Chapter 65 "You're asking about Young Master Hua? He already..."
Shen Lingyue froze on the spot.
...Wasn't I supposed to be playing the role of a "lying flat melon king"? Why am I being put on the set of "Lurking"?
Let her join the Embroidered Uniform Guard? So she can hang around Lu Sheng and Lu Xilou, those two big and small secret service leaders, every day?
Shen Lingyue picked up her teacup and took a sip, her fingers trembling slightly.
Lu Xilou observed her calmly, "Why are you so nervous, sister-in-law? Weren't you quite composed when you were dealing with that swindler?"
There were also the times when he "secretly met" with Qi Xiuyuan, and when he beat You Fengnian with a sack over his head...
Lu Xilou genuinely felt that she had the potential to do bad things.
Shen Lingyue composed herself, put down her teacup, and smiled at him. "Lord Lu, you flatter me. I am just an ordinary woman. If I hadn't been so worried that my sister-in-law had entrusted herself to the wrong person, I wouldn't have resorted to this tactic."
Lu Xilou: ...Nothing special, but he was able to crush You Fengnian with one foot after riding a horse for three hours?
Shen Lingyue kept giving Pei Jinghuai meaningful glances: Husband, say something!
Fortunately, Pei Jinghuai finally understood and refused directly: "No, you Embroidered Uniform Guards are always out in the wind and rain, covered in dust, or arresting, kidnapping, and torturing people. My wife is weak and cannot take care of herself. How can she do these things?"
Lu Xilou rolled her eyes at him, "What kind of relationship do we have? Would I let my sister-in-law suffer like this?"
His recruitment efforts remained undiminished, and he patiently persuaded her: "Don't worry, sister-in-law. Once you join the Embroidered Uniform Guard, only heaven, earth, you, and I will know. Your identity will be kept absolutely secret. You only need to report to me, and it will never damage your reputation."
Shen Lingyue: ...Oh no, isn't this just infiltration, and it's a one-way communication system!
Truly, the snow-capped mountains are eternally cold, with Big Ben standing alone!
She quickly shook her head, then, a sudden inspiration struck her, and said, "Judging from what Lord Lu is saying, you've already developed quite a few 'special talents' like me?"
"Heh, otherwise where do you think the Embroidered Uniform Guard gets so much intelligence?"
Lu Xilou had an inscrutable expression, his fox-like eyes gleaming with a sinister light, and his tone was enigmatic.
"When your sister-in-law goes out to visit guests, how do you know if my little sparrow is among the servants you pass by on the street, the maids who pour you tea and water, or even the guests you dine with at the same table?"
Shen Lingyue: Ahhhhh, I'm getting goosebumps!
She decided that from now on she would only sleep with one eye open!
Pei Jinghuai kicked Lu Xilou's chair leg, "Don't scare her."
He then comforted Shen Lingyue, saying, "Don't listen to his nonsense. We are upright and honest, and we have nothing to hide from others. There's nothing to be afraid of."
Shen Lingyue: ...You can do it but I can't, I feel guilty, I have a secret TAT
She wiped her face, raised her head and said seriously, "Let's not talk about this anymore. Let's quickly tell Father about my aunt's possible deception and ask him to make a decision."
...
Fearing that the news would leak out, Pei Jinghuai secretly sent someone to invite Pei Xian to Danyue Pavilion.
After Shen Lingyue and Pei Jinghuai finished their conversation, they even showed Pei Xian the small gold cake that Yan Yi had melted.
Pei Jinghuai blurted out, "I heard that my aunt withdrew eight hundred taels from the public funds in your name. What did she tell you?"
Pei Xian closed his eyes briefly, gritted his teeth, and said, "She said there was a shop in a good location, but the owner had run into trouble and needed money, so they were selling it at a low price. She wanted to buy it as a dowry for Lan Yi, saying she didn't have enough money, just eight hundred taels short, so I..."
He knew, of course, that Lan Yi's dowry money had been set aside separately three years ago, but as her maternal uncle, it was perfectly reasonable for him to give his niece a little extra.
He just didn't expect Meng Wanyin to be so observant, actually guessing that the money wasn't meant for him.
