Chapter 103: Explosive Action

Tian Mi stood at the door and shone her flashlight inside. “Oh my goodness!” The room was filled with shelves, all loaded with a variety of goods. It was clear this warehouse stored daily necessities. Wasting no time, Tian Mi stashed everything into her space.

Following Yanzu guidance, she located three more warehouses and repeated the process, clearing them out entirely.

The fifth warehouse was enormous and stocked with food supplies. “Heavens! The Jia family could feast for a lifetime with all this,” Tian Mi thought. The majority consisted of wheat, rice, glutinous rice, soybeans, and sesame. There were also plenty of dried seafood, cured meats, and even a tiger bone.

“My goodness, they live so luxuriously! Sister won’t hold back!”

The third warehouse contained more daily necessities, but these were clearly premium items—fine fabrics, furs, jewelry, and pearls. It seemed to hold belongings meant for the masters of the house. Tian Mi seized them all.

The fourth warehouse left her in awe. It was filled with treasures: gold, silver, jewels, calligraphy, paintings, and books piled high. The sheer wealth rendered her breathless, though not enough to forget to stash it all.

Private vaults were harder to locate.

Heading toward the main courtyard, Tian Mi navigated using the layout of the Jia residence. The main courtyard of a grand estate was usually near the central gates and surrounded by the densest cluster of buildings.

Private vaults were typically located in residential courtyards.

The Jia family had multiple main courtyards. Tian Mi started with the outermost one, a three-section compound. The gate was closed, but Yanzu confirmed no patrols were nearby. She climbed over a secluded section of the wall and slipped inside using her spatial abilities. Whenever she encountered night guards, she simply collected them into her space. By now, the people in her space were piling up like a mountain.

This courtyard belonged to the third household of the Jia family. Tian Mi quickly found their private vault and the third madam’s dowry storage room. The dazzling contents left her no choice but to take everything.

“People are so different,” she mused. “If Bai Mucheng were here, he’d probably head straight for the study. I never even considered it—I only care about the vaults.”

Passing a study, she hesitated briefly. “Hmm, books are valuable in this era.” Two drowsy attendants guarded the room. She collected them and kicked open the door, not bothering to inspect the contents before storing everything.

The busy night continued as Tian Mi repeated this process across three other courtyards. The Jia family’s private vaults were truly impressive, especially those of the main household and Grand Preceptor Jia and his wife. Even without inspecting the treasures, she was shocked.

She could barely believe her eyes. “Poverty really does limit your imagination!”

The betrothal gifts from the royal family had already amazed her, but compared to the treasures in the Jia family’s private vaults, they weren’t even a drop in the ocean.

“Take it all!” she thought with a mix of envy and determination.

“Hmph! I can’t stand how wealthy you are!”

As time ran short, Tian Mi decided to leave. At the outermost granary—the largest storage for grains—she released a cloud of knockout incense. Then, she emptied her space, releasing everyone she had stored. The moment they reappeared, they collapsed unconscious. Tian Mi swiftly made her exit.

Back at her estate, she refrained from using her space. On her own turf, there was no need for extra caution.

When she returned to her courtyard, she was greeted by Bai Mucheng, sitting at the door with a frosty expression.

Uh-oh. He was clearly angry.

Tian Mi quickly approached with a sweet smile, plopping down beside him and hugging his arm. “Husband! Why are you up so early?”

Bai Mucheng hadn’t risen early—he hadn’t slept at all. His anger simmered as he thought about where this “fat woman” had disappeared to all night. He ignored her and got up to head inside.

Tian Mi shamelessly followed him, grinning.

“Husband, I didn’t sleep all night! I went to Grand Preceptor Jia’s residence and got you some books. I’m exhausted!” she exclaimed, pulling out two books from her bag.

Bai Mucheng didn’t even glance at them, still ignoring her.

She pouted and continued, “I even scraped my leg on the way back. It hurts so much!”

Pretending to cry, she covered her eyes with her hands, peeking through her fingers to gauge his reaction. Finally, Bai Mucheng turned to her and asked, “Where does it hurt?”

She pitifully pointed to her knee.

