Phoenix Reborn: the Prime Minister’s Scheming Daughter - Chapter 335

“Heavens, what’s going on?”

“Heaven’s wrath! Could it be heaven’s wrath?”

A huge cloud of dust rose up from Daoist Qingxu’s pill refining platform, completely blocking the pill furnace. The refugees and citizens kowtowed one after another, shouting loudly for the heavens’ mercy.

Shen Ninghua covered her face with her sleeve, and her whole body was protected by Baili Junyi.

Zhou Ziqing was completely stunned. His face was pale, and the uneasiness in his heart finally became reality. Daoist Qingxu had chosen this place to refine medicine for another purpose!

“Ah, look, Daoist Qingxu is fine!”

Someone saw the motionless figure in the smoke and dust and hurriedly cried out in surprise, and cheers resonated across the crowd. Daoist Qingxu was fine. Did it mean that the refinery was successful?

In such a big explosion, Daoist Qingxu’s robe was not damaged at all. There was not even a speck of dust on it. Slowly, the smoke and dust dissipated, and the scene of the explosion appeared in front of everyone.

Originally, everyone was shocked by the explosion, but now they were completely dumbfounded. They saw a hole in the mountain behind the pill refining furnace. A silver light emitted from the hole, becoming brighter and brighter. Then, silver ingots gushed out from the hole like flowing water.

“I-Is that silver?”

“So much silver, so much…”

Many people did not know how to describe their current mood. After being completely shocked, they felt their minds go blank.

Baili Jinchuan rode over and just happened to see the scene of silver pouring out. His face suddenly twisted in an indignant grimace. No wonder the Daoist Qingxu came out of nowhere and had to refine medicine here. He was not here to save people! He was clearly here to look for evidence!

The refugees were already going crazy. They endured hunger every day and rarely ate anything. The northwest had droughts for many years, and they could only save up a few copper coins every year. When had they ever seen silver gushing like flowing water? Many people were so excited that their faces turned red, and their eyes were full of greed.

Baili Junyi waved his hand fiercely, and teams of guards rushed out from all directions, surrounding the foot of the mountain range tightly.

Baili Jinchuan subconsciously shouted coldly, “Fifth Younger Brother, what are you doing?”

“Second Royal Brother, this silver is a great auspicious sign. Naturally, I have to protect it and report to Father Emperor.”

“What auspicious sign?”

Baili Junyi narrowed his eyes and revealed a surprised expression. “Weren’t the silver ingots dropped from the sky? Did someone deliberately hide them in the mountain?”

“Before we investigate the matter, how can you come to the conclusion so easily?”

“You’re wrong. I have never heard of Zhou City having a wealthy family. Now that there are so many silver taels, who knows how many silver ingots are buried in the mountain? Who else can have so much wealth other than the royal family? What exactly is the purpose of having so many silver taels?”

Baili Jinchuan was speechless. Monstrous anger surged in his chest, making him feel a burst of dull pain in his chest. “What you said makes sense.”

“Oh, we share the same thought. Wonderful. The auspicious omen from the heavens is a great matter. This is a sign that the heavens want to help our Da’an Kingdom relieve the disaster. I will immediately write a letter and send it urgently to the capital!”

Hearing Baili Junyi’s arrangement, the excited people gradually calmed down. No matter how good gold and silver were, once they were branded as royal property, nobody could touch them. Many people felt their hearts bleed. That was gold and silver. Even if they snatched one piece, it would be enough for them to eat and drink for a year.

Just as everyone was feeling extremely pained, a slight explosion sounded out once more, and the opening became larger once more. Countless silver ingots mixed with some porcelain and jewelry flowed out from the mountain.

Everyone felt as if their eyes were about to be blinded by the radiance emitted by the silver taels. Suddenly, a sharp voice rang out, “That Nine Colored Pheasant Linglong jade pendant is the heirloom of our Li Family!”

“What jade pendant? Where is it?”

“It was among the gold and silver. I saw it just now, and I’ll never mistake it. It is our Li Family’s heirloom!”

“Don’t talk nonsense. How can your family’s heirloom appear here?”

“I am not talking nonsense. That jade pendant was passed down from my ancestors. When my family was attacked by bandits, the mansion was looted, and the heirloom was missing. I didn’t expect it to be here!”

Pulling a long face, Baili Junyi asked someone to bring the man over. “You said that the jade pendant is your family’s heirloom. Do you have any evidence?”

“Your Highness, there is a small crack on the left foot of the pheasant. When my grandfather showed it to me, I accidentally dropped it. At that time, Grandpa was furious and almost died of anger.”

Baili Junyi narrowed his eyes and asked someone to bring the jade pendant over. He looked carefully and found that it was as the man claimed. “I can’t just take your word for it. Is there anything else to prove it?”

“Yes, there is an image of a jade pendant drawn in the genealogy of my family!” The man was so happy that he cried tears of joy on the spot. He originally thought that he would never be able to find his family’s heirloom in this life and was ready to beg for forgiveness from his ancestors after he died. Unexpectedly, he found it.

“That picture scroll looks so familiar. Isn’t that our family’s collection?”

