Those engaged in irregular trades all preferred to maintain the outward appearance of legitimate businesses, and this pawnshop was no exception. Its every aspect presented the face of an ordinary, functioning pawnshop — it genuinely conducted some normal pawnshop business. In fact, ever since pawnshops had existed, they had inevitably been used by certain thieves for fencing stolen goods.

More often than not, the clerks and staff of pawnshops knew perfectly well but pretended not to see.

Their eyes were sharp, and they rarely misjudged a customer. The moment Zhù Ying walked in, the clerk gave her a quick scan and concluded this did not quite look like their usual sort of customer.

Zhù Ying’s attire was a well-tailored set of new clothes — not exquisitely fine or ostentatiously wealthy, but at least that of a modestly comfortable household. Zhù Ying’s face showed none of the anxiety, embarrassment, or nervous fidgeting of someone coming to pawn something. And she was quite young — most likely someone curious and taking a look around.

The clerk was still polite and stepped forward to greet her, saying, “Young gentleman, this is a pawnshop —”

Zhù Ying said, “I know — I’m looking for a pawnshop.” The pawnshop was indeed in the place Old Ma had described — the location matched, the shopfront matched, and on the wall hung the large character “Pawn,” painted in gold lacquer that had flaked in places.

The clerk, still polite, invited her to sit to one side and bent down to ask, “Then, young gentleman, you’ve come to…”

Zhù Ying looked casually around at the tall counter, the busy clerks and valuators behind it. She asked idly, “I hear you also sell things here? Do you have anything fashionable? Something I could wear out in public?”

Ah — someone looking for a bargain!

The clerk said, “What sort of thing is the young gentleman looking for?”

Zhù Ying frowned, looking a bit like a young person from a minor wealthy household who was half-understanding and half-not, and said, “Something fashionable — something people would find novel.”

The clerk said with a smile, “For something new, you shouldn’t be looking in a pawnshop. What we have here has all been used by others, or is handed down within a family — pledged here when cash is temporarily short. We don’t carry new things. For fashionable clothing, go to a ready-made garment shop, or find a tailor — what you’re wearing already looks quite good to me. As for accessories, you could look at a goldsmith’s shop, a silversmith’s, or any kind of jade or jewel workshop. What we have here is all second-hand merchandise.”

Zhù Ying asked, “Do you carry aromatics?”

“Hmm — aromatics are much the same as in previous years. What you mean by unusual aromatics, young gentleman, might be a newly composed fragrance recipe? We don’t deal in those. Just the common varieties.”

Zhù Ying then asked about what kinds of aromatics they had and what the prices were like.

As their back-and-forth stretched on a bit longer, someone came out from the back to see what was happening. The clerk offered a brief explanation, and Zhù Ying used the moment to strike up a conversation with this appraiser. The appraiser had a sharper eye and said, “You don’t look like an ordinary person — could it be you have an official character to you?”

The clerk got a small fright.

Zhù Ying said with a somewhat bashful air, “Embarrassingly — rank eight from the bottom, that’s me. But you know — living in the capital.”

Even the clerk understood this now: a minor eighth-rank official of the capital, a complete pauper — yet because he was an official, still maintaining a certain dignity. Managing to put together this respectable outfit was already quite commendable. Coming to a pawnshop to hunt for bargains was actually quite clever of him. The clerk thought: he’s probably worse off than our senior appraiser.

Senior appraisers in the capital could afford a modest property, with a personal attendant or apprentice to wait on them. This impoverished little official, at his age, with no family support behind him, was certainly the sort who rented his rooms.

The appraiser did not immediately look down on Zhù Ying the way the clerk had, finding this little official somewhat interesting. He waved the clerk off to fetch tea and chatted with Zhù Ying for a moment. Zhù Ying had been reading histories and classical texts recently, and shifted to an entirely different manner of speaking with the appraiser.

