"I'm here to report that the master is keeping a Yangzhou courtesan as a mistress. She has already given birth to a daughter and is pregnant with another child. An experienced doctor has examined her and said it's a boy. The master is very happy and says he wants to bring the child back to his wife to raise as his legitimate son and inherit the Wei family."
"Where are people being raised?" Cen Ying asked.
"On Wutong Street," the servant replied immediately.
Because it had been overshadowed today, the system became quite proactive, jumping out to explain itself without Xu Wanying even having to ask.
Wutong Street is a well-known gathering place for mistresses in Wangjing. The streets are bustling and the public security is good, but they pay great attention to secrecy; you might not even know who your neighbors are.
Xu Wanying couldn't help but click her tongue: "Good heavens, the ancients really knew how to play games. They gathered their mistresses together, ensuring that no one could betray the others, and even if they bumped into colleagues, they would pretend not to see them."
Once someone takes the lead, many others immediately rush out, and the revelations they make are more and more exciting than the last.
Not only were Cen Jie's shady dealings exposed, but Wei Xian also didn't escape punishment.
At first, it was just a matter of personal moral failings, but later it began to involve illegal and shady dealings.
"Madam was lending money at exorbitant interest rates, which had driven dozens of people to their deaths. Some of the survivors, wanting to avenge their families, went to the yamen to report her, but Madam had already bribed those officials and had all the complainants beaten to death or maimed. No one dared to provoke her anymore."
"In order to curry favor with the other noble ladies, the lady also got them to invest money, and then paid it back to them with interest, which was equivalent to giving them money for free."
At this moment, Cen Jie's stewards outside jumped out. They all helped Cen Jie do these dirty things, and had handled countless amounts of money and lost several lives.
The managers knew best how much Cen Jie had earned by lending money at exorbitant interest rates; that money was stained with the blood and tears of the poor, and some had even lost their entire families.
Not only was Cen Ying shocked, but the onlookers were also filled with hatred and began to curse Cen Jie.
"He's simply inhuman! Although Master Wei is only a fifth-rank official, his family is definitely not short of money. Besides, Cen Jie's dowry is quite substantial. Her concubine is favored and has saved up a lot for her dowry. When she got married, she even boasted that her dowry was comparable to that of a legitimate daughter. How can she be so obsessed with money!"
“A gentleman loves money, but he earns it in a proper way. If she had let the manager do some business to make money, no one would have said anything to her. Why is she robbing money from the poor? It’s truly a sin!”
"Which ladies accepted her money? We must find out carefully how they could do such a despicable thing!"
Immediately, people began searching, looking at the ladies around them one by one, seemingly trying to find out who was making this ill-gotten gain.
Several ladies' expressions changed, but they quickly recovered and joined the others in the search, showing no sign of having anything to hide.
Cen Ying coughed lightly: "Cen Jie must have tricked people into joining her group to do such a heinous thing. She's very good at sweet-talking and spreading rumors."
“Yes, Madam Hou is right. The wronged should be held accountable, and Cen Jie should be held responsible for this matter. If any lady has been deceived by her, she can simply contribute some money to provide porridge and other charitable services.”
As soon as Cen Ying finished speaking, she was met with a chorus of agreement. Clearly, quite a few people had been dragged down by Cen Jie.
Today's purpose is to suppress the Wei family. Cen Ying does not want to cause any unnecessary trouble. As for other people who lend money at exorbitant interest rates, the government will have to take care of them later.
"Someone, give them a reward!" Cen Ying raised her hand, and immediately a maidservant presented a silver ingot to the steward.
This reward severely stung the hearts of the servants in the Wei household. The Wei family had a terrible family style, and even the masters were of bad character, let alone these servants. They followed suit and were greedy for money.
With enough money, one can do anything, from deceiving superiors and subordinates to murder and robbery.
The steward happily accepted the tray; the silver ingots on that tray were enough for him to live comfortably for the rest of his life.
He thought he was doing all the hard work for Cen Jie, but Cen Jie was stingy. So much money passed through her hands, yet she wouldn't let a single penny slip through her fingers to the manager. She even demanded the manager's kickbacks back after she found out. She was a complete miser, not giving a single cent.
On the contrary, the Lady of the Marquis of Zhongyi was quite generous. He only had to say a few words to receive such a generous reward, and it was done in front of so many people. The Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion would certainly not take it back afterward, otherwise it would be too embarrassing.
"I am very grateful for the reward from Madam Hou. I truly regret that I was not born as your steward. We were both stewards accompanying the Cen family daughters, yet the difference between us is so great. I regret it even in my dreams. Fortunately, I am honored to be able to serve Madam Hou this time."
This manager was a smooth operator. Since they had already chosen to betray Cen Jie, they immediately started to flatter and belittle Cen Ying. In front of many guests, he fawned over Cen Ying, wishing he could crush his former mistress under his feet.
"Madam Hou, I have something important to tell you."
"Madam, I have one too!"
The atmosphere grew even more lively as the steward carried away a tray of silver ingots.
No longer being interrogated, but instead, every servant was eager to speak. Originally, the master's personal maids and servants were very reserved and determined not to betray their masters, but now, under the onslaught of money, they have shown signs of softening.
"Madam Hou, I am Master Wei's personal servant!" A loud voice rang out, instantly drawing the attention of everyone in the room.
"Okay, you go first." Cen Ying raised her hand and tapped it lightly, feeling even more relieved. Finally, the dark side of the Wei family had been completely exposed, and the whole family could be wiped out in one fell swoop.
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