Chapter 28 Chapter 28 You want to steal my money? No way! ...

Chapter 28 Chapter 28 You want to steal my money? No way! ...

It really was a ready-made human stove. The scalding heat drove away the chill from her body, and the snow-white feet were hidden in his calves. Being tall has its advantages, as he could cover her everywhere. A human-shaped stove was not bad either. Cheng Yian finally closed his eyes with peace of mind.

I just slept for a short while and then I felt something was wrong.

Cheng Yian turned his head away.

Lu Xusheng felt very embarrassed and quickly lay down.

"I'm hurt." She smiled.

"I know..." Lu Xusheng closed his eyes.

Cheng Yian leaned back to sleep on his arm, complaining quietly,

"The human-shaped stove has its drawbacks. Look, if you're not careful, you can burn yourself."

Lu Xusheng turned sideways again and held her close to his chest. "If I can't burn you, then there will be trouble."

Cheng Yian suddenly thought of his relationship with Fan Yulin. Looking at her young and tender body, she would not be able to make it in two years.

She coughed lightly, "That makes sense. I wonder how long General Lu can hold out?"

Lu Xusheng was so angry that he laughed, "You are so good at talking, it shows that the injury is not a problem."

Men should never be questioned in such matters.

Cheng Yian heard the dangerous message in his tone and felt sorry for his slip of the tongue. He quickly tried to make amends.

"No, I still have confidence in you." After all, that body of bones can't be blown down by the wind or faded by the rain. "After all, you are known as the best man in the Jin army. If you can't do it, then all men in the world can't do it..."

The more I coaxed her, the more her eyes seemed to be wrong, and she was determined to prove herself.

Thick eyelashes covered his eyes, and the night light reflected his cold and hard outline, "Who knows..."

A rough hand grabbed her injured finger and pressed it outside. A strong chest was hanging in front of her, like a shadow over her.

"Let's drink today and enjoy life today."

He suddenly leaned down, and his hot breath was like a spider web, sometimes on her nose, sometimes on her cheeks, sometimes on her ears and neck. Cheng Yian's breathing became disordered, and she could not help but close her eyes.

Lu Xusheng looked at the face so close to him, which was as delicious as a peach and very tempting.

"Next time, don't be out for so long."

"Who said that? I'm going there tomorrow." Cheng Yian was not going to agree with him.

Lu Xusheng was so angry that he grabbed her. Cheng Yian almost got dragged out by him. She was ashamed and angry, and raised her knees to push against him. Lu Xusheng seemed happy to play with her. He pulled her into his arms, stroking her beautiful butterfly bones inch by inch, and his hands were not idle either. He dropped wet kisses on her neck, hot and wet, with a compelling force, which gradually smoothed out the shivering on her body.

Cheng Yian was annoyed with him at first, but gradually she gave in to him. After all, a short separation is better than a new marriage. She missed him a little after not seeing him for a few days. After all, who knows how long these men can last.

The bed made constant noises that night.

Fortunately, Nanny Li was an experienced person and had made preparations in advance. Hot water and clothes were ready. She sent the maids away and served her herself.

The next morning, Cheng Yian woke up lazily, and Lu Xusheng was no longer there. The intimate scenes of last night emerged in his mind. He looked at the empty bed and shook his head. He hoped that this guy would be so gentle and considerate.

He got up, rubbing his bruised muscles and bones, and called the maid to help him wash and dress.

He noticed that Rulan looked listless, "What's wrong with you?"

Rulan covered her mouth and yawned, while she cleaned her hands and combed her hair.

"It will take me a while to come here."

Cheng Yian understood. It was not just Rulan. She herself felt a little helpless when she stood up and faced the small dressing table. She suddenly envied Cheng Yiqiao, who was not urged to get married by her father and could get married whenever she wanted.

After returning to Lu Mansion, I will go to pay my respects to the elders.

Not only that, but some rulers were also prepared for each room.

It is polite to give some gifts when you go back to your parents' home to stay for a while.

