"Father, we've been fooled."
Mr. Li looked at his good-for-nothing eldest son and said with a serious expression, "What's the point of being so flustered?"
Li Defei's brother, Li Dalang, was furious. "Father, remember Yuhua Alley, we were fooled. We fell into someone's trap."
Mr. Li put down his teacup and said, "Speak clearly. You were the one who made the decision about the Yuhua Alley deal, and now you're saying you were cheated. What's going on?"
Li Dalang sat down and said, "Father, we've really been fooled. When I left the house today, I learned that the person who bought Yuhua Lane is actively renovating it.
After the renovation is completed, such a long street and so many houses can be sold for one hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, or even three hundred thousand taels.
They bought it from us for ten thousand taels and then resold it for dozens of times the profit. Father, this is a trap."
Mr. Li's face changed slightly. "Who would be willing to spend money to renovate a shabby place like Yuhua Alley? How much would it cost?"
"Don't worry about how much it costs. After Yuhua Lane is renovated, it will be a hot commodity. Father, that place was originally our Li family's, but someone set up a trap, took it for 10,000 taels, and then resold it for hundreds of thousands. Can you accept that?"
Master Li snorted and stared at Li Dalang with a look of disappointment. "Who persuaded me to sell Yuhua Alley in the first place?"
Li Dalang beat his chest and stamped his feet, "My son was wrong. He was short-sighted and only wanted to get rid of the burden of Yuhua Lane, but he didn't think that there was another way to do it. With a little renovation, it could be sold for a high price. If I had known this, I wouldn't have sold it even for 100,000 taels, let alone 10,000 taels."
Master Li's face was stern. Although he knew his son was lying, he would have sold Yuhua Lane for 80,000 taels, let alone 100,000 taels. However, the thought of someone making a fortune just by selling it from him made Master Li and his son feel a sense of sympathy.
"I didn't expect that the Northwest businessman was so courageous that he was willing to spend money to renovate Yuhua Lane." Mr. Li sighed and planned to find the Northwest businessman to have a good talk about life.
Li Dalang slapped his thigh, causing him great pain.
He didn't care about the pain and said hurriedly: "Father, it's not like that at all. There is no such thing as a Northwest merchant. The person who bought Yuhua Lane was not a Northwest merchant at all, but the wife of the Prince of Ning's Mansion.
This is clearly a scam. They set it up to take a piece of our Li family's flesh. Father, this vengeance must be avenged."
Upon hearing this, Master Li could no longer remain calm, "Are you serious?"
"It's absolutely true. I've already found out. The owner of Yuhua Lane is none other than Madam Zhao of Prince Ning's Mansion. This whole thing was clearly aimed at our Li family from the very beginning, a scheme to snatch away our prized possessions. Father, this Madam Zhao is going too far. If we don't teach her a lesson, do you really think our Li family is easy to bully?"
Li Dalang gritted his teeth. If Gu Jiu was present at this moment, he would definitely rush up and bite off a piece of meat.
Master Li waved his hand. "Could it be that Prince Ning instructed Madam Zhao to purchase Yuhua Lane?"
"Anyway, Prince Ning didn't show up. It was that Madam Zhao who showed up. Father, this matter absolutely cannot be let go like this." Li Dalang shouted for revenge.
Master Li was silent for a long time. "If this matter involves Prince Ning, we must be careful. Be careful not to fall into someone else's trap again. If the case ends up in front of the emperor, how can we evade the written contract? It might even implicate the Empress in the palace."
Li Dalang was dissatisfied. "Father, what do you say we should do? Are we just going to watch them make money? That's our Li family's money, why should we just give it away for nothing? When I think about them buying Yuhua Lane from us for only ten thousand taels, my heart bleeds."
Master Li said, "Don't worry about this. Tomorrow I will ask your mother to come to the palace and ask the Empress Defei's opinion first, and then make any plans."
Li Dalang gritted his teeth, feeling very unwilling. He had to ask for instructions from Concubine De, but he couldn't just leave Yuhua Lane alone.
