Just as the grand banquet was being held in the palace, the night market on the streets had just dispersed. Pedestrians on the streets were already extremely sparse, and shops along the street were preparing to take down their door panels and close for the night. From time to time, several dog barks echoed along the deep bluestone-paved roads.

At this moment, a gray-clothed man holding a brocade box quietly arrived at the entrance of a pawnshop called Yongsheng Record. This Yongsheng Record was the most luxurious shop in the capital, and everyone knew that this pawnshop dared to accept any valuable treasure and never asked about its origins, which showed it had extremely powerful backing. The gray-clothed man entered the shop where several appraisers were talking at the counter. Appraiser Yao glanced up and seeing it was getting late, was about to instruct the staff to close the door when he suddenly saw the gray-clothed man enter. Startled, he tilted his neck back and said, “Coming to pawn something at this hour? We’re about to close!”

The gray-clothed man’s eyes darted around, glanced at Appraiser Yao, and chuckled, “This is a good item. Just take a look and you’ll know—you definitely won’t want to part with it!”

People often say “taken advantage of” or “swindled”—the phrase originally referred to going to pawnshops. Generally, when people went to pawnshops to pawn items, it was an act of desperation. Nine times out of ten they couldn’t redeem their items and they became dead pawns. Going to a pawnshop meant taking a loss, hence the common saying. But precisely because of this, items sent to pawnshops were never tattered clothes—they were always somewhat valuable. Especially seeing how mysterious this person before him was, Appraiser Yao exchanged glances with the others, opened the door and came out. He saw the gray-clothed man carefully holding a brocade box, treating it as precious treasure. Appraiser Yao smiled, “Our pawnshop doesn’t accept just anything. If you don’t have something good, then leave. Don’t waste my time!”

The gray-clothed man glared angrily. “Fine, fine, fine, don’t rush, let me take a look!” Appraiser Yao said while opening the brocade box. His eyes were immediately met with dazzling brilliance. Looking more carefully, the treasure in the box was wrapped in a handkerchief woven from gold thread. What was truly dazzling wasn’t actually the treasure itself, but the gold-threaded handkerchief. In the center was only a snow-white pearl with rice-grain-sized red pores embedded in it. Appraiser Yao’s eyes immediately brightened! But then something flashed through his mind and his face turned ashen with shock. Suppressing the suspicion in his heart, fine sweat already forming on his forehead, Appraiser Yao said, “This handkerchief is indeed nice, but I’m afraid what’s inside isn’t worth much.”

The gray-clothed man smiled, “This is a sarira from an eminent monk. To ordinary people it’s certainly worthless, but to believers, one is worth a thousand gold pieces—a rare treasure indeed! My friend obtained it with great difficulty. He’s not short of silver, just doesn’t feel safe keeping such things on him and wants to store them somewhere secure. So, name your price!”

Buddha’s sarira came in countless shapes—round, oval, lotus-shaped, in the form of Buddha or Bodhisattva; colors included white, black, green, red; some like pearls, some like agate or crystal, some transparent, some radiantly luminous… This one before him looked like an ordinary snow-white pearl at first glance, but it was definitely a sarira.

Appraiser Yao drew in a sharp breath. Previously, the Capital Magistrate had already notified all major pawnshops that the Guo family had lost sarira and were searching all over the streets. The Capital Magistrate was currently frantic. Yet this person brazenly came to the door to deliver sarira—this was truly strange! His mind turned, but his face smiled, “How many in total?”

The gray-clothed man smiled slightly and held up four fingers, then flipped his hand—nine.

Indeed, forty-nine pieces. Appraiser Yao became increasingly certain in his heart but remained impassive, “These items are too valuable. How could the shop come up with so much silver on hand? Let me think about it!”

The gray-clothed man chuckled, “Everyone knows this pawnshop is the wealthiest. If you didn’t have the means, I wouldn’t have come. How about this—one hundred taels of silver per piece!”

“One hundred taels?” Appraiser Yao’s heart jumped. Forty-nine pieces would be four thousand nine hundred taels of silver. He hesitated for a moment before speaking, “We can only offer one thousand taels.”

The gray-clothed man sneered, snatched back the brocade box and made to leave, “For so many treasures, I won’t sell them so cheaply. One thousand taels? What a joke!”

Appraiser Yao thought that since the man had come to their door, he absolutely couldn’t let him leave so easily. Otherwise, if others saw, they would certainly suspect collusion with bandits. Better to report this matter to the master first and see how to resolve it. He quickly blocked the way, “Wait, we can negotiate! How about one thousand five hundred taels!”

The gray-clothed man shook his head, “Nine thousand taels.”

Both were haggling insincerely. The other appraisers on the side were already dumbstruck.

Appraiser Yao gritted his teeth, “The shop only has two thousand taels. The rest would have to be transferred from elsewhere. Wait inside first. I still need to report to the proprietor and arrange everything slowly!” With a wave of his hand, he had someone invite the gray-clothed man inside, then exchanged a meaningful glance with a trusted aide, “Take good care of this gentleman. I’ll go see the proprietor.” Then he quickly walked into the inner room where Proprietor Qiao was tallying secret letters sent from various places. Appraiser Yao lowered his head and whispered a few words by his side.

