A powerful minister of the Song Dynasty

Chapter 328 Master of the Four Symbols Hall
Li Junyou looked at the ledger and burst into laughter:

“Good heavens, every time Wuyou Cave gives you a hundred strings of cash, you end up giving one string each to your three subordinates and three other people.”

"The rest will all fall into your hands, and your method of distribution is even more treacherous than the Worry-Free Cave."

Song Xuan also chuckled twice:

"I remember that a regular waiter usually earns a little over two strings of cash a month."

"Bullshit! Absolutely not!"

Wei Shaou looked at Li Rui and the others:

Don't let them fool you!

Others may not know Song Xuan's scheme, but Wei Shaou saw through it.

The goal is to make them fight amongst themselves, and ideally expose the truth about the Worry-Free Cave.

However, there are some things that Wei Shaou cannot say too clearly.

Li Rui looked at Wei Shaou with suspicion.

Don't underestimate them just because they are illiterate; the money they receive each time is far too little.

"This is a divisive tactic, don't you understand?"

Wei Shaou could no longer calm down.

Song Xuan's blatant use of money to sow discord was something he couldn't stand.

Even if it's true, can I say it out loud?
Without this platform, you bunch of beggars would still want money.

What a beautiful thought!
Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice:

"Wei Shaou, he's beyond saving. In any case, the mastermind will be executed by dismemberment."

“If you people were accomplices, you would have been exiled to places like Hebei and at least your lives would have been spared.”

"Of course, you deserve credit for your report. If you say enough, I will plead for you before the officials and write in the case file that you were coerced into having no other choice."

"I can also grant acquittal."

"Li Rui."

Xia Ping, who had been lying on the ground with a bruised and swollen face, spoke:

"Don't believe what the officials say; those scholars are the best at lying!"

Even Shi Yuansun, who couldn't accept reality for a while, understood at this moment.

There must be something fishy going on between them.

The only difference is who gives in first.

"Alright, that's loyal enough."

Song Xuan sat on a round stool:
"I have always admired people who value loyalty and righteousness."

"The first person to report and testify was released immediately after the case was sorted out."

"The second person who reports and testifies should either go to Hebei or go to Shamen Island to wait for death."

"The opportunity is right in front of us; if we miss it, we won't get another chance."

“You really don’t value your own lives at all, all for a monthly reward of one string of cash.”

"But then again, this is how it should be for people of the martial world!"

Song Xuan's words were truly unpleasant to hear, and they put the group in a difficult position.

But then again, doing business that could cost you your life, you didn't get much money and ended up losing your life instead.

I wonder how many people can survive such a losing proposition until the end.

"Don't listen to him."

Xia Ping tried to grab Li Rui's hand, but he couldn't even lie down completely on his own.

Who's researching shackles?

Put your head and hands together, and if you don't behave, I'll add more weight to make sure I can torture you.

Even if they release you afterward, it will still cause irreversible damage to your neck.

"The government is all a liar."

Xia Ping knew, of course, that the distribution of money was not always consistent in the ledger; the accounts would be distributed every year-end.

This is to prevent people from succumbing to temptation and spending money recklessly, which could easily expose their spending habits.

The shop usually provides meals and accommodation, and only gives a little pocket money.

“Yes, it’s all a lie,” Wei Shaou echoed.
"We have all been wronged."

"Master Song just wants to take money and is deliberately messing with us."

"We must go and beat the drum to appeal to the emperor and ask him to retry the case."

"You're being stubborn, aren't you?"

Song Xuan didn't say much either.

He picked up an incense stick from the counter, flicked off two-thirds of it, and then had Wang Bao light it.

"You have half an incense stick's time to consider. If my men find the secret passage, this half incense stick's time will be wasted, and everyone involved will be severely punished."

Wang Bao simply stuck the incense stick into the gap next to the wooden table, leaving it horizontally for them to see.

"This is not half an incense stick."

Li Rui spoke up subconsciously.

"If I say it is half an incense stick, then it is half an incense stick."

As soon as the half-burnt incense stick was stuck in the ground, the eyes of the several people who were locked up couldn't help but stare at it, while their peripheral vision also turned to look at the others.

The authorities suddenly and ostentatiously locked everyone up, even seizing the account books.

It's hard not to suspect that he knows something!
I just don't know how much he knows?
Song Xuan chuckled:
“You’re all fish on the chopping board, you have no right to bargain with me.”

