Chapter 676 The Merchant's Secret
The merchant's family now lives in Quxian Town.
They became wealthy local businessmen in just a few years, running a tea business.
This place is in a remote location, and it will take at least a month for the people Zhou Ruiyuan sent to arrive.
Although Du Wanchun said she wasn't in a hurry, she had already taken action before Zhou Ruiyuan's men arrived.
The old man who owned the business had three sons. The eldest son died in an accident when the old emperor passed away. The second son was in charge of the business, and the third son was chronically ill.
The one who joined forces with the Southern Barbarians this time was the second son, now the shopkeeper.
Old Master Shang only wanted to lead his children and grandchildren away from the court's turmoil and live an honest life.
He was unaware of the good deeds his second son had committed.
He lay in his rocking chair and had a dream in which his eldest son cried out that he had died unjustly.
The old man was suddenly awakened.
He wiped away his cold sweat and called out to his wife, "Xiang'er, Xiang'er."
This lady was a second wife, the half-sister of the first wife, and also the biological mother of the second son.
Madam Shang rushed over, "Master, what's wrong?"
Old Master Shang's face was deathly pale, his eyes lifeless. He stared ahead and muttered to himself, "I saw my eldest son, I saw him. He told me he died unjustly, but wasn't he supposed to have fallen on the road and been killed by bandits? Why is he telling me he died unjustly?"
Madam Shang's expression changed, her eyes darted around, but she regained her composure and comforted him, saying, "Master, it's truly a tragedy that the eldest young master encountered bandits. Why don't we burn some paper money for him when we have time?"
Old Master Shang shook his head. "No, he was covered in blood and looked very wronged. It definitely wasn't because of the bandits!"
He sat up abruptly after he finished speaking.
Madam Shang was startled, and this time she felt even more uncomfortable, her brows furrowed with guilt.
Old Master Shang put on his clothes and strode outside. "No, I can't let my eldest son die like this. I'm going to investigate what happened to him."
Madam Shang caught up with him and stopped him, saying, "Master, several years have passed, and it's not so easy to investigate now. Why don't I hand this matter over to the second son and let him investigate?"
Old Master Shang calmed down and gave instructions, his eyes gradually regaining their expression, "That's right, and also the second son. Let him investigate and see what exactly happened on the way out of the capital back then. If it really was the work of bandits, then arrest the bandits and I will deal with them personally."
Madam Shang felt slightly relieved and bowed her head to reply, "Yes, sir."
Old Master Shang, with his arms around his waist, turned around and returned to the rattan chair he had just been sitting in, slowly sitting down.
Madam Shang served him tea, massaged his body, and left only after he fell asleep again.
After leaving Old Master Shang's room, she immediately went to her son's room.
Shopkeeper Shang stood up and said, "Mother, what brings you here?"
Madam Shang hurriedly closed the door. "Just now, your father dreamed of your eldest brother and said that he died unjustly."
The shopkeeper was still rejoicing over the burning of the Zhou family's rice granary when he heard about this, and his expression changed drastically.
"He dreamt about his older brother?!"
Madam Shang nodded. "That's right. He also said that your eldest brother cried and complained to him."
The shopkeeper's face gradually turned ashen, and his hands trembled slightly. "Could it be that Father knows something?"
Madam Shang shook her head and said, "No, your father probably doesn't know anything right now. He still thinks that the bandits killed your older brother, and he hates the bandits in his heart."
Shopkeeper Shang breathed a slight sigh of relief, gripped the back of the chair tightly, stared ahead in thought for a long time, then turned around and said, "Mother, don't worry. That matter happened many years ago, and Father is old now. Even if he finds out, he can't do anything to us."
Madam Shang quickly said, "No, you forgot, your father hasn't given you the key to the Shang family's warehouse yet."
Having served the old emperor for so many years, the merchants had naturally accumulated a considerable amount of silver. When they fled the capital, Old Master Shang had already hidden all the silver in one place.
Although the family business has been handed over to the second son, he still hasn't given the key to this warehouse to anyone.
The shopkeeper fell silent again.
Madam Shang continued, "I just tricked him by saying that I would let you investigate this matter, and then I could just find some bandit to be the scapegoat."
"A scapegoat..." the shopkeeper muttered under his breath.
Back then, the head of the merchant family encountered a group of villains on their way from the capital to Qu County.
The bandits not only robbed them of their money, but also killed the entire family of five.
Among them were the eldest son of the merchant family, his wife, and their three children, the youngest of whom was only one month old.
However, those villains were not bandits at all; they were a group of highly skilled martial artists led by the shopkeeper.
It was the shopkeeper who personally murdered his own brother, sister-in-law, and the children.
He didn't hesitate to harm his own relatives in order to gain control of his family business.
Madam Shang was an accomplice to the evildoer, plotting all of this with Manager Shang.
The original wife of Master Shang introduced her to him as a concubine before she fell seriously ill, because she saw that she had a deep sisterly bond with her.
After she passes away, I can become her second wife.
Who knew that not only was she ungrateful, but she also conspired with her son to murder her son's entire family.
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