Upon hearing this, Proprietor Qiao was immediately startled, “Are you certain of what you’re saying?”

Appraiser Yao quickly nodded, “Didn’t the Young Master say to be on guard for people coming to cause trouble at this time? I believe that’s exactly what the Young Master meant. I’ve detained the person, but in this situation, we should quickly report to the Young Master!”

Proprietor Qiao nodded, “The Young Master indeed instructed us to watch out for anyone selling sarira in the capital recently. He said this matter was vaguely suspicious, but we don’t know exactly what’s going on! Good, I’ll personally notify the Young Master!” With that, he left through the back door, but turned back to add, “Keep the person detained. Under no circumstances let him leave.”

Proprietor Qiao rode swiftly all the way to the Pei Manor but heard that Pei Bi had gone to the palace to attend the banquet. Proprietor Qiao found himself in a difficult position. Standing there thinking, he decided to notify Pei Bi through other channels. Outsiders only thought they operated an ordinary pawnshop, never imagining that the master behind the pawnshop was the Pei family. With such backing, they had firmly established themselves in the capital—no one dared offend them easily. Thinking it over, this matter could not be delayed. He wrote a note and sent it through a specific channel into the palace to be delivered to Pei Bi. Only then did he return to the shop. Just as he entered, he saw the gray-clothed man hurrying to leave. He quickly stopped him with much coaxing and consolation, forcibly pulling him into the room and ordering the shop door closed to prevent any leaking of information.

At this moment, three hundred meters from the pawnshop in an alley, two groups of people had converged. The Capital Magistrate was leading and about to rebuke the other party when he saw it was Guo Dun. Greatly startled, he clasped his hands and smiled, “So it’s Lord Guo! Why are you here at this hour?” At this time, a banquet was being held in the palace. Guo Dun also held an official position and was a son of a Duke’s manor—why wasn’t he attending? His heart filled with doubt, but he saw Guo Dun smile slightly, “I heard that the pawnshop ahead had some trouble. The matter is grave, so I brought guards to capture the thieves!”

The Capital Magistrate’s heart jumped, “Thieves? I wonder what thieves Lord Guo refers to—”

Guo Dun’s gaze darkened, his expression rarely sinister, “The ones who stole my family’s sarira!”

The Capital Magistrate had only been making routine patrols but didn’t expect such a harvest. Immediately delighted, he said, “Is Lord Guo saying those people took the treasure to pawn at the shop?”

Guo Dun nodded solemnly, “Naturally so. I won’t say more—I must hurry there, otherwise if we delay, neither you nor I can bear the consequences!”

The Capital Magistrate quickly blocked him, “This is my jurisdiction. If anything happens, I naturally must take full responsibility! I’ve already said I would assist the Guo family in capturing these thieves who stole the sarira. Please give me this opportunity, Lord Guo!” In fact, while Guo Dun did serve as Capital Guard Commander, he had no jurisdiction over this area!

Hearing this, Guo Dun knew the Capital Magistrate wanted to claim credit. He thought to himself that it was indeed as his sister had predicted—as soon as he informed the Capital Magistrate of discovering these people’s whereabouts, the Capital Magistrate would be the first to rush to the scene. Perfect! Secretly pleased, his face remained calm, “Then please, Your Excellency, quietly guard the roads around the pawnshop. No one is permitted to enter or leave! I heard there’s also a secret passage in this pawnshop. We must catch them unaware when we charge in. If we let them escape, we’ll have worked for nothing!”

But the Capital Magistrate frowned, “This… let me do the capturing instead. Please have Lord Guo handle the guarding!”

Guarding outside was simple work. Stationing guards at intersections might catch those who slipped through the net, but what if Guo Dun simply didn’t let anyone out? Then his credit would be buried along with everything else. So he volunteered to go into the pawnshop to capture people.

This played right into Guo Dun’s hands. His face only showed a slight smile, “In that case, I’ll trouble the Capital Magistrate.”

The Capital Magistrate chuckled, thinking that presenting the sarira would be a great achievement. A cold, vicious smile flashed at the corner of his mouth as he pointed at the pawnshop, “Charge into the shop and arrest everyone!” The bailiffs beside him wanted to remind him that every shop in the capital had protection, but reconsidering how grave this matter was, they held their tongues.

Proprietor Qiao was conversing intermittently with the gray-clothed man in the private room, trying to probe for information, hoping the Young Master would return soon so they could capture and interrogate this person. Unexpectedly, he suddenly heard the thundering of horse hooves outside. Before he could react, he saw a row of shop doors crash down with a bang. Immediately the whole room filled with dust, becoming a smoky chaos. Dozens of bailiffs swarmed in, smashing everything in sight, advancing menacingly. Proprietor Qiao was furious but suppressed his anger, signaling Appraiser Yao with his eyes. Appraiser Yao immediately went to the inner room while Proprietor Qiao stepped forward, deliberately angry, “What is this place? How dare you act so presumptuously!” Before he finished speaking, the Capital Magistrate slapped him twice across the face.