If it weren't for Yunzhao's wife's kind reminder, he wouldn't have known where he had offended her.
But now he was told that Pei Yuzhen took the money not to buy a shop, but to give it to some unknown young man to worship some kind of Golden Immortal Goddess to produce gold.
Pei Xian remained silent for a long time before finally managing to squeeze out a sentence: "How could your aunt fall for such an obvious scam?"
Even with high-interest loans, there's a chance of not getting the money back. This so-called "gold begets gold," doubling your money in a year, a sure-fire way to make money—what a load of rubbish!
Shen Lingyue coughed twice, trying to comfort Pei Yuzhen: "My aunt was just confused by love, which is why she believed his nonsense."
This was clearly a sophisticated scam tailored for Pei Yuzhen. They first used sweet words to win her over, and then they could take whatever they wanted from her.
Pei Xian sighed and cupped his hands to Lu Xilou beside him: "I know you and Huaizhou are close. Today, your uncle will take the liberty of asking you to go back and tell Commander Lu that my sister's sale of land to the Princess Consort of Yu was purely a personal matter. My Changning Marquis's Mansion has never had any dealings with the Prince of Yu, neither in the past nor in the future."
Pei Yuzhen herself couldn't understand the political situation and would sell for any price, but she absolutely couldn't drag the entire Marquis's mansion down with her.
A cold glint flashed in Pei Xian's eyes: "It's all because I've spoiled her too much. This time, it's time to teach her a lesson."
"Your Excellency is too kind. I will certainly convey the truth to my father. You can rest assured."
Lu Xilou stepped aside to avoid him and then tactfully took his leave.
Before leaving, he winked at Chen Lingyue, "Sister-in-law, think it over again. I can apply for an extra allowance for you."
Shen Lingyue: I politely declined.
Pei Xian immediately summoned his steward and ordered him to arrange reliable people to disguise themselves as wealthy merchants from the north who wanted to buy property in the capital, and to quickly purchase the several dowry properties under Pei Yuzhen's name to prevent them from falling into the hands of outsiders.
They also sent people to Bitao Lane to closely monitor the area around Young Master Hua's residence.
He took out a thousand taels of silver notes from his private treasury and handed them to Shen Lingyue.
"Huaizhou's wife, I'll need you to continue the play tomorrow."
Shen Lingyue carefully put away the silver notes: "Father, don't worry, I will definitely not let him suspect anything."
Pei Xian sneered: "This money will only be held by him for a few days. Sooner or later he will have to return it to me with interest."
He wanted to see just how big this pretty boy's appetite was, and how much silver he could swindle from Pei Yuzhen.
...
Tonight happens to be the day for a family dinner, and the whole family is gathered at Songhetang to have dinner together.
Pei Yuzhen was in a good mood when she arrived. To be precise, she had been in a good mood every day recently. She sat down with a beaming smile, but when she looked up, she met Pei Xian's cold gaze.
She felt a pang of anxiety and cleared her throat before asking, "What's wrong with my brother today? He looks so tense. Did he and my sister-in-law have another fight?"
Meng Wanyin was suddenly called out and looked up in surprise, "No, it wasn't me."
"Hmph, if it wasn't you, then who else could it be but me?"
Pei Yuzhen rolled her eyes, not missing any opportunity to make things difficult for her, "All you do is pamper those cats all day long. They're so noisy in Tanghua Garden that my brother has to live in the study in the front yard. Is this how a wife should act?"
After saying that, he tried to pull the Grand Madam into his ally, "Mother, don't you agree?"
Madam: "...No, haven't they been like this for the past few years?"
According to the custom of this dynasty, men over the age of forty would sleep in separate rooms from their wives, only returning to the main courtyard to spend the night on the first and fifteenth of each lunar month, as a sign of respect.
Although this so-called custom is, to put it bluntly, just a way for some men to openly sleep with concubines, because they dislike their wives for being old and losing their looks, and are unwilling to compromise themselves.
Pei Xian lived alone in the front courtyard and didn't have any concubines. He only returned to Tanghua Garden about five, six, seven, or eight times a month.
The old lady is currently trying to prove that she is different from her mortal enemy Tao Minmin, so she would not speak ill of Meng Wanyin at this time.
