Chapter 15: It Turned Out to Be Due to Poverty

Chapter 15: It Turned Out to Be Due to Poverty

After saying that, Cao Ren whispered something to the officers behind him, and they promptly ran off.

In no time, the officer returned with several stern-looking matrons, each carrying a large bundle in their arms.

Cao Ren instructed, "Search every one of them thoroughly. If anyone tries to let anyone off, bring your head to me."

"Yes, sir!" The matrons acknowledged and headed towards the direction of the female guests.

Mo Hanyue cowered behind Old Lady Mo in fear.

"Mother, Hanyue is scared," she said.

Old Lady Mo sternly replied, "Stand up straight, don't disgrace the Mo family's ancestors."

Upon hearing this, Mo Hanyue trembled as she stood up straight, tears still rolling down her cheeks.

The search conducted by the ruthless matrons left no stone unturned. In their pursuit of thoroughness, they escorted the female relatives to a nearby room, compelling them to undress for an exhaustive examination.

As a result, the hidden pockets sewn into the undergarments, as per He Zhiran's suggestion, were exposed, and not a single silver note escaped their detection. Along with their jewelry adorning their heads, everything was confiscated.

Witnessing this scene, He Zhiran felt immense relief that her medical kit had also made the journey through time, allowing her to carry away those valuables without any hindrance.

In the end, not even the silk garments worn by the Mo family's women were spared. They were forced to change into the rough homespun clothes that the matrons had brought with them.

Gazing at the garments, which were not only dull in color but also mended with numerous patches, the sisters-in-law felt their heads spin.

Sister-in-law Eight, indignant, spoke up, "Our clothes aren't worth much. Surely they won't take those away too, right?"

The matron bared her yellowed teeth and sneered coldly, "You'd best understand your current situation. Having a single garment to cover your body is more than decent; what more do you have to complain about?"

Sister-in-law Eight was about to retort when Lady Mo, Old Mo, intervened.

"Madam Zhao, there's no need for further words."

Saying that, Old Madam Mo casually picked up a patched garment and slipped it on herself.

He Zhiran didn't mind either, promptly following her lead and throwing on a random piece of clothing.

The other sisters-in-law and Mo Hanyue, seeing this, could only suppress their fury and grab clothes to put on themselves.

Fortunately, they were still wearing their own shoes.

Once the servants saw that everyone was dressed, they carried their 'trophies' out, turning to leave.

They handed over all the banknotes and jewelry to Cao Ren without missing a single item.

Looking at the mere one thousand taels in banknotes that the servant women had delivered into his hands, Cao Ren disdainfully stuffed them into his chest. As for the jewelry, he placed it in a wooden box he had prepared beforehand.

With their hidden banknotes seized, the sisters-in-law felt as if their hearts had turned to ashes.

Without silver, it would be nearly impossible for them to survive the journey to the northwest.

Old Madam Mo had lost her composure too. Without any money, how could she bribe the ruthless officials and soldiers they would encounter along the way?

As the ladies' spirits sank, the search parties investigating the other compounds of the Duke of State's residence began to return one by one.

The news they brought back could have stirred Cao Ren's fury.

"One report to General Cao: The Duke of State's treasury is utterly barren."

"What did you say?" Cao Ren wore an expression of disbelief.

The official repeated his words timidly, "General Cao, the treasury truly holds nothing."

"General Cao, not only is the treasury empty, but even the kitchens are barren," another official added.

Cao Ren's anger flared, and he turned to the women. "Tell me, did you all secretly move the Duke of State's assets beforehand?"

Matriarch Old Mo answered solemnly, "General Cao, His Majesty only issued the imperial edict to seize our assets today. Does my Mo family possess the gift of foresight, allowing us to transfer our wealth ahead of time?"

Upon hearing Matriarch Old Mo's response, Cao Ren understood her reasoning. However, he found it hard to believe that the esteemed Duke of State's residence could be so impoverished.

As he was pondering, more officials returned with reports.

"General Cao, we found several large water jars and some worthless trinkets in Duke Mo Jiuye's courtyard," one said.

"General Cao, we discovered women's jewelry in a few of the compounds," another reported.

"We've uncovered tens of taels of silver," a third officer added.

Listening to these accounts, Cao Ren had reached a conclusion.

The Mo family hadn't moved their wealth beforehand—it seemed they truly were impoverished.

If they had indeed transferred their assets, there wouldn't be any remaining jewelry or silver left behind.

It was unbelievable that the prestigious House of the Duke, responsible for protecting the nation, was poorer than his humble residence as a mere Fourth Rank General.

No wonder Mo Jiuye always wore the same black robe and never seemed to change clothes—it was due to their poverty.

How could he know that ever since Mo Jiuye was old enough to understand, mourning ceremonies for his elder brothers were frequent occurrences in their household?

It was to honor those brothers who had sacrificed themselves for the country that he wore black robes every day.

He did not own just one black robe; they all looked alike!

Upon this realization, Cao Ren felt an inexplicable sense of superiority over the Mo family members.

"I never expected the esteemed Duke of Guardian State's residence to be nothing but a hollow shell. No wonder, with only women around, how could they possibly earn money?"

One of the officers quickly echoed, "General Cao speaks the truth."

Cao Ren enjoyed being flattered and admired. He surveyed the area and seeing that the search was over, he instructed,

"Keep an eye on these seized goods and the servants in the mansion, awaiting the Emperor's edict for further action."

"The rest, take the prisoners to the outskirts of the city."

With that, Cao Ren cast a glance at He Zhiran before reluctantly departing.

He Zhiran was once again disgusted by that gaze.

Taking advantage of the officials' attention being on Cao Ren as he left, she swiftly slipped away from the crowd.

When she reached a spot where she was out of sight, she deftly rolled up her skirt and climbed up a sturdy tree.

Entering her space in her mind, she retrieved a sniper rifle she had stored there.

She loaded the bullet, took aim.

The scope was fixed on the back of Cao Ren's head.

Not until Cao Ren had exited Duke Guardian's residence and mounted his majestic horse did she finally pull the trigger.

A thunderous blast echoed, and just like that, Cao Ren, who had been boasting before the Mo family, swayed and tumbled off his horse...

At the same time, He Zhiran promptly entered her space.

The gunshot was like a clap of thunder; everyone would undoubtedly search for the source of the sound.

She planned to temporarily seek refuge in the hidden space, waiting for the moment when everyone's attention shifted away before reappearing.

If not for Cao Ren repeatedly crossing her boundaries, He Zhiran wouldn't have desired to provoke trouble at this time.

Such a person was merely wasting oxygen with each passing minute.

Unknown to her, Mo Jiuye, lurking in the shadows, had witnessed all of He Zhiran's actions.

Who exactly was this woman, and why did she possess such formidable weaponry?

Moreover, she could vanish on the spot...

Could it be that she was a deity?

Mo Jiuye vigorously shook his head, feeling that He Zhiran's recent behavior had vastly exceeded his understanding.