Chapter 39 Delivering Silver

"Sending...sending so much silver?! Sending it all over?!" The crowd erupted in uproar, the gasps of surprise nearly shaking the heavens.

"My goodness! This is truly an eye-opener! I've heard of sending New Year's gifts to one's maternal grandparents, but I've never seen anything like it! This isn't sending gifts, it's like banging on the door with silver to make a sound!" A plump woman slapped her thigh, both amazed and envious.

"Even more extravagant than a princess... I've witnessed it all today! The rumors are true!" A scholar shook his head, his tone complex, a mixture of disapproval and undisguised shock.

"What do you know! This is what filial piety is! The Lin family has been in decline for so many years, and as soon as Miss Xie comes back, she throws out mountains of gold and silver without saying a word! She's supporting her maternal family!"

......

Amidst the murmurs, Ru Dong stood at the forefront, her expression cold and stern, and shouted loudly, "Start—the journey—!"

"Clang! Clang! Clang!" The gong, which had been prepared long ago, suddenly rang out, its sound echoing through the long street!

One bite, two bites, ten bites, twenty bites…

Amidst deafening drumbeats and the watchful eyes of the entire city, the long convoy of vehicles made its way through the city, slowly heading towards the Lin family mansion in the south of the city.

In front of the Lin residence.

Compared to the bustling and lively General's Mansion, Lin Mansion appeared excessively desolate and dilapidated.

The place was deserted, with only an old, dim-eyed servant serving as the gatekeeper.

As the deafening sound of gongs and drums grew louder and louder, finally stopping in front of the tightly closed gates of the Lin residence, the old servant trembled in fright and almost collapsed to the ground.

"This...this is..."

He leaned against the door frame, staring blankly at the dozens of open, gleaming silver chests outside.

Ru Dong stepped forward, her voice clear and loud enough for everyone inside and outside the door to hear:

"By order of Miss Xie Sangning of the General of the State's Mansion, I am delivering this gift to the Lin Mansion! This is a token of my respect and a gesture to help my family regain its former glory! Please, Master of the Lin Mansion, open the door to accept this gift!"

“Filial piety…respect?” the old servant murmured repeatedly, his calves twitching.

The news spread like wildfire into the inner quarters of the Lin family mansion.

Upon hearing the news, Master Lin was so shocked that he dropped his teacup on the ground with a "clatter," shattering it into pieces!

He stood up abruptly, his voice trembling: "Ning'er... Ning'er brought the money?"

Why is my own granddaughter sending me money again?

The butler scrambled in, stammering, "Master...Master! So many! So many chests! All filled with silver! Plenty of silver! It's piled up all over the street, Master!"

Lin Ziyuan had just stepped inside when he heard this: "Could it be the money we've been swindled out of over the past ten years?!"

If that's true, then my cousin is really capable; she managed to recover it in just a few days!

However, they really didn't expect that Xie Sangning had already given the Lin family a lot of money before, and the recovered silver should have been kept by her. They never expected that she would actually send it over!

When the Lin family members appeared at the door and saw the convoy that almost blocked the entire alley, they all froze on the spot!

The air seemed to freeze.

The sunlight was blinding, and the silver light was dazzling.

"Miss Xie... is truly... truly filial."

"No wonder there was such a big show of force; it's to give the maternal family confidence! It's to help the Lin family save face!"

"The Lin family... has truly turned the tables this time!"

"Ten years ago, the Lin family was extremely prosperous, but in recent years they have become increasingly desolate. However, with the return of Miss Xie, the Lin family has been brought back to its former glory."

"Being down on your luck simply means you're broke. Who would dare look down on the Lin family now?"

Amidst sighs and the clamor of gongs and drums, Ru Dong directed the men to begin unloading the carts, carrying heavy silver boxes into the Lin residence.

The gleaming silver flowed into the once nearly empty house under the watchful eyes of everyone.

No one noticed that at the corner of the long street, a handsome young man in a brocade robe stood quietly, his usual gentle smile gone, replaced by a cold and sinister expression.

He stared intently at the boxes that were pouring into the Lin residence like a flowing stream, his knuckles clenching so tightly they turned white, his eyes swirling with anger and a hint of fear.

Xie Sangning...what a fine example of...filial piety towards one's maternal family!

His money… his ten years of hard work! It all went to Xie Sangning's benefit!

The bait has been cast, the net has been set, let's see... which impatient fish will jump out first.

Dozens of heavy silver chests occupied almost half of the hall, their dazzling white light blinding people.

The Lin family members stood in front of the box, looking dazed, as if they were in a dream.

