Chapter 95 A man of great influence may die, but his name must not be tarnished.
The Heavenly Furnace can illuminate half of Rongdu's sky, while Guan Ye can light up the entire Imperial City.
Mei Family Success Money Shop
Today, Xiao Ma came to deposit the deposit that the Imperial Household Department had given to Xingguo Warehouse. The court was generous, giving as much as 50% of the deposit amount. The wardhouse was getting busier every day, and Pei Bi had more and more trivial matters to handle. Xiao Ma was clever and knowledgeable, and Pei Yuan called his name when he was out and about.
Sure enough, Little Ma was quick-witted. As soon as he stepped one foot into the bank, he sensed something was amiss.
After passing through the narrow gate and the fishpond, the bright hall remained the same, except that there were now mysterious figures inside and outside, patrolling and observing the customers entering and leaving the bank.
Logically speaking, Xiao Ma had only been to the Mei family's money exchange a few times and didn't recognize all the people there. However, he immediately noticed something unusual about these few people. The money exchange was open for business, welcoming customers with smiles and eager to make money. The manager and clerk all had smiles on their faces. Since they were welcoming people from all directions, their wary expressions these past few days seemed out of place with the Mei family.
Xiao Ma couldn't guess their identities for a moment. He clutched the heavy money bag and walked into the empty room. It had only been a little over a month since he last visited the Mei family. Had the Mei family gotten into some trouble?
"—Xiao Ma?" A girl in pink emerged from the inner cubicle. Who else could it be but Mei Xiaojing? Mei Xiaojing's eyes sparkled as she looked at Xiao Ma with a mixture of surprise and delight. "You've finally come again."
Xiao Ma sat down on the soft couch, and Mei Xiaojing quickly sat down opposite him. "Withdraw silver? Deposit silver? Or, exchange silver?" she asked, winking at Xiao Ma as she spoke, indicating that there were eavesdroppers in the cubicle.
"Deposit the silver." Xiao Ma took out his money bag and poured out large silver ingots. "The Pei family of Xingguo Ward."
Mei Xiaoqing held an ingot in each hand, turned them over to see the official seal on the bottom, and said, “This is official silver from the Great Jin Dynasty. One ingot is worth twenty taels. There are ten ingots here, which is two hundred taels. Since it is official silver, there is no need to weigh it. Please wait a moment while I have the manager prepare the receipt for you.”
"Thank you, Miss Mei."
Seeing that the visitors were carrying large silver ingots, the mysterious visitor went to inspect other areas. Mei Xiaoqing breathed a sigh of relief, "They're finally gone."
“They are…” Little Horse followed the mysterious guest’s retreating figure.
Mei Xiaojing raised her index finger to her lips, "The imperial court, the Salt and Iron Bureau."
"The Salt and Iron Bureau?" Little Ma's eyes darted around. "About what happened last time... Is the Salt and Iron Bureau making a move?"
Mei Xiaoqing puffed out her cheeks, looking indignant. "Speaking of which, it's also your fault. You told my cousin to find another way, and he did, but unfortunately... he entrusted the wrong person. He even attracted this group of thugs to the money shop. They're always coming and going, and we can't chase them away. It's really annoying."
"What does this have to do with me?" Xiao Ma looked bewildered. This girl was very well-behaved and adorable when she was quiet, but she was inexplicably throwing a tantrum. "Besides, Young Master Mei just wanted the court to pay attention to the case of counterfeit copper coins. The court has already sent people over, so why can't you two siblings have your wishes?"
Seeing that Xiao Ma seemed unhappy, Mei Xiaojing lowered her delicate hand, leaned on the table, and moved closer to him. Her big eyes darted around Xiao Ma's face. No matter how knowledgeable Xiao Ma was, he had never seen a girl with such intense gaze. He blushed and his heart pounded under her gaze, but his eyes seemed to be drawn to Mei Xiaojing, and he couldn't look away.
“They’re not here to check for counterfeit copper coins.” Mei Xiaojing lowered her voice, enticing Xiao Ma to unconsciously move closer to her. “For the past ten days or so, they’ve been guarding the money shop. Once the counterfeit copper coins deposited by customers are verified, they’ve all been confiscated. They say they’re going to be collected by the Salt and Iron Bureau for unified destruction.”
"To be taken over by the Salt and Iron Bureau and destroyed in a unified manner?" Xiao Ma's heart skipped a beat, and his red face gradually turned pale. "Why...destroy it?"
“Yes, why?” Mei Xiaojing stared straight at Xiao Ma. “Tell me.”
Xiao Ma snapped out of his daze and asked, "So how many counterfeit copper coins has your money shop received these past few days?"