"Either we choose to release the first person without charge, or we choose the second option and they all die with Wei Shaou."

"Hahaha."

Li Junyou laughed so hard he was bent over.

"Brother, what are you laughing at?" Wang Yufeng asked, puzzled.

Li Junyou looked at this group of people and said sarcastically:

"Of course I laughed at them for being idiots."

Li Rui and the others immediately looked over.

"They're still a bunch of fools who don't realize they're about to die. Manager Wei took the lion's share and indulged in a life of debauchery, even enjoying himself at Fanlou."

“These underlings only receive one string of cash as a reward each time, they probably haven’t even been to a decent restaurant, they’ll just die with him.”

"Even if Manager Wei meets the King of Hell in this life, he can say it was all worth it."

"They're worthless."

Listening to Li Junyou, an outsider, speak such hurtful words.

Wei Shaou glared angrily:

"I'm warning you, don't talk nonsense!"

"I have never been to Fanlou, nor have I indulged in debauchery."

“I get it! So you're keeping a mistress on the side.” Wang Yufeng said bluntly.
"The money is probably all kept with his mistress."

Wei Shaou quickly glanced at the expressions of the people around him.

“fu”.

Li Rui was shocked to see Song Xuan blowing on the incense and trying to quickly blow it out:

"what are you doing?"

Where is the secret passage?

"Tell me, and I'll consider it a confession."

"If you don't speak up before this incense burns out, you'll lose your head."

"what!"

Li Rui yelled, tears and snot streaming down his face:
"Don't push me."

"cry?"

Song Xuan continued blowing incense:

"Bro, crying counts as time too."

"I said!"

Xia Ping, who was lying on the ground with difficulty, shouted:

“I’ll tell you, sir, I was the first to report it.”

"Xia Ping, I have treated you well."

Wei Shaou gritted his teeth and said:
"You betrayed me."

"It's come to this now." Xia Ping's eyes were full of bitterness: "I also want to live."

"My lord, I'll talk, I'll talk."

Relying on his superior skills compared to Xia Ping, Li Rui quickly rolled to Song Xuan's feet:
"I know where the secret passage is. I'm the first one. Trust me, trust me!"

"He knows nothing."

Xia Ping gritted his teeth and said:

“My lord, I know more than he does. He’s just someone who follows me around like a puppy.”

"I was the one who planned many of these things behind the scenes; he knew absolutely nothing!"

"You fart."

"okay."

Song Xuan waved his hand, signaling Xu Xianchun to take Li Rui to find the secret passage.

Li Rui turned around and couldn't help but ask:

"My lord, am I the first one?"

Am I the first one?

"Calculate."

With Song Xuan's words, Li Rui breathed a sigh of relief, stopped struggling with resistance, and obediently followed Xu Xianchun.

Why wasn't I the first?

Xia Ping's eyes were full of confusion:

"I was the one who said it first."

"Is it your secret that you wish to share with me alone?"

Song Xuan picked up the nearly burnt incense stick and lit it directly on Xia Ping's forehead, saying:
"what!"

Xia Ping cried out in pain.

Wang Yufeng subconsciously shrank his neck.

Even though he was a playboy, he had never personally laid a hand on anyone.

At his command, many of his followers rushed forward to obey his orders.

Xia Ping's eyes were bloodshot; the hot oil was extremely painful.

Only after the incense had completely burned out did Song Xuan sit back down on the round stool.

"You tried to trick me and buy me time, and even tried to bite off one of my ears before you died. You're too cunning, but unfortunately your acting skills are terrible."

A hint of surprise flashed in Xia Ping's eyes:
"I don't!"

"You're framing me."

"I really wanted to say that."

"Oh." Song Xuan patted the dust off his hands.
"It's not too late for you to say it now."

Xia Ping didn't react for a moment, and a look of confusion appeared in his eyes.

Wei Shaou sat on the ground, feeling that Song Xuan was too cunning, always looking at people with the worst possible malice.

This child is so cunning at such a young age; he's far too vicious!

However, Wei Shaou had to admit that Song Xuan had indeed defended against it.

This young man is not someone who can be easily fooled or manipulated.

Trouble.

Xia Ping felt he had been tricked, and he immediately blushed and said:
"I'm not going to tell you, go ahead and kill me if you dare!"

"hehe."

Song Xuan turned his head and said to Li Junyou:

"I saw through his scheme and was immediately on the defensive."

