Chapter Sixteen: Thunderous Methods

February.

The spring breeze in Yangzhou carried a chilly feel, brushing past the painted buildings along the canal, but it could not dispel the gloom quietly growing within the Shen Mansion.

Shen An (a trusted steward of Shen Keqin, the second wife) hid in the shadows of the corridor, watching the busy servants coming and going. A sinister glint flashed in his eyes. After being transferred from his core position, he was only responsible for cleaning, shopping and other chores. His former respectability in front of the second wife had vanished. This resentment had already taken root in his heart, just waiting for an opportunity to erupt.

In the early morning, in the backyard of the Shen family mansion, the cooks were busy around the stove, preparing breakfast.

Shen An carried a basin of dirty water and slowly walked over, sighing as if it were unintentional: "Alas, it's strange, that Miss Su has been coming here frequently lately, almost every few days."

The cook, Zhang, who was chopping vegetables, stopped what she was doing and asked curiously, "Miss Su? Is she the one who painted the young master's portrait before? What's she doing here?"

"What else can we do?" Shen An lowered his voice, his tone carrying a hint of ambiguity. "Every time we come, it's Chun'er, the young master's maid, who personally leads us to the library, where we stay for most of the day. Think about it, an unmarried young lady, always alone with the young master in the important study, even if the young master is a gentleman, it's not good to spread rumors about this."

Another old woman, Granny Li, who was in charge of washing clothes, also came over and curled her lip: "I heard that the young master was seriously ill a while ago, and this Miss Su brought things over every day, porridge and soup. She's really thoughtful. What kind of family is our Shen family? She's just a poor painter, and she keeps coming over. I'm afraid she's trying to climb the social ladder and become the young master's concubine, isn't she?"

These words were like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating ripples.

The cooks and servants talked amongst themselves, and their stories became increasingly outrageous, ranging from "Miss Su intended to curry favor" to "the two had long been in love," and some even fabricated rumors that "Miss Su stayed overnight at the Shen residence."

Within a few days, these rumors spread throughout the backyard of the Shen residence, and even the guards responsible for guarding the front yard heard about them.

As Shen An watched all this, a barely perceptible sneer curled at the corner of his lips—this was exactly the effect he wanted.

He felt relieved as long as he could make Shen Rulan unhappy and damage his reputation.

He even secretly instigated several trusted servants to spread rumors to the streets outside the mansion, attempting to let more people know about the "scandal" of "the young master of the Shen family having a close relationship with a poor painter girl".

On this day, Su Moqing brought the newly completed "One Hundred Children" painting to the Shen residence to deliver the painting.

As soon as she reached the side door, she noticed the gatekeeper giving her a strange look, a smirk playing on his lips. A chill ran down her spine; a sense of foreboding washed over her.

The maid who led the way was no longer as enthusiastic as before. She remained silent and taciturn, her eyes darting around, and she dared not meet Su Moqing's gaze.

As Su Moqing walked along the corridor, she overheard two maids whispering:

"Is that her? She looks quite pretty, but I didn't expect her to be so cunning."

"That's right, running to the manor every day, isn't it all because she wants to marry into the Shen family and become the young mistress? Doesn't she even know her own place..."

These words pierced Su Moqing's heart like needles, instantly making her face flush red, and a sense of humiliation and chill ran from the soles of her feet to the top of her head.

She gripped the sketch tightly in her hand, her fingernails almost digging into her palm.

She wanted to step forward and explain, but she didn't know what to say—rumors are like weeds; once they take root, they are hard to eradicate.

Having finally reached the outside of the study, Su Moqing hurriedly handed the painting to the maid. Before the maid could relay that "Young Master invites you to the library to see the newly arrived painting manuals," she said in a flustered manner, "No need, I have other things to do, I'll be going now." After saying that, she lowered her head and left the Shen residence almost as if she were fleeing, not daring to look back.

Back in the Su family courtyard, Su Moqing closed the door, leaned against it, and could no longer hold back her tears, which silently streamed down her face.

She walked to the painting table and looked at the unfinished "Ink Orchid Painting"—orchids grow in secluded valleys, pure and noble, and do not conform to worldly ways. But now, they are slandered as vulgar people who curry favor with the powerful.