If the gift was too bad, it would be disrespectful to the Cheng family, and if it was too good, it would attract attention. Cheng Yian gave a piece of brocade to each of the wives, grandmothers, and sisters-in-law. Brocade is divided into different levels, there are ordinary brocade and famous brocade. For example, the back dress she was wearing was made of brocade from You Yunlong's family, also called floating brocade. There is a saying that an inch of floating brocade is worth an inch of gold. What Cheng Yian gave to everyone was ordinary brocade, which was enough to make two sets of casual clothes.

She sent her maid to deliver the things, and went to the Mingxi Hall to pay her respects to the Second Madam. On the way, she met the Second Madam going out, and they went to the old lady's courtyard together.

After not seeing each other for a few days, everyone thought Cheng Yian was radiant and radiant. Thinking of the grand occasion of the Cheng family's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet, they couldn't help but feel a little envious.

Fifth Miss Lu Shuzhi always speaks her mind. Seeing Cheng Yian in such a state, she asked the first wife,

"Aunt, it's time for us Lu's rent to be collected, right? I remember that we also have two hills in Jinzhou, so the furs should have arrived by now, right?" As the days were getting colder and there were signs of snow, who wouldn't want to make a few new robes?

The eldest lady was upset when she was asked this question. The eldest master had previously instructed that when the furs of this year arrived in the capital, they should be sold in the shop and exchanged for money to be used by him. The eldest lady knew that she would get her share, but she didn't share any of it, which made her, as the head lady of the house, look incompetent.

"It's on the way. Let's wait a few days. If you are in a hurry, go back to my aunt's room and find two pieces of leather from last year to make something to wear first."

Lu Shuzhi was unhappy when she heard this. If she took the eldest lady's things first, she would have to return them to her when the new things came back. How could the old things catch up with the new things?

The second wife also thought of this and refused without hesitation,

"Thank you for your concern, sister-in-law. I still have some. I'll make it for the child first."

Lu Shuzhi also laughed and said, "I have old ones too. I just want to make two new ones to wear."

The two girls from the third room, Lu Shuyin and Lu Shuling, also had bright eyes, and it was obvious that they were looking forward to it.

The eldest lady understood and became more anxious.

Cheng Yian sat silently, taking in the eldest lady's expression. She remembered that at this time in her previous life, the furs had already arrived at the Lu family's warehouse on Lower Gulou Street. The Lu family had a row of shops on Lower Gulou Street. This was the ancestral business and had always been in the hands of the eldest son's family. The eldest master obviously had no experience in management, and the shops' harvests were getting worse and worse.

Logically, the furs should have been distributed to the women in the mansion, but the eldest master had apparently transported the furs to the warehouse and sold them, and he also embezzled the money. When the incident came to light later, the second and third wives both made a scene, causing chaos in the family and making the whole family feel very embarrassed.

It seems that Lu Xusheng intends to take back the family business, but he can't just take back an empty shell, right?

Cheng Yian didn't plan to live with Lu Xusheng, but since they agreed to live a good life, he had to take it seriously.

She doesn't want a rotten stall.

At this moment, the doorman reported back,

"Madam, ladies, the old lady from the Hao family is here to pay her respects to you."

The old lady leaned on the top, and she became more energetic after hearing this, "Let her in."

Older people like to talk with their ex-partners. When they talk about the good old days, they seem to become younger. This Madam Hao is the eldest master's wet nurse and a highly respected old nanny in the mansion. Her son grew up with the eldest master and has now become the manor's chief steward and his confidant.

Soon, an old lady came in, wearing a thick longevity satin jacket with a front opening, a gold hairpin in her hair, and jade bracelets on her wrists. The old lady was thin but looked very capable and energetic. She greeted the old lady before she came in.

"Grandfather, I am here to pay my respects to you."

After all, she was the old nanny in the mansion. She had taken care of the eldest master, and now even the eldest lady has risen up.

Nanny Hao bowed to all the masters, and then they all took their seats.

The old lady looked at her and said, "You are now a great grandmother, how can you still call me a slave? Come and sit in front of me."

Madam Hao was very respectable and sat on the golden stool in front of the old lady's footstool. "No matter how old I am, I am still a servant in front of you."

The old lady was very pleased and asked her why she came home today and how she was doing.