"Your Excellency truly has a discerning eye; you didn't fall for this villain's trick."

Li Junyou, standing nearby, offered a complimentary comment.

This was the first time he had ever seen Song Xuan use such interrogation methods.

With just a few words, he completely manipulated this gang of thieves.

Shi Yuansun also spoke up:

"Song Zhuangyuan's talent is truly rare in this world, and I admire him greatly."

He thought of his brother-in-law, Fan Xiang, who had hit the bullseye three times in a row.

On his way back to his hometown, he praised Song Xuan's talent and wisdom.

It can be said that throughout the journey, Fan Xiang focused on Song Xuan as a topic to alleviate the hardships of the journey.

Hearing about how amazing someone is from others is less effective than seeing it for yourself.

Putting everything else aside, Shi Yuansun just now felt that Song Xuan's judgment was rambling and unrelated.

None of them sound like they're of any use.

But now Shi Yuansun finally realized what was going on.

It turned out that Song Xuan had lured this gang of bandits into a trap step by step. Their contradictory statements exposed their true intentions.

Not only did it confuse them, but it also got the bystanders confused.

Shi Yuansun felt that his brother-in-law, who was also a county magistrate, probably didn't have Song Xuan's methods.

When he gets back today, he needs to give his brother-in-law Fan Xiang a detailed explanation of Song Xuan's plan.

Even if he couldn't figure it out himself, he could still follow Song Xuan's method.

Perhaps he will be able to achieve political success if he encounters problems while in office.

Especially since his own brother-in-law's small county town only has 20,000 people, how could it compare to the population controlled by Song Xuan?

Perhaps we won't see cases of murder and robbery like this, but then again...

With so many successful candidates in the imperial examinations during the Song Dynasty, you would need to achieve some political success during your tenure in order to be promoted.

Song Xuan's humiliation truly broke Xia Ping's defenses.

He believed that Li Rui would not be able to resist the temptation, which was why he spoke first.

Even if he himself falls, being able to bite off the ear of the youngest scholar in the Song Dynasty to achieve the highest honors in the imperial examinations will surely make him a name for himself in history.

Either way, it's still death, but it's definitely worth it!
However, Song Xuan was not fooled at all.

Faced with Song Xuan's humiliation, Xia Ping could only howl helplessly.

Wang Bao went up and kicked Xia Ping a few more times, making him feel like a bent-over red shrimp that had been roasted alive.

"You dare to scheme against my husband?"

"Pooh!"

Wang Bao kicked Xia Ping again, causing him to convulse in pain.

"Don't hit me, I'll confess."

"I'll confess too!"

The waiters and other staff members all spoke up, wanting to confess.

Song Xuan waved his hand expressionlessly: "Shut up, shut them all up."

"Yes."

"No need for that, we still need to interrogate Manager Wei on the spot later."

Wei Shaou remained expressionless. He felt as if he had been betrayed, but he couldn't immediately pinpoint who it was.

Otherwise, how could Song Xuan be so certain that the person had disappeared?

"My lord, the secret passage has been found."

Ban Feng rushed over to report: "In the southeast corner of the cellar, there is a stone slab. After pulling it, a hole about seven feet in diameter appears. Li Rui confessed that this used to be a tomb, but they have modified it."

"Oh."

Song Xuan, holding the hammer, laughed and said, "I never imagined that Manager Wei was actually a tomb raider!"

Wei Shaou looked at Song Xuan, his eyes filled with deep confusion.

He actually knows about the tomb raiders?

Cao Cao's "General of the Grave Robbers" and "Captain of the Grave Robbers" were the only military-affiliated tomb raiding organizations.

Until the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, Liu Lin, the son of Liu Yu of the puppet Qi regime, established the "Sand-Digging Official" to excavate ancient tombs in Kaifeng and Luoyang, looting them completely.

Nowadays, it's perfectly normal to have burial sites in Tokyo.

What does "Mojin Xiaowei" mean?

Shi Yuansun didn't understand. He was just sizing up the shopkeeper in front of him. Could it be that he had an army under his command?
Then this is no longer a simple black market shop that kills and robs.

When Emperor Taizu of the Ming Dynasty released his generals from their power over a cup of wine, the ancestors of the Shi family were very shrewd, which is why they are now facing the same troubles as those who don't even know how much of their own property they own.

But once it was linked to treason, Shi Yuansun became restless.

