Rebirth and Reversal of Fortune

Chapter 458 Searching for Clues, Suspect Emerges

The palace theft case is like a fog shrouding the entire palace. Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling shoulder the heavy responsibility of finding the stolen treasures and begin a difficult journey to find clues.

They first re-examined the stolen warehouse, leaving no corner unchecked. Xiao Ling crouched down, carefully examining the subtle scratches on the ground.

“Madam, look at this scratch. It doesn’t look like it was caused by ordinary moving. It looks like it was dragged by some sharp object,” Xiao Ling said.

Su Jinxiu leaned closer and nodded slightly: "What my husband says is absolutely right. Perhaps this is an important clue."

They followed the scratch mark all the way to the garden outside the warehouse. In the garden, the flowers and plants were in disarray, as if someone had trampled them while passing by in a hurry.

"It seems the thieves were somewhat flustered when they passed through here," Su Jinxiu said.

Xiao Ling looked up at the palace walls around them: "Then they probably climbed over the walls to get out."

So they began searching along the palace walls. At the foot of one of the walls, they found a piece of torn cloth.

“This fabric is of excellent quality; it’s definitely not something an ordinary palace servant would have,” Su Jinxiu said, holding the fabric in her hand.

Xiao Ling said, "Let's take this piece of cloth and ask the people in the palace if they can find anything."

They interrogated the palace maids and eunuchs one by one, but to no avail.

Just when they were feeling disappointed, an old palace maid provided a crucial clue.

“General, Madam, I saw several dark figures running towards the Cold Palace last night,” the old palace maid said.

Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling exchanged a glance and immediately headed to the Cold Palace.

The cold palace was eerie and chilling, filled with the stench of decay. They searched each room cautiously.

“Husband, look, there’s a string of footprints on the ground,” Su Jinxiu said, pointing to the ground.

Xiao Ling followed the footprints and discovered a hidden tunnel entrance in a corner.

“This tunnel must be the escape route for the thieves,” Xiao Ling said.

They entered the tunnel, which was dark, damp, and filled with an unpleasant smell.

"Be careful, Madam." Xiao Ling stood protectively in front of Su Jinxiu.

Inside the tunnel, they found some food scraps and discarded tools.

“These must have been left behind by thieves,” Su Jinxiu said.

Continuing onward, the tunnel suddenly forked, one leading outside the palace, the other leading to an unknown destination.

"Which road should we take?" Su Jinxiu asked.

Xiao Ling pondered for a moment: "Let's go out of the palace and take a look first."

They walked along the tunnel leading out of the palace, the exit of which was a dense forest.

"There should be signs that someone has been here." Xiao Ling observed the surrounding environment.

Just then, they heard the sound of horses' hooves.

"Quick, hide!" Xiao Ling pulled Su Jinxiu and hid behind a big tree.

A horse-drawn carriage sped past, kicking up a cloud of dust behind it.

“That carriage looks suspicious. Let’s chase after it and take a look,” Xiao Ling said.

As Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling painstakingly pursued the clues, some suspects gradually came into their view.

First, there was a palace guard captain. This man was usually sneaky and was on duty the night the treasure was stolen, but he stammered and couldn't explain what happened that night.

"As the head of the guards, what exactly did you see that night?" Xiao Ling stared intently at him, his gaze sharp.

The head guard's eyes flickered. "General, I really didn't see anything unusual."

Xiao Ling snorted coldly, "If you don't tell the truth, don't blame the military law for being merciless."

Next, an official in charge of palace procurement also aroused their suspicion. This person had recently become rich overnight, purchasing a large number of properties and lands, and his spending behavior was extremely abnormal.

"Where did you get all this money?" Su Jinxiu questioned.

The official was sweating profusely. "Madam, this is all my savings accumulated over many years."

Su Jinxiu smiled slightly, "Years of savings? Then why haven't I seen you being so extravagant before?"

Meanwhile, a concubine in the harem also became a suspect. This concubine had close ties with a wealthy merchant outside the palace, whose business had recently seen some suspicious transactions related to palace treasures.

"Your Majesty, what is your relationship with that wealthy merchant?" Xiao Ling asked.

The concubine's face turned pale. "General, he and I are just ordinary friends."

Xiao Ling pressed on, "Ordinary friends? Then why is his business involved with stolen palace treasures?"

However, despite the many suspicious points surrounding these suspects, Su Jinxiu and Xiao Ling knew that the real thief was still hiding in the shadows, manipulating everything.

During the investigation, they encountered various obstacles and interferences.

Someone tried to bribe Xiao Ling and Su Jinxiu, saying, "General, Madam, if you're lenient, you'll be well rewarded."

Xiao Ling glared angrily and rebuked, "Don't even think about bribing us. We will bring the real culprit to justice."

Some people also spread rumors in an attempt to mislead the direction of their investigation.

"I heard that the treasure was stolen by a ghost, not by human hands."

Su Jinxiu calmly analyzed, "This must be someone's doing on purpose, trying to throw us into disarray."

Just when they were in trouble, a mysterious letter appeared in Xiao Ling's study.

The letter hinted that a high-ranking figure in the court was involved in the matter.

"Could it be him?" Xiao Ling was startled.

Su Jinxiu said, "No matter who it is, we cannot let go of any clues."