The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 109

The Duked Duchess had assured the Emperor that they hadn’t touched a single piece of the gold.

Heh.

All she needed to do was move the gold. If the Emperor found out that the gold supposedly protecting the dragon vein was used for something else, he would be furious.

Even though Song Jin hated the Emperor and wanted to kill him, she knew she had to proceed gradually.

First, she had to deal with the Duke. Her father’s original plan was also to deal with the Duke first.

With her plan set, Song Jin dug into her meal with gusto.

The food was delicious. She smiled and said, “Did you make this? It’s impressive to prepare so much in such a short time. Your cooking skills are quite good.”

Lu Zhan smiled guiltily but didn’t respond. He wanted to tell the truth but feared his Prince’s wrath upon waking.

Thinking of the Prince, Lu Zhan looked towards the bed and sighed.

Song Jin noticed and said while chewing on tripe, “If the Fourth Prince is unconscious because of my menstrual cycle, he should wake up after it ends. Don’t worry too much. By the way, when are my father and Uncle Han Bo arriving in the capital?”

Deciding to keep Yuan Bao’s revelations and her dream to herself for now, Song Jin watched Lu Zhan furrow his brow.

“According to the original plan, your father and Han Bo should arrive today. But we haven’t received any news so far. We don’t know what happened, but we’ve sent people to investigate.”

Song Jin nodded while eating. Since they hadn’t arrived, she would proceed with her plan.

“Sit down and eat with me. Afterward, we’ll visit the Duke’s Estate.”

Lu Zhan looked puzzled. “Why visit the Duke’s Estate? Didn’t you say the Emperor won’t punish the Duke?”

Song Jin smiled. “We’re going to handle some matters. If we do it right, the Emperor might change his mind. Hurry up and eat; we need to move quickly before the Emperor’s men arrive at the Duke’s Estate to deal with the gold.”

Lu Zhan was still confused. “How do you know the Emperor’s men haven’t arrived yet?”

Song Jin continued eating and explained, “The Emperor handed the case to the Ministry of Justice. The first thing they do is file the case. Filing requires establishing records, which means questioning the Duke. When I left the palace, the Duke was still there. By my calculations, the Ministry of Justice might have just started writing the records.”

Pausing, she added, “However, the Imperial Guards sent to the Duke’s Estate to watch over the gold have already arrived.”

Lu Zhan…

He knew the Ministry of Justice’s procedures, but what did that have to do with their current situation?

He looked at Song Jin, still puzzled. “So?”

Realizing her brain worked a bit better than Lu Zhan’s in this situation, Song Jin felt a sense of superiority.

“So, we have plenty of time to move the gold!”

Lu Zhan was shocked. “Move the gold? How? Didn’t you say the Imperial Guards were already there?”

Song Jin smiled slyly. “You’ll see. Now, hurry up and eat.”

Lu Zhan…

He couldn’t figure out what Song Jin meant, so he gave up thinking. As long as she had a plan, it was fine.

After quickly finishing their meal, Song Jin and Lu Zhan headed out together.

It was noon, and only a few people were scattered along the streets. In a quiet corner near the Duke’s Estate, Song Jin pulled a dagger from her boot and plunged it into the ground. She stared intently at the dagger.

Lu Zhan watched as the dagger burrowed into the ground like a pangolin, disappearing from sight.

Song Jin kicked some dirt to cover the hole and focused her mind on controlling the dagger. She wasn’t sure if it would work, but it was her only option.

Although Lu Zhan didn’t know exactly what Song Jin was doing, he knew she was controlling the dagger. He stood watch, ensuring no one disturbed her.

The dagger tunneled underground, heading towards the gold stored in the Duke’s Estate. Song Jin sniffed repeatedly to judge the direction.

Lu Zhan…

Scratching his head, he was astonished.

Smelling through the air to detect gold?

How strange.

Just as Lu Zhan was pondering, Song Jin relaxed and exhaled. “Done.”

Lu Zhan immediately asked, “The dagger reached the gold?”

Song Jin nodded.

Lu Zhan glanced around and whispered, “Can you determine the exact location of the gold without inspecting the soil?”

Song Jin rolled her eyes. “The dagger is in the soil. I can smell the scent it carries.”

Lu Zhan…

Never mind. He didn’t understand the world of experts.

“What do we do next?”

Song Jin replied, “We go to the capital magistrate’s residence.”

At the Duke’s Estate, the capital magistrate was heavily beaten and lay on his bed, covered in bruises. His wife, several women, and a group of children were crying around him.

“Isn’t Consort Jiang the Fourth Prince’s favorite consort? How could the magistrate be beaten so badly while the Fourth Prince was at the Duke’s Estate?” a woman shrieked at Consort Jiang.

The magistrate’s wife, her eyes red, stayed silent, seemingly approving.

Consort Jiang’s maid retorted, “It wasn’t the consort’s fault. Besides, with the Fourth Prince’s status, could he intervene at the Duke’s gate?”

“Are you implying the Duke ordered the beating?”

“I didn’t say that.”

“It seems Consort Jiang offended the Fourth Prince. Angry, he had people pretend to be commoners and beat our master. Why else would this happen right after she was sent back?”

“What do you mean ‘sent back’? Explain yourself!”

“Isn’t it clear? If she wasn’t sent back, why would she be here instead of the Fourth Prince’s residence? Why didn’t the Fourth Prince take her back?”

The magistrate, irritated by the bickering women, shouted, “Get out!” Grimacing in pain, he howled.

Just then, the steward walked in. “Master, the Fourth Prince has arrived.”