Chapter 5: She had already planned to lose the ship. How could she be so kind...
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People like Chen Tongqing look powerful, but once they are imprisoned and see no hope, they cannot withstand any torture. The government soon achieved results, but Yan Siqing's main purpose in capturing Chen Tongqing was to search his house.
The main family manages the side branches. If something happens to the latter, their property will be controlled by the clan. Yan Siqing is affiliated with the main family and the annual dividends of the side branches are distributed between him and the Zhou family. So this is an exposure. The remaining side branch people hate the behavior of Chen Tongqing and others very much.
It is unknown whether they are sincere in this statement, whether they knew about it before, whether they are waiting for Chen Tongqing and others to come forward, and whether the other branches are prepared to unite to wipe out the original family and share the profits after they succeed.
Anyway, it's not something that can be discussed openly.
Yan Siqing did not make any verbal speculations. As long as he eliminated the only troublemakers among these people who could do something, the rest would be pickled vegetables. Even their children had to be supported by their families to go to school. He could control them.
The elders of the side branches trembled with fear, repeatedly mentioning that they had surrounded Shen Tongqing's house after the incident and did not touch a penny. "We have sent people to watch here and are waiting for you, Madam, to come and investigate."
"These evildoers deserve to die. Fortunately, Madam, you are so magnanimous and did not pursue the crimes of us. Otherwise, they would have brought disaster to the family and there would be no redemption for them..."
The clan elders talked a lot, and Liu'er and others were fed up with listening to them. They even suspected that this old immortal was also a participant.
But Yan Siqing didn't interrupt, just listened without saying anything. Later, the elders became scared, fearing that Yan Siqing was planning something, so they kept silent.
The gate was opened and a group of people came in to search.
They are all experienced Taoist priests who have been selected and used for many years. Some of them are very smart and can find any account book. Some are also good at feng shui and finding secret rooms...
With enough money, there is no shortage of talent.
Yan Siqing has been living a life of luxury these years and has not personally taken part in the work. After everyone came in, she slowly crossed the threshold, her skirt fluttering, and walked around the house, looking around leisurely with a calm expression.
After a while, she paused and focused her gaze.
After searching thoroughly, everyone looked a little hesitant, but they found nothing?
“That’s strange…”
It was clean and there were no suspicious clues. The account books found were all records of the income and expenditure of some small shops distributed to side branches. They were also privately owned and not registered under the name of the Shen family. Legally speaking, the two businesses had no connection.
Yan Siqing actually knew these people's background very well and knew that none of those shops sold stolen goods such as spices.
Could it be that it had nothing to do with them and she was just being too suspicious?
When everyone was quiet, Yan Siqing closed the account book handed to him by the manager, but put it on the desk and compared it casually.
"Madam, this mark?"
Liu'er and the two stewards quickly noticed some dust marks on the table. In fact, not only the table, but the entire house was not very clean, as if there were very few maids and servants cleaning it.
But Yan Siqing did not put the account book on the desk, but hung it above the table, in contrast to the square and clean mark left by the dust below.
It doesn't match.
The clean mark clearly showed that it had visited a square object.
Small box wrap?
Brush holder?
The account book is rectangular, so naturally it doesn't match.
Yan Siqing suddenly looked at the elders and said, "Call over the people who were responsible for blocking this place that day, and also call over Shen Qingtong's family members."
Not one left behind.
The elders didn't understand, but knew something must have gone wrong. They wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and went out to greet people with a hoarse voice.
Soon, people were brought there.
The three young men in charge of guarding the area were confused and a little anxious and panicked. They knelt down as soon as they arrived and explained their innocence, saying that they had strictly sealed off and guarded the area and had never neglected it...
Chen Tongqing's family had been greeted by government officials before. They were asked all kinds of questions and had a stern attitude. They were terrified and disgusted with Yan Siqing, but they didn't dare to show it too much. Now they could only stay on the sidelines in a cowardly manner.
When asked whether anyone had been arranged to clean the study, Chen Tongqing's wife Zhang denied it and said that Chen Tongqing did not allow it and that he was the only one who took care of it. She also said that she, as his wife, was not allowed to enter.
Yan Siqing held the account book in his hand and said softly, "There has never been a maid to take care of this place, but Chen Tongqing is a hedonist. He also had a bad health due to frequenting brothels in his early years. He can't stand the hard work of cleaning, so it's normal that it doesn't look very clean and there's a lot of dust."
"So, after he was captured, some things were hastily taken away. They swept away some clues, but didn't have time to clean up everything, so some dust marks were still left behind."
"So, can anyone tell me who took this square crown stand for hanging sachets?"
