On the second day, the national treasury mysteriously gained another 300,000 taels of silver.

The hidden guards following Jiang Yuanxi reported back that not only had the Prime Minister’s residence lost 300,000 taels, but several buildings had also burned down.

The Emperor was so delighted that he couldn’t sleep all night.

“Cao Cheng, tell me, should I confer the title of ‘Protector Princess’ upon Yuanxi?”

Cao Cheng was shocked.

The title of “Protector Princess” was only granted to individuals who had made extraordinary contributions to the empire.

In the previous dynasty, Princess De’an had assisted the young emperor, which earned her such an honor.

And now, His Majesty was actually considering—

“Your Majesty, Princess Xihe is innocent and adorable. This old servant would be happy to see it happen, but I fear the court officials will not agree.”

The Emperor frowned slightly, lost in thought.

In just two days, a total of 600,000 taels had gone missing.

Outraged, Prime Minister Sima Dao declared martial law over the entire city.

All citizens entering and leaving the city had to undergo thorough inspections, including the families of some officials.

..

On the third day, during the morning court session, Censor Zheng Guang submitted a petition.

“Your Majesty, Prime Minister Sima’s search for the thief has severely disrupted the daily lives of the people. They are voicing strong complaints.”

Sima Dao, his expression cold, retorted, “Minister Zheng, my residence lost an enormous amount of wealth. I have merely tightened security at the city gates. What is the crime in that?”

A thief had stolen 600,000 taels from his residence over two days, including rare treasures, precious calligraphy, and paintings.

Sima Dao’s heart ached just thinking about it.

What was worse, the thief had even set fire to his daughter’s courtyard.

Zheng Guang, undeterred, argued, “Has the Prime Minister forgotten that our court has the Court of Judicial Review responsible for such investigations? Acting without an imperial decree and setting up private checkpoints—does that not mean you disregard His Majesty’s authority?”

The Emperor was secretly pleased.

As long as these censors weren’t causing him trouble, they were quite likable.

With 600,000 more taels in the national treasury, the Emperor felt much more confident.

“Sima Dao, what exactly was stolen from your residence? Speak freely, and I will see justice done for you,” the Emperor said with a solemn expression.

Sima Dao gritted his teeth in silence—this money had come from dubious sources.

He had hidden part of it in a secret chamber and the rest under a stone slab near the latrines.

Yet the thieves had somehow managed to overturn even his latrines!

If the Emperor discovered the existence of these funds, there would be no way for him to explain it.

“Your Majesty, I have always been fond of collecting calligraphy and paintings. Last night, a band of thieves infiltrated my residence and took all my treasured pieces. Please grant me justice!” Sima Dao lamented tearfully.

In the end, the Emperor ordered the Court of Judicial Review to handle the case.

Outwardly, he instructed them to investigate thoroughly, but he knew full well they would never find anything.

Because all the wealth Sima Dao had “lost” was now safely stored in the national treasury.

..

Sima Dao had no choice but to swallow his humiliation.

When he returned home, he smashed everything in sight.

His wife, Zhao Yue, stepped in, accidentally kicking a shard of broken porcelain.

“Servants, clean this up,” she ordered.

The servants rushed in, quickly tidied up the mess, and left.

Zhao Yue approached Sima Dao and gently said, “Husband, please calm down. Money can be earned again. Don’t let this anger consume you.”

She had been with Sima Dao since she was fifteen. Now at thirty, she knew his temper inside and out.

“How could I not be angry? 600,000 taels, gone just like that!” Sima Dao fumed.

And worst of all, he couldn’t openly search for it.

Zhao Yue soothed him softly. “Instead of being angry, perhaps you should think—have you offended anyone recently?”

As the Prime Minister, Sima Dao held immense power.

Aside from the Emperor, who would dare target him?

If there was anyone, it could only be the Duke of Han or the Emperor’s brother-in-law.

But neither had a reason to act against him.

The Duke of Han commanded the military and rarely engaged in court politics.