Proprietor Qiao saw stars, hastily saying, “Your Excellency, what are you doing?”

“Arrest everyone, no matter who they are!” the Capital Magistrate shouted.

The bailiffs charged into the pawnshop, indiscriminately capturing everyone regardless of who they were. In moments, everyone was bound like dumplings. Then they also captured the gray-clothed man and forcibly opened his box in public to reveal its contents. Seeing this scene, Proprietor Qiao’s heart sank. Vaguely understanding something, he shouted loudly, “Your Excellency, we are honest merchants, we are the victims! This man brought items to pawn. We haven’t even examined the goods—we have no idea what he’s pawning!” Before he finished speaking, the Capital Magistrate raised his hand and gave him another hard slap, “Nonsense! Look what time it is! This official hasn’t asked questions yet—who gave you permission to answer?”

They quickly confirmed that the item in the brocade box was indeed a sarira, but only one piece. The other forty-eight were nowhere to be found. The Capital Magistrate’s eyelid twitched. He chuckled coldly twice—one didn’t matter; where there was one, there would be two!

Seeing this scene, Proprietor Qiao’s expression alternated between light and dark. The authorities always knew everyone on this street had backing, especially their pawnshop which was far from simple. They wouldn’t act rashly without cause. Why would they suddenly charge in without reason? Could there be some hidden reason?

At this moment, the Capital Magistrate had already turned back, “You’re the proprietor of this shop. Where are the other forty-eight sarira?”

Proprietor Qiao’s face turned pale and green, trembling all over, “Your Excellency, I’m an honest merchant! This item was brought by a thief to pawn. I know nothing—if you want to ask, ask him!”

The Capital Magistrate looked up at the gray-clothed man, but saw him bite his tongue, roll his eyes, and collapse to the ground. The bailiffs quickly checked his breathing and found he had already died. The Capital Magistrate flew into a rage, “You useless wastes! The man was right under your noses, yet you let him stop breathing!”

Shortly after, Guo Dun sauntered in from outside. Seeing the scene, he smiled faintly, “Capital Magistrate, what do you think should be done about this situation? His Majesty is still waiting for a response!”

The Capital Magistrate’s face showed bitter amusement, “We’ve only recovered this one sarira. Lord Guo, please don’t make things difficult for me.”

Guo Dun’s face showed a troubled expression, “I don’t mean to deliberately make things difficult for Your Excellency. It’s just that at today’s grand banquet, His Majesty had a whim and issued an edict to personally view these forty-nine sarira from eminent monks. Now it seems… His Majesty will be disappointed.”

Cold sweat rolled down the Capital Magistrate’s forehead. He knew this matter was extremely grave. If the Emperor inquired, neither the Guo family nor he as Capital Magistrate could escape involvement. After pondering briefly, his gaze swept over Proprietor Qiao’s face. Proprietor Qiao looked back at him, his mind racing. Fortunately, he had already instructed Appraiser Yao to clean up the secret room. Otherwise, if they searched and found anything, there would be no good end.

After weighing the pros and cons, the Capital Magistrate pondered briefly and spat out a single word from his mouth, “Search this entire shop inside and out!”

Proprietor Qiao immediately became anxious, shouting loudly, “Who dares search!”

Guo Dun tilted his head, smiling mockingly, “Oh? Why can’t we search?”

Proprietor Qiao grew more furious, “What exactly is your purpose! Oppressing common people under the Emperor’s feet!”

Common people?! Guo Dun smiled indifferently, then viciously slapped Proprietor Qiao. His great strength made the blow far more vicious than the Capital Magistrate’s. Proprietor Qiao was knocked sprawling to the ground by that single blow. When his lip peeled back, it was bloody and mangled. He immediately scrambled up but still tried to obstruct them. Guo Dun cracked left and right continuously, delivering more than ten slaps. Proprietor Qiao’s entire mouth swelled like a sausage, his face like a pig’s head. He mumbled incoherently—several teeth had been knocked out, unable to speak a single word. The appraisers beside him quickly came to help. He estimated the time was about right—Appraiser Yao must have cleaned everything up. Only then did he stop obstructing, pretending to be frightened and retreating to the side.

Guo Dun pretended ignorance, smiling slightly at the Capital Magistrate, “Your Excellency, now we can search.”

The Capital Magistrate’s heart grew more fearful. He didn’t know why, but he vaguely felt that this time, the Guo family was waiting here for him! He had always been known for caution, but this time, eager for achievement, he didn’t know what forces backed this pawnshop… His heart filled with regret. If only he hadn’t come in earlier but stayed outside guarding—he would have had a share of the credit no matter what! But because he was impatient for success, wanting to capture these thieves and claim credit before the Emperor, in his haste he hadn’t thought deeply enough. However, things had come to this point—regret was useless. Having already burst in, if he couldn’t find the sarira, he probably couldn’t pass the Emperor’s test! He stamped his foot and shouted loudly, “Are you all deaf? Search quickly!”