The appraiser was half-sincere and half-evasive in conversation, while Zhù Ying deliberately avoided interrogating language and only asked him, “In your professional opinion, for a proper outfit of about the same quality as what I have on — what would that look like? I have a formal dinner engagement coming up and need to be presentable.”

The appraiser said, “Young gentleman, why not try this — you see over there? That street has fashionable hats, purses…”

Zhù Ying said subtly, “Too new.”

The appraiser said, “Well, we do have one thing — just made, barely worn — but it will cost more.”

Zhù Ying asked in a pleasant tone, “Can it be rented?”

The appraiser thought to himself: you really are poor. His expression became somewhat cool. “This is a pawnshop.”

Zhù Ying sighed. “Well then — at least this will be more reasonable than those other places.”

The appraiser, without much enthusiasm, asked, “What kind of thing do you want? What is your budget?”

Zhù Ying said, “Let me look first — what are the prices like?”

The appraiser said, “How much money do you have?”

Zhù Ying considered, then said, “It depends on the item. Something of quality — durable, not easily dated — however much it costs, I can find the money. Something of lesser quality, easily outdated — not worth it, I’d rather not have it.”

Well then — you’re quite shrewd. The clerk thought: you’re not stupid at all!

The appraiser went to bring out a few items. Zhù Ying found them all too coarsely made, and from her sleeve she drew out a piece of jade pendant strung with an elaborately knotted silk cord. “Something like this.”

The appraiser looked up. The jade was of fine quality — small, to be sure, but mutton-fat jade. He sucked in his breath, and a faintly disreputable air leaked out of him. “Lovely style, good material — just a bit small.”

Zhù Ying asked, “Do you have anything like it?”

The appraiser said, “We do indeed. Please follow me.” In his mind he was turning over the knot at the top of the cord, which was tied with great care and topped with a love knot. He thought to himself: some naive fool, probably has a sweetheart and wants to dress impressively — trying to deceive the sort of innocent girl who doesn’t know the ways of the world.

But that was none of his business. The appraiser led Zhù Ying to a back room and took out a few things to show her. He skipped the jade pendants and brought out some knotted bead work, then a silver belt. Zhù Ying rejected all of them. “I need something better than these — I can’t be outshone.”

The appraiser understood, and said, “Then it won’t be at this price. When the pawnshop takes in an item, what it pays is different from what it later sells for. These beads — taken in for fifty, sold for two hundred. That’s the pawnshop’s art.”

Zhù Ying said, “Do you have anything else? Or perhaps…”

The appraiser simply suggested, “What about aromatics instead?”

Zhù Ying said, “Bring out one or two of the finest — something that would show a person’s standing.”

Zhù Ying did not know much about these things, but thanks to Zheng Xi, she had been able to point and gesture freely in the prince’s residence inner storehouse, having many rare treasures brought out for her to examine with their values explained. Through comparison, she could now see that the finest items in this pawnshop did not reach that level.

The appraiser said, “That’s the best we have.”

“Can’t you obtain finer?”

The appraiser spread both hands. “Even if we received something finer, we would need to be able to move it afterward, wouldn’t we? These are the finest we have. If young gentleman can’t find what he needs here, I’m afraid there’s nothing I can do — you’ll have to look elsewhere.”

“That is to say — there are people who do pawn fine things? Have you ever received anything that flowed out from a great household? Something that might show a bit of distinction? Even one or two pieces at a hundred or two hundred taels?”

The appraiser looked her over and said, “Our shop does happen to have one piece — and I can make the decision on it — two hundred and fifty taels.”

“Let me see it.”

The appraiser took her into a back room, opened a cabinet and retrieved a small box. He opened it — inside was a pair of lion pendants made of gold filigree set with gems. Zhù Ying let out a breath. The craftsmanship was comparable to the prince’s residence’s items, but it was not among the stolen goods.

“Just this one piece?” Zhù Ying held it up against herself, then found it not quite refined enough.