Even so, compared to his ancestors' official positions, he was already in a low-ranking, sinecure position guarding the imperial wine.

"Brother Shi, don't panic, he's just a tomb raider."

"Oh, that's good, that's good."

Shi Yuansun sat down again and immediately breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as it's not like Sima Yi secretly raising soldiers, it's fine.

Shijiazhuang cannot withstand this kind of turmoil.

It seems I'll have to thoroughly review the Shi family's assets after I get home today to make sure there are no mistakes or omissions.

To prevent a recurrence of this situation, Song Xuan called him over, also to proactively clear his name of suspicion against the Shi family.

Shi Yuansun should indeed remember Song Xuan's favor once again for this matter.

The opportunity that Song Xuan gave him was the chance to win three consecutive times by his brother-in-law.

Since marrying a scholar who had passed the imperial examination, the Shi family's reputation has risen to another level, and even the emperor himself has come to inquire about them.

Shi Yuansun never had a chance to repay Song Xuan.

After all, he was just a minor official in charge of the imperial wine, so he could only keep it in his heart and find an opportunity to repay him.

Song Xuan's future is predictable; who knows, his brother-in-law might even need his help to get a position in the capital.

Song Xuan looked at Wei Shaou:
"Manager Wei, is there anything else you'd like to add?"

Wei Shaou merely glanced at Song Xuan.

I don't want to say anything.

He realized that the more he said, the more mistakes he made.

Song Xuan is a very cunning man; he always sets traps for you with his words.

Indeed, his ability to achieve the highest honors in all three examinations was enough to demonstrate that he was an extremely intelligent person.

We were really careless!

Ban Feng and his men dragged these people to the cellar entrance in the backyard, and even Xia Ping, who was lying on the ground, was dragged away.

The doors and windows of Taoran Inn were closed, and a sign indicating that the inn was closed was hung up.

Song Xuan arranged for two or three yamen runners to keep watch in the front hall to prevent anyone from taking away the evidence or using the opportunity to inquire about what had happened.

Everyone went to the backyard, to the cellar, but Song Xuan didn't go down.

The oxygen content is already low, and with so many people down there, it's stuffy and hot, which can easily cause fainting.

Song Xuan squatted at the entrance of the cellar and peered inside. He could feel a breeze, realizing he had been overthinking things.

These tomb raiders must have broken into the tomb.

"what is inside?"

"I don't know, it's just a Tang Dynasty tomb."

Li Rui was somewhat unsure of himself:

"This road passes by the city wall. We usually drag the corpses to the city wall and bury them. Manager Wei doesn't allow me to see what's inside."

"Oh." Song Xuan nodded:

"Who would like to go down and take a walk?"

"Me," Zhong Wuliu immediately raised his hand in response.

“One person is not enough; we need at least five. Whoever goes down to scout and finds out what’s inside will be rewarded.”

As soon as Song Xuan finished speaking, an uproar erupted, with everyone expressing their willingness to go.

"My lord, choose me."

"I'm the bravest, choose me."

Song Xuan gestured for them to stop arguing and scolded them:

“Don’t you all lose your lives at the mere mention of money. Follow me, and while I can’t make you rich immediately, I can certainly ensure you have a steady stream of wealth.”

Everyone smiled because what Song Xuan said was true.

He's really willing to spend money!
Even Liu Congde, the most powerful relative of the emperor in the Song Dynasty, is so arrogant and domineering now.

As a result, he had to obediently pay him money to settle the matter, and Song Xuan had almost no obstacles in official circles.

Right now, in the underworld of Tokyo, some villains have spread rumors that they want to kill Song Xuan.

"My lord, my skills are no problem," Ban Feng said, patting his chest.

"You?" Song Xuan waved his hand:

"Teacher, come and help me. I'm panting from running. Who knows what tricks the hole below is hiding? You won't even have time to run away."

"Let's find someone else to lead the team."

Ban Feng was speechless for a moment.

He was indeed the first to rush to Song Xuan's aid.

The constables behind him didn't dare to surpass Ban Feng, lest they steal his thunder.

After all, whoever is the first to run up to Song Xuan will be remembered by him.

In the county government, one must also be mindful of interpersonal relationships and social customs.

Especially since Song Xuan was doing it under the guise of caring for him, Ban Feng couldn't refute Shangguan's good intentions for a moment.

It's the Worry-Free Cave again, and it's the tomb raiders again.

