Chapter 124: The Sea Marauder

After Master Zhu finished attending to his own affairs, he specifically sought out Han Qing, purely to uncover the truth.

"Why did you give away the formula for the floral water?" he asked, utterly bewildered. He understood that once he possessed the recipe, he would likely dominate the market, and giving it away seemed entirely irrational.

"We were partners to begin with," Han Qing replied calmly. "Besides, here in the capital of Luojing, there are certain matters that require his intervention."

Han Qing believed in looking at the bigger picture. One should not always dwell on immediate gains or losses; by the time people truly realized the impropriety of such a situation, it would already be too late.

"But what about those businesses you were planning to manage? Do you intend to abandon them now?"

Han Qing shook his head. He received a certain share of the profits, and because prices in Luojing were exceptionally high, his earnings far exceeded what he had made back in Beijun City. Why not take the deal? Moreover, being a hands-off partner was far more comfortable than managing the operations himself.

Master Zhu did not quite understand, but he was in no position to oppose Han Qing's methods.

A few days of quiet followed, but unexpectedly, a major incident rocked Luojing. The funds in the treasury of the Qianye Restaurant had vanished overnight. Given the massive amount of gold taken, it was assumed to be the work of notorious master thieves. The event caused quite a stir, largely because most of the restaurant's profits flowed directly into the pockets of Prince Huai.

The Prince was absolutely furious. That such a heinous crime could occur was, in his view, utterly intolerable. He stormed into the Lu residence, clearly expecting Magistrate Lu to help him resolve the crisis. However, Magistrate Lu was currently struggling to keep his own position secure, so how could he possibly help? The Prince had clearly come to the wrong person.

"You kept assuring me that the restaurant's business would be safe," Prince Huai fumed. "Now that such a disaster has occurred, where am I supposed to seek justice?"

"Your Highness," Magistrate Lu hinted, "a calamity of this magnitude is not something an ordinary person could orchestrate. It is very likely that *he* is behind it."

Prince Huai nodded. Among those at court who harbored animosity toward him, only his third brother came to mind. But that fellow had always been so compliant and low-key; could he really be capable of such reckless behavior? Or had he been wearing a mask all these years?

"My third brother certainly has men at his disposal, but I doubt he has the guts," the Prince dismissed the idea. He had always looked down on his younger brother and found it hard to believe he would commit such an outrageous act.

"Your Highness, forgive this old man for speaking bluntly, but one cannot judge a man by his appearance. Furthermore, he commands soldiers; wouldn't it be child's play for them to disguise themselves as master thieves?"

Prince Huai nodded, a realization dawning on him. Could it truly be him? "Regardless, the stolen funds must be recovered," he insisted. He would not lose tens of thousands of gold pieces for nothing.

"Of course, but it will take some time," Magistrate Lu said slowly. He could not guarantee that the gold would be returned; his goal was merely to muddy the waters.

"I leave this matter to you. Act with discretion. If it truly is my third brother, I will certainly report him to the Emperor." Prince Huai turned and left, feeling relieved that he still had capable men at his side.

He could never have guessed that Magistrate Lu was not a man easily manipulated. The only reason Lu served him was because the struggle for power had yet to be decided, and he preferred to avoid unnecessary conflict. This incident, however, provided the perfect opportunity to potentially oust Magistrate Lin of the Capital Prefecture. Since the Qianye Restaurant was located within Lin's jurisdiction, the theft of one hundred thousand gold pieces provided the perfect grounds to charge them with gross negligence. Magistrate Lu had calculated his move well, intending to install one of his own students in the position.

But would things go as he planned?

Magistrate Lin of the Capital Prefecture, upon hearing the news, felt a wave of anxiety. If it had been an ordinary restaurant, it would be no matter, but once the royal family was involved, all nearby officials were bound to suffer. They would either have to capture the thieves or pay the restitution themselves. Though the Lin family was not exactly beyond reproach, they could not possibly come up with one hundred thousand gold pieces.

As the old man paced in distress, his butler suggested he ask Lin Fei to see if he could temporarily move some funds. However, the old man was too stubborn to ask a younger relative for help. Realizing the matter could not be delayed, the butler went to the Lin family shop to find him.

"Master Lin, your uncle is in a difficult spot. The family is still short by over thirty thousand taels. For the sake of our kinship, could you offer some assistance?" the butler asked earnestly. He had been sent by the elder Madame Lin; otherwise, he would never have dared to act behind his master's back.

"Uncle Li, surely this isn't my uncle's idea? Besides, the theft case hasn't been settled yet; why is there such a rush to accept the blame?" Lin Fei asked.

"Magistrate Lu is investigating, but so far, he has found no leads. If Prince Huai comes to demand accountability, your uncle will be forced to take the blame."

The logic was obvious.

"If it comes to that, I will certainly step in to help," Lin Fei said. The butler nodded with a look of regret, hoping that would indeed be the case.

Lin Fei, however, sensed something suspicious. Wasn't Magistrate Lu's intention to force the Lin family to pledge loyalty to Prince Huai? Since the incident happened in their jurisdiction, they could not refuse.

"Brother Han, do you have any ideas?" Lin Fei asked.

"None, except to catch the thieves and return the gold," Han Qing replied. "But your uncle will still be held responsible for negligence." He might be demoted, but if the family bankrupted themselves to pay back the gold, the Lin family's influence would be finished.

Lin Fei sighed. Magistrate Lu truly knew how to find a scapegoat. It was hard not to suspect that the entire thing had been staged. Yet, Han Qing seemed to understand the situation perfectly and urged him to remain calm and not be overly anxious.

True to his words, three days later, Chen Tianwei arrived at the residence of Magistrate Gao, accompanied by a masked man in black, and laid out the entire sequence of events.