The appraiser thought to himself: what do you know! And still said, “That’s all we have.”

Zhù Ying asked him, “Could you obtain more in future?”

The appraiser said, “That’s impossible to say!”

Zhù Ying sighed, cast a lingering look at the lion pendants, and said, “Then it was not fated.”

The appraiser thought to himself: another pauper. He had a clerk show Zhù Ying out.

Zhù Ying had gone through the pawnshop to no avail, having found none of the stolen goods. She then visited several more fencing locations, still with no gain. Half a month passed this way, and she had worked her way through nearly all the fencing contacts Old Ma had introduced — when Gan Ze brought her a message: the Princess had been asking Zheng Xi whether the matter would ever be resolved. If not, they could let it go.

Zhù Ying thought to herself: I only have one person, and the residence won’t allow any public notice — otherwise, a few more people covering more ground would surely be better…

With no other option, she had to spare time to reconnoiter the homes the suspects maintained outside the residence. Their external residences varied widely in quality — the better ones were comparable to a modest comfortable household, while even the lesser ones had somewhere to live. Zhù Ying could no longer go about the capital disguised as a peddler, so she posed as an ordinary scholar claiming to be visiting relatives, asking neighbors for information.

Finally, at the home of a minor head of the inner storehouse guard, she unexpectedly obtained what she could only call a lead that was barely a lead: this inner storehouse minor head was, in fact, the brother of one of the Prince’s concubines.

At the time, Zhù Ying had said: “I heard their family has come up in the world, so I’ve come to seek their help.”

The neighbor household’s hired cook had free time and heard the name and household details Zhù Ying mentioned, which roughly matched. She said, “Come up in the world — his younger sister bore Prince Gaoyang’s Highness a son! But their head of household hasn’t been back for quite a few days — he must be on duty. His wife took the children and went to the prince’s residence a while back to accompany her sister-in-law. Oh dear, oh dear, you’ve come at a bad time — they might be staying quite a long time. After that, several more people came saying they were there to help move their things, so they’d be living outside for a while. Let me tell you — go to the prince’s residence’s back gate and have someone send word to them inside.”

Zhù Ying said, “Many thanks, good sister.”

On the way back she cursed under her breath: this damned prince’s residence, all they do is play games with their faces! What’s wrong with just telling me there’s a concubine involved? It would have saved me from running all over the capital — now even the pawnshops know I’m a pauper!

And she also thought that Zheng Xi had been less than forthcoming — wanting her to investigate a case while keeping everything shrouded in secrecy! Was this not simply the wives and concubines fighting over the family inheritance? No wonder the Princess Consort had been sending people to ask about it! Everyone asking, and yet no one willing to let slip a single useful piece of information.

Tsk!

Some nerve!

Even so, she was cautious — just because the inner storehouse keeper happened to be the brother of a concubine of the residence did not necessarily mean it was him. After all, the business of framing and counter-framing was something she had seen often enough: not to mention that in the county she had once seen the mistress of a great household sell off a concubine, or a concubine frame her mistress — even just in the case files she had been reviewing at the Court of Judicial Review these past days, similar methods appeared in endless variety.

This was at least a direction. She would have to keep investigating.

When no one nearby was paying attention, Zhù Ying slipped into this residence — a two-courtyard house, clean and orderly, yet every surface bore marks that told Zhù Ying clearly it had been searched and gone through. She pried open the room’s lock to find everything inside had been searched as well — a Buddhist shrine, a wardrobe, a bookshelf all opened, even under the bed had been searched by someone. They had been careful enough of the neighbors’ ears and eyes not to smash everything apart, at least.

So — the stolen goods were not here.

Zhù Ying searched again carefully and came away disappointed. It seemed the residence had already thought of this angle — yet she knew nothing of the inner workings of the residence’s internal feuds.

Approaching Zheng Xi about it seemed out of the question. Zhù Ying instead sought out Jin Liang’s home.