There might really be danger below. With Song Xuan's instructions, there are still four people left to choose from:
"Anyone who wants to go should raise their hand and sign up."

Many yamen runners and constables raised their hands.

Song Xuan brought six people, while Ban Feng brought twelve.

Now, four people from the remaining fourteen miles will be selected to form a team with Zhong Wuliu.

Song Xuan counted:
"To be fair, let it be decided by fate."

Zhang, the head constable, had his eyes light up, guessing it was a lottery.

"Let's play rock-paper-scissors. Whoever wins goes down. It's a bet."

"Never heard of it."

The many yamen runners looked at each other in bewilderment.

Is playing rock-paper-scissors appropriate in such an urgent situation?

Song Xuan immediately called Wang Bao and Xu Xianchun over to demonstrate for everyone.

That's how we used to practice martial arts and fight.

Song Xuan didn't care. Instead, he went over and rummaged through the saddlebag of the deceased Wu Xuyao's donkey. There were a few Tian Sheng Tong Bao coins scattered inside.

He then pulled out a hardwood card, which looked like an invitation.

Song Xuan flipped it open and looked at it; it only had the word "pass" written on it.

There was a well symbol on the upper left side, which he put directly into his sleeve. He glanced back at Wei Shaou, who had been kicked to the ground.

Wei Shaou slowly shuffled around, wanting to say a few words to Xia Ping.

Song Xuan strode forward and delivered a powerful kick.

Wei Shaou's shackles pulled him backward, knocking him senseless.

Song Xuan pointed the short hammer at Wei Shaou:

"You weren't sincere. I gave you a chance."

Wei Shaou was kicked and left completely disoriented.

He then realized that Song Xuan was no ordinary scholar.

The hammer that Song Xuan is holding might actually be useful to him.

"I, I..." Wei Shaou was speechless for a moment.

"County Commandant Ban, gag him too. Tie up all these important criminals at a distance to prevent them from communicating and colluding with each other."

"Yes."

"And that Li Rui, he's one of ours now, take off his shackles."

"Hey."

Li Rui was surprised by this good thing and quickly thanked Song Xuan.

Many of the yamen runners and constables gained the upper hand through a game of rock-paper-scissors, but Song Xuan was in no hurry to send Zhong Wuliu and the others away.

"My lord, we are ready."

"No rush, it's still early. Give Manager Wei a beating first and see if he confesses."

Song Xuan sat on a round stool:
"I cannot risk the lives of my men, lest there be some traps set below."

"Yes."

Ban Feng took the water-fire stick, had someone hold down Manager Wei, and slapped him with the stick.

The pain was so intense that Manager Wei couldn't even stretch his neck.

He was wearing shackles and his mouth was stuffed with rags.

One blow and it turned red and warm, the veins in his neck were showing.

"To confess or not to confess?"

Ban Feng shouted as he hit.

clap clap.

After ten blows, Manager Wei's nose started twitching uncontrollably from the pain.

This is before even using the clamping method.

Do you really think that a magistrate like you has the patience to play with some kind of evidence chain?

I'll beat you up first, then ask you questions.

"Pretty tough, huh? Not a single lie."

"I love prisoners like you, you're awesome!"

Ban Feng didn't see that Wei Shaou's mouth was stuffed with something.

At this moment, his entire head was bound by shackles, his head was bowed deeply, and he could not even speak.

“County Commandant Ban, this man is gagged.”

"I know."

After Ban Feng finished speaking, he struck him again with the stick with a loud crack.

"I just wanted to hit you one more time."

Wei Shaou had never suffered like this before; he was the head of the liaison station.

For a moment, I felt an unbearable pain in my buttocks, and I even urinated.

If it weren't for four constables holding him down, he would have jumped up and rolled around on the ground to avoid the sticks.

The buttocks are the thickest part of the body when you get hit.

Not everyone has the ability to have their eyeballs gouged out without anesthesia, and there are many ruthless people who have had their eyes cut out by doctors.

By the time the constables tried to pull the rag out of Wei Shaou's mouth, Wei Shaou had already bitten it numb and wouldn't let go.

"Since Manager Wei is so tough, let's give him ten more whacks."

Following Song Xuan's instructions, Ban Feng immediately sent someone to take care of Wei Shaou.

"Pooh."

Wei Shaou quickly spat out the rag from his mouth: "I confess, please stop hitting me, please stop hitting me."

