Chapter 368
Chapter 368 Foresight
‘350,000 taels of silver, vanished without a trace overnight? You must be joking with me, 350,000 taels, nearly 20 tons in weight; it's not something you can just cart away. Do you think it was loaded onto a truck?’
Upon seeing his disbelief, Xu Wei helplessly shook his head and bitterly smiled, saying, "At first, I didn't believe it either. But the news was brought by trusty messengers from Shandong, who rode 800 li at full speed. There's no reason for us not to believe them. Besides, who would joke about a matter that could cost one's head?"
Seeing Xu Wei's forehead beading with sweat from his urgency, Lin Wanrong's expression gradually changed. 350,000 taels of silver gone just like that; damn it, this was the vital fund for Li Tai's army. Without this silver, how could they fight against the Turks? They'd simply starve to death.
The tax silver from Jiangnan, Master Lin's efforts in the restaurants were not small. Although he was quite dissatisfied with the excessive taxes and levies, he couldn't just let the common people's hard-earned money feed thieves, right? He snorted heavily, thinking that he was always the one to rob others of their silver; no one dared to rob him.
"When did you hear this news? Why didn't I hear it yesterday? Have you informed the Emperor?" Lin Wanrong cautiously asked. Without these 350,000 taels of silver, Li Tai would be rendered helpless, and the nomads might seize the opportunity to invade the Central Plains. Furthermore, the discord within would make the situation truly perilous. Could the ailing old Emperor even withstand such a blow?
"The incident happened the night before last, and the news only arrived last night from Shandong. Apart from those in Shandong, only you and I know," Xu Wei glanced at him and said. "As for the Emperor, I haven't had the chance to report it to him yet."
The night before last? Wasn't that the night before the assassination attempt on the old Emperor? An assassination here, and the military funds robbed there - a massive conspiracy!
However, with such a significant incident, why wasn't Xu Wei rushing to report to the Emperor but instead came to tell him? Even if the silver was stolen, it had nothing to do with him. He was just a minor Vice Minister of Personnel, with dozens ahead of him in line, and this matter has nothing to do with my department.