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The humiliation of today was deeply imprinted in the minds of all the civil and military officials, soldiers, and guards present.
A deep fear.
They all remembered the three women’s group!
And the mysterious power of water—this ability had left a mark in their hearts.
Not only did the Emperor have it, but even commoners possessed it. Why?
Some people couldn’t help but associate it with last night’s torrential rain.
…
Where had Xie Zhizhi taken Jing Lan and Jing Zhe?
After breakfast—
At the Vice Minister of War’s residence.
The outside was already sealed with white paper strips, and the street was eerily quiet.
Jing Zhe stood behind her and glanced at the looted mansion. “Zhizhi-jie, why are we here?”
Xie Zhizhi asked, “Do they leave guards behind after confiscating a house?”
Jing Zhe shook his head. “No.”
She smiled and said calmly, “Then let’s go in.”
“Alright!” Whatever Miss said was always right. Jing Zhe swiftly carried her inside with qinggong (light-body technique).
Jing Lan followed.
The Vice Minister’s residence was silent. The pavilions and corridors were elegant, the willow trees drooped low, and the courtyard was meticulously divided into various sections—it was massive.
But after last night’s rainstorm, the ground was soaked through.
No one had cleaned up; rainwater had pooled everywhere, making it impossible to see the pathways, let alone determine the depth of the water. Stepping in blindly was not an option.
Jing Lan stood on the eaves and didn’t suggest retreating but instead asked, “Zhizhi-jie, what should we do? Should I carry you inside with qinggong?”
Xie Zhizhi looked at the knee-deep water and nodded. “That’ll work. Let’s head to the backyard first.”
They stepped across the rooftops until they reached the backyard.
There, the water level wasn’t as high—it only reached halfway up the threshold, meaning it likely hadn’t seeped indoors.
Every door was sealed with official strips of paper. Jing Lan, using her qinggong, swiftly tore them off.
She took out a pair of knee-high waterproof boots and prepared to use her metal detector. She whispered, “Jing Lan, you two keep watch outside. I’ll go in.”
Seeing the stiff material of her shoes, neither Jing Lan nor Jing Zhe questioned where she had gotten them from—they were used to their Miss pulling out strange and useful items from nowhere.
“Be careful, Zhizhi-jie,” they reminded her, leaping onto two large trees nearby to stand guard.
Xie Zhizhi stepped into the water and entered the Grand Madam’s chamber. Taking out her metal detector, she methodically scanned the room, sweeping every corner.
She quickly found some hidden personal savings.
But the real treasure was buried deep—a secret stash of gold hidden in the center of the backyard garden.
The flower beds were raised above the ground, so they hadn’t been submerged.
Digging down ten meters, she finally found it. The soil was loose, the flowers crushed—clear signs of recent disturbance.
The confiscation team had dug, but they hadn’t gone deep enough.
She pulled out two wooden chests, about the size of a 13-inch tablet and 20 centimeters high. With a strong tug, she snapped the iron locks open.
Golden light nearly blinded her—gold bars stacked neatly inside.
She tipped both chests over. Aside from the gold, there was nothing else inside.
“Tsk, tsk. Such a good hiding spot. The rest of the obvious treasures must have been taken to the national treasury.”
She’d have to check that out later and maybe “collect” some interest from the Third Prince!
Ah, these little gold ingots were so adorable! She stroked them lovingly before storing them in her personal space.
Continuing her search, she moved to other parts of the residence, with Jing Lan and Jing Zhe standing guard outside each time.
Before long, every last bit of gold, silver, and precious jewelry that the Vice Minister of War, Xie Mengcun, and his family had buried deep underground—ten meters at least—had been uncovered and stored away.
Not a single coin remained.
Thanks to her metal detector!
As they prepared to leave, she walked to the tree where Jing Lan and Jing Zhe were waiting. Seeing her return, they descended.
“We’re done here,” Xie Zhizhi announced, then gave them a serious look. “Think about what food you want to eat in the capital. What things do you want to buy? Get them now while you can.”
She paused before explaining, “If the world falls into chaos—like we saw this morning, where wicked people awakened powers—the streets will be in turmoil. The dynasty itself might collapse. So if there’s something you want, get it now.”
Jing Lan and Jing Zhe nodded in understanding. “Got it. We need to stock up on food, supplies—things that will run out.”
Yesterday, they had only bought enough food for five days. After what happened today, they knew the capital would not remain peaceful.
Xie Zhizhi pulled out a heavy pouch of silver taels and banknotes and handed it to them. “Spend it all. Don’t be stingy. If it’s not enough, come to me.”
“Understood.”
“We’ll meet at the small house by dusk. I have some things to take care of. You two stay together—don’t split up. We don’t know how many people have awakened powers yet.”
After thinking for a moment, she took out a walkie-talkie with a ten-kilometer range.
There was no electromagnetic interference here, so it should work even better than in modern times.
She handed it to Jing Lan and taught them how to use it. “Don’t ask where it came from—it’s a secret. Just press this button and speak into it, and I’ll hear you.”