Although Madam Hao used to serve others, her family has become successful now. They bought a house in the alley diagonally opposite the Lu family and live very comfortably there. She is a servant in the Lu family but lives a glorious life outside. After all, her son is the chief steward of the Lu mansion, in charge of all internal and external affairs of the Duke's Mansion, and the petty officials nearby have to bow their heads in front of him.

He is a seventh-rank official in front of the prime minister.

Despite the respectful tone of the old lady, Cheng Yian glanced at her boots. At first glance, they looked like ordinary cotton boots, but upon closer inspection, he found that the boots were made of leather with a layer of stitches embroidered on the bottom, just like her sea dragon leather.

interesting.

Old ladies, someone is talking to you, ladies and grandmas

It just dispersed.

Cheng Yian went back to his room on the pretext of packing his luggage, and the eldest wife went to the accounting office.

Hao Da Guanshi, the son of Madam Hao, was doing the accounting in the book room. When he saw the eldest wife coming in with a stern face, he hurriedly stood up to greet her.

"Ma'am, why are you here?"

The eldest wife glanced at him, sat down at the table, and glanced at the account book.

"What does your old man mean? It's almost the end of the year, and each branch is preparing to share some living creatures and furs. The Cheng family gets a share, and our Lu family is a duke's mansion after all, so each branch should get some."

Hao, the housekeeper, hunched over and said quickly, "Yes, yes." He leaned over to find a list on the shelf and handed it to the first wife.

"I have been renting out goods for a few years now, so I have just compiled a brochure for you to review."

After all, the eldest wife had been the housekeeper for many years, so her brows wrinkled at the slightest mention.

"Why is there so little this year? How can I, as the head of the family, put my face? Hao Ren, you are in charge of all these matters, you have to give me an explanation."

Housekeeper Hao immediately knelt down and cried, "Madam, I have been with you for so many years, don't you know my temper? I moved everything to your house, but you didn't allow me to. He was very ambitious and wanted to make a big career, so he left all the things in your house behind. Even if I have all the skills, I can't do anything without rice."

"Not to mention the distant past. The furs arrived the day before yesterday and were transported to the warehouse to be sold. Yesterday, the wood from the southwest also arrived and was sold to the Gongsu Marquis's mansion to prepare a coffin for the old lady. I received two thousand taels of silver notes, which I was going to give to you to prepare for the expenses of the mansion, but the eldest master took it all away."

The first wife said angrily,

"What is he going to do?!"

Seeing that the eldest wife was about to lose her temper, Butler Hao had to tell the truth, "I dare not hide it from you. The eldest master has taken on another private errand in the palace."

"What private errand?"

"It's the house at the residence of Eunuch You, the governor of the Yongjian Prefecture."

The eldest lady's eyes went dark, and she fell to the ground, her face pale, "Why doesn't he listen?"

Butler Hao said, "It's not a bad thing. This eunuch You is a kind man. He gave our master a deed and promised us the salt tickets in the Hedong area for the first half of next year."

The lady's complexion improved. The Jin Dynasty Salt and Iron Company wanted to sell official salt to transport military rations to the border and exchange it for salt permits. The court sometimes issued salt tickets to reward or reward some officials.

And this Admiral Lu Yongjian was one of the chief writers of the Imperial Household Department and a close confidant of Empress Chen. Why was the old lady able to convince the emperor to give the title of Duke to the eldest master? She was following the path of Empress Chen. The old lady's family was connected with the Chen Marquisate, and Empress Chen treated the old lady as her own. As long as they were Empress Chen's people, the eldest lady would feel relieved.

"But how are we going to spend the New Year now?"

Butler Hao seemed to have expected her to ask this question, and immediately stepped forward and whispered,

"Ma'am, I have an idea, but I don't know whether I should tell you or not."

"Speak." The eldest lady said impatiently.

Butler Hao pointed in the direction of Ningji Hall.

"Madam, our prince's wife is the daughter of the Cheng family's eldest son. I heard that Cheng Mingyu treats her like a treasure. This time, the Cheng family's Mid-Autumn Festival banquet must have brought back a lot of money."