If we don't teach them a lesson, do you really think the Li family is weak and easy to bully?
Li Dalang then brought up another matter, "Father, don't forget Jubaozhai. When it first opened, Jubaozhai's business was so booming, but now it's been squeezed out by Zhenbaozhai. I spent a lot of money to acquire the shop across from Zhenbaozhai, but this is the result. I really can't accept it."
That Lady Zhao has been against us in every way. Father, this matter will never end peacefully no matter what."
Seeing Master Li's hesitation, Li Dalang added another handful of firewood. "The Empress in the palace has huge expenses, and we have suffered heavy losses one after another. When the Empress needs money next time, where will father draw funds to subsidize her?"
Furthermore, there was already a lot of dissatisfaction within the Shaofu with his son. He felt that the loan team that the Shaofu's housekeeper had set up was not a good thing.
My son's desire to make money has clearly been hindered. Tomorrow, when I go to the palace, I will have a thorough discussion with the Empress about this matter. Those blind men in the Shaofu must be replaced if necessary."
Mr. Li closed his eyes and rested for a while before saying, "We'll discuss this tomorrow. Don't act rashly or you'll give them a chance to take advantage of you."
Li Dalang said, "Is father really afraid of that Prince Ning? Empress Defei has a little prince, so Prince Ning and Prince Zhao, all of them, have to stand aside. When it comes to our Li family, they have to admit defeat."
Master Li angrily scolded, "Ridiculous! He's a prince, a royal son. How can you and I offend him so easily? How old is the little prince? How old is Prince Ning? Do you really think that such a huge palace can be manipulated by you? You, don't be so arrogant. After all, it is a palace."
"That's what my father taught me."
Li Dalang said this, but he didn't agree in his heart.
The favor of Concubine Li De, coupled with the successful birth of the little prince, and the various fawning people around him, have made Li Dalang develop an arrogant mentality that looks down on everything.
In his eyes, no one is greater than the Li family except the emperor.
Even if he was a prince, Li Dalang had to be polite when he saw him and did not dare to act like a prince.
A mere lady from the Imperial Household dares to set a trap to cheat him and steal his money. Is she seeking death?
He didn't bother Madam Zhao for the time being.
Isn’t Yuhua Lane under renovation? Then he will start with Yuhua Lane.
He wanted to stop the renovation project of Yuhua Lane and make Madam Zhao give up the coveted Yuhua Lane.
After Li Dalang resigned from Master Li, he called in his trusted confidant to take charge and gave him the following instructions.
The trusted steward understood what he meant. He had done this kind of thing frequently in the past two years and was already very familiar with it.
…
In the dead of night, a group of masked men in black came to Yuhua Lane.
The renovation project of Yuhua Lane is progressing in an orderly manner. The house known as the model house stands at the entrance of the lane and can be seen at a glance.
The construction site is filled with various building materials, all of which are flammable products.
A masked man in black showed a ferocious smile, "Hurry up and do it. Once we're done here, we'll go to Wanhua Tower to eat delicious food and drink spicy drinks. You can choose the sister you want."
"Okay!"
Several people lit torches, and the next step was to burn Yuhua Lane.
After burning Yuhua Lane to ashes, we’ll see how Madam Zhao can still make money.
Unexpectedly, as soon as the flames rose into the air, they were met with a torrential downpour of water.
puff!
A bucket of water was poured over his head, extinguishing the torch in the hand of the masked man in black.
"who?"
"What's going on?"
The masked man in black was horrified.
boom!
Dozens of torches were lit. Song Zheng stood in the middle of the construction site, looking down from above. "Catch all of them."
roar!
The guards rushed forward like wolves and tigers, showing no mercy and using force when necessary. Whenever they encountered resistance, they would rain down blows with sticks, making them cry out in pain.
In a blink of an eye, seven or eight masked men in black were all subdued, and none of them escaped.
