

Of course, some didn’t understand what he was sitting in the courtyard for.

“Could it be that unless we find out who made the hidden compartment, the prince won’t leave?”

“Isn’t this being unreasonable? Master Xiao is already dead, where can we investigate?”

“Then why do you think Prince Rong is sitting there?”

“Don’t know, maybe… he thinks our post station is spacious.”

…

The onlookers discussed animatedly!

Attendant Official Lin had people prepare fine food and wine, set it in the front room, then scurried over to Jingrong.

“Your Highness, you’ve been sitting here for quite a while now. You must be hungry. This subordinate official has had food prepared. Won’t you move to the front and eat some?”

Jingrong glanced at him.

He said nothing!

“Your Highness? Sitting like this must be tiring too. If you won’t eat, then let this subordinate official arrange a room for you to rest.”

“No need!”

“Then…”

“I already told you to withdraw.”

“But…”

Jingrong was getting somewhat impatient, his expression darkening. “Attendant Official Lin, this prince doesn’t like to repeat himself. Since you don’t know how the disaster relief silver was stolen, then this prince will investigate. Since this prince is investigating, don’t come here to disturb me.”

Attendant Official Lin’s mouth stiffened as he swallowed back all the words in his heart.

He could only slink away in disgrace.

Before leaving, he still made a confused “tsk” sound, not understanding why that Buddha would just sit there if he wanted to investigate the case instead of properly investigating.

By looking at the moon and stars, could he figure out about the hidden compartment? Could he know who stole the disaster relief silver?

That prince was truly eccentric!

Jingrong ignored everyone’s strange looks and continued sitting properly in that courtyard. As the sky gradually darkened, he drank tea while admiring that round moon hanging in the ink-dark sky.

Not knowing how much time had passed!

Suddenly—

Slight sounds came from the roof tiles around them.

From the sounds, there were at least ten or so people.

Jingrong secretly curved his lips. Finally here!

The teacup he held in his hand, his fingertips tightened slightly, his gaze cold and sharp. The next moment, he threw the teacup toward the nearby rooftop.

Then a sword from the shadows drew out and instantly split that cup in half, falling to the ground.

“Bang!”

Shattered to pieces.

A dozen or so black-clothed figures immediately rushed out from the rooftop, just like that night, all pointing their sword blades at Jingrong and thrusting toward him.

From those people’s eyes, the killing intent was clear.

Jingrong sprang up abruptly, drawing a sword from behind the chair back, then grabbed that exquisitely carved pear wood chair and threw it over. The chair was split apart by someone and fell to the ground. He used his flexible sword to capture those swords thrusting at him, forcefully flicked them to drive everyone back, even flicking up several swords that spun several circles in his sword before all thrusting toward the black-clothed figures.

Three or four died on the spot!