Chapter 285: The Graveyard

Chapter 285: The Graveyard

Wei Pozi naturally saw through their scheme as well.

She shot a meaningful glance at the two maidservants, who immediately stepped in front of Xingxing and Pan Shi, glaring fiercely at Zhao Youde, Zhao Youkang, and their group.

With the villagers also showing hostility, Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang knew they wouldn't gain anything today. They shot fierce glares at the Yujia family, including Xingxing, and stormed off in a huff.

Pan Shi shouted at their retreating figures, "Pack your bags and get out! And don't even think about staying at my place! My home isn't big enough for such 'important' guests!"

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang turned back and glared at Pan Shi again, growling, "You'll see!"

Pan Shi snorted coldly.

Seeing that the excitement was over, the villagers dispersed.

Pan Shi then took Xingxing's hand and asked, "Young mistress, what do you make of what just happened?"

Xingxing shook her head, "I can't quite figure it out, but it seems like all their fuss was just a smokescreen. Their real goal was to get their hands on the Zhao family's graves."

Xingxing silently added to herself that even trying to swindle the Yujia family might have been a side benefit.

"Graves?" Pan Shi was confused, "Isn't that just a regular plot of land on the back hill? Everyone in the village is buried there when they die. At most, it has decent feng shui... What could they possibly want with those graves?"

Wei Pozi and Yu Laotou were equally puzzled.

Xingxing, however, remembered something. Her delicate brows knitted together as she spoke, "I remember my third brother once told me a story about some tomb raiders who used a special technique to locate a feng shui treasure spot. They claimed there must be a grand tomb from an ancient dynasty buried beneath, filled with untold treasures. But there was already a house built on top of the tomb."

"Later, those tomb raiders bought the property, kept the doors and windows tightly shut day and night, and dug a tunnel in the yard. Using the house as a cover, they managed to loot many treasures from the tomb below."

Xingxing blinked, "...So, is it possible that those Zhao family members also discovered some grand tomb buried beneath and are using this situation as a cover to plan a grave robbery?"

This was rather far-fetched.

"That area has been wild for so many years. Many villagers who died were buried there. Your great-grandparents are buried there too... Even graves from a century ago are still there. There's no grand tomb," Wei Pozi said, perplexed.

After some discussion, they were all left puzzled.

However, they all agreed on one thing—Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang's families were definitely up to something shady!

First, they had to get rid of them!

But Pan Shi didn't expect that after she drove Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang's families out, they would return the next day with constables from the government. Zhao Youde smugly turned to the curious villagers and announced that their cousin had died under suspicious circumstances, and they had specially invited the constables to investigate.

Pan Shi couldn't help but laugh in anger!

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang were determined to cause trouble!

The Yujia family also rushed over upon hearing the news and quickly explained to the constables that it was all a misunderstanding, offering to go to the government office to clarify the situation.

The constables had initially thought it was just a typical village dispute, but upon arriving at Nantuo Village, they realized it involved the Yujia family. They immediately gave Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang a look of disbelief.

Others might not know, but as government officials, they were well aware that the Yujia family, though seemingly low-key, was actually the wealthiest family in Mapo County. Even in the state capital, they were among the top!

The Yujia family contributed significantly to the county's tax revenue!

Given their substantial contributions to the county's finances and the constables' good relationship with Yu Sanbao, the constables naturally treated the Yujia family with great respect.

The constables smiled and said to the Yujia family, "There's no need to go to the government office. We know what kind of people the Yujia family are... Besides, we're just here to ask a few questions."

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang were stunned; they had, after all, bribed the constables!

Why were these constables suddenly so friendly with the Yujia family?

"Constable..." Zhao Youde forced a smile, trying to jog their memory.

You took the money, so don’t slack off on your job!

The constable shot him an impatient look before turning to question Pan Shi about what was meant by "Zhao Youcai's death being unclear."

Pan Shi, of course, recounted the events again, with some villagers nodding in agreement, backing up Pan Shi’s story.

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang started sweating bullets and hurriedly said, "Constable, the Yujia family must’ve bribed them! Don’t believe a word they say!"

The constable glared at Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang, barking, "The guy’s been dead for five years! All this time, the family never raised any objections, and like the family said, the villagers can all vouch that he died from avalanche injuries and was buried properly."

"If you keep stirring up trouble over the dead guy and dragging others into it without proof, don’t be surprised if we arrest you for slander!"

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang turned pale with fear and dared not make a sound.

Before leaving, the constable pulled out the bribe money and shoved it back into their hands, sneered, and walked off without a backward glance.

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang could only watch, helpless and grim-faced, as the constables walked away.

Wei Pozi and Pan Shi were clueless about what Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang were up to.

Until two days later, dozens of well-dressed guards marched into Nantuo Village in formation.

The villagers were startled, keeping their distance but watching the procession with curiosity.

After dismounting, the guards gathered around a middle-aged man in a Taoist robe, who looked almost otherworldly.

The man held a compass in one hand and gestured with the other, muttering incantations.

The group made their way to the back mountain.

Finally, the man stopped at the back mountain cemetery.

"The dragon drinks, the phoenix soars. This is the spot!" The man's face lit up with joy, and he laughed heartily, "When I calculated earlier, I had already determined that this place is the most suitable for the Bai family to build their mausoleum. Building a tomb here will bring blessings to their descendants for generations—today’s visit proves this place boosts the Bai family’s fortune and aligns perfectly with the noble’s destiny! It is truly a treasure land for the Bai family!"

At this point, the Taoist-robed man showed a bit of disdain, "...it's just that these commoners' graves here are somewhat desecrating this treasure land."

The leading guard seemed indifferent, "...the Marquis has said, compensate fifteen taels of silver for each grave, and have them relocated."

If Pan Shi had been there, she would have understood why Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang had been causing trouble these past few days!

Zhao Youde and Zhao Youkang had somehow learned that a nobleman planned to build a mausoleum at the cemetery on the back mountain of Nantuo Village, intending to relocate all the existing graves and compensate the descendants of each grave with fifteen taels of silver.

The Zhao family had four graves in this area!

That was a total of sixty taels of silver!

—They were after the money for relocating the Zhao family's graves!