Thus, the entire shop was practically turned upside down. The bailiffs broke locks, pushed down walls, overturned boxes and cabinets in a clattering frenzy, searching so thoroughly they wouldn’t let even a speck of dust escape.

Guo Dun merely sat calmly to the side drinking tea, having already received Li Weiyang’s instructions.

After a while, a bailiff emerged covered in sweat, holding thick account books, and reported, “We haven’t found the sarira, only these ledgers.”

The Capital Magistrate waved his hand, “Useless wastes! Keep searching!”

Just ordinary account books—completely useless! Proprietor Qiao sneered coldly. It seemed Appraiser Yao had cleaned up thoroughly. But just then, suddenly a bailiff pushed out a disheveled person, saying, “Your Excellency, we just found this person burning something in the back room. The matter is grave. Before we could hold him accountable, he’d already fainted, probably choked by the smoke. We just splashed water to revive him. Important items were already mostly burned by him, but one book remained!”

Proprietor Qiao thought this was bad—that Appraiser Yao was truly a fool! Who burns evidence and nearly burns himself to death! He couldn’t help but glare viciously at Appraiser Yao! The other man was also dazed and confused. He had been burning important documents when he was inexplicably knocked unconscious from behind! Before he could regain consciousness, he was surrounded by a pack of wolf-like bailiffs—he couldn’t figure out what was happening at all!

Guo Dun took the ledger and opened it to look. He saw this book recorded in dense detail what items this pawnshop had received in what year and month, how much silver was obtained, and how it was recorded—all in complete detail. Proprietor Qiao’s face showed anxiety. He looked at Guo Dun, not daring to say a word, afraid the other would discover something.

Guo Dun truly was somewhat troubled. He had never understood account books and couldn’t help thinking that if Fifth Brother were here, it would be good. Speak of the devil—a richly dressed young master strode quickly into the shop, his face bearing a languid smile. That handsome face made one feel as refreshed as a spring breeze upon sight—who else but Guo Dao?

Seeing him, Guo Dun was overjoyed, “Fifth Brother, you’ve come! Quickly help me look at this ledger to see what’s suspicious!”

The Capital Magistrate thought to himself that such a small shop had attracted two great figures, both surnamed Guo—this matter was certainly suspicious. His gaze fell on the account book. He tried to reach for it but Guo Dun clapped his hands away, “Your Excellency, shouldn’t you be searching for the sarira? What does this ledger have to do with you!”

The Capital Magistrate’s face darkened. He thought they had used him and now wanted to kick him aside. Guo Dun himself wasn’t particularly fearsome, but behind him stood Duke Qi and Imperial Consort Guo—both formidable figures not to be underestimated. The Capital Magistrate suppressed his anger and viciously kicked Proprietor Qiao, “Why don’t you honestly confess! Where did you and that thief hide the sarira!”

At this time, Guo Dao had already taken the ledger and studied it carefully. His eyes swept across ten lines at once—swish, swish, swish, swish, swish. In less than the time it took to drink a cup of tea, he had finished reading the entire account book. In a flash, Guo Dao’s gaze suddenly stopped on some fine print. Then he seemed to breathe a sigh of relief, the corner of his mouth showing a trace of a smile, “Fourth Brother, look at this!” It was worth it that he had just climbed over the back wall earlier to investigate first. If that person had burned this ledger, they would have come for nothing!

Guo Dun looked at those densely packed numbers and his face had long turned ashen. He thought to himself, you’re asking me to look at what? How could I possibly understand! He couldn’t help but chuckle awkwardly, “You look, you look!”

Guo Dao didn’t insist. Without glancing at any other ledger, he alone tucked this one into his chest.

Proprietor Qiao was about to rush forward to stop him but was pressed to the ground by the bailiffs beside him and given a sound beating. At this time, the bailiffs were ransacking and plundering inside the shop, creating a huge commotion. People on the opposite side had already heard the disturbance. Someone quietly left through a secret passage in the shop across the street, heading straight to Pei Manor to report the news.

The Capital Magistrate searched for a long time but found nothing except that one sarira. He knew this matter was extremely bad and resolved to bring both the shop’s proprietor and the suicide victim, the gray-clothed man, to have an audience with the Emperor. Even if he couldn’t eliminate his own guilt, it was better than nothing. Moreover, having raided this shop without knowing who backed it, of course he needed to strike first and accuse them, so the person behind wouldn’t have time to concern themselves with retaliation.

With this thought, he immediately said, “I must enter the palace now. I wonder if the two young masters will also accompany me to have an audience with His Majesty?” His calculation was that regardless of how things stood, the Guo family had arrived at the pawnshop entrance first. If anything went wrong, dragging them down together was better than being ruined alone.

Guo Dun’s eyes shifted as he looked toward Guo Dao. Guo Dao smiled slightly, “Since Your Excellency intends to go personally, we two brothers naturally should accompany you. However, at this time, having an audience with His Majesty may not be so easy, as a banquet is currently being held in the palace.”

The Capital Magistrate smiled, “I’m charged with patrolling the entire capital. In urgent matters, I can directly have an audience with the Emperor. The two young masters needn’t worry—please accompany me to have an audience with His Majesty.”