"Mother, what happened to you?"
Pei Yuzhen was shocked. How could her ally, her backer, suddenly betray her?
Didn't she used to dislike Meng Wanyin a lot?
"I think it's you who has changed."
Pei Xian, unable to bear it any longer, coldly said, "You've become petty, gossipy, and sowing discord all day long. Where is the slightest bit of the demeanor of a lady from a respectable family?"
Pei Yuzhen glared and frowned, "Big brother, are you being mean to me?"
“Your sister-in-law is already working hard managing such a large manor. You can’t even help her share the burden, and you’re making her angry here. You should apologize quickly.”
"I--"
"Alright, alright, do you two really have to start arguing at the dinner table and make it impossible for everyone to eat?"
The old lady spoke up, giving both sides equal punishment: "This is Songhe Hall. If you siblings want to cause trouble, go outside. Don't make me angry here."
Pei Xian placed his hand under the table and clenched it tightly.
Before coming, he reminded himself to be patient and not let Pei Yuzhen find out that he had already discovered him.
But why is her mouth so infuriating!
"Ah, the soup is here, sister-in-law, let's serve the soup together."
Shen Lingyue and Yan Yi got up, one with a soup spoon and the other with a bowl, and served everyone at the table a bowl of rich, milky white soup, barely managing to turn the page on the siblings' argument.
Shen Lingyue placed the soup bowl in front of Pei Yuzhen and praised her, "Auntie, you look so radiant today. Oh my, are these earrings new? They're so pretty."
"You have a sharp eye. This is Master Qiu's latest design from Baoqinglou, the only one of its kind in the entire capital."
Pei Yuzhen tilted her head slightly, showing off as she let Shen Lingyue get a good look.
Shen Lingyue exclaimed, "Wow! How much would that cost? It must be very expensive!"
Pei Yuzhen smiled even more brightly, raised her hand to touch her earlobe, her eyes sparkling, and her voice became even sweeter, "I don't know, someone gave it to me. Ah, it doesn't matter how much money it costs, what matters is the sentiment."
Shen Lingyue leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Was it a gift from your aunt's sweetheart? When are you going to bring it back so we can see it?"
"Don't be so disrespectful, don't ask such questions." Pei Yuzhen waved her hand. "Don't worry about the elders' affairs, you'll see them when the time comes."
Pei Xian took a sip of soup, and when he put down the bowl, it made a light tapping sound on the table. He glanced at Pei Yuzhen with displeasure, a warning in his eyes: "Lan Yi still needs to find a husband. Don't go out and make friends with any shady characters and ruin her life."
"Brother, don't look down on me!"
Pei Yuzhen stood up unhappily, "Do you really think I'm such an inconsiderate person? Humph, you just wait, just wait... I'll make you regret what you said today!"
She yelled at Pei Xian, then abandoned her meal, pushed her chair aside, and ran out.
The old lady was exasperated and glared at Pei Xian: "Can't you, as her older brother, talk to her properly?"
Why are you acting like you've been hit by a firecracker today?
Pei Xian was seething with anger, but dared not argue with his mother. He lowered his head and remained silent, only mashing the food in his bowl into a paste.
Meanwhile, Pei Yuzhen returned to her courtyard in a huff, summoned her dowry steward, and whispered, "Did anyone come to inquire about the estate today? Has anything been sold?"
"Two merchants from the north were interested and asked about the price, but they seemed to think it was too expensive and were a bit hesitant."
Pei Yuzhen slammed her hand on the table. "My estates are all in prime locations, one in a hundred. If I weren't in such a hurry for money, would these stinking out-of-town merchants even think they could buy property in the capital? They should be reincarnated in their next life!"
After venting her frustrations, she reluctantly said, "Fine, I'll let them off easy. You go tell them tomorrow that if they can settle the full amount immediately, I can lower the price by another 10%. Buy it or leave."
...
The next evening, Shen Lingyue, carrying the thousand taels of silver notes given to her by Pei Xian, sneaked into Bitao Lane and gently knocked on the door twice.
Young Master Hua had clearly been waiting for a long time, and he immediately came over to open the door and warmly welcomed her in.