The eldest lady narrowed her eyes and snorted, "How could I not know? I saw the boxes yesterday. There were five or six carts with dozens of boxes in total, which could be considered a small warehouse. However," she changed the subject and glanced at Butler Hao,

"Do you think she is a fool and will listen to our orders? Or do you think she is willing to lend money to the public?"

Butler Hao smiled mysteriously.

"Madam, you can't catch a wolf without sacrificing a child. She and the Second Madam are not on the same page. We can first promise her some benefits and pull her in. She has a gentle personality and is the wife of the Lu family's eldest son. She believes that the future of the Duke's Mansion belongs to them and their husbands. How can she not care about it?"

The eldest lady looked at him suspiciously, "What do you mean?"

Housekeeper Hao smiled and said, "What is the biggest expense at the end of the year? The kitchen. The old lady's birthday is in half a month, so we should prepare now."

"There are expenses for the year-end banquet, and each family will have to share some of the expenses. It's the beginning of the year, and we have to prepare for the banquet for relatives from the first to the fifteenth day of the month, which also requires expenses. Why don't you just hand over the kitchen job to her? The second wife thinks she is in charge of the family, so she will be happy to take over. She is young, has a thin face, and has money in her hands. Let's coax her to stay with her first, and then return her when we get the money. Isn't it reasonable for her to refuse?"

The eldest lady thought, "That is a way, but I am afraid it is easier to invite a Buddha than to send him away."

Butler Hao said, "How could I not have planned this for you? Think about it, she has been married for a few months now, and she will definitely be pregnant soon, and then she won't be able to take care of this anymore."

The eldest lady's eyebrows relaxed when she heard this. She thought that the Duke's Mansion was full of her people. Even if Cheng Yian wanted to seize power, it would be impossible. The people under him would not listen to her. "Let's do it this way first, and get through this year."

The eldest lady was also smart. She knew that going to look for Cheng Yian without warning would arouse suspicion, so she quietly called in sick a few days later. The eldest young lady was in charge of foreign affairs and procurement, as well as entertaining guests at the mansion. She really couldn't handle the kitchen affairs. What should we do? The old lady finally spoke up.

"Xu Ge's daughter-in-law, it's been a while since you got married. It's time for you to take over the kitchen chores."

Cheng Yian naturally saw through their true colors. At the end of the year in her previous life, the eldest lady tried to force her to make up for the losses, saying that she would pay her back when the spring rent came in next year, but Lu Xusheng did not agree.

But she didn't refuse outright.

"To answer your question, Grandmother, you have entrusted me with an important task, and logically, I should not shirk my responsibility. However, I am still a little clueless at the moment. How about you give me a few more days to learn from my sister-in-law and then get started?"

The old lady looked at her. She had a pretty face and a bright and innocent look, but she might not be able to control the gang of evildoers under her.

"Okay, I'll give you ten days, and you can take over after ten days." Ten days later was the old lady's birthday.

Going up the pole is not a transaction.

The Second Lady felt something was amiss, so she asked Cheng Yian to follow her back to Mingxi Hall. After they entered the room, she told Cheng Yian,

"Don't just take over."

Cheng Yian was a little surprised. This was not like the Second Madam's style.

The Second Madam analyzed, "It must be that the government's accounts are not looking good, and seeing you coming back from the Cheng family, they want to trick you into being the scapegoat."

Cheng Yian was almost in tears. It was truly the sun rising in the west. This mother-in-law finally still cared about her. In her previous life, she had hoped that she would charge into the battle line.

"So what do you think we should do?"

The second wife pressed her brows together and said, "Please let me think about it and come up with a foolproof solution."

After all, it was an opportunity. The Second Madam wanted to get involved and couldn't let Cheng Yian suffer any loss.

Cheng Yian understood. In her previous life, the Second Madam never recognized her identity and did not treat her as her own person, so she used her as a shield. In this life, because she was recognized by the eldest son's family, the Second Madam recognized her identity as her daughter-in-law. Naturally, the situation is completely different. I wonder what the Second Madam will feel when the cousin from the Wang family comes to Beijing from Qingzhou?