Guo Dao patted the ledger against his chest, his smile deepening, “Excellent. Your Excellency, please lead the way.”

At this time, Pei Bi was attending the banquet when a palace maid pouring wine for him whispered, “Young Master Pei, a message just came from outside the palace. The pawnshop has had trouble.”

Pei Bi’s face paled. He frowned, “Trouble—what kind of trouble?”

The palace maid said in a low voice, “It’s said to have been raided by the Capital Magistrate.”

Pei Bi’s expression trembled. Just as he was about to ask for details, before he could speak, his heart suddenly jumped in alarm, his body hair standing on end—because the Capital Magistrate was now striding boldly into the hall. Accompanying him were the bound Proprietor Qiao and two young masters from the Guo family.

The atmosphere in the hall had already completely changed. The dancing women quietly retreated to the side, and the music had also ceased.

The Emperor looked at him, raising his hand to signal everyone to quiet down, “Capital Magistrate, why have you suddenly entered the palace without reason?”

The Capital Magistrate respectfully bowed, “Your Majesty, the other day Duke Qi’s carriage was robbed by thieves on East Street, and the sarira meant to be presented to Your Majesty were forcibly taken—forty-nine pieces in total. This official has conducted extensive searches throughout the capital and has now recovered one sarira and captured the thieves involved in the theft. I request Your Majesty’s judgment.”

The Emperor raised his eyebrows, his gaze falling on the bound Proprietor Qiao, smiling ambiguously, “Oh? Is this true?”

Duke Qi stood up and declared loudly, “Yes. This humble subject searched everywhere and with great difficulty collected these forty-nine sarira from eminent monks, but they were inexplicably stolen by thieves. Yesterday this humble subject already submitted a memorial. Unable to present them in time, I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.”

The Emperor smiled slightly, “My beloved minister’s circumstances are pitiable—what crime is there? As for these thieves, where were they captured?”

Pei Bi watched this scene, his face cold as if covered with frost. He fixed his gaze directly on Li Weiyang, his eyes filled with extreme hatred. Li Weiyang’s smile was gentle and warm, like a spring breeze, as if she hadn’t noticed those eyes filled with hatred across from her.

The Capital Magistrate greatly embellished his story of searching everywhere and finally finding the thieves with such difficulty, until the Emperor frowned impatiently. Only then did he quickly say, “Your Majesty, this thief was found in a pawnshop. However, the pawnshop owner just confessed everything, saying the pawnshop belongs to the Pei clan. This humble subject deeply feared the Empress’s anger and had no choice but to first bring this thief to have an audience with Your Majesty. I beg Your Majesty’s forgiveness.” On the road just now, Guo Dao had somehow used some method to force Proprietor Qiao to speak, immediately making him confess that the pawnshop’s owner was the Pei family. The Capital Magistrate, shocked and already unable to back down, could only continue forward.

The Emperor glanced at Empress Pei, his smile growing more gentle, “Empress, what is your view?”

Empress Pei smiled faintly, her expression composed, “Pawnshops conduct business receiving and sending off all sorts. Regardless of an item’s origin, as long as it’s valuable, they keep it. This has been the rule since ancient times. I ask, what crime does the proprietor have? The Capital Magistrate is truly confused.”

At Empress Pei’s words, the Capital Magistrate’s back broke out in cold sweat. He lowered his head, not daring to say another word. He didn’t know why, but under Empress Pei’s gaze, one always felt fearful and panic-stricken, as if falling into an icy abyss.

The Emperor laughed heartily, his laughter carrying three parts mockery, “The Empress speaks correctly. Pawnshops are such places. What evidence does the Capital Magistrate have to prove this pawnshop colluded with the thieves?”

At this time, Guo Dao had already bowed to the Emperor, “Your Majesty, originally we also dared not confirm this pawnshop had definitely colluded with thieves, so we searched everywhere in the pawnshop and discovered an account book.”

Hearing this, Pei Bi’s face was already cold as ice, his eyes fixed unblinkingly on the other party, almost as if he wanted to devour someone. Pei Bao’er watching from the side couldn’t help feeling shocked. She had always known her eldest brother was very composed and had never shown such an expression—it was truly terrifying. But what frightened her more was that she had originally hired the Crimson Blood Alliance hoping they would kill Li Weiyang for her. Who would have thought they not only failed to kill her, they didn’t even manage to kidnap Li Minzhi. Instead, she heard that their Guo family had lost some sarira. What a joke—why would she steal sarira for no reason? What use would such things be? However, Pei Bao’er couldn’t be certain whether the Crimson Blood Alliance had seen an opportunity for profit and stolen the sarira for their own purposes. That’s why Pei Bi had instructed people to watch everywhere, hoping to find these items first to make something of it.

Now seeing the other party had actually taken these items to their Pei family’s pawnshop to pawn, Pei Bao’er’s heart couldn’t help but be swept by another wave of doubt. She didn’t know why, but she always felt this matter carried subtle strangeness, yet couldn’t say exactly what was strange. Beside her, Pei Bi was already swaying unsteadily.

