Zhang Wenxin clearly remembered that today was not the beginning of the month. However, she did not interrupt silently, and continued to listen to Mrs. Pang say:

“…… The eighth day of the first month of next month is the auspicious day of Qi'er, and it will be time to hire in a few days. As soon as I entered the door, I saw that several boxes containing gold were empty, and when I went inside, I lost even the pearl of the night......"

"Is there anything unusual about that pearl of the night? If I find the bead, how can I tell if it's the one I've lost? ”

Murong Yanchang said: "In the dark night, the light emitted by the beads can reflect a loyal word 'loyalty' on the red silk. ”

The next thing is lackluster, Mrs. Pang found out that the treasure was stolen, so she went to find Murong Yanchang, the royal night pearl is very important, the old couple did not dare to make a noise, and personally searched in the vault.

When he found nothing, Pang suddenly remembered that Murong Xi and Zhang Wenxin took the food box this morning and hurriedly went out, and they had not yet returned.

After that, the two went to Qingfeng Ju and waited for them to fall into the net.

After listening to Mrs. Pang's description, Zhang Wenxin suddenly felt thrilled, and cold sweat was dripping from his palms.

Thanks to the escort of the Night Pearl, if it was only the eight hundred taels of gold, Murong Yanchang would have no worries, according to this old man's resolute and resolute style, I am afraid that he and Murong Xi have been dealt with by the family law, and they are speechless.

Alas, they all said that they would not let him go with him, he had to go with him. Do you regret it?

Zhang asked his confidant for a while, and retracted his thoughts.

A few of them went back to the outer room and looked at the boxes containing the gold ingots.

The ash outside should have been bigger than the one in the dark pavilion, but because of the monthly cleaning, there was no trace.

This vault is actually very cleverly designed, only a few worthless silk jewelry and a small amount of gold and silver are placed outside, even if a thief sneaks in, the eight hundred taels of gold will be enough to dispel it, and it will not endanger the treasures in the dark cabinet. Unless a thief comes prepared, just to get something.

But......

Recently, the Hou Mansion has not heard of thieves, not during the day, and more people stand guard at night, and they also say that they do not.

Looking at the doors and windows of the vault, there are no signs of damage or prie.

After careful consideration, Zhang Wenxin came to a preliminary judgment.

A certain part of Xuan Pinghou's idea is right - the sentence that the thief is difficult to prevent.

Qingfeng dwelling, a light like a bean.

Zhang Wenxin sat under the lamp, combing through various clues.

There is only one key to the vault, which is kept by Ponzi. According to Ponzi's temperament, he is indeed not a person who will fake the key to others.

During the day, the guards were all there, and they didn't look like they were lying. The guards guarding the night did not see any of them behaving abnormally.

Every corner of the vault, every wall, every floor tile, was thoroughly inspected, and not even a rat hole was found.

Today is the seventeenth, but no one has been in the vault since the first day of the new year. So it's hard to know exactly what day it is.

As for what he did with the Night Pearl......

Is it just to exchange it for money, or is it intended to frame the Xuanping Marquis Mansion?

Was the stolen gold only stolen because of greed for money, or was it hidden from people by the way?

Could it be ......

Is Murong Yanchang disrespectful to the old man, which girl he fell in love with, and he was afraid that the Pang family would know, so he stole from the prison and took the money to the gold house outside to hide Jiao?

This is by no means her whim, it is said that this Mrs. Pang was first hidden by the golden house, and as soon as Mrs. Shen passed away, she was carried into the Hou Mansion and made a house. When Mrs. Pang passed the door, her second son, Murong Qi, was eight years old.

With the lessons of the past, presumably Mrs. Pang will definitely look at Murong Yanchang's money bag very closely.

Don't...... That bead was also taken by Xuanping Hou and given to a beauty?

This thought flashed, and it was immediately vetoed by Zhang Wenxin - no, no, looking at this Hou Ye's appearance, he was really anxious, not like he was pretending. Besides, if you give something from the royal gift, is it a gift, or is it a life?

As for Mrs. Pang...... The income of seven or eight shops, the surplus of hundreds of acres of land, the profits of the Caoyun business, and the gifts from the people below and the things rewarded by the people above...... It's all in her hands, and there are more than eight hundred taels of gold in her fingers. There are too many ways to fill your pockets, and you don't need to use this clumsy carving trick.

The drum was even heavier, and the fourth watch was played far away, and it came into the ears through the empty and silent night.

Murong Xi spoke out to break the silence: "If you don't sleep again, the sky should be bright." ”

"Huh?"

Zhang Wenxin came back to his senses and saw that there was only a short section of the candle left, and layers of red tears were stacked on the candlestick.

In fact, the rule that the door does not go out and the second door is only used to restrain the daughters of the house. Murong Xi could come and go at will. She asked Xuanping Hou what she wanted, but it was only her benefit. But in the end, Murong Xi has been helping to investigate the case, and he is indeed dragging him down.

And Murong Xi didn't sleep, I'm afraid that he couldn't sleep peacefully because he was disturbed by the candlelight.

Zhang Wenxin was sorry, hurriedly blew out the candles, and went to sleep.

Early the next morning, someone sent a few pages of densely packed rice paper full of small characters. It was several men and the guards of the vault who racked their brains and worked together to recall the records of the entry and exit of the Hou Mansion for most of the month, and the personnel movements near the vault.

