Tang Dynasty Hidden Guards

Xue Wei ran back to his cabin like a thief, his heart pounding. He locked the cabin door and sat down, but his heart was still pounding. Was Dugu Jiao trying to seduce him?

He didn't want to think about it, but the image of Dugu Jiao's voluptuous figure kept popping into his mind—it was so big!

He quickly shook off the unbearable images in his mind. Yuan Min was right. Dugu Jiao had no sense of boundaries. What was worse, she also liked him and was so bold and direct in expressing her love. Sooner or later, something would happen if they were alone together. He didn't want to lose Yuan Min.

"Old Xue, you're back?"

He suddenly heard Yuan Min's low voice. He turned around and saw that the small door was not closed and was slightly ajar.

He quickly pushed open the small door to Yuan Min's bedroom and saw her lying on the couch, her face pale. Xue Wei felt a pang of heartache, walked over to her, sat down, and took her hand.

Are you seasick?

"There's something you heard from Gillian Chung?"

Xue Wei nodded. "I ran into her in the cafeteria."

"That brat, she's trying to seduce my husband."

Xue Wei was surprised. How did Yuan Min know?

Yuan Min gave a wry smile. "At this time, it's just the two of us eating. She came to join in the fun, thinking I don't understand her intentions."

Yuan Min squeezed Xue Wei's hand tighter, blinked, and asked with a somewhat ambiguous smile, "Did she say that she only boarded the ship because of you?"

Xue Wei sighed, "Amin, I don't like this. You're the only one in my heart. Her actions make me feel embarrassed and also make me feel sorry for Yuan Mao."

Yuan Min said helplessly, "She doesn't really want to be with you. She's just a lovesick girl who likes handsome and tall young men. But if you say you want to be with her, she won't agree. My third brother is the only man she wants to marry."

"What should I do? I don't want her to harass me anymore."

Yuan Min smiled wryly, "I can't do anything about her. The best way is to avoid being alone with her and not give her any chance. From now on, when you come to the dining cabin, call me at the door first. If I don't answer, just go back to your cabin."

Xue Wei nodded and asked with concern, "How are you? Are you still feeling unwell? Would you like me to get you a glass of warm water?"

Yuan Min gave him a charming look, her eyes sparkling. "Master Xue actually wants to pour me some water. Hurry up, don't let Xiao Luo steal your chance to be attentive."

Xue Wei was captivated by her charming glance, and he quickly got up and went to the outer room to pour Yuan Min a cup of warm water. Of course, the Tang Dynasty also had thermos flasks, the most popular of which was the white-glazed leather flask. The white porcelain fired in Xing kiln was shaped like the leather flasks used by the nomadic people of the grasslands. It had double-layer insulation and worked quite well. The boiling water he had boiled in the morning was still warm.

He carefully lifted the cup and helped Yuan Min up, using his legs to shield her back as he fed her water.

"I can do it myself!"

Yuan Min felt incredibly sweet inside, but she retorted, "Are you trying to please me because you're afraid I'll get angry?"

"My dear wife is seasick, isn't it my duty to take care of you?"

"Okay, honey, thank you for your hard work."

.......

Xue Wei spent the whole afternoon with Yuan Min, and Yuan Min's seasickness gradually subsided.

During dinner, Yuan Min poured Xue Wei a full glass of wine and said with a smile, "Actually, Ajiao and I also discussed the case this morning."

"Did the discussion reach any conclusion?"

"We were just discussing it casually, but I've realized there are many possibilities for this case, and they could all be true. Because so much time has passed, all the evidence has disappeared. In the end, all we can get from the investigation are various possibilities, but not a final result. Simply put, I think we'll come away empty-handed!"

Xue Wei nodded. "What does Ah Jiao think?"

"Ah Jiao thought it was a bit simple. She believed that everyone was killed, the boatman was fake, the soldiers were fake, the escorting officials were fake, so the silver sent to the Imperial Household Department in the end was also fake."

Xue Wei chuckled, "If all else fails, I can use Ajiao's conclusion to appease the Emperor."

Yuan Min's spirits lifted. "Do you think it's possible that they were really robbed by bandits, and the Banking Regulatory Bureau couldn't explain themselves, so they made up a batch of fakes to fool the Imperial Household Department?"

Xue Wei laughed. "Miss Yuan, this is the prosperous Tang Dynasty. A peck of rice costs only fifteen coins. Where are there still people who are starving and have to become bandits? Even if there are bandits, they are just a few individuals, lone wolves, or people who are pretending to be bandits."

"I'm talking about someone posing as a bandit with malicious intent. Twenty thousand catties of coarse silver! That can be refined into three hundred thousand taels of silver. Such a huge fortune, wouldn't Wu Sansi be tempted? Wouldn't the Zhang brothers be tempted?"

Xue Wei nodded. "These are all possibilities, but we still need to start from the source."

........

In Luoyang, at the Bamianfeng Restaurant in Xiuwenfang, Wu Chongxun hurriedly entered a private room, and his cousin Wu Yanxiu immediately stood up.

Since Wu Chengsi's death, his family immediately lost its former glory. His eldest son, Wu Yanji, was executed last year for his involvement in the Li Chongrun case. Most of his remaining sons are mediocre, spending their days in debauchery and indulging in a life of pleasure.

Only the youngest son, Wu Yanxiu, was intelligent and capable, and was highly appreciated by Wu Zetian. He gradually showed signs of becoming the leader of Wu Chengsi's lineage.

Wu Yanxiu also knew the principle of finding shelter under a big tree, especially after Wu Jizhi became disabled. Wu Yanxiu clung to Wu Sansi's coattails and called him father. Wu Sansi also had the idea of ​​taking him as his stepson to replace Wu Jizhi.

"What do you need me for, elder brother?" Wu Yanxiu asked respectfully, his head bowed.

"I need to talk to you about something. Do it!"

Wu Yanxiu sat down respectfully. Wu Chongxun glanced at him and said, "I have something to ask you, and you must tell me the truth."

"If I dare to conceal anything from you, elder brother, I will surely be struck down by heaven and earth!"

Wu Chongxun was satisfied with his attitude and asked, "Six years ago, a batch of coarse silver from the Imperial Treasury was replaced. I'd like to know if your father received this batch of coarse silver?"

"Six years ago?"

It's been a long time, and Wu Yanxiu can't remember. "It's been too long, I need to go back and check. Brother, give me two days."

"Alright! I'll give you two days. Also, did your father actually hide a fortune in Wugong County, Jingzhao Prefecture?"

"Wugong County is indeed wealthy. Otherwise, where did all the money in our household go? Before my father passed away, he told us brothers that he transferred three batches of wealth to Zhu Ling, worth millions of strings of cash. He also said that there was something of great importance. He didn't say it explicitly, but we deduce that it was the imperial seal."

Wu Chongxun's spirits lifted. "Does your family really have an imperial seal?"

Wu Yanxiu nodded. "My father once took it out when he was drunk. It was an imperial treasure. He said it was left to him by my grandmother. We dared not ask any more questions. Later, when the emperor interrogated my father, he sent a batch of treasures to Wugong County, including porcelain and jade. I guess this imperial seal was sent along with them."

"But now that Zhu Ling is dead, where did this treasure go? Don't you brothers have any clues at all?"

"My older brother might know a little, but he's dead, and the rest of us know nothing."

"But you just said you'd go back and investigate, how will you investigate?"

"Checking my father's old letters and some accounts might provide some clues."

Wu Chongxun immediately made a decision: "Pack all these accounts and letters for me. I need them tomorrow. Not a single letter can be missing!"