The money chest was not empty.
For instance, at the very top was a stack of silver notes mixed with a deed, which, according to memory, was the earnest money given to him by Wang Xian.
In addition, there were the property deeds of his own home, a small amount of Silver Taels, his original mother's jewelry, and various other odds and ends—all of which would amount to a large sum for an ordinary family, but...
"Where's the money I embezzled?" Zhao Douan was somewhat dumbfounded.
In his recollection, although the original owner had been careful not to be too greedy this past year for fear of giving others a handle against him, he still received quite a few benefits both openly and secretly.
But now, they seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"Stolen? Or taken by You Jinhua? No... impossible."
Zhao Douan strained his brain, trying to search his memory.
However, three days had passed since his time-travel, and the remnants of the original owner's memory were blurring.
Many details were lost, with only vague impressions remaining.
Just like he could remember having an aunt and a stepsister at home, but their appearances were no longer clear—only by seeing them again would his memory be rekindled.
He felt like someone suffering from amnesia, with only the impression that "the original owner made quite a sum of money," but the specifics of how much and the ins and outs of each transaction were no longer clear.
"It seems like I... took it out myself."
Zhao Douan's expression was not good. "But I've forgotten where the money went."
It was quite the feeling:
Seeing the lottery numbers drawn, exactly matching the ones you bought, but for the life of you, you can't remember where you put the ticket.
"Damn it..." Zhao Douan twitched the corner of his mouth.
What's the most painful thing?
It's being alive with money also present but forgetting where you put it.
"Calm down! Perhaps I can try to feel out You Jinhua," Zhao Douan pondered. "The memory is only vague; with the right prompt, I might remember."
And besides, although the original owner was a wastrel, he wasn't foolish—he wouldn't have lost a large sum of money without reason.
After comforting himself for a moment, Zhao Douan took out the "earnest money" and put in the Nourishing God Pill, locking the "safety box" and sitting cross-legged to regulate his breathing, calming his vital energy.
Just now, he appeared as calm as the light clouds and gentle wind, but his channels ached faintly from carrying too much vital energy.
"The first time was too tight, so it's normal to feel some pain after stretching it a bit. After doing it more times, it'll ease up and become more relaxed," Eunuch Hai's admonishing words were still echoing in his ears.
Zhao Douan found it to be very true.
It wasn't until the sun began to set that he was awakened by footsteps outside the door, hearing the maid knock and timidly say:
"Master, it's time for dinner."
...
In the inner hall.
When Zhao Douan arrived, he saw six dishes and one soup on the round table, but Aunt and sister were nowhere to be seen.
"Where are they?" he asked subconsciously.
The maid next to him had a strange expression and reminded him in a low voice:
"Didn't Master forget? The mistress and the young miss do not dine at the table."
Zhao Douan's fuzzy memory was stirred, and only then did he remember that after the original owner had risen to prominence, in order to humiliate the two women, he would always finish his meals first at home. The leftovers would then be taken by the servants to You Jinhua and her daughter.
Impressive, he had indeed embraced the dregs of rigid hierarchy... Zhao Douan complained internally and said coldly:
"Call them over to eat together; I have something to ask them."
The maids and old women were surprised but did not dare to ask questions.
In a short while, the mother and daughter entered the inner hall.
Zhao Pan had a stern face and remained silent as if she had been cautioned by her mother.
You Jinhua was careful with her words, speaking softly and slowly:
"Master..."
"Sit down to eat," said Zhao Douan. Seeing that the two women did not move, he had to feign anger before You Jinhua quickly pulled her daughter to the table.
Zhao Douan also remained silent, his stomach growling, finally understanding why the Empress had such an appetite... One of the downsides of the Royal Skill, it seemed, was being easily hungry.
The mother and daughter were nervous and watchful at first, unsure what today's madness was about.
Seeing Zhao Douan just eating his meal, Zhao Pan clenched her teeth and took the lead, grabbing a chopstick of meat and gulping it down ferociously. You Jinhua, seeing this, hesitated before also picking up food.