Jin Liang’s wife was home and was very pleased to see Zhù Ying. “I was just telling your brother — you’ve become a very busy person these days! We never see you. I was starting to think you’d forgotten all about us.”

Zhù Ying said, “How could I forget? My mother is constantly in your care. Brother Jin and I just had a drink together recently.”

Nearby, Jin Biao heard the word “drink” and let out a belch, then fled.

Zhù Ying was equally at ease with Jin Liang’s wife, saying, “Sister-in-law knows — I have almost no acquaintances in the capital. I have to be presumptuous with you, sister-in-law. Don’t be put off by my lack of proper manners.”

Jin Liang’s wife said, “What manners? If you stood on ceremony, we’d be annoyed! If I stood on ceremony, your brother would take me to task when he came home. Now then — what is it?”

Zhù Ying then asked her about the prince’s residence’s affairs.

Jin Liang’s wife said, “I do know a little about that. But how did you get tangled up in it?”

Zhù Ying said, “Master Zheng has a matter — I can’t say just yet, but it might have some bearing on things. Once it can be talked about, sister-in-law will know of her own accord. What cannot be said is a nuisance even if known. Please don’t blame me for asking for your help while not being clear. “

“You’re pulling me around again, aren’t you? Just ask.”

Zhù Ying asked about the wives and concubines of the prince’s residence. Jin Liang’s wife exclaimed, “How did you get mixed up in this? Could there be something to it? Your brother mentioned it once. If you live long enough in the capital you’ll come to know — the Prince has had three Princess Consorts. The first died in difficult childbirth, the second passed away after bearing a princess, and the current one bore a son, though he is delicate and frequently ill. But there is a maidservant in the residence — the Prince happened to be in his cups one time, and she found herself with a son. He is the Prince’s eldest son, now about twenty-some years old!”

Zhù Ying, who had little knowledge of the major residences of the capital, asked, “And this son — how is he?”

“I haven’t heard of anything particularly wrong with him,” said Jin Liang’s wife, thinking it over. “His mother is not favored. He is actually steady and well-behaved. But his birth is somewhat humble, and he has received no title.”

This Zhù Ying already knew — a Prince’s officially recognized concubines held rank, and a woman without rank meant the residence did not fully acknowledge her, or that someone was keeping her down.

But this was all only speculation, and what connection did it have to the prince’s residence theft?

Beyond this, Jin Liang’s wife did not know more. Zhù Ying only regretted that she was alone, and time was pressing, and no public inquiry could be made. Otherwise, like under Prefect Wang’s administration, sending out the three yamen runners to interrogate each and every pawnshop — whether or not stolen goods had been fenced would quickly become clear, without all this difficulty. Or if she had more time, she could stake out the prince’s residence and overhear things.

For now she could only pray that the fencing was progressing slowly enough for her to find some trail to follow.

She borrowed a set of wealthy-household servant’s clothing from Gan Ze, went home and altered it to fit, then, with an attitude of trying her luck, posed as a scout sent ahead by her employer to look things over at a pawnshop.

This time she was extremely unlucky — right at the entrance to the pawnshop, someone recognized her — this was the establishment of the Chen Chancellor’s household!

Officials were strictly forbidden from “competing with the common people for profit” — commerce was not permitted — yet pawnshops were an exception.

Chen Meng, at this point increasingly valued by his father, meant that the servants who had attended Chen Meng for years were naturally rising along with him, and one of them was now quite capable of coming to make a tour of inspection on Chen Meng’s behalf.

Before this person could speak in surprise, Zhù Ying asked, “Is the Young Master here?”

The person had good sense — he swallowed his questions and said, “He is not — I am here on the Young Master’s behalf. And you are…?”

Zhù Ying said, “I’m looking for the Young Master. Keep quiet about this — help me pass him a message.”

The person agreed readily. Zhù Ying’s current outfit was rather out of place on her, and not wishing to attract further attention, she withdrew from the pawnshop and left.

