The remaining grain was what had been seized from him during his first attempt to gather provisions, still hidden here.
Transporting such a large batch of grain out of the city would have been quite conspicuous, so Xiao Wangye deliberately disguised himself and smuggled it out.
As for the soldiers secretly inquiring about the matter, he deliberately spread word among his men that the prefect was unable to procure any grain and that he himself had paid out of pocket to purchase it within the city.
The soldiers, suspecting nothing, set off back to the city with the large quantity of grain.
As expected, on the return journey, in almost the same location, the same group of black-clad figures reappeared and seized the grain.
This time, Xiao Wangye intentionally allowed his guards to lower their vigilance, letting them seize all the grain.
He then leisurely led his men in pursuit, naturally failing to catch them.
In this manner, they returned to Fengdu City empty-handed, with Xiao Wangye feigning a dejected demeanor.
Luo Qinquan, while gleefully receiving news from his subordinates, also put on a show of false sympathy, coming to comfort Xiao Wangye.
Losing food supplies was a minor issue; failing to deliver them was a major one. As long as the Japanese merchant caravan decided to make trouble and expose his actions, Luo Qinquan's official hat would not be safe.
This was why he had strongly recommended Xiao Wangye to gather provisions again, so he could benefit as a bystander and cover his own deficit.
However, upon hearing from his subordinate that the deficit was precisely covered, Luo Qinquan felt something was amiss.
The quantity of grain Xiao Wangye had gathered this time was not small. Even according to his explanation that he had purchased it from other cities with his own money, it was still a considerable sum.
To gather such a large amount of grain in a short time was no small feat.
Furthermore, buying a large quantity of grain with few escorts was even more illogical, as if it were intentionally being delivered to his doorstep.
The more he thought about it, the more it felt wrong. Luo Qinquan vaguely felt he might have overlooked something.
However, he dared not directly question Xiao Wangye about this matter, nor did he dare to subtly pry for information.
He knew very well that if he revealed his interest in the matter, it would expose his own hand and make the other party suspect him of being the one who had robbed the grain.
Luo Qinquan was already guilty of something, so how could he dare to actively expose Xiao Wangye?
Moreover, time did not allow him to ponder further. The deadline for transferring the grain was only a few days away, and the Japanese merchant caravan had already urged him to deliver it several times.
Receiving this batch of grain was fortunate enough to cover his deficit. Luo Qinquan dared not consider it further, directly ordering his men to pack the grain and prepare to escort it personally.
Concurrently, Xiao Wangye had anticipated his next move and dispatched hidden guards to lie in wait around him.
The moment Luo Qinquan secretly left the city with his men, Xiao Wangye quickly followed, leaving others in the city to await news.
Perhaps fearing that his scheme would be exposed, or worried that the transaction in Fengdu City would be discovered, Luo Qinquan chose a city quite far from Fengdu for his transaction with the Japanese merchants.
Both parties disguised themselves as ordinary merchants for the rendezvous. The grain had already been transported to a warehouse, where they were jointly counting it.
Upon receiving this news, Xiao Wangye immediately sprang into action. He followed them all the way to this city and unhesitatingly had someone present his token, ordering the local officials to bring their men to the transaction point.
As for himself, he had already arrived at the scene while Luo Qinquan was meeting with the Japanese merchants to discuss matters.
"Lord Luo, you truly have remarkable skill. To sell so much grain to the Japanese merchant caravan when the city is facing a grain shortage?"
Upon arrival, Xiao Wangye did not conceal his intentions. He directly led his men to surround the entire room and emerged himself, casting a cold gaze at Luo Qinquan.
The people inside the room immediately drew their weapons upon hearing this and turned towards the newcomer, while Luo Qinquan's face turned ashen.
He had not expected that despite his utmost caution, he had still fallen into Xiao Wangye's trap.
As it was a transaction, they were only counting the goods, so neither Luo Qinquan nor the Japanese had brought many subordinates.
There were only about four or five people in the room at the time. Compared to the more than ten guards surrounding the room, they were not at all intimidated.
Luo Qinquan panicked, and the Japanese also became flustered, looking at the former with confusion, still unsure of the situation.
"Your Highness, what are you saying? This subordinate was merely out for a stroll and chatting with friends."
Even at this point, Luo Qinquan was still racking his brain to defend himself, stammering and twisting the truth.
His men were all in Fengdu City. At this moment, a direct confrontation was impossible, so he had to rely on strategy.
Therefore, Luo Qinquan was determined to deny everything, especially since the small house they were in only contained people, and all the grain was stored in a warehouse some distance away.
Xiao Wangye understood his plan and his eyes suddenly shifted.
A gust of wind seemed to sweep past. Luo Qinquan turned to see a black figure fly between him and the Japanese, rushing to Xiao Wangye's side.
"Master."
The person handed over a piece of paper. Xiao Wangye slowly took it and read the handwriting with a cold smile.
Witnessing this scene, Luo Qinquan could no longer maintain his composure and widened his eyes, looking at the thin piece of paper.
It was the contract he had just signed with the Japanese, clearly stating their cooperation, and most importantly, bearing his thumbprint.
Luo Qinquan never imagined that a hidden guard of Xiao Wangye had been lurking by his side all along, capable of snatching the contract from under his nose.
At this point, he was truly speechless.
Meanwhile, the sound of many footsteps suddenly echoing from outside offered him a glimmer of hope. Could it be the personnel sent to count the grain returning?
However, the official uniforms they were wearing once again dashed Luo Qinquan's hopes.
"This subordinate is late, please forgive me, Your Highness."
A short old man in official attire walked up to Xiao Wangye and bowed. Behind him followed dozens of local soldiers, who looked robust and capable.
Xiao Wangye nodded slightly, now fully aware of the situation.
To prevent Luo Qinquan from playing any more tricks, he had directly summoned the local prefect to apprehend him on the spot!
"Thank you, sir. This is Luo Qinquan, the prefect of Fengdu City. He dared to steal the city's grain behind my back and trade with Japanese merchants. His crime warrants death. I trouble you to lend some men to escort him to prison."
The local prefect glanced at Luo Qinquan with surprise, then proceeded to act as Xiao Wangye instructed.
This prefect was far more upright and incorruptible than Luo Qinquan and showed him no courtesy, directly ordering his arrest.
The Japanese individuals were also taken into custody along with him.
Seeing that the situation was beyond his control, Luo Qinquan could only hang his head in dejection and be led away obediently.
Now that Xiao Wangye possessed his evidence, physical and testimonial, along with the local prefect as a witness, any further attempts to argue would be futile.
Xiao Wangye did not rush to bring him back to Fengdu City. Instead, he began his interrogation in the prison of this very city to prevent any further complications.