Chapter 38 Unworthy to be an opponent
The next day, Xie Sangning felt depressed because of what happened the day before, and strolled around the garden in the mansion with Ru Chun and others.
Xie Sangning walked slowly along the covered walkway, looking listless, and the low pressure around him made Ru Chun and the others hold their breath.
Just as I rounded a rockery, I almost bumped into a figure rushing to avoid me.
It is Xie Wuyou.
She clearly hadn't expected to run into Xie Sangning here. She instinctively wanted to shrink back, and even took half a step, but then suddenly stopped, as if she remembered something. She raised her chin, straightened her back, forced a smile, and took the initiative to greet him.
"Oh, what a coincidence! The garden is so big, and I just happened to run into my cousin here."
Xie Wuyou raised her voice: "Cousin, what a refined taste you have, strolling in the garden so early in the morning? Of course, cousin has plenty of free time."
"Unlike those in our household, who are always busy. My younger brother studies day and night, focused solely on passing the imperial examinations and bringing glory to the family! Unlike some people..."
"...Having a useless older brother means you don't have to worry about your future or fame; you can just lie back and enjoy the blessings of your ancestors. What a different fate!"
"However, we share the same blood after all. If my brother gets into the top three in the exam, you can beg us and maybe you can benefit from it."
They had analyzed it before. There were indeed few people in Nanjing who were better than his younger brother. It wouldn't be difficult for him to get into the top three. As for people from other places, well, they enjoyed different resources. How could they possibly outperform people from Nanjing?
Therefore, the younger brother is determined to win this time!
Xie Sangning walked calmly to a plum blossom in full bloom, plucked it, and sometimes she felt that the moment the flower was plucked was the most fragrant.
She slowly turned her head and glanced at Xie Wuyou: "Only a real piece of trash would use others as a shield to show off their pitiful existence, smugly and incessantly chattering."
"Pfft..." Ru Xia couldn't help but burst out laughing.
Xie Wuyou's face instantly turned a deep purplish-red, and he trembled with anger, his finger shaking as he pointed at Xie Sangning: "You! Who are you insulting?! Xie Sangning! You only got to where you are today because of your uncle's power! What right do you have to talk to me like that? Isn't your confidence based on your uncle?"
Xie Sangning brought the plum blossom close to her nose and took a deep sniff. The rich floral fragrance instantly masked the cheap perfume smell on Xie Wuyou's body.
"Utterly foolish."
After saying that, she turned and walked away.
"Stop right there! Xie Sangning! Explain yourself!" Xie Wuyou was furious.
After walking a distance, Ru Xia turned back and glanced at the figure standing there, fuming with impotence, and couldn't help but laugh: "Miss, look at Xie Wuyou..." She thought for a moment and found a fitting word, "He's just a joke to amuse you. With an opponent like that, you don't even need to use your brain."
Xie Sangning casually handed the plum blossom branch to Ruchun:
"An opponent? She doesn't even deserve it."
"So, the one who could sneak around under the Lin family's nose for ten years without making a sound must not be this stupid donkey that only knows how to bark."
Her gaze shifted to Ru Dong, who had been silently following behind.
"Have the people you sent out to investigate been properly arranged?"
Ru Dong immediately stepped forward and curtsied, saying, "Reporting to Miss, one group of people has been arranged to go to the west of the city to investigate and visit, and another group has gone to the money exchange in the west of the city."
"Investigate thoroughly, including accounts, witnesses, and testimonies—nothing can be omitted. Of course, if they don't cooperate, we may not necessarily need to find a living person."
Xie Sangning's eyes were deep and dark: "Every penny of the Lin family's money must be dug out for me. Whoever's hand is involved must be made to spit it out."
"Yes! This servant understands!"
The investigation is progressing at an astonishing speed.
Just three days later, Ru Dong stepped into Ruixue Tower, bringing with her a chilling aura: "Miss, I've found out!"
Xie Sangning was applying makeup in front of the mirror when she heard this and paused slightly with her eyebrow pencil: "Speak."
"Our people took Xie Wuyou's jade pendant to the money exchange. The cunning manager initially insisted he didn't recognize the pendant, claiming there were too many customers and he couldn't remember. Remembering Miss's instructions, I didn't bother arguing with him and simply tied him up."
"In just two hours, he confessed everything! The jade pendant was proof, and all the silver he swindled from the Lin family was stored in a dilapidated house in the west of the city. Our people went to check it out, and there was a family living in the house. They looked like a family."
“But this house belongs to the government, and this family is just renting it, but they have indeed been renting it for ten years.”
Ru Dong continued, "I was thinking that since we've found the place, we might as well bring the silver back first and let Miss make a plan. Our men sneaked in, used sleeping potion to knock out the family, and sure enough, they found the secret door in the cellar under the stove!"
Her voice was low, tinged with excitement: "Good heavens! A whole secret room full of real gold and silver! All neatly stacked! And there are several account books lying around!"
"The silver was transported into Miss's private treasury overnight, and the account books were also brought back."
Xie Sangning nodded after hearing this: "Well done."
This money can be used to lure out the person behind the scenes; whoever jumps out will be the real culprit.
"Like winter."
"Yes, sir!"
"Go, gather all the men, load that batch of silver onto the carts, use the most conspicuous boxes, and send it to the Lin residence with great fanfare, banging gongs and drums."
"Then he said, 'I, Xie Sangning, am showing filial piety to my maternal family. These dozens of loads of gold and silver jewelry are a gift from me, Xie Sangning.'"
She wanted to let the person behind the scenes know that she had taken the money and used it to maintain her reputation for filial piety and extravagance.
The ledger was in my hands, but the money went to the Lin family.
Report it to the authorities? Would he dare? He could only swallow his grievances!
In front of the General's Mansion, on the long street.
Dozens of heavy chests were lined up in a row, their lids all opened, revealing neatly stacked, gleaming silver ingots inside!
The sunlight was so bright it almost blinded people!
The street in front of the General's Mansion, which was usually quite spacious, was now completely blocked.
The crowds were huge and the noise was deafening, ten times more lively than a market during Chinese New Year!
"My God! Pinch me! Am I dreaming?!" An old woman rubbed her eyes hard, her voice cracking. "This... how much silver is this?!"
"What a mess! What are they doing? Is the General's Mansion going to empty its coffers?" someone asked, bewildered.
"Empty it all? You don't know anything!" A well-informed idler spat as he spoke. "See that steward in the silk dress leading the way? That's Miss Xie's personal maid! I heard she's going to send all this silver to the Lin residence!"
"The Lin family mansion? Which Lin family mansion?"
"Who else could it be! Of course, it's the fallen Lin family in the south of the city! Miss Xie's maternal grandparents' family!"
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