.

Shen Rulan was checking the woolen order with the English merchant in her study. This batch of woolen fabric was soft and brightly colored. If it could be successfully transported to Yangzhou, it would surely create a sensation among the salt merchants' families and bring the Shen family a great profit.

Just then, Rong Mama rushed in, her face grave, and said, "Young Master, something has happened. There have been some rumors circulating in the manor recently about you and Miss Su. They say... that Miss Su has been visiting you frequently in order to curry favor with you, and they have even made up a lot of unspeakable things. It has even spread outside the manor."

"What?" Shen Rulan suddenly raised her head, a fierce glint flashing in her eyes.

The wolf-hair brush in her hand snapped with a "crack," and the ink splattered onto the white Xuan paper, spreading out in a dark stain.

"Investigate!" Shen Rulan's face was ashen, her voice so cold it could freeze the air. "Investigate immediately! Who is gossiping behind my back! I need to know the source of this rumor within half an hour!"

Rong Momo had never seen Shen Rulan so furious, and quickly replied, "Yes! This old servant will go and investigate immediately!"

The internal affairs system of the Shen family was put into efficient operation—Granny Rong mobilized all her trusted confidants and questioned the cooks, servants, and maids in the backyard, and quickly identified the target.

In less than half an hour, Shen An and his trusted servants who had participated in spreading the rumors were taken to Shen Rulan's study.

Shen Rulan sat in the main seat, her gaze sweeping over the kneeling people like an ice blade, finally landing on Shen An, and coldly asked, "Was it you who spread rumors and slandered Miss Su's reputation?"

Shen An trembled with fear, but still tried to defend himself: "Young Master, please understand! This servant... this servant only felt that it was not in accordance with the rules for Miss Su, an outsider, to come to the inner courtyard so often, and I was afraid it would damage your reputation, so I reminded everyone a few times. I had absolutely no intention of spreading rumors!"

"A reminder?" Shen Rulan slammed her hand on the table, stood up, and interrupted him sharply. "Your so-called 'reminder' is to fabricate rumors about me and Miss Su? Is it to spread these filthy words outside the manor? Miss Su is an excellent painter, a distinguished guest invited by my Shen family, and also a close friend of mine! She brought me medicine and cared for me when I was seriously ill, and created paintings with all her heart when I needed them. How dare you, a treacherous and ungrateful wretch, speak ill of her?"

Frightened by Shen Rulan's imposing manner, Shen An collapsed to the ground, no longer daring to argue, and kept kowtowing: "Young Master, spare my life! This servant knows his mistake! This servant will never dare to do it again! Please, Young Master, spare this servant's life!"

Looking at his disheveled appearance, Shen Rulan showed no pity and said in a chilling tone, "Shen An, you have betrayed your master, framed others, and ruined the reputation of the Shen family. Your crimes are unforgivable! Guards! Drag him out, give him fifty lashes, and sell him to a hard labor camp in the Northwest. He will never be allowed to return to Yangzhou!"

"Anyone else involved in spreading rumors will be slapped twenty times, fined three months' wages, expelled from the inner courtyard, and sent to work as a servant on a farm outside the city!"

The order was given, and everyone in the room was shocked.

No one expected Shen Rulan to be so furious and to punish him so severely—fifty strokes of the cane would have been enough to kill Shen An, and being sold to a labor camp would have sealed his fate; the other servants were expelled from the inner courtyard, which also meant losing their respectable and high-paying jobs.

Upon hearing the words "sold to the labor camp," Shen An turned ashen-faced and was dragged out by the servants, crying out in pain.

The others were also terrified, kowtowing and begging for mercy, but ultimately could not escape punishment.

Watching all this, Rong Mama hesitated for a moment, then stepped forward and whispered, "Young Master, isn't the punishment too harsh? If people outside the manor know that you've punished the servants by caning and selling them off, it might cause gossip, with people saying you're cruel..."

"Dissent?" Shen Rulan sneered, her gaze resolute. "I want everyone to know that the Shen family will not tolerate such petty people who spread rumors and frame loyal officials! Treating those who have been kind and talented to the Shen family well is the rule of the Shen family; and those who break the rules and damage the reputation of the Shen family, no matter who they are, must pay the price! Shen An is the example; anyone who dares to break the rules again will only suffer a worse fate than him!"

