Chapter Eleven: The Escorted Silver is Counterfeit
Song Hanlin’s subordinate, sent to investigate whether the silver had truly been dispatched, returned with a grave expression. “My lord, I have discovered that all the silver sent to the disaster-stricken areas is counterfeit!”
Song Hanlin, originally seated, sprang up as if pricked by a needle, his face filled with disbelief and urgency. “What did you say? The silver sent from the Prime Minister’s residence to the disaster zones is fake? How can this be? Where is the real silver then?”
The scout hurriedly replied, “I do not know where the genuine silver was taken. I traced the transport route and found that the ‘silver’ delivered to various places was all made of foam. Even the grain supplies were mixed with stones to fake the weight.”
Song Hanlin sneered coldly, grinding his teeth. “Wei Changlong, huh! No wonder he dared to make such reckless boasts in court, claiming he would spend his entire fortune to aid the victims. So he had already prepared this treacherous backup plan in secret! Luckily, I was cautious enough to send someone to investigate; otherwise, that corrupt official would have stolen this good deed right from under us!”
Beside him, Kang Qilu was equally furious. “Wei Changlong’s actions are utterly despicable. Not only has he betrayed the emperor, but when the treasury fills again in the future, he will try to retrieve the silver and gain both wealth and fame.”
“Dream on!” Song Hanlin roared, his voice booming like a great bell. “He won’t get any of it back. I will personally report his treason to His Majesty!”
“Your wisdom is admirable, my lord,” Kang Qilu said with genuine respect. “At such a critical moment, for Wei Changlong to still dare to use such cunning deceit and openly deceive the emperor—his audacity is truly astonishing!”
Indeed, there are no corrupt officials who fear death, only those reckless enough to risk it.
Song Hanlin’s face was a mask of rage as he ground his teeth. “I will not let such a traitorous villain go unpunished. First thing tomorrow, I will present myself at court and reveal Wei Changlong’s crimes.”
“Wait!” Kang Qilu quickly urged. “My lord, please be patient. Although we have uncovered Wei Changlong’s scheme, we lack concrete evidence. The other officials are unaware of this, so mere words from us will have little effect. Besides, consider why Wei Changlong dared to be so bold—he guessed that in these chaotic times, with bandits and scoundrels everywhere and the journey so long, the fake silver would never reach the victims but instead be intercepted by outlaws. Then he can blame the bandits for the theft. Even if we know the truth, it would be useless.”
Song Hanlin pondered and realized Kang Qilu was right. If bandits intercepted the fake silver, the blame would fall on them and the escorting soldiers for inadequate protection, leaving Wei Changlong unscathed. “Then what do you suggest?”
“I propose we secretly dispatch troops to guard the counterfeit silver. When it arrives at the disaster zones, the local officials will surely report to His Majesty about receiving fake silver. Meanwhile, we must covertly investigate where Wei Changlong has hidden the real silver. Since the money was sent from the Prime Minister’s residence under official escort, but the disaster areas received fakes, if we find the hidden treasure, we can catch him red-handed and deal a fatal blow to him, bringing him to justice.”
Song Hanlin nodded slightly in agreement and decisively commanded, “Very well, Lord Kang, your plan is sound. Proceed at once. Send men to covertly uncover where Wei Changlong has concealed the silver. I will dispatch troops to secretly escort the counterfeit silver.”
“Yes, my lord!”
On a moonless, wind-swept night, in utter silence, the soldiers responsible for escorting the official silver arrived in a desolate mountain wilderness. They decided to camp there briefly, resting until dawn before continuing their journey.
Unbeknownst to them, a group of bandits lay in wait around the seemingly peaceful camp, their eyes fixed greedily on the silver-laden carts.
Seeing the carts filled with silver, the bandits’ eyes gleamed with insatiable greed. “I’ve been a bandit for decades, but I’ve never seen the court send out this much silver at once. Looks like the government is really spending big on disaster relief this time!”
Another bandit excitedly chimed in, “No kidding, brother! We’re gonna get rich!”
Time passed, the night deepened. Exhausted, most soldiers fell asleep; even those on watch began nodding off. The bandits saw their chance and crept quietly toward the camp.
Just as the bandits were about to strike, a vigilant sentry suddenly sensed something amiss. His eyes snapped open to see several shadowy figures sneaking toward the camp. Alarmed, he shouted at the top of his lungs, “Bandits! Help! Bandits!”
The soldiers sprang to action, fury ignited, and seized their weapons, charging at the attackers.
In an instant, blades flashed, spears glinted, and shouts and roars filled the air as chaos erupted.
The bandits, cunning as ever, divided their forces. A fierce group boldly engaged the soldiers head-on in brutal combat, while another stealthy group circled behind to reach the silver chests.
They quickly opened the boxes, eager to claim their loot. But upon seeing the silver inside, their faces darkened, curses spilling from their lips. “Damn it! All this silver is fake!”
“What? Fake?” one bandit scoffed in disbelief. He picked up a piece and, without even biting to test it, squeezed it lightly. The so-called silver burst like a fragile balloon with a “pop.”
His eyes widened in shock as the piece crumbled to dust in his hand. “Just as we thought—fake silver!”
The leader was furious, cursing wildly. “Damn it! Some greedy official must have pocketed the real silver and swapped in these fakes to fool us. He counted on us robbing the convoy, but now we’ve worked so hard and got nothing. Instead, we’ve fallen right into the government’s trap! I’m not a sucker! Retreat!”
At his command, the other bandits snapped out of their excitement and fled in all directions like dogs with no home, vanishing without a trace in moments.
The lead officer, seeing the bandits retreat, hurried to inspect the silver. He closed the broken-open chests as if unaware the silver was counterfeit.