Chapter 18 The Midnight Treasure Hunt Team

Chapter 18 The Midnight Treasure Hunt Team

A dark and windy night, a night for murder... no, a night for treasure hunting.

At three-quarters past midnight, the Regent's Palace fell into silence.

Inside the master bedroom, Pei Yunjing's breathing was deep and even.

Perhaps because he had been sleeping soundly with Tang Li, his "human sleeping pill," by his side for the past few days, his sleep quality was exceptionally good, and even his constant vigilance had decreased considerably.

Tangli held her breath and, like a gecko, carefully climbed up from the footrest.

She glanced at the sleeping, crazy beauty on the bed, and her heart pounded like thunder.

According to previous experiments, if you move three feet away from him, the person will wake up because of the noise.

But tonight... for that bite to eat, she decided to take a gamble!

"You have to sleep like a log... Kill a few more people in your dreams to liven things up, don't wake up, whatever you do, don't wake up..."

Tang Li clasped her hands together in prayer, then casually stuffed a pillow into the blanket to create the illusion that someone was sleeping (though she didn't know if it would fool the madman's intuition). She then tiptoed out the window and climbed out.

She deliberately changed into an inconspicuous dark blue coarse cloth dress tonight—

Those were old clothes he'd taken from the old woman who emptied chamber pots; he had a black cloth wrapped around his head and was carrying a rusty little shovel.

Her outfit makes her look exactly like a female thief who has just escaped from prison.

In the corner, several pairs of bright green eyes had been waiting for a long time.

[Squeak! Your Majesty! Over here!]

"Zhao Cai," acting as the guide, excitedly waved its front paws.

It was followed by three little mice responsible for carrying things and keeping watch.

"Shh—keep it down! We're going to sneak into the village, no shooting!"

Tang Li lowered her voice, made a shushing gesture, then bent over and followed behind a group of rats, heading towards the most secluded western corner of the Prince's mansion.

...

West warehouse.

This is one of the forbidden areas of the Prince's Palace, not because there are any secrets, but simply because it is too dilapidated.

It is said that a corrupt official from the previous dynasty dug up the foundation of this house in order to hide his money, causing the land to sink and become dark and damp all year round. Even the guard dog doesn't like to come here to urinate.

Withered vines, old trees, and crows at dusk... oh no, it's more like only spider webs in the middle of the night.

"Cough cough..."

Tang Li pushed open the rickety, dilapidated door, and the dust that rushed in almost made her sneeze.

"Zhao Cai, are you sure this is the place?"

By the moonlight filtering through the cracks in the window, Tang Li looked at the rubble and broken tables and chairs scattered on the ground and said with deep doubt, "Even rats would leave this place with tears in their eyes. How could there be any treasure?"

[Squeak! It's right here!]

It is very certain that it will bring wealth.

It twitched its nose, circled several times on a dusty bluestone tile in the center of the hall, and then frantically scratched at it with its paws:

[That's the smell! That heavy, icy smell that makes you want to grind your teeth! It's right below!]

"Okay, I'll trust you this once!"

Tang Li rolled up her sleeves, revealing a section of her fair wrist, and gripped the rusty little iron shovel tightly.

Do you want to eat meat?

I want to eat it!

Then dig!

"Heave-ho! Heave-ho!"

Without any internal energy or divine weapons, Tang Li was simply driven by her craving for braised pork to do hard labor in the middle of the night.

First, pry off the floor tiles, then dig up the compacted soil layer.

A quarter of an hour passed.

Half an hour has passed.

Tangli was exhausted and covered in sweat. Her once fair face was now covered in black ash, making her look like a little kitten.

"If there's no gold... Zhao Cai, I'll stew you..." Tang Li threatened breathlessly.

[Squeak! We're here! It's hard!]

Just then, the shovel hit something hard, making a dull "thud" sound.

Tangli's spirits lifted!

She threw away the shovel and started digging away the last layer of loose soil with her hands.

In the pit, a corner of a rotten rosewood box was visible.

Although the wood had rotted into mud, the copper buckle that was originally used to bind the edges was still there.

"My goodness..."

Tang Li's heart pounded in her throat.

With trembling hands, she forcefully pried open the rotten wooden plank.

"Splash—"

The wooden crate completely fell apart.

Under the pale moonlight, a dazzling golden yellow light stung Tangli's eyes instantly!

That was not an illusion.

Amidst the pile of mud and sawdust, a dozen or so enormous gold ingots were neatly stacked!

Each ingot is as big as a baby's fist and bears the steel seal of the previous dynasty's Imperial Household Department. Although covered in dust, it still exudes the most charming and warmest luster in the world.

That's not gold.

That is—

"Braised pork belly... Crystal pork knuckle... Eight-treasure duck... Squirrel-shaped mandarin fish..."

Tangli muttered to herself, her mouth watering uncontrollably.

She picked up a gold ingot; its heavy weight made her wrist ache.

She didn't mind the mess and put it directly in her mouth and bit down hard.

Boom.

My tooth hurts a bit, and there's a clear row of teeth marks on it.

real!

Pure gold!

Pure white!

"I'm rich! Waaaaah, I'm rich!"

Tangli was so excited she wanted to roll on the ground.

She hugged the pile of gold ingots as if she were hugging the Quanjude Peking Duck Restaurant, her eyes crinkling into slits with laughter.

"Zhao Cai! You're a great hero! From now on, I'll give you the contract to manage all the granaries in this area!"

[Squeak! I want to eat peanuts! I want lots and lots of peanuts!]

Zhao Cai excitedly jumped around on the gold ingot.

"No problem! Forget peanuts, we'll eat and drink the best food from now on!"

Tang Li stuffed the gold ingots into her bosom one by one. The heavy weight made it hard for her to straighten her back, but she felt lighter than ever before.

With this huge sum of money, not only could she bribe the chef, she could even secretly bribe the purchasing department to bring the best banquet in the capital to the Prince's mansion!

What do you mean by bland and watery soup?

What do you mean by boiled vegetables in plain water?

Get lost!

Tang Li, clutching a large bag of braised pork, was preparing to sneak back to the main courtyard under the cover of night, already planning tomorrow's menu in her mind.

However, immersed in the joy of sudden wealth, she failed to notice—

At the dilapidated entrance of the west warehouse.

A tall, slender figure, almost blending into the night, stood there quietly.

Pei Yunjing was wearing a dark cloak, with a gyrfalcon perched on his shoulder, a creature that loved to watch the excitement.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the woman covered in mud, hugging the gold and grinning foolishly, muttering "the braised pork knuckle is so delicious," a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

This little white rabbit is staying up all night...

So he went to steal?