Her actions were not only to protect Su Moqing's innocence, but also to take this opportunity to completely eliminate the remaining forces left by the second branch of the family. Shen An was Shen Keqin's former subordinate and had always harbored resentment towards her. If she did not take this opportunity to get rid of him, he would surely become a future problem.

At the same time, this also serves as a declaration to everyone in the mansion: she, Shen Rulan, is the true leader of the Shen family, and no one can challenge her authority.

While the Shen family was dealing with internal rumors, a minor disturbance also occurred in the Yangzhou salt market.

A small salt merchant named Wang San was a distant cousin of the fallen Pan Shizhang.

After the Pan family fell from power, he secretly took over a small salt warehouse owned by the Pan family in the suburbs, and obtained a small amount of salt permits by bribing a minor official in the salt transport office.

Recently, seeing that the Shen family was busy with internal affairs, Wang San wanted to take the opportunity to raise the price of salt and make huge profits.

He raised the price of salt from 35 wen per jin to 50 wen per jin, and secretly spread rumors that "the Shen family is about to monopolize the salt market and the price of salt will rise in the future," causing many people to panic and rush to buy.

The news quickly reached Shen Rulan's ears.

She had just finished dealing with Shen An's matter and was still seething with anger. Upon hearing this, she immediately sneered, "That ignorant fool dares to stir up trouble in the Yangzhou salt market!"

She immediately summoned the head manager in charge of the salt market and ordered: "First, notify all salt shops and stores that cooperate with the Shen family to immediately stop supplying salt to Wang San and cut off his supply. Second, open the two large salt warehouses of the Shen family in the east and south of the city and release salt at a flat price of thirty wen per catty, which is five wen lower than the price before Wang San raised the price. Third, send people to post notices in the salt market to clarify the rumors, inform the people that the Shen family will never monopolize the salt market, and that the salt price will remain stable so that everyone does not need to panic."

The head manager quickly bowed and replied, "Yes! I'll arrange it right away!"

In less than a day, the situation in Yangzhou's salt market reversed. As soon as Shen's affordable salt hit the market, people abandoned their rush to buy Wang San's expensive salt and instead bought Shen's salt. Wang San's salt shop became deserted, his inventory of salt could not be sold, and his supply was cut off. He soon could not sustain himself.

Three days later, Wang San not only failed to make any money, but also lost all his capital and owed the Salt Transport Bureau for salt permits. In the end, he had no choice but to sell the salt warehouse and leave Yangzhou in a sorry state.

Shen Rulan used swift and decisive measures to once again declare to the Yangzhou salt market: who is the true rule-maker here? Anyone who tries to disrupt the salt market order or challenge the authority of the Shen family will not have a good end.

.

Zhao Dexian soon heard about two things that happened at the Shen residence—the beating and selling of servants to quell the rumors, and the suppression of Wang San at the salt market.

He sat in the armchair in his study, toying with a jade thumb ring in his hand, a cold smile playing on his lips: "That kid Shen Rulan, he's not old, but his methods are getting more and more ruthless. A serious illness didn't wear down his edges, it made him even sharper."

The clerk stood to the side, bowing, and said, "Sir, Shen Rulan's influence in the Yangzhou salt market is growing stronger, and he has also formed an alliance with Yongsheng Escort Agency. I'm afraid it will be even more difficult for us to control him in the future. Should we... find an opportunity to give him another warning?"

Zhao Dexian shook his head and pondered, "No need. Shen Rulan is at the peak of his power right now. If we act rashly, we will only bring trouble upon ourselves. He has just finished dealing with internal affairs and established his authority in the salt market. He will definitely act cautiously in the short term and will not leave us any leverage."

He paused, then continued, "Besides, that Wang San is no good either. He dared to raise salt prices privately and disrupt the market. Shen Rulan's suppression of him is a way of cleaning up the parasites in the salt market for us. Let's just stand by and see what Shen Rulan does next. It won't be too late for us to make our move when he shows a weakness."

The clerk nodded and replied, "Your Excellency is wise!"

Zhao Dexian looked out the window, a calculating glint in his eyes—although he dared not provoke Shen Rulan for the time being, he would never allow the Shen family to become too powerful. He would patiently wait for the right opportunity to strike against the Shen family and seize more benefits.

Although Shen Rulan suppressed the rumors about the Shen family with an iron fist, the damage caused to Su Moqing was irreparable.

Su Moqing stayed indoors and didn't go to the Shen residence for days. She even turned down the work at "Moxiangzhai" because she really had no heart to paint anymore. Every time she picked up a paintbrush, she would think of those unbearable rumors.

Su Wenyuan noticed his daughter's worries. That day, he forced himself to sit on a rattan chair in the courtyard and said to Su Moqing, who was lost in thought, "Moqing, you've been looking troubled lately. Is something wrong? Tell your father."

Looking at her father's haggard face, Su Moqing could no longer hold back. She rushed to her father's side and tearfully recounted the rumors about the Shen family, the servants' gossip, and her own grievances and humiliations.

After listening, Su Wenyuan sighed deeply, reached out and stroked his daughter's head, saying with heartache, "I told you long ago that the Shen family is one of the top salt merchants in Yangzhou, with very high barriers to entry and too much gossip. Your status is far below that of Young Master Shen, and even if he himself is upright, he cannot escape the gossip of others. Now, you should see it clearly, right?"

He paused, his tone tinged with helplessness: "Fine, if you're unhappy with the work at 'Ink Fragrance Studio,' then quit. My illness is a burden to you..."

"Father, please don't say that." Su Moqing wiped away her tears and shook her head. "I am not afraid of hardship or poverty, but... I just don't want to give others a handle to use against me and cause trouble for no reason."

She remained silent for a long time, her eyes gradually hardening as if she had made a firm decision: "I will complete the paintings that the Shen family commissioned as soon as possible and send them to the Shen residence. After that... I will have no further dealings with the Shen family."

She knew this decision would break her heart—she admired Shen Rulan's talent and sense of responsibility, was grateful for his help and protection, and even harbored a fleeting, inappropriate affection for him.

But she knew even better that the two of them lived in different worlds, and forcing themselves to get closer would only bring more trouble and harm.

Rather than being overwhelmed by rumors later, it's better to sever this connection now and return to your peaceful life.

.

After dealing with the turmoil in the salt market, the first thing Shen Rulan did was to have someone prepare generous gifts—including a century-old ginseng that she had specially purchased from the capital to nourish Su Wenyuan's body; and several pieces of fine Yun brocade, with elegant colors, suitable for Su Moqing to use when painting.

At the same time, she personally wrote a short note, in which she sincerely apologized for the rudeness of the servants in the mansion and the grievances that had caused Miss Su. She also invited Su Moqing to the Shen mansion again to see the newly arrived painting manual. In the letter, she wrote: "The innocent are innocent, and the guilty are guilty. There is no need to be troubled by the words of petty people."

After everything was ready, Shen Rulan had Shen Fu personally deliver the gifts and note to the Su family's courtyard.

She thought that with her sincerity, Su Moqing would understand her good intentions and forgive the rudeness of the servants in the mansion.

However, less than an hour later, Shen Fu returned with the gifts and note intact, his face grave. He said, "Young Master, the Su family... the Su family has returned the gifts and letter. Mr. Su sent someone to say, 'Thank you for your kindness, young master, but I am unworthy of it. The painting will be completed and presented soon. I fear it will be inconvenient to bother the Shen residence again in the future.'"

Shen Rulan took the returned note and looked at the familiar handwriting. Her heart felt heavy and aching, as if something was blocking it.

She stood by the study window, gazing at the spring rain falling outside, speechless for a long time.

She could suppress rumors within the mansion with swift and decisive measures, dominate the salt market, and deter rivals like Zhao Dexian and Cao Jin from easily provoking her. Yet, she could not retain a pure appreciation and care, nor could she get close to the person she wanted to be close to.

Commercial victories and control of power have become meaningless at this moment.

A deep sense of powerlessness, like spring rain, quietly spread through her heart, making her feel lonely and lost for the first time.