Chapter 34 How Can You Be So Shameless: "Alright, alright, stop talking about knowledge and experience; that's all nonsense."

"Alright, alright, let's not talk about knowledge or lack thereof, that's all nonsense."

Stop standing there! We're all from the same clan and lineage. If your sister-in-law is willing, she can move in with me tomorrow. Yulang spends most of the month working at Yuqing Palace, so it's no fun for you to be home alone.

This family needs to visit each other more often, otherwise if something happens in one family, no one will know, and if word gets out, it will be a laughing stock.

"Our household found out about Yulang's assignment at Yuqing Palace a little later than Second Uncle's family. Fortunately, your matriarch is very magnanimous; even if we younger family members are dismissed, she never holds it against us."

Guarjia said this with a smile, but Shen Wanqing, Fuxuan, and Shumulu all understood the meaning behind her words.

When the news of Yulang's appointment as a second-class imperial guard at Yuqing Palace spread that day, the first to send gifts to his family was the Grand Secretary's residence.

Songgotu held the official position of Grand Secretary of the Hall of Preserving Harmony and was also the Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard. No matter what happened inside or outside the palace, it was impossible to bypass him. On the other hand, the First-Class Duke's mansion only sent a steward with a generous gift on the second day.

At the time, no one in the Hesheli family took it seriously. What kind of family was a first-class duke's mansion? They were already grateful if they could send a gift after hearing about this. No one thought that sending it the next day was too late.

However, this matter clearly pleased the Guarjia clan. Both families were, in principle, related to the maternal relatives. In recent years, Songgotu had become too powerful. In the eyes of the world, he was first Lord Songgotu, then the Crown Prince's uncle, and the most stable and stabilizing banner for the Crown Prince's party.

Although the First-Class Duke's Mansion has been prominent in recent years, Changtai only holds the official position of Grand Minister of the Imperial Guard, in addition to inheriting the title of First-Class Duke. His younger brother, Changhai, is the Inner Commander of the Bordered Yellow Banner, and he also has a younger sister who married Niohuru Faka, the elder brother of Empress Xiaozhao, as her second wife.

Such a family background is certainly prestigious among prestigious families, but in the end, this prestige is obtained through inheritance and marriage. Compared with the branch of Suo'etu, this family's prestige is no longer so impressive.

Now that the Crown Prince has personally selected Yulang from a collateral branch to serve by his side, Changtai, the Crown Prince's maternal uncle, has not yet received the news, but congratulatory gifts from the Suo'etu residence have already been delivered to his door.

No matter how a public official thinks about this, even if outsiders don't see anything wrong with it, he himself will feel awkward. He was so awkward that he couldn't get over it when he saw Shen Wanqing today, and he had to say a few ambiguous things to regain his composure.

It wasn't that they were shameless and wanted to take advantage of the situation, but rather that the situation of the First-Class Duke's Mansion was very similar to that of the Hesheli family.

Shen Wanqing sat back down in her seat and couldn't help but glance at Fu Xuan. Their eyes met and then immediately looked away. They both understood what the other was thinking, and saying anything more would be superfluous.

Sitting next to Shumulu across from her was a cousin from her maternal family. Her cousin had become a vice minister in the Ministry of Rites a few years ago and was said to have a good relationship with the master of a first-class duke's mansion. He had also received an invitation to come today.

The two were having a pleasant conversation when Guarjia interrupted them, and her thoughts inevitably drifted back to her own family's affairs.

Anyone could see that he was just being stubborn. Ever since that argument with He Yi, everyone in the West Courtyard knew that the Second Master and the Second Madam were sleeping in separate rooms.

After so many years of marriage, the fact that He Yi had always stayed in her room made Shumulu Shi very proud. Everyone in the West Courtyard knew that even if the Second Master stayed in his concubine's room, he would always return to the Second Madam's courtyard early the next morning to wash up, get dressed, and have breakfast with her before leaving.

This 'favoritism' had become the irrefutable proof used by the people in the West Courtyard to confirm the good relationship between the couple. Now, it had been shattered by an argument, and Shumulu knew in her heart that He Yi was forcing her. Either she obediently followed his arrangements and found a way to gracefully relinquish the power of housekeeping, or she would never again receive the respect he had given her.

Shumulu knew all this, but she had no choice. So even though she was unwilling, she had already ordered the accounting department to start sorting out the old accounts from previous years. Now, seeing Shen Wanqing looking in her direction again, and thinking of her own dissatisfaction and resentment, Shumulu, who was usually very self-possessed in front of outsiders, couldn't help but glare fiercely at Shen Wanqing.

