The Theft

"All right, we understand, Master."

Seeing that they understood, Shen Shixu breathed a sigh of relief. Although the two of them did not visit all that often, they brought gifts every time, and it was really getting to be too much for him.

Moreover, everything they brought had something to do with scholarly pursuits: brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones, elegant ornaments, or rare books scarcely seen on the market. He had put all of them in his study.

By now, Shen Shixu's study was the most lavish room in the entire Shen Residence. Whenever he sat there looking at the exquisite ornaments, the fist-sized Luminous Pearl beside his desk, and the large coral ornament by the door, he worried that some thief might pay his study a visit one day.

But on second thought, that seemed impossible. This was the Capital, and he was the Vice Minister of the Court of Judicial Review. What petty thief would be bold enough to steal in the Capital, let alone from an official? Besides, they had more than a dozen guards at home. Their security was assured.

So Shen Shixu did not put away the things in his study. As a result of that moment of carelessness, the Luminous Pearl in his study was stolen.

The theft alone would have been bad enough, but the brazen thief had even left a note: "I like the Luminous Pearl very much, so I've taken it for now. I also like the coral ornament in your room, but I couldn't carry it this time. I'll come back for it next time."

It sounded less like someone coming to steal and more like someone picking things up from his own home. The thief had even signed his name at the bottom and given the date of his