The Command to Pamper the Husband - Chapter 111

Lu Zhan was so shocked that he nearly dropped the spade.

With the next shovelful, he unearthed something.

A dagger.

The very dagger that Miss Song had used near the Duke’s Estate.

How…

He had watched as the dagger went into the ground and then saw Miss Song use her spiritual power. She had said the dagger had been sent to the Duke’s gold stash.

Now, the dagger was here?!

Could it really be that this dagger had led the Duke’s gold here?

Imagining a dagger leading chunks of gold underground, Lu Zhan couldn’t help but tremble. He bent down, picked up the dagger, set the spade aside, and walked back to the room.

Inside, the magistrate lay on the bed with an expression of righteous indignation, confident in his innocence.

Song Jin lounged lazily in her chair.

Lu Zhan stepped forward and showed the dagger to Song Jin. “Your Highness.”

Song Jin glanced at it and immediately scowled. She slammed her hand on the table. “Minister Jiang, you are incredibly bold!”

She turned to Lu Zhan. “Go to the Duke’s Estate and fetch the Minister of Justice!”

Lu Zhan nodded and left.

The magistrate, confused, asked, “Your Highness, what is the meaning of this?”

Song Jin sneered, standing abruptly. “What do you think? Let’s see how long you can keep this act up!”

With that, she stormed out of the room.

The magistrate, puzzled, called for his steward. “What’s happening outside?”

The steward, anxious, replied, “Your Excellency, Lu Zhan just dug up gold in the courtyard.”

The magistrate was stunned.

“What?”

“Gold,” the steward whispered.

“Gold?”

“Yes.”

The magistrate was flabbergasted. Ignoring his pain, he scrambled to his feet. “How could there be gold in my courtyard? Who buried it? How much?”

The steward shook his head. “I don’t know how much. Lu Zhan stopped digging after finding a bit. As for who buried it, I have no idea.”

The steward had been with the magistrate for decades and knew the estate well. He never expected there to be gold buried in the courtyard.

The steward asked cautiously, “Your Excellency, do you truly not know?”

The magistrate slapped him on the head. “If I knew, would I have let Lu Zhan dig? Fool!”

The steward…

“So what now? Lu Zhan has gone to fetch the Minister of Justice. They’re investigating the Duke for illegal mining. If they find gold here, it won’t end well.”

“Do you think I don’t know that?” The magistrate felt his head might explode. How could there be gold in the courtyard?

Wait. Calm down, calm down.

He took deep breaths, trying to steady himself. “Go to the Crown Prince and inform him. Ask for his guidance.”

The steward hurried to carry out the order.

The magistrate, despite his injuries, couldn’t stay still. As soon as the steward left, he grabbed his cane and hobbled to the courtyard.

Song Jin was digging with the spade.

The magistrate’s eyes widened at the sight.

Gold. Everywhere.

His courtyard was filled with gold?

How could he not know?

If he had known about all this gold, he wouldn’t have resorted to corruption. This much gold seemed inexhaustible.

Staring at the gold, the magistrate’s mind went blank.

After a long moment, he stammered, “Your Highness, I truly had no idea.”

Even as he said it, he knew how ridiculous it sounded.

Song Jin, holding the spade, glanced back at him without a word.

At the Crown Prince’s residence, the Crown Prince, feeling frustrated that the Duke had escaped punishment, was flipping through a book when the magistrate’s steward arrived, much to his annoyance. “What’s happened?”

“Your Highness, it’s terrible! The Fourth Prince has found gold in our master’s courtyard!”

The Crown Prince thought he had misheard. He raised an eyebrow, frowning. “Found what?”

“Gold! The Fourth Prince found gold in our master’s courtyard and has sent Lu Zhan to fetch the Minister of Justice.”

“Your Highness, please help our master! He truly didn’t bury any gold. Someone must be framing him. If he’s accused of the same crime as the Duke, the consequences will be dire.”

The Crown Prince was stunned.

The Fourth Prince had found gold in the magistrate’s residence?

Impossible. If the magistrate had gold, he wouldn’t have been so desperate for bribes.

“How much gold?”

The steward shook his head. He had only seen a small amount being unearthed before he left.

“Your Highness, the gold isn’t our master’s. Please help us.”

The Crown Prince shifted his gaze to the window, tapping his fingers rhythmically on the table. He suspected the key words were “dragon vein” and “gold.” The Emperor had pardoned the Duke because he believed the Duke’s actions were for his benefit.

But now, gold was found in the magistrate’s residence.

What did that imply?

It meant the Duke was lying!

Ha!

This was getting interesting.

But how had the Fourth Prince done it?

The Crown Prince was certain the magistrate’s residence hadn’t hidden gold. If there was now, it had to be the Fourth Prince’s doing.

Indeed, it must be the Fourth Prince. Who else could have done this?

How had he transferred gold from the Duke’s estate to the magistrate’s residence?

Curiosity piqued, the Crown Prince felt an urgency to see the next act unfold.

“I’ll go see for myself.”

The Crown Prince stood up.

He was going to watch the spectacle, but to the steward, this meant he was going to help the magistrate. The steward sighed in relief.

If the magistrate were implicated in illegal gold mining, it would mean execution for the entire household.

He only wanted to live and enjoy life with the magistrate, not die!

When the Crown Prince arrived at the magistrate’s residence, the Minister of Justice was just stepping out of his sedan chair.

Seeing the Crown Prince, the Minister of Justice hurriedly bowed.

They walked together to the magistrate’s courtyard.

At the same time, the magistrate’s wife’s maid was also heading to the courtyard.