Shen Jiamu sat for a while, then felt he couldn't hold on any longer, so he lay down again, but he just couldn't fall asleep once he closed his eyes.
So he went through all the clues in his mind again and again. The mole in their mansion was Shen Fu, the head manager of his household.
He had been running business with his grandfather (Shen Wan's father) for three years, and then his grandfather retired to the second line, and Shen Fu worked hard with the new head of the family (Shen Wan).
Grandfather praised this man as brave, resourceful, and utterly loyal. But no one could have imagined that this man, a servant of the Shen family for generations, had been the head steward for decades.
It turned out that he was the mastermind behind the murder of the family head. Whenever he thought of this, Shen Jiamu felt a surge of anger and had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down.
Shen Wan checked the accounts back and forth and sent people to deliver messages. She knew that she couldn't entrust the task to anyone else. She would only feel at ease if she handed it over to Shen Fu.
But why did it have to be such a coincidence? Shen Wan died suddenly the day after the ledger message was sent out.
Fortunately, on the day she sent Shen Fu out with the message, she also left a backup copy for Shen Jiamu.
Moreover, how could Shao Jinxin, a patriarch from a local clan who came from elsewhere, be able to navigate the Shen family so quickly and with such ease? Shen Fu!
Now, apart from the female guards inside and outside Ruixue Tower and a few others like Granny Qian, she has no one else she can use.
Everyone around her father, whether they were pretending or genuinely disdainful, outwardly expressed their dissatisfaction with her current situation.
Although Shen Fu appeared respectful and obedient, he harbored ulterior motives, and Shen Jiamu would never dare to employ such a lackey.
Left with no other choice, they came up with the idea of going along with their scheme to buy some time.
Moreover, based on the information they had gathered, Shen Jiamu felt that this approach would be advantageous to them.
Shao Jinxin was a bold man; he dared to take action in less than a month.
So Shen Jiamu turned the tables on Qian Mama and, after being slashed, was stopped by her nephew.
Qiu Wu, that desperate fugitive, couldn't keep up with her, but his nephew rarely came to Lin'an City and lived in the countryside.
So Qian Shitou got lost after wandering around and didn't come to pick her up. Qiu Wu almost found her again by taking a detour, but luckily Wang Yan and the others came to her rescue.
Aunt Wang said they weren't the main characters performing on stage this time, and that's true.
However, they weren't just minor characters; she had a great purpose in approaching Wang Yan and the other two.
If it's just about stalling for time, there are other ways to do it.
Why would someone willingly go up and let another person slash them?
To convince someone of the authenticity of the evidence in their hands, even a slight increase in trust would mean a greater chance of survival for the Shen family.
The newly appointed accounting officer of the Jiangnan East Road Transport Office is Song Ren.
The Transport Office was the most important local administrative agency, serving as a link between the central and local governments, handling taxes and grain, warehouse operations, military affairs, supervision, and justice.
Therefore, if the Shen family wants to file a complaint, going to the Transport Bureau is a good option.
But Shen Wan dared not say so. How so? In short, once the current transport commissioner's term is up, he will surely be demoted and punished by the current emperor.
He was able to be sent to Jiangnan thanks to his status as the Empress's nephew.
Despite his noble birth, he lacked both genuine talent and the ability to govern. Even defending Chengdu would be difficult for him.
However, he was just there to gain political achievements, so one good thing is that he was obedient when Song Ren arrived.
Basically, he listened to everything Song Ren said, cooperated with whatever he was told, and would never go west if Song Ren pointed east.
Why would the Shen family believe him? Because he was an official from the Jiangnan region.
Song Ren served as magistrate of Chizhou for four years. He was diligent in his duties, loved the people, and was fair and honest, earning him a very high reputation in the area.
Four years later, he was promoted to deputy transport commissioner of the Jiangnan East Road Transport Office. Later, due to his effective administration and outstanding achievements, he was appointed as the Jiangnan Supervisor.
Two years ago, he was summoned to the capital by the emperor to serve as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. This time, he was transferred to Jiangnan because he was appointed to this critical mission.
Wasn't the previous inspector ill? So the current one has sent Song Ren.
Knowing that the person who had come was this important person, Shao Wenxuan and his daughter Shen Jiamu were also eager to take action.
This man was upright and incorruptible, and he did not join either the old or new factions in the power struggle.
I wonder if their presence here this time was due to some behind-the-scenes effort by the supervisory department.
As political enemies, if it were the censor who dragged Yang Lou down, the emperor might have doubts.
But if it were Song Ren, he would have complete trust in such neutral officials.
What Shen Jiamu and his daughter knew, how could Yang Lou not know?
But now, in order to avoid suspicion and to pin the blame on the Shao and Shen families, he is truly unable to move.
Unfortunately, at this crucial juncture, although Shao Jinxin had a ruthless heart, he was ignorant of politics.