"Madam Ni, what's your decision? This is a golden opportunity, don't miss it."
"I've thought it through, otherwise I wouldn't have come here again."
Shen Lingyue clutched her chest; anyone with eyes could see that she was carrying valuables.
Young Master Hua's eyes burned even brighter with anticipation for the thousand taels of silver he was about to receive.
He eagerly stretched out his hand, "Quickly hand over the silver to me, and we'll worship the Golden Fairy Goddess tonight!"
Shen Lingyue hesitated for a moment, biting her lip, and then said, "I have another question."
"……What?"
Shen Lingyue's eyes revealed a hint of suspicion at just the right moment. "You said that the Golden Immortal Goddess can help you make gold grow into gold, but you don't look like you're rich living here. Where is the gold you've earned? You don't just have a few gold ingots, are you just trying to fool me?"
She took out several silver notes from her bosom, showed them to Young Master Hua to indicate the note numbers and amounts, and then quickly put them back.
"Young master, after tonight we'll be in the same boat. Tell me the truth—how much gold did the Golden Immortal Goddess help you earn?"
Young Master Hua's eyes flickered, and he remained silent for a moment.
To be honest, given his experience of deceiving countless people, if "Madam Ni" were to hand over the silver notes to her without a word tonight, that would be truly foolish and worrying.
It's only natural to feel conflicted and hesitant when it comes to the final moment, right before the goal is achieved.
Fortunately, he was prepared.
Young Master Hua sighed deeply, “Madam, I have treated you with all my heart, yet you are full of suspicion. I am truly… Enough, come with me.”
He led Shen Lingyue into the house and pulled out a locked wooden box from under the bed, about the size of a woman's dressing case.
Young Master Hua pulled out a key with multiple layers of locks from his pocket, muttering as he unlocked it, "Madam, I'm showing you my entire fortune."
As soon as he finished speaking, he clicked open the lid of the box.
The dimly lit room was suddenly filled with golden light.
Wow, so much gold!
Shen Lingyue's eyes widened. She pushed Hua Gongzi aside and rushed over, taking out the neatly arranged little gold bars from the box and examining them one by one, praising them repeatedly.
Caught off guard, Young Master Hua stumbled as she pushed him, his lower back hitting the armrest of the chair next to him, causing him to nearly curse in pain.
This girl has a strong grip; no wonder she dares to go out and run around alone.
He grimaced in pain, clutching his lower back for a long time before missing Shen Lingyue's subtle gesture of hiding one of the gold bars in her sleeve.
When he limped over, Shen Lingyue had already reluctantly put the gold bars back and arranged them neatly.
She said apologetically, "I'm so sorry, Young Master Hua, I shouldn't have doubted you. It turns out that the Golden Immortal really did bestow so much gold upon you!"
Young Master Hua forced a smile. "Wealth shouldn't be flaunted. If my wife and I hadn't hit it off so well, I would never have told you about this opportunity to make a fortune."
"Young Master Hua, you're so good to me~"
Shen Lingyue lowered her head and pretended to be shy. This time, she no longer had any doubts and handed over all the one thousand taels of silver notes to him with peace of mind.
Young Master Hua led her to the west wing, which was decorated like a shrine. A statue of a deity stood on a tall wooden frame, covered from head to toe by a large red cloth, so nothing could be seen.
"Come, let's worship the Golden Fairy together and ask her to bless you so that you can give birth to gold smoothly."
Young Master Hua pulled Shen Lingyue to kneel down on the prayer mat in a very serious manner, and they bowed three times, appearing very devout.
Shen Lingyue lay prone on the ground and took the opportunity to look up into the red cloth.
Then she almost laughed out of anger at Young Master Hua.
What Golden Immortal Goddess? She's clearly just a Guanyin statue that you can buy anywhere in the shops. He just covered it with a big red cloth and used it to fool her!
Shen Lingyue slashed at the back of Hua Gongzi's head with her eyes.
If Guanyin (the Goddess of Mercy) knew you were deceiving the gods and ghosts like this, she would definitely strike you with lightning.
After paying respects to the "Golden Immortal Goddess," Young Master Hua escorted Shen Lingyue to the front gate.
Shen Lingyue asked hesitantly, "Can I come to see you again in a few days?"
