"What's wrong with you? I'm asking you who you really are," Fourth Master said.
"It's Zhao Quan. Master, it's all my fault for not teaching him properly. Zhao Quan may have been under pressure from the Fujin and acted impulsively. Please, Master, show him leniency..."
“You’ve been with Master the longest. If he can use information from the front yard to sell news, what can’t he sell?” Fourth Master interrupted Su Peisheng.
"My lord, could you allow me to question Zhao Quan personally? I'd like to see if I can get him to confess everything he knows. If he truly repents, please spare his life!" Su Peisheng knelt down and pleaded.
Normally he wouldn't easily ask Fourth Master for mercy, but now, for Zhao Quan's sake, he actually swallowed his pride and pleaded for him, which can be considered as fulfilling his master-disciple relationship!
Fourth Master looked at Su Peisheng kneeling before him and said in a tone almost devoid of any affection, "You have never pleaded for anyone in front of me before, but now you've made an exception for Zhao Quan?"
Su Peisheng said with a bitter face, "There is an old saying that goes, 'If a son is unfilial, it is the father's fault; if a son does not study, it is the teacher's laziness.' Although Zhao Quan is not my son, he has called me 'Master' for several years. Today, I have to swallow my pride and beg you for mercy, Master."
Fourth Master sat in his chair without saying a word. After a while, Zi Ran came in to change Fourth Master's tea and saw Su Peisheng kneeling on the ground.
"Your Majesty, there is something I am unsure whether I should say, but it concerns Zhao Quan," Zi Ran said. She had overheard Su Peisheng's conversation with the Fourth Master outside.
"Speak!" Fourth Master said, looking at Zi Ran in surprise.
Su Peisheng, who was kneeling on the ground, was somewhat embarrassed after Zi Ran came in. After all, he was usually second only to the head nanny in the front courtyard, but now Zi Ran saw him kneeling on the ground in such a disheveled state, which was really too embarrassing.
"Your Highness," Zi Ran said, "I once saw a gold bracelet fall out of Zhao Quan's sleeve. Judging from its style, it probably belongs to one of the princesses." Upon hearing this, Su Peisheng collapsed to the ground. Zi Ran's words essentially confirmed the connection between Zhao Quan and the mistresses in the Fourth Prince's household. Just moments before, Su Peisheng had been trying to defend him, arguing that the Fujin (the wife) was the mistress, but now that Zhao Quan dared to accept someone else's gold bracelet, it was clear he was profiting from selling information about the front courtyard.
Fourth Master's face turned completely black, and he could no longer listen to Su Peisheng's words. He said sternly, "Did you hear me? Look at the kind of good disciple you have!"
Su Peisheng had never heard the Fourth Prince rebuke him like this before, and he immediately felt that he had practically courted death by speaking those words. Su Peisheng's advantage was that he never forgot his status; he was merely a personal eunuch by the Fourth Prince's side. Although many people dared not offend him, including the Prince's wife, who all wanted to win him over to obtain information about the Fourth Prince's whereabouts, he had refused them openly or covertly. But unexpectedly, he was ultimately defeated by his own apprentice.
"This servant will personally search his room. Please, Your Highness, give this servant a chance to atone for his sins," Su Peisheng said, prostrating himself on the ground and kowtowing to the Fourth Master.
"Alright, you can investigate then. I want to see just how much he's taken. Zi Ran, you go with him," Fourth Master said.
Su Peisheng was startled. Did they not trust him? Were they afraid he would protect their own?
With these mixed feelings, Su Peisheng and Zi Ran led their men towards Zhao Quan's house.
The Fourth Master's anger grew stronger; he never imagined that even the people around him could be bribed.
Clang!
With a wave of his hand, Fourth Master knocked a brush holder carved from locust wood, which was placed on the table, to the ground, and several brushes rolled out of it.
It seems that the Fujin (wife) is not as virtuous and generous as she appears. Behind her back, she has done countless things that she doesn't know about. Not only is she jealous of other women's pregnancies, but she has also planted spies around her to monitor her every move. It's really terrifying.
Meanwhile, Su Peisheng, along with several servants and Zi Ran, arrived at Zhao Quan's house.
"Master, what brings you here? Is something the matter?" Zhao Quan was in the room when he saw the door open. He immediately stuffed the things in his hands into the quilt and hurriedly got up to greet him.
Su Peisheng looked at Zhao Quan, his heart filled with mixed emotions. Zhao Quan was Su Peisheng's apprentice, but also a distant cousin. Otherwise, Su Peisheng wouldn't have specifically taken him in as his apprentice in the first place. Normally, Zhao Quan was quite clever, always calling his master "Master" and offering small gifts, especially during holidays. Su Peisheng entrusted him with most of the tasks, except for those closely related to the Fourth Master.
"Tie them up!" Su Peisheng thought to himself, hardened his heart, and shouted to the servants beside him.
Before Zhao Quan could react, two servants had already come over and pinned his hands down.
Ouch, ouch, be gentle! Zhao Quan cried out in pain, but no one paid any attention to him.
"Go and lift his blankets to see what he's hiding," Su Peisheng said to the other two servants, ignoring Zhao Quan's shouts.
Upon hearing this, Zhao Quan immediately understood what kind of person this was after.
The two walked to Zhao Quan's bedside, and as soon as they lifted the quilt, several glittering gold ingots immediately fell out.
"Go through his wardrobe and boxes again, don't miss a single one." Su Peisheng felt a pang in his heart when he saw the gleaming gold ingot.
In a short while, Zhao Quan's wardrobe and boxes were completely ransacked.
“My lord, look! There are quite a few valuables here.” A servant came out carrying a bundle and said to Su Peisheng.
The bundle contained rings, gemstone bracelets, gold bangles, agate bangles, and similar items—all women's jewelry.
When Zhao Quan saw this, his legs trembled violently. All his secret stashes had been exposed by Su Peisheng.
"How do you explain this? Are you saying these were all bestowed upon you by your master?" Upon seeing these, Su Peisheng had already sentenced Zhao Quan to death in his mind. Judging by the quantity, it was definitely not a one-time or two-time bribe.
"Master, save me, save me!" Zhao Quan knew he probably couldn't escape this time, so he simply started pleading for himself.
“If only you had known this would happen, you wouldn’t have done it in the first place. Little Quanzi, how did I teach you? In our line of work, the most taboo thing is greed. The things the master gives you are good, but you still need to be alive to spend them. Take them away.” Su Peisheng sighed.
The group, along with Zhao Quan and the items they had found in his room, headed towards Fourth Master's study.
Seeing this situation, Zhao Quan knew he was completely finished, but he was still unwilling to accept it and started to think of ways to save himself.
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