Guo Dao declared loudly, “In this pawnshop’s account books, we found an extremely strange record. Five years ago, this small pawnshop actually received thirteen million taels of silver. I ask, what virtue and ability does a pawnshop have to achieve the equivalent of the national treasury’s annual income? Such profits are probably unprecedented in the world!”

The Emperor looked at Pei Fan, whose face showed panic, “Lord Pei, your pawnshop truly brings in gold by the bushel—a small pawnshop receiving thirteen million taels!”

Pei Fan quickly stood up and knelt on the ground, “Your Majesty, this…”

At this time, Guo Dao had already sent the account book through the eunuch’s hands to before the Emperor. The Emperor lightly flipped it open and immediately noticed the thirteen million taels recorded. He smiled coldly, suddenly his eyes flashed with cold light, and he angrily demanded, “Pei Fan, what is your explanation!”

Pei Fan immediately broke out in cold sweat soaking his back. He suddenly remembered the origin of these thirteen million taels. Five years ago, His Majesty had toured the south, and it was the Pei family who had undertaken the entire matter, building temporary palaces all along the route and gathering funds for the southern tour. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Pei Fan had extensively accumulated wealth, receiving a full thirteen million taels of silver and turning it into Pei family property. But this sum was too enormous. Fearing someone would discover it, he had secretly transferred it underground, using the pawnshop to launder the money. Part of it was used to buy off officials, another part to expand the Pei family’s army… How could anyone have exposed everything!

The Emperor’s brow twitched slightly as he sneered, “All these years you’ve been secretly selling offices and ranks, colluding with powerful figures—all of this I have known in detail. Considering your Pei family’s meritorious service, I’ve let it all pass! But just this one item of receiving bribes and accumulating thirteen million taels is enough for execution! Good, very good. Tell me, who was directing you to intercept these thirteen million taels, and what great deed were you preparing to do with this silver? I’ve read through the history books and have never seen such a treacherous and corrupt official—truly shocking to hear. Thirteen million taels—equivalent to the national treasury’s annual income. You’re far too greedy!”

Empress Pei lowered her eyes. At this moment, she had already understood everything. This Li Weiyang had first deliberately set a trap to lure the Pei family into intercepting her. Pei Bi hadn’t taken the bait, but somehow the Guo family’s carriage was still hijacked. Li Weiyang then blamed the loss of the sarira on the Pei family, secretly pressuring the Capital Magistrate to force him to search everywhere. The truth of the matter was probably that Li Weiyang had known all along that the pawnshop was the Pei family’s secret base of operations in the capital. Now these so-called thirteen million taels of silver were just the beginning. Searching carefully in the pawnshop, they would certainly find other important evidence.

Even if Pei Bao’er hadn’t hijacked the carriage, it wouldn’t have mattered. Li Weiyang would always find a way to frame them. Empress Pei sighed deeply. This scheme seemed simple and risky, but in reality was extremely vicious. She glanced at Li Weiyang—she had to admit this girl at such a young age was truly formidable.

Li Weiyang looked up at Empress Pei. Their gazes met briefly in the air. Empress Pei’s eyes held coolness that seeped down layer by layer. Li Weiyang’s eyes reflected a trace of candlelight, faintly dazzling.

Then Empress Pei was first to withdraw her gaze, smiling slightly, “Pei Fan.”

Pei Fan startled, immediately saying, “Yes, Your Grace.”

Empress Pei said coolly, “I truly never imagined that His Majesty trusted you so much in the past, yet you committed such embezzlement. Even beheading would be deserved. Your Majesty, please execute Pei Fan immediately as a warning to others!”

After the Empress said this, Yuan Lie sneered. This was clearly a strategic retreat to advance—now to see how the Emperor would choose.

The Emperor only looked at Pei Fan with poisonous eyes, laughing viciously, “Nothing but a despicable clown—why should he still hold his current official position? Hmph, throw this thing into the imperial prison!”

Immediately soldiers rushed into the hall and dragged down the pale-faced Pei Fan who was crying out piteously. Pei Bi and Pei Bao’er both knelt there, not daring to move, only waiting for the Emperor’s further disposition. Then the Emperor’s tone shifted, “However, these thirteen million taels of silver…”

Empress Pei immediately said, “Since the Pei family embezzled this sum, we will naturally return it in full. Please rest assured, Your Majesty. Although this matter was Pei Fan’s doing alone, the Pei family will acknowledge it!”

The Emperor smiled faintly, “With the Empress’s word, I am naturally reassured. However, when one person commits a crime, the entire family must also bear the consequences.”

Empress Pei’s face finally changed slightly, “What does Your Majesty mean by this? Do you intend to execute the entire Pei clan?”

The Emperor smiled faintly. Pei Fan held office in the capital, while Pei Yuan commanded three hundred thousand troops as the Nation-Defending Great General. If he said he would execute the entire Pei clan, Pei Yuan would probably be the first to rebel. He said coldly, “That won’t be necessary.”

Empress Pei’s expression was extremely subtle, “Since Your Majesty has pardoned the Pei family from death, I wonder what Your Majesty still requires?”