Song Zheng walked forward and gestured to his left and right.
The left and right men removed the black cloth from the masked men's heads, revealing their true faces.
Song Zheng saw a familiar face and laughed out loud.
"Isn't this Steward Li? It's like a flood has washed away the Dragon King Temple. Keep Steward Li under close watch; he's an important figure."
"yes!"
"Song Zheng!" Steward Li gritted his teeth. "Since you know my current identity, you'd better let me go. Otherwise, my boss will pursue the matter and you will be in big trouble."
Song Zheng laughed heartily. "Your employer is the Li family, don't you think I'm afraid? Do you know why I'm here tonight? Because my master has long anticipated that you and your employer have ill intentions and will take action sooner or later. I've been waiting for you at the construction site for half a month, and tonight I finally arrested you all. Take you all away!"
"Song Zhen, if you let me go, everything can be negotiated. Otherwise, no one will have a good life."
Song Zheng laughed loudly, "I want to see how you can make my life miserable. Take me away, don't show any mercy."
It turned out that Song Zheng and Manager Li had known each other since they were hanging out on the streets, so they could be considered old acquaintances.
After the Li family became rich, Manager Li was smart enough to recognize a relative and got a job in the Li family by currying favor with him.
Relying on his ruthlessness and sweet words, he gained the attention of Li Dalang and was promoted to the position of manager, specifically doing some shameful things for Li Dalang.
Ever since Gu Jiu started to plan to deal with the Li family, Manager Li came into sight.
What happened in Yuhua Lane will sooner or later reach the ears of the Li family.
Given Li Dalang's temper, he will take action against Yuhua Lane sooner or later.
Song Zheng waited in Yuhua Alley every night, waiting for Manager Li. Fortunately, it was summer, so the mosquitoes were a bit more plentiful when he was waiting in Yuhua Alley at night.
Fortunately, his hard work paid off and he finally waited for Manager Li.
As Li Dalang's confidant, Manager Li specifically does some shady things for Li Dalang.
If we catch Manager Li and pry open his mouth, we can get the solid evidence that Li Dalang is taking people's lives.
Song Zheng led seven or eight people, including Manager Li, and directly entered the prison of the Shaofu Prison.
Everything that happened next went according to plan.
…
The next morning, Li Dalang went to the yamen to work as usual.
He wasn't worried when Manager Li didn't report back on time. He probably just passed out from drinking too much.
When sending people to do something, you always have to give them some benefits. Li Dalang thought he was very sensible.
In his opinion, it would be easy to take over Yuhua Lane.
At the same time, Li's mother successfully entered the palace with a badge to meet Concubine Li De.
She told Concubine Li De the whole story, exaggerating it, hoping that Concubine Li De would come forward and teach the wife of Prince Ning a lesson.
The fact that Concubine Li De has managed to get to where she is today is certainly not comparable to her brother Li Dalang, that idiot.
She was a thoughtful person and did not completely believe what her mother said.
"Mother, please go back first. I will send someone to investigate this matter thoroughly."
"Why are you still investigating? This was all done by that Madam Zhao. Your Majesty, send someone to summon that Madam Zhao and give her a good lesson. Tell her to give up Yuhua Lane and that Zhenbaozhai immediately."
Concubine Li De's face darkened. "Mother, do you think the imperial family has the final say? You also said that she is the concubine of Prince Ning's Mansion, the granddaughter-in-law of His Majesty. I am just a woman in the harem, and I summoned her into the palace for no reason. Do you think Prince Ning's Mansion and Concubine Xiao Shufei are so careless? Mother, don't talk nonsense. I have my own decision on this matter."
"But, are we just going to let it go like this, Madam Zhao setting up a trap to deceive your elder brother?"
Concubine Li De raised her eyebrows slightly. "When did I ever say to let it go? Since she dared to pluck the hairs from the tiger's head and cut off our Li family's financial resources, this matter cannot be let go. But how to do it is up to me. Go back and tell my eldest brother to stay calm. I have my own ideas."