“That is our family’s…”

A batch of porcelain, paintings, jade, and jewelry that flowed out was quickly recognized. There were still many people pushing forward to see if they could find their own things.

Zhou Ziqing’s face was deathly pale, and his chest was surging with waves of blood. Those were all the Zhou Family’s collections for several lifetimes, but they were exposed in an instant.

The worst had yet to come. There were people who recognized the origins of many things inside. He had to think of a way quickly and could not let anyone link the items to the Zhou Family. He could still rob people of their money, but there was no hope if he couldn’t survive.

“Everyone, calm down. I will investigate this matter thoroughly. Now, all of you are dismissed. When all the things have been cleared out, as long as you can bring out the exact evidence, we will definitely return the lost item to you. If you can’t bring out the evidence but want to take it out of greed, you will be punished by beheading!”

Hearing this, many people stopped their malicious thinking. After all, they had all seen Prefectural Prince Yi’s way of doing things. He arrested Patriarch Zhou because of a simple suspicion. But who knew if they had the chance to see these treasures again after they left?

Just as everyone was hesitating, Daoist Qingxu suddenly jumped down from halfway up the mountain, attracting everyone’s attention. The boy behind him followed down, and two people carried a gourd.

“Everyone, Master said that Prefectural Prince Yi has always been the most trustworthy and will not break his promise. He is here to testify for everyone. Now, the pills have been refined, and the number is slightly more than last time. It should be able to help more people. If there is a need, you can go to Lord Zhou to register. Master will check if the pills are distributed according to the order of registration.”

The pill would be distributed according to the order of registration. Wouldn’t it be first come first served? Gold and silver had a price, but life was priceless. That pill could cure all diseases. If they could get one now, they could save it for a rainy day.

With this thought, the people hurriedly rushed to Lord Zhou, their obsession with gold and silver lessening a bit.

Zhou Da was still in a daze and had not yet recovered from his shock. With great difficulty, he suppressed the shock in his heart and was drowned by the crowd.

When most of the refugees and citizens had left, Baili Junyi stepped forward and picked up a silver ingot. With a sneer on his lips, he mocked, “The rich flaunt their wealth while the poor starve on the streets. So many refugees urgently need food. The national treasury is empty and is short of silver, but there is so much silver buried in the mountain. It is really absurd. Second Royal Brother, don’t you think so?”

Baili Jinchuan gritted his teeth, and a crimson light flashed in his eyes. “What do you want to say?”

“I was just sighing. Why are you so agitated? Oh? Patriarch Zhou, you don’t look very well. Is there something on your mind? ”

Zhou Ziqing hurriedly shook his head. “No, I was just shocked by what happened just now. Who would have thought that there would be so much silver hidden here?”

Baili Junyi smiled evilly, “Yes, the person who hid it really put in a lot of effort. Who would have thought that it would be blown up in the end? So, don’t do too many bad things, or one day, the heavens will be pissed by your wrongdoings, and you will be struck by lightning!”

Hearing the mockery in his words, Zhou Ziqing froze, and the smile on his face stiffened. “You’re right, Prefectural Prince Yi. I still have some matters to attend to, so I’ll be leaving first.”

Baili Jinchuan’s expression was tense. “Fifth Younger Brother, have you thought of how to report this to Father Emperor?” A small Zhou City actually hid so much gold and silver. Who knew how big of a stir it would cause in the imperial court!

“Of course, I’ll tell the truth. Do you not want to tell Father Emperor the truth?” Baili Junyi said it as if it were for a matter of course, causing Baili Jinchuan to secretly darken his face.

That’s true. This person had always been unafraid of serious issues. It would be good if he didn’t deliberately stir up trouble. Why would he want to hide it?

Baili Jinchuan looked at Shen Ninghua at the side, his eyes carrying a heavy haze. “Shen Ninghua, do you also think we should tell the truth?” Now that things had developed to this point, Shen Ninghua and Baili Junyi had definitely guessed the relationship between him and the Zhou Family. If these two people reported it, his painstaking preparations would probably collapse, and Father Emperor would be suspicious of him.

Shen Ninghua’s expression was indifferent, and her beautiful face seemed to be wrapped in a layer of frost. “We should tell the truth.”

The corners of Baili Junyi’s lips curled up, and his eyes sparkled.

Baili Jinchuan suddenly clenched his fists. The haze in his eyes was like a storm that had passed through the border. There was a suppressed rustic smell of blood. Hehe, he actually still had some expectations. How could Shen Ninghua be soft-hearted towards him?

Shen Ninghua lowered her eyes slightly. Her thick and slender eyelashes left a faint arc shadow on her face. What she wanted was to resolve the pressing problem. There were so many victims waiting to be rescued. These silver taels should be used to help save lives, not to realize someone’s ambitions!

A trace of ferociousness flashed through Baili Jinchuan’s eyes. “Alright. Go ahead and tell Father Emperor the truth. I will wait and see the result!” After saying that, he immediately mounted his horse and galloped away.

Zhou Ziqing also bowed and excused himself, “I will also take my leave.”

Shen Ninghua calmed herself down and raised her head to look at the mountain of gold and silver in front of her, her clear eyes shining brightly.