Cheng Yian let the Second Madam think about it and walked from Mingxi Hall to Ningji Hall. Because it snowed last night and bent the branches in the garden, the servants had not cleaned up yet. Cheng Yian had to take a detour and go to Ningji Hall from near Chuihua Gate. Coincidentally, he met someone inside Chuihua Gate.

Butler Hao spotted her, walked forward with a smile and bowed.

"Greetings to the Crown Prince's wife."

Look, he is quite a smart man. Others call her "Second Wife" when they see her, but he calls her "Crown Prince's Wife". What does this mean? It means that he regards her as the future wife of the family.

Cheng Yian replied calmly, "How come Butler Hao has time to hang around here?"

Butler Hao smiled and said, "In reply to the young lady, the young master and young lady from the Chen Marquis's residence came to pay their respects to the old lady. The eldest master told me to wait here so that I can escort the young master out later."

Cheng Yian understood and said with a smile, "Then the housekeeper can get busy."

When Housekeeper Hao saw that she was about to leave, he hurriedly followed her and said, "Young Madam, you have been married for quite some time. You may not know that all of our housekeepers are counting on you. It is said that you are from the eldest branch of the Cheng family, and Master Cheng is the best at managing a household. You must have inherited his true teachings, and our house really needs you to take care of it."

If it were someone else, they would definitely be overwhelmed at this moment, ask how to deal with it, and then take the bait.

Cheng Yian, however, was naive. "I think our Lu family is pretty good. Uncle and aunt are capable, and you and the other managers have done your best. How can it be my turn to manage it?"

Having said this, Cheng Yian walked away leisurely.

Today she was wearing a goose-yellow brocade robe with a camel down lining inside and a cloud fox cape just sent by the Cheng family outside. With her bright and clear jade-like face, she really looked like an immortal from a painting.

Butler Hao looked at her graceful back and his Adam's apple tightened.

No wonder the prince is a man of steel.

She also turned into a soft and gentle woman and squatted in front of the Cheng Mansion every day. If it were him, with a woman like this in the house, he really wouldn't want to go out. He couldn't think about it, and he couldn't bear it once he thought about it.

Cheng Yian returned to the house, his face turned cold.

They all took her for a fool.

Finally, when Lu Xusheng came home at night, she complained angrily.

"Your old lady and your aunt have a good idea. They want to coax me into the trap and help them make up for their losses."

Lu Xusheng didn't seem surprised, and waved his hand to comfort her, "Don't worry, let me ask around."

Then he asked his long-time attendant Xu Yi to find out what was going on.

After a while, Xu Yi came back with the answer, "Master, it was Butler Hao who gave the idea to the Madam."

Lu Xusheng sneered, holding a bead in his hand and slowly crushing it into powder, "A servant dares to set his sights on the master, you have guts."

Cheng Yian asked him, "What are you going to do?"

"You wait." Lu Xusheng said this and went out.

During this period, the eldest uncle was busy with the year-end completion of various projects of the Ministry of Works, while Lu Xusheng was also preparing winter clothes for the soldiers and investigating the embezzlement of military warehouses by some guards. The uncle and nephew had not met for several days.

Today, Lu Xusheng was sitting in the main hall drinking tea. From a distance, he saw the eldest master coming in with a rosy face, so he smiled and greeted him.

"Uncle, when I was leaving court today, I met Cheng Yiyan, and he asked me to bring you a message."

When the eldest master heard Cheng Yiyan's name, he was startled and hurried over.

"What did he say?"

At the end of each year, all departments are busy finalizing projects. On the one hand, they have to pay out the funds promised this year, and on the other hand, they have to approve projects for next year so that they can report the financial budget to the Ministry of Revenue.

The end of the year is the time to settle accounts.

Who gets the money from the Ministry of Revenue?

Cheng Yiyan.

Cheng Yiyan is the key to the national treasury.

After the three officials from the Ministry of Revenue have signed it, it will finally pass through Cheng Yiyan. If Cheng Yiyan finds that there is a problem with the account, he can send it back for re-entry.