The Emperor’s eyes shifted as he slowly said, “I’ve long heard that three-tenths of the world’s wealth lies with the Pei family. Since this is so, for these thirteen million taels of silver, I ask the Pei family to return triple the amount to the national treasury. This way, no one will ever again dare commit such embezzlement of national treasury funds!”

Thirteen million taels tripled was an astronomical figure. Even if the Pei family exhausted their hundreds of years of accumulated wealth, they probably couldn’t repay such an enormous sum. The Emperor was clearly doing this to bankrupt the Pei family! Pei Bi’s face paled as he was about to speak and beg for mercy. At this moment, he heard Empress Pei say coolly, “Your Majesty is so magnanimous. The Pei family will naturally set Your Majesty’s mind at ease. We will repay the debt as a family, taking responsibility no matter how long it takes!”

“Good, well said—truly worthy of being the Empress who is mother to the nation.” The Emperor’s smile deepened.

Empress Pei’s bright eyes glanced sideways, her soft charm fully displaying sharp edges that made one’s face suddenly feel cold.

At this time, seeing this situation, everyone’s drunkenness had completely vanished. They all watched this scene with various thoughts, looking at each other in dismay.

After a long while, Princess Ali finally said softly, “Jia’er, I didn’t expect there would be such a drama. You must have known beforehand, right?”

Li Weiyang’s expression lifted slightly, her eyes like flowing waves, “Known what?”

Princess Ali said, “Known that the Pei family pawnshop had these things!”

Li Weiyang’s smile grew even more gentle, her expression calm, “I did know before, but never had an excuse to search. I must thank Miss Pei for giving me such a precious opportunity.” Having said this, she raised her wine cup toward Pei Bi as if full of respect.

Pei Bi looked at her coldly, also raising his wine cup and draining it in one gulp, suppressing the mouthful of blood about to spurt from his heart. The bloody taste mixed with the wine flowed down his throat, bringing endless bitterness. His biological father had been taken away, yet he still had to remain here—this was a cruel torture in itself. The Emperor’s action appeared lenient on the surface but was making the other Pei family members suffer. Pei Bi lowered his head and sighed. The Pei family had painstakingly operated in the capital for hundreds of years, but now it seemed they would lose their fortune overnight. This time, not only had they suffered devastating losses, they had also sacrificed Pei Fan. Thinking of this, the wine cup in his hand tightened, then loosened again, as he forced himself to maintain an expression as if nothing had happened.

Among the female guests, Wang Zijin looked up, her gaze calmly glancing at Li Weiyang, her expression taking on deeper contemplation.

Wang Guang noticed and asked softly, “Sister, what’s wrong?”

Wang Zijin sighed lightly, saying slowly, “This Miss Guo is truly formidable.”

Wang Guang couldn’t help frowning, “I think it may not be the Guo family’s idea—perhaps it was just a coincidence.”

Wang Zijin gently shook her head, her beautiful eyes wandering, “But I believe this matter must be related to her. Besides her, who else has such grand schemes?”

Wang Guang was after all an honest person. He couldn’t believe such a drama had been orchestrated entirely by Li Weiyang.

Returning to the Guo Manor, Li Weiyang was in excellent spirits, playing chess with Guo Dao in the study. Guo Dao sat contemplating, completely calm and tranquil. Yuan Lie pulled over a chair and sat beside Li Weiyang, extremely attentive, even carefully bringing her a cup of tea. At today’s banquet, that old man had inexplicably wanted to arrange a marriage for him, and he had been furious, refusing without thinking. But turning it over in his mind afterward, it seemed this matter was related to the last time the Emperor wanted to execute Li Weiyang—everything still couldn’t be separated from himself. So he immediately came to act humble and submissive, afraid Li Weiyang would blame him. But Li Weiyang hadn’t mentioned it at all, only turned to ask him, “Look—Fifth Brother’s move seems extremely brilliant. How should I respond?”

Yuan Lie was immediately overjoyed, carefully observing the board and pondering for a moment. His smile held inexplicable smugness, “Fifth Young Master’s intention seems to be cutting off your forward horse, and the moves are fierce. However, being too fierce often leaves openings. In my opinion, you might as well retreat one piece. This way, it’s easier to break his formation. He surely won’t consecutively sacrifice three pieces just to cut off your one piece.”

Before he finished speaking, Guo Dao had already sighed softly, his brow relaxing somewhat with a faint smile. He tossed the black piece in his hand toward the wooden box, “The two of you joining forces—naturally I have no chance of winning. This is truly unfair. I’m not playing anymore.”

Li Weiyang looked up at him, “Fifth Brother has such keen insight and excels at calculation. Did you know you would lose so quickly?”

Guo Dao couldn’t help raising his eyebrows, revealing a smile impossible to suppress, “I know my own limitations. Why invite humiliation? If I continue to the final move and lose even more miserably, wouldn’t it be better to admit defeat now and preserve some dignity?”

His expression seemed to smile yet not smile, his eyes holding deep meaning. He exchanged a glance with Yuan Lie.

