Holy Bone

Chapter 2003: The Southern and Northern Money Case Resurfaces; Jin'an and Young Master Yiyun
"Copper coins?"

What's wrong with this copper coin?

"Why is this copper coin wrapped in a handkerchief? How thoughtful! When did you become so effeminate, young man?"

As he spoke, the old Taoist priest picked up the copper coins on the stone table to examine them.

"Is this just an ordinary copper coin?"

"Even I, an old Taoist priest, couldn't see anything..."

The old Taoist priest looked through it back and forth, initially speaking in a relaxed tone as if he didn't take it seriously. However, his voice soon stopped.

Then the old Taoist priest carefully examined the copper coins back and forth, and then he took out the second copper coin, the third copper coin, the fourth copper coin, the fifth copper coin...

His expression grew increasingly serious.

His behavior was strikingly similar to Jin An's earlier actions at the entrance of the Five Organs Taoist Temple.

The old Taoist priest examined all the copper coins in his hand, then looked at Jin An with a serious expression and asked, "Young man, where did you get these copper coins?"

"This handkerchief is new."

"This copper coin is not old or worn."

"These copper coins look like they were frequently used and circulated around."

“It’s definitely not the same copper coins we saw a year ago.”

Faced with the old Taoist's series of questions, Jin An did not answer immediately. Instead, he replied with the same solemn and serious expression, "Old Taoist, have you figured out the origin of these copper coins?"

The old Taoist priest gritted his teeth and said, "Even if these copper coins were reduced to ashes, I would still recognize them. They are the fake Southern coins from the 'Southern Coins and Northern Coins Case' that we seized a year ago in Jiangzhou Prefecture!"

"Although these fake Southern coins are very well made and almost indistinguishable from genuine Northern coins, a fake is still a fake, and you can always find some flaws and details!"

"The biggest flaw in these southern coins is that the characters are printed slightly lighter than those in the northern coins!"

Jin An took a deep breath, then nodded and said, "That's right, it's the fake Southern Coin from the 'Southern Coin and Northern Coin Case'."

"Young man, where did you get these Southern coins from?"

"Huh, 'Southern Coins and Northern Coins Case'?" Even the big blue ox next to him curiously gathered around, staring intently at the copper coins in the old Taoist's hand.

The case of the Southern and Northern coins did not spread widely among the general public, and no one knew about it. However, it was widely circulated among certain groups and was no longer a secret.

Those who know about the Southern and Northern Coins Case know how much Emperor Kang Zhao valued and was furious about it. He directly ordered a thorough investigation, which resulted in the death of a prince before the case was finally brought to a close.

The fact that a prince was involved in the case shows how much of a shock it caused in the court and among the people. As a result, many civil and military officials were implicated and imprisoned.

As the creator of livestock, Da Qingniu had naturally heard about the details of this case. When he learned that the case had resurfaced, he couldn't help but come over to observe and take a closer look.

"Is this the South China Money?"

"Tsk, I heard that a year ago Emperor Kangzhao ordered a thorough investigation into this case, and a prince even fell from his horse and died. Is this a resurgence of the Southern Coin?"

The big blue ox said in a deep, muffled voice.

Even the old yellow dog dressed in human clothes, upon seeing Jin An and the old Taoist sitting around the stone table, climbed onto the stone bench and sat upright on it like a human, desperately trying to burrow its head into the old Taoist's hand, showing great curiosity about the copper coins.

The old Taoist priest tossed a copper coin to the old dog, then solemnly asked Jin An, "With the investigation into the Japanese island currency case and the arrest of all those involved, weren't all these Southern coins confiscated and destroyed? How come you've gotten your hands on Southern coins again, young man?"

"Where did these coins come from?"

Jin An paused for a moment, then calmly uttered four words: "Respect the Prince Yi's Mansion."

"Prince Zunyi..."

"what!"

"Is this the Prince Zunyi's residence?"

Wow!
The old Taoist priest suddenly stood up, looking at Jin An with disbelief and shock.

Jin An nodded calmly without saying a word.

"The Prince Zunyi's Mansion!"

"The Prince Zunyi's Mansion!"

"The Prince Zunyi's Mansion!"

……

The old Taoist priest muttered to himself as he paced in circles in the backyard. After circling four or five times, he gritted his teeth, stared at Jin An, and solemnly asked, word by word, "Does the Prince Yi's Mansion know about this matter?"

Jin An shook his head and then recounted how he obtained the string of copper coins.

Upon hearing that Jin An had only obtained the copper coins from a maid, the old Taoist priest breathed a sigh of relief and said with a hint of relief, "Thank goodness, thank goodness, he only got them from a maid."

"Tomorrow, have Fatty Li arrest this maid and interrogate her thoroughly to find out where she got these copper coins, so that the Zunyi Prince's Mansion can get out of trouble as soon as possible and clear its name."

