Chapter 185 - 184: Lost Silver
"Th-this... how is this possible?!"
The color drained from the face of a government constable from the County Magistrate’s Office. He shrieked, "The silver boxes were loaded onto the carriages directly from the Government Treasury, sealed, and locked! No one touched them the entire way! Even though the rebel army snatched them for a moment, we took them right back. They wouldn’t have had time to swap anything!"
His words jolted everyone to their senses.
From the moment they left the treasury until the attack, the silver boxes had been under heavy guard.
The rebel army had only pried them open for a moment before being driven back. How could they have had time for a switch?
Besides, why would they leave the top layer of silver and only replace the layers underneath?
A more terrifying thought suddenly surfaced.
If the rebel army wasn’t responsible...
’Then... could it be?’
"Open them! Open all the other boxes and let’s see!"
A conscripted Martial Artist shouted, his voice high and sharp with fear.
His words immediately struck a chord of panic among the others.
Losing the tax silver was already a grave crime.
But to lose *fake* tax silver... The thought of the conspiracy behind it, and the fate that might await them, sent a chill down everyone’s spine.
All eyes immediately snapped to the other silver boxes on the mule carts—boxes that were still perfectly sealed and tightly locked. Their gazes were filled with suspicion and terror.
’If these two boxes are fake, then what about the rest?’
A commotion instantly broke out. Someone even instinctively moved to pry open a nearby box to check.
"Stop!"
Chen Shouye barked, his voice low but carrying an undeniable authority that instantly quelled the unrest.
All eyes focused on him.
His face was serene as he swept his gaze across the crowd. "No one is to touch the other silver boxes," he said slowly.
"Young Master Chen! But what if—"
"There are no ’what ifs.’"
Chen Shouye cut him off decisively. "The intact seals prove we have not tampered with them. If we open them ourselves now, then no matter what’s inside, we won’t be able to talk our way out of it. When that time comes, who will bear the heavy crime of losing the tax silver?"
Hearing this, the men shivered, finally realizing the consequences of opening the boxes themselves.
Chen Shouye continued in a heavy tone, "We rest here for the night. Double the guard. Nail the boxes on these two carriages shut again and place them under special watch. No one gets near them."
"Yes! Yes!"
The Junior Officer, as if granted a pardon, hastily agreed and called men over to handle it.
Chen Shouye’s gaze swept over the silent Silver Carriages, their surfaces flickering in the firelight. His brow was tightly furrowed.
’If all these boxes are like the first two—only a layer of silver on top, with nothing but mud bricks underneath...’
’...then that means they were fake from the moment they left the Government Treasury!’
’Does County Captain Feng Zhan know?’
’Does County Magistrate Zhang Heming know?’
’Was Feng Zhan’s desertion really to fetch reinforcements, or... a ploy to escape?’
’Losing the tax silver, especially an amount this large, is a crime punishable by the execution of one’s entire clan!’
’And as for us escorts, every last one of us will be held accountable. No one will escape!’
’The only thing that can prove our innocence now are the pristine Government Office seals on the unopened silver boxes.’
’We absolutely cannot afford another mistake.’
Chen Shouye took a deep breath and murmured to a senior disciple from the Kao Mountain Martial Arts Hall beside him, "Brother, I’ll have to trouble you and the others to personally watch the remaining Silver Carriages. Stay with them, especially the seals and locks. Don’t move an inch. If you notice anything unusual, sound the alarm immediately."
"Shouye, you can count on us!"
The senior disciple nodded, his expression grim.
The next morning, just as the group was preparing to set out.
A single rider on a fast horse burst through the morning mist, galloping toward them.
The rider was covered in dust from his journey. It was Bai San.
Chen Shouheng signaled to let him through.
Bai San came to Chen Shouye’s side and said in a low voice, "Second Young Master, the master sent me with an urgent message!"
Chen Shouye’s heart tightened. He led Bai San to a secluded spot. "What’s so urgent? Is something wrong at home?"
His first thought was for the safety of his family back in Lingxi.
Bai San gave a dry laugh and lowered his voice even more. "The master said to tell you that the tax silver you’re escorting is a decoy! The real tax silver is being moved by a merchant ship from Lishui!"
"What?"
Even with Chen Shouye’s steady temperament, his pupils contracted. "How did Father know?"
Bai San chuckled, dodging the question. "Second Young Master, I’ve been riding all day. My throat is parched, and my stomach is growling. Even the King of the Underworld doesn’t starve his minions, eh?"
Chen Shouye frowned. Bai San had stayed with their family for some time, so he knew the man’s personality well. He immediately took a fifty-tael silver ingot from his sash and handed it over.
Upon seeing the silver, Bai San’s face broke into a wide grin, and his voice dropped to a near-inaudible whisper. "We’ve already secured the silver. Second Young Master, just continue taking this fake shipment to the Commandery City. The master has everything else arranged."
Chen Shouye took a deep breath, forcing down the storm of shock raging within him.
Since his father knew the truth and had made other plans, the immense weight on his heart lifted considerably.
He nodded. "I understand. Thank you for risking the journey, Uncle Bai."
"All part of the job. Now that the message is delivered, I must return to report. Be careful, Second Young Master!"
Without further delay, Bai San mounted his horse and quickly disappeared back the way he had come.
...
Dusty from his travels, Chen Li returned from the Commandery City to his home in Lingxi.
He had just stepped into his study, not even having had time for a sip of hot tea, when Shu Qi appeared before him as silently as a shadow.
Shu Qi’s face wore a rare look of anxiety. "Master, you’re finally back! Something’s happened. That Zhang Chengzong—he’s vanished!"
Chen Li froze, his brow furrowing slightly. "Vanished? Tell me everything."
Shu Qi swallowed and hurriedly reported, "Several days ago, Steward Huang from the County Magistrate’s Office suddenly paid a personal visit to the Zhang Family. He dismissed all the servants and met privately with Zhang Chengzong in the study for nearly an hour. After that, Zhang Chengzong seemed distracted. Less than two days later, he secretly left for Lishui County by himself."
"Lishui?" Chen Li’s brow furrowed.
’That place is overrun with rebels and steeped in chaos,’ he thought. ’What would he be doing there?’
"Yes."
Shu Qi nodded. "I don’t know how he managed it, but in Lishui he got his hands on a sizable cargo ship, hired a crew, and sailed it to Jingshan Pier. I thought it was suspicious, so I followed him in secret."
Shu Qi’s expression turned grim. "Things got even weirder after the ship docked at Jingshan Pier. The area was suddenly cordoned off by government constables from the County Magistrate’s Office and the local Soldiers. No one else was allowed to get close."
"Then at night, a large group of men furtively loaded heavy box after heavy box onto the ship. They were all covered tightly with oilcloth. The whole thing was incredibly sneaky!"
At this, Shu Qi looked vexed. "But the strangest thing is, I had planted my unique Rat Fragrance on Zhang Chengzong to track him. But ever since he got to Mirror Mountain, the scent has completely vanished, as if he disappeared into thin air! Master, that kid Zhang Chengzong is definitely involved in some major, dirty business!"
After listening, Chen Li’s expression was as calm as still water. He remained silent for a moment, then a cold glint flashed in his eyes. "Let’s go," he said decisively. "Get Bai San. We’re going to Jingshan Pier."
...