Back inside his side quarters in West Courtyard.
Shen Xian ransacked the room thoroughly, slowly, putting each item back exactly where he found it.
Finally, in the narrow crack between bed frame and wall, his fingers brushed a slip of paper.
Not a silver bank note —‑‑ a pawn ticket.
Cinnabar characters “Ruifeng Pawnshop” were partially faded.
Dated half a month prior: an irreversible “dead pawn”, term thirty days.
Scrawled crudely in charcoal on its reverse side: Thirty.
I hold complete memories of everything belonging to the original owner.
This ticket was never his.
Every object in this room is familiar to me, except this.
It was placed here later.
Shen Xian turned the pawn‑ticket over and over.
A piece of the puzzle clicked firmly into place in his mind.
“Wangcai, Laifu, answer me something.” He sat down on the edge of the bed.
“If someone asks you to keep a box safe and pays you two taels of silver for the favor.
What do you think they want?”
“They think you are an idiot!” Laifu blurted out quickly.
“Partly correct.” Shen Xian twirled the pawn‑ticket between his fingers.
“They are counting on that fool’s identity: the illegitimate son of the Shen Manor.
If trouble erupts, I take the fall first.
This was no favor.
They rented a scapegoat, paying two taels as deposit.”
Wangcai did not fully grasp “scapegoat”, but caught the main point.
“Third Young Master, so this pawn‑ticket…”
“The pawn‑ticket could not crawl into the crack by itself.
The man who planted the box left it there.
Not for me —‑‑ for whoever would search my room.
If the box‑planting scheme fell apart, they had backup evidence: look, the Third Young Master even kept the pawn‑ticket.
Irrefutable proof.”
Brilliant.
Two layers of trap for one target.
This culprit understands risk management.
Yet for all their calculations, they missed one critical thing —‑‑
The man they framed now held a completely different soul.
“Let us go.” Shen Xian tucked the pawn‑ticket inside his robe.
“We are leaving the manor for Ruifeng Pawnshop.”
As they reached the second gate, Nanny Zhang, one of Madam Liu’s servants, stepped forward, wearing a fake smile.
“Third Young Master.
The madam says you may investigate, but you must not step outside these gates.
If you run away, us servants cannot bear that responsibility.”
“Rest assured, Nanny.” Shen Xian returned her polite smile.
“I swore an oath before the master.
If I flee, I become a criminal pursued by the state.
You understand the penalties for harboring fugitives better than I.”
Nanny Zhang fell into a speechless huff.
“Besides.” Shen Xian lowered his voice, speaking mysteriously.
“I go to hunt the thief.
What if this thief has ties to certain households?
If you bar my way now, when the master asks later, who gets blamed for obstructing an official investigation?”
Nanny Zhang paled and stepped aside, not daring another word.
Outside the Shen Manor gates, Wangcai and Laifu walked flanking Shen Xian, chests puffed‑out with importance.
“Third Young Master!
What did you whisper to Nanny Zhang?
Why did she turn pale?”
“Nothing much.” Shen Xian opened a folding fan he had borrowed off Laifu on the way out.
“Simply explained the concept of joint liability for crimes.”