However, Jin'an did not immediately respond to the old Taoist priest's words this time.

"Young man, what's wrong?"

"But are there other ideas?"

"It's just the two of us here, so feel free to tell me what's on your mind. I can offer some advice and suggestions."

The old Taoist priest looked at Jin An curiously and said...

Jin An took the copper coins back from the old dog, sighed, and said, "Old Taoist, have you ever thought about this? Why does the Prince Zunyi's mansion have so many Southern coins?"

"If the Prince Zunyi's mansion had a few copper coins, they could explain it away by saying that the Prince Zunyi's mansion accidentally obtained them, thus being wronged."

"But the Prince Zunyi's mansion doesn't just have one or two Southern coins, nor a dozen or so copper coins, but an entire string of copper coins that are all Southern coins."

Have you thought carefully about the reasons behind this?

"This..." The old Taoist priest was speechless at Jin An's question.

Jin An remained silent.

After circling the backyard a few more times, the old Taoist priest sat down at the stone table, staring intently at Jin An, and asked, "Young brother, you..."

"...Could it be that they've come to suspect the Prince Zunyi's residence?"

"That's Prince Zunyi! A prince of a nation! A prince who commands a million soldiers on the border!"

“That’s Young Master Yiyun! A close friend of yours and mine, like family and friends! My best buddy!” “Do you know what it would mean if… the Nanqian case… were to be involved with the Zunyi Prince’s Mansion?” The old Taoist priest spoke with increasing bitterness.

Ok.

Jin An nodded and said, "I know."

"So I immediately went back to the Wuzang Taoist Temple and asked the old Taoist priest to help me check again whether these copper coins are Southern coins."

"Because I also know that this involves too many deep issues, and if we really want to investigate it, it might affect the very foundation of a country."

The old Taoist priest gritted his teeth and said, "Even if the Zunyi Prince's Mansion was inevitably involved, what was their purpose?"

"The mass production of counterfeit money, as seen in numerous historical cases, boils down to one possible reason: an intention to stage a rebellion!"

The old Taoist priest spoke slowly and deliberately, emphasizing each word.

"If the Prince Zunyi's mansion is truly going to rebel, what is its purpose? Is it to seize power and become emperor?"

The old Taoist priest's eyes were bloodshot as he stared intently at Jin An.

This matter was so shocking and unbelievable that even the old Taoist priest found it as unreal, like a dream.

Furthermore, for personal reasons, he simply dared not categorize the Zunyi Prince's Mansion as one of the villains despised by everyone.

Faced with the old Taoist's question, Jin An looked at the copper coin in his hand with a complicated expression. After pondering for a moment, he said in a complicated tone, "Even I can't figure out the purpose of Zunyi Prince's Mansion doing this for the time being."

After saying that, Jin An closed his eyes for a short while. When he opened them again, his gaze had returned to calm and composed, no longer clouded by worldly affairs. He said firmly, "Only by thoroughly investigating the Zunyi Prince's Mansion can we possibly find out what their purpose is."

"Furthermore, I also want to prove through investigation that the Zunyi Prince's Mansion is innocent. The case of the Southern Coin of the Zunyi Prince's Mansion was just a case of me being wronged because I was momentarily confused. If it is truly a case of wrongdoing, I will definitely make a statement to Young Master Yiyun to ask for forgiveness."

Upon hearing this, the old Taoist priest looked at Jin An with a complicated expression, sighed, and said, "Then, young brother, how do you intend to investigate the Zunyi Prince's Mansion?"

Jin An said, "I plan to start with the Japanese islands first, and then with Young Master Yiyun."

The old Taoist priest hesitated for a long time before asking in a low voice, "Young brother, if the Zunyi Prince's Mansion is really related to the 'Southern Coins and Northern Coins Case,' will you expose the Zunyi Prince's Mansion and expose and execute the Zunyi Prince and Young Master Yiyun?"

Jin An did not give a direct answer to the old Taoist priest's question.

He stood up, turned his back to the old Taoist priest, and said, "Old Taoist, I plan to personally go to Japan to investigate the 'Southern Money and Northern Money Case' in the next few days. If Fatty Li needs to see me, ask him to stall for a few days. I will definitely be back within five days."

After Jin An finished speaking, he used the fifteenth transformation of the Seventy-Two Transformations, the Cloud Summoning Technique, summoning a somersault cloud, flipping over and flying up, heading straight for Jiangzhong Prefecture in the East Sea.

The old Taoist priest, who had something else to say, sighed as he watched Jin An disappear without a trace, then sat back down at the stone table, his mind preoccupied as he examined the copper coins in his hand.

"Big Green Ox, if you were the younger brother, would you expose King Zunyi and Young Master Yiyun?" the old Taoist asked the big green ox, who was craning its neck to examine the copper coins closely.

