Chapter 1512: Caught
Chapter 1512: Chapter 1512: Caught
Bang, bang, bang, a series of sounds of the inn’s doors being closed came, and although Shopkeeper Huang didn’t dare to oppose the Government Officials, he obediently closed the doors to let them search.
The inn also offered dining services, so some diners and even the porters delivering goods were trapped inside, no matter how much they complained, they couldn’t leave.
You Erxi managed to leave early, or he would have been stuck in the inn too.
However, he was worried about Er Ping and Xiao Erliu, so he didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he stood outside watching, mingling with the gossiping crowd, occasionally echoing a few words, pretending to enjoy the spectacle.
Inside the inn, Elder Chen drew a broadsword and, accompanied by three Government Officials, ordered Shopkeeper Huang, "Gather all your inn’s staff, have them lead us room by room to search. Hurry up, unless you want to die, don’t dilly-dally!"
Bah, disrupting our business and treating our people like servants, why don’t you just go and die?!
While cursing inwardly, Shopkeeper Huang still put on a brilliant smile and said, "Don’t worry, Elder Chen, I’ll instruct them immediately."
Then he turned his head and shouted, "Dazhu, what are you standing there for? Quickly gather the staff, kitchen apprentices, and inn maids to help! Delay Elder Chen’s work, and you might end up in prison!"
"Oh, oh, oh, nephew will go right away." Dazhu, a clansman of Shopkeeper Huang making a living with him, hurriedly rushed to the inn’s kitchen and backyard to gather people, and shortly after, brought ten people.
Shopkeeper Huang said, "Listen to Elder Chen’s instructions, do whatever Elder Chen tells you, understand?"
"Understood." the staff responded, saluting Elder Chen, "Greetings to Elder Chen!"
Receiving so many salutes made Elder Chen almost float with pride, and he ordered them, "Lead the way, let’s start the search from Room Tian Zi No.1!"
Those who could afford to stay in Room Tian Zi No.1 were wealthy people, perhaps Elder Chen wanted to make some money.
Indeed, Elder Chen wanted to seize the opportunity to extort money. After reaching Room Tian Zi No.1, he directly instructed the staff to break down the door. Once the door was forcefully opened, they rush in to search.
The merchant staying in Room Tian Zi No.1 hurriedly called people to intervene, "Dear Constable, even if you need to search, you shouldn’t break the door, right? We are legitimate merchants, does Lord Magistrate know you are doing this?!"
Elder Chen sneered, "Hah, just a lowly merchant thinking you can use the Lord Magistrate to pressure us? We are simply following orders to conduct this investigation! Get lost quickly, interfere with the government office’s investigation, and we’ll take your entire caravan to prison."
Shopkeeper Huang hurriedly came out to mediate, "Elder Chen, please don’t get angry. Mr. Chi is unaware a major case happened in the city. He likes quiet and spoke harshly because he was disturbed. Please allow me to persuade Mr. Chi. How about waiting a moment before you search inside?"
Elder Chen snorted coldly, "Hurry up, don’t blame old Chen for doing things by the book if reason fails with him!"
"Oh, oh, oh, don’t worry, Elder Chen." Shopkeeper Huang quickly went into the room, pulling Mr. Chi aside, whispering, "Mr. Chi, you’ve stayed at our inn for half a month now, practically an old customer. Let me be frank with you, traveling outside, losing money to avoid calamity can be seen as good fortune. Don’t go against them, part with some money to get past this, otherwise you, as an outsider, might suffer a huge loss."
He also said, "Elder Yang’s Family on Wenchang Street indeed had valuables stolen, now it’s a citywide search, other inns have Government Officials searching too, it’s not just us."
Mr. Chi, upon hearing this, despite being furious, could only nod in agreement, taking out a silver note worth a hundred taels, saying, "The Tian Zi No.3 room, No.5 room, and 6 Xuan Zi rooms are ours, also there are two mule carts in the barn, explain clearly to them, not to damage our belongings."
"Oh, oh, oh, I’ll definitely explain clearly to Elder Chen and the others." Shopkeeper Huang took the note to Elder Chen, explaining about Mr. Chi’s caravan’s rooms and mule carts in the barn, "Mr. Chi is a valued guest of our inn, please Elder Chen, be gentle in your search."
Elder Chen, after taking the silver note, still dissatisfiedly remarked, "Eight rooms for just a hundred taels, what kind of business is this? About to lose your old savings, huh?"
"You!" Mr. Chi was furious, for a merchant, hearing such loss-inducing remarks was taboo. Yet, as a merchant he couldn’t afford to offend such local bullies, so he held back his curse, took out the valuables and let the Government Officials in to search.
However, Elder Chen still demanded he open the box he was holding, claiming to suspect it contained stolen goods.
Mr. Chi’s face darkened, but he could only open it for Elder Chen to see.
This Elder Chen, was unscrupulous, after looking, he even took two golden bracelets.
Although Mr. Chi was furious, he dared not snatch them back, for fear Elder Chen would take away the more valuable jade.
"Brother Chen, we’ve searched and found nothing of note. They are not the disguised thieves." Three Government Officials had followed the staff to search Mr. Chi’s caravan’s rooms and came back to report.
Elder Chen said, "Let’s continue searching."
It was as if they fleeced all the guests in the inn, amassing quite some silver, and even found Er Ping and his friends.
"Uncle, we found someone, there’s an injured person in the Huang Zi room, and it’s an arrow wound!" Chen Xiaofa discovered Er Ping had injuries when searching the room Er Ping and Xiao Erliu were staying in, and found bloody clothes. Terrified, he ran out to notify Elder Chen, stumbling and scrambling.
"What, the thieves are actually in this inn?!" Elder Chen was shocked himself, originally thinking it was just going through the motions, taking the chance to grab some silver, who would have thought the thieves were truly here.
"Yes, really here, right in Huang Zi No.4 room, that little kid who was with them for scouting is also there, they’re skilled in martial arts, and they’re armed with knives stained with blood!" Chen Xiaofa exaggeratedly depicted Er Ping and his group’s prowess, suggesting, "Uncle, those two might be fierce bandits, we should hurry back to the governmental office and get reinforcements, otherwise we might fall victim to them!"
Elder Chen nodded repeatedly, "Xiaofa is right. Shopkeeper Huang, gather the inn’s staff to surround those two for now, we’re heading back to the government office for reinforcements. Hold your ground, let the thieves escape and you’ll be sitting in jail for their crimes."
Mr. Chi almost gagged hearing this, never expected the Government Officials of Beicang Prefecture Government to be so incompetent, he reminded, "Constable Chen, aren’t there Government Officials searching at the inn opposite? Just shout and get them to come over, and we’ll catch the thieves together. It’s just two thieves, one injured, the other just a child, what is there to fear?"
"Shut up!" Elder Chen was embarrassed by his words, but his advice was sound, he kicked Shopkeeper Huang, yelled, "Quickly open the window, call the people opposite to come over."
He couldn’t shout, if he did, Xu Damin would laugh him to death.
Shopkeeper Huang looked down on Elder Chen, cursing him as a coward inwardly, went to open the window and shouted, "Help, the thieves who stole Elder Yang’s treasures are in our inn, quickly come, help!"
The street erupted instantly, everyone began to spread the word eagerly, "Hurry and see, the thieves who stole from Elder Yang’s house are caught alive at Huang Inn!"
Elder Yang’s Family had also sent servants to search, upon hearing this, they quickly rallied Xu Damin, and all rushed to Huang Inn together.