Chapter 218 - 217: Beating Them at Their Own Game

Chapter 218: Chapter 217: Beating Them at Their Own Game

In the short time it took to drink a cup of tea, and before Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang and Divine Capture Sect Chief Lu Tianming could even begin to execute their plan, Xia Wuyang had already learned of it through his network of birds and insects.

At that moment, he had Su Ling’er in his left arm and Ah Yuela in his right. With a woman in each arm, he was enjoying himself immensely.

A newly arrived Palace Maid served imported fine wine, and as he became lost in a drunken haze, he couldn’t resist letting his hands wander. Soon, they all found their way onto the bed.

An hour later, Xia Wuyang lay exhausted on the bed. Surrounded by a bevy of beauties, he was escorted to the Practice Room. After locking the stone door from the outside, they left him to rest well.

The moment everyone had left, Xia Wuyang awoke from his feigned stupor. A playful smile touched his lips. ’Turning my own trick against me, are they? We’ll see who’s more cunning.’

He quickly used the Thief Demon to spread the relevant information.

That same night, all the great families and factions received the news: Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang was planning to mobilize the Imperial Guard, the Divine Capture Sect, and the Shadow Guard to investigate the private vaults of every family and faction. The official reason was to search for the resources and treasures stolen from the Inner Treasury and the National Treasury, but they would also be checking for contraband.

Upon receiving this news, the great families and factions were thrown into an immediate uproar. After all, quite a few of their private vaults contained at least some contraband.

Even those without contraband had items that could not see the light of day—things the outside world must never know about.

Thus, every family and faction scrambled into action, either hiding the sensitive contents of their private vaults and storehouses or smuggling them out of White Jade City.

Even some of the concubines in the palace began moving in secret, though what they were hiding remained a mystery.

In the Wang Family’s cellar, crates of smuggled salt were hastily moved. In the Li Mansion’s rear courtyard, several forbidden weapons from the previous dynasty were buried overnight in a nearby dry well. Even the families of some Princes’ and Princesses’ maternal relatives began secretly moving their ill-gotten wealth.

The most audacious case was a minister favored by Emperor Xia. He had a Secret Vault in White Jade City containing tribute items he had skimmed over the years. Upon hearing the rumors, he actually requisitioned military carriages and began moving the tribute items with great fanfare, under the guise of relocating his household.

All of this, of course, was observed by interested parties.

Before dawn the next day, Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang summoned Divine Capture Sect Chief Lu Tianming to the top of the city wall. As they watched the endless stream of carriages leaving White Jade City, their expressions turned grim.

Sun Wuyang remained silent for a long time before looking at Lu Tianming. "Chief Constable Lu, do you have anything to say?"

"Elder Sun, you suspect me?" Lu Tianming was visibly shaken.

Sun Wuyang’s voice was icy. "Only you and I knew about the plan to investigate the private vaults. No one else. And yet, the Lu Family was the first to move the contents of their vault last night."

"Elder Sun, while I did have people move the contents of our vault, it was under a different pretext! I did not leak the news," Lu Tianming hastily explained.

Sun Wuyang, however, ignored his explanation. "I had hoped we could lure out the traitor together. I never imagined the information would leak before we even started. Even if you didn’t do this deliberately, Chief Constable Lu, it is no longer appropriate for you to continue with this investigation."

He, too, was stunned. Their original plan was to draw out the mole, yet before it could even begin, the secret known only to the two of them was already out.

If Lu Tianming was the traitor, it would explain everything.

Yet Sun Wuyang also felt it was too much of a coincidence. ’Even if Lu Tianming is the mole, why would he be in such a rush to leak the plan? Is he trying to throw me off his scent with this blatant act? Or was he simply careless?’

Just then, a carrier pigeon came flying toward them with a flutter of its wings.

Sun Wuyang removed the secret letter from the pigeon’s leg. His expression changed drastically as he read it.

The letter was from the Shadow Guard, a report Sun Wuyang had specifically requested from Shadow Guard Chief Zheng Zhicang.

It detailed Lu Tianming’s movements over the last half-month, including several secret meetings with the Guests of certain Princes and Princesses, and his acceptance of three large sums of money from unknown sources.

"Chief Constable Lu!" Sun Wuyang’s voice was like ice. He thrust the letter at Lu Tianming. "Explain this."

The implication was obvious.

Lu Tianming’s face went pale. "Elder Sun, please understand! I am completely loyal to Your Majesty! These actions weren’t in collusion with the thief, they were... schemes for my Lu Family. Those things... I acted foolishly."

His implication was clear: while these dealings were shady, they were unrelated to the looting of the Inner Treasury and the National Treasury. They were merely other illegal activities he and the Lu Family were involved in.

Even so, Celestial Eye Sun Wuyang no longer trusted him. ’If he’s capable of these illegal acts,’ he reasoned, ’who’s to say he wouldn’t commit even worse ones, or even have ties to the thief who ransacked the treasuries?’

After a moment’s hesitation, Sun Wuyang said coldly, "In that case, I will report this to Your Majesty and let him decide your fate."

"I..." Lu Tianming started to protest, but seeing Sun Wuyang’s resolute expression, he knew more words were useless.

With a bitter laugh, Lu Tianming said helplessly, "Elder Sun, I admit I’ve done some things that can’t see the light of day, but they began long before the treasuries were touched. The Inner Treasury and National Treasury were perfectly intact at the time. How could my actions be related to the theft?"

"If this is reported to Your Majesty, even if I’m cleared of any connection to the thief, my career as Chief Constable will be over. Besides, I’ve been shadowing you day and night, Elder Sun, learning from you. Where would I have found the time to act as a mole?"

"I understand that," Sun Wuyang said with a sigh after a moment of thought. "But things have already reached this point. I’m afraid the Shadow Guard has already reported their findings to Your Majesty."

Sure enough, it wasn’t long before Shadow Guard Chief Zheng Zhicang arrived in person. He took Divine Capture Sect Chief Lu Tianming into custody and had him locked away in the Celestial Prison.

Soon, the entire Lu Family was placed under surveillance. A large contingent of the Shadow Guard took up residence in the Lu Family estate and began a thorough investigation.

Before long, their illegal activities were brought to light one after another—accepting bribes, secretly backing multiple Princes and Princesses in their bids for the title of Crown Prince, seizing property by force and deception... But most damning of all, inside one of the Lu Family’s Secret Vaults, investigators discovered some of the very resources and treasures that had been stolen from the Inner Treasury and the National Treasury.

The Lu Family argued that those particular resources and treasures had been purchased years ago from other sources and were not from the recent theft, claiming items had gone missing from the treasuries long before this incident.

Emperor Xia was furious nonetheless. He ordered Lu Tianming’s interrogation to be prioritized and temporarily placed the Divine Capture Sect under the command of Zheng Zhicang, appointing several other Divine Constables to assist him.

Even if Lu Tianming ever got out of the Celestial Prison, he would never return to the Divine Capture Sect. A lifetime of renown, destroyed in an instant.

However, given his actions, such a fate was not undeserved.