Right now, the eldest master has more than ten items that need to be signed by the Ministry of Revenue, and a large number of royal merchants and officials under the Ministry of Works are waiting to settle the accounts. After the accounts are settled, he can also get kickbacks. So at this juncture, he is happy to call Cheng Yiyan "ancestor".

Lu Xusheng welcomed him in and poured a basin of cold water on his head. "Cheng Yiyan said that the official in the Ministry of Revenue has not approved a few of your vouchers yet, and the three vouchers he received have problems. He asked you to go to the Ministry of Revenue tomorrow when you have time."

This was like a bolt from the blue. People waiting to withdraw money are most afraid of problems with the accounts.

Butler Hao was also beside him, and after hearing this, his face was filled with gloom.

The three of them entered the warm room to the west of the main hall. Butler Hao personally served tea to the two of them and said impatiently,

"My Lord, you and Lord Cheng are uncle and uncle, so you have to speak for our Lord."

The eldest master also wiped his sweat and said carefully, "Xusheng, you have to do a solid job for your uncle. No matter what Yi Yan asks, just ask."

Lu Xusheng sneered, sitting in the second seat with a big horse and a golden knife, "What do you think of him? Who is he? Cheng Mingyu's eldest son, the future head of the Cheng family, how can he care about your little goodness? If he just cleans up the Cheng family's cracks, it will be enough for our Lu family to eat for a year. Otherwise, do you think His Majesty would grant him such an important position?"

Cheng Yiyan was born as a third place scholar, and after passing the high school entrance examination, he entered the Hanlin Academy. After only two years, he was transferred to the Ministry of Revenue by the emperor. Logically, Cheng Yiyan should have to go out for training for a few years before being granted the position of Doctor of the Treasury of the Ministry of Revenue, but the emperor insisted on letting him take the position against all odds.

There are two reasons. First, the Cheng family is wealthy. Every year Cheng Mingyu would take the initiative to contribute a lot of gold and silver to the national treasury. Cheng Yiyan's position makes it easier for the emperor and the court to get money from the Cheng family.

Secondly, it is precisely because the Cheng family is rich that Cheng Yiyan could not have accepted bribes, ensuring that the treasury accounts are clear and will not be embezzled by collusion between superiors and subordinates.

The eldest master is like a bereaved parent, “What should I do?”

Lu Xusheng said seriously, "Just make the accounts real, and everything will be fine."

The eldest master glanced at Butler Hao and said nothing.

Butler Hao looked gloomy.

Just at this moment, someone outside asked a question, and Butler Hao went out. Lu Xusheng glanced at Butler Hao's back and suddenly asked in a low voice,

"Uncle, who helps you find the suppliers for these timber merchants?"

The eldest master said, "Some were recommended by officials from various departments, and some were found for me by Hao Ren..."

At this point, the eldest master suddenly frowned and stared at Lu Xusheng warily, "Why are you asking this, Xu'er?"

Lu Xusheng just looked at Butler Hao without saying a word.

Butler Hao was standing at the door at this time talking to the steward outside. He was about the same age as the eldest master, of medium build and a little fatter, wearing a dark green robe. The light from the corridor just happened to hit his back, and a dark light could be vaguely seen reflected from the robe. The fabric was a kind of floating luster. The pattern was dark and unclear at first glance. Only when there was light reflected, the floating light inside would be looming.

An inch of floating brocade is worth an inch of gold.

The eldest master suddenly stopped talking.

When Lu Xusheng stood up, he gently brushed the snow stains off his shoulders and said, "Don't be a fraud and still count money for others."

After a while he returned to the backyard, and Cheng Yian asked him, "What did you do?"

Lu Xusheng said indifferently, "What can we do? We have to take back the family business, but we can't just take back an empty shell."

Cheng Yian smiled, "You think the same as me."

For the next two days, Cheng Yian followed the eldest young lady Liu in a very professional manner to see how she took care of the kitchen. On the third day, there was a sudden commotion outside, and people said that an important antique was lost from the warehouse.

"What antique?" the grandmother asked the maid who brought the message.

