The Ming Dynasty took an unconventional approach

After the meal, Xue Shao and his group had a relatively clear understanding of Guangzhou Prefecture, and with the help of their new friends, they checked into a relatively safe inn.

That evening, while Feng Hongde was furious and ordered a search and pursuit of Xue Shao, they were visiting the home of Cao Rong, the commander of the Guangzhou Military Region.

Xi Jin stayed at the inn to watch the house, while Pan Jun and the other seven climbed over into Cao Rong's house from different directions.

Xue Shao rarely did such things, and this was the first time he had ever sneaked into the home of a second-rank official of the imperial court at night.

As soon as he landed, he was very careful and tiptoed, behaving like a thief.

Pan Jun, on the other hand, carried the cat on his shoulder, looking quite relaxed, as if he were strolling through a garden, looking left and right and touching it.

Xue Shao: ...

He slowly straightened his back and asked in a low voice, "Why is no one in this courtyard?"

"It might be remote. Come on, let's go for a walk."

This wandering around led to a tour of the Commander-in-Chief's residence, during which time they even encountered members of the Embroidered Uniform Guard.

They exchanged a knowing glance, then passed each other, just in time to avoid the soldiers patrolling from the intersection.

After all, it was the residence of the Commander-in-Chief, and there were quite a few patrolling soldiers. They had no choice but to change their routes several times and spent a long time figuring out the entire Cao residence. At the same time, they found Cao Rong's bedroom and study.

When Pan Yun and Xue Shao slipped into the study through the back window, bypassing the guards in the courtyard, An Chen had already searched the entire room.

He hid among the bookshelves, silently watching the two people who sneaked in furtively.

After thinking it over, he decided to step out of the shadows and into their line of sight.

Xue Shao's heart skipped a beat, and he almost panicked, but Pan Yun waved to An Chen and said, "You can pretend you didn't see us and continue searching you."

That's what she said, but after flipping through the items, she strolled over to An Chen's side and asked, "What did you find?"

An Chen glanced at Xue Shao and said, "Hasn't Lord Xue always looked down on the methods of our Embroidered Uniform Guard investigations? He thinks our methods are unjust and do not comply with the law."

Xue Shao looked up at him and said, "You've mistaken me for someone else."

The Imperial Guard who was hiding in another corner flipping through books quickly stepped forward and whispered in his ear, "Boss, it's not this Lord Xue, it's his uncle, the Lord Xue from the Court of Judicial Review."

An Chen looked as if he had just realized something, and said with a half-smile, "So it turns out that Lord Xue and Lord Xue are different. I thought you two were of the same lineage."

Pan Yun couldn't help but ask, "Did you take gunpowder?"

An Chen immediately lowered his head: "This humble official was merely curious."

Xue Shao remained unmoved, unconcerned by An Chen's provocation. Pan Jun, however, snorted and pressed on, "What did you find out?"

An Chen was not stingy with his discoveries.

Currently, there aren't many illegal items in the study, and they're not even worth the Imperial Guards bothering Cao Rong.

Xue Shao flipped through the things An Chen had found and frowned: "Just a few letters? That's not right."

An Chen: "Perhaps in his bedroom? Third brother, who went over there?"

"It seems to be the second son."

Pan Yun paced back and forth in the study, carefully examining the four walls, and then looking down to scrutinize the gaps between the floor tiles.

An Chen said, "We checked everything as soon as we came in and found nothing unusual..."

As soon as she finished speaking, Pan Yun grasped a jade horse from the treasure pavilion, turned it gently, and the bookshelf that was pressed against an entire wall slowly slid away with a clang.

An Chen and the third brother of the Embroidered Uniform Guard: ...

Pan Yun glanced at them smugly, then raised her head and said, "Let's go."

Secret chambers usually contain important items, and Cao Rong's secret chamber was no exception. Inside was a glittering treasure room filled with gold, silver, jewels, antiques, and artifacts. The last time Pan Yun saw so many treasures was in the Japanese pirates' treasury.

This shows just how wealthy Cao Rong's treasure trove was.

This is still stored in the treasury. If the property were confiscated, the fields, shops, and the things in the outer warehouses would probably add up to a considerable amount.

Xue Shao casually picked up a string of pearls, each one about the size of a thumb, round and flawless.

After glancing at it, An Chen said, "Even the palace rarely has pearls of such high quality."

Pan Yun: "Good things often don't reach the emperor's hands. It is said that the tea the emperor drinks is the leftovers of the gentry and officials in Jiangnan."

Xue Shao put down the pearl and said, "Just from these, we can tell how corrupt Cao Rong is."

He was thinking.

An Chen and Lao San were already taking stock of the treasures, but of course, the most important thing was to find the account books and other crucial items.

Soon, the two found two booklets on a shelf. When they opened them, they found them filled with dense records, some detailed and some rough.

The records detail the time and source of these items received; the rougher records simply state the date and the amount of gold or silver notes received.

An Chen couldn't understand it, so he took it and gave it to Xue Shao: "Why is it written in such detail, and so roughly? It's all jumbled up."

Xue Shao took the money and looked at it for a moment before saying, "These were the money he received and put into the treasury. These other transactions involved him exchanging other things for gold and silver notes before sending them into the treasury. And these other transactions, one going out and one going in, involved him exchanging the silver notes stored here for gold."

Xue Shao said, "It seems that this Lord Cao has more faith in gold."

“I also have more faith in gold.” An Chen took back the ledger and stuffed it directly into his pocket.

Xue Shao released his grip and turned to gaze at the room full of gold and silver treasures.

An Chen frowned when he saw that he didn't argue about the account book. When he saw that he was staring at the gold without saying a word, his frown deepened: "Lord Xue, you wouldn't be tempted by all this gold and silver jewelry, would you?"

“Impossible,” the third brother said directly. “Eldest brother, you underestimate Imperial Censor Xue too much. He would never look at such mundane things.”

He was tempted for a moment, and lingered to touch the gold brick, but that was all.

He urged An Chen to come and touch it too: "Let's get some good fortune. This gold is cool and refreshing to the touch."

An Chen: "Aren't you afraid of ending up in prison for getting involved with Cao Rong's kind of good fortune?"

The third brother fell silent.

An Chen urged Xue Shao: "Lord Xue, since you're not after this gold, what do you want to do with it? Are you going to reveal your identity and investigate, or should our Embroidered Uniform Guard take action, arrest the people involved, and confiscate their property?"

The latter is simpler and more convenient.

Xue Shao asked, "How many men do you have in Guangzhou Prefecture? Are you capable of raiding Cao Rong's house?"

“This…” An Chen paused for a moment before saying, “I can immediately send a message by carrier pigeon to summon people. There is a radio station in the intelligence agency in Jiangnan. The carrier pigeon will arrive in Jiangnan, and they will report back to the capital. The capital can then dispatch personnel immediately.”

Xue Shao shook his head slightly.

"What do you mean? You don't trust the Embroidered Uniform Guard?"

Xue Shao said, "If we want to take him down, we have to do it quickly, and not just Cao Rong, but also Feng Hongde and all the military generals who are connected with them. Otherwise, Guangdong will easily descend into chaos."

Guangdong is already part of the Lingnan region.

South of Jiangnan, in the land of Baiyue, the situation is rather unique.

The farther away, the weaker the central government's control over local areas. Even in Yunnan, where the Mu family garrison is located, rebellions occur from time to time; what about Guangdong and Guangxi? (End of Chapter)