Chapter 558: Chapter 558: A Daily Dou of Gold

Yun Cheng’s gaze fell upon the crossbow.

Lian Zhou had sent someone to retrieve it amidst the chaos, and it had been kept with their master ever since.

Besides their master and Second Miss Ye, the only others who had witnessed the scene were the assassins. Thus, after the Black Cavalry Guard took all the assassins away, no one else knew the crossbow’s origin.

"This crossbow looks different from an ordinary one." A single glance was all it took for Yun Cheng to notice its formidable qualities.

Not to mention the fine materials, the latch and string groove were clearly improved. Its range and power must have been greatly enhanced.

Shen Yanchuan chuckled softly.

"You have a good eye. You should know that the cost of this one crossbow is more than ten times that of the ones used by the Imperial Guard."

"What?" Yun Cheng was still taken aback, despite having braced himself. "It’s that expensive?!"

"But its killing power is also more than ten times greater, so in a way, it’s a bargain." Shen Yanchuan set the crossbow down. Its heavy frame landed on the desk with a dull thud. "So, while it’s a fine weapon, it hasn’t been mass-produced yet."

The more Yun Cheng listened, the more alarmed he became.

"Master, do you already know where it came from?"

He searched his mind but came up with no answers.

No such crossbow had appeared in the military, nor had he heard even the slightest rumor about it.

Suddenly, a bold guess surfaced in his mind.

Yun Cheng asked in disbelief, "This... could it be from the Nanhu?!"

Shen Yanchuan tapped it with a bent finger. The surface was cold and hard.

"Take a closer look. Do the materials seem familiar to you?"

Yun Cheng stepped forward, picked up the crossbow, and studied it carefully.

Suddenly, his expression changed.

"This—"

A slight smile touched Shen Yanchuan’s lips.

"It seems they’re no longer content with just forging arrowheads. They’ve even managed to craft crossbows. I had only heard rumors before, but this time, I’ve seen it with my own eyes."

’If it weren’t effective enough, they wouldn’t have used it against me.’

Yun Cheng was shocked and uncertain. "They actually managed to smuggle this into the Capital City and hide it in the Ministry of Justice Prison without anyone knowing?"

’How many security checks would that have to get through?!’

’It’s clear... the enemy’s reach has grown far too long!’

Shen Yanchuan, however, seemed unconcerned.

"No matter how good it is, a cost this high isn’t something they can easily afford."

’So in the short term, it won’t amount to a significant threat.’

"When you have time later, take this to those folks at the Ministry of War and let them have a good look. Give them something to work on."

Yun Cheng’s posture straightened. "Yes, Master."

Shen Yanchuan waved him away. Yun Cheng took a few steps back, then remembered something and turned to ask:

"By the way, Master, are you still not going to interrogate the assassins today?"

Shen Yanchuan put the crossbow away again before saying calmly, "Xi Su has always been good at watching people, so just have him keep a close eye on them. The Wazhen Mission is about to arrive in the Capital City, and Ugle is not an easy man to deal with. We should prepare to fulfill our duties as hosts."

’When old friends reunite, one must catch up properly.’

Yun Cheng understood. The master planned to let them stew for a while.

Now that the men were in their hands, a day sooner or later made no difference anyway.

Dealing with that group from Wazhen was the priority right now.

He bowed his head in acknowledgment. After a moment’s hesitation, he asked about another matter:

"Aside from the assassins, what does the master intend to do with the death row prisoner we brought out from the Ministry of Justice Prison?"

Shen Yanchuan paused.

Ye Chutang had asked him to help get the man out, but a full day had passed, and she hadn’t mentioned it again. It was as if she had completely forgotten about his existence.

"What’s his condition?"

Yun Cheng recalled the scene he had witnessed earlier and frowned involuntarily.

"His life isn’t in danger, but his injuries are severe. Both his legs are crippled—it looks like his kneecaps were dug out. And because they haven’t been properly treated for a long time, the stumps are festering and rotting. On top of that, his body is covered in all sorts of scars, as if he was beaten with numerous torture instruments, one by one. But..."

"But what?"

"But, despite such grievous injuries, he’s still hanging on by a thread. Besides his own extremely strong will to live, it seems... someone was intermittently giving him medicine to keep him alive."

Shen Yanchuan’s eyelids lifted slightly, a thoughtful gleam flashing in his deep, phoenix-like eyes.

’The men held in there are all on death row. Life and death are perfectly normal occurrences, which makes this one seem particularly special.’

’No wonder she wanted to get him out...’

Yun Cheng asked, "Master, should I go and investigate first?"

"No need." Shen Yanchuan shook his head. "Have Su Mu go take a look. Treat whatever injuries you can, but don’t ask any questions. Just act as if this person doesn’t exist."

Although Yun Cheng didn’t understand, he didn’t press the matter. "Yes, Master."

...

Undercurrents surged within the imperial court.

But in the capital, things remained peaceful and lively.

The fire at the Ministry of Justice became idle gossip for the public. Occasionally, someone would mention that the Minister of the Ministry of Justice had been replaced, but it was only a passing comment.

After all, to the common people, it didn’t matter who held that office. They simply didn’t care.

Soon, this topic was overshadowed by news that the Wazhen Mission was about to arrive in the capital.

The Northern Border had seen over a decade of continuous conflict, with countless soldiers dying on the front lines. Now that there was finally a chance for peace talks, everyone was naturally filled with anticipation.

Despite the turbulent events unfolding outside, the Ye Mansion remained unaffected.

Every day, besides going to the palace to see her patients, Ye Chutang was at home preparing medicines.

Xiao Wu’s medicine grinder was practically sparking from overuse, and she was sweating profusely from the work.

’Big Sis said these are all for our fourth brother! Swords and blades have no eyes on the battlefield. Even though Fourth Brother only wrote about happy things in his last letter, he was clearly injured. He might not care, but Big Sis is going to make sure the medicine is ready.’

At this thought, Xiao Wu became even more motivated.

Life seemed to have returned to its former tranquility.

That afternoon, Ye Chutang finally found some time to take Xiao Wu to the Yunlai Tavern to check the accounts.

Business here had always been good, and with Ye Chutang’s reputation now more prominent than ever, no one dared to cause trouble. The tavern was bustling with people coming and going.

Inside the private room, Ye Chutang merely glanced at the ledgers for a moment before handing them to Xiao Wu.

The staff were doing a great job; there wasn’t much for her to worry about.

Xiao Wu’s eyes lit up as she hugged the ledgers. She flipped through the pages carefully, the abacus in her mind clacking away.

One thousand taels.

Two thousand taels.

Three thousand taels...

’Raking in a fortune every day, this must be it!’

Ye Chutang found this amusing and gently tapped her on her little head.

"Are they really that interesting to look at?"

Xiao Wu’s eyes curved into crescents.

’Of course!’

Ye Chutang smiled. "Then I’ll leave them all to you from now on."

Xiao Wu’s eyes went wide.

Before she could react, a commotion suddenly erupted outside the window.

Ye Chutang pushed open the window and looked down, her gaze suddenly fixing on something.

A man in brocade robes, seemingly drunk, shoved aside several people dressed as servants.

"Get lost! All of you, get lost! Go back and tell her she’s been meddling in my business for far too long! I’m done! Tell her to watch her own back!"

Ye Chutang’s eyes narrowed slightly.

"Is that—Xie Anjun?"

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