Dongfang Heng examined it carefully and nodded gently: "That's right, it is indeed ten-year-old moss by the well."
"Take it if you want!" Shen Lixue took out a silk handkerchief and carefully wrapped the moss from the well edge that had been there for ten years.
"You left the empty box here to mislead them?" Dongfang Heng looked at Shen Lixue with doting eyes; she was truly a cunning little fox.
"No!" Shen Lixue shook her head: "I wanted to take the box with me to spite Shen Minghui, but the box is attached to the table, so if I want to take it, I'll have to move the table along with it!"
"Really?" Dongfang Heng's gaze sharpened. His jade-like fingers gently pinched the box, then he lifted it up with force. With a soft "boom," the table and the box were lifted up together, and the wall in front of him slowly opened to one side, revealing a large pile of golden boxes.
Shen Lixue blinked hard. She wasn't mistaken. The sturdy wall had moved to one side, and behind it was a secret little warehouse filled with gold chests.
"Could these be bribes received by Shen Minghui?" Shen Lixue slowly walked into the small warehouse, stepping among the rows of gold boxes, secretly marveling. There were more than a hundred boxes. At first glance, they looked like ordinary gold boxes, but those in the know would realize that these boxes were all made of gold. Even if there was nothing inside, these gold boxes alone were worth a fortune.
"Gold chests!" Dongfang Heng frowned slightly as he looked at the room full of gold chests.
"What's wrong?" Shen Lixue asked, puzzled. Shen Minghui had accepted bribes, so he should be punished severely. Why did Dongfang Heng's face look so serious?
Dongfang Heng gazed deeply at Shen Lixue: "Your mother's dowry was a gold chest filled with all kinds of precious jewelry. It was unique in the capital and no one else could match it."
"What?" Shen Lixue was startled and looked down at the gold boxes. Could these all be her mother's dowry?
Dongfang Heng's sharp eyes quickly scanned the area: "There are a total of one hundred and twenty boxes, exactly the same number as your mother's dowry!"
"My mother sold half of her dowry and burned the other half. Even if Shen Minghui found the half that was sold, there should only be sixty items, not one hundred and twenty?"
Shocked, Shen Lixue bent down to unlock a lock and forcefully lifted the lid. A bright light flashed in her face, and she subconsciously raised her hand to shield her eyes. Slowly looking down, she saw that the box was full of rare treasures. A fist-sized bead emitted a gentle light, illuminating the entire room as bright as day.
“This is…” Shen Lixue was suddenly stunned.
"Dragon Ball." Dongfang Heng's dark eyes instantly deepened: "Twenty-five years ago, the Duke of Wu repelled the Southern Frontier and recaptured three cities. The Emperor bestowed it upon him!"
Shen Lixue nodded, recalling what Lin Qingzhu had told the original owner of Shen Lixue: "Mother loved that dragon pearl, that set of azure jewelry, and a string of five-element beads that could cure all diseases the most. I originally planned to give them to you as your dowry when you grew up, but unfortunately they were burned in the fire!"
How did the Dragon Balls, which should have disappeared in the fire, end up here intact?
Shen Lixue's gaze sharpened, and she quickly opened one box after another. Inside the boxes were various gold and silver jewelry, all marked with the insignia of the Duke of Wu's mansion. Indeed, these were all Lin Qingzhu's dowry.
"Li Xue, what are you looking for?" Dongfang Heng grabbed Shen Li Xue, who was lifting the lid, and her expression was very strange.
“A set of Qingmang jewelry and a string of Five Elements beads,” Shen Lixue replied, her anxious gaze scanning the various boxes as if trying to see through the thick lids to see if what she was looking for was inside.
"Is this it?" Dongfang Heng waved his hand, opening all the box lids. His sharp eyes quickly scanned the box, and his jade-like fingers clenched slightly, drawing a set of exquisite jewelry and a string of colorful beads into his hand.
Shen Lixue took the string of beads, her small hands trembling slightly. There were five beads in total, each a different color, symbolizing the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. Each bead was plump and as big as a grape: "These are the Five Elements Beads!" Lin Qingzhu's favorite dowry.
Looking at the set of azure headdress, I wonder what material it was made of. Under the light of the dragon ball, it reflected specks of azure light. The exquisite carving was lifelike, surpassing all other jewelry. No wonder Lin Qingzhu liked it.
Shen Lixue's eyes turned cold. She put down the Five Elements Beads and quickly ran outside.
"Li Xue, where are you going?" Dongfang Heng put down the Qingmang jewelry, took a few quick steps, and grabbed Shen Li Xue's arm.
"Go find Shen Minghui!" The jewelry that should have disappeared in the fire fifteen years ago has all appeared in a hidden warehouse. Heh, he really has some skills.