Tears streamed down his face. If he had known he would suffer like this, he wouldn't have forced himself to endure it.

But Song Xuan silenced him first, not giving him a chance to beg for mercy.

"Pooh."

Ban Feng spat at him.

Ban Feng believed that if he were beaten ten more times, he would be beaten until he shit himself.

I guarantee he'll get a piss and pee flying everywhere.

I've practiced that kind of execution technique myself.

"Hey."

Song Xuan looked at Shi Yuansun beside him:
"Brother Shi, am I being too bookish?"

"what?"

Shi Yuansun was somewhat stunned by this question.

He thought Song Xuan was so strong, and he was carrying a golden mace.

Who could tell he had a scholarly air about him?
Even when standing guard in the palace, they still acted like typical Song Dynasty people.

Shi Yuansun still asked, "Scholar Song, what do you mean by that?"

Song Xuan sighed:

"I think I've been too lenient in handling cases."

“They’re all a bunch of scoundrels. Next time I should use torture first, instead of wasting my breath arguing with them.”

"Correct."

Shi Yuansun also realized: "What Scholar Song said makes sense. These wicked people are just trying to insult you, Scholar Song, because you are a scholar."

“If I were to take action, I would first give him thirty lashes as a warning, and then I would see who dares to talk back, and then give him another thirty lashes as a warning.”

"I refuse to believe that anyone can withstand a hundred lashes!"

Song Xuan nodded. Even the exceptionally brave Wu Song couldn't withstand a hundred blows of the rod. He had to admit defeat when necessary.

“Brother Shi is right. I’ll handle cases like this next time: beat them up first, then interrogate them.”

"Yes."

Song Xuan glanced at Wei Shaou, who was groaning on the ground:

"Manager Wei, tell me what kind of traps are hidden in the tomb below."

"Otherwise, I'll agree to County Lieutenant Ban's request to give you ten more lashes."

Wei Shaou was sweating profusely, and was in great pain.

The other bound thugs nodded in agreement, trying to express their willingness to confess as well.

Even if they were made an example of, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Wei Shaou felt like his teeth were about to be bitten off, and he spat a few times:

"Below is the tomb passage. Walk up six zhang (approximately 33 meters) and you will reach the double burial chambers."

"Push it open and go in. The front chamber contains the heads of some people, and the back chamber contains gold and silver treasures. There are no traps."

Song Xuan enjoyed watching these archaeological excavation documentaries. Tang Dynasty tombs, especially those of nobles, were generally double-chambered, such as the tomb of Yuchi Jingde.

However, in the Xi'an area, many high-ranking officials' tombs are single-chamber brick tombs.

Song Xuan instructed Zhong Wuliu and the others:

"Go down and take a look. There are corpses inside, and you might be afflicted by miasma. Be careful."

"Don't touch anything in the tomb, lest you get caught in a stray arrow or falling rock and block the entrance."

"Yes."

Zhong Wuliu and the others went down with torches in hand.

Despite the potential risks, the people in the courtyard couldn't help but salivate at the mention of gold and silver treasures.

Today is truly the day I'm going to make a fortune.

Compared to death, poverty is the most significant inner demon they face.

In the highly developed commercial environment of the Song Dynasty, many people preferred to do business and make money rather than farm.

"Tell me how you do your work?"

Hearing Song Xuan's question, Wei Shaou pursed her lips, not daring not to speak:
"First select the fattest sheep, that is, fresh goods, and estimate the value of the goods they are carrying."

"Ordinary goods are mostly labeled as Grade B, while high-value goods are labeled as Grade A, which makes them easy to distinguish."

"Then lure them to stay at the shop, and if it's suitable, put sleeping pills in their food and drinks."

"After they fell asleep, we killed them directly, put their heads in the tomb, and dragged their bodies out."

"If the estimated price isn't worth making a move, then don't touch them; there's no need."

Song Xuan looked at him and asked, "Why was the head stored in the tomb?"

"The body was separated from its head to prevent people from recognizing the body by its skull."

"I see."

Song Xuan almost thought he was going to count how many battles he had won.

Where is the body buried?

"Buried under the foundation of the city wall, the government would never dare to demolish the wall easily. Even if it is discovered in the future, it may be considered as a live stake."

Song Xuan nodded in agreement.
"Someone as meticulous as you shouldn't have any problems. How long have you been doing this?"

"It's been seven or eight years."

