Bai Suzhen, I really need to punish you properly.

In the courtroom.

Wang Xuan sat upright in the center, his expression cold and stern, looking at Xu Xian below the hall. He then raised his hand and slammed the gavel down heavily: "Xu Xian, I ask you, who are your accomplices? And where have you hidden the remaining nine hundred taels of silver?"

The gavel slammed down with a loud crack, startling Xu Xian so much that he trembled.

On the way here, Li Gongfu had told him that stealing treasury silver was a capital offense.

He never imagined that simply accepting two silver ingots from someone would lead to his beheading.

Although he knew Wang Xuan before, judging from Wang Xuan's appearance, it didn't seem like he would be treated leniently.

He inwardly groaned, blaming himself for having thought too highly of Bai Suzhen.

It must have been Bai Suzhen who stole the treasury silver, took out one hundred taels of it as a pretense of helping, and actually set a trap to frame herself.

How hateful I was! I was blinded by those two gold ingots and thought they had taken a liking to me.

Li Gongfu, standing nearby, urged anxiously in a low voice, "Hanwen, reply!"

"Huh? What did you say?"

"Explain!"

In less than a month after Wang Xuan arrived in Qiantang County, he adjudicated more than 60 backlogged cases, including wrongful convictions and disputes.

He was universally recognized as an upright and just official by the people of the city.

Li Gongfu believed that as long as Xu Xian told the truth, Wang Xuan would clear his name.

Xu Xian hurriedly protested loudly, "Sir, I didn't steal this silver! It was given to me by Miss Bai and Miss Xiaoqing. They said they were willing to help me open a shop. I don't know anything else."

As soon as he finished speaking, a gentle voice transmission quietly entered Wang Xuan's ear: "Young Master, this matter indeed has nothing to do with Young Master Xu."

Despite Bai Suzhen's secret telepathic message, Wang Xuan remained calm and composed.

He snorted coldly and said loudly, "What 'Miss White' and 'Miss Green'? That's nonsense. Li Gongfu, take him to jail first, and we'll interrogate him later."

"My lord! You know I'm innocent!"

Wang Xuan turned and walked out of the courtroom, where he saw Bai Suzhen, Xiaoqing, and Yanzhi standing quietly in the corridor waiting.

Bai Suzhen parted her lips slightly, as if about to speak and explain.

Wang Xuan ignored him and continued walking straight towards the inner courtyard.

The three women quickly followed.

In the study.

Wang Xuan pursed his lips, stared intently at Bai Suzhen, and said in a serious tone, "Please give me an explanation."

Knowing she was in the wrong, Bai Suzhen looked somewhat ashamed and said softly, "I was so eager to repay your kindness that I asked Xiaoqing to get some silver, and then..."

Wang Xuan's voice was cold and angry, filled with helplessness: "If you want to repay a debt of gratitude, use your own money! Or at least tell me if you need money."

Xiaoqing retorted, "Didn't you say you had no money? I see there's quite a lot of money in the treasury, and we didn't take much."

"The treasury is public funds, not my private property. I may be short of money, but that doesn't mean I'm helpless. Do you really think this official robe of mine is just for show?"

Wang Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly, her tone filled with disappointment.

"Do you know what the government treasury's silver is used for? It's the foundation for disaster relief, comforting the people, and maintaining the livelihood of the entire county! Once a sudden disaster strikes and the silver runs out, the entire city's people will be displaced, and chaos will ensue for the people of the whole county! Don't you care about the merits of this cause?"

Bai Suzhen bowed her head in self-reproach: "It was my momentary panic that led to this terrible mistake."

Xiaoqing immediately stepped forward to take the blame: "It's not my sister's fault. I took it upon myself to steal it. Besides, can't we just give it back to you?"

"It's not that simple." Wang Xuan's gaze sharpened as he coldly retorted, "If I'm not mistaken, the theft of the treasury during the previous magistrate's term was also your doing, wasn't it? You really treat the treasury's money like your own personal purse? You just come and take it whenever you're short of cash?"

Bai Suzhen raised her hand to stop Xiaoqing, who was still trying to argue, and said solemnly, "This matter arose because of me, so I will naturally bear the responsibility."

"Take responsibility? Stealing government silver should, by all accounts, result in fifty strokes of the cane. Can you bear such a punishment?"

"Suzhen is willing to accept the punishment." She nodded earnestly, "but Young Master Xu is truly innocent, and I do not want to implicate him."

To become an immortal is her wish.

That's also why she came to Qiantang.

If he causes Xu Xian to be imprisoned, then repaying a debt of gratitude will truly turn into revenge.

I'm afraid I'll never be able to become an immortal again.

Seeing that the time was right, Wang Xuan stopped pressing him and softened his tone, letting out a soft sigh: "Why didn't you do this earlier?"

Yan Zhi, standing nearby, asked curiously, "Sister Bai, you've always been gentle and insightful. Why did you choose to steal money to repay Xu Xian's kindness?"