"Boom!" The solid wall slowly closed behind the two of them, without revealing any flaws. Shen Lixue's eyes narrowed, and she hurried to the high table. She tried to move it, but the high table seemed to be rooted to the ground and did not move an inch.
A cold smile curled at the corner of her lips. Even with half of Dongfang Heng's internal strength, Shen Lixue still couldn't lift the high table. It seemed that the high table was very heavy and required a great deal of strength to lift. There were very few people in the entire Qingyan who could do this. No wonder Shen Minghui was so confident in hiding the things in the small warehouse.
Dongfang Heng gently brushed away the stray hairs from Shen Lixue's face: "Lixue, Shen Minghui is an old fox. If you question him directly, he will definitely not admit it!"
“I know!” Shen Lixue’s eyes narrowed. She had always underestimated Shen Minghui. He was a cowardly, useless man, and a ruthless husband.
"What are you doing..."
"I've come to see my nephew..."
A faint argument came from outside the door. Shen Lixue's gaze darkened, and she pulled Dongfang Heng out of the warehouse: "It seems that Minister Lei has arrived. Let's go and see!" We just saw Shen Yelei, and now Lei Hong has come. Are the Prime Minister's Mansion and the Grand Commandant's Mansion trying to form an alliance again?
Carefully avoiding the guards, maids, nannies, and servants in the mansion, Dongfang Heng quietly arrived at the small courtyard where Shen Minghui was, hiding in a large tree and secretly observing the actions of the people in the courtyard.
Shen Minghui looked somewhat haggard, but he was furious, glaring fiercely at the person next to him through gritted teeth. Shen Lixue followed his gaze and saw Shen Yelei sitting on the ground, crying uncontrollably. His chubby little face was swollen from several slaps, and his eyes were red and swollen from crying: "Father, why don't you want me... The servants in the Grand Commandant's mansion bully me... My classmates at the Imperial Academy also mock me... I want to go back to the mansion!"
"Shut up, I'm not your father!" Shen Minghui's arms trembled with anger. The son he had raised, cherished, and pampered for ten years turned out to be someone else's child. He had been cuckolded. Seeing Shen Yelei reminded him of the humiliation he had suffered, and he naturally felt disgusted with Shen Yelei.
"Father..." Shen Yelei pleaded desperately. He didn't want to live a life of dependence anymore. He wanted to return to the Prime Minister's mansion and continue to be the high and mighty young master, with everyone revolving around him and putting him first in everything!
"Say it again and I'll cut your tongue out!" Shen Minghui scolded viciously.
Feeling wronged, Shen Yelei cried pitifully, his sobs deafening: "Waaah... It must be that bitch Shen Lixue's doing! She framed me! Dad, you absolutely mustn't fall for her tricks..."
"Guards, cut out his tongue!" Shen Minghui gave the order expressionlessly. He hated Shen Yelei's crying, and he hated hearing Shen Lixue's name even more. Shen Yelei had violated two of his biggest taboos and must be severely punished.
Seeing a guard approaching him with a dagger, Shen Yelei finally believed that Shen Minghui was not joking. He let out a shriek, his small, round body quickly rolled to Lei Hong's side, hid behind him, and timidly pleaded, "Uncle, save me!"
Lei Hong frowned at Shen Minghui. Shen Yelei was his nephew. Shen Minghui, in front of him, didn't even ask him a question before trying to cut off Shen Yelei's tongue. It was clear that he didn't take him seriously. "Prime Minister Shen, you have to consider the owner before beating a dog. Yelei is the nephew of the Grand Commandant's family. Even if he has made a mistake, he cannot be taught a lesson by others!"
Shen Minghui scoffed: "If your dog hadn't run into Benxiang's house and barked wildly, why would it have been beaten?"
Lei Hong's expression instantly turned extremely ugly, and he said sternly, "Shen Minghui, don't be so arrogant and push your luck. If it weren't for our Lei family, you wouldn't be where you are today!"
Shen Minghui's face was terribly gloomy: "I became Prime Minister Qingyan through my own efforts. Your Lei family only holds me back..."
Lei Hong sneered disdainfully: "If it weren't for what happened fifteen years ago, you would still be a poor, pedantic scholar looked down upon by the Duke of Wu, dreaming of becoming the Prime Minister of Qingyan!"
"I disdain associating with despicable people. Your methods are utterly shameful!" Shen Minghui's gaze was sharp, his words resounding, filled with righteous indignation.
“Shen Minghui, stop being so self-righteous. You’ve done the most shameful things. Fifteen years ago, a large number of officials were demoted, and you took advantage of the situation to become a minor official. With the help of our Lei family, you were able to rise step by step to become the prime minister, the head of all officials…”
Lei Hong glanced at Shen Minghui, whose face was ashen, and felt a surge of pleasure. He had a penchant for hitting people where it hurt, and Shen Minghui hated hearing about the Duke of Wu's mansion, so he was determined to say it and provoke him severely.