The audit of the Imperial Revenue Department's accounts, originally scheduled for two days later, was postponed. Su's reasoning was that the accounts had only been recorded for a few months, and it would be better to wait until the Ministry of Revenue officials had fully learned the new accounting method and started recording again before checking the accounts.

For more than half a month afterward, Xiao Youran and Su went to the Ministry of Revenue every day, teaching some simple calculation methods and new accounting methods.

Jiang Mingli, who was always in a bad mood, naturally did not attend this course, so he did not know that the audit of accounts, which was originally scheduled for the end of July, had been postponed. He thought that his previous tricks had not been discovered, and while secretly pleased, he scorned the Su family.

By early August, with the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, Gao had resumed his nagging and pressuring mode.

He had just received the third bribe, which he had tampered with, and he quickly handed it over to the Gao family to get some peace and quiet.

This eagerness to escape their predicament was not only his, but also felt by everyone in the Yong'an Marquis's mansion.

For the past two months, the entire Yong'an Marquis's mansion has been in a state of extreme despair, its reputation ruined and its basic needs for food and clothing nearly unsustainable. This is unimaginable.

Moreover, everyone in the Earl's household felt that things had been going wrong for the past two months.

First, the Earl's mansion was raided, and everyone's monthly allowance was reduced significantly. The accountant also found it harder to withdraw money, so they didn't have the same confidence when going out as before. The four sons of Jiang Yong and Jiang Yuan's generation felt particularly aggrieved, so they simply put all their eating, drinking, and entertainment outside on their tabs.

Following suit, the Gao and Tian families also put all the jewelry and clothes they bought from the jewelry stores on their tabs.

Keeping accounts is one thing, but then there are the things that happen: finding flies in your food, drinking counterfeit alcohol, picking out a wife at a brothel only to find she's sick, tripping and breaking your new jewelry, and ruining paintings and calligraphy after a storm or a puddle...

Anyway, as time went on, everyone in the Earl's mansion became increasingly agitated, feeling that nothing was going right.

Keeping track of expenses is great, but when it comes time to pay back the money next month, I become a coward.

Many merchants originally thought that the Earl's Mansion would be quick to settle accounts, but they did not expect that it would be so difficult to get their money back. So they crowded in groups to the Earl's Mansion to settle their accounts.

Lady Yong'an has fallen ill.

With recurring nightmares and a sudden surge of anger, it's no wonder he fell ill.

While anxiously urging Jiang Mingli to find ways to make money, Gao, with the consent of the Earl of Yong'an, wrote a letter to Dingzhou to prepare to investigate the Dingzhou foundation.

Jiang Mingli also successfully got his third piece of meat.

When Madam Gao received the 20,000 taels of silver notes that her husband had slipped into her hand, she was overjoyed. At least she could pay off some of the debts that had been pressing for repayment every day, prepare a proper feast for the Mid-Autumn Festival, and send some Mid-Autumn Festival gifts to the powerful and influential families she had recently become acquainted with in the capital.

The trigger was this Mid-Autumn Festival gift.

The full moon celebration for the eldest princess's son was on August 20th, only five days after August 15th. Therefore, in early August, invitations for the full moon celebration from the eldest princess's residence were sent to the homes of various powerful and influential families in the capital.

The Yong'an Marquis's residence also received it.

So when preparing Mid-Autumn Festival gifts, Lady Gao didn't hesitate and directly prepared a Mid-Autumn Festival gift for the Princess's residence as well—two boxes of mooncakes and two pots of moon-worship wine, which was quite standard and could be considered the official standard.

Although the two boxes of mooncakes were a gift from a merchant to the Earl's residence, she, in the spirit of saving as much as possible, added two jugs of moon-worship wine and sent them to the Princess's residence.

However, what Lady Gao did not know was that after receiving this Mid-Autumn Festival gift, the Princess's residence sent it directly to the palace.

That very night, the Minister of the Court of Judicial Review led his troops to surround the Yong'an Earl's residence and took Jiang Mingxin away.

Ms. Gao was completely bewildered; she didn't understand what had happened.

Not to mention her, the entire Earl's mansion was unaware of what had happened, and even Jiang Mingxin himself was clueless.

Lady Yong'an was shocked and struggled to get out of bed. She immediately sent someone to the Princess's residence to call Jiang Mingyi back.

The whole family gathered in the main hall to discuss countermeasures.

Lady Yong'an looked at Tian with evasive eyes and shouted sharply, "Tian, ​​do you know anything?!"

Ms. Tian shook her head, "No...no..."

The Earl of Yong'an spoke up, "Third son's wife, tell us what you know. The eldest son couldn't have been taken to the Dali Temple for no reason. It's most important to know the reason now."

Madam Tian hesitated for a moment, then stammered, "I don't know... is it... is something wrong with Yuan-ge'er?"

Lady Yong'an cast a sharp glance at him, "What happened to Yuan'er?"

After Jiang Yuan took her bronze mirror last time, he moved out of the Earl's mansion. I heard that he rented another courtyard to study in peace. What could possibly happen to him?

Although she was heartbroken, she had no choice but to endure it for the sake of her grandson's future.

Madam Gao immediately stopped her, "Third sister-in-law, we don't even know what the situation is right now, how can you make such wild accusations?!"

Lady Yong'an saw through the scheme and stared intently at Madam Tian. "Speak!"

Madam Tian swallowed hard. "Yuan-ge'er... isn't he... that mistress pregnant?"

Lady Yong'an felt a wave of dizziness wash over her. "What?! Yuan'er has taken a mistress?"

She's pregnant?!

Did he take her bronze mirror to exchange for money in order to house his mistress?

Madam Gao tried to salvage the situation, saying, "No, Mother, don't listen to these rumors! Yuan-ge is only fifteen! How could he possibly have a mistress?!"

The Earl of Yong'an's face turned ashen as he angrily rebuked his wife and daughter-in-law, "How do you two manage the household?! How can the backyard be such a mess! It's outrageous! Outrageous!"

Tian tried her best to prove herself, "Father, Mother, and daughter-in-law are telling the truth. Yuan-ge'er's mistress is in the Third and Fifth Alleys."

At this moment, the eldest son, Jiang Yong, barged in, "Third Aunt, even if Yuan Di has taken a mistress, what does that have to do with my father being taken away by the Dali Temple?"

Tian lowered her head, not daring to speak.

The Marquis of Yong'an sensed something was amiss and shouted, "Speak!"

Madam Gao tried to stop her, "Third sister-in-law..."

The Earl of Yong'an shouted, "Yong-ge'er, drag your mother back inside!"

Jiang Yong pulled Gao Shi into the house.

Under the murderous glares of her in-laws, Madam Tian finally poured out her heart, "I heard that...that mistress, I heard she's the top courtesan at the Heavenly Immortal Pavilion...she's...she's the one Yuan-ge snatched from Elder Li's son..."

Lady Yong'an thought she had misheard. "What did you say? That mistress is a prostitute?!"

The Marquis of Yong'an was furious. Pointing at his wife, he seized on another key point, "You...you well-mannered son! Of all people to mess with, why did you have to provoke Grand Secretary Li!"

Jiang Mingyi rushed in at this moment, "Father, Mother, please calm down. My elder brother is a second-rank official. I don't think Grand Secretary Li would target a second-rank official for such a trivial matter as my son's jealousy. I'm afraid there's more to my brother's story. Let me ask someone to inquire about it!"