Chapter 8

The black-faced flag officer, known as Sha Xiuzhu, stood upright, his chest rising and falling irregularly, merely staring at Lu Yi. This summer, he could not understand how Lu Yi had come to know that this matter was the doing of Sha Xiuzhu. He took the risk to rise and steal a glance at this flag officer, who was over seven feet tall. Having spent many years at the border, his exposed skin was dark and rough, and his hands were large-boned, clearly a result of long-term labor or martial training.

As soon as Wang Fangxing entered the room, he saw the eight neatly arranged black lacquered camphor wood boxes sitting damply on the floor

"Has he really sealed our mouths?" Yang Yue said uneasily, "If not, I will go and inform my father first"

"The box is hidden in the watertight compartment at the bottom of the ship. As for how it was hidden, I think you should ask your flag officer about that." Although Lu Yi smiled, his gaze was sharp as a knife, fixed on the dark-faced flag officer standing to the side behind Wang Fangxing.

There is no need to rush, let's go up and take a look, what is there to be afraid of

He must be thinking of swallowing this batch of birthday gifts himself. While chewing on the remaining ginger shreds at the bottom of the bowl, she said thoughtfully

This summer, quickly said: "I don't know."

Indeed! With surprise and joy, Wang Fangxing momentarily set aside formalities and stepped forward to inspect the birthday gifts in the box. Meanwhile, Lu Yi gestured for Jin Xia and Yang Yue to leave. Jin Xia, wanting to witness a good show, stealthily circled around and crouched down by the porthole to listen to the commotion inside

This summer, he stayed put, and the box was right in his cabin. Clearly, it was his own desire to swallow this set of birth chart, yet he still had the audacity to accuse others first.

Lu Yi stood up and clasped his hands, saying: "I just found this, but I am not sure if it is the birthday gift that was lost on the ship"

... ... Um, um ... ... Yang Yue was momentarily stunned by the weight of the accusation just made against him. ... ... It is like this ... ... There was wax on those boxes, oh, no, it was on the ground ... ... And those marks ... ... That's how it was, and then we guessed ... ...

His words are indeed quite good. Just look at those items in the box; casually picking up a Qilin pot would mean that life at home wouldn't have to be so tight. This summer, when I went into the water, besides wanting to vent my frustration, I also hoped to find a good deal. At this moment, my thoughts were accurately captured by him. She stared at him blankly, and after a moment, she helplessly spread her hands and said, "Your Excellency, please see clearly, I have taken nothing; the box is all with you."

Look at these two little constables whispering without any decorum, Lu Yi raised his eyebrows and coldly stared at the two of them: "You two sneaked into the water, intending to secretly take this set of birthday gifts for yourselves, right"

Since Wang Fangxing and his subordinates are all suspects, it is naturally inappropriate for me to speak out in public. This summer smiled flatteringly, saying, "Moreover, we cannot be certain that the box is hidden underwater, so we intend to inform the authorities only after we find it."

It seems that it has indeed happened, "Jin Xia" sighed.

This summer, as Yang Yue and I entered the cabin, we immediately saw Lu Yi. He was wearing a straight-cut robe in a blue lotus color, his wet hair unbound and draped behind his head. He was leaning against a chair made of yellow yew and bamboo, frowning as he looked at the boxes on the ground

The two exchanged glances, while Lu Yi raised his eyebrows.

In the cabin below, she had already changed into dry clothes this summer and had slightly dried her wet hair. Just then, Yang Yue brought over some ginger soup, which she drank in one go, and only then did her body feel somewhat warm.

Call them over? Is it possible that Lu Yi intends to return the birthday gift to them? Jin Xia is momentarily unsure of what exactly he is plotting.

The two changed their wording and spoke in unison. As soon as the words fell, Jin Xia shot a furious glare at Yang Yue, implying, "What are you changing your tune for? I don't usually see you this clever." The latter, feeling frustrated, repeatedly slapped his forehead.

