Wang Fu was still contemplating how to handle this old fellow.
However, he never expected that this dog, Wang Chao'an, would give him such a pleasant surprise this time.
"Where did you get this from?"
After reading the entire letter in one breath, Wang Fu carefully examined the seal, signature, and handwriting before taking a deep breath and asking.
"Reporting to my lord, this can be considered the subordinate's good fortune. When I returned to the capital not long ago, I encountered a remarkable person outside Bianliang City. On a whim, I helped him with a small favor, and he said he didn't want to receive kindness without reason, asking me to wait for him outside the city at noon yesterday!"
"And then he gave you this letter?"
Although his excuse sounded rather clumsy, with this letter in hand, Wang Fu had no choice but to believe it.
"That's right, that's exactly how it happened!"
Wang Chao'an nodded eagerly without a second thought.
"How is this possible? The handwriting, signature, and seal all seem genuine, but how could this still exist?"
After reconfirming the letter, Wang Fu frowned and began to mutter to himself.
After all, the impact of this matter back then was too great.
Furthermore, Yu Shen, that old fellow, had soared to prominence because of this very matter. Now, a letter that was rumored to have been burned by that old fellow suddenly reappeared before him. What exactly did that old fellow burn back then?
"My lord, a single letter like this is indeed weak as evidence, but the remarkable person also said that he has some corroborating evidence regarding Minister Bai!"
"Corroborating evidence?"
Upon hearing these two words, Wang Fu's gaze towards Wang Chao'an immediately changed.
"This is no joking matter. Are you sure that fellow isn't trying to trick you?"
After the surprise, Wang Fu immediately calmed down. A man like him would not believe in any good fortune falling from the sky.
"The remarkable person said this letter was a reward, but for the remaining items, he requires..."
"Requires what?"
"He said these items took him ten thousand taels of gold to obtain back then..."
"The nerve of this guy to ask for such an exorbitant price!"
Despite his words, Wang Fu's biggest doubts had already significantly diminished.
If that person truly gave it away for nothing, he would have suspected the authenticity of the item.
But if he asked for ten thousand taels of gold, the matter became much simpler.
Thinking carefully, the investigation, trial, and all the participants involved in that affair back then were quite numerous.
If a certain meticulous individual had withheld a few letters in the process, it didn't seem impossible.
"If my lord thinks it's too expensive, perhaps..."
Seeing Wang Fu remain silent for a long time, Wang Chao'an tentatively said.
"When did that person say the transaction would take place, and how?"
However, before he could finish, Wang Fu interrupted him gruffly.
"That person said someone would be waiting for me at Taiping Bridge in two days, but he only trusts me. If anyone else appears, this transaction will be considered null and void..."
What satisfied Wang Chao'an the most in this entire matter was Yuan Xingchi's arrangement.
With such a simple arrangement, it immediately helped him re-establish his standing in Wang Fu's eyes.
"A mere ten thousand taels of gold, what is that? But you must understand, what I hate the most is being deceived. As long as you can bring back that evidence, let alone ten thousand, even a hundred thousand taels would be nothing!"
If he could truly obtain the complete set of evidence, it would allow Wang Fu to eliminate a competitor, and a most formidable one at that, silently!
Let alone ten thousand, even a hundred thousand taels of gold would be more than worth it.
"My lord, rest assured. What use would such items have if they remained in that person's hands? Could he really go to Minister Bai Shizhong's mansion and extort him?"
"There is some logic to that. You've handled this matter well. You may go back and rest now!"
It had to be said, as Wang Chao'an mentioned, at this moment, it seemed only he could afford such a price.
Although Bai Shizhong, that old scoundrel, was no good bird either, asking him to fork out ten thousand taels of gold at once would be like killing him.
"But what about the matter in Hebei..."
Hearing Wang Fu tell him to go and rest, Wang Chao'an finally felt relieved, but he still tentatively asked.
"The matter in Hebei will be discussed at length! If those scoundrels are stubborn, we'll see if they drag me down, or if I send them all to the prison of death!"
As Wang Fu said this, his face was filled with malice.
That undisguised killing intent sent a shiver through Wang Chao'an. At this moment, he truly regretted it. If he had known this would happen, why did he get involved in the first place!
However, since Wang Fu had taken it upon himself, the subsequent matters were no longer his concern.
Returning to the familiar bedroom, Wang Chao'an truly felt a sense of having experienced a lifetime.
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
As noon approached, under the covert escort of several guards, Wang Chao'an personally drove a carriage to the vicinity of Taiping Bridge.
"Mr. Wang, we meet again!"
After a short while, a familiar voice sounded again.
When Wang Chao'an looked up again, he discovered that the person meeting him was none other than that damned coachman!
This was truly exasperating. Did this Mr. Yuan have no one else around him? Why was he always the one dealing with this scoundrel?
Was he reminding him every time that just as he could be abducted once, he could be abducted a second time?
"Where are the things I asked for?"
Although his expression was somewhat awkward, Wang Chao'an still asked directly.
"I have brought the items, of course, but I must first see if you have brought what you were asked for?"
"It's all in the carriage!"
After scanning his surroundings and finding no suspicious individuals, Wang Chao'an spoke.
"Let's go, I'll take you somewhere. I need to inspect the goods first, and then we can complete the transaction!"
As the coachman spoke, he jumped onto the carriage shaft, took the whip from Wang Chao'an's hand, and drove the carriage towards the west city.
Behind them, the guards from the Wang residence hurried to follow.
The two, one after the other, circled through Bianliang City a few times before finally turning into a small courtyard.
"Inspect the items in the carriage. If there are no problems, move them down!"
As soon as the carriage stopped, over a dozen men dressed in blue shirts and small hats, dressed as shop assistants, immediately stepped forward.
The coachman was not polite, stretching his arms lazily as he casually said.
"Where are the things I asked for?"
This was ten thousand taels of gold. If this gold were lost, and he didn't receive the items, his life would truly be forfeit.
With his life at stake, Wang Chao'an immediately stood in front of the shop assistants.
"If you don't trust Mr. Yuan, you can leave with your items now!"
Seeing Wang Chao'an's caution, the coachman smiled and casually said...
"I, I certainly didn't mean that, it's just..."
Now, it was Wang Chao'an's turn to be embarrassed.
"Alright, once they have finished verifying, I will naturally give you the items!"
The coachman smiled and then took out a pawn ticket from his sleeve, waving it in front of Wang Chao'an.