“What does that have to do with my family! It was clearly agreed before that we wouldn’t be implicated, so why are we now being exiled along with that wretched woman’s family?!”
Liu Manwen’s voice rose to a shrill pitch, her already sharp features twisting further with rage, her eyes filled with venom.
After all, her maternal family ran a royal merchant business, making them one of the wealthiest households in the capital. She should have been the one to marry a mighty general like Xiao Jinpei!
But who knew where that wretch Cheng Lan had sprung from, stealing the Xiao Jinpei she had set her sights on and forcing her, for the sake of her family’s business, to marry down into the third branch of the Xiao family—to that useless good-for-nothing, Xiao Fuchuan!
He achieved nothing, relying entirely on her and her family’s business!
It was heaven’s justice that Xiao Jinpei didn’t marry her—served him right to die in battle!
With the Xiao family fallen, she had finally caught Zhang Kui’s eye, and together they had swallowed up the last of the Xiao family’s wealth. Who could have imagined the emperor would intervene now, sentencing her third branch to exile as well!
She and her daughter Xiao Tongtong had no real skills—what threat could they possibly pose?
“Your husband bears the Xiao surname—bones may break, but the tendons remain connected. Moreover, your family’s business is thriving, so naturally, His Majesty has his concerns.”
Zhang Kui’s eyes were filled with utter disdain. If not for her wealth and the powerful backing of her maternal family, who would look twice at a shrew like her, already with a child!
But until he had squeezed every last bit of her family’s assets, he still had to coax her carefully!
Zhang Kui quickly stepped forward and wrapped his arms around her. “Don’t worry, it won’t be long before I bring you and your daughter back…”
Cheng Lan didn’t miss the disgust and anger on Zhang Kui’s face. It seemed he intended to use the same trick he had employed to deceive the original host—continuing to reap benefits without investing anything.
She sneered, curling her lips. The night was not long, and emptying the general’s estate would take some time. She had no more leisure to watch.
Hidden in the darkness, Cheng Lan closed her eyes slightly, focusing all her attention. Moments later, she felt a response in her mind.
In her consciousness, a dazzling, blurry golden light shimmered—the sight of Zhang Kui’s treasury. It was a mountain of gold bars, stacked taller than a person!
She could sense the location was underground—the old scoundrel had hidden it deep!
But now, it all belonged to her!
A smile tugged at Cheng Lan’s lips. Without hesitation, she emptied the entire gold mountain in one go, neatly storing it in her own warehouse.
Pearls, gemstones, gold and silver jewelry—fifty large chests in total!
Ten chests brimming with silver notes worth ten thousand taels each, along with various calligraphy, paintings, and porcelain. It had to be said, Zhang Kui was truly greedy—these items alone occupied nearly a hundred square meters of spatial dimension.
Fortunately, she only needed her will to transfer everything steadily into her spatial dimension, and she could even specify the placement, saving her a great deal of trouble.
As she collected the items, she came across familiar objects: Xiao Muchen’s rare military strategy books, along with his treasured sword and hidden weapons, and Xiao Yunqing’s rare medical texts—these were the lifeblood of her two sons. The original host had actually given them all away.
Cheng Lan’s lips twitched, and she sighed inwardly.
After packing everything away, she even spotted Xiao Fuchuan’s “Thirteen Immortal Maidens” painting, each maiden as beautiful as a celestial being. This was his treasure—how could it be here?
There were also several familiar jade carvings, all priceless treasures from Xiao Fuchuan’s household. Were these gifts from Liu Manwen?
How generous.
She took everything, even the shelves holding the items.
Once finished, Cheng Lan rose gracefully, a smile in her eyes. Fortunately, there were no guards in this courtyard, and she easily slipped out of the general’s estate the same way she had come.
Walking past this street led to the palace walls. The dog emperor had burned bridges after crossing the river, and she had no reason to let him off.
However, her mental perception range was limited. After testing it, she found it extended only about ten meters at most. She walked halfway along the outer wall but discovered nothing. It seemed she had no choice but to enter the palace.
Cheng Lan frowned slightly as she gazed at the towering palace walls. The imperial palace was far more heavily guarded than Zhang Kui’s general’s residence. How could she possibly sneak in?
Ah, having a spatial dimension was useful, but it was of no help now. If only she could teleport inside…
No sooner had the thought crossed her mind than her surroundings suddenly spun wildly. Cheng Lan’s mouth fell open in shock. Before her eyes was the national treasury!
Could she really teleport?!
Before she could even feel joy, all her strength seemed to drain away. Her vision darkened, and she nearly tumbled headfirst to the ground.
For the first time in both her past and present life, she scrambled up in such a disheveled state, her face as pale as paper.
This teleportation method had drained over half of her mental energy! It seemed there were limitations, and she couldn’t use it frequently.
But there was no time to dwell on that now. Seeing the vast treasury gleaming with silver and gold, she hurriedly began moving entire chests of silver into her spatial dimension.
As her face grew increasingly pale, beads of cold sweat trickled down her forehead.
Unfortunately, the so-called national treasury contained only a little over a hundred thousand taels of silver. It seemed the treasury was nearly empty. Fortunately, there were other treasures.
A rare red coral, taller than a person, twisted and branched beautifully. An embroidered screen depicting vivid ink landscapes, crafted from high-quality ebony. A crown adorned with exotic gemstones. A tortoiseshell too large to hold with one hand. A tiger-skin chair… Rare treasures of all kinds, over a hundred items, all exquisite!
These were also immensely valuable.
Cheng Lan’s smile widened until she had emptied the treasury. Only then did she take a deep breath, channeling all her remaining mental energy to teleport outside the palace, leaving not a single trace behind.
On her way home, she felt dizzy and lightheaded, her steps so unsteady she seemed to float above the ground.
After finally climbing back into the courtyard, she unexpectedly ran into Xiao Yunqing, who had been caring for her elder brother all night.
In an unusually good mood, she curled her lips into a smile and asked, “Still awake? Let me know if you need anything.”
Xiao Yunqing immediately showed disgust. Seeing her pale face and unsteady steps, it was clear she was weak and anemic. Without proper nourishment, she might collapse and never get up again—the more he thought about it, the more absurd it seemed. He furrowed his brows tightly. Why should he care whether she lived or died? It would be better if she died.
Without another glance, he walked past her.
Having received a cold shoulder, Cheng Lan raised an eyebrow and simply turned back to her room, lying down to sleep as soon as she entered.
The next day.
A sliver of dawn light broke across the horizon. Candles were lit in the palace halls as a palace attendant rushed into the throne room, stumbling and slamming his head hard against the stone floor. “Your Majesty, the n-n-national treasury has been robbed!”
The figure in bright yellow robes on the bed bolted upright in an instant, thinking he must have misheard. “What nonsense are you spouting, you fool?!”
“Your Majesty… last night, a thief broke into the palace and looted the entire national treasury!” The young eunuch wept, kowtowing repeatedly.
“The entire treasury?!”
The emperor’s eyes rolled back, and he collapsed straight onto the bed.
“Summon the imperial physician, quickly summon the imperial physician!!”