Chapter 21: The Unsolved Case

Seeing the chaotic scene, Constable Li quickly stepped forward to advise, “Please, my lord, stop being so angry.  Investigating the situation is the pressing task at hand; we must maintain our composure.

Bai Zhentian took a deep breath, suppressing his fury, and said to the constable, “Constable Li, I’m counting on you. You must uncover the truth.”

Constable Li, along with his officers, thoroughly examined the treasury. The floor was clean and even showing no signs of dragged heavy objects.

The walls were intact, and there was no indication that the windows had been pried open. The lock on the treasury was also undamaged.

His brow furrowed in deep thought: these thieves were so skilled that they left not a single trace.

Meanwhile, Bai Zhentian instructed the steward to gather all the servants in the courtyard, lining them up.

With piercing eyes, he scanned their faces, trying to detect any hint of guilt in their expressions.

“Listen carefully, If anyone voluntarily reveals information regarding the theft from the treasury today, this Marquis will show leniency; If it is discovered that you were involved, don’t blame me for being ruthless.” Bai Zhentian said coldly.

All of the servants lowered their heads, not daring to breathe a word.

Bai Xinyao stood nearby, watching the familiar faces of the servants and feeling anxious.

She quietly tugged at Concubine Li’s sleeve and whispered, “Mother, who do you think did this?”

Concubine Li, still shaken, merely shook her head and did not respond.

Upon hearing the proclamation, some whispered amongst themselves while others showed signs of panic.

Constable Li continued, “The thieves left no traces of their actions; their methods are exceptionally skilled. This indicates they are very familiar with the Marquis’ mansion and had planned this in advance.”

At that moment, a young servant could not resist speaking up, “Constable Li, how are we supposed to investigate this? It could have been done by outside bandits; all of us in the mansion are loyal!”

Constable Li shot him a glance and replied, “If it were only outside bandits, they wouldn’t have been able to empty the treasury over three months without the cooperation of an insider. Thus, the possibility of an inside man in the mansion is quite high.”

Bai Zhentian’s expression darkened once again. He paced among the crowd, suddenly stopping in front of an elderly servant.

This old servant Zhou Bo had served in the Marquis Bai Zhentian mansion for many years and was usually honest and straightforward.

“Zhou Bo,” Bai Zhentian said slowly, “You have been with me for many years, and I have always trusted you. Have you noticed anything unusual?”

Zhou Bo trembled as he raised his head, his voice quivering, “My lord, I truly don’t know anything. These past days, I’ve been doing my duties as usual and haven’t noticed anything amiss.”

Bai Zhentian stared into his eyes, as if trying to discern any lie. After a moment, he looked away, sighing.

With no other choice, Constable Li could only leave the Marquis Bai Zhentian mansion with his officers, planning to reassess the situation.

Before departing, he assured Bai Zhentian that he would do everything in his power to investigate the case and would not let go of any lead.

Upon returning to the office, Constable Li immediately summoned his most capable officers and began to analyze the case.

He laid out the layout of the Marquis Bai Zhentian mansion treasury, the timeline of the incident, and the testimonies of all relevant personnel on the table, carefully studying them.

“This case is too strange,” one officer said, frowning. “There are no traces in the treasury, and the night watchmen didn’t notice anything unusual. How did these thieves manage to do it?”

Constable Li pondered for a moment and said, “Let’s go back to the vicinity of the Marquis Bai Zhentian mansion and inquire further. Perhaps we can find some overlooked clues. Also, we need to focus on investigating whether any strangers have frequented the area around the mansion in the past three months.”

Constable Li, along with his officers, relentlessly searched for information throughout the city, but no matter how meticulously they investigated, they found nothing.

Back at the office, Constable Li slumped onto his chair, his face weary and his eyes bloodshot. He looked at the mountain of useless files on the table, sighing heavily.

The officers around him also hung their heads in defeat, their usual investigative spirit extinguished.

“Captain, we’ve searched everywhere, but we can’t find any traces.” A young officer said with a sigh.

Another older officer shook his head and echoed, “Yes, the Marquis Bai Zhentian mansion is pressing us, but we really have no leads. What should we do?”

However, days turned into weeks, but the investigation remained fruitless.

The theft from the Marquis Bai Zhentian mansion treasury spread throughout the city, with the townsfolk buzzing with speculation and rumors. The authorities, however, were helpless.

When Bai Zhentian learned that the investigation had reached a stalemate, he flew into a rage, repeatedly visiting the office to question Constable Li.

“Constable Li, I’ve given you so much time, and this is all you’ve managed to find? Those valuables are crucial to my Marquis mansion. If you don’t uncover the truth, I’ll make you pay!” Bai Zhentian angrily said.

Constable Li could only apologize repeatedly, but his heart ached.

He had used all his connections and resources, yet not a single trace had been found.

As time passed, the case gradually faded from people’s minds, becoming an unsolved mystery.

The Marquis’ mansion had lost a significant amount of wealth, suffering a major blow. Bai Zhentian, too, became despondent, sighing and lamenting within the mansion.

As for Constable Li, despite still holding the title of head constable, he could no longer hold his head high in the office due to the failure of this case.

He often sat alone in a corner of the office, reminiscing about every detail of the investigation, trying to find the crucial clue that had been overlooked, but all was in vain.

One quiet night, Constable Li gazed at the moon outside the window, a sense of dissatisfaction welling up within him and said. “Is this case really destined to be forever buried in the dust?”