She pointed her finger at the square mark on the table that was isolated by the dust.
Everyone looked at the three people who were on duty.
The three young men cried out that they were innocent and refused to admit their wrongdoing. The clan elder was so angry that he kept interrogating them and even wanted to use family law to punish them.
In the noise.
Yan Siqing: "If it's not you three, then it's them."
She looked at Zhang and other members of Chen Tongqing's family.
Zhang and others also cried out for injustice.
Yan Siqing remained unmoved, saying, "By the way, the compensation previously paid to the tenants was paid by me in the name of my family on behalf of the instigators of the incident. According to the laws of the imperial court governing local clans, the future inheritances of Chen Tongqing and the others will be reclaimed by me as collateral. Any shortfall can be reclaimed from their relatives."
"I am your creditor now."
"This isn't a threat. I'm just worried the authorities haven't been informed yet, so I'm informing you ahead of time to prevent you from missing out on the opportunity to repay your debts promptly. Your family, relatives, and descendants will suffer unspeakably from the burden of this unworthy sinner."
She raised her hand to signal, and the elders and others saw the receipts submitted by the Shen's Trading Company - Yan Siqing went to the government to do business, and said that she had gone through all the procedures, paid the money, and obtained the receipts. Now the income from the side branches, which was mainly concentrated in the shops of Shen Tongqing and others, has belonged to her.
What the branch now has left are only the real estate and fields obtained when the family was divided.
Previously, a very small number of picky people had brought up the old issue of how she handled the tenants this time, thinking that her methods were not enough and that she had fattened the ambitions of these side branches, which was why she was bullied again and again.
However, he did not know that no matter how he dealt with these people and things, he would be blamed. When Zhou's children were killed, he was forced by the clan members inside and outside to not do anything cruel, let alone Yan Siqing who was isolated and helpless.
Now it seems that some people present were suddenly shocked - in this way, for the local people, Yan Siqing has gained a good reputation outside, which is beneficial to the reputation of merchants but detrimental to her bad status in the world. It can only be said that she made a choice, but the name of the compensation she set has its own meaning in the law, and in turn she can use it to control these people.
Follow the rules, don't overstep your bounds, and you will always be justified wherever you go.
She had already planned it out, so it was not kindness at all.
After the incident, the people from the side branches were secretly angry at Yan Siqing, but at the same time they were secretly lucky that he was too lenient and paid the financial compensation for them.
Especially Zhang’s blood relatives.
Now I realize that this is just someone's trick, and he looks three steps ahead before taking one step.
The words are as gentle as yours and as sweet as orchid, which scares others into silence.
Zhang and the others knelt down and begged for mercy, not daring to hold on to their resentment. One of them was smart enough to ignore everything else in order to protect himself and quickly testified against one of the three young men.
"It's Linfeng, Shen Linfeng. I got up to pee a month ago and happened to see Shen Linfeng having a private meeting with Uncle Tongqing. They even went into the study together. I don't believe he and Uncle Tongqing don't have a relationship! It must be him!"
The clan elders had chosen these three people to look after the house because they had concluded based on their past performance and kinship that they had no connection with Shen Tongqing. Upon hearing this, they quickly questioned Shen Linfeng in order to protect themselves.
Occasionally, he would gently persuade the latter that if he confessed, it would be beneficial to the overall situation and he would be given a lighter sentence... otherwise he would have to report to the police.
They advise theirs.
Liu'er heard Yan Siqing's gaze, quietly went out and called the guards.
Inside the house, the steward saw that Shen Linfeng had been persuaded to the point of wavering, and immediately took out the golden trick he had used in previous years to deal with difficult customers.
"Chen Linfeng, you probably don't know yet—everything here belongs to the clan. Who knows how much the lost items are worth? If you steal or damage them, you will be held responsible. According to court laws, the worst punishment is caning. If the amount is large, you will be tattooed and exiled..."
Clan, difference in status, coercion and inducement.
The two of them strike a balance, and their attitudes towards good and evil change.
"I didn't, I didn't steal it all, I really didn't, I didn't take it!"
Shen Linfeng was just a young man who had never seen much of the world. How could he withstand such a scene? He broke out in a cold sweat and later fell to the ground begging for mercy. He also confessed that it was his turn to guard the place late at night and let people in to deal with those items. He told many details, even describing the appearance of the two people in detail.
The stewards present each had their own talents, and one was proficient in painting, brought specially by Yan Siqing. After listening to Shen Linfeng's description of the portrait, he asked the latter to check whether it matched the appearance and only approved it after confirmation.
"What did they take, and where did they take it?"