When he approached to check, Tian Mi pounced, wrapping her arms around his neck. She kissed him on the lips and said, “Seeing you makes it all better.”

Caught off guard by her antics, Bai Mucheng felt both anger and amusement. But remembering how she had recklessly put herself in danger without telling him, his anger resurfaced. He tried to push her away.

Tian Mi clung to him tighter, pulling him into a kiss, her soft tongue teasing his lips and teeth.

In the end, Bai Mucheng couldn’t resist her charms and embraced her, the two of them locked in a passionate kiss.

Bai Mucheng gently placed the gradually softening Tian Mi onto the bed.

By the time daylight streamed in, Tian Mi, already drenched in sweat, nestled weakly in Bai Mucheng’s arms. She spoke softly, “Husband, I can truly protect myself.”

She was as docile as a well-behaved cat!

After a night of struggles, Bai Mucheng came to understand something clearly—his Mi’er wasn’t a caged bird meant to be kept within walls. She was an eagle soaring freely in the sky.

From the start, his only intention was to support her and accompany her in whatever she wanted to do.

He kissed her slightly swollen, rosy lips and said, “Alright, Mi’er, you are a special gift from the heavens to me. Do whatever you wish, but you must tell me beforehand. If anything happens, you need to discuss it with me and always carry an alarm signal. If there’s any danger, I need to know so I can save you. Promise me, never leave without saying goodbye under any circumstances.”

Tian Mi immediately nodded and agreed.

Only then did Bai Mucheng ask, “Did you really go to the Jia Manor last night?”

Tian Mi, already prepared with a response, said, “Yes, I went in and discovered people moving things. Afraid they’d notice me, I hid in a cave beneath the fake mountain. Later, when it quieted down, I just grabbed two books and came back.”

What were they moving in the middle of the night? Bai Mucheng couldn’t make sense of it, but it didn’t matter. After all, the Jia Manor’s comings and goings were always under his surveillance.

Bai Mucheng hadn’t slept all night and was extremely tired, but there were too many things to handle. He had to get up. He told Tian Mi to rest well before he rose and dressed.

“Today, the Ministry of Rites will send over two name suggestions for the children—one chosen by the emperor and one by me. You can pick one, and in two days, it’ll be recorded in the jade tablet and offered in the ancestral temple.”

Tian Mi obediently nodded in agreement.

Bai Mucheng’s eyes softened as he looked at her. That silly girl—adorable and obedient when she wanted to be, but impossibly stubborn at other times.

Meanwhile, the Jia Manor had erupted into chaos!

Typically, the servants would rise first to begin their chores, preparing everything for the masters to awaken. But today, the masters themselves were up and preparing for court, while there was no sign of the servants!

Most of the servants were still unconscious in the large warehouse. Those closest to the masters, tasked with waking them, were still deep in their own dreams!

The dowager of the Jia family asked, “What time is it?”

Her single question sent the entire household into a frenzy.

“Ah! Ah!”
“Oh heavens!”
“It’s gone! Everything’s gone!”

Hearing the escalating cries, Grand Preceptor Jia frowned and said, “This is growing increasingly unruly!”

A guard rushed in, trembling and on the verge of tears. “Preceptor, the manor has been robbed!”

For a guard who had followed him for decades to appear so panicked, it couldn’t be a trivial matter.

“What was stolen?”

The guard cried, “Your private vault and the dowager’s private vault—they’ve both been cleaned out!”

Even the seasoned, composed preceptor, known for his unshakable demeanor, nearly lost his balance at this news.

Beside him, the dowager promptly fainted.

He hurriedly caught her.

Not long after, his three sons—representing the first, second, and third branches of the family—arrived in a flurry.

“Father, my courtyard was robbed!”

Their grief wasn’t an act—it was genuine heartbreak. All their years of savings, their most cherished treasures, were stored in their private vaults. No matter how weary or toilsome their lives were, just thinking of the treasures in their vaults kept them going.

“Father, it’s all gone!”

While they were lamenting their personal losses, they hadn’t yet considered the situation at the central granary.

But Grand Preceptor Jia’s eyes widened in realization, and he shouted, “Quickly! Quickly! Go check the central granary!”

As he spoke, blood spurted from his mouth.