"Hey, what are you doing? This is a newlywed bride. If there's anything wrong with her, go back and teach her behind closed doors. Why are you making such a face with so many people here today?"

"I……"

Shumulu's glaring expression caught the attention of her cousin-in-law, who, despite their good relationship, grabbed her hand and tried to dissuade her. Those who were close to her knew about the affairs between the east and west courtyards of the Hesheli family, and seeing Shumulu's behavior, they instinctively assumed she was trying to bully the young woman.

Seeing her cousin-in-law's expression that said, "You're the elder, you should be more magnanimous. How can you take advantage and then act innocent?", Shu Mulu felt so angry that her liver ached. She wanted to say that it was clearly Shen who was trying to take advantage of her, but in the end, all that came out was a muffled "Mmm."

On the stage, the actors were still singing their poignant songs, while inside the theater, the ladies were all beaming with joy, supporting and carrying each other. Seeing the ashen, disgusted expression on Shumulu's face, Shen Wanqing finally looked away. It wouldn't be right to inexplicably provoke someone in public like this.

After being personally instructed by Lady Guarjia to maintain close contact, Shen Wanqing was not alone. The young woman sitting to her right kept talking to her. She was a relative of Lady Guarjia, and in terms of closeness to the First-Class Duke's Mansion, Shen Wanqing was indeed closer.

This kind of situation, this kind of interaction, this kind of people, is exactly what Shen Wanqing is like. She is neither overly distant nor deliberately obsequious. She doesn't get annoyed when people are talking animatedly. She can chime in at the most appropriate time, making people feel that she has heard and understood everything. She is the most knowledgeable and tactful listener. In just one scene, people already wish they could regard Shen Wanqing as a confidante.

“I recently acquired a fine piece of silk, but the color is a bit too bright. It's not suitable for me to use to make clothes. I'll give it to you later. You've only been married a short time, and the rouge red color will suit you perfectly.”

"Why is it inappropriate? My sister-in-law is only five years older than me, and she's at the age where she's just blossoming like a flower bud."

The young woman beside me had her hair neatly styled in two small buns; at twenty-four, she had already given birth to three children. Perhaps it was because of the children, but her overall demeanor did appear mature, and even her jewelry and headwear were mostly made of jade and gold.

Perhaps in Shen Wanqing's eyes she really was still young, but it was clear that the young woman hadn't heard such compliments in a long time. She complained to Shen Wanqing not to tease her, but her eyes sparkled. Shen Wanqing knew at a glance that she probably wouldn't get her hands on that crimson satin.

The two were chatting animatedly, so engrossed that Shen Wanqing didn't even turn around when Fu Xuan nudged her with her elbow. This person was too impatient. Matchmaking isn't that easy. If you don't make people think you're a good person, a reliable and useful person, what family would give away their good son?

Today, we must not openly mention marriage proposals when we go out. We just need to present the Hesheli family's women as generous and composed, and show off how well the unmarried aunt is cared for and how much the family cherishes her.

Shen Wanqing refused to engage with Fu Xuan, and Fu Xuan simply ignored her as well. It wasn't until she vaguely heard someone across from her mention some kind of usury that she subconsciously turned her head and saw Shumulu's pale face.

Human nature is such that people love to join in the fun and listen to gossip. As soon as they heard that Guangyuan Bank's usury had resulted in a death, they all crowded around the lady who was talking loudly and eagerly to hear her story.

"If you ask me, Guangyuan Bank deserves this. Such a big bank probably earns mountains and seas of silver every year. Why don't they know when to stop and even try to earn a small amount of money, like a hundred or so taels of silver?"

Those gamblers and drunkards have no sense of shame whatsoever. They'd even reach into a vat of boiling oil, knowing full well that money lent out like that is gone forever. They deserve what they got now. People shouldn't try to make all the money they can; they should always leave some for others.

The more I listened to her, the more something seemed off. At first, I thought she was genuinely indignant, but later I couldn't tell if she felt it was wrong for Guangyuan Bank to lend money at exorbitant interest rates, or if she was just jealous that Guangyuan Bank had expanded its blood-stained business so much that it was stealing other people's money.

"Stop looking, that's the lady of the Nara family, the Nara family of Consort Hui." Seeing that Shen Wanqing was listening intently, Fu Xuan leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Her family also runs a small bank, and they're notorious for being greedy and reckless. But let's be clear, I'm not marrying into this family. I'm afraid my children won't have an anus if I do."

