Military Seal and Constable

Zhao Huai slept straight until noon the next day before getting up.

If there was nothing to do, he wouldn't get up early. He would sleep as long as he could. The pawnshop's daily business was just so-so, so he wasn't in a hurry.

Seeing his wife already busy in the kitchen, Zhao Huai smiled slightly.

He planned to habitually open the pawnshop door and flip the "Open" sign.

But when he opened the door, he saw a blood-stained Storage Ring on the carpet at the entrance.

Zhao Huai walked out of the door and glanced left and right at the street. People were coming and going, and there was nothing unusual.

"Whose ring is this?"

So, he curiously checked it out.

But the things inside surprised him a bit.

Piles of Spirit Stones and silver notes, which seemed to be quite a lot, as well as a large number of antique objects, and finally a seal and a piece of white paper.

"Aren't these silver notes the batch I gave out yesterday?"

"And these antique trinkets were also the ones left over from yesterday."

Zhao Huai immediately knew where these things came from. Weren't they all from that profiteer yesterday? Almost instantly, Zhao Huai realized something.

He quickly took out the last seal and the white paper.

This was a very small seal, still stained with dried blood, only about the size of a thumb, made of amber jade, carved into the shape of a tiger, with small seal characters engraved on the bottom.

"This is... a Tiger Seal?"

Zhao Huai immediately recognized the object in front of him.

It was the Tiger Seal, also known as the Military Seal, needed to mobilize troops in ancient military operations.

He immediately opened the white paper to see what was written on it.

"The shopkeeper's words yesterday were very enlightening to me. These things are entrusted to the shopkeeper."

Zhao Huai had only read the beginning, but he had already guessed who the owner of this letter was. It must be that sword-wielding guard. So he continued reading.

In a short while, Zhao Huai finished reading the letter. Seeing the signature—"An old man of the Great Yan Dynasty," he was even more certain that this letter was left by that guard.

At this time, Zhao Huai finally figured out what happened last night, as well as the origin of those treasures.

This letter was left by an Old Soldier of the Great Yan Dynasty, who used to serve in the Capital City. After the fall of Yan Capital, he took away a large number of treasures, but afterwards felt extremely guilty. And because he couldn't stand the various vicious acts of this profiteer, he finally took action and killed him.

Carefully recalling the divination result of that day, Zhao Huai also knew why the result of whether or not he bought from this profiteer was "misfortune."

Because he didn't rely on these cultural relics to make money at all, but on double-crossing.

If it weren't for this Old Soldier, this profiteer would definitely send someone to deal with him. Thinking like this, the death of the profiteer still solved a problem for him.

"I didn't expect him to be a member of the Great Yan army." Zhao Huai had a trace of admiration for this Old Soldier in his heart.

Although he failed on the battlefield, it was rare and valuable that he still retained a bit of loyalty and righteousness for the kindness of the past.

Of course, perhaps he was overthinking it. This profiteer might be very hateful. If he hadn't courted death, this guard might not have killed him so quickly.

Zhao Huai clenched the Tiger Seal in his hand, packed up the antique silver notes in front of him, and put them back into the Storage Ring.

In any case, the matter had passed, and people had to look forward.

"The yamen is handling a case, everyone make way!"

A shout came, and Constables in blue robes appeared on the street.

Holding iron rulers, with solemn faces, they strode towards the entrance of Huai Pawnshop, and several people directly surrounded the entrance of the pawnshop.

Seeing this scene, Zhao Huai was quite calm.

Last night, he thought that the yamen people would arrive early this morning, but he didn't expect them to be late until noon. It seemed that he and Yan Jing had overestimated the yamen's efficiency.

"Officers, what case are you here to handle in my shop? I am a good citizen and don't do illegal things."

Zhao Huai pretended to be puzzled and said innocently.

The leading Constable did not reply, but first sized up Zhao Huai's appearance.

This was their professional quality, first grasping some basic information by observing people.

It's just that the person before them had fair skin, sword-like eyebrows, and eyes that held the stars. He was quite handsome.

He looked like the type of delicate man who was kept by wealthy older women, hardly someone who would be associated with heinous criminals.

"Here's the thing, shopkeeper. Yesterday at Mao Time, a merchant was killed in the suburbs. I investigated his itinerary and found that he only came here that day, and stayed here the longest, so you are highly suspected."

The constable leader spoke while staring at Zhao Huai, attempting to find even the slightest change in expression on Zhao Huai's face.

"That merchant... is dead!?"

Zhao Huai's face was full of shock, as if he had just heard the news.

"Why would you suspect me? I have no reason to kill him!"

Zhao Huai's tone was full of grievance.

"You still have a motive. Perhaps the business deal didn't go well, or the price wasn't right, anything is possible," said another constable standing next to him.

Zhao Huai said with a wry smile, "What business deal, what price? I was completely scammed, okay?"

"Briefly describe it."

Zhao Huai directly complained, "That merchant was clearly a con man. That day, I kindly bargained with him, but he actually used a fake Night-Shining Pearl to deceive me. My wife can testify to this."

"A fake Night-Shining Pearl? Is it because you were deceived that you became angry and killed him?"

"Impossible, it's just a pearl, not enough to warrant that."

Zhao Huai shook his head.

The constable leader was intentionally leading Zhao Huai towards the direction of murder, but Zhao Huai was not affected at all.

The constable leader and several constables behind him quickly exchanged glances.

They saw all of Zhao Huai's reactions, but found nothing unusual.

"Tell us the specific situation in detail at the yamen, it can be considered a report." The constable leader turned his head and said to Zhao Huai again.

"Go to the yamen?"

Upon hearing this, Zhao Huai was naturally unwilling.

"Can't we just talk here?"

"The yamen has clerks who will record the situation. Everything you say will be recorded," the constable leader said.

Zhao Huai also understood that the other party wanted him to make a statement at the yamen.

But who would want to go to that cold prison? Didn't he understand what these constables were thinking? Rather than taking a statement, they wanted to use the threat of prison to see if they could make him reveal any flaws.

"Get out of the way! Don't block your grandpa's path!"

Just as Zhao Huai wanted to take out a copper coin to divine good or bad fortune, an arrogant voice came from the side of the road.

He and the surrounding constables all looked over.

They saw a wealthy young master wearing brocade robes and jade ornaments, with three rings on one hand, arriving at the scene.

"Li Yanqing?"

Zhao Huai couldn't help but smile when he saw the person who came.

Li Yanqing, who was walking straight towards the Huai Pawnshop, smug and high-spirited, saw the constables blocking the way and Zhao Huai in the middle.

His expression immediately turned ugly, and he roared directly:

"Damn it, don't you all want to live!"

"Dare to surround this young master's life-saving benefactor!"