The letter was too heavy, and Hua Zhi didn't want to read it a second time. Closing it, she closed her eyes and silently calculated.
Thirty-seven people. Officially, two were removed. At the Yu family, there were... twelve archers. Those who came out of the house... eight. The silver mine had fourteen people, and there was one more...
Hua Zhi turned to look back. "General Lu, were there fourteen Chaoli people hidden in the silver mine?"
Lu Peiyu nodded. "That's correct."
Hua Zhi turned back to ask the steward a question but saw he was still kneeling and signaled for him to stand. "Do you recognize Qi Qiu?"
"Yes, I've seen him. He only came to the young master's side last year. The young master said he was not trustworthy." The steward hesitated but still said, "I don't know much, but I once heard the eldest young master say that the silver mine was a curse. He couldn't protect the mine, and he couldn't protect the people."
"Who does 'he' refer to? Master Yu or Eldest Young Master Zeng?"
The steward shook his head. "I don't know."
But Hua Zhi vaguely understood. The first "he" referred to Master Yu, while the second "he" referred to Zeng Xianglin himself. Master Yu couldn't protect his mine, and he couldn't protect the Yu family.
Administering a slow-acting poison didn't seem like the methods of the Chaoli people. Or... was this Zeng Xianglin's unconventional way of saving their lives? After all, the Zeng family's elderly master also seemed very much like he had been poisoned.
Hua Zhi rubbed her overused head. Perhaps because she had developed a bias toward Zeng Xianglin, she unconsciously kept thinking of things in a positive light.
"Did the eldest young master have any other instructions?"
"Replying to the young lady, no."
Hua Zhi wasn't surprised. Allowing a steward to know the hiding place of the letter was already a great trust in him. "Take me to the place where the eldest young master handled affairs."
"Yes." The steward promptly led the way out.
Hua Zhi slowed her steps at the doorway, squinted to adjust to the light, and then continued walking outside.
By then, the steward outside had also finished his calculations. Seeing her, he hurried over to report. "I've calculated thirty-one people."
With Zeng Xianglin's letter, this inaccurate number was no longer important. However, Hua Zhi didn't explicitly say so and merely replied, "I've noted it. Go to the viewing stand and inform everyone that Jin Yang is currently under city-wide lockdown to search for remaining Chaoli rebels. Ask them to stay at the horse racing track a while longer. They will be allowed to return once the matter is resolved."
"Yes."
Zeng Xianglin's room at the horse racing track could be described as shabby—a bed, a small table, a desk, and a large bookshelf were all it contained.
Hua Zhi turned and instructed the steward, "You are no longer needed here. You may leave."
"Yes."
Li He strolled to the doorway, watching the steward walk away, and intentionally or unintentionally stood guard there without leaving.
Hua Zhi looked at General Lu, who had remained silent all this time. "Since Zeng Xianglin said the silver is at the horse racing track, it must be here. However, I'm not skilled at finding things. This matter will have to rely on you, General Lu."
Lu Peiyu didn't start searching but instead stepped forward and asked, "The eldest young lady of the Hua family?"
"That's me."
"Are you familiar with Zeng Xianglin?"
Hua Zhi met his gaze without flinching or retreating. "What is General Lu trying to say?"
"Zeng Xianglin trusts you. The Zeng family's servants trust you too."
"My honor."
"Why?"
Lu Peiyu's attitude was somewhat aggressive, but Hua Zhi's expression didn't change in the slightest. She handed the letter to Bao Xia. "Show it to General Lu."
Bao Xia's face was stern, her hands respectfully but without warmth as she presented the letter.The letter revealed a great deal of information. Though Lu Peiyu's doubts were not entirely dispelled, he now understood that the Hua family's young lady was not implicated with the rebels. His attitude softened slightly as he admitted, "I was mistaken in my judgment."
Hua Zhi offered a faint smile and gestured respectfully. She had never intended to eliminate the general's underestimation of her—they were fundamentally unrelated individuals, so whether he valued her highly or lightly mattered little.
General Lu and his deputy split up to search separately. Hua Zhi retreated to one side, quietly observing this crude room that had failed to capture her interest beyond a single glance at the doorway. Before his fall from grace, Zeng Xianglin had been a favored son of heaven, but his pride had been utterly crushed—shattered bones and flesh pieced together to form a new, scarred version of himself. How could he not harbor hatred? How could he not descend into madness? Few would have demonstrated greater resilience under such circumstances.
"Over here."
Hua Zhi followed the voice to beneath the desk, where a carpet blending with the floor's color lay inconspicuously—so much so that she hadn't noticed it before.
The carpet was now lifted to reveal wooden planks fitted together, covering a sloping passage beneath. It would have been easy to slide objects down this incline, and indeed, Zeng Xianglin seemed to have planned exactly that—evidenced by scrape marks from baskets on the ground.
Li He guarded the door while the others descended along the slope.
Lu Peiyu lit a fire starter, and even with his considerable experience, the sight before him was startling. As far as the eye could see, silver filled every visible space—in various shapes and sizes, some ingot-shaped, others fragmented, all tossed haphazardly in piles like discarded scrap metal. This careless disarray revealed how little the owner valued these treasures.
Silence fell over the group.
Hua Zhi was the first to move forward, walking through the center before collecting several pieces of silver and climbing back to the main room. She examined each piece meticulously under the sunlight.
Lu Peiyu and his deputy each grabbed handfuls of silver and joined her upstairs, handing their findings to Hua Zhi after inspection.
Without ceremony, Hua Zhi examined each piece and nodded. "Pure silver."
The underground space—whether dug by Zeng Xianglin or someone he hired—was irregularly shaped, neither round nor square, with rough, uneven surfaces. Yet its vastness was undeniable, and the mountainous piles of silver within were staggering.
"Given how fragmented this silver is, it likely all originated from gambling dens."
Lu Peiyu looked over. "What about the silver from the mines?"
"Silver mines are too conspicuous—he might not have been able to access them directly. Alternatively, he could have substituted mined silver with gambling den silver through some scheme, since fragmented silver is easier to manipulate."
Acknowledging the possibility, Lu Peiyu tossed the silver back. An ambitious yet clever man would know that hard currency held more practical value than banknotes. Clearly, Zeng Xianglin had been clever—a pity.
Multiple thoughts flashed through Hua Zhi's mind as she observed the silver.
Thinking of Yan Xi fighting desperately at the front lines, and how Zeng Xianglin had once aspired toward noble ideals, she looked up at Lu Peiyu. "General Lu, there's something I'd like to discuss with you."
Lu Peiyu dusted his hands. "Let's talk outside."
The underground chill had penetrated Hua Zhi's bones during her brief stay, and even standing in sunlight now provided little relief.
Drawing her cloak tighter, she signaled for the others to step back before speaking softly: "General, are you aware that the Emperor intends to construct a new canal?"
"I've heard rumors."Hua Zhi looked at him, "But the Emperor has long been troubled by insufficient treasury funds and unable to take action."
Lu Peiyu immediately understood, "You mean..."
"The intentions of the Chao Li Tribe are already clear as day. If we start canal construction now, General, do you think it appropriate?"
"But this might not be kept secret. When the Emperor finds out and blames us..."
"I will take full responsibility."
PS: This revision is utterly excruciating.
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