Chapter 36: Struck It Rich

In a corner where no one noticed, Lin Pianran gazed at the gleaming pile of silver, her mouth almost watering at the sight.

One of the imperial guards sighed fretfully, "It is truly a shame. If we cannot take these treasures with us, leaving them for that little scoundrel, Prince Chang, is simply unbearable..."

Vice General Xu wore an equally pained expression, lamenting loudly, "Just the thought of Prince Chang, that cur, benefiting from this makes me sick. It is such a waste!"

The other guards chimed in with their own expressions of regret. Lin Pianran, however, was brimming with excitement. If that was the case, let it all benefit her instead! She certainly wasn't going to leave anything for Prince Chang. Hehehe...

Seeing their reluctance to leave the wealth behind, Wei Zixing issued an order: "Very well! Each of you, choose a reliable weapon to carry, and then take as much silver as you can manage. As for the jewelry, take a few pieces each. Take what you can carry; there is no helping the rest..."

Upon hearing this, the men were quite elated. They knew that even if they escaped this cave, the challenges ahead would be immense. With weapons and silver, they would have a better chance to establish themselves and eventually work their way back to where they started. Currently, the Emperor’s stance remained unclear. Once they were out, they would need to plan carefully, and with silver in hand, everything would be simpler.

Since they were all military men, they had little interest in jewelry, each picking only two or three pieces. Lin Pianran provided them with two large cloths, and Vice General Xu bundled up two heavy packs of silver, slinging them over his shoulders. Seeing everyone finally satisfied, Lin Pianran could not help but chuckle. She also symbolically stuffed a few silver ingots into her own bundle so as not to arouse suspicion.

With their belongings secured, they prepared to exit the cave. Lin Pianran deliberately lingered at the back, slowing her pace until she was over a dozen steps behind. Seeing the others still chatting excitedly as they moved toward the exit, she took advantage of their distraction and quickly swept all the wooden chests in the cave into her spatial storage.

Splendid! Another windfall! To be rewarded with such riches just for saving people—it was truly wonderful! It seemed that good deeds indeed brought good rewards. She would have to keep doing good and helping the weak in the future.

With a massive haul tucked away, Lin Pianran felt as if she might float away with joy. Like a lighthearted little bird, she skipped along to catch up with the others. Soon, they emerged from the cave.

It was mid-afternoon outside. Standing beneath the clear, open sky, they all instinctively squeezed their eyes shut. The intense light was hard to adjust to, but after a short while, they grew accustomed to the brightness.

Wei Zixing looked at Lin Pianran and said, "Pianpian, we cannot return to the camp directly. We must find a place to hide first. We have discussed it and decided to head into the depths of the dense forest to the east. There is game to hunt there, so we won't go hungry, and it will give us time to recover our strength. For now, we cannot show our faces until we know the Emperor’s attitude toward our disappearance. All my tokens of identity were confiscated by those thieves when I was imprisoned. You must find a way to contact the Crown Prince as soon as possible, win his trust, and have him send someone to meet us in the eastern forest."

He continued, "As for my three sons, try your best not to let them know of my situation. They are reckless and impulsive, and I fear they might ruin things. Furthermore, with all factions watching them, it would only invite unwanted attention and expose us."

Lin Pianran committed every word to memory. She pulled a waterskin, a large package of pastries, and two bottles of medicinal salves from her bundle, handing them to Wei Zixing and his men. She patted her chest, promising, "Rest assured! I will not fail this mission. I will contact the Crown Prince immediately and have him find a way to retrieve you."

"Very well, child. We shall keep your great kindness in our hearts. Be careful when you move on your own. If Prince Chang and his lot discover what you have done, they will surely turn against you."

"Don't worry, I am clever! He will never suspect me."

After bidding farewell to Wei Zixing and his group, Lin Pianran skipped away to find her two maids. They were still waiting patiently in the woods. Hearing her footsteps, they looked up, their faces lighting up with joy at the sight of her unharmed.

"Miss, you've finally returned! Did you catch up with Princess Huaian? I was so worried she might have harmed you. The Princess is of high status and a wicked heart; I was truly afraid you would suffer."

Suffer? Heh, she had already finished off Princess Huaian.

Lin Pianran smiled and lied, "I chased her for a long time but couldn't find her. I suspect she must have had other accomplices helping her vanish without a trace." She added, "We must return to the camp now. The Lin family will surely ask questions, and Consort De will certainly not let us off easily. Once we return, if anyone asks, say that Huanxue was kidnapped. We went into the small forest to find her, searched for a long time, and finally found her in a ravine. As for who kidnapped her, tell them we don't know—the culprits were masked, and we saw nothing."

After the three of them agreed on their story, they hurried back toward the camp. However, no sooner had they arrived than an old matron blocked their path. With an air of extreme arrogance, she performed a shallow bow to Lin Pianran. "Consort De requests the presence of Miss Lin!"

This was exactly what Lin Pianran had expected. She asked calmly, "May I ask why the Consort wishes to see me?"

"Princess Huaian is missing, and the Consort wishes to question you."

Lin Pianran replied with feigned confusion, "My maid Huanxue was only just recovered, and now I am being asked to search for someone else? Besides, if the Princess is missing, you should be sending people to search for her! What use is it to find me? I have no ability to help the Consort in her search."

Seeing Lin Pianran’s lack of cooperation, the old matron’s arrogance flared. "The Consort has summoned you; do you dare refuse? Do you no longer wish to live?"

Lin Pianran, incensed that a mere servant would dare to act so insolently, stepped forward and slapped the matron’s wrinkled face twice, hard. Blood trickled from the corner of the servant’s mouth, and her face instantly swelled.

"You... how dare you strike me! Do you know who I am? I am a senior servant in Consort De’s confidence! Are you not afraid the Consort will punish you for this?"

"I am merely disciplining a dog of a servant who knows nothing of hierarchy. I believe the Consort is a woman of great reason; she surely would not blame me for stepping in on her behalf."