Ru Dong directed the people to place the last box securely before approaching Lin Zhijie, bowing respectfully, and repeating her master's words:

“Master Lin, my young lady has said: ‘For the past ten years, the Lin family has been treated like lambs to the slaughter, which is entirely due to your own stupidity and inability to recognize talent! Don’t even think about pinning this mess on me.’”

Lin Zhijie's body trembled slightly, and his old face flushed, but he felt no resentment, only a deep sense of shame welling up in his heart.

Yes, if they hadn't been incompetent and negligent, how could they have allowed scammers to take advantage of them for ten years?

Ru Dong continued, "Now, Miss said that these two batches of silver should be considered as a small sacrifice."

"Whether it's testing the waters or filling a hole, Miss's meaning is clear: if all this gold and silver is poured in, and the Lin family remains a hopeless mess, unable to restore its former glory, and unable to stand tall in Jinling City again..."

Ru Dong paused slightly, her gaze sweeping over the Lin family members with their varied expressions. Her speech slowed, each word as cold as ice:

"Then pack your bags and get out of here as soon as possible! Don't stand around in Jinling and embarrass yourselves! In Miss's eyes, there is no room for even the slightest bit of good-for-nothing as a relative!"

That's a venomous remark!

However, after a deathly silence in the hall, Lin Ziyuan's choked yet resolute voice rang out: "Miss Rudong, please...please tell my cousin! The Lin family will never forget what you said today! If we cannot restore our family's honor, I, Lin Ziyuan, will be the first to have no face to live on and will jump into the moat myself!"

"Yes! Ning girl is right!" Lin Zhijie cried, tears streaming down his face. "It's our incompetence! This money is the lifeline for the Lin family to turn things around! If we can't get back on our feet, Ning girl won't even need to urge us; I'll find a rope and end it all myself!"

Lin Wantang clenched her fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, and made a hoarse, hoarse sound as she nodded forcefully.

The Lin family can finally unleash their full potential.

Although Xie Sangning's words were harsh, they were undeniable facts!

If you can't stand up even with mountains of gold and silver? You might as well just die!

Silver! Silver! Silver!

In the Qing Kingdom, without money to pave the way, even the most talented person will find it difficult to move an inch!

Imperial examinations, bribery, personal connections... which of these wasn't built with real money?

Lin Zishen, the eldest son of the Lin family and Xie Sangning's older cousin, is a man of great learning, but what good is that?

His family fell into poverty and he couldn't even attend the official school in Jinling. Without money to bribe officials, he was forced to go to remote and impoverished areas to compete with other poor students for the few available places in the provincial examinations!

Three years away from home, the future seems bleak.

Now that I have money, I can take care of things for him!

What's this about being aloof? What's this about not taking shortcuts?

Oh!

When all competitors are taking shortcuts and climbing higher, you have a ladder to heaven but insist on climbing the mountain barefoot?

That's not being noble, that's being foolish! That's ruining your future!

Want to change this unjust world?

OK!

Let's figure out how to get to the position that sets the rules first!

Otherwise, having a wealth of talent but not even being able to squeeze into a platform to showcase it is nothing but wishful thinking and will only make one a laughingstock!

Just like Xie Sangning, who made her students take the exam.

Don't they have real talent?

Yes, of course.

But what good is talent? Only by passing the exams can you have the space and the qualifications to showcase your talent!

If you don't pass the exam, it's all nonsense!

This is reality.

Lin Zhijie took a deep breath, his cloudy old eyes flashing with a sharp light he hadn't seen in years, and said in a deep voice:

"Open the treasury! Count the silver! From this day forward, everyone in the Lin family must tighten their belts and make every penny count, spending it wisely! The Lin family's revival begins today!"

——

This extravagant gesture of sending money to his maternal grandfather's family spread throughout Nanjing.

Naturally, the news also reached the ears of the eldest prince, Pei Yi.

"Foolish woman! Ignorant fool!"

Pei Yi's face was ashen, and his chest heaved violently, as if his heart had been ripped out!

That's real silver!

In his eyes, it was no longer Xie Sangning's private property, but the foundation of his future military funds on his path to seizing the throne! After Xie Sangning married him, her money would naturally be his own!

That was the source of his confidence in raising a private army and winning over court officials!

It's all in Pei Yi's pocket!

Now, this woman has so casually and ostentatiously sent him to the Lin family?!

"That's my money! My future money! The Lin family is a fallen family, a bunch of good-for-nothings! Giving it to them? What a waste! Utterly foolish!"

He paced back and forth like an enraged wild beast.

We can't wait any longer! Xie Sangning is practically a money-spending machine!