Wouldn't this ruin things? Because they were afraid that Shen Jiamu might do something strange, and they didn't want anyone to have any leverage against them.
So he patiently waited for Shen Jiamu's injuries to heal before making his move again.
Next time, I won't just pick an idiot like Qiu Wu to take action!
Shao Jinxin is now completely focused on Shao Wenxuan, hoping to find a breakthrough through him.
After all, if Shao Wenxuan were to cry and make a scene demanding to be adopted, wouldn't the situation be better for him?
But Shao Wenxuan is like a rock—soft on the outside, hard on the inside. He seems like a good-for-nothing, agreeing to anything you ask, but when it comes to serious matters, he can't even persuade Shen Jiamu, a teenage girl!
However, his fears about Shen Jiamu kicking him out did not come true. The Shen family continued to treat him and the clan elders to good food and drink.
I wonder if it's because of Shen Fu? No, even if it is, it's because of Lord Yang Lou!
Shao Jinxin was overjoyed. He had found the right backer, and with his own strength, he could bring the Shao family back to prosperity.
Unlike Shao Wenxuan, who could only rely on becoming a son-in-law to obtain resources for the clan. Bah! How shameful!
…………………………………………………………
The next day, at the inn, Wang Ying didn't sleep well all night. In the middle of the night, while Ye Zi was fast asleep, she...
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Wang Ying lit a lamp and wrote a letter. The next morning, after breakfast, Wang Ying said he was going to the kitchen in the backyard to add a bamboo cup of hot water.
She didn't sleep well last night, so she doesn't dare drink water with tea added today.
There were many people in the morning, and the waiter was so busy distributing tea that he didn't have time to get Wang Ying a cup of hot water at the back.
Ye Zi had no suspicions, and Wang Ying successfully obtained the backyard.
They were staying at a proper inn, a fairly large one, where waiters were chopping firewood in the back in the morning.
Wang Ying knew that this kind of work, which only involved chopping wood, only lasted two hours a day.
He took out the two taels of silver he had prepared in his sleeve and asked the young man to help him deliver a letter.
“I’ve been busy lately and haven’t had time to make this trip. I hope you can help me mail a letter.”
When the woodcutter saw the two taels of silver, his eyes widened. He readily agreed, thinking it was just a simple errand to deliver a letter!
"Don't worry, miss. I won't even go out for lunch after work. I'll rush over and mail your letter right away!"
Wang Ying nodded casually, having neither the inclination nor the time to say anything more to him. She simply lifted the curtain and went back to have breakfast with Ye Zi.
After she left, the young man stuffed the two taels of silver into his purse, extremely excited. No wonder his mother said that it was more promising to go fishing by the river than to work as a woodcutter in this grand restaurant.
Look, he's only been working here for two days, and he's already earned two taels of silver before he's even chopped enough firewood to fill half the yard. That's really something!
The young man is full of energy now, and he's chopping wood with incredible speed and efficiency!
After finishing her meal, Ye Zi glanced at Wang Ying again. Wang Ying ate slowly and deliberately, not even glancing at her.
Suddenly, a shadow fell in front of me. I looked up and saw an old man with slightly graying temples standing in front of me.
"Young lady, please have your breakfast quickly, as the time we agreed to meet is approaching soon."
Wang Ying glanced up at him, then continued eating calmly.
"leaf."
As soon as the old man spoke, Ye Zi quickly came over and took away the bowl and chopsticks from Wang Ying's hands.
"Sister, don't be angry. We're just following the master's orders. The sooner we get rid of the bad guys, the better things will be for Madam Wang and your sister in the manor, won't it?"
"After today, my uncle said, you'll be able to enter the manor and see your sister and mother."
On this point, Wang Ying had no way to refute it, and she stopped being stubborn and obediently followed the group.
To her utter surprise, these people, who claimed to be going to the government to report to the authorities, actually stopped the official's sedan chair and complained about their grievances in the street!
Good heavens! But Wang Ying had no choice but to do as they said.
"I hope you will forgive me, sir. There was no other way to stop the sedan chair this time. My mother and younger sister rescued the young master of the Shen family from the Shen Cloth Shop three days ago."
Because Young Master Shen's injuries were too severe, they accompanied her servants to take him home.
Three days have passed, and there is still no news from the woman's family.
The woman tried to go to the Shen residence to inquire, but was driven away by the gatekeepers.
I've heard that Lord Song is a highly respected and upright official in Jiangnan. I humbly request that you grant my request, go to the Shen residence, and allow my family to return.
Wang Ying was crying her eyes out down there, and it wasn't an exaggeration; she was genuinely worried about her younger sister and mother.
What exactly happened? How could saving someone involve such a series of events? What is the Shen family trying to hide?
Wang Ying was filled with anger, resentment, and fear. But her worry for her family was genuine.
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