This summer, after hesitating for a moment, he said: "This set of birth charts, the boss originally told us not to pay attention to it, no matter who took it or who has it, it is the same for us. Besides, I have been in the water for so long; I may not have made any contributions, but I have certainly endured hardships. Is it too much to ask for some compensation... By the way, how did he end up in the water?"

This summer watched him alertly and vaguely said: "I just mentioned it briefly"

Wait a moment

You have already deduced it, yet you deliberately conceal it, claiming it is not for personal gain

Since he has seen everything, this summer cannot refute it and can only nod in agreement

This summer, I gritted my teeth in silence, yet I dared not voice my anger: I, your humble servant, have been splashing around in the water since early morning, catching nothing at all, and almost faced the accusation of intending to embezzle the birthday tribute. Is this what you call good luck? You are the one with good luck; your entire family is fortunate!

Yang Yue wore a troubled expression: "I would like to be sensible, but if this matter were to reach my grandfather's ears... do you dare to accept the money?"

Seeing the two of them in disarray, Lu Yi looked at them with a somewhat satisfied expression, and then asked: "How did you know the box was hidden underwater? You speak." He was referring to Yang Yue.

Yang Yue hurriedly said: "How could a mere subordinate dare to? Your Excellency, please investigate thoroughly. I only entered the water to investigate the case."

Understood, Yang Yue replied simultaneously

Understood

Are you referring to this...?

This summer, Tan Tan said: "Actually, it was just a wild guess. I didn't expect to be so lucky to really find it underwater."

Yang Yue pulled his hand towards his neck

Yang Yue was momentarily taken aback by the words, as if recalling something, and turned to walk outside: "I just saw some black sesame in the kitchen, let me make you a few tangyuan."

Inside the cabin, Wang Fangxing saw that all the gold and silver utensils, jewelry, silk, and paintings were present, and he let out a long sigh of relief. He turned to Lu Yi with joy and asked, "Where did you find these boxes?"

It cannot be... Yang Yue always felt that the possibility was slim. "We are already aware of this matter, and we are from the Six Doors. He is not unaware of that."

Did you provide Captain Yang with a detailed report on the situation aboard the ship

If it can be said that Lu Yi was still barely enduring earlier, then by the time he heard the word "guess," he could no longer tolerate it. He raised his hand to signal Yang Yue to stop speaking further. Then he turned to Jin Xia and said, "You speak."

Lu Yi nodded and said: "It seems that your family is not well-off, no wonder your mother wants to betroth you to the scholar's family, in order to save on the bride price."

Upon reaching the upper hatch, I knocked on the door, and a faint voice came from inside: "Come in"

This summer, she called to him, scrutinizing him with suspicion

You ... ...

"Experiencing the true love of adults is just a joke, haha..." This summer, after a couple of dry laughs, seeing the coldness in Lu Yi's eyes, I could only speak the truth, "Firstly, the fainted soldier was not under the influence of a drug, but rather had consumed a soporific. From the various traces left in the cabin, especially the boot prints, it is evident that it was done by our own people, at least more than six individuals, not including the lookout; secondly, if the box had been moved away from the ship, the vessel would have become lighter, yet from yesterday's docking until now, there has been no significant change in the ship's waterline; thirdly, the wax oil on the cabin floor indicates that a large amount was used. If it were merely for moisture prevention, such a quantity would not be necessary, so I deduce that it was prepared for submerging the box in the water."

Both individuals were nervously drumming their fingers in their hearts when, at that moment, a boatman came to knock on the door, stating that the esteemed official of the Jinyiwei was requesting their presence in the cabin upstairs

"... ... That is my mother's stall. She is unwell, so I went to help out." This summer did not understand why he would suddenly ask about this matter

At this moment, Lu Yi spoke again: "If I remember correctly, after you two returned, you first reported to Captain Yang, and only then did you go into the water, right"

Look, the silver lion with emeralds! This summer, poke Yang Yue and ask him to look at the box

Does Yang Butou know?" Lu Yi continued to ask

This summer, she pulled him and walked upwards

Yang Yue stole a few glances and whispered to her: "... the golden lion topped qilin pot, the golden parrot lychee cup, that cup looks like it weighs about four or five taels, doesn't it"

You, go and invite Wang Fangxing and that flag officer over here

Yang Yue signaled her to follow him, but Jin Xia refused and instead dragged him along to eavesdrop.