The next day, Zheng Xi and the others were all at morning court, yet Chen Meng came strolling over to find Zhù Ying and said right in front of their colleagues, “A fellow townsman passed away. Are you free?”

Zhù Ying naturally said yes.

It turned out Chen Meng was not making up a pretext — a fellow townsman had genuinely died. Zhù Ying had no mourning clothes and could only wear her blue robe, receiving a white cloth strip at the door of the bereaved household and tying it around her waist. She was unfortunately obliged to offer a few taels of silver as condolence money. Chen Meng was more generous, giving twenty taels of silver, and then took great pains to extricate himself, inviting Zhù Ying to come outside for a talk.

It turned out that Chen Meng had a private residence in the capital. Chen Meng said, “This was my mother’s property back in the day — these are all our own people. What is it? Is there news of Guanqun?”

Zhù Ying shook her head. “There is no nun by the name Zhikong in the capital. I’ve looked through the Taoist temples as well, and none of the recent arrivals look like her.”

Chen Meng let out a bitter laugh. “No — Teacher Huang’s letter back also said there wasn’t.”

Chen Meng then asked what else she wanted.

Zhù Ying said, “There is one difficult matter. Not afraid of the Young Master laughing at me — I was brought to the capital by Master Zheng, and I know a little about the Zheng Marquis’s household, but of other things I know nothing. Prince Gaoyang’s residence — that is Master Zheng’s maternal uncle’s family, is it not?”

Chen Meng said, “Why did you suddenly think to ask this?”

Zhù Ying said, “A colleague at the Court of Judicial Review brought it up. I was wondering if there are any sensitivities there I should be aware of.”

“Something this sensitive made you dress in plain blue and a small hat to come find me?”

“Hmm? Oh! Your Fugui really does talk a lot. There was another matter I needed to investigate and I ran into Fugui on the way, so I had him bring a message. Dressing too conspicuously makes gathering information harder. Cats have the cat’s way, and mice have the mouse’s way. Dress a certain way and you can ask certain people things. Dress too noticeably and stand among street vendors and laborers, and you don’t fit in.”

Chen Meng accepted this explanation, and Zhù Ying straightforwardly asked about Prince Gaoyang’s household affairs, saying she wanted to know if there were any sensitivities to avoid and not fall into a trap — such as internal feuds in the residence and the like.

Chen Meng laughed. “This I actually do know something about — you asked the right person. Most others might not tell you — the Prince is in real distress right now. He has few heirs, yet is already quite old himself. It’s not that he cannot produce children — he cannot keep them alive. The Princess Consorts have died in difficult childbirth, and now he has only one older illegitimate son and one younger legitimate son. By propriety, the legitimate son should be made Heir Apparent, but this child born of the legitimate line is a sickly one — half the year absent from his studies due to illness, and even in the other half, there are times he faints partway through from exhaustion. The eldest son is robust and vigorous, yet was born of a maidservant concubine.”

Zhù Ying said, “Then just follow propriety! If the legitimate one truly has no heir and dies after the Prince’s own passing, the son can always be adopted!”

Chen Meng said, “You are really still young — clever as you are, your nature is fundamentally pure. Think about this: if the legitimate-born one dies without an heir and dies after the Prince does — what then?”

“Adoption.”

Chen Meng laughed loudly. “You haven’t read enough history, have you? There are books you haven’t gotten to yet. The court could rule him died without descendants, reclaim the title, and give the illegitimate son only a clansman’s status — that is perfectly within its power. Yet to elevate the illegitimate son, with a legitimate son still living — that would be impossible, the Princess Consort would never stand for it, she would certainly make a scene. And so — the two sides have come to a standstill. The Prince is actually a kind-hearted man and does not wish to put the Princess Consort in a bad position by forcibly promoting the son of a maidservant.”

Zhù Ying said, “If it weren’t for the Young Master, I would never have known any of this. The capital is truly full of things to learn about at every turn.”

Chen Meng said, “I only knew a little sooner than you — in time, if something in their household is not handled well and explodes, you’ll know too. If the Prince makes any arrangements that deviate from propriety, he’ll need my father’s assistance, and that is why I know even a little. From the outside right now, you cannot see a single sign of anything amiss in their household. Think — the Princess Consort’s son is not yet ten years old.”

Zhù Ying quickly thanked Chen Meng and said, “Then I won’t accidentally step in any traps in front of Master Zheng. No wonder his expression was wrong when he was reviewing that succession case.”

She thought to herself: even knowing all this — what good does it do? Damn it all! This is truly maddening!

Chen Meng had no idea which case she was referring to — the Court of Judicial Review had far too many, and one she casually mentioned would be indistinguishable from the rest. He only wanted to maintain some friendly connection with Zhù Ying, and said, “Don’t talk about me — even for me, having been away from the capital for so long, I could only get this out of my family’s connections. We both arrived in the capital recently — we should support each other.”

Chen Meng had hinted at this kind of thing multiple times, and Zhù Ying, slippery as she was, knew she could no longer keep playing dumb. She put on a hesitant look, and Chen Meng encouraged her with a glance.

Zhù Ying appeared conflicted and said, “Actually — I wasn’t looking for the Young Master because of any of that. If I wanted to know those things, I have other ways to find out. The truth is, there is something I’ve been uncertain whether to bring up for quite some time.”

Chen Meng said, “Just say it — I’ll keep it confidential for you.”

Zhù Ying said, “Ah — it’s not my matter, it’s the Young Master’s matter. In reviewing case files, I came across the name of the Young Master’s other maternal uncle. Gong Jie’s people got hold of certain evidence against him. What kind of evidence, I haven’t yet read the relevant files — I only heard it mentioned in passing.”

Chen Meng murmured, “I see… No wonder he’s been passed over twice when I tried to have him transferred back to the capital. Thank you.”

Zhù Ying, having successfully diverted Chen Meng, made her farewells, leaving Chen Meng to decide whether or not to get involved with his maternal uncle.

Coming out of Chen Meng’s private residence, Zhù Ying tucked the white cloth strip from her waist into her sleeve, feeling a small sense of defeat. She had a premonition: the likelihood of finding the stolen goods was becoming very small. She might have to focus on the suspects after all. Yet the prince’s residence and Zheng Xi would probably be unwilling — Zheng Xi had already started having her review files for the Gong Jie case, which clearly signaled that the theft investigation was not something he wanted her visibly pursuing anymore.

Zhù Ying was deeply reluctant to give up. While she was still walking, her hairs stood on end and she leapt aside — a horse-drawn carriage raced past her side. Zhù Ying let out a breath, then was greeted by a voice: “Young gentleman — either come inside or step aside. You’re blocking our entrance.”

Zhù Ying looked up, and laughed. It was a pawnshop. She walked straight inside. She had no particular hope, using “buying something” or “renting something” as her pretense to ask to see the pawnshop’s finest goods. But here, unexpectedly, she truly did see an item from the prince’s residence!

It was a jade cup. Originally it had been part of a set together with a jade flask, but the thief had not been able to steal the entire set — the remainder was still in the storehouse. Zhù Ying had been busy all over the capital for half a month, and she had finally tracked one down!

Zhù Ying gave nothing away. She was picky and demanding, saying she wanted them to find a matching cup. When the pawnshop said they had taken in only this one, Zhù Ying made a show of reluctance but ultimately decided to buy it — except she had not brought enough money and could only pay a deposit, reserving it for the next day when she would bring the full amount. But the pawnshop must give her a written receipt.

As the pawnshop owner wrote this out, Zhù Ying was struck by something strange: this pawnshop was not one of the fencing locations!

No matter — a lead had been found, and it was not for nothing that she had visited every nunnery in the capital and then worked her way through countless pawnshops and gold and silver dealers! Su Kuang was nearly spreading rumors that she was having an affair with a nun and spending all her money at pawnshops!

Receipt in hand, Zhù Ying left the pawnshop at an unhurried pace, then flew to the Zheng Marquis’s residence to request an urgent audience with Zheng Xi — and the moment they met, she demanded money from him!

Zheng Xi said, “You’re getting bolder and bolder!”

Zhù Ying laughed. “Bring me one hundred strings of cash — the prince’s residence jade cup is yours!”

Zheng Xi was delighted. “You found it?”

“More or less.”

Zheng Xi immediately arranged for Gan Ze to take two servants and bring the money, following Zhù Ying to race to buy the jade cup before the curfew descended. He himself took the cup to the prince’s residence to have the household’s people identify it.

The Prince did not personally recognize it — his treasures were countless and this was not something he used regularly. Fortunately, some servants besides the inner storehouse keepers recognized it, and comparing it with the remaining items in the storehouse confirmed it as one of the stolen goods.

Prince Gaoyang laughed. “Seventh Master, how did you find it?”

“It was the young ones who deserve the credit — they turned the whole capital inside out. Uncle, let’s send men.”

Prince Gaoyang did not hesitate — he assembled men and made straight for the pawnshop!

Zhù Ying was kept that night at the Zheng residence, nodding off as she waited. Zheng Xi was at his maternal uncle’s helping to conduct the interrogation. The fine item was just the one piece — the pawnshop appraiser still remembered the woman who had pawned it. But this did not match the profile of the suspects. This woman had said at the time: “My husband got into trouble. We can’t put food on the table.”

She had sold the cup Zhù Ying would pay one hundred strings for to this woman for ten strings of cash plus five taels of silver.

Zheng Xi said, “Bring that woman here. Quietly.”

The residence accordingly had the woman who had “gone to the prince’s residence to keep the side concubine company” brought in. The pawnshop appraiser shook his head: “Not her.”

This woman had been under soft detention for quite some time, and though not in a cell, had been living in genuine fear. She knelt before the Prince and kowtowed continuously, crying, “I have been wronged!”

Prince Gaoyang was losing patience and glanced at his nephew. Zheng Xi said to the appraiser, “You — say what you just told me to her again.”

The appraiser actually did it.

When this woman heard it — a woman had gone to pawn the jade cup — her face changed color immediately. She erupted: “This thousand-cuts-deserving man! He dared to deceive me! A servant’s whelp — stealing the master’s treasures to keep a mistress! And I’m here eating chaff and swallowing greens! Your Highness need not be anxious, and the distinguished master need not be angry — I’ll tell you everything!”

Zheng Xi folded his arms and waited for her to finish cursing, then said, “Bring the other one in as well.”

In front of her husband, this woman declared: “For several years now, he has been bringing things out of the residence piecemeal. I don’t know where most of it went. He told me — sold some of it, used it to lend out at interest, so we’d also have savings. But then — the Capital Prefect came. The Capital Prefect arrived, and those scoundrels he lent to either died or ran off, taking the money with them, leaving not a trace! Our family didn’t benefit from any of it — and he was stealing to keep a mistress!”

Zheng Xi looked calmly at this woman’s ranting, then looked at the man’s ashen face. He only half-believed the woman’s account — an inner storehouse keeper, stealing this many valuables by himself?

He had them both taken away, and said to Prince Gaoyang, “Uncle — shall we pursue this further?”

Prince Gaoyang’s face was dark as deep water. “Pursue it!”

“I’m afraid —”

“Even if it were I myself who went mad in the night and threw it all out, you are going to find out exactly how I did it!”

Zheng Xi let out a long sigh. “Very well. Give me several trusted people from the household. I’ll have that young one lead them — quietly.”

“Is that young one reliable?”

“Steady and capable.”

“Good.”