The maid replied, "It was a piece of calligraphy and painting from when the old master was alive. It was a calligraphy work by the former Lord Gu Yunlin. Isn't it the old lady's birthday in a few days? The old master said he wanted to take it out and hang it in the study for a banquet. But today he sent someone to look for it in the storeroom, and it was gone."

Cheng Yian had also heard of Gu Yunlin, the imperial tutor of two dynasties. After the former dynasty was crushed by the Northern Qi cavalry, Gu Yunlin was so sad that he jumped off a cliff and died. Although this Prime Minister Gu was not very talented in politics, he was a great writer and a famous calligrapher and painter. As far as she knew, Gu Yunlin was also the ancestor of her father Cheng Mingyu. Cheng Mingyu once worshipped Gu Yunlin's last disciple as his teacher, and his painting skills were also passed down to Gu Yunlin.

After the founding of Dajin, Master Gu was highly respected and his calligraphy was even sold for thousands of dollars per word.

Unfortunately, he burned all his calligraphy works before his death, so not many of his works remain.

So when the old lady was alive, she regarded the painting as a treasure.

When the grandmother heard this, she became anxious and said, "This is a serious matter."

So the two sisters-in-law went to the meeting room together, but they saw the eldest master in the room furious, and all the managers were called over.

"Check it for me. If you don't find it, none of you will be alive."

Seeing that the master was furious, the four stewards did not dare to be careless. They immediately sent servants and maids to search everywhere and also arrested the servants on duty for interrogation.

After about two hours of arguing, he suddenly got some clues.

It is said that someone was seen secretly carrying a long box to the Hao family's house opposite that night.

A cold light flashed in the eldest master's eyes and he glanced at Butler Hao.

Butler Hao's face turned pale and he immediately knelt on the ground.

"Master, this is not true. I have been with you for so many years, how can I be so ignorant? I can be greedy for anything, but I can never be greedy for your treasure."

Butler Hao had been a tyrant in the Duke's Mansion over the years and had offended many people. For example, some of his subordinates did not like him and immediately added insult to injury when they saw that he was suspicious.

"You can't possibly take the master's treasure, but because it's a treasure, you can use it privately to pay for a sum of money first, and then redeem it later."

Butler Hao’s face turned pale.

He actually did this kind of thing. Not only did he do it, but the eldest master himself also did it.

The eldest master is now blinded by greed and is desperate for money. He doesn't care about anything else. He doesn't care about servants or brothers as long as their interests are infringed.

He immediately gave an order, ordering the servants of the Duke's Mansion to go to the Hao Mansion next door to search.

The Hao family was originally a servant of the Duke Lu's mansion. Gradually, as the eldest master took over the family, their power also grew. Originally, they were in charge of the affairs of the mansion for the eldest master. Later, after the eldest master was promoted to the Minister of Works, he took on a lot of construction jobs. Butler Hao mostly acted as a broker for him, such as introducing a timber merchant to the eldest master. The eldest master received a tribute, and he also took advantage of it, sometimes even more than the eldest master. Otherwise, how could he wear the brocade?

The servants of the Lu family rushed to the Hao Mansion, surrounded it and searched it. They carried out a box of silver and three boxes of gold and silver jewelry from the Hao family's cellar. They even stole two skins hidden in the cellar that the Lu family had collected this year. They were genuine black fox skins.

You should know that this kind of black fox fur is used even by the emperor.

The search lasted from noon until midnight.

A total of 30,000 taels of silver notes, 12 boxes of gold, silver, antiques, calligraphy and paintings, and countless silks and satins were found, and the yard in front of the flower hall was almost full.

Everyone in the Lu family sat in the flower hall and watched, each of them was amazed.

The eldest lady was dazzled by the treasures.

His eyes also brightened.

My goodness, with such assets, why should we worry about not having a good New Year?

At night, the couple went back to their room to talk. The first wife was very excited. She gently supported her husband's arm and asked,

"Why did you suddenly think of raiding the Hao family?"

The eldest master showed a fierce look on his face. With the money and confidence, he showed the majesty of the head of the family.