Li Weiyang seemed oblivious, her expression remaining normal, “Fifth Brother truly has good eyesight. You spotted the flaw in that account book at a glance. If it were me, it would probably take two or three hours.”

Guo Dao smiled broadly, “This is my only small talent. In the past, Father always said I was neither successful in civil nor military pursuits, only particularly sensitive to numbers. This thirteen million taels figure was actually calculated from the evidence we had previously collected, plus the numbers on the account ledger were extremely suspicious with extraordinarily large transactions, so I could distinguish it quickly. Later I made some small adjustments to let His Majesty see through it at a glance—speaking of which, I must still thank little sister for your keen perception, meticulous thinking, and flawless execution that allowed the Pei family to suffer such losses!”

Hearing Guo Dao praise her so highly, Li Weiyang couldn’t help smiling slightly, “You and Fourth Brother are the ones who truly worked hard. It’s precisely because you handled everything so carefully that nothing leaked. This is all your achievement.”

Guo Dao smiled faintly, leaning his body slightly forward toward Li Weiyang, “It’s just a pity we didn’t find enough evidence this time.”

Li Weiyang smiled faintly, “Actually, no matter what evidence we found, we couldn’t completely crush the Pei family in one blow. You must know they still have Pei Yuan, who commands three hundred thousand elite troops. These men are a force not to be underestimated. Neither the Emperor nor anyone else can act rashly. It’s just that they’re not having an easy time now either. Triple thirteen million taels is no small figure. Even though the Pei family is the wealthiest in the world, this time they’ll probably go bankrupt. And they must pay willingly, pay without heartache. This time we’ve destroyed the Pei family’s power base. I’m afraid they’ll soon mount a comeback. In my opinion, we should press our advantage and not give them a chance to catch their breath.”

Guo Dao contemplated for a moment, looking toward Yuan Lie, “Prince Xu, in your view, what will the Pei family do next?”

Yuan Lie glanced at Li Weiyang, his amber eyes flashing with a somewhat aggrieved look, “You two have already guessed it. Why bother asking me?”

Li Weiyang smiled lazily, “Oh? It seems you have an idea. Might as well share it.”

Yuan Lie smiled, “Isn’t it simple? Today Wang Zijin’s appearance was already an omen. This shows the Pei family intends to use other aristocratic families’ power to deal with the Guo family. Next, the Guo family will probably become the target of everyone, with no energy left to deal with the Pei family.”

Li Weiyang smiled faintly, “It seems Empress Pei indeed has this plan. How should we respond?”

Guo Dao lowered his head in thought. Indeed, if the Guo family’s momentum became too strong, they would probably face siege from other family powers. On the surface, the current situation looked excellent, but thinking deeper, it was also a crisis.

At this time in the Empress’s palace, Pei Bi lowered his head in apology, “Your Grace, this is all my fault. I was careless for a moment.”

“Stupid thing!” The Empress had no patience. She actually grabbed a jade vase from the table and viciously hurled it at him. The vase hit the ground with a bang, instantly shattering. The richly colored emerald jade was smashed to powder under her rage.

Pei Bi lowered his head, only kowtowing. He knew the Empress was furious. Even from a distance, he could feel that abnormal ferocity emanating from her. Each time Empress Pei became angry, no one dared approach her even by half a step. Empress Pei’s personality could not tolerate the slightest defiance.

Empress Pei laughed in extreme anger, “I already told you all not to reach too far. What is thirteen million taels? Can it compare to the Pei family’s centuries of foundation? You think the Pei family is your private property that can be casually destroyed at will? Your foolish father—no matter what I say, he can’t change his greedy habits. If they search that pawnshop for other items, I’m afraid the entire Pei clan’s lives will be forfeit!”

Pei Bi quickly said, “Your Grace need not be angry. The moment those officials burst in, someone had already burned the important documents and letters. They can’t find much evidence. The only evidence is that account book.”

All these years, all important correspondence, account books, even which officials received bribes in which year and month for what reason, how these people subsequently were promoted or transferred or demoted, where they currently served—all these records were kept in that shop’s records. These items were critically important. Pei Bi was cautious and wouldn’t easily keep these things at Pei Manor, so he had found this pawnshop as cover. Others only knew the pawnshop was for business and could never imagine it was also a secret base used to collect all officials’ confidential information for purposes of cultivation and bribery. When those people burst in, everything had been destroyed by Appraiser Yao, except for the final account book.

The Empress breathed a sigh of relief, glancing at him and slightly lowering her voice, “You fools! I already said when doing things, leave no troubles behind. Those items should never have been kept in the first place.”

Pei Bi knew this well enough. Only by holding evidence of those people could he make them obediently listen. How could he not keep it? But at this moment, he dared not say more.

The Empress waved her hand. Pei Bi immediately felt as if a death row prisoner had received amnesty, practically crawling out of the Empress’s palace. Only standing under the moonlight outside the palace walls did he finally shudder violently, cold sweat pouring from his pores, feeling his entire body soaked through.

He had long been accustomed to the Empress’s cold severity and volatile temper, but this time he seemed to see cold flames in her indifferent gaze—that fury almost wanted to devour him whole.