958 The Vaul (2/2)

When passing by Gu Shenwei, Zhang Ji said, \”It's a good deal, isn't it?\”

Shangguan Ru didn't move. Her eyes were full of surprise, and there seemed to be a hint of accusation, too. Lotus also didn't move, the look on her face as apathetic as always.

Gu Shenwei followed the crowd through the gate of the mansion. Chu Nanping mounted his horse and hurriedly galloped away. Xu Xiaoyi walked over and acted as the Dragon King's attendant. This small change didn't attract anybody's attention.

Joining the large numbers of attendants and guards waiting outside, the crowd immediately expanded to hundreds of people. After making some arrangements in a flustered manner, they decided to have the guards lead the way. Pang Jing and the Dragon King walked behind the guards. The long procession made its way towards the old mansion of the Meng family.

The procession only progressed two blocks when news quickly spread out, with large groups of residents flooding over to take a look. But the soldiers stopped the crowds from getting too close, so they could only see the tail of the procession. But just this provided them with enough topics of conversation. The excited residents even abandoned their principles of prudence and started animatedly discussing with acquaintances or even strangers as if they had seen everything with their own eyes.

This was a time when rumors arose and spread very quickly, and it was also a time when public opinion was prone to manipulation. Over fifty \”insiders\” evenly spread throughout Jade City, and they soon dominated most of the rumors.

This thing didn't attract anybody's attention either.

The old mansion of the Meng family had indeed been sold. The buyer was a mysterious foreigner, who had purchased the house at a reasonably low price. The old grandmother of the Meng family had felt that she still had a lot of years ahead, so she was eager to get away from this troubled place. At this moment, all of her family members were busy packing.

The rumor had come to them earlier than the procession looking for proof had arrived. After hearing the message, the old woman, who had barely walked for many years, had miraculously stood up and broken into a trot. Her handmaids could barely catch up with her, panting for breath.

The vault was in the backyard's garden. The steward hurriedly fumbled for the key, totally confused. \”Venerable Mistress, it's empty… \”

The old lady spat in the steward's face and said, \”You also want to cheat me like how the undutiful Meng Mingshu did?\”

The three gates were opened one by one. The vault built with giant rocks was empty. The light of the noon sun didn't make it any less grim.

The old lady was the first one to rush inside, stamping her foot everywhere and knocking on the wall. Realizing that she couldn't do this alone, she urgently yelled, \”Hurry! Find the hidden door. We cannot let the Meng family's money be taken by outsiders! You and you, go to the gate and stop those people. Hold them back for as long as you can.\”

But the procession formed of \”outsiders\” was unstoppable. Meng Mingshu, who had regained his consciousness, took on a new role. Over a hundred soldiers carried him as they broke through the line of defense consisting of unconfident servants at the gate of the old mansion and then intruded into the back yard garden.

Instead of anxiously rushing to the front, Pang Jing instead took the Dragon King's hand and stood outside, enjoying the farce that he had caused. The old lady's cries and Meng Mingshu's nonsense were drowned out by the rebuke of the bigwigs of Jade City.

\”This is kind of interesting, isn't it, Dragon King?\” Pang Jing asked in a low voice. He felt that it was safe now, so he didn't need Luo Qikang to stay beside him anymore.

\”It is, but I prefer to have been informed earlier.\”

\”Heh-heh. It's just a joke. And it does Dragon King no harm anyways. The Meng family's money will soon belong to you… \”

\”Half of it belongs to the Governor.\”

\”Ah. I'm really beginning to like it here. I'm totally free here and there's no need for me to worry about letting something slip anything when I talk. By the way, that Xiao Fengchai is a pretty good woman. The Dragon King won't punish her because of me, will you?\” Pang Jing blinked. This look of his would only put Xiao Fengchai in even more dire danger.

\”Let me keep you in suspense for once,\” said Gu Shenwei.

Pang Jing let out a laugh and didn't intercede on Xiao Fengchai's behalf any longer. He didn't care about the life of a prostitute.

\”It's here! It's here!\” A chain of cheers came from inside the vault. The owner of a trading company ran out, face full of excitement, hurriedly reporting the good news. \”It turns out that the money is buried right underground. Those gold ingots can make a mountain. Nobody's ever moved them. Meng Mingshu was indeed trying to frame the Dragon King. This guy is so bold. Dragon King, all of this belongs to you. You should put them under protection. The old lady of the Meng family is trying to snatch the money like crazy.\”

The Central Plains soldiers were guarding the vaulted. Adopting every means possible, both soft and tough, they managed to get those without fixed duties out of the vault. Unreconciled, the old lady of the Meng family lay on the ground crying out loudly. She had already tried several times to ran towards Pang Jing, the Governor of the Western Regions, but the soldiers had stopped her every time. Meng Mingshu was standing to the side, battered out of his senses. Those around him guarded against him getting furious, but he had already lost all his fight, his lips quivering and silent.

Gu Shenwei felt that the occasion had come, and nodded at Xu Xiaoyi.

Xu Xiaoyi loudly yelled, \”Please be quiet. The Dragon King has something to say.\”

\”The truth has been brought into daylight,\” said Gu Shenwei, thinking about Zhong Heng's well-known saying that \”Resolving an issue is different from uncovering the truth.\” It was true. The correlation between the two was even weaker than the ties of kinship between the members of the Meng family. \”This is the end of this issue. I have no intention of holding anybody responsible for it. Now that the money in the vault belongs to me, I have made a decision. I'll give half of it to the Governor of the Western Regions because he upheld the justice in an impartial manner.\”

Pang Jing's face changed. He didn't expect that the Dragon King would give the money to him in public. Before he could react and before the people present could pay him their compliment, the Dragon King continued. \”With regards to the other half, I'll return it to the Meng family. Though he tried to frame me due to a moment of thoughtlessness, I forgive him. I just want to tell him that I have no interest in the Meng family's money.\”

Gu Shenwei walked towards the outside. It was not until his figure was about to disappear that amazed exclamation of the crowds broke forth. Pang Jing was transfixed with shock, an ominous premonition growing more and more strong within him.

A Central Plains military officer rode into the garden, and upon seeing the Governor, yelled, \”That Norlander… Governor… Mo Chu came back!\”

Besides Pang Jing, nobody else here knew the true meaning of this message.