Zhang Wenxin lazily flipped through the entry and exit records, and found that although the Hou Mansion was full of people, most of the guests were only in the front yard, and they couldn't pass the second gate and couldn't get to the back house.

Just like the day she got married, despite the noise of gongs and drums in front of her, she was very clean in Qingfeng Ju.

And the ladies in the house also abide by the rules and never go out at will. Only the old lady with a few maids and sisters-in-law, on the morning of the first day of the new year, went out to put on the incense, from the point of view of time, the old lady did not have any suspicion.

Su Qiu prepared a pen and paper, Zhang Wenxin transcribed a few lines from a few pages of dense records, and said to Murong Xi: "Dad is on an errand in Taichang Temple, what about you, you are a doctor of Taixue, what does Murong Qi do?" ”

According to the records of the concierge, the second son, Murong Qi, mostly went out at the time of Youshi and returned after the time of the Emperor. They don't even come home all night.

Could it be that he was on an errand for night patrols?

Murong Xi slowly grinded an ink ingot, and said: "The second brother is still studying, and the house invited three old gentlemen to teach him, learn to recite poetry and write against each other in the first half of the day, govern the country and strategy, and learn to play games in the second half of the day. ”

Zhang Wenxin paused, and couldn't help laughing: The eldest son is a doctor of Taixue, but the second son still has to invite a gentleman from outside to teach? It's really guarding the gold mountain and shouting poverty, and the fat water flows into the fields of outsiders. But after thinking about it again, it's right, Murong Xi has been hiding in Qingzhou all these years and is busy running away from marriage, and he can't teach his brother at all.

Murong Xi didn't know why she was laughing, but she also smiled, and seeing that the ink was a little sticky, she picked up the tea bowl and poured some water into it.

Zhang Wenxin turned a few pages, took out the past records in front of the vault, and found that the vault was close to no idle people at night, but people kept coming and going during the day, but no one deliberately stopped. Apart from...... Murong Qi.

Zhang Wenxin shook his head while looking at it: "There are enough rules at home, and it is really hard to face three old old-fashioned people every day." It's no wonder that he often goes out for a stroll and comes home in the middle of the night. Huh? Where do you think he's gone? ”

Murong Xi shook his head: "But I don't know." ”

Zhang Wenxin just asked casually, and he didn't expect Murong, a newcomer, to know much news. But...... Zhang Wenxin was puzzled: "He came back so late, isn't Mrs. Pang worried and doesn't care?" ”

Murong Xi said again: "Stepmother doesn't necessarily know. ”

Zhang Wenxin's eyelids twitched: "Oh? He sneaked out? Those who are inferior...... Do you all help him hide it? Didn't anyone tell Mrs. Pang? ”

Murong Xi said, "I don't dare." ”

Zhang Wenxin nodded secretly: "That's right, help hide it, Mrs. Pang may not find out." But if the second son doesn't return at night, they will definitely be punished. ”

Looking at it, Zhang Wenxin felt more and more uncomfortable, and found that in the past half a month, Murong Qi Danfan wandered around the vault one day, and he would inevitably go out on this day.

This is no coincidence.

It seems that I have to make a trip.

Qingyunju has two large Qingfeng residences, carved beams and painted buildings, magnificent, and it is recently renovated at a glance.

As the maid who led the way entered the study, he saw Murong Qi comfortably half-closed his eyes, crooked on the couch, and two personal maids were pinching his shoulders and beating his legs. On the other side of the study, an old gentleman with a white beard was sighing and writing and drawing.

"Childe, the eldest prince and the young lady have arrived."

The maid replied softly, Murong Qifang raised his eyelids, sat up a little, first greeted the old gentleman, and then tirelessly said to the old gentleman: "Sigh, I'm annoying!" Isn't it just for you to help Ben Gongzi make an endowment? It's not that I don't give money! Besides, Ben Gongzi was taught by you, I didn't even think you were pedantic and incompetent, even Ben Gongzi can't teach such a smart person, you still sigh endlessly! ”

After reprimanding, seeing that the old gentleman really stopped sighing, Murong Qi stood up with a bone, walked to a whole piece of Huanghuali's tea table, and smiled: "Big brother and sister-in-law, sit." ”

He also instructed the maid: "Caizhu, go, brew the pot of tribute tea that was rewarded in the palace." Then take some lychees from the ice room and give them to my sister-in-law to try. ”

Lychee was quickly brought to the table, with ice cubes, and the slightest bit of cold air. It is not uncommon for the Houmen wang clan to have ice cellars built in their back houses. What is strange is that Qingyunju actually has a special ice room, which is exclusive to Murong Qi alone.

Lychee is a very expensive object, Zhang Wenxin has only heard of it, but has not really eaten it. When Murong Xi peeled one open for her and handed it over in a snow-white and crystalline way, Zhang Wenxin almost forgot what he was going to do.

After eating three in a row, I felt that my lips were sticking together with the sweet juice of lychees. Zhang Wenxin hurriedly took a sip of hot tea, and suddenly remembered something: "This lychee is so sweet, but it's a pity that you can't eat too much." Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll get upset. ”

Murong Qi didn't care: "Where, this son eats a big plate every day, isn't it good?" Sister-in-law just eats. ”

Murong Xi didn't plan to peel it off, but when he heard him say this, he buried his head and peeled it again.

Zhang asked: "Why, the second brother has not been suffering from abdominal pain from time to time recently, and a few times it was when he passed through the vault......"