The hot meal was delectable, and the beautiful woman almost wanted to cry. She had forgotten when the last time the three of them had sat down quietly to eat together was.
Had the wolf changed its nature?
Zhao Pan's face revealed suspicion; she bravely, cautiously reached for the dish in front of Zhao Douan that she liked. He did not explode in anger but merely glanced at her and moved his chopsticks away, as if...
He was... yielding to her?
Impossible! The young girl remained extremely guarded, suspecting this was the calm before a storm.
Finally, when Zhao Douan was about sixty percent full, he casually said:
"Aunt, you know about the money I took out a while ago, don't you?"
You Jinhua was stunned. Aunt? How long had it been since she'd heard that term?
"Ah, what's the matter?" You Jinhua held her chopsticks, hiding her inner feelings.
Zhao Douan frowned and repeated the question.
The mother and daughter looked at each other in confusion, and You Jinhua hesitated before saying:
"The money at home has always been managed by Master, right? Aside from household expenses, we really don't know where the rest was spent. Could it be that Master entertained some friends outside?"
Friends?
Zhao Douan seized the keyword, a lightbulb going off in his head.
After the original owner had gained power, he indeed befriended several profligate friends, all young nobles from small influential families in the Capital, never short on flattery.
The reason for his quick decline was also due in part to these people's influence.
Otherwise, a Little Forbidden Army member, even wanting to be corrupted, wouldn't have found the entrance to society's dye vat.
However, since the incident involving Zhao Douan, those fair-weather friends who used to surround him, lavishing all sorts of compliments, had all tactfully disappeared.
Such is the stark reality of the mortal world... Zhao Douan sneered inwardly, quietly noting this clue, ready to investigate further when he was free.
You Jinhua saw that Zhao Douan didn't ask further, becoming increasingly puzzled, thinking perhaps he was pardoned today and was in a good mood.
He cautiously said,
"The balance on the household account is running low, and next month's Silver Coin... I'm not sure when it would be convenient for eldest brother to..."
For a family's food, clothing, and various expenses, as well as the stipends for house servants and maids, taking into consideration the high cost of living in the Capital, it amounted to a significant sum each month.
You Jinhua lived with the palm of her hand facing upward, scrimping and saving every month, for fear of overspending.
Even so, each month when she asked Zhao Douan for household funds, she remained anxious.
Despite her best efforts to save and manage the household,
this time, Wang Xian did not curse her as before, with words like "wastrel," and "free-loader," questioning her about whether the money had been secretly spent.
The usually violent Zhao Douan was first stunned, then guiltily put down his chopsticks, and said in a gentle voice,
"This time, having narrowly escaped a disaster, I've spent a lot of money on bribes. Wait a few days until my salary is issued, then I'll give it to auntie. Yes, I'm fine, you all take your time eating."
Having said that, he got up and left the inner hall, the awkwardness almost tangible enough to carve out a three-bedroom apartment.
It really was embarrassing to admit that he somehow had spent all the household money.
"Heh, who would've thought that I, such a big antagonist, would actually be too poor to afford living expenses..." Zhao Douan ridiculed himself, feeling that the plan to overturn the Zhang family brothers and earn money through merits needed to be expedited.
Only the mother and daughter were left at the dining table, staring blankly at his departing figure, feeling like the sun must have risen from the west.
...
At night, outside the master bedroom.
Zhao Pan, holding an oil lamp, pushed open the door, and saw her mother sitting at the table.
The beautiful woman was only wearing a nightgown, her slender neck bowed, exuding a gentle and graceful temperament.
In her hands was the dress her daughter wore during the day, which had been torn when she fell. She was now attentively sewing it up.
After finishing the final stitch and biting off the thread with her silver teeth, You Jinhua looked with satisfaction at the exquisitely embroidered peach blossom over the hole, raised her head, and smiled at her daughter,
"Come and try it on, see if it looks good."
Zhao Pan bit her lip, her eyes sparkling under the lamp light, walked over to her mother, set down the lamp, and tenderly took hold of her mother's hand, protesting,
"Why didn't you give it to a servant to sew?"
You Jinhua laughed, "The old lady's eyesight isn't good, it would've been ruined if she sewed at night."
Then she said with guilt,
"At your age, you should be adding new clothes to your wardrobe. It's my fault for not being able to save enough... you can only wear mended clothes."
"Mother..." Zhao Pan's eyes reddened, her voice full of distress,
"I don't need new ones, it's been so long since you've added any clothes for yourself."
The Zhao family wasn't short of money; Zhao Douan spent lavishly when dining out, and one meal alone would be enough to buy them fine new outfits.
But the living expenses that he provided to them were barely enough to maintain the household, making them live from hand to mouth, with even a missing penny warranting a scolding.
For the family of the White Horse Governor, such poverty was indeed rare.
You Jinhua was deeply moved, and the mother and daughter leaned into each other, seeking warmth in their embrace.
After a while, You Jinhua suddenly said, "Your elder brother behaved somewhat differently today."
"He's not my brother," Zhao Pan said sternly, "he must have been chastened by the Emperor, temporarily behaving himself. Sooner or later, he'll show his fangs again."
You Jinhua fell silent, merely sighing, for she had the same suspicions.
Yet, she harbored an unrealistic hope.
"Perhaps... I mean, perhaps... after what happened this time, he's changed for the better? Men need to be tempered before they can grow up... There's the old saying about the prodigal son returning..."
"I don't believe it, I only remember how he bullied us, ever since we were little!"
"Alas... When you were little, he had just lost his own mother; it's understandable he did not take to me..."
"Stop it, I don't want to hear!"
"Okay... go back to bed."
Outside.
Concealed behind a column in the hallway, Zhao Douan listened until the conversation inside ended. With a light leap using qinggong, he silently flew onto the roof.
He watched Zhao Pan walk away with the lamp, then stood silently for a long time, looking up into the Capital's dark night sky, his gaze wandering toward some unnamed tall building.
...
The night sky was clear, adorned with twinkling stars.
In the Capital of Great Yu, situated within the headquarters of the Dao Sect, the "Heavenly Master Mansion," on the outwardly bulging platform of a tall clock tower.
The starlight suddenly converged, outlining a slender figure.
As the night breeze blew, the dark-colored Warlock Robe hemmed with golden lines fluttered in the wind. Embroidered with gold thread on one corner of the robe was the emblem of the Heavenly Master Mansion.
Indeed, it was the mysterious magician who had witnessed Zhao Douan leaving near the White Horse Hall some nights before.
No, according to the parlance within the Heavenly Master Mansion, she should be called a "priest."
At that moment, as the wind moved the clouds and the bright moonlight shone forth, the priest's appearance was revealed to be that of a beautiful girl.
With pale skin and slightly curly hair, her eyes were unfocused, giving her a dazed look.
Her temperament, mysterious and ethereal. If Zhao Douan were here, he might think of Luna from Harry Potter...
As soon as the girl priest appeared, she misstepped and, with a cry, fell straight down the tower, then got up as if nothing had happened.
Pretending as though nothing had occurred.
"Ah, Jin Jian sister!"
"Greetings, sister!"
"Sister, did you go out to play again?"
"Pfft, 'play' what do you mean? Sister is following the orders of the Heavenly Master to patrol the Capital at night, to guard the peace and prevent the Evil God from causing trouble..."
"Ah yes, exactly... that's absolutely right——"
Below the clock tower, a group of priests passing by from the Heavenly Master Mansion gathered around, showering her with praise.
The girl, named Jin Jian, basked in the flattery, her focus sharpening, she locked eyes with the crowd: "You all."
The assembled priests looked on in puzzlement, "Do you have any instructions for us, sister?"
Jin Jian hesitated briefly, then slowly spoke the second half of her thought,
"Who can tell me about that Zhao Douan?"