“Absolutely not.” Young Master Hua said seriously, waving his hand in refusal. “The Golden Immortal Goddess has accepted our offerings and needs to concentrate on her magic. I also need to go into seclusion and fast to serve the Goddess devoutly so that the gold can be successfully produced. Just wait patiently for a month, and then come to me to collect your money.”
"Alright, then you must serve Her Majesty diligently and make sure my money doesn't go to waste."
Shen Lingyue was worried and kept turning back to give him instructions.
Young Master Hua forced himself to see the person off, waving goodbye until Shen Lingyue walked out of the alley. He immediately closed the door, excitedly rushed back into the house, and took out the thousand-tael silver note to admire it repeatedly under the lamplight.
"Hahaha, you stupid woman, just wait a month. I'll be long gone by now!"
...
Two days later, the manager came to report to Pei Yuzhen that the other party had decided to buy it, and that it would be for the full amount.
"But the gentleman refused to sign the contract with me, saying that for such a big deal, he would only feel at ease if he met the real owner of the estate and personally handed over the paperwork."
"These out-of-town businessmen are just cowardly and troublesome! I'm the young lady of the Marquis's mansion, would I possibly cheat them out of their money?"
Pei Yuzhen rolled her eyes, grumbling as she prepared to leave.
On the way, he complained to the steward, "The buyer from a few days ago was much more straightforward. He didn't haggle at all, nor did he insist on seeing me. He paid in full and took the land deed in one hand. Sigh, I wish I could sell all my estates to him."
The two sides agreed to meet at a quiet teahouse in the east of the city.
Pei Yuzhen, intending to deflate the arrogance of the person opposite her, dressed herself in a dazzling array of jewelry and walked in with an air of haughtiness, pushing open the door of the private room without any politeness.
She raised her neck, looking down at the middle-aged man sitting opposite her, and said rudely, "So you insist on seeing me before you'll buy my estate?"
The man was in his early forties, with a round figure. He wore a long robe of sapphire blue silk with floral patterns, a jade thumb ring on his thumb, and a large gold ring on his middle finger.
Pei Yuzhen looked him up and down a few times, and in her heart she scoffed at him as a nouveau riche bumpkin.
The man seemed stunned by her air of officialdom, and hurriedly rose to his feet, bowing repeatedly, "Greetings, Madam Pei. My surname is Liu, and I come from Jinzhou..."
Pei Yuzhen interrupted impatiently, "Alright, I don't have time to chat with you. I don't care where you're from or what you do. We've already agreed on the price, haven't we? Pay up now, and I'll write the transfer documents for you right away. Don't waste time."
She hadn't visited Hua Lang for several days, so this was a perfect opportunity to give him a big surprise.
Pei Yuzhen was lost in sweet memories, and became increasingly impatient with the middle-aged man in front of her.
"Hey, hey, I brought all the banknotes with me, please count them."
The merchant surnamed Liu took out a stack of silver notes, carefully observed Pei Yuzhen's expression, and asked cautiously, "Excuse me for being nosy, but these properties of yours are all in prime locations. If you keep them, they would be enough for your descendants to enjoy for generations to come. Why are you suddenly selling them at such a low price? Is there... is there another reason behind this?"
Pei Yuzhen snapped out of her daze and glared at him: "What, do you think I deliberately sold you inferior goods to cheat you out of your money?"
"No, no, I had no such intention. I just had encountered similar scams before, so I wanted to ask a few more questions."
Pei Yuzhen waved her hand, "I'm not like you outsiders. My brother is a marquis, my nephew is His Majesty's nephew, and I often see the empresses in the palace. Do you think I need to rely on a few estates to make a living? The reason I'm in a hurry to sell is because I have a better way to make money. You wouldn't understand even if I told you!"
She quickly signed her name on the transfer documents, put away the counted banknotes, handed the land deed and all the paperwork to the man opposite her, and then got up impatiently.
"Alright, you can handle the rest of the formalities with my manager. I have other things to do."
Pei Yuzhen, clutching the still-warm 20,000 taels of silver notes, hurried away.
After the transaction was completed, the businessman surnamed Liu and the manager parted ways in front of the teahouse.
