Although Jiang Shuxiu's voice was soft, it contained a subtle hint of surprise.

When she heard the name of this store just now, some memories came to her mind.

Hong Yingrong noticed her daughter-in-law's thoughtful look, so she gently reached out her hand, gently patted the back of Jiang Shuxiu's hand, and said softly: "Shuxiu, if you have anything to say, just say it, don't worry about it." After saying that, she gave her an encouraging look.

Jiang Shuxiu nodded slightly, then recounted the story to Hong Yingrong in detail, "Yesterday, on my way to Zhenbaozhai, I encountered a vendor hawking rice on the street next to a horse-drawn carriage. He claimed that his price was 20% lower than the market price, and he guaranteed that all the rice he was selling was this spring's new rice."

When Hong Yingrong heard this, her brows furrowed involuntarily, and then she turned and stared at Xue Yuanchu.

"Yuanchu, this incident involved you and Feng Shaoying colluding to secretly transport the rice produced by the Marquis's farm to the Dacheng Rice Shop and then sell it off."

"However, there is still one mystery that puzzles me - how did the farm suddenly contain thousands of dan of grain?"

Xue Yuanchu was sweating profusely at this moment. He understood that his behavior this time might have touched the untouchable bottom line.

Faced with his mother's questioning, he finally lowered his head, his voice weak but revealing regret: "...I secretly replaced the new rice that should have been sent to the orphanage with the coarse rice from Feng Shaoying's barracks, and then shipped this inferior rice to the border."

"At the same time, we sold the new rice at a low price as quickly as possible through Feng Shaoying's Dacheng Rice Shop. Feng Shaoying promised me that everything would be arranged flawlessly and there would be no mistakes. I didn't expect..."

"Yuanchu, you are so foolish!" Hong Yingrong said, her tone filled with grief and sorrow. "How could you disregard the lives of those innocent children for a momentary selfish desire?"

"Do you think your father took on the job of providing assistance to the orphanage in order to seek credit in front of His Majesty?" Hong Yingrong's voice trembled slightly as she recalled the instructions given by the old marquis Xue Yonghuai before his death.

"Your father once said that quelling the border conflict was his duty to serve his country, and providing a shelter for those displaced children was his moral obligation as a human being. He never complained."

"And now, just to save a small amount of money on the orphanage every year, you collude with Feng Shaoying and commit such a deceitful act against the emperor?"

Hong Yingrong stared at Yuan Chu with a piercing gaze: "Have you ever considered that this is a betrayal of the morality and responsibility your father upheld throughout his life?"

The past events replayed rapidly in Hong Yingrong's mind like a kaleidoscope. She once thought that all the misfortunes in her past life were the deliberate frame-up of the Xingyuan Marquis Mansion by outsiders.

However, at this moment she had to painfully admit that the root of all this was actually her own failure to manage her family properly, and problems arose from within the Marquis's Mansion.

A hint of determination flashed in Hong Yingrong's eyes. She took a deep breath and calmed her turbulent emotions.

Turning to face Aunt Zhao who had been standing silently beside her, her voice was soft but extremely firm.

"Please use family rules!"

Xue Yuanchu stiffened involuntarily when he heard this, but then he straightened his back and looked directly at Hong Yingrong, his tone filled with reluctance and provocation: "Mother, are you going to teach me in place of father?"

"If mother wants to punish me with family rules, then as the heir of the Xingyuan Marquisate, I was solely responsible for all the internal and external affairs of the entire Marquisate during my father's years away on the battlefield until his unfortunate passing. That's why it has been able to survive until now."

"Mother is using family rules against me just because of a small matter at the orphanage. I'm sorry, I find it hard to accept this, my son." His words were harsh, and his eyes flashed with hostility.

Xue Zhongfu, Jiang Shuxiu, and everyone else in the room looked at him in astonishment.

"Brother, how could you talk back to your mother like this?" Xue Zhongfu's voice was filled with reproach.

"Husband...don't be like this..." Jiang Shuxiu also persuaded anxiously, trying to ease the tense atmosphere.

However, Xue Yuanchu was still arrogant and kept chattering: "Mother has been pampered in the mansion for many years. Now, after the husband dies, she should obey her son. This is the Three Obediences and Four Virtues, and it is natural. Do you think that mother still wants to rely on the relationship between the Queen Mother and you in the palace to act arbitrarily and dictate things in the mansion?"

Faced with Xue Yuanchu's disobedience, Hong Yingrong did not show the slightest panic or weakness.

She is no longer the cowardly housewife who only knew how to eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist scriptures in her previous life.

She slammed the tea table hard, making a "bang" sound, and everyone's heart trembled slightly.

"Since I'm punishing you according to family law, and you refuse to obey? Then I'll punish you according to state law. As the heir apparent of the Marquis of Xingyuan, you should know that the emperor's laws are impartial!"

Hong Yingrong's voice was cold and majestic, penetrating every corner of the Prajna Hall.

She gestured for Madam Zhao to walk into the Prajna Hall, where a dragon-patterned imperial staff bestowed by Empress Dowager Lu Fengqing was enshrined on the table.

Nanny Zhao respectfully took the imperial staff and held it in front of Hong Yingrong with both hands.

After Hong Yingrong took it, she stared at Xue Yuanchu with a sharp gaze and said word by word, "This imperial staff represents imperial power and law. Today, I will use it to teach you a lesson. I will let you know that no matter your status, if you break the law, you will be severely punished!"

Xue Yuanchu's face suddenly changed when he saw this, but he still forced himself to remain calm and tried to fight back with words: "Mother, are you going to let everyone laugh at me? If this matter gets out, I, the son of the Marquis's mansion, will be punished by the family rules. Wouldn't this damage the reputation of the Marquis's mansion?"

Hong Yingrong sneered and said, "Reputation? You are doing such things as deceiving your superiors and subordinates, and committing corruption for personal gain. You are destroying the reputation of the Marquisate!"

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!