Chapter 35, Second Update (Hey hey hey, suddenly appeared): "What exactly do you want? Are you trying to threaten me with this? I already said you don't approve of this..."

"What exactly do you want? Are you trying to threaten me with this? I already said that it's fine if you don't like it, I don't need a little brat like you to tell me what to do, and you can't use this to do anything to me."

Shumulu could see the blatant disdain in Shen Wanqing's eyes, and this undisguised emotion made her extremely anxious. She fiercely told Shen Wanqing that she couldn't do anything to her, but these words were less for Shen Wanqing's ears and more for herself, to comfort herself.

"Second Aunt, don't you understand? Of course, this matter is not something I can do from beginning to end."

Shen Wanqing is not a bodhisattva; even if she were, she couldn't change the fact that usury exists. To put it another way, even if she suddenly possessed superpowers and could change this, the people wouldn't accept the elimination of usury.

After all, life is incredibly difficult for ordinary people these days. Droughts, floods, plagues, locust plagues—any one of these can lead to the destruction of a family and the extinction of an entire clan. People usually don't care whether they will be driven to death by debt collectors in the future; they have to figure out how to survive today.

"It's common for loan sharks to drive people to their deaths, so why are ladies bringing it up as something new in this kind of setting?"

"That's because the one who was forced to his death was a bannerman. The lady who just mentioned this matter is from the family of a senior official in the Ministry of Justice. Her family is definitely more well-informed than others about these kinds of things."

Looking at Shumulu, who spoke so casually yet confidently, Shen Wanqing was a little puzzled. Was she too preoccupied or was Shumulu too careless? She herself had said that the one who died was a bannerman, so how could she not care at all?

"This was not a normal death. The first place that should know should be the Infantry Commander's Office. After that, the case will be handed over to the banner's captain and the military governor's office. Only after that will the Ministry of Justice, the Censorate, and the Court of Judicial Review come into the picture. The fact that the wife of the Ministry of Justice official knows means that everyone who should know has already done so."

"This way of dying is dishonorable. Did the dead man have any official duties? If he did, whether he was a cavalryman or an infantryman, he would have received a monthly salary and grain rations. How did he end up having to borrow money from loan sharks?"

Shumulu wasn't unintelligent; it's just that her focus from the beginning was never on this. Now, as Shen Wanqing peeled back the layers of the matter, her face grew paler and paler.

"Even if there's no real reason behind this, the Eight Banners soldiers, besides their horsemanship and archery skills, also have to take turns guarding government offices, city gates, warehouses, and imperial mausoleums. They don't have that much time to lose everything in gambling dens."

"To put it another way, he's definitely been betting for more than just a day or two. Why are his own cavalry captains and lieutenants completely unaware and indifferent? You have to understand that His Majesty just launched a campaign against Galdan last year, and nobody knows when the next campaign will be."

At this time, such an incident, at its worst, is a murder case. On a larger scale, is he the only one in the banner who does this, or are all of them like this? If everyone does this, what will His Majesty do when war breaks out—take this bunch of gamblers to the battlefield?

When you find a cockroach in your home, it means there's already a cockroach nest somewhere you can't see. It's currently the 30th year of the Kangxi Emperor's reign, and the Eight Banners were the ones who could drive Galdan across the grasslands—not the Eight Banners that were later corrupted.

The higher-ups will definitely look into this, but whether it will blow up the whole thing is hard to say. After all, they don't know who the boss behind Guangyuanxing is. What if this boss also has enemies who want him dead? This matter could become more and more troublesome the more they investigate.

“Don’t exaggerate…” Shumulu wanted to say that she was not afraid of anything, but her fingers, which were twisting the handkerchief, had turned white from the excessive force. She looked up at Shen Wanqing and said, “Then what do you think we should do about this?”

"When will it be my turn to tell you what to do about this? The affairs outside are handled by the various government departments. All I'm saying is just my own opinion. Who knows if no one will actually take care of this matter?"