A short while later, he circled back from the other end of the street, went upstairs, and entered the private room next door.
"My lord, the deeds to all three estates under my aunt's name are here."
The merchant surnamed Liu respectfully handed over the wooden box.
Pei Xian opened the book with a sullen face and counted the land deeds one by one.
He remained silent, his body radiating a deep, simmering anger.
These estates were carefully selected by the Dowager Lady and the Marquis as part of Pei Yuzhen's dowry in her early years. Because they felt sorry for their daughter getting married and were afraid that she would suffer after marriage, they secretly subsidized her with these estates.
Looking around, not to mention the daughters of other marquis families, even the daughters of dukes and princesses of princely families might not have as generous a dowry as her.
Not to mention that she has lived in the Marquis's mansion with her two daughters for the past ten years without spending a single penny on daily expenses. The annual income from her dowry estate has accumulated into a considerable sum of money.
A woman's dowry and private savings are her financial security. As long as Pei Yuzhen holds onto these golden chickens, even if the matriarch passes away, the three of them, mother and daughters, will not have a difficult life.
As a result, she was so deceived that she sold such a good estate at a low price!
The room was so quiet you could hear a pin drop, except for the rustling of turning pages.
The businessman surnamed Liu bent down even lower, not daring to breathe.
After a long while, he heard the Marquis tell him to get up, and his face returned to its usual gentle and refined appearance.
"You did a great job today. Go and collect your reward from the head butler later."
...
Pei Yuzhen arrived at Bitao Lane with great joy and presented Hua Gongzi with a wooden box as if it were a treasure.
"Hua Lang, look what this is?"
As soon as Young Master Hua opened it, he was immediately stunned by the thick stack of silver notes inside. "Where did all this silver come from?"
Pei Yuzhen said casually, "I sold several estates that were part of my dowry. Didn't you say that your uncle's caravan was short of capital and that the more you invested, the greater the return? Take them all and use them."
Young Master Hua seemed startled, staring at her blankly for a while before his eyes suddenly reddened.
"Zhenzhen!"
He hugged Pei Yuzhen tightly, his voice choked with emotion, "You've been so good to me, I really don't know how to repay you..."
He suddenly released Pei Yuzhen, returned the wooden box to her, and shook his head, biting his lip: "No, how can I, a grown man, take your money? I'll figure out what to do with my uncle. He's a merchant all year round; if he doesn't make money this time, there's always another trip..."
"Are you stupid? Didn't you say that this time there's a rare batch of top-quality jade and fur? If we can buy this whole batch and bring it back to the capital, we can make ten times our money in no time?"
Pei Yuzhen stuffed the wooden box back into his arms and stomped her foot playfully, saying, "We're already in this kind of relationship, why distinguish between yours and mine? This money is all given to you willingly."
Young Master Hua was deeply moved and hugged her tightly, calling her "Zhenzhen" repeatedly. "...Consider this money a loan from you. Once my uncle sells the goods and makes money, I will definitely pay you back with interest."
After the two spent some time cuddling, Young Master Hua took out a large box from the inner room and said with deep affection, "Zhenzhen, I also have something to give you."
Pei Yuzhen opened the box and exclaimed in surprise.
A golden phoenix crown lay quietly on the red velvet, inlaid with various gemstones, shimmering and exquisitely beautiful.
Pei Yuzhen picked it up and examined it closely, clearly admiring it. She then asked Young Master Hua, "This must be very expensive, right? Honestly, I don't need any more gold and silver jewelry, why do you always buy it for me..."
Despite complaining, she honestly put it on her head to try it on, then ran to the bronze mirror and kept looking at herself. Turning back to him, she asked sweetly, "Hua Lang, do I look good?"
Hua Gongzi's face was filled with unwavering affection and infatuation. "Zhenzhen, you are the most beautiful woman in my heart. I would give you all the jewels and ornaments in the world just to see you smile."
“Hua Lang…”
Pei Yuzhen threw herself into his arms, hugged his neck and kissed him several times. The two of them snuggled together and soon rolled into the bed curtains.
Much later.
Young Master Hua got out of bed with a cold expression, not even glancing at the sleeping Pei Yuzhen, quickly straightened his clothes, and strode out of the room.
