When the county magistrate saw Su Huaiyue coming in, a malicious smile immediately appeared on his face. That smile was like a cunning fox, and there was a greedy light in his eyes.
He leaned forward slightly, folded his hands on the armrest, and seemed to have already won.
"Su Huaiyue, I've already interrogated He Er and know that it's the Lu family behind this." The county magistrate dragged out his words, pausing deliberately to observe Su Huaiyue's expression. "But don't worry, as long as you cooperate, I can help you deal with the Lu family."
As he spoke, he gently shook his fingers, as if showing Su Huaiyue the power in his hands.
Su Huaiyue sneered in her heart. She cursed in her heart: "You old fox, how can you be so kind? It's not for your own benefit."
But he pretended to be grateful, bowed slightly, and asked with "expectation" in his eyes: "It's great that you are willing to help. I wonder what you need us to do?"
As she spoke, the corners of her mouth rose slightly, trying to make her expression look sincere, but in her heart she felt extremely disgusted by the county magistrate's words.
The county magistrate chuckled, a laugh that sent chills down one's spine. He licked his lips and opened his mouth loudly, "Two thousand taels of silver! If you give me two thousand taels, I promise to make sure the Lu family never gets back on their feet again and never trouble Meiyan Pavilion again."
As he said this, his eyes widened, revealing naked greed, as if he had already seen the two thousand taels of silver in his hands.
Su Huaiyue was suddenly shocked. The monthly profit of Meiyan Pavilion was less than two thousand taels. The county magistrate was simply asking for an exorbitant amount of money and extorting money.
Her hands unconsciously clenched in her sleeves, her nails digging into her palms, and the anger in her heart suddenly rose up.
But she knew she couldn't lose her temper at this moment, so she could only suppress it, forcing a look of embarrassment onto her face as she spoke sincerely, "Sir, this price is too high. Meiyan Pavilion's current turnover simply can't afford such a high price. Our entire family depends on this shop for their livelihood, and we really can't do anything about it."
She frowned slightly, her eyes full of helplessness, trying to convince the county magistrate of her difficulties.
The county magistrate's face darkened slightly, and the smile on his face disappeared instantly, replaced by a look of displeasure.
His brows furrowed, a hint of menace in his eyes as he said, "That 1,500 taels, no less. I've already made concessions to you, don't be ungrateful."
As he spoke, he tapped the table lightly with his fingers, making a "tapping" sound, as if putting pressure on Su Huaiyue.
Su Huaiyue still looked embarrassed. She bit her lip and thought quickly about how to deal with the situation.
She knew that the county magistrate would not easily let go of this opportunity for blackmail, but she would never let Meiyan Pavilion fall into despair.
"Sir, you know that business is not doing well nowadays. Fifteen hundred taels is a huge sum of money for us." Her voice trembled slightly, and the embarrassment on her face became more and more obvious, hoping to arouse some sympathy from the county magistrate.
Seeing this, the county magistrate said with some displeasure, "Su Huaiyue, do you still want to run Meiyan Pavilion? If you can't even bear to part with this little money, forget about getting out of this trouble. I can shut down your shop with just a flick of my finger."
He stood up, put his hands on his hips, and looked down at Su Huaiyue, his eyes full of arrogance and threats.
Su Huaiyue was filled with contempt and cursed the county magistrate in her heart, but she still pretended to hesitate for a moment, revealing a pitiful look, and said, "Sir, this is not a small amount. I have to go back and discuss it with the Wei family. What do you think..."
She lowered her head slightly, not daring to look the county magistrate in the eye, for fear that her anger would be exposed.
The magistrate waved his hand impatiently, as if to shoo away a pesky fly, and said, "Alright, give me your answer as soon as possible, and don't waste time. If you dare to play any tricks, you know the consequences."
After saying that, he sat back in his chair, staring at Su Huaiyue with a hint of warning in his eyes.
Su Huaiyue bowed slightly and said, "Thank you, sir. I will reply as soon as possible."
Then, she turned around and walked out of the county government office quickly, fearing that she would explode if she stayed for another second.
After leaving the county government office, Su Huaiyue did not go directly back to the Wei family.
Instead, he turned around and went directly to Liuyun Pavilion.
When the madam saw her, she immediately put on a professional smile, but Su Huaiyue was in no mood to exchange pleasantries. She just nodded hurriedly and walked up the stairs to the box where she had found Yan Shu before.
She reached out and pushed open the door of the box. She originally thought that she would see Yan Shu wearing red clothes like last time, lazily leaning on the bed drinking and having fun, but what she saw was a guard with a tall posture and sitting upright.
Su Huaiyue was slightly startled, a wave of doubts welling up in her heart. When she was about to turn around and leave, the guard quickly stood up and said respectfully: "Miss Su, my master specifically asked me to wait here and take you to the Yan Mansion after seeing you."
When Su Huaiyue heard this, she couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise.
How did Yan Shu know that he would come to Liuyun Pavilion to find him? How did he know this? Had he been secretly watching his every move?
Countless questions arose in Su Huaiyue's mind, and her eyes revealed a hint of vigilance.
She looked carefully at the guard in front of her, trying to find a clue from his face, but the guard's expression was serious, and there was only respect in his eyes, without any unnecessary information.
Su Huaiyue was a little hesitant. She knew very well that Yan Shu was a mysterious person. She had not had much contact with him and really had no idea what he was up to.
Going to the Yan Mansion, what if this is a trap? But if I don't go, how can the Wei family break the situation now?
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