RWNEFE -Chapter 264 Did You Open the Boxes to Inspect the Silver?

Sun Qian’s eyes flickered with panic. Afraid anyone would notice, he quickly focused and shook his head.

“I don’t know. Ever since we were convicted and demoted, we were separated. The few people assigned with me all mysteriously died one after another. After noticing something was wrong, I found an opportunity to stage a fake cliff-fall and disguised myself, only then was I able to survive until now!”

Afraid that Shen Lanxi wouldn’t believe him, he bitterly pointed to his face: “I didn’t even dare wash my face at night while sleeping. During this time in hiding, I tried to find out what happened to the others, only to learn that they were all dead. I didn’t dare return to the capital—there was nowhere to go—so I’ve been hiding in the northwest all this time.”

Shen Lanxi pulled out Sun Qian’s case files and pointed, letting him see for himself:

“Four of your family members died in the past three years. Now, only your wife and child remain.”

Sun Qian seemed driven to the brink of despair and let out a heart-wrenching wail.

“My father… mother… my brothers…”

The ones who died were precisely Sun Qian’s father, mother, and two younger brothers.

Shen Lanxi waited until Sun Qian’s cries subsided before asking: “Why did you come to me?”

Sun Qian stared blankly, as if he hadn’t heard her question.

“Did you come to assassinate me?”

Sun Qian shook his head silently, his hoarse voice explaining: “I only heard that the Grand General of the Northern Garrison is from the Shen family, and that a junior general of the Wei family army appeared. I wanted to investigate the theft of the Wei army’s supplies.”

Shen Lanxi’s expression softened slightly. “I’ve already arranged protection for your family. You don’t need to rush back to the capital.”

Sun Qian had been entirely focused on returning to the capital to save his family. Even hearing Shen Lanxi’s words, he still didn’t believe it.

Shen Lanxi continued: “I know you don’t trust anyone right now. Before I came to the northwest, I petitioned His Majesty to thoroughly investigate the theft of the Wei family army’s supplies, and I will personally oversee the case!”

Sun Qian stared blankly, lost in thought.

Shen Lanxi pressed on: “If you don’t believe me, you can check for yourself. This case isn’t a secret in the capital!”

“You must be curious why a member of the Shen family is petitioning, more than two years later, to reopen this case.”

“Don’t think that your family suffered the most injustice. Our Shen family did. On my wedding night, my entire family was locked in the Imperial Prison. There wasn’t even a public trial. Less than half a month later, our family was exiled to Dongchuan. I also divorced because of this.”

“You’re from the capital, so you must know the Shen family has always enjoyed imperial favor. Our family was wealthy and powerful; as long as we didn’t rebel, we were untouchable. Would we risk exile or execution for the sake of a mere hundred thousand taels of silver?”

Sun Qian naturally knew of the Shen family, especially Shen Lanxi. Every time she left the palace, she brought a large amount of rewards. The empress dowager’s favor was well known throughout the capital.

Compared to those rewards, just over a million taels of supplies wasn’t significant.

Shen Lanxi asked him to consider her perspective: “So, in this matter, isn’t our Shen family the most wronged?”

Sun Qian had no words to refute her.

Wei Dongzhu, standing nearby, had already considered this. He had previously sent someone to inquire in the capital.

Moreover, on the way to Dongchuan, everything the Shen family did confirmed Shen Lanxi’s words.

Aside from her, the Shen family didn’t have the ability to steal the supplies. If Shen Lanxi were the thief, she wouldn’t have reopened the case.

Even if it were to show him something, it was impossible. Wei Dongzhu didn’t think the matter was worth such an effort.

With the groundwork laid, Shen Lanxi began asking about the escort in detail.

“Tell me everything about receiving the supplies and transporting them to the northwest. Every detail along the way—changing guards, who was on night watch, who approached the boxes, everything—tell me all of it!”

Sun Qian’s expression became twice as serious as before. He concentrated, recalling the journey meticulously.

He spoke for over two hours.

“When we opened the boxes during handover, that’s when we discovered that they were filled with stones!” Sun Qian clenched his fists tightly, veins standing out on his face, showing the depth of his anger and hatred.

Shen Lanxi didn’t notice anything unusual along the journey, except for one thing:

“When you received the silver from the Ministry of Revenue, did you open the boxes to inspect it?”

Sun Qian suddenly lifted his head, eyes wide, staring at Shen Lanxi in disbelief.

“You mean the boxes we received… were actually stones?”

Shen Lanxi looked at him coldly, saying nothing.

Wei Dongzhu reminded him: “Answer the general’s question.”

Sun Qian quickly collected himself and said: “No, we didn’t open the boxes to check the silver.”

He immediately explained: “That’s always been the rule. We aren’t allowed to see the silver, lest we be tempted to steal it. So the boxes are always sealed, and during transport, the seals must remain intact and be handed over to the recipients without damage.” That’s how they had transported supplies every time.

Shen Lanxi: “So you had no idea whether you were receiving silver or stones?”

Sun Qian lost control and shouted: “The Ministry of Revenue wouldn’t give us stones, right?!”

Shen Lanxi thought for a moment. “Do you remember who handed the supplies to you? Do you remember what they looked like?”

Three years had passed; Sun Qian barely remembered.

“I didn’t suspect them at the time, so…” He hadn’t made an effort to recall their appearances. Time had made him forget completely.

Shen Lanxi then pulled out several documents from the case files, laid them out in front of him.

“When the handover occurred, you must have signed the documents, right?”

Sun Qian nodded, then frowned. “Yes. I signed with another escort officer.”

Shen Lanxi thought to herself, Good thing this Sun Qian isn’t a low-ranking soldier; otherwise, there would be no clues at all.

“Look carefully through these documents. Which one did you sign?”

The documents were meticulously copied from the originals, even the handwriting was reproduced.

Sun Qian examined them carefully, then gave Shen Lanxi an answer that surprised her:

“None of them.”

Shen Lanxi raised an eyebrow. “How can it be none? Are you sure?”

She thought he meant the signatures didn’t match, but Sun Qian explained:

“The timing is wrong. This document says the ninth day, hour of Chou. But we didn’t go until near the end of the hour of Yin. I remember clearly—when we left the capital, the meat bun stall at the city gate was already open. I even bought some for my brothers!”

Shen Lanxi immediately noted down the timing—so far, the only inconsistency.

Wei Dongzhu couldn’t contain himself; he felt a breakthrough in the stolen supplies case.

“When you handed over the supplies to the Ministry, where did the handover take place?”

The urgency in his question made Sun Qian sense that something unusual was going on.