Mei Xiaojing frowned and calculated, "Aside from the previous nineteen coins, we've received seven more recently. However, we haven't received any counterfeit copper coins for five or six days now." Seeing that Xiao Ma seemed a little dazed, Mei Xiaojing continued, "My cousin said that if they don't appear for ten consecutive days, then there shouldn't be any counterfeit copper coins left in Rongdu."
The previous nineteen coins, and the seven more recently… Xiao Ma secretly calculated that all twenty-six counterfeit copper coins had been collected by the Mei family's money shop, no… by the Salt and Iron Bureau, and were destroyed… Twenty-six coins… Xiao Ma just wanted to beat his chest.
"Isn't this a good thing?" Xiao Ma forced a relaxed expression. "The disappearance of counterfeit copper coins is what Young Master Mei and the imperial court want. Why do you still look unhappy?"
“You only know one side of the story, and I thought you were a rare smart person.” Mei Xiaoqing pouted and snorted, her bright eyes scanning the surroundings warily. She whispered, “My cousin said that after collecting all the counterfeit copper coins in Rongdu, they were destroyed by the Salt and Iron Bureau. Counterfeit copper coins disappeared from then on, but… the mystery from back then will never be mentioned again. From then on, it will be a completely dead case.”
That's how it is; Mei Shiyu thought the same thing as me. It seems that with the counterfeit coins destroyed and no evidence remaining, no one will be willing to overturn the Ma family's case—perhaps… we should all give up on that idea.
“Since Young Master Mei can recognize counterfeit coins, your family…” Xiao Ma took a deep breath, “your cousin must have some hidden away, right?”
Mei Xiaojing smiled mischievously, "So you're not too stupid after all. Your cousin did have a secret stash, but unfortunately..." Mei Xiaojing rested her chin on her hands again, looking dejected, "The only one left was stolen, and I'm afraid... it's gone forever."
"Who!?" Little Ma was a little flustered.
Mei Xiaojing didn't know why Xiao Ma was so excited, and thought he was worried about the Mei family and herself. "Your Highness, Shen Bi."
"Mu Chenbi?" Xiao Ma blurted out. Mei Xiaojing was so shocked that she rushed forward to cover his mouth. Their skin touched and they both shuddered.
"Keep your voice down, are you trying to get me and my cousin killed?" Mei Xiaoqing's face turned pale with fright. "How dare you utter the name of the Crown Prince?"
"Him?" Xiao Ma wanted to tell Mei Xiaojing that Mu Chenbi had almost been beaten up in Xingguo Fang a while ago, and that he had been there and enjoyed watching it, but... he wasn't in the mood to chat with her now. "The Crown Prince has an excellent reputation in Rongdu, how could he cheat your family?"
"He's had bad luck with people." Mei Xiaojing clicked her tongue. "Luo Yichen always talks about the Crown Prince's good points to my cousin and me, saying he's wise, a gentleman, and a chivalrous man... In my opinion, he's just been a lackey for too long and has probably been brainwashed."
"You recognize Luo Yichen too?" Xiao Ma remembered the name; he was the leader of the Eagle Guards beside Mu Chenbi.
Mei Xiaojing revealed a childlike slyness, "He has all his possessions in my house. If he angers me, he won't even be able to come up with the dowry for his future marriage. I'm not done with him about the Crown Prince."
As they were talking, Mei Shiyu had already come out of the inner room. Everyone who saw him respectfully called him "Young Master Mei." Even the imperial henchmen that Mei Xiaojing had mentioned all lowered their guard and became extremely respectful when they saw the young master of the Mei family.
The seemingly frail young man in white, though sickly-looking, exuded a quiet but powerful aura of authority as he walked. Upon seeing Xiao Ma, Mei Shiyu's gloomy expression brightened slightly, and he nodded to him.
"Greetings, Young Master Mei," Xiao Ma said, rising to greet him.
"Since you're here, you're a guest. Please have a seat." Mei Xiaoqing offered him a soft seat and helped her cousin sit down by putting her arm around his shoulder.
Seeing that Mei Shiyu had lost even more weight than before, Xiao Ma thought to himself, what if one day he couldn't shoulder the burden of Gongcheng Money House... or what if he was dying one day... what would happen to his family's wealth that could sustain them for ten generations...? Could it be...? Xiao Ma stole a glance at Mei Xiaojing, who stood next to Mei Shiyu with an innocent look on her face. Could it be... that he really had to ask this little girl for it?
Perhaps… Xiao Ma’s heart pounded. He saw Mei Shiyu’s ever-present bone fan and jade pendant again. Perhaps he should tell Mei Shiyu everything, take a gamble, and maybe he could get back his fortune that would last ten lifetimes… He could leave Rongdu and fly far away to a place where no one would know him…
Xiao Ma almost spoke, but Mei Shiyu beat him to it, saying, "That day you reminded me to look for another method, but unfortunately... it didn't work."
