Farm Girl's Manor
Chapter 1233 - 388: Strange Iron Plate_3

Chapter 1233: Chapter 388: Strange Iron Plate_3

Looking at the Six Beasts all dirty and disheveled, Mo Yan felt both amused and annoyed. She was about to send them off to bathe themselves when she was drawn to the object in Little Flower’s mouth, "What is this?"

Little Flower scurried up to Mo Yan, opened its mouth, and spat a metal piece into her hand. Its eyes were shining bright, clearly eager to know what treasure it had found.

Mo Yan examined the peculiarly shaped but finely crafted metal piece, barely the size of a palm, clueless about its purpose. However, when she flipped the piece over and saw the stamp on the back, her face suddenly changed color, and she quickly asked Mao Tuan, "Where did you get this from?"

The Court strictly controlled the production of salt and iron, particularly the mining of iron ore. Unauthorized mining was a serious crime punishable by the extermination of one’s entire family. Iron exported from the mines would be marked with an official stamp to prove that it had been acquired through "legitimate channels."

This oddly shaped metal piece bore an official stamp, proving its legitimate source, and despite being reforged, the stamp was still preserved alongside a strange mark—indicating that the metal was cast by the Court.

But now that the metal had appeared in the hands of someone with dubious intentions, the situation was no longer so simple.

Little Flower barked twice, and through Xue tuanzi’s translation, Mo Yan heard, "I picked it up in the forest behind the Imperial palace. Someone had dropped it."

The so-called forest was actually just a few small hills, about two miles away from the Imperial palace. The soil quality there was very good, and it was lush with trees and an assortment of rare herbs, serving as the Imperial Family’s royal garden. Many of the potted plants used within the palace were cultivated there.

Little Flower had grown up in Duke Wu’an’s Mansion and knew every nook and cranny of Jing City. Tonight, it led the other five Beasts to cleverly avoid the crowds and they roamed all over Jing City. Naturally, they did not miss out on the royal garden.

At the time, the Six Beasts split up. Little Flower encountered a person on its way. When that person saw Little Flower, they panicked and ran off, accidentally dropping the iron piece.

Little Flower thought that the person was afraid of it, which was why they fled. Therefore, it did not pursue but instead became interested in the iron piece, which was unfamiliar to it, and picked it up.

After hearing the full story, Mo Yan’s expression grew more solemn and, while stroking Little Flower’s head, she said, "This is no simple object. Keep it with me for now, and I’ll show it to Bro Xiao when he returns. If it’s really connected to something significant, then you’ll be credited with a great contribution."

Although she did not know what the metal piece was, she was familiar with the official stamp on it, and the person Little Flower had encountered seemed very suspicious, possibly engaged in some illicit activities. She had to let Xiao Ruiyuan know about this.

The metal piece was of no use to Little Flower; it had brought it back for Mo Yan. Seeing that she wanted to take it away, it naturally agreed, but at the mention of possible recognition, it got excited, casting a proud glance at the other five Beasts.

Hmph, I’m going to earn great credit. Let’s see if you still dare to call me a junk-picker.

Not caring for Little Flower’s smug behavior, the other five Beasts disdainfully rolled their eyes at it, each mentally giving it a thumbs down while silently cursing, "Idiot!"

Mo Yan focused on the metal piece, lost in thought, and failed to notice the covert strife brewing among the Six Beasts.

By the time Xiao Ruiyuan arrived back at the Scholar Mansion with the kids, it was Zi Hour, and Mo Yan had been waiting in the main hall for their return.

Not seeing her father, Mo Yan inquired and found out he had gone to see Auntie from the Cui Family home. She smiled and told the kids to hurry up and wash up before going to bed.

The kids were indeed tired from playing, yawning as they bade farewell to their sister and brother-in-law and then left together. Once the room fell silent, Mo Yan handed the metal piece she had been holding to Xiao Ruiyuan, "This is what Little Flower picked up from the hill behind the Imperial palace. Take a look."

When Xiao Ruiyuan set eyes on the metal piece, his pupils instantly narrowed, and he swiftly took the piece, looking directly at the back to indeed find the official stamp in the groove.

Seeing this, Mo Yan understood that the piece was just as she had suspected: not simple at all. She watched Xiao Ruiyuan, whose expression was unreadable, and continued, "When Little Flower came back, I found some fine threads caught in its claws. I guess it must have come across someone. This is what it snatched from that person’s hands."

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