The paper-tied incense and candle street is lonely and sparsely populated, but the other side of the row of houses is quite lively with people coming and going.
There was a stray dog on the street corner rummaging through the pile of stolen goods for a long time. Suddenly, it raised its head and yelled "woof, woof" several times at a certain place. Then something fell down, and it immediately picked it up and ran away quickly.
A baby's round face poked out from behind the roof ridge above. The big black and white eyes blinked twice, showing an uninterested expression. He turned over and lay on the roof, stretched out his fingers to light the food stalls below, and muttered: " Order soldiers, order generals, braised trotters, pork vermicelli, whatever you order, I will eat you..."
Lu Taotao believed Yun Qi's evil idea and followed Butler Zhou for a few days, but there was no trace of the treasure map at all.
Now the housekeeper came to the incense shop again next week, and she didn't come out after a long time inside. She was bored and ate two bunches of candied haws, a scallion pancake, a bowl of wontons, and a pack of candied fruits...
After touching his belly, Lu Taotao turned over and smelled the smell of sauce-flavored duck coming from a certain house. He licked the corner of his mouth and said, "Okay, let's eat a few duck necks first."
Therefore, when Guanyue came over, Lu Taotao was holding a duck neck and chewing on it, and his hands were full of oil.
Guan Yue twitched the corner of her mouth, and Wu Xin walked a few steps away from her, "Butler Zhou is in the incense shop? What is he doing there?"
"Who knows what he's doing, let's make a little paper figurine."
Guanyue frowned: "How long have you been in there?"
"One, two, three, four, five, six cups of tea?" Lu Taotao counted on his fingers for a long time and shrugged: "Anyway, I have been eating for a long time."
Guanyue stared at her shiny face that seemed to have gained weight again and nodded, "I can see it."
Lu Taotao burped and said, "You can go to Wuxianglou later and bring a roast duck over." The duck's neck had little meat, and the more he gnawed on it, the more he became greedy.
Guanyue was surprised: "You can still eat it."
"It's rare, but it's weird." Lu Taotao pointed out five fingers, "It only used half of my skill."
Guanyue shook her head speechlessly, "I'll go in and take a look."
Climb the wall from the side and go in. Through the gap between the trees, I can see the shop assistant taking a nap in the front shop, but the yard inside is quiet. I secretly opened the window of the room and took a look, but no one was there.
The yard is not big, so I quickly completed a circle. However, what is strange is that I did not see Butler Zhou.
At this time, there was movement somewhere. Guan Yue had just dodged and hid when he saw Butler Zhou coming out of a house. He first looked around and then left quickly.
Guan Yue confirmed that the room just now was empty. Why did Housekeeper Zhou show up?
Back on the front street, the store waiter was escorting Butler Zhou out, carrying a basket of incense candles and paper money.
Guanyue leaned down on the roof and asked in a low voice: "What does he do every day?"
Lu Taotao finished chewing the duck's neck and played with it in his hand. He wrinkled his nose and said, "The old man's life is too regular. He squats in the ancestral hall in the morning, goes to Chongshan Square and the incense shop in the afternoon, and continues to squat in the ancestral hall in the evening."
She was extremely boring to follow.
"Hey!" Lu Taotao shouted in surprise as if he had discovered something.
Guanyue immediately looked serious, "What?"
"Where are the pastries from Chongshanfang? Why are they gone? I obviously watched him carry the food box in!" Lu Taotao was heartbroken. She was planning to steal a few pieces later.
Guanyue's face darkened, "You said he visits the incense shop and Chongshanfang every afternoon?"
"Yes, Chongshanfang pastries are serious and delicious. They are much better than the decorations on the facade of Wangdu. Unfortunately, the daily supply is limited, and it is not easy to buy if you have money. Could it be that Mr. Zhou went through the back door and knew someone in Chongshanfang? Be the cook."
Lu Taotao's topic gradually drifted away, and Guan Yue pulled him back, "Since we need it every day, why not just let the incense and candle shop deliver the things directly to your door."
"Ask the old man, how do I know." After Lu Taotao finished speaking, there was a hint of narrowing in his eyes. Before Guanyue could react, he quickly rubbed his clothes with his two hands.
Guanyue fell into a long silence as she looked at the two oil marks on her chest. What was due would come back sooner or later, and there was no way she could avoid it.
—
That night, a group of people came to Yunfu Courtyard.
The first two were Yu Fangjing and Nangong Zhi, the current prefects of Huaiqing. The other person who appeared surprised Yunqi. It turned out to be Qi Shang, whom he had not seen for many days.
Yu Fangjing first bowed his hands and said, "There are many people in the county office, but Prince Yun's place is still clean."
Yun Qi raised his eyebrows and said sarcastically: "Although I have a lot of money, I don't look like someone who has been taken advantage of."
"Your Majesty is really good at joking." Yu Fangjing laughed dryly and said, "But there is indeed an important matter today, and it is not convenient to discuss it in the county office."
With business on his mind, Yun Qi invited everyone to sit down. Qiu Chan served tea and closed the door, leaving only the four of them inside.
"Qi Shenling is finally back." I don't know if it was Yun Qi's misunderstanding, but he felt that Qi Shang had gone through a lot of changes in the past few days, which shows that Feng Qing is a tormentor.
Qi Shang was still tired from the journey and had hardly rested. After sending Feng Qing back home, he went to Nangong Zhi and Yu Fangjing to discuss it. Of course, he had to pay a visit to the prince before that.
Therefore, it is the prince's intention that they come here now.