“Perhaps… it’s fate.” Little Ma seemed to have forgotten what he was going to say. “Young Master Mei cares about the people’s livelihood, but… the court doesn’t seem to care. Since that’s the case, why bother with this? You should take better care of your health.”
Mei Shiyu looked into Xiao Ma's conflicted eyes, wondering why he had to explain anything to this man. They had only met a few times, and he couldn't even get his full name. He only knew that he was a swordsman from Xingguo Fang. Xiao Ma was just a passerby in and out of Gongcheng Money Shop. His cousin was young and admired the swordsman's bravery, so she naturally favored him. But he himself... felt a sense of kinship with him.
"The livelihood of ordinary people is not something I need to worry about." Mei Shiyu smiled faintly. "It's just a pity that I can't do anything for my old friend. If it could be done, my old friend would be able to rest in peace. If it can't be done, my father can only apologize to my old friend in the afterlife."
"What do you want to do for an old friend?" Xiao Ma asked uncontrollably.
Mei Shiyu turned to look at Mei Xiaojing, his delicate brows furrowing slightly. "You told him?"
Mei Xiaoqing bit her fingers and looked up at the sky. Mei Shiyu understood and sighed, "My sister has the purest heart in the world. Those she befriends with her whole heart are probably not bad people. I feel a connection with you, so it won't hurt to talk to you more."
"Not a bad person, but not necessarily a good one either." Seeing the shopkeeper Qian Rong walking towards them with a receipt in his hand, Xiao Ma jumped up. "A guest from a deserted island, how long have we known each other? Young Master Mei and Mei Xiao Jing, please don't misplace your trust in him. Xiao Ma... cannot bear the responsibility." With that, he took the receipt from Qian Rong, turned around and left without looking back.
"Little Ma? Little Ma!" Mei Xiaoqing looked aggrieved. "Cousin, did we say something wrong? Why did Little Ma suddenly leave?"
Watching the little horse flee, Mei Shiyu gripped the jade pendant on his waist, his brows furrowed in deep thought.
Xiao Ma folded the receipts and stuffed them into his pocket, his riding boots making a clattering sound on the stone pavement of Rongdu. Of course, he knew what Mei Shiyu wanted to say to him, but he just thought, forget it, why does he need to say it to me? Xiao Ma didn't want to hear it, not a single word.
They say there's always a way out. The twenty-six counterfeit copper coins I brought from Canglang Island to Rongdu have all been destroyed by the imperial court. Even the one the Mei family had hidden has fallen into Mu Chenbi's hands... Little Ma, you've almost lost everything. What can you use to stir up trouble and clear the Ma family's name? Feng Shisan knows that the Rongdu government office faces east. Now, it's all irrelevant to you which way it faces.
"I should think about how to get my own belongings back," Little Horse thought, pounding his head and dragging his heavy steps forward, unable to move forward.
When the topic of those counterfeit copper coins came up, Xiao Ma also found it strange. He always kept three counterfeit copper coins hidden in his bag, which his parents had secretly taken out of Rongdu. His father said that before his grandfather turned himself in, he repeatedly told them to find a way to take the counterfeit copper coins with them when they left Rongdu.
When exiled, one is not allowed to bring any belongings with them. Mother said that after Grandpa passed away, she and Father sat facing each other, deep in thought for a long time. When they entered the cell where the exiles were kept, both men and women would be stripped naked and thoroughly searched. Afterward, no one was allowed to visit them, not even a hot meal could be brought in. How could they possibly carry copper coins? They were afraid that before they could even take off their underwear, they would be completely stripped.
Mother asked Father, "What are we going to do with these fake copper coins? Are we going to spend them on the road? If we're going to bribe someone, we should at least bring some gold and silver."
Father said that the Ma family suffered because of this fake copper coin. The case was suspicious, and the Ma family should not be wronged to death. Keeping this item will give them a chance to clear their name and overturn the case in the future.
"What if it's gone?" Mother asked again.
That would confirm the Ma family's crimes, and they would be nailed to the pillar of shame for centuries to come. When future generations mention the Ma family, they will all know that they were thieving merchants who illegally minted counterfeit copper coins and caused chaos in people's lives.
"A person may die, but their name must not be tarnished!" Mother searched her body frantically, wondering where she could hide the copper coins, and was so anxious she was about to jump up and down.
Many years later, when Xiao Ma grew up and became more sensible, he heard this story and asked his father, "You still haven't told me how you and your mother managed to smuggle the fake copper coins out of the city?"
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