Qin Shousheng laughed loudly a few times, his face full of arrogance.

"Father-in-law, don't worry. No matter where you go, as long as you identify yourself, anyone who doesn't respect me will be shut down within three days."

"Good, with your words of comfort, I am relieved." Chen Zhancai was overjoyed and wished he could call Qin Shousheng "father." He didn't want to wait any longer and quickly bowed, "Son-in-law, I won't disturb your business any longer. Farewell."

Before Qin Shousheng could speak, he turned and walked outside.

Watching Chen Zhancai's departing figure, Chen Ruolan frowned. She knew her father's character all too well.

Lacking ambition, idle and good-for-nothing, good for nothing but eating, drinking, and having fun.

If we let him do whatever he wants, he'll be exhausted sooner or later.

“Master, my father is not a proper person. You shouldn’t have made these promises to him. He has no sense of propriety and will do whatever he wants without restraint. If he causes any trouble, wouldn’t that just add unnecessary trouble for you?”

Qin Shousheng waved his hand dismissively, "What are you saying, Madam? In Anyang, I am the local tyrant. Even if your father causes a huge mess, I can easily smooth things over."

“Master, that’s not what I meant. I’m worried that he will become addicted to wine and women.”

"Haha, when people are well-fed and warm, they think of lust. This is only human nature. Once your father gets tired of playing, he will naturally restrain himself. Madam, there is no need to worry."

As the two were chatting and laughing, Shen Yuanze rushed in, looking flustered.

He had just returned home from his business trip at the dock when he saw his sister, Madam Fan, enter the courtyard crying and beating him up without saying what had happened.

Upon further inquiry, it was discovered that Chen Ruolan had led a group of people to ransack her sister's house, not only imprisoning Fan Tong but also crippling Shi Taishou.

He was furious and cursed Chen Ruolan for being ruthless. He regretted not selling her to a slave trader, but instead being bewitched and giving her to Qin Shousheng, which led to such a huge disaster.

Madam Fan came to find Shen Yuanze in a panic. She was not worried about Fan Tong being arrested, but was heartbroken about the more than ten boxes of gold and silver jewelry that had been confiscated from the Fan family, as well as the deeds to the houses and land deeds of the estate and shops.

In order to get her younger brother Shen Yuanze to help her get the treasures and other valuables back, Madam Fan cried, made a scene, and even threatened to hang herself, rolling around the courtyard and throwing a tantrum, which made Shen Yuanze's head throb with pain.

It took a lot of effort to coax Madam Fan into calming down, and she promised to return the things that Chen Ruolan had taken. Only then did Madam Fan stop crying.

Upon entering the room, they saw Chen Ruolan nestled beside Qin Shousheng, the two of them flirting and teasing each other as if no one else was around.

Suppressing his anger, Shen Yuanze first glanced at the composed Chen Ruolan, then bowed and clasped his hands in greeting to Qin Shousheng, saying, "This humble servant greets Your Excellency."

Qin Shousheng smiled and nodded. "Yuanze, what brings you here? Have you taken care of things at the dock?"

"Rest assured, sir, the goods have been safely transported out. Here is the payment for this batch of goods," Shen Yuanze said, handing over a thick stack of silver notes.

Qin Shousheng took the silver note with a serious expression. If the Prince of Ning's men caught him smuggling salt, he would surely die. Therefore, he repeatedly instructed, "Yuanze, tell your men to be careful and not let the Prince of Ning's men find any fault with you."

Shen Yuanze replied respectfully, "Yes, sir, rest assured, I personally supervised everything, and there will be absolutely no mistakes."

"Alright, I trust Yuanze to handle things." Qin Shousheng showed an appreciative look, then waved his hand, "You've worked hard today, go home and rest early!"

Shen Yuanze remained standing still. Seeing this, Qin Shousheng asked knowingly, "Yuanze, is there anything else?"

Shen Yuanze turned his gaze to Chen Ruolan, but questioned Qin Shousheng, "Sir, what crime did Fan Tong of Qingshui Town commit? Why did Madam suddenly confiscate our property and imprison my brother-in-law Fan Tong?"

Qin Shousheng feigned surprise, his eyes widening. "Yuanze, what are you talking about? When did I raid your brother-in-law's house?"

After saying that, he frowned and looked at Chen Ruolan, "Madam, what, what exactly is going on?"

Chen Ruolan had already prepared her explanation, and said in a serious tone, "Master, this matter cannot be blamed on me. Blame Fan Tong for being too reckless and lawless in Qingshui Town."

Just now, when I was traveling by carriage through Qingshui Town, the locals thought it was Your Excellency, the county magistrate, visiting the countryside to show concern for the people.

The people stopped the carriage and knelt down to complain that Fan Tong had abused his power, committed crimes, and forcibly taken many respectable women.

I didn't want to meddle in other people's business, but there were many villagers watching. If I ignored this matter, it would only make your reputation even worse if word got out.

Therefore, I took it upon myself to search the Fan family's property and imprison Fan Tong. If you, my lord, feel that I have done wrong, I will now order the valuables to be returned.

Qin Shousheng frowned slightly. He knew in his heart that these words were completely unfounded, just something Chen Ruolan had said casually.

However, he had long coveted Fan Tong's family fortune, but he had never made a move because of Shen Yuanze's influence.

Now that we've brought back the gold and silver treasures, why should we return them?

Upon hearing Chen Ruolan's words, Shen Yuanze was enraged and retorted before Qin Shousheng could speak.

"Madam is joking. Fan Tong used to be tyrannical, but now he has abandoned evil and turned over a new leaf. He no longer oppresses the people. I wonder where those people you mentioned came from?"

"Do you have their name? Take this subordinate to investigate and find out the truth. If it is as you say, Madam, I, Shen Yuanze, will show no leniency and will punish them severely."

"Lord Shen, you have quite the nerve. You're clearly trying to protect Fan Tong."

Having said that, Shen Ruolan gave a disdainful snort, "Still want to go down and investigate? Let me tell you, I am one of them. Do I have to repeat myself?"

"This..." Shen Yuanze was speechless for a moment. He never expected that Chen Ruolan would use her innocence to blackmail him. Could it be that she had already confessed to Qin Shousheng about being a concubine in the past? No, it couldn't be true.

Shen Yuanze's face was full of threat. "Madam, watch your words. Don't tarnish your reputation for a moment of pleasure."

"Shen Yuanze, it's not your place to threaten me." Chen Ruolan smiled contemptuously. "I think you're just trying to abuse your power and protect Fan Tong."

"No, I wouldn't dare. I just want to find out the truth."

"Find out the truth? Lord Shen is truly a diligent and benevolent official. There are mountains of old cases in Anyang County, yet you don't seem to care about investigating them. Instead, you're extremely concerned about your brother-in-law's affairs. Isn't this favoritism and corruption? Is your brother-in-law's safety more important than your reputation, sir?"

"No, I..." Shen Yuanze was speechless for a moment, not knowing what to say. He hurriedly explained to Qin Shousheng, "Sir, I absolutely did not mean that. I just want to find out the truth so that I can clear my brother-in-law's name."