Shen Linfeng: "I, I don't know where those two took the things. I didn't go into the house, I was still outside. Anyway, they took out a large hemp sack, as if they were flying over the eaves and walls, silently. When they first came, I thought they were ghosts."
As he spoke, he carefully glanced at Yan Siqing, who had been silent for a long time. The man's calm face showed no expression. He was terrified, wondering if this explanation would save him...
The experienced steward laughed strangely. "So, it has nothing to do with you? You were just careless and dozed off, letting someone in. Do you think the authorities can't punish you?"
"But, this is just your story. What if there are no such people? You are just trying to make excuses... You know, there were thieves who blamed the thefts on monkeys in the hills behind their houses, but it didn't matter to him."
This was also a strange and unusual thing. Not only was it known to everyone in Yancheng, but people in other cities also made fun of it.
Shen Linfeng became even more anxious and wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with his sleeve. "No, no, no, that's not what I meant. Madam, Madam, please believe me, I didn't lie. Those two people are actually old friends of Shen Tongqing. I've seen them before. I was confused and believed outsiders..."
He talks a lot, is hesitant, and even hopes for luck. Perhaps he also wants to negotiate and get an absolute guarantee.
Greedy, but also cautious.
Yan Siqing had already figured out something fishy from the man's words and actions, and caught a glimpse of Liu'er and the guards returning outside the window.
Too lazy to waste any more time, she said, "The sachet hanging on the crown stand must be a golden incense ball, quite valuable, so it's worth it for you to steal it before letting anyone in. It also proves that you knew they were coming in advance and weren't coerced at the last minute, otherwise you wouldn't have had the time to steal it in advance. It's also because gold is valuable that you didn't dare confess, hoping to get away with it and sell the stolen goods to escape Yancheng."
Shen Linfeng was stunned and was about to deny it.
"Ma'am, we're back and we found it!"
Shen Linfeng turned around and saw Liu'er returning with something in her hand.
It’s the golden incense ball.
Shen Linfeng was desperate.
Shen Tongqing was brought down too quickly, and Shen Linfeng had only succeeded for a day or two, so he had no time to move the dirty stuff. The main reason was that the stuff was valuable, and he was greedy for money and selfish, suspicious, so how could he trust others?
So it was found at his residence.
Now that it has been found, it is solid evidence of guilt.
The heavy golden incense ball looked like it was made with great craftsmanship. I don’t know how much it cost to buy it, but it must be very valuable.
The managers were secretly complaining: "The family was split up years ago. These side branches have produced no talent and have fallen into decline, almost begging on the streets. The main family has encountered problems several times, and they have each taken care of their own business. They are eager to share the spoils after the dust settles. They also acted like this several times when Zhou and Yan Siqing were first in charge. As the main family, they have always been loyal and considerate, caring for them, supporting them, and helping them. They even gave them money and shops to help them survive. These people were ruined a long time ago, and now they are still like this... disgusting! It's only because the boss is kind that he has not made a fuss about it so far."
They all have their own skills and are talents in their respective fields. They can earn some money for living wherever they go, but how much they are paid, whether their boss is good or bad, and whether they are capable or mediocre are the key factors that determine whether they can stay for a long time and do their job well.
Receiving favors is related to whether their family can continue to receive favors and settle down comfortably in Yancheng. Naturally, they want Yan Siqing and the Shen family to be better, and they are extremely disgusted with these branches of the Shen family who take advantage of them and betray them.
Therefore, these managers are extremely loyal to Yan Siqing.
She gave way too much money.
Yan Siqing took the capsule and smelled the scent before he even opened it. Not only him, but everyone else's expressions also darkened.
I have a bad feeling.
Sure enough, after taking it apart, I saw some remnants inside.
It’s… cloud glue.
Who among the common people could afford Yunjiao? Even those who could afford the golden sachet couldn't afford Chen Tongqing either, because its trade was forbidden and not available to the lower classes. Most of it was only available to the nobles in Chang'an.
If the copper blue is used, then there is only one answer.
——The boat had arrived a long time ago, but the things on board had been divided up. At least something as insignificant as Chen Tongqing was secretly taken away and used.
However, since it was so precious, he would not be so extravagant. It was simply because Yunjiao was known as benzoin, and it was rumored to be extremely beneficial for human diseases. Chen Tongqing loved money, but he knew that his health was not good, so he was willing to spend a lot of money for his life.
As for his poor health, Yan Siqing just mentioned it, and it is well known to everyone.
Several managers looked gloomy and subconsciously looked at Yan Siqing.
Who was so ruthless as to take away an entire ship!
A small character like Chen Tongqing must be just a minion.
The person behind the scenes makes people feel uneasy and fearful.
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