Chapter Twenty-Four: A Tunneler’s Discovery!

Li Zhao and Yasha, attuned to each other's thoughts, immediately rushed over to investigate. The treasury was surrounded by massive blocks of granite, and the floor was laid with giant blue bricks, each two and a half feet long and one foot wide.

These blue bricks were fired from clay, exceptionally solid and resistant to wind, frost, rain, snow, insects, and rodents. They could withstand a thousand years without damage and were the finest material for building city walls. Naturally, such quality came at a price; to fire a single brick required at least several dozen coins. Only places like Chang'an, Luoyang, and certain military strongholds could afford them, while ordinary city walls were packed with yellow earth. To use these blue bricks for flooring, the Wang family could truly be called extravagant.

Li Zhao examined the floor carefully, running his hand over it. The blue bricks were intact, not even a crack to be found. What had Yasha discovered?

On the other side, White Day Rat seemed to have realized something. He immediately dropped to the ground, pounding the bricks and listening attentively. "Young master, there's a hidden tunnel below!"

"What, a hidden tunnel?"

"No mistake. The thieves used earth-burrowing techniques to steal everything from the treasury. The tunnel was dug with such precision and skill, leaving no trace behind. There are no more than five people in all of Guanzhong capable of this!"

"Old steward, please lend us a shovel and pickaxe. We need to lift the bricks and inspect beneath."

"Very well!" The old steward, grasping the situation, quickly sent for iron shovels and pickaxes. Together, everyone set to work and soon had lifted more than a dozen blue bricks.

Beneath the bricks lay several long wooden planks. Once removed, a hidden tunnel appeared, five or six feet in diameter, dark and unfathomable. It was now clear: the thieves had indeed used earth-burrowing techniques.

Step one: observe the terrain, dig a tunnel from afar directly beneath the Wang family treasury, then dig upwards.

The treasury was surrounded by granite, but only the floor was blue brick. Though sturdy, these bricks were no match for a thief's steel shovel.

Step two: once inside, the thieves carried out gold, silver, jewels, and glassware through the tunnel, then carefully sealed the entrance, leaving no trace.

Digging a tunnel in the treasury would inevitably produce noise. Thus, the thieves chose a thunderstorm to act, using the thunder to mask their sounds. Such cunning and skill!

Yet it was strange: after such efforts, why did they only take twenty chests of jewels and eighty-one pieces of glassware? Why not more?

Perhaps time was short and manpower limited?

"Come, let's go down and see. Perhaps we can follow the trail and find the thieves!"

"Young master, wait! Let me go first!" Li Zhao wished to enter the tunnel, but Jiang Hao stepped ahead, followed by the four bodyguards. Li Zhao had no choice but to follow behind them.

Meanwhile, the old steward, trembling with excitement, hurried to report the breakthrough. With hope of recovering the stolen glassware, prospects were bright.

"Brother Jiang, be careful!"

"Don't worry!"

The tunnel was tall enough for a man to stand, four or five feet wide, dug with remarkable neatness, winding through bends to avoid rocks, water, and trees, yet never deviating from its course. Clearly, the diggers were masters.

Jiang Hao advanced cautiously, holding a firestick in his left hand for light, clutching two iron balls in his right, ready to throw them at any moment.

These were secret weapons, unremarkable in appearance but deadly in effect. A hit could break bones or kill outright, perfect for close combat. The others followed close behind, armed with daggers and throwing knives, prepared for anything.

After about the time of a meal, they had crept three or four hundred yards, finally reaching the tunnel's end—a round exit five feet in diameter, covered with wooden planks.

Jiang Hao signaled for silence, pressed his ear to the boards, listening for movement, then pried open a gap to peek outside. It was quiet; no voices.

The four bodyguards assisted, pushing aside the planks and the items atop them. The group rushed out of the tunnel, scanning their surroundings, and were astonished.

The exit lay within a ruined great hall, surrounded by dozens of statues of Buddha, Guanyin, and Arhats, all broken and covered in dust and cobwebs.

Outside the hall was a dilapidated temple, quite large, but deserted. Where were they?

"This seems to be Dragon Leap Temple!"

"Yes, it's Dragon Leap Temple. Who would have thought the thieves would use this as their base—what a clever choice!"

Jiang Hao and the others, familiar with Chang'an, immediately recognized the location.

