On her wedding night, she went into exile with her pharmacy arsenal

Chapter 2140 Burning Paper Money

Upon hearing Sun Qing's words, everyone shuddered, and the color drained from their faces.

They nodded in agreement, their voices filled with barely concealed fear: "Yes, we remember."

“Let’s begin.” Sun Qing took a step back and stood to the side with his arms crossed.

The older servant on the left spoke first, his voice urgent: "The governor has a distant cousin who is a county magistrate in another place. He secretly came to the mansion last year to see him and even gave him a box of silver!"

The maid on the right immediately chimed in, "I know! When his cousin left, he took an ancient painting from the manor, saying it was a gift from the governor!"

"No! He insisted on having that painting!" the young servant on the left hurriedly retorted, afraid that the other party would beat him to it. "Also, the governor's seventh aunt comes to the mansion every month to collect her monthly allowance, and after taking the money, she complains and grumbles, saying that she was given too little!"

The old servant on the right was not to be outdone: "His eighth aunt's husband owed money gambling, and it was the governor who paid it off for him, spending a total of five hundred taels of silver!"

The scene immediately became chaotic, with both teams vying to speak, each trying to say something more than the other.

Some say that Governor Ding loved sweet and greasy pastries and would have the kitchen make them for him every night.

Some say he snores loudly in his sleep, so loudly that the sound can be heard in the yard;

Some of the maids blushed and said that they had seen the governor ask the steward to buy nourishing soups, saying that he was not feeling well.

"He's not physically fit, he's completely incapable!" a maidservant blurted out in a moment of panic. Only after saying that did she realize what she had said, and her face instantly turned bright red. She lowered her head, not daring to look at anyone.

Upon hearing this, Wu Liang finally couldn't help but look at Sun Qing, his eyes full of smiles.

Sun Qingqing cleared his throat, his face feigning seriousness, but his ears were secretly turning red. He could only grit his teeth and listen, occasionally frowning and scolding, "Get to the point! Stop with the nonsense!"

After being reprimanded, the group calmed down a bit and began to talk about more private matters.

The servant on the left said that Governor Ding had secretly altered the household registration records and included his family's land in the list of tax-exempt households.

The maid on the right said she had seen him throw a tantrum in his study late at night, smashing an inkstone on the ground and cursing something like "more trouble than he's worth".

Just then, the young servant on the left, who hadn't spoken much, suddenly spoke up. His voice trembled slightly, but it was clear enough: "Once, I saw him secretly burning paper money."

The moment those words were spoken, the noisy scene fell silent.

Everyone looked at the servant, even holding their breath.

Sun Qing's previously unfocused gaze suddenly brightened, and his nonchalant expression largely disappeared. He leaned forward and asked, "Tell me in detail, when and where was the paper money burned?"

"Tell me in detail what exactly happened that day."

The servant swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing up and down, his voice trembling slightly: "That was more than two months ago. I was punished by the steward for not eating for three days because I broke the inkstone in the governor's study. I was so hungry that I saw stars, so I thought of going to the pond in the back garden at night to catch a couple of fish to fill my stomach."

He paused, his gaze drifting to the window, as if he were seeing that night again: "The moon in the back garden was very dark, with only a few corridor lamps shining in the distance, and the shadows of the trees were frighteningly bright."

As the child reached the edge of the pond, he suddenly smelled the aroma of burning paper. Following the scent, he saw the governor standing under the old willow tree.

"The old willow tree?" Sun Qing pressed. "The one near the waterside pavilion?"

“Exactly.” The servant nodded, his shoulders hunching slightly. “Under that tree, there was nothing but emptiness. There were no memorial tablets or offerings, only the governor himself, holding a stack of yellow paper and feeding it into the fire one by one.”

Wu Liang stood beside Sun Qing, his brows slightly furrowed, and interjected, "It's neither Qingming nor Zhongyuan, so why is he burning paper money for no reason?"

The servant shook his head, his face full of confusion: "I don't understand either."

The rules in the manor are strict. Even burning incense requires choosing the right time. How could anyone burn paper money in the garden in the middle of the night?

The little one was so scared that he didn't dare to breathe, hiding behind the artificial hill, and wouldn't even touch the fish anymore.

Sun Qing's gaze darkened, and his doubts deepened.

He suppressed the turmoil in his heart and softened his tone: "Did he say anything when he burned the paper money?"

The servant's eyes flickered, as if recalling details: "There was... he seemed to be muttering something, his voice was very low, and the servant was too far away to hear clearly."

It was intermittent, something like "...Don't come out" or "...Underground."

He thought hard for a moment, then his eyes lit up: "That's it! I vaguely heard the phrase 'stay safe underground,' that's it!"

"Just stay peacefully underground?" Sun Qing repeated, then turned and exchanged a glance with Wu Liang.

Both of them looked surprised. Wu Liang's lips moved, clearly finding the words unbelievable as well.

When offering sacrifices to the deceased, one should say auspicious words such as "rest in peace" or "enjoy peace." The phrase "stay put" sounds more like a warning.

Sun Qing paused lightly on the table with his fingertips, then asked, "How long did he burn? Where did he go afterward?"

"After about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the paper was finished, but he stood there watching for a long time until the ashes were cold before leaving."

The servant recalled, "He seemed to have something on his mind and went straight back to his study. I quickly ran away afterward, afraid of being discovered."

As he spoke, a hint of lingering fear appeared on his face: "I've kept this to myself for so long, afraid that the governor would find out and punish me. But I felt it was really strange, so I dared to report it to him truthfully today."

Sun Qing remained silent for a moment, having already made up his mind.

Governor Ding's actions are too unusual. Combined with the recent rumors of disappearances circulating in the city, this matter is probably not simple.

He looked at Wu Liang and lowered his voice even further: "I will continue asking questions here. You go and report to the Prince and Princess immediately."

Wu Liang nodded and replied, "Okay, I'll go right away."

Sun Qing then inquired about the recent situation in the mansion, and everyone answered in turn, their words filled with apprehension but without any concealment.

At this moment, in the study of the Su family mansion, the desk was piled high with petitions, and Yan Ruyu was sitting in front of the desk, carefully reviewing them.

Huo Changhe stood beside her, holding a file in his hand, occasionally leaning down to whisper a few words to her.

A series of hurried footsteps came from outside the door, and a guard rushed in to report: "Sun Qing sent someone to report that he has made an important discovery and wants to report it to you in person."

Yan Ruyu paused in her writing, looked up at Huo Changhe, and a knowing glint flashed in her eyes.

She put down her pen, straightened her sleeves, and said calmly but with barely concealed anticipation, "Let him in. Sun Qing is always steady in his work; he would never be in such a hurry unless there is a truly important clue."

Huo Changhe's gaze fell on the doorway: "Could it be that something has really been discovered in Governor Ding's residence?"