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Bai Tang did not know who was behind the scenes, but she had anticipated that someone would target Qiqiao Pavilion, so she had already tampered with the goods. A glowing insect flew out from Bai Tang's sleeve, circling around her twice before flying off into the distance. Bai Tang lightly stepped forward, following the insect at a leisurely pace. In the darkness, the insect's faint glow was particularly striking, yet its speed was so fast that the night watchman did not notice either the light of the insect or the person following it.
After flying halfway across the capital and dealing with a group of guards, the insect hovered in front of a magnificent mansion. Bai Tang reached out to retract the insect into her backpack and silently infiltrated the Ninth Prince's Mansion.
The Ninth Prince was playing with a lighter, flicking it on and off, enjoying himself as he watched the flame ignite and extinguish. If he only had one lighter, he wouldn't be able to play like this; if the liquid inside ran out, it wouldn't light again. However, with multiple lighters in his possession now, he could play however he wanted. Once he took control of Qiqiao Pavilion, he could afford to throw one away or give it as a gift to beautiful women or his subordinates.
"Your Highness, can I play with it?" A beautiful concubine leaned close to Ninth Prince, flattering him as she massaged his shoulders, her curious eyes fixed on the flickering flame of the lighter.
"Want to play? Sure! It's yours!" In a good mood, Ninth Prince tossed the lighter to her while his hands wandered into the beauty's clothing.
The concubine was surprised that Ninth Prince would generously give her something so precious. Overjoyed, she forgot about serving him and began to examine the lighter.
"It's lit! It's lit!" Finally igniting the lighter, she happily showed it off to Ninth Prince.
"Yes, it's lit!" Ninth Prince grinned wickedly. "You've sparked a fire in me; you must be responsible for putting it out!"
"Your Highness~" The concubine melted into his embrace.
As Ninth Prince explored her body, her soft cries filled the room, and the temperature gradually rose. Just as he was about to take things further, his gaze fell upon her face. The beautiful visage transformed into that of a monstrous creature with sharp teeth, grinning widely at him, its dark throat seeming like an endless abyss...
"Ah—" Everyone in Ninth Prince's Mansion heard a piercing scream. The guards burst through the door into Ninth Prince's bedroom but found no assassin; instead, they saw Ninth Prince foaming at the mouth, collapsed on top of the beauty. The guards simultaneously thought of one phrase: "immediate wind."
Almost everyone in Ninth Prince's Mansion gathered in his courtyard, making it convenient for Bai Tang to explore. Opening the system map, she followed its guidance to locate Ninth Prince's treasury: anything that looked good went into her backpack; anything interesting also went in; this seemed like authentic Tang Dynasty sancai pottery—she took it; this was a dagger from the Warring States period with historical significance—she took it; wait, wasn't this one of the top ten famous zithers, Lüqi?
After selecting treasures wasn't enough, Bai Tang's gaze fell upon boxes filled with gold and silver. No wonder Ninth Prince was the wealthiest among all princes; there were at least a dozen boxes filled with gold and silver—combined they must be worth millions! Did the emperor have as much money in his private treasury as his son? Probably not. While lamenting how much poorer Emperor Kang Yuan was compared to his son, she transferred the gold and silver from inside the boxes into her backpack. The seals on the boxes remained intact, but they were now empty. She left one box of gold and silver untouched—after all, she had to leave some money for Ninth Prince to live on; otherwise, it would look bad for a prince to beg on the streets—smiling contentedly as she exited the treasury. Hehe, consider this payment for Ninth Prince's lighter purchase; supermarkets often state that stealing incurs ten times the penalty—if Ninth Prince openly robs others without consequence, why shouldn't she take a hundred times?
As for Ninth Prince's ambitions regarding Qiqiao Pavilion, he certainly wouldn't have any thoughts about that in the short term. Being frightened by ghosts would surely leave him preoccupied—a matter concerning a man's pride. Watching a group of imperial physicians summoned to Ninth Prince's Mansion, Bai Tang covered her mouth and chuckled mischievously; medicines produced by system shops were not something ordinary doctors could cure with just a few prescriptions. As for Ninth Prince, he might as well focus on self-cultivation for life since his royal consort had already given him an heir—there was no worry about leaving behind someone to carry on his bloodline.
The next day, Ninth Prince did not attend court. Emperor Kang Yuan issued an edict ordering city guards to investigate the theft at Ninth Prince's Mansion. The capital was shocked and puzzled—when did such a skilled thief appear who could empty out Ninth Prince's Mansion without alarming its guards? Those heavy boxes of gold and silver—how did they manage to move them out? All noble families grew anxious; if a thief could clear out Ninth Prince's Mansion, they could easily rob their homes too. They certainly didn't believe their own defenses could match those of a prince's residence. In an instant, panic spread throughout the capital.
Still at a teahouse, Fourth Prince sipped tea and asked Fat Shopkeeper: "Was it Bai Tang who did this in Old Ninth's residence?"
The plump shopkeeper lowered his head, feeling utterly lacking in confidence in front of his master: "I don't know."