"Then your Majesty, please hurry up. Don't wait until that Madam Zhao earns the money before you act. It will be too late then."
Concubine Li De smiled contemptuously, "Even if she makes the money, I have a way to make her give it all back."
Upon hearing this, Mother Li felt relieved. "That's good, that's good. With your words, I feel relieved."
After a pause, Mother Li said, "My Lady, please take care of yourself."
Concubine Li De also calmed down and said softly, "Don't worry, mother. I have always taken good care of my health."
Mother Li smiled with relief, then lowered her voice and said, "That Jiang Shuyi is not a good person. Your Majesty should have distanced herself from her long ago. As for the Jiang family, I asked someone and they found out that they are a poor family. Even if they were granted an official position in the capital, they would not be able to show their respect."
Concubine Li De thought to herself that the Li family had been equally impoverished and unreputable in the past. It was not until she entered the palace and gained favor that the Li family gained a foothold in the capital.
Her face darkened and she said, "Mother, please do not interfere in what I am doing. You don't understand the affairs of the harem, so just say less and don't listen to my eldest brother's nonsense. Come, send my wife out of the palace."
“This, this…”
Mother Li was a little flustered.
Concubine Li De said expressionlessly, "After you return, mother, take good care of your health. Don't ask about other matters. I don't want to hear anyone question my decisions in the future."
Mother Li suddenly felt panicky and had to bend down. "Your Highness obeys your command."
However, Concubine Li De did not help her up, nor did she even look at her. She just asked someone to send Li's mother out of the palace.
A little palace maid followed Li's mother out of the palace, sneaked away halfway, and went to Zhongcui Palace to meet Jiang Shuyi.
"Your Highness, Mother Li has entered the palace and taken the opportunity to slander you, causing Concubine De to distance herself from you. She also called your family impoverished and unpresentable."
Jiang Shuyi was furious. This was not the first time that old woman had gone to such lengths to gossip about Concubine Li De.
The old woman she was referring to was naturally Li's mother.
Jiang Shuyi asked expressionlessly, "Besides this, what else did Li's mother say?"
"They also said that Madam Zhao had taken over the Li family's business and wanted Concubine De to deal with Madam Zhao."
Jiang Shuyi's heart tightened, and she asked calmly, "What did Concubine De say?"
"The Empress said that Madam Zhao should return all the money she earned, and she also told Mother Li not to act rashly."
Jiang Shuyi nodded and said, "Thank you for taking the trouble to go there in person. Go back to your work immediately and don't let anyone find out."
"Thank you, my lady."
Jiang Shuyi sent her trusted palace maid out, and a thick purse containing over a hundred taels of silver was handed to the little palace maid.
The young palace maid was satisfied and sneaked back to her work without disturbing anyone.
Jiang Shuyi considered it for a while and decided to call Zhou Miao and ask him to deliver the message to Gu Jiu.
Zhou Miao asked, "Your Majesty, this time, Concubine De is directly confronting Madam Zhao. Are you sure you want to stand on Madam Zhao's side? Don't forget that you still have to rely on Concubine De's protection in the palace."
Jiang Shuyi gritted her teeth and said, "According to you, I should just pretend I know nothing? Let Concubine De deal with Madam Zhao?"
Zhou Miao smiled and said, "Your Majesty, why don't you take a guess as to how Concubine De will deal with Madam Zhao?"
Jiang Shuyi thought for a moment and said, "There are only three ways: start from the harem, start from the palace, and start from the Gu family."
"Exactly! And the most likely scenario is that they'll attack from within the palace. Pillow talk is very powerful. As long as Concubine De whispers something in His Majesty's ear, Madam Zhao will be in big trouble."
"You mean, Madam Zhao is doomed to fail this time, and I should just sit back and watch?"
－－－－－－Digression－－－－－－
I'm stuck, trying to sort out my thoughts, so today's update is a bit late. Sorry.
The second update will be available later.
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