Having said this, Yun Qi couldn't say it even if he was reluctant, but he scanned a circle of people and asked curiously: "Why does it look like you have left Master Meng alone?"
As the governor of Licheng, Meng Xueli should not be overstepped both emotionally and rationally.
Yu Fangjing rolled his eyes, drooping slightly, with a somewhat reserved expression.
Nangong Zhi stood up and explained on his behalf: "This is related to the secrets of Emperor Qiu. Since Mr. Meng is the local governor, it is not suitable to attend until the news is spread."
To put it bluntly, although I don’t know how Yu Fangjing joined the prince’s subordinates, he must have been authorized by the prince to be here. In addition, Qi Shang and Nangong Zhi were directly sent by the emperor. Unlike them, Meng Xueli has been rooted in Licheng for many years, so it is difficult to explain the intricate relationship here.
Yun Qi sat up a little straighter with his slanted body. Nangong Zhi wanted to speak, so he immediately raised his hand and said, "Wait a minute! It's not appropriate to tell me. Why don't I make room for you and you can discuss it slowly?"
Yu Fangjing couldn't laugh or cry, "Your Majesty, you are the Prime Minister of the Criminal Division, and it is up to you to investigate the case."
"Really?" Yun Qi tapped his chin with the jade bone fan and spread his hands in embarrassment, "I almost forgot about this."
A few people sat down, and Yu Fangjing looked at Qi Shang solemnly, "Please Qi Shen, please take out the things and let Prince Yun take a look before we talk."
Yun Qi glanced at it with empty eyes and calmly suppressed his doubts.
Qi Shang took out an object, but it was a fist-sized stone with an irregular light brown shape.
Yun Qi was wondering what Qi Shang was doing with a stone. Qi Shang slowly turned to the other side of the stone, and suddenly there was a flash of golden light, emitting a dazzling light.
"Red gold?" Yun Qi was really surprised this time. He took the stone from Qi Shang's hand and weighed it, then looked at the other three people with confused eyes.
Yu Fangjing pocketed his sleeves and said in a low voice as if he was afraid of being overheard: "Qi Shen brought back three pieces of tie. This is the third piece. I have already pried open the other two pieces."
Yun Qi rubbed the surface of the stone with his fingertips, "Really?"
"Real red gold." After Yu Fangjing finished speaking, he added, "The purity is very high."
Qi Shang explained the reason, "That day, Feng Qing and I accidentally fell into the bottom of a pit. At first we thought it was a natural pit, but we found that it was not. There were traces of excavation and earth-moving inside, but they were not obvious. It seemed that someone had been there. Deliberately covered up."
When the two were looking for a way out of the pit, they accidentally pulled up a stone. They were shocked to see that it turned out to be a piece of gold ore.
Mines are rare, let alone a gold mine. Qi Shang did not dare to take it lightly. He carefully returned to Diqiu with the secret. After reporting the matter to the prince, the two agreed to find out the truth.
"The mine has been disturbed. Who discovered it? Is the purpose of the people hiding in the forest the gold mine?"
Previously, the prince and Lu Anran, Qi Shang and Feng Qing, and Yun Qi and his party all saw more or less signs of people living in the forest, but they disappeared and left no traces.
Yu Fangjing's eyes showed deep thought, and he said: "Have these people heard the news and hid it? They will wait until the dojo is over before quietly digging into the mountains."
Nangong Zhi nodded: "So the news cannot be spread outside, and we must catch them all."
After some discussion, several people decided that Qi Shang would secretly lead an ambush. On the other hand, the mine had been tampered with. Yunqi and Nangong Zhi were responsible for investigating whether the gold ore inside had been taken out or even traded.
"Prefect Yu." Before everyone left, Yun Qi called out to Fang Jing, pretending to be confused and said: "We have done everything. Prefect Yu, are you here for a day trip to my prince?"
Yu Fangjing didn't get away with it. He smiled dryly and said, "How can I do it? I'm just at the mercy of a few people."
"There happens to be one." Yun Qi said politely and with a smile: "I'll leave the matter between the Zhou family and Yasha to the prefect Yu." He patted him hard on the shoulder and said, "Don't let me down."
Yu Fangjing's shoulders slumped, his feet staggered, and he almost fell.
Watching Yu Fang Jing leave dejectedly, Nangong Zhi stood on the steps with his hands folded, looking sideways at Yun Qi, and said with a smile: "You scared the prefect Yu."
"Tsk, underestimate him, he's got a smart mind." Yun Qi stroked his chest and blinked at Nangong Zhi, "Speaking of which, I don't feel safe knowing such a big secret. Nangong Shaofu, you will protect me. Bar?"
Nangong Zhi's smile froze, "Prince Yun, you really know how to joke."
—
Gold nuggets don't look like rocks in their hands, and the most likely place to sell stolen goods is a gold shop. However, people who secretly dig gold mines may not be so quick to take action. Just in case, Yun Qi and Nangong Zhi secretly sent people to I checked the gold shop in Diqiu.
Diqiu itself was not big, and there were only a few gold shops that could handle it. I didn't find anything useful in the whole day, so Yu Fangjing, who was more experienced, suggested that he should check it in Linxian County.
Nangong Zhi thought that a line of sky connected Shang County. Qi Shang and Feng Qing discovered the pothole on their way to Shang County and immediately sent people to go there overnight.
In the dark night, a horse galloped out of the city, while on the side path, another horse entered the city just before the city gate closed.
The horse stopped in the courtyard of Yun Mansion. The man in black immediately jumped up, ran in covered with dust, and reported to the person sitting under the locust tree: "Your Majesty, we have found it."