"Even you couldn't find anything, which shows how formidable the person who acted is," the Fourth Prince said. "Old Ninth was attacked by Bai Gang at Qiqiao Pavilion, and he was robbed that night. I can't believe it wasn't Bai Tang's doing."
"Master is wise!" The plump shopkeeper could only echo.
The Fourth Prince set down his teacup, and the plump shopkeeper immediately filled it again.
His fingers tapped on the table as the Fourth Prince did not lift the teacup again: "To take down Old Ninth right away shows this person's ruthless methods and a lack of respect for imperial authority. It seems my plan to win him over with power won't work. This person is highly skilled; he cannot be won over, nor can we be enemies. Forget it; there's no need to waste manpower on him anymore."
"Yes!" The plump shopkeeper breathed a sigh of relief. Every time his subordinates reported news about Bai Tang, they would always add that the other party seemed to have discovered their movements. At first, he thought his subordinates were being overly sensitive, but after the incident at Ninth Prince's Mansion, he realized they were not being paranoid; the other party had indeed noticed them but deemed them no threat, which is why they hadn't acted against them. Otherwise, it wouldn't have just been Ninth Prince's Mansion that was robbed; Fourth Prince's Residence would have been included as well.
"Old Ninth really kicked a metal plate this time; self-cultivation and nurturing one's character—ha ha, poor him!" The Fourth Prince managed a smirk of schadenfreude on his usually icy face.
The plump shopkeeper turned his head to look elsewhere; no wonder his master rarely smiled; it turned out that when he did, it was quite unsettling!
"Master, Bai Tang has come out!" The side shopkeeper caught sight of Bai Tang walking out of the main door of Qiqiao Pavilion and quickly alerted his master.
The Fourth Prince walked to the window and looked down, seeing a handsome young gentleman lifting his head; their gazes met in mid-air.
"He noticed us?" The plump shopkeeper was astonished. From such a distance, Bai Tang could also detect them?
"Interesting!" The Fourth Prince's lips curled up; Bai Tang piqued all his interest.
Bai Tang calmly shifted her gaze away. She sensed someone was watching her but didn't expect it to be such a noble figure. She just didn't know if this person would be a suitable partner for cooperation. If not suitable, even if he were to become the emperor in the future, she would find a way to eliminate him and seek another partner. After what happened with Ninth Prince, she felt it was wise to find a backing. Her combat power was strong enough not to fear authority, but she dreaded trouble. If she became embroiled in trouble, how could she make money? With a backing, the monsters would think twice before acting recklessly. And the biggest backing—besides the current emperor—would be the future emperor. However, this future emperor still needed her approval!
Bai Tang was heading out to find Lin Ruhai; she needed an opportunity to meet Fourth Prince openly. She didn't expect Fourth Prince to be observing her right outside her door. Bai Tang slightly curled her lips and quickened her pace. This informal meeting had already earned her half approval of Fourth Prince in her heart.
Lin Ruhai was very happy about Bai Tang's visit. He had just arrived in the capital five days ago and planned to settle down before visiting Bai Tang at Qiqiao Pavilion but didn't expect Bai Tang to beat him to it.
"Brother, I've missed you so much!" Lin Ruhai ran directly to the front gate to welcome Bai Tang upon hearing from his servant.
Bai Tang smiled and greeted Lin Ruhai, handing over the gift in his hand. "Brother Lin, congratulations on your promotion. I have prepared a small gift, and I hope you won't find it too trivial."
"Dear brother, it's enough that you came. What gift are you sending?" Lin Ruhai smiled, glancing at the gift list, and immediately gasped in surprise. "Dear brother, this gift is too extravagant!"
The music box, lighter, and gemstone jewelry... all of these were treasures that had recently sparked a buying frenzy in the capital, especially the music box, which was something even the wealthy couldn't easily acquire.
Bai Tang smiled and said, "Brother, this music box is not for you; it’s for Lin Daiyu!"
Lin Ruhai cherished his daughter and knew that Bai Tang was the owner of Qiqiao Pavilion, so he had plenty of good things. He didn't refuse the gift and warmly led Bai Tang into the inner hall. Jia Min was waiting in the hall with her two children. Upon seeing the two enter, she hurriedly instructed Lin Mei Mei and Lin Brother to bow to Bai Tang. Lin Mei Mei was precocious and remembered Bai Tang as their great benefactor; she bowed sincerely. Bai Tang felt immensely proud that Lin Mei Mei was bowing to her!
Bai Tang pulled up both of them. Lin Mei Mei was already ten years old by age count, her features developing beautifully into a graceful young lady. Lin Brother was adorably chubby, and Bai Tang couldn't help but pinch his soft white face, leaving two red fingerprints on it.
Lin Brother had a very good temperament; he neither cried nor got angry but covered his face and laughed at Bai Tang. Her heart melted instantly.
"So cute! Brother Lin, why don't you let me adopt your son?"
Lin Ruhai smiled slightly. "If my dear brother likes him as a son, I can give him to you as—an apprentice!"
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