"My approval slips to the Ministry of Revenue were delayed. I went to calculate the accounts and found that they were not correct. There were also too many false reports. I found out that Hao Ren was the one who lied to me about the accounts. He told me that the wood he bought was worth 30 taels of silver, but he reported 50 taels to the Ministry of Revenue. Just look at how much he, a mere servant, got out of it. I have trusted him for so many years, but he betrayed me and secretly took away a lot of money."

"When you say that, I also remember that the rent is collected every year, but it is getting less and less every year. He has also embezzled a lot of public funds. This is very good. We can find out this big borer and make up for the deficit in our public treasury. At the end of the year, there will be surplus."

The treasury was filled, and the eldest lady's "illness" was cured at once, and it became easier for her to be the mistress of the house.

Naturally, there was no need for Cheng Yian to take over the kitchen. In order to politely refuse Cheng Yian, the eldest lady personally called her to the meeting room and gave Cheng Yian the black fox fur that she had found in the Hao family.

"An An, keep it and make a cloak for Xu Sheng."

Cheng Yian accepted it.

The second wife was furious when she heard the news.

"Just a little later, a few days later, when Brother Xu's daughter-in-law takes over the kitchen, everything will be fine."

It was a great opportunity that he didn't have to make up for the losses and he could also take charge of the family. Unfortunately, it fell through in the end.

The second wife was sick with anger.

The eldest lady was very proud and felt that she had never felt so well and happy. The eldest master immediately promoted a new person to be the chief butler. Butler Hao had a lot of secrets, so the eldest master found an excuse to execute him and finally sent the rest of the Hao family back to guard the Lu family's old house.

The couple's smiles are as bright as they can be.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. One evening, when the women of the Lu family gathered in the old lady’s upper room to discuss the birthday banquet tomorrow, a long-time servant of the eldest master suddenly rushed in in a panic. He didn’t even care about the women present. He just entered the room and knelt in front of the old lady.

"Madam, Madam, something terrible has happened. A river bank collapsed at Tongzhou Wharf, destroying many canal boats. That river bank was built under the supervision of our great master. After the incident, people from the Censorate came and detained our great master. He is now locked up in the Censorate's inspection room and cannot come back."

The old lady's eyes went dark and she almost fainted.

The eldest wife was shaken when she heard this, but she was still able to stand the test. She asked in a trembling voice, "When did it happen? Was the landslide serious? Did anyone die?"

The attendant was trembling with fear, "I don't know for now, but those ships were prepared for the winter use of the imperial palace. They came from the Jiangnan Weaving Bureau. Those silks fell into the water and are no longer needed. Not only your majesty, but also the empress dowager is furious and has threatened to punish us."

At this time, the eldest young lady was very calm. She suddenly looked at Cheng Yian and spoke.

"Mother, if he is in the Censorate, it means he is in the hands of Master Cheng. Why don't you ask my second brother and sister-in-law to help me go to the Cheng Mansion to get information?"

The eldest lady finally came to her senses and turned to look at the quiet Cheng Yian. She was extremely glad that she had not offended this precious girl before. She hurried over to her, held her hand and said,

"Good boy, since your aunt loves you, please go to the Cheng family for me and let your father take care of you."

Cheng Yian also stood up with her and said soothingly,

"Aunt, it's not a big deal for me to go, but you know my father's temper. He won't show favoritism."

The eldest lady thought of Cheng Mingyu's behavior and felt a chill in her heart.

At this time, the old lady made the final decision.

"Someone, go to the government office and invite Xusheng back. He is the one who will take care of this matter."

With Lu Xusheng's reputation in front of the emperor, he could handle anything, not to mention a collapse, even a rebellion.

The lady calmed down a little and immediately sent someone to do it.

During the interval between waiting for Lu Xusheng to come back, everyone's eyes were on Cheng Yian.

Look, someone needs to be in charge at critical moments.

Her biological father was the head of the Censorate, the most important person in the court; her husband was the commander-in-chief of the frontier army, a very popular figure in front of the emperor. As long as any one of them said a word, the eldest master would have a way out.

The eldest lady didn't care about her dignity at this moment, and pointed at her daughter-in-law and said,

"Your sister-in-law is so weak. Tell someone to cook some bird's nests and send them over to warm her up."

The second wife sat aside and sneered.