After saying so much, she suddenly changed the subject and said that no one might care about this matter. Not only did Shumulu not believe it, but even Huamei, who was sitting to the side trembling like a quail, felt that Madam Shen was deliberately being sarcastic.

"I spoke so frankly to my second aunt because I hoped she wouldn't panic. I didn't want her to go back today and think that Guangyuan Bank was unreliable, so she would send someone to get the money back ahead of time."

The money shops and banks of today are not like those of later generations. Even large banks like Guangyuan Bank don't have much readily available cash on hand. If this matter doesn't escalate, all is well; but if it does, many people will rush to withdraw their funds.

With a bank run on one side and the lent-out silver still outstanding, it's easy to guess what the Guangyuan Guild will do. They'll have to do everything they can to get the money back, but how they do that and whether it will drive people to their deaths is anyone's guess.

“I understand. Money is inanimate, but people are alive. Your second uncle and Yulang both work in the palace. At this time, we can’t afford to give anyone a handle to use against us, right?”

Now that things had come to this, Shumulu realized that this matter couldn't be rushed, as rushing would easily lead to mistakes. No matter how much she cared about the money, it was best not to have anything to do with Guangyuan Bank right now.

"Yes, and not entirely. Second Aunt, let me be frank with you, I'm not here to find fault with you. After all, we're family. If something happens in the West Courtyard, the East Courtyard won't be spared either. Grandma can fight for and discuss who will be the housekeeper, but there's no need to make a fuss about this."

"I came here to talk things out with you. Aunt, please be careful and don't panic."

The lives of the poor are also lives. Shen Wanqing cannot save people from suffering. She can only make sure that she does not push Shumulu to the edge and cause a death. Shen Wanqing does not want to bear this consequence and cannot bear it.

The wheels rumbled over the stone slabs of the alley, and the carriage was so quiet that you could hear breathing. Shumulu tried to say something several times but remained silent until the carriage stopped and Shen Wanqing got up to get off first, at which point Shumulu called out to her.

"You really won't tell? You know, if you report this to the old lady, she will definitely take control of the household from me, no matter how unwilling she is."

Some things are best left unsaid, even if everyone has a guess in their hearts. But once they are brought to the forefront, they become a stain. The Hesheli family cannot tolerate a matriarch who embezzled public funds to lend money at exorbitant interest rates.

"If you don't believe me, Auntie, I can swear an oath, but if you really don't believe me, then no matter what oath I swear, it won't be of any use."

Some things can only be left to fate. Shen Wanqing had said everything she needed to say; there was no point in arguing with Shumulu Shi any further. She got off the carriage, nodded back to Shumulu Shi who was still sitting stiffly inside, and then turned to leave. Some people are destined not to walk the same path; there was no need to waste too much energy on her.

"Second sister-in-law, what did Madam Shen say to you?"

Shen Wanqing went back first, and Shumulu Shi calmed herself down before getting off the carriage with weak legs. Fuxuan originally wanted to ask Shen Wanqing, but seeing her fierce expression and the way she rushed inside, she didn't dare to approach her.

"She didn't say anything, just the same old things, urging me to give her the accounts from the East Wing."

Shumulu looked at her sister-in-law's face, wanting to laugh but unable to. She forced a smile, looking particularly strange, which made Fuxuan, who had always felt that the West Courtyard had been too bullying for the past few years, feel a little soft-hearted.

"Second sister-in-law, try to think more positively about this. After all, Alang is a captain in our Plain Yellow Banner, and he has so many people under him. It was one thing for him to mess around before he got married, but now that he's married, he can't even manage his own household affairs. It's not right for the people under his captain to think this way."

Fu Xuan held onto Shumulu's arm as they walked home, trying to persuade her as they went. Little did she know that Shumulu had no time to think about family matters. Some things are best left unthought; the more you think about them, the bigger they seem. Shumulu was in that state at the moment.

So Fu Xuan talked on and on, but Shu Mulu didn't even bother to respond, let alone say a word. She sullenly led her maid back to the west courtyard, leaving Fu Xuan behind, and was quite angry.