"Tsk tsk tsk, I get it, you're experiencing a period of professional burnout."

Song Xuan looked at Wei Shaou, who was blurting out everything, and said, "If it were before, you would never have been so careless."

"really."

Wei Shaou's mind is now frighteningly clear due to the pain.

"You're neglecting quality control, focusing your attention elsewhere, thinking nothing will go wrong. You've become path-dependent, and you deserve to fail."

Wei Shaou truly understood the meaning behind Song Xuan's words.

If I were ruthless enough to kill the old servant as well, how could I possibly attract Song Xuan's attention?
Now, one wrong step leads to another.

The former magistrate of Kaifeng couldn't even leave the county government office, and his own yamen runners didn't really listen to him.

Who would have thought that Song Xuan would have managed to win over everyone in the county government and have them at his beck and call, without letting a single word slip out.

This meant that Wei Shaou didn't even have to use the escape routes he had prepared.

How could they just come up and lock everyone up without even asking what happened?

So much so that Wei Shaou had just suspected that he had been betrayed.

What did the top scholar Song mean by that?

"It's very simple."

Song Xuan then explained to Shi Yuansun:

"You've been watching over the imperial wine for a long time, and you're getting bored and really want to make a move, right?"

"Yeah."

Shi Yuansun felt he had met a kindred spirit:

“Scholar Song, you may not know this, but I have been practicing martial arts since childhood and studying the family’s military books. I have always wanted to serve the country, make military achievements, and bring glory back to the Shi family. Unfortunately, I have never had the opportunity.”

"When you're bored while guarding the imperial wine, just have someone keep an eye on whether anyone is embezzling the money, and you can continue practicing martial arts. There will always be opportunities for you in the future."

"I see."

Shi Yuansun actually wanted to be selected by the emperor to practice martial arts at Yuqing Palace, but unfortunately he was not selected.

"How did you smuggle those stolen goods out?"

"Once every two weeks, a convoy is used to deliver them to the Erlang Temple outside the city."

"Then we left, but I don't know where we went."

"The people of Wuyou Cave don't allow us to watch either."

Song Xuan nodded. The transportation of stolen goods was quite meticulous.

It's likely that the transport will be segmented, but it probably won't be divided into two segments.

In case of an accident, this will allow them to cut off contact in time.

Neither upstream nor downstream companies will expose everyone.

The owner of this Worry-Free Cave is intelligent.

But Song Xuan wondered if the Cave Master of Worry-Free Cave could handle such details all by himself.
How much energy does he have?
In Kaifeng County, Song Xuan would make decisions on the general direction, but he would often delegate the tasks to his subordinates.

With such a big incident happening at Taoran Inn today, there's probably no chance of hiding it.

However, we should try anything, even if it seems hopeless.

Song Xuan planned to take them away later by announcing that they were owing taxes and locking them up, killing two birds with one stone.

Whether or not it can be concealed is one thing.

Anyway, everyone has a bit of wishful thinking, believing that luck will be on their side.

"Where are the real ledgers?"

"Inside the tomb."

Zhong Wuliu quickly popped up: "My lord."

Is it as he said?

"Reporting to your question, sir, the tomb entrance is locked. There is a passage next to it that leads directly to the base of the city wall."

"Is the tomb door locked?"

Song Xuan thought it was impossible.

There are usually two stone slabs, so how can there be a place to put a padlock?
Wei Shaou endured the pain and said, "I did improve it. I replaced the door with a wooden one so that no one can go in and take things when I'm not around."

"Where's the key?"

"On my body."

Song Xuan directed Ban Feng to search everyone and take all their belongings.

They're going to take them to prison soon, how can they bring anything with them?

Song Xuan looked at the various trinkets laid out on the ground.

"Is that key for the bottom lock?"

"The one in the middle."

"What are the other two for?"

Wei Shaou bit her lip, enduring the pain:

"The first key is for my bedroom door, and the third key is for the house of my mistress whom I keep outside."

"Where does that young lady live?"

"My lord, the misfortune should not extend to your family."

Song Xuan clicked his tongue twice: "I never thought you'd have the nerve to say something like that?"

"Fifth or Sixth, take the key and go downstairs to try it out. Be careful."

"Sigh." Zhong Wuliu took the key and entered the tunnel again.

Song Xuan looked at the copper coins laid out on the ground. Many of them had copper coins hanging on their heads, strung together with red string.

