Chapter 115: Taking the Host's Place

The door of the warm room was pushed open.

"You are so brave!" Qu Yu rushed in with seven or eight servants, with a hypocritical anger on his face, but his eyes flashed with the pleasure of success.

Chi Yuan immediately stood up and picked up the long sword at his side.

Qu Ling didn't move at all, didn't even lift his eyelids, but just slowly poured another cup of tea.

"Uncle, you've arrived just in time." Her voice was cold and clear, completely different from when she was chatting and laughing just now.

"I was discussing with the Shaoqing that someone was using the name of the Marquis' Mansion to privately lend money at high interest rates."

Qu Yu was stunned, the rebuke he had prepared got stuck in his throat, and his expression changed.

"What usury? What nonsense!" Qu Yu came to his senses and shouted, "It seems to me that you are trying to confuse people."

Qu Ling raised his eyes, his gaze like a knife, and clapped his hands, "Bring it up."

Immediately, there was a sound of struggle outside the door.

Two servants came in with a middle-aged man who was tied up.

It was Qu Yu’s most capable confidant Zhou Kang.

He had been following Qu Yu outside before.

This time when he returned to Beijing, he brought his family with him.

He had a cloth ball stuffed in his mouth and his face was full of horror.

"You..." Qu Yu widened his eyes and was speechless for a moment.

Qu Ling gestured to watch the game.

Guanqi raised his head and pulled out a stack of papers from his sleeve, then casually threw them on the ground. "Manager Zhou used the name of the Marquis' Mansion to lend money at high interest rates, forcing three people to death."

She glanced coldly at Qu Yu's pale face and said, "The IOU is stamped."

Papers were scattered all over the floor, with the black and white words clearly visible.

Chi Yuan bent down to pick up one, and saw that it was indeed stamped with Zhou Kang's private seal.

The borrower was an old man who sold tofu. He jumped into a well last month because he could not pay the interest.

"Is there such a thing?" Qu Yu's face looked ugly, and the anger he had just pretended became more real.

Then he kicked Zhou Kang and said, "How dare you do such a thing behind my back?"

He scolded bitterly, "When you walk around, you represent me, and you're embarrassing me."

Qu Ling laughed sarcastically, "If it weren't for your respect, Second Uncle, how could he have the courage to force others to death?"

"I don't know about this." At this point, Qu Yu refused to admit it.

But his heart was still in turmoil.

He only ever did these things outside the city.

The emperor is far away and no one can control him.

Qu Yu had to admit that the days of being an official in a remote area were very comfortable.

Although his official position was low, he was the second master of the Dingxiang Marquis's Mansion. The Dingxiang Marquis was the son-in-law of the Song family, so he was also equivalent to a royal relative.

Even the governor has to give him face.

After he arrived in Beijing, he specifically instructed Zhou Kang to clean up his mess and not do such business again.

How could Qu Ling, a girl who never leaves the house, find out?

Qu Ling walked up to Zhou Kang and pulled the cloth out of his mouth. "Butler Zhou, what do you think?"

Zhou Kang burst into tears, "Second Master, help me."

He wouldn't dare to do that without the Second Master's instructions.

But he didn't dare say it.

He followed the second master and became fat and gluttonous.

The woman in the family lived a wealthier life than the county magistrate's wife, and her children acted like young masters and ladies.

The number of lives he has taken is no less than that of the death row prisoners in prison.

As early as the first day, he knew that he would lose his life if the truth was revealed.

Zhou Kang just kept shouting "Help" and did not say that it was Qu Yu who ordered him to do so.

Even after his death, his family can continue to live in prosperity and wealth.

Qu Yu also breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as it doesn't involve him, it's fine.

Otherwise, the position of Minister that he had obtained would be lost.

Qu Ling watched coldly, knowing that Zhou Kang had made up his mind to die.

She laughed, "Do you think that after you die, all that money will allow your wife and children to continue to live a life of extravagance and debauchery?"

Zhou Kang's expression was not right.

"I have already told the Shaoqing that part of your money should be given to the families of those you forced to death, and the rest should be used to repair the houses of the Tzu Chi Institute and buy winter clothes."

Qu Ling looked at Qu Yu and said, "Second uncle didn't teach your servant well. I will teach him. Second uncle won't be angry, right?"

Qu Yu had no words to express his pain.

If Chi Yuan, the Shaoqing of Dali Temple, had not been present, he would still be angry.

Qu Ling chose the perfect time to attack.

If he dared to say anything nonsense, all the civil and military officials might think he was lending money at high interest rates tomorrow.

"No, why would I be angry?" Qu Yu forced a smile. "I've heard that A Ling is a good housekeeper."

Zhou Kang collapsed.

"No, that money is mine, you can't take it."

If the money is gone, his death will be in vain.

He was really panicked and struggled towards Qu Yu like crazy.

"Second Master, you can't just stand by and watch someone die. That money..."

"What are you still standing there for? Drag him out and beat him to death." Qu Yu was afraid that he would talk nonsense, so he personally picked up the towel that fell on the ground and covered Zhou Kang's mouth.

Qu Ling said softly, "Beat him to death."

The entire warm room fell silent.

Four strong men holding long sticks came in.

When Zhou Kang was dragged out, the screams of a pig being slaughtered resounded throughout the courtyard.

Soon, the muffled sound of sticks hitting flesh and shrill screams were heard from outside.

Chi Yuan stood beside Qu Ling, looking at her calm profile.

That pretty face was both beautiful and cold.

After an unknown amount of time, someone came in and reported, "Princess, the person is dead."

Cold sweat oozed from Qu Yu's forehead.

"Second uncle doesn't look well." Qu Ling asked with concern, but there was no warmth in his eyes.

Qu Yu has been an official for many years and is not a good person.

But he was still shocked by Qu Ling.

How could a teenage girl kill people without blinking an eye?

This level of killing is no more than that of a governor of a state.

"A Ling, you are a woman, you shouldn't be so cruel."

He said, "Zhou Kang is at fault, your father and I are at fault..."

Qu Ling interrupted him impatiently, "Oh, right, there's someone else who needs a lesson."

The person brought in this time was a young man in his early twenties with a bruised face and nose.

"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, save me."

As soon as he opened his mouth, he vomited blood.

It was Bai Shuang's younger brother Bai Jian.

"He gambled away and ran up debts, yet he dared to use the Marquis's jewellery as collateral."

Qu Ling looked at Qu Yu's ashen face and asked, "Second Uncle, what do you think we should do?"

Bai Jian was really wronged.

"Princess, that's not the case, Princess. Those jewels were given to me by Sister Ting. I didn't steal them. I didn't steal them."

Qu Yu's heart was in suspense, and he couldn't help but ask, "Why did Sister Ting give you jewelry? What were you doing in the gambling house?"

Why did everything become out of control after returning to Beijing?

"Brother-in-law, Sister Ting asked me to find out what the young master of the Wang family does on a daily basis," Bai Jian was frightened and spoke rapidly, "knowing that the young master Wang loves gambling, that's why she asked me to go to the gambling house to get close to him."

"Prince Wang?" Qu Yu had a bad feeling. "Which Prince Wang?"

Qu Ling covered her lips and smiled, "He's the prince that His Majesty arranged for my second sister to be married off to."

Qu Yu almost fell to the ground.

Why on earth did he come to catch Qu Ling having an affair with a stranger? He felt like this was a trap set for him.