"You... you were eavesdropping on our conversation!" Such an embarrassing incident was actually overheard by him, leaving Jin Xia speechless, her face flushed with embarrassment

Footsteps sounded outside the hatch as Yang Yue led Wang Fangxing and the flag officer, entering one after the other

A cup of tea had not yet been finished, but Lu Yi already had a plan in mind. He set down the teacup and pointed his finger at Yang Yue.

I do not know

This summer, he first gestured in the shape of a gold ingot: "This should be given to us first, to see if we are perceptive. If we are not perceptive, then..." He forcefully pulled at his neck.

Therefore, Captain Yang knows that it was the traitor on the ship who was responsible

It is right on your ship

Lu Yi, calm and composed, pointed out: "So your intention in going into the water is actually to seek a windfall for yourself. Even if you cannot swallow the entire set of birth charts, picking up a few loose ends would be sufficient."

Eight black lacquered camphor wood boxes were damply placed in the cabin. Lu Yi glanced over them and noted that their dimensions were similar to those mentioned by Jin Xia before. Just as he was about to instruct Yang Yue to open all the boxes, he looked up and found that Yang Yue had already disappeared. It turned out that Yang Yue had hurried off to prepare ginger soup for Jin Xia; as soon as he set down the boxes, he dashed away without waiting for Lu Yi's orders.

He did not know that I had not disclosed this speculation to him. She was well aware of the capabilities of the Jinyiwei, who could stir up three layers of waves on flat ground. To avoid him being unjustly accused of harboring the intention to privately seize the birthday tribute, she simply took the matter upon herself this summer, saying, "It was my moment of curiosity that compelled me to dive in and investigate."

Yang Yue felt extremely uncomfortable under his gaze and could only say: "He appeared just as you got into the water. I would like to deceive him, but I need to be able to outsmart him first"

Perhaps they will soon silence us, thought Jin Xia

The slender fingers gently tapped on the smooth boxwood, and Lu Yi slightly tilted his head to look at her. After a moment, he asked, "As a constable, why do you set up a stall at the night market?"

The gold-inlaid gem heron vase, the silver and emerald longevity turtle and crane vase, the emerald-inlaid silver lion, the jade dragon and tiger ear large round cup, and so on... In the eight-box set, there are pure gold plates, bowls, cups, and goblets, jewelry, silverware, various jade artifacts, as well as brocade and paintings. He merely glanced over them and immediately recognized their considerable value

Wang Fangxing suddenly turned around, incredulously saying: "Sha Xiuzhu!"

If it were the Jinyiwei, would anyone dare to move a single step without his command? The Six Doors are indeed too lax. Lu Yi took out a dagger, sliced through the sealed wax layer, broke the copper lock, and opened the box

Regarding the latter part of her statement, Lu Yi clearly would not believe it. He picked up the teacup and slowly took a sip of tea, reflecting on Wang Fangxing's words and actions: his panic did not seem to be feigned. As for the people nearby, the expression of that flag officer and other soldiers... The act of seizing the birthday tribute is no small matter; those capable of carrying it out are certainly not mere foot soldiers. At the very least, they must be a minor leader within the army to possess the authority to incite others to commit the crime together.

Your luck is indeed quite good he said淡淡道

I see, "Lu Yi nodded slightly, his expression unchanged, and said, "Then why don't you take another guess? Will I put both of you in a box and sink you to the bottom of the river?"

"Are we on a ship?" Wang Fangxing asked, puzzled.

Yang Yueleng, naturally, did not dare to disobey and hurriedly went out