Fu Xuan spoke very softly, and no one except Shen Wanqing heard her. Shen Wanqing hadn't expected Fu Xuan to be so averse to lending money at exorbitant interest rates. She couldn't help but glance deeply at Shu Mulu Shi before falling silent and saying nothing more.

Knowing that something had happened at Guangyuanxing, Shumulu was somewhat distracted throughout the chrysanthemum appreciation banquet. Fortunately, none of them were the hosts, so no one noticed anything amiss.

After leaving the First-Class Duke's residence in the afternoon, Shen Wanqing patted Fu Xuan's hand, raised her chin to gesture towards Shu Mulu's carriage, and was about to go over when she was unexpectedly pulled back by Fu Xuan.

"Why do you have to say it now? This isn't a place where you can do whatever you want. You've put in a lot of effort managing the household these past few years, and that's not wrong. You're just a junior, so don't go too far."

"Don't worry, Auntie. What I say to Second Aunt now will definitely only bring benefits and no harm."

Fu Xuan always protected the eldest branch of the family, and even her nephew's wife, whose background she looked down upon, was accepted with great 'generosity'. But when it came to important matters, she would still worry about Shumulu's situation.

There was no way around it; after living under the same roof for so many years, it was inevitable that feelings would develop. Her advantage, however, was that she had no feelings for anyone in this family yet. So, when she shamelessly boarded Shumulu's carriage, she didn't even bother with any preamble and went straight to the point: "Second Aunt, what are you planning to do with the loan shark money you put in Guangyuan Bank?"

The question, though brief, sent chills down Shumulu's spine. She instinctively denied it, but fell silent under Shen Wanqing's almost cold yet clear gaze.

"How do you know that my money is definitely in Guangyuan Bank? It can't be in some other bank. I heard the news about Guangyuan Bank today, and I'm afraid that something might have happened to other banks."

"I don't know, I was just bluffing my second aunt."

"You! You're so young and you're already so shameless!"

"As long as it works, that's fine. As for shamelessness, I haven't done anything immoral."

Shen Wanqing shrugged, and just like Shumulu said, she put on a shameless act. Of course, she wouldn't tell her that she actually had evidence.

The evidence of her lending money at exorbitant interest rates was sent by Xu yesterday along with the mooncakes. As a mother, she was worried about her daughter who had just gotten married. No one would have thought that the mother and daughter had secretly brought in the evidence that they had thoroughly investigated Shumulu.

"You don't need to make veiled accusations. You haven't done anything immoral, so why would I have? Guangyuan Bank has been open for almost thirty years. Countless families in the capital have deposited their money with them. If it's wrong just because I put my money in Guangyuan Bank, then there aren't many clean banks in the entire capital."

Shumulu was no naive child, and even though Shen Wanqing had taken the initiative, she quickly calmed down. She didn't think she had done anything wrong; her change of attitude at the opera house was simply because she was worried about not getting her money back from Guangyuan Bank.

“That’s right. The owner of Guangyuan Bank should bear the responsibility for the deaths caused by the bank.” Shen Wanqing nodded. “I just don’t know if Second Aunt knows how much interest ordinary people get when they deposit their money in Guangyuan Bank. How much interest do you get when you deposit your money in Guangyuan Bank?”

According to the current red line drawn by the imperial court, the maximum monthly interest rate for money shops and banks is three percent. Interest is paid monthly, and the maximum interest cannot exceed the principal. This means that if you borrow 100 taels, no matter how much interest accumulates, you can only repay a maximum of 200 taels.

It sounds incredibly harsh, but in the eyes of ordinary people, this is the best way out, since lending money at exorbitant interest rates would amount to much more than this.

Not only does the interest skyrocket, but there's also the "nine out, thirteen back" rule. You borrow ten taels, receive only nine, but have to repay thirteen. Countless people are constantly chased by money, barely daring to rest, just enough to barely pay off the interest.

Xu Shi investigated and found out that the interest Shu Mulu received from the silver she deposited at Guangyuan Bank was definitely not what a normal deposit could offer. In other words, what the bank did with Shu Mulu's silver was clear. Just by looking at the amount of money they gave Shu Mulu each year, it was obvious that she was not wronged at all by being driven to panic and helplessness by Shen Wanqing.

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Shen Wanqing: Yes, yes, yes, I am shameless.