Dragon Leap Temple, founded in the second year of Renshou under the former Sui dynasty, covered over two hundred acres. Within the temple was a deep, clear pond, said in ancient times to have been home to a dragon that leaped from its depths to the heavens, hence the name Dragon Leap Pond.

The temple became famous for the pond, thus named Dragon Leap Temple.

During the reign of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, the temple caught fire, burning nearly the entire complex to ruins. The monks fled or perished, leaving the temple abandoned.

For decades afterward, there were proposals to rebuild, but none succeeded for various reasons.

Unexpectedly, the cunning thieves took over this abandoned temple, digging a tunnel hundreds of yards long directly beneath the Wang family treasury, and absconded with its contents.

"Everyone, search the area for any useful clues!"

"Yes!"

The group spread out, searching the temple thoroughly, but found no sign of the thieves. Clearly, they had fled immediately after their heist.

Nonetheless, Jiang Hao, experienced in investigations, examined the footprints and found clues: three thieves, all adult men, one a fat man weighing at least two hundred and fifty pounds, leaving heavy prints.

One had an injured right leg, limping as he walked.

The last was stranger still—a grown man who liked to meddle with women's things. In one room, they found remnants of lead powder, eyebrow pigment, and rouge.

"Three mere thieves, stealing twenty chests of gold and jewels and eighty-one pieces of glassware in one night—that's difficult enough. To smuggle these goods out would be nearly impossible; they couldn't even pass through the city gates. Their cleverest move was to hide the loot nearby, then slowly move it bit by bit once things calmed down.

Therefore, I believe the items are hidden close by, possibly within Dragon Leap Temple itself. If we gather all the agents and search the surrounding blocks thoroughly, we might find them."

Jiang Hao, drawing on his experience, suggested a practical plan.

Li Zhao weighed the options and shook his head in frustration. The families living near Dragon Leap Temple were all wealthy or noble, each with powerful connections. Searching their estates would be nearly impossible.

Moreover, the clues suggested the thieves were exceptionally clever, surely hiding the loot in a very secret place. Even a thorough search might not find it within three days.

If they failed, the magistrate would demand answers, and Li Zhao would likely face punishment—at least a beating.

Was a beating terrifying?

Quite so!

The magistrate's constables were specially trained, their skill formidable. A beating could leave one's backside torn and bloody, yet not harm the bones; with ointment, one could recover in three to five days.

Alternatively, the same beating could leave no mark on the skin, but break bones and damage organs, causing death within days, with no visible signs.

Li Zhao was certain that if he suffered a beating, it would be the latter!

What to do?

Simple—deploy a clever ruse and let the thieves expose themselves.

"Come, let's return. To quickly catch the thieves and recover the stolen goods, we'll need the help of the God of Wealth!"

"Yes!"

...

In the Wang family mansion's main hall, Li Zhao met Wang Yuanbao, the world's foremost God of Wealth.

About sixty years old, medium height, slightly thin, his face wrinkled and beard grizzled, dressed plainly with not a hint of gold or jade. Walking the streets, he'd be indistinguishable from any ordinary old man.

If anything distinguished him, it was his eyes—narrow and long, with a slight yellow hue and frequent flashes of brilliance, classic fox eyes.

"Youth, you are impressive. In less than half a day, you've uncovered the cause and effect of the treasury theft, far better than those idle constables at the magistrate's office."

"Thank you, elder, but I do not dare accept such praise!"

"Now that the facts are clear, can you catch the thieves quickly?"

"No, the thieves have already escaped and left few clues. Catching them is extremely difficult."

"Indeed. There are a million people in Chang'an, and finding a few petty thieves is like searching for a needle in the sea—hard, very hard!"

Wang Yuanbao sighed deeply. Without catching the thieves, there was no hope of recovering the eighty-one glassware pieces. This year's Autumn Festival would be lackluster, and the Wang family could not escape blame. Though it wouldn't cost them their heads, losing imperial favor would make future days hard indeed. What to do?

"Elder, no need to worry too much. Though it's difficult to find the thieves, I have a little trick that can make them walk right into our net."

"Oh? Tell me—what is your plan?"

"Hehe, it's simple. We do this... then this... and finally this..."

Li Zhao whispered his plan into Wang Yuanbao's ear, earning repeated nods and a look of admiration.

"A brilliant scheme! Rest assured, I will help you see this drama through to perfection, hah!"