Li Rui and others possessed the Tian Sheng Tong Bao.

Xia Ping's is a Xiangfu Tongbao coin.

The other waiters and waiters also fall into these two categories.

Only Wei Shaou is a golden Jingdezhen ingot.

Both the quality and the font are more beautiful than others.

Song Xuan picked up the tied copper coin: "Is this how you identify yourselves?"

"good."

Song Xuan was not surprised to receive an affirmative answer.

He also took it from the Worry-Free Cave; the code at that time was:

Question: Can money buy anything?

Answer: There is no worry only in the cave.

These copper coins were also soaked in a chemical solution; you can't just use any copper coin to get by.

Song Xuan squatted down and looked at Wei Shaou, saying each word slowly and deliberately:
"Money, can it... move mountains?"

Wei Shaou looked at Song Xuan in horror. How did he know?
The underlings on the perimeter usually don't know these code words.

Only people with certain status would know.

How could a top scholar who passed the imperial examinations in all three levels possibly know the secret codes of the most despicable place in the capital?
Is he one of our own?
No way.

Wei Shaou was completely stunned, not knowing how to answer Song Xuan.

"What do you mean, sir?"

"Hahaha."

In response to Ban Feng's question, Song Xuan simply smiled and said:

"As the saying goes, money makes the world go round. I see they all carry this thing, maybe it's a kind of identification."

"I see."

Ban Feng nodded in agreement: "Your guess is indeed correct. I will definitely pay more attention when I patrol the streets later."

Wei Shaou still harbored doubts about Song Xuan's identity, to the point that he was numb with pain.

"My lord."

Zhong Wuliu ran up again:

"The front room was filled with skeletons and human heads, while the back room, where gold and silver treasures were hidden, had several locks."

Everyone looked at Wei Shaou, especially Ban Feng, who picked up the water-fire stick again:
"You dare to lie to me, that's one thing, but you dare to lie to a high-ranking official? You're asking for death."

Wei Shaou then came to his senses:
"My lord, spare my life! I really don't have those keys."

"The gold and silver treasures in the tomb are not mine either."

“That belongs to Xiaofeng; I have no right to use it.”

"Who is Xiaofeng?" Banfeng threatened, holding a wooden stick.

"Worry-Free Cave has four hall masters and five wandering owls."

"Xiaofeng of the White Tiger Hall is in charge of black market auctions and the sale of stolen goods; these are all his items."

"Treasures that no one bids for because the price is too high."

Song Xuan glanced at Ban Feng: "Have you heard of it?"

"I heard something."

Ban Feng said with a solemn expression, "My lord, we're in trouble."

"Cutting off someone's source of income is like killing their parents."

Song Xuan pointed to the stolen goods in the cellar:
“If we take all these things, we'll offend the power of Wuyou Cave. But if we don't take them, are you all willing to give them up?”

Ban Feng's face was full of conflicted emotions. He had just heard that it was about Wuyou Cave, and he should have advised the master not to take it too seriously.

Those underground rats are incredibly rabid.

"It's all here."

Song Xuan patted Ban Feng on the shoulder:

"It's just a battle, a fight to the death. If you give up, it only shows that your government is afraid of them."

"These people are even more likely to take advantage of us and disregard us!"

"What you say makes sense, sir, but those people will send out no shortage of assassins."

Ban Feng also lowered his voice: "If they kill our men and can't catch the murderer, I'm afraid morale will collapse."

“Even if they threaten our brothers’ families, it’s impossible to defend against.”

"Yes," Song Xuan nodded repeatedly, "There's no going back on what's done."

"We've all gotten ourselves involved in this mess, so it's obviously impossible to walk away unscathed."

"If we take these things away, we can still seize the initiative."

"If we openly give up, then a lot of blame will be thrown at us."

Song Xuan pointed to the ground: "Do you think this hall master might pocket the things himself?"

"of course!"

Ban Feng blurted out, "When it comes to money and valuables, how many people can resist the urge to take them for themselves?"
"Besides, with so much stolen goods they've collected, how could the cave master possibly know the specifics of what they've acquired?"

Song Xuan stood with his hands behind his back: "Even if there are accounts, as long as it's something done by a human, there's plenty of room for manipulation, and it can be left unrecorded."

“What you say makes sense, sir. However, I am still very worried. After they retaliate, we will not be able to capture these key members to avenge our brothers.”

(End of this chapter)