The Emperor’s brother-in-law supported the Crown Prince, who would need Sima Dao’s backing in the future, making it even less likely for him to attack.

“We lost the silver, and the next day, the national treasury had a sudden increase in funds,” Zhao Yue noted. “Could it be related to the Emperor?”

She stepped closer. “Husband, your growing influence may have made His Majesty wary. This could be his way of giving you a warning.”

Sima Dao furrowed his brows.

After eliminating all other possibilities, only the Emperor remained.

But somehow, he didn’t think the Emperor was behind it.

“Has there been any news from Pingting?” Perhaps something could be uncovered there.

Zhao Yue hesitated before answering, “The fire started mysteriously and only burned Pingting’s courtyard. No evidence was found.”

Sima Dao waved a hand dismissively. “Forget it. This case will likely remain unsolved.”

After leaving the study, Zhao Yue was deep in thought.

If someone had truly wanted revenge, they would have set fire to Sima Dao’s study or his bedroom.

But the arsonist had deliberately thrown Pingting out of the flames and even drawn a turtle on her face.

It seemed more like a personal grudge.

Inside the room, Sima Pingting buried her face in her blanket, unwilling to let anyone see her.

“Mother, I don’t want to live anymore! How can I show my face like this?” she sobbed.

“There, there, the marks will fade in a few days,” Zhao Yue reassured her.

Sima Pingting lifted her head, covering her face with her hands, leaving only her eyes visible.

“Mother, has Father still not caught those thieves?” The mere thought of them made her want to tear them apart.

Zhao Yue’s gaze flickered.

She stroked her daughter’s hair. “Don’t worry, your father will find them. But tell me, have you offended anyone recently?”

Sima Pingting turned away. “Of course not! I only went out to buy some cosmetics.”

Zhao Yue caught the flicker of guilt in her daughter’s eyes.

After leaving the room, Zhao Yue immediately ordered an investigation into her daughter’s recent actions.

What she found was interesting.

“Madam, the young lady ordered people to destroy Lan Fang Pavilion the other day. Many were injured,” a maid reported.

Zhao Yue’s frown deepened.

A disturbance one day, and a prank on her face the next.

It did seem to make sense.

But if those responsible were truly from Lan Fang Pavilion, how had they managed to steal the gold and silver without leaving a trace?

..

Early in the morning, Wang Hanqi arrived at the Jiang residence, only to find Jiang Yuancheng sleeping soundly.

Even Jiang Yuanxi had not yet woken up.

Suspicious, Wang Hanqi questioned the servants.

“What were they up to last night?”

The servants shook their heads. “Fourth Young Master and the Miss have been asleep since last night.”

Wang Hanqi was unconvinced.

Doing nothing and still sleeping in?

Who were they trying to fool?

He knew exactly what kind of person Jiang Yuancheng was.

Jiang Yuanxi finally woke up—because she was hungry.

Her maid, Chun Tao, had been waiting by her side since dawn.

When Jiang Yuanxi saw Chun Tao, she suddenly remembered something from that day.

“Taotao,” she mumbled sleepily, “you’ll have a husband.”

Chun Tao assumed she was still dreaming and quickly helped her dress and freshen up.

Meanwhile, Madam Chen had taken Chun Zhi to the shop early in the morning.

After eating, Jiang Yuanxi begged Chuntao to take her along.

Just as they reached the front gate, a figure rushed over and knelt before her.

The gatekeeper immediately tried to drive them away.

“You again? Didn’t we tell you, our Miss doesn’t see guests!”

But the kneeling woman didn’t budge. “Princess, please save Liu Yun!”

“Liu Yun-jie?”

So she knew this person. Chun Tao held back the gatekeeper.

The woman pulled out a family heirloom from her robes. “As long as the Princess saves Liu Yun, the Mu family will forever be at your service.”

Jiang Yuanxi sighed.

She had warned Liu Yun before.

The outcome she sought was not one she could accept.

Still, she took the jade pendant and tucked it away.

“Where is Liu Yun-jie?”

Mu’s mother quickly stood and led the way.