Two puffs of white vapor shot out from the large nostrils of the big blue ox, which said with a nonchalant purse, "Of course not."

"Close friends and relatives are hard to find, what does a trivial worldly case have to do with me?"

"I am an immortal in the eyes of ordinary people, a celestial master. It is only natural for me to ask them for something."

"Peacock Buddha Mother, and what about you?" the old Taoist asked the Peacock Buddha Mother, who stood aloof like a fairy on the eaves.

What I got in return was a calm and tranquil life.

"Alas," the old Taoist sighed, no longer asking anyone else, but looking worriedly towards the East China Sea, losing even his appetite for lunch.

……

Prince Zunyi's Mansion.

"Young Master, you're finally back! This old servant will immediately send someone to the Criminal Investigation Department to inform Lord Shenwu that you're back." The steward said with great joy upon seeing Young Master Yiyun return to the manor, and then hurriedly summoned a servant to deliver the message to the Criminal Investigation Department.

Today, Young Master Yiyun is as handsome as ever, with red lips, white teeth, and a refined and elegant appearance, like a scholar with a sword at his side.

Behind Young Master Yiyun was Qi Bo, who never left his side.

As soon as Young Master Yiyun returned to the Zunyi Prince's Mansion, the steward rushed to greet him with a joyful expression, saying, "Miss, you're finally back! This old servant has been waiting for you for so long. I've been sending people to look for you all morning without any news."

As Young Master Yiyun walked ahead, he asked, "Steward, what brings you here?"

"Just now, when I was walking down the street with Qi Bo, we ran into a servant from the manor who said you were looking for me?"

The steward followed closely behind Young Master Yiyun, then, unable to suppress his joy, whispered, "Miss, Lord Shenwu Marquis came to the manor today, specifically requesting to see you..."

"Oh?"

Young Master Yiyun paused, stopped, turned around to look at the steward behind him, and asked curiously, "Did he say what he wanted to see me about?"

The steward said, "This old servant asked, but Lord Shenwu didn't say anything, only that it was some trivial matter."

"Oh." Young Master Yiyun nodded, then continued walking forward.

"Where is he now?"

"Where are you waiting for me?"

Upon hearing this, the steward immediately looked troubled and said, "Reporting to Miss, Lord Shenwu came to the manor to see you around 7:45 AM today, and waited until 9:00 AM before leaving. He said that when you return to the manor next time, he asked me to go and report to you, and I will definitely come to see you."

"This old servant will immediately arrange for someone to fetch Lord Shenwu."

Unexpectedly, Young Master Yiyun said, "No need. I have to go out of the manor later. I can go to the Criminal Investigation Department to find him on my way."

"Yes, Miss." The butler replied with a smile.

As long as Miss can meet Lord Shenwu, whether Lord Shenwu comes to Zunyi Prince's Mansion to find Miss in person or Miss goes to the Criminal Investigation Department to find Lord Shenwu, it makes no difference to him.

Because that's all called "making people happy and bringing good fortune."

At this moment, the group had arrived in the main hall, and the butler introduced them, saying, "Lord Shenwu was waiting for you in the main hall this morning, Miss." Then, pointing to the peace amulets, he said, "Lord Shenwu even admired the pair of peace amulets that you personally hung up for quite a while."

When the topic of the peace amulet came up, Qi Bo, who had been silent the whole way, suddenly let out a soft exclamation of surprise, and then spoke up. He smiled at Young Master Yiyun and said, "Well said, there's no coincidence without a story. Could it be that Daoist Jin'an knows that one of these peace amulets was specially prepared for him by you, so you and he are in sync and have a tacit understanding?"

Young Master Yiyun rolled his eyes, glared at Qi Bo, and said, "His name isn't written on this peace charm. He was just curious and looked at it for a while at most."

Qi Bo clicked his tongue and said, "It doesn't say Master Jin'an's name on the surface, but it is inside. Young master, since we're going to the Criminal Investigation Department to see Master Jin'an anyway, why don't we bring his peace amulet along? You can give it to Master Jin'an yourself and say that you specially obtained it to pray for his well-being. Master Jin'an will surely be so moved that he will agree to anything you ask for, young master, and accomplish your 'benevolent and righteous' deeds."

Young Master Yiyun looked at the Guardian of Peace and said, "Uncle Qi, you've been too talkative."

"There aren't that many beautiful stories in this world."

Qi Bo chuckled and said, "That's not necessarily true. How would you know if it exists or not if you don't take it there yourself, young master?"

Young Master Yiyun turned and left. She didn't touch the Peace Amulet, but went back to her boudoir to get something. Without turning her head, she said, "Uncle Qi, prepare some tea and gifts. We'll go to the Criminal Investigation Department to see Daoist Jin'an later."