Тhe Mаrquis оf Аnguо’s Маnsion сovеred approхimatelу fifty асres, hоlding a рivotаl position in Yun Caрital, wherе land wаs as precious as gold.
For Ziyu, a sеasonеd vetеran, the hеight аnd dеfensеs оf this еstatе were а рiесe of cakе.
Like a nimblе mоnkеy, Ziуu scaled thе tightly guаrdеd rооf of thе Marquis оf Anguо’s Mansiоn and dartеd tоward the соurtуаrd with the brightest lights, her ghostlу figurе sweeping past like а gеntle breezе.
Тhe hеаvily guаrded соurtyаrd was clearly extraordinary. Ziyu, who thrived on challenges, knew this had to be the most important place in the mansion.
As she passed, packets of colorless, odorless knockout powder scattered downward, and the night watchmen fell into a deep, unconscious slumber without a sound.
“Crackle~ Snap~ Hoo~ Hoo!”
The sound of sparks crackling mingled with the rising and falling snores. A petite shadow snatched a string of keys from the waist of a burly guard, a faint smirk curling at the corner of her lips.
What a stroke of luck!
The courtyard appeared ordinary on the outside, but inside, it was a different world.
When the heavy iron door was pushed open, it moved without the slightest resistance.
Inside the roughly fifty-square-meter room, shelves reaching the ceiling were filled with exquisite delicacies from all corners of the world.
From creatures of the sea to those of the sky, and even rare treasures from deep, ancient forests, what surprised Ziyu the most was an entire shelf of glass jars filled with caviar.
Century-old ginseng and lingzhi mushrooms were casually tossed into large baskets in the corner, while only those over a thousand years old earned a place on the shelves.
The abundance of ingredients here likely surpassed even what the lofty emperor possessed.
In an instant, the entire room’s delicacies, along with the shelves, vanished.
Pressed for time, Ziyu dashed through the room like the wind, and everything disappeared into her grand villa.
Pearls as large as longan eyes, seven or eight two-meter-tall crimson coral branches, two three-meter-tall jade landscape carvings, a golden Buddha statue, a kingfisher-feather-adorned gold crown…
All kinds of exquisite jewelry, jade ornaments, ancient books, and classical paintings left Ziyu, who was accustomed to fine things from later eras, utterly speechless.
With such peerless treasures before her, the luxurious silks and satins seemed less dazzling, though they still fell within her scope of plunder.
After clearing out all nine storerooms, she found no chests of gold or silver, nor a single grain of food—clearly an anomaly.
Standing in the courtyard, she surveyed the area and noticed the foundation was higher than that of ordinary courtyards. A flash of understanding crossed her eyes.
…
The door to the basement slowly cracked open, and Ziyu slipped inside.
Illuminated by luminous pearls embedded in the walls, the floor was covered with large black wooden chests. She opened the nearest one.
Inside were silver ingots without any markings. A quick glance revealed about five hundred such black chests, all of which Ziyu unhesitatingly claimed as her own.
In the second basement, the golden glow under the soft light nearly blinded her titanium-alloy eyes—a chest filled with unmarked gold ingots.
Each layer held twenty ingots, each weighing fifty taels, and the chest was stacked five layers high.
Two hundred sandalwood chests passed before Ziyu’s eyes, her mouth watering and her grin so wide her teeth were barely visible, as she claimed them all for herself.
In the corner, thirty large chests filled with gold and silver nuggets, peanuts, and beans seemed less impressive, but adhering to the principle of waste not, Ziyu happily took them too.
The third and fourth basements were filled with coldly gleaming weapons and armor, instantly making Ziyu realize the Marquis of Anguo’s Mansion harbored ill intentions.
They were planning a rebellion!
No wonder the vast amounts of gold and silver she had plundered included no paper currency. Logically, banknotes would have been easier to hide and carry.
Now, it all fell into her hands!
Ziyu took half of the usable weapons for future use—after all, she had to leave something for the rebels to cling to.
In the last underground chamber, the bright yellow and gold brocade python-dragon robes, the imperial crown, the phoenix robes, and the phoenix crown once again confirmed Ziyu’s suspicions.
