It's just a few tens of thousands of taels of silver, right? The family doesn't lack that kind of money. Even if the treasury was robbed by petty thieves before, there are plenty of people who send real gold and silver to the Xu family. Even if the previous hole wasn't filled, it's definitely not that they can't find out a few tens of thousands of taels of silver.

"Guards, take Madam to the small ancestral hall. She should eat vegetarian food and chant Buddhist prayers properly. No one is allowed to let Madam out without my permission." Xu Ding didn't want to see Madam Xu anymore, so he turned his back and shouted loudly outside.

Two maids quickly entered from outside. They were Xu Ding's people, so they only obeyed Xu Ding's orders and instructions. They politely nodded slightly to Madam Xu, and then each of them took one arm and half-forcefully pulled Madam Xu outside.

"How dare you! You dare to touch me! I will kill you all!"

Madam Xu struggled and cursed, but her voice gradually faded away.

Soon someone came in and cleaned up the broken porcelain shards in the room. Xu Ding then ordered someone to handle the matter properly, because if it wasn't handled well, the reputation of the Xu family would be ruined.

"Since Qu Qingxi dares to plot against me like this, then I will not be polite. Men, spread the word that the Nanqing Prince's Mansion is very wealthy and the Nanqing Princess is extravagant."

"yes."

Even if Xu Ding didn't explain the specifics of how to do it, the people below knew how to handle the matter. Regardless of whether the Princess of Nanqing was actually extravagant, as long as everyone believed it, that was enough.

The people in the capital didn't need evidence; they just wanted to know the outcome and enjoyed watching the spectacle.

The saying "three men can make a tiger" applies here. Some things, if said too often, will become real even if they didn't exist. If there's no evidence, then fabricate it. Ordinary people don't have the ability to verify whether what they see and hear is true or not.

If things are going to be chaotic, then let them be chaotic. Only by completely muddying the waters can we handle some things in time.

As a result, rumors began to circulate in the streets and alleys that the Xu family, as officials of the imperial court, had accepted bribes and committed embezzlement and corruption. After all, they could take out tens of thousands of taels of silver without batting an eye, which showed how wealthy the Xu family was. But where did all this silver come from?

In the afternoon, some people raised different ideas.

"Yesterday, when Madam Xu was shopping at the Treasure Pavilion, she seemed to have met Princess Nanqing," someone said, feigning curiosity as everyone was discussing it.

"The Princess Consort of Nanqing is inside too? Wang Xiaoer, you're not lying to me, are you?" another person chimed in.

“Who would lie to you for no reason? I heard that it was because of the Princess of Nanqing that Madam Xu impulsively spent 50,000 taels of silver on jewelry.” The man named Wang Xiaoer nodded firmly, as if he had witnessed it firsthand.

Upon hearing this, everyone else immediately looked over in this direction with curiosity.

Seeing that everyone's attention was drawn to him, Wang Xiaoer was clearly very happy. He touched the money pouch at his waist and remembered the ten taels of silver. The man had said that as long as he said what they said and made everyone believe it, then all ten taels of silver would be his.

"What does this have to do with the Princess Consort of Nanqing?" someone asked suspiciously. Weren't they talking about the Xu family's embezzlement?

"Let me tell you, you all know about the Treasure Pavilion, right? Especially the second floor, where the items are extremely expensive and rare. The lowest priced items start at a thousand taels of silver."

While Madam Xu was browsing inside, Princess Nanqing was selecting jewelry. It's said that Princess Nanqing mocked Madam Xu for only looking and not buying. Madam Xu initially held back, but Princess Nanqing persisted, and Madam Xu, in a fit of anger, spent a lot of money on jewelry.

"Impossible, right? Besides, who knows if what you're saying is true or not? The second floor of the Treasure Pavilion isn't a place that ordinary people like us can just go in," someone nearby questioned.

"Would I lie? Let me tell you a secret, my cousin's younger brother was on duty on the second floor of the Treasure Pavilion. He saw it with his own eyes, there's no way it could be fake," Wang Xiaoer said confidently.

"Really? The Princess Consort of Nanqing is actually this kind of person?"

“I had seen Princess Nanqing once before from afar. She was beautiful and dignified, and didn’t seem like that kind of person.”

"Tch, so what if she's pretty? There are plenty of vicious beauties out there."

“Even with the Princess Consort of Nanqing pressing us at every turn, the fact that Madam Xu can casually offer ten thousand taels of silver shows that the Xu family at least has that kind of power.” Some clear-headed people began to voice their doubts.

Wang Xiaoer was surprised that someone would still contradict him after he had already said that. His eyes darted around, and he remembered the words of the person who had given him the silver earlier. He immediately explained, "People can say anything when they're angry. For example, if we see someone getting angry, they might say some irrational things."

I've made sure I know for sure. Madam Xu only paid a deposit; she didn't give the entire sum to Treasure Pavilion. Think about it, the Xu family is a prominent family; even for the sake of face, they should have scraped together 50,000 taels of silver. But from yesterday to today, they still haven't paid in full. Clearly, the Xu family really can't afford that much money."

When everyone heard someone say that, they immediately sided with the Xu family. Yes, Lord Xu was an official appointed by the court, and Madam Xu was a lady of high rank. How could they allow themselves to be gossiped about like this? Wouldn't this make them lose face in front of everyone?

Seeing everyone staring at him thoughtfully, Wang Xiaoer was clearly pleased. Now they were starting to believe him. If he just said a few more words, the matter would be settled, and the ten taels of silver would be his.

Before he could even speak, someone walked in from the side.

The man was wearing a dark cloak, had a handsome face, and a tall and straight posture. He found an empty table and sat down, with two servants beside him.

"Young man, are you from the capital?" The handsome young man stared at the person who had spoken earlier, seemingly out of curiosity.

“Of course, my ancestors have been from the capital for generations,” Wang Xiaoer said proudly upon hearing this.

"Really? But I heard that the shop assistants at Treasure Pavilion were all brought from the south by the owner of Treasure Pavilion, and that they were all adopted orphans. You said your ancestors were all from the capital, how could you have relatives like the shop assistants at Treasure Pavilion?" The handsome young man poured himself a cup of hot tea and spoke slowly.

"This..." Wang Xiaoer choked up. He obviously didn't know about this, and the person just now didn't mention that the Treasure Pavilion's employees were brought from the south by the boss.