Chapter 52 Seizure
"Miss, something terrible has happened."
Ling'er rushed in from outside, panting, and collapsed onto the desk.
"What's the panic? Your lady is perfectly fine."
Shen Yuanzhu picked up her brush and dotted a patch of black ink on Ling'er's nose. After doing so, she smiled and her eyes curved into a crescent moon.
Catching her breath, Ling'er wiped her nose and choked out, "Miss, Luo Bai wrote that all the goods we brought back from Songjiang have been seized."
"Where was it deducted from?"
Shen Yuanzhu frowned slightly: "The customs office, the maritime trade office, or the Suzhou prefectural government office?"
"The customs and maritime trade offices are in charge of maritime transport, so it shouldn't be our responsibility. We've already taken care of everything at the government office, so why are we being detained suddenly?"
"And whose goods were seized? Was it all the goods that entered the city, or just our Xiecuifang's?"
Ling'er said, "Only our family's goods were seized, and the steward who came back with the goods was also taken away, supposedly to the prison."
Shen Yuanzhu's expression was solemn, and her fingertips trembled almost imperceptibly.
Upon hearing the news, Madam Luo was extremely anxious: "So, it seems this is targeting only our Xiecuifang?"
"The problem must have stemmed from selling ticket stubs."
Shen Yuanzhu said, "Give me the shop's account books."
After carefully checking the ledgers, Shen Yuanzhu discovered that not much cotton cloth had been sold. She then counted the cash in the shop, a hint of worry appearing on her face.
"Tell the shop to stop selling cotton cloth stubs immediately. Also, have Luo Qing secretly collect a batch of cotton cloth for exchange."
Ling'er said, "Miss, we've sold nearly 20,000 bolts of silk. If we can't deliver the goods, we're afraid we'll lose a lot of money."
Shen Yuanzhu sighed, "Paying money is a small matter; I'm afraid the other party has bigger ambitions."
Luo said, "How about I go find Luo Qing tonight and ask him about the situation?"
From the time Luo Qing and Luo Bai were seven or eight years old, Luo Shi rarely saw her two sons in public.
Firstly, it wasn't convenient for her to stay in the inner quarters, and secondly, it was also Shen Yuanzhu's intention.
She didn't want anyone to know that she was the behind-the-scenes owner of Xiecuifang.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Yuanzhu shook her head and refused: "I don't know their intentions. If they find out that Xiecuifang is related to the Shen family, it will not be a good thing."
"Miss, could this be retaliation from the Ye family?"
"No, if the Ye family had that kind of strength, they wouldn't be unable to recover from such a small rumor."
Shen Yuanzhu said, "We have taken care of everything, from the government offices to the city administration, and we have never had such a problem before."
"Now that the goods have been seized without a word and no one has come to deliver a message, I'm afraid we've offended someone we shouldn't have."
With her fingertips tapping on the ledger, Shen Yuanzhu looked up at Madam Luo and asked, "Nanny, do you have any clues?"
Luo said, "The one who can suppress the government office and prevent us from getting any information must be a very powerful figure."
"Who is it? Who is so wicked?"
Ling'er was so anxious she almost cried, but Shen Yuanzhu said, "The Textile Bureau. Although there is no reason, only if the Textile Bureau suddenly makes trouble can they put pressure on the government office without making a sound."
Luo continued, "Jiang You has been in the position of Director of Textile Production for a long time, and he looks down on these trivial matters."
"Could the rumors be true, and there be a new admiral in charge of textile production?"
"But why? How could a small shop like Xiecuifang possibly catch the eye of the Imperial Textile Commissioner?"
Shen Yuanzhu patted her cheeks, looking worried: "I'm afraid the rumors in Songjiang have gotten out of hand. The new official wants to start his first campaign by burning down the Xiecui Workshop."
Upon hearing this, Ling'er burst into tears: "Miss, what should we do?"
"wait."
Shen Yuanzhu hung her head and said listlessly, "If the new Admiral and Textile Commissioner really wants to start this fire, then I will not only help him make it bigger, but also make it beautiful."
"Although this move is risky, if done well, Xiecuifang will catch his eye."
"If it's not the Textile Bureau, but someone trying to take advantage of the situation to embezzle money, then someone will come knocking on our door in a few days."
Pressing her hand to her chest with heartache, Shen Yuanzhu's eyes were brimming with tears: "At worst, we can just give up this batch of goods and lose some money."
"But if I find out who the other person is..."
Hearing the grinding teeth coming from beside her, Ling'er couldn't help but shiver.
"I will fight him to the death and make him pay back tenfold, a hundredfold!"
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