"This is all thanks to the guidance of Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Bai Suzhen began to recount her experience of visiting Guanyin at the Golden Summit of Mount Emei.

That day.

Auspicious clouds swirl around the Golden Summit of Mount Emei, and the sounds of Buddhist chants drift in the air. Devout men and women burn incense and kowtow in an endless stream.

Amidst auspicious clouds, Guanyin Bodhisattva, with a solemn countenance, gazed upon Bai Suzhen, her voice as clear as a spring cascading over rocks: "Who kneels before me?"

Bai Suzhen bowed respectfully, her tone full of piety: "Bai Suzhen from the foot of Qingcheng Mountain pays her respects to the Great Bodhisattva Guanyin."

"What do you wish to ask of me?"

"This disciple has cultivated diligently for a thousand years, wholeheartedly renunciation of the mortal world, seeking only the Great Master's guidance to help me ascend to immortality in broad daylight!"

Guanyin frowned slightly and said softly, "Excellent, excellent. It's rare to find such sincerity, but your worldly ties are not yet severed, and you haven't repaid your debts of gratitude. How can you ascend to heaven in broad daylight?"

Bai Suzhen's expression was firm: "This disciple's mind is made up, all thoughts are extinguished, and I am willing to sever all worldly ties."

"Worldly ties can be discarded, but kindness is unforgettable. You still owe the mortal world a life-saving debt, which has remained unpaid for a thousand years. Don't you think of repaying it?"

Bai Suzhen looked bewildered: "This disciple also knows the way to repay kindness, but a thousand years have passed, the world has changed, and in this vast sea of ​​people, my benefactor is nowhere to be found. How can I repay her kindness?"

Guanyin Bodhisattva smiled slightly and slowly recited the words clearly:

The third day of the third lunar month is Qingming Festival.

It rains incessantly during the Qingming Festival.

Those destined to meet will find each other even from a thousand miles away.

We must search high above West Lake.

Bai Suzhen pondered for a moment, then said in confusion, "This disciple still doesn't understand."

Guanyin shook her head slightly: "Heavenly secrets cannot be revealed. You'd better pray for yourself."

……

After recounting her memories, Bai Suzhen sighed softly, "That's why I went down the mountain to repay my debt of gratitude and was determined to settle this karmic debt."

After hearing what Bai Suzhen said, Rouge sincerely exclaimed, "Sister Bai, you are truly amazing! You were able to receive guidance from Guanyin Bodhisattva."

Bai Suzhen gave a self-deprecating bitter laugh: "But I clearly found my benefactor, yet I've made a complete mess of things."

Rouge's eyes flashed, and she slowly said, "Sister Bai, Guanyin Bodhisattva spoke of 'unfinished worldly ties' and 'unrepayable kindness,' so is it possible that the worldly ties you want to settle and the kindness you want to repay are not with the same person?"

"You mean...?"

Rouge smiled faintly and explained clearly and logically: "The Bodhisattva said, 'Those destined to meet will find each other even from a thousand miles away; one must seek them at the high places of West Lake.' This doesn't mean you should go looking for your benefactor, but rather that the person destined for you will reside in a high place and guide you to repay their kindness. Isn't that exactly what describes you, my lord?"

Upon hearing this, Bai Suzhen suddenly understood. Her gentle and calm eyes looked at Wang Xuan, slightly upturned and then gently lowered, filled with shyness and hope.

Wang Xuan was equally taken aback.

However, he gave full marks to Rouge's reading comprehension!

Rouge then looked at Wang Xuan and pleaded softly, "Husband, please help Sister Bai."

Bai Suzhen also looked up, her voice soft: "Young Master~"

Looking at their expectant expressions, Wang Xuan smiled helplessly and said, "If I didn't want to help you, I wouldn't have listened to so much of your talk. What about the remaining nine hundred taels?"

Xiaoqing immediately raised her hand: "They're all here with me."

Wang Xuan instructed, "Go and put it in the Prince Qiu's residence. I will send someone to retrieve it later."

"Oh." Xiaoqing turned and left.

Wang Xuan continued, "Let's rule this case as a frame-up by demons. Next time we encounter a wicked demon, let's pin the blame on him. As for Xu Xian, I'll let him go back later."

"Thank you, young master!"

Wang Xuan sighed helplessly, "Who told me I was destined to be yours?"

Bai Suzhen's cheeks flushed slightly, and she said softly, "You just said that if I needed money, I could tell you..."

"I know what you're thinking." Wang Xuan saw right through her. "Stop worrying about repaying the favor. I will fund a pharmacy for Xu Xian in the name of the county government and hire him as a registered doctor to ensure he can make a living and have no worries about food and clothing."

"That's wonderful!"

A bright smile instantly appeared in Bai Suzhen's eyes, her heart filled with joy.

While overjoyed, I couldn't help but feel a little annoyed.

If the Bodhisattva's guidance had been revealed earlier, so many misunderstandings wouldn't have occurred.

However, the thought that Wang Xuan was her destined one stirred a slight flutter in her heart, and a faint blush crept onto her cheeks.