In the west wing, in front of the shrine dedicated to the "Golden Immortal Goddess," an old Taoist priest with a white beard was fiddling with something in front of a brazier, pouring scalding golden liquid into a rectangular mold. After cooling, it turned into small, substantial gold bars of pure color.
Seeing Young Master Hua approach with a cold face and a disgusted expression as if he had swallowed a fly, the old Taoist priest grinned lewdly: "You managed to put that old woman to sleep again? Tsk tsk, look at your pale face, as if your life force has been drained."
Young Master Hua snorted coldly: "If it weren't for the little money she has, would I have made such a sacrifice? Never mind, you do it yourself next time. I never want to suffer like this again."
The old Taoist priest stroked his goatee and shook his head. "I am willing but unable. Besides, at my age, who can I possibly fool? It would be much easier if you, Young Master Hua, stepped in and succeeded."
"Stop talking nonsense and get down to business."
Young Master Hua was unwilling to continue the topic and handed him the wooden box that Pei Yuzhen had brought today, saying, "We've squeezed out another 20,000 taels, that's about enough. If we dawdle any longer, she might become suspicious. When should we leave?"
"Hiss, that's why the capital is so nice, these ladies and young women here are so generous..."
The old Taoist priest dipped his finger in his saliva and began counting the silver notes.
After counting, he tucked the sheep into his robes and asked Young Master Hua, "This sheep is fat and easy to fool, are we really going to stop?"
"She even sold her dowry estate, so she probably only has a pittance left. It's not worth wasting time on her."
Young Master Hua said impatiently, "So it wasn't you who ate and slept with them. It's easy for you to say that when you're not the one suffering."
"Alright, alright, I'll take the money and wait for you at our usual spot. Once you're done here, hurry out of the city and we'll start over somewhere else."
The old Taoist priest winked and said, "How about going to Jinling? The scenery along the Qinhuai River is breathtaking, and this old man will indulge in a bit of fun..."
In the dead of night, a furtive figure emerged from Young Master Hua's house, crouching low, carrying a small bundle, and slipping away along the wall.
He walked to the alley entrance, and as soon as he showed his head, a sack was put over his head. Before he could even shout, a wooden stick came crashing down on him, and he instantly lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
Cen Ming, the head guard of the Marquis's residence, stepped forward and personally searched him thoroughly, finding 35,000 taels of silver notes, as well as some loose silver coins and gold and jade jewelry.
He instructed his subordinates behind him: "Find a place, tie him up tightly, lock him up, and keep a close watch on him."
Cen Ming returned to the Marquis's residence that very night and went to Pei Xian's study to report.
"We caught that man's accomplice. Just as the second young mistress said, he was an old man dressed as a Taoist priest."
On Pei Xian's desk was a small gold bar that Shen Lingyue had taken from Young Master Hua last time; half of it had been burned and was faintly blackened.
Yunzhao's wife has already examined it and said that it is fake gold made by mixing brass with other minerals. Its appearance and color are very similar to real gold. The best way to distinguish it is to burn it.
"It seems that the old Taoist priest was behind that box of gold bars."
Pei Xian instructed Cen Ming: "Leave half the men to continue staking out Bitao Lane. You go and interrogate that old Taoist priest yourself. Tell me everything about their background, how many people they've cheated, and how much money they've swindled."
"yes."
Cen Ming accepted the order and left.
Pei Xian counted the silver notes he had returned, thought for a moment, and then took the wooden box containing the estate deeds to Tanghua Garden.
Meng Wanyin had already gone to sleep, but was quietly awakened by Qi Mama: "Madam, the Marquis has arrived."
She sat up, rubbing her eyes, still groggy, and blurted out instinctively, "What's wrong with him in the middle of the night?"
Mother Qi turned to face Pei Xian, who had already entered the house: ...
Is it too late for her to plug her ears and pretend she didn't hear anything?
Pei Xian coughed, and Qi's mother quickly stepped back outside the door and thoughtfully closed it behind her.
Meng Wanyin blinked, looking confused.
Qi's mother was just here a moment ago, how could she be gone in the blink of an eye?
"lady."
Pei Xian stopped in front of her bed and handed her a wooden box.
He swallowed nervously, and spoke in a low, slow voice: "Madam, I must apologize to you. I shouldn't have believed Yuzhen's words and conspired with her to deceive you and embezzle public funds."
Meng Wanyin finally came to her senses and hurriedly stood up from the bed, "My lord, no... ah!"
I got up too quickly and accidentally bumped my head.
Pei Xian quickly stepped forward to help her up, "Are you alright? Where did you bump into something?"
Meng Wanyin didn't speak because Pei Xian had his arm around her waist. She froze instantly and whispered after a while, "I'm fine, you, you can let go of me."
Pei Xian seemed to have just come to his senses, let go of her hand, and handed the wooden box back to her.
"...Yuzhen misjudged people, was short-sighted and arrogant, and was completely deceived by that young man of unknown origin. She even dared to sell the estate that her mother gave her as part of her dowry at a low price. Fortunately, I sent people in disguise to buy it back."
He handed over all the land deeds to Meng Wanyin, saying, "From now on, I'll trouble you to help manage these estates. The annual profits will be kept separately and left to my two nieces, Lanyi and Azhi."
Meng Wanyin suddenly felt the few sheets of paper in her hand become heavy.
She tentatively asked, "Shouldn't we tell my aunt the truth?"
Pei Xian shook his head without even thinking.
"Does telling her make her realize her mistakes and repent? If she doesn't suffer a serious setback, she will never improve."
Anyway, she had no worries about food and drink in the Marquis's mansion, and there was nowhere for her to spend money, so these dowry items were useless to her.
Let Pei Yuzhen believe that Young Master Hua ran away with her money and will never be found again.
Meng Wanyin sighed softly, and secretly glared at Pei Xian under the cover of the dim light in the room.
...The housekeeper was already busy and troublesome, and now he also had to manage his sister-in-law's dowry estate, which made things even more troublesome!
Pei Xian, however, sensed something keenly and looked at Meng Wanyin with a probing gaze: "Is there something you want to say to me?"
Meng Wanyin forced a smile, "It's nothing, I'm just worried that I won't be able to manage things well, and if my aunt finds out in the future, she'll criticize me again..."
Pei Xian suddenly grasped her hand, his tone firm: "She won't."
He looked at her earnestly and said, "It was all my fault before. I only thought about the harmony of the family and the prosperity of everything. I often neglected your feelings. I will never let them bully you again, Wanyin. You have to believe me."
Meng Wanyin stared at him blankly, speechless for a moment. But her long-closed heart quietly opened a crack, and she was in a daze back to the time when she had just entered the house and found out she was pregnant.
At that moment, the excitement and joy that burst forth in his eyes were genuine, weren't they?
Can she trust him one more time?
Meng Wanyin let Pei Xian hold her hand, lowered her head and softly said "okay".
...
A few days later.
Sister Lian, who lives diagonally across the street, was washing clothes in her yard when she heard a continuous knocking at the door, each knock more urgent than the last.
Annoyed by the noise, she angrily threw down her wet clothes, strode to the door, flung it open, and shouted, "Who's there—"
Upon realizing that the person frantically banging on the door was the wealthy woman who often came to see Young Master Hua, Aunt Lian immediately stopped talking and lowered her voice.
Pei Yuzhen stopped knocking on the door and patiently asked Aunt Lian, "Did you see the young master who lives inside leave this morning?"
Aunt Lian blinked: "You mean Young Master Hua? He...didn't he move out yesterday?"
"He moved away?!" Pei Yuzhen's voice suddenly rose eight octaves, sharp and piercing: "Impossible, why didn't he tell me he moved away?"
Pei Yuzhen stormed up to Aunt Lian, her fingertips almost touching her face, and demanded, "You're lying! You're deceiving me, aren't you?"
Aunt Lian was so frightened that she dared not move, afraid that the other person's well-maintained, long, and sharp nails would scratch her. She waved her hands repeatedly, "I'm not lying to you, he really did move out yesterday. A lot of people came yesterday, going in and out of the yard, and they loaded all their things into the car and drove away..."
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Author's Note: [Let me see][Let me see] Today's fresh update is here!
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