With a wave of her hand, Ziyu pocketed all these items. Originally, she had planned to sneak into the so-called Second Madam’s courtyard and end her with a single strike.
But after seeing the Marquis Manor’s collection, Ziyu changed her mind. Her second target became the study of the Marquis of Anguo.
The Marquis Manor, under the influence of the Potent Sleep Smoke, echoed with waves of snoring, making Ziyu’s lips twitch in annoyance. She moved swiftly and unimpeded.
She swept through the study in the main courtyard, leaving not a single scrap of paper behind. The hidden chamber concealed behind the wall was found with ease.
Inside were chests of account books, correspondence with officials from various mansions, and gift registers.
On the wall hung a large-scale map of Baiyun Kingdom, with detailed depictions of neighboring countries and terrain.
“Finally, something useful. Thanks, old scoundrel!”
After thoroughly looting the study, Ziyu didn’t bother with the valuables in the other main courtyards. Instead, she headed straight for the manor’s pharmacy and the main kitchen.
Following the scent, she found the pharmacy and cleared it out completely, not even sparing a few blooming flowers from the garden.
The main kitchen was stocked with nearly three hundred sacks of rice, flour, oil, and grains, half a room’s worth of soy sauce, vinegar, tea, sugar, and various dried seasonings.
She emptied half a room of jars and pots, not even sparing the firewood and cooking utensils.
Seeing that time was running short, Ziyu leaped several times and vanished from the Marquis of Anguo’s Mansion. Before leaving, she thrust an iron spear into the plaque above the main gate.
From the spear hung the dragon robes and phoenix garments, while several large chests containing account books and letters were placed on the ground.
Ziyu leaped onto the rooftop, drawing the patrolling soldiers to the Marquis of Anguo’s Mansion. Only after witnessing them discover the incriminating evidence and rush to report it did she depart.
…
At the North Gate, eerie rustling sounds came from a gloomy haunted mansion…
A young girl in slightly soiled mourning clothes carried a covered bamboo basket on her back. Through the gaps in the basket, a pair of bewildered eyes peered out.
Ziyu dragged a creaking cart away from the haunted mansion, positioning herself first in line at the North Gate.
“Hey, little girl, who are you pulling? Why does it smell so foul!” The night watch guard at the city gate covered his nose and asked from a distance.
“Sir, these are my parents—Mei Cang of Jimin Pharmacy and his wife. This humble girl is taking them back to our hometown for burial.
It truly couldn’t be helped that their odor offends your senses. Please be kind and open the city gate. Thank you for your trouble!” Ziyu bowed her head respectfully.
Passersby who arrived later kept a distance of two meters from Ziyu, shaking their heads sympathetically upon hearing her words.
“Sir, please show some leniency! Physician Mei was a kind-hearted man his whole life, skilled in medicine and generous in charity.
It’s just that good people don’t live long. He died under mysterious circumstances, with no one to seek justice for him.” An elderly man resembling a scholar leaned out from a carriage and spoke.
“Sir, doing others a favor is doing yourself a favor. We all have parents at home.” A young scholar traveling with them mustered the courage to plead.
Though everyone felt sympathy, they were well aware of the Marquis of Anguo’s influence in Yun Capital and could only mind their own business.
The city gate guards, well-informed, had already heard about this. Glancing up at the time and seeing it was nearly dawn, they didn’t mind opening the gate a little early.
“Creak…!” The heavy city gate was pushed open by four guards working together. Ziyu pulled her cart past them.
“Miss Mei, don’t ever return to Yun Capital again!” the guard who had questioned her whispered.
“Thank you for the warning, sir!”
Those waiting in line to enter the city caught a whiff of the decaying smell and quickly stepped aside. The rickety cart gradually faded into the darkness before dawn under the sidelong glances of the crowd.
“Close the gates! Close the gates! By order of the superiors, no one is allowed to enter or leave, or they will be treated as rebels!”
A lone rider galloped through the dust, a soldier waving a small red flag as he shouted loudly. The slowly closing city gates cut off the panicked gazes from both inside and outside.