"I'm not afraid to tell you, this money isn't for me. Yang Cui, if you know what's good for you, you'd better have the money ready. Otherwise, not even the emperor here, let alone the Su family, will be of any use!"
Upon hearing this, Yang Cui was filled with shock!
Madam Wan could actually say such treasonous things!
People in this era are extremely cautious in their words and actions, because one wrong move could cost them their lives!
Could the person behind this be...?
Yang Cui thought of the Prince of Qingyang; only if the throne changed hands would he no longer fear the current emperor.
Could the Wan family be working for the Prince of Qingyang?
If they are Qingyang King's men, then if the Su family is in dire straits, it means that Qingyang King's side will target the Su family.
Yang Cui thought about many things for a moment.
"Yang Cui, you're a smart woman, you should know what to do. I'll send someone to collect the 100,000 taels in three days. Don't forget to prepare the rice flour and all the pastry recipes you have then." Madam Wan's voice rang out again, and then she strode away.
An Dafu was so angry he wanted to curse, but Yang Cui held him back. The enemy situation was unclear, and it was not advisable to start a major conflict.
"Xiaocui, what exactly happened? What did she just say?" Madam Wen asked nervously.
Madam Wan had spoken to Yang Cui in a low voice, so the others didn't know what she said. However, seeing Yang Cui's sudden change in expression, they could guess that it wasn't anything nice.
"I guess the Wan family has found a bigger backer, so they don't take me and the Su family seriously anymore." Yang Cui didn't tell the truth, worried that it would cause panic among the crowd.
The Wan family holds a position in Wan'an County, but compared to a top-tier family like the Su family, they are like ants. They would never have done such a thing if they didn't have a great deal of support.
Therefore, Yang Cui's words can only fool honest, unsophisticated country folk; they cannot fool knowledgeable business people like Kuang Meiyun and Mo Zijun.
However, since Yang Cui didn't say it explicitly, they wouldn't ask.
They were all sensible people and knew that Yang Cui was not in the mood to entertain them, so they all said goodbye. However, Mo Zijun, Ren Donghui, and Kuang Meiyun all said that if Yang Cui needed any help, she could just say the word.
As soon as they left, Cen's father's eyes darted around and he said, "Daughter-in-law, I think they're deliberately targeting you. How about this, you give us one hundred, no, ten thousand taels, and we'll keep it for you."
Upon hearing this, the other members of the Cen family immediately brightened up and nodded repeatedly: "Yes, sister-in-law, money shouldn't be given to outsiders. We'll hold onto a portion for you first, and return it to you once things have calmed down."
Wen stood with his hands on his hips and said, "Bah! Ten thousand taels? Keep dreaming!"
Yang Cui said, "You can have money, but first tell me, who sent you here?"
The Cen family members looked at each other in bewilderment.
"It won't hurt me if you don't tell me, but if you do, I'll be happy, and I might even get some extra money for you."
Cen Xiao's stepmother, Cen Liu, hesitated for a moment before saying, "We don't know her either. She's a young girl, pretty with delicate features, and not dressed particularly well, but from her words and actions, I'm certain she's from a wealthy family. She told us you were back, and said..."
Even if Cen Liu didn't say what came next, Yang Cui already knew it; it was nothing more than instigating her to cause trouble and ruin Yang Cui's reputation.
But how would the little girl know about the Cen family? Especially since she's from a wealