Xiang Nan and Xiaoyue came to the Hengsheng Pawn Shop across the street. After explaining their intention, they were immediately invited to the second floor.
The shopkeeper immediately brought in many treasures, including gold, jade, coral, rhinoceros horn, agarwood, ginseng, antiques, calligraphy and paintings... everything was a treasure.
The most eye-catching one is the "Along the River During Qingming Festival".
Xiang Nan unfolded it and took a look, knowing that it was undoubtedly a treasure, "Okay, okay, they are indeed treasures."
"This uncle has a good eye. Such a treasure is hard to find, and only our boss, who has great eyes and hands, can get such a good treasure." The shopkeeper said with a smile, "If you want to buy it, you have to hurry up, otherwise It was quickly snatched away.”
"The shopkeeper is right." Xiang Nan nodded and said, "Okay, I want all these treasures. Keep everything for me. I will bring the banknote to pick it up tomorrow. If there is one missing item, I will Ruined your business."
"Don't dare, don't dare." The shopkeeper saw that Xiang Nan was quite dignified and seemed to be a well-established figure, so he quickly agreed with a smile.
Xiang Nan immediately left the pawn shop with Du Xiaoyue.
…
"Sir, isn't "Along the River During the Qingming Festival" a painting by Wang Danwang? Why does it appear in the pawn shop now?" Du Xiaoyue asked doubtfully after coming out.
"Xiaoyue, you are so smart, you hit the point in one sentence." Xiang Nan smiled and nodded, "Wang Danwang dedicated this painting to the emperor, and the emperor later gave it back to him.
Since it was a gift from the emperor, it stands to reason that he should keep this painting and neither give it away nor sell it. Therefore, before the house was raided, it should still be in the palace.
After Wang Danwang was dismissed from his post and his house was ransacked, the painting was found in a pawn shop. The pawnshop owner is the uncle of the wife of the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang, and the person responsible for checking the palace is the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang. Do you understand? "
"Oh, so it means that the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang was stealing and selling Wang Danwang's treasures?" Du Xiaoyue guessed it immediately.
"That's it." Xiang Nan nodded, "Oh, it's true that people die for money, and birds die for food. In the case of food supervision, dozens of heads were just beheaded, and the blood has not yet dried. But some people can't help it. Reach out."
"Sir, we must report to the emperor immediately." Du Xiaoyue said.
Xiang Nan nodded.
…
Xiang Nan and Du Xiaoyue rushed to Xingzai.
Xiaoyue led a team of Ouchi guards to go to Wulin antique shop and Hengsheng pawnshop to arrest people and keep evidence.
Xiang Nan went straight to the emperor's study.
"Reporting to the Emperor, something is fishy." He reported to Qianlong.
Qianlong was shocked when he heard that the stolen goods confiscated from Wang Danwang's house were actually sold in pawn shops and antique shops.
"Ji Aiqing, are you telling the truth?" he said in disbelief.
"Your Majesty, everything the minister said is true. Xiaoyue has already taken people to seal the shop. I believe there will be a reward soon." Xiang Nan nodded.
Qianlong couldn't help but fell silent when he heard what he said.
After a while of burning incense, Xiaoyue directed the Ouchi guards to bring in a large wooden box.
"Your Majesty, please see, these are all found from Hengsheng Pawn Shop." Du Xiaoyue explained, and then opened the box.
Inside, you can see the dazzling array of rare treasures, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and the jewels that make you unable to take your eyes away.
Qianlong couldn't help being surprised when he saw it.
"Your Majesty, please look, this is the "Along the River During the Qingming Festival"." Xiang Nan unfolded the ancient painting and said.
Qianlong saw it with his own eyes and naturally no longer doubted, "How could this painting end up in a pawn shop?"
"Your Majesty, as far as I know, the owner of this pawn shop is the uncle of the wife of the governor of Fujian and Zhejiang." Xiang Nan bowed.
"What?! How audacious! Unscrupulous!" When Qianlong heard this, he was furious, "I just beheaded dozens of heads, why do they dare to be greedy again? They are really obsessed with money, and they want money rather than their lives!"
"Your Majesty, calm down! At present, Chen Huizu is indeed highly suspicious. However, the case must be complete only if there are complete witnesses and physical evidence." Xiang Nan advised, "Xiaoyue, has the pawnshop owner been caught?"
"Not yet. But I have sent guards to press the store clerks to identify people at the city gate. If they don't recognize him, they will give him twenty slaps. I believe he won't be able to escape." Du Xiaoyue said quickly.
Xiang Nan then bowed and said, "Your Majesty, in view of the seriousness of the case, I suggest questioning all those involved in the search."
Qianlong nodded.
Under his nose, something like this could happen. He simply didn't take the emperor seriously. If he didn't get to the bottom of things, I'm afraid no one would take him seriously in the future.
…
Xiang Nan then summoned the people involved in the inspection and asked them one by one.
Starting from the lower-level officials, we sorted it out from bottom to top, and soon asked about the people involved in bookkeeping.
When Xiang Nan saw this person, he immediately smiled.
"Name!"
"Come back to my lord, stop!"
"Origin!"
"Return to your lord, from Yanzhao!"
"A northerner comes to the south to be a master. It shows that you are quite capable."
"Thank you for the compliment, sir."
"I'm not complimenting you. Wang, stop, let me ask you, when we raided Wang Danwang's mansion, were you the one keeping the accounts?"
"Yes, sir."
"Then everything that was seized was recorded one by one?"
"Yes, sir."
"Everything is missed?"
"Don't dare, my lord."
"Then let me ask you, if that's the case, why did this precious treasure from the palace end up in the pawn shop? Did you hide it secretly and take it out of the palace to sell it?"
"I don't dare, sir, it's unfair!"
"Since you said you were wronged, then explain to me why these treasures were not accounted for?"
"Sir, I really don't know."
"Okay, pull it down, twenty big boards, give him a long memory. If you don't say anything, it will be forty big boards, and see how tough his mouth is."
"Sir, please spare my life!"
"Wang, stop, since you can be a master, you must be a smart person. I also know that you did not hide these treasures. You don't have that much power, and you don't have that much courage.
Tell the truth and I'll make sure nothing happens to you. But if you refuse to say anything and insist on taking the punishment for others, then don't blame me for being ruthless in the law. "
"My lord, please tell me." Wang stood still and did not dare to hide any more, and quickly told Wang Danwang about the things that Wang Danwang had secretly intercepted from the palace and asked him to tamper with the account books.
"Sir, even villains are afraid of what will happen in the future, so they secretly keep a record of the situation." He added.
"Okay, Wang, stop, you really have a skill. No wonder you can go to the south to make a living." Xiang Nan said with a smile.
You must know that Master Shaoxing is famous all over the world. Wang Zhanzhao, a northerner, can be a master in the Governor's Mansion of Fujian and Zhejiang. How can he do it without two brushes? !
"Where is the account book?" Xiang Nan asked immediately.
"The villain hid it on Feilai Peak." Wang Zhanzhu said quickly.
Xiang Nan nodded and immediately ordered Xiaoyue to get it.
…
In the time it took to burn the incense, Xiaoyue brought the account book over.
Comparing Wang Zhanzhu's account with Chen Huizu's account, you can immediately see the difference.
Wang Zhanzhu's ledger was an inch thick and contained a large amount of gold, silver, jewelry, and antiques. There were 4,800 taels of gold alone.
Chen Huizu's account was much thinner, and the contents recorded in it were far from the same. Thousands of taels of gold were gone, as were a large number of rare antiques, replaced by worthless second-hand goods and fakes.
"Okay, with this account, it will be much easier to investigate the case." Xiang Nan smiled and said, "King, stop, you have made a great contribution. After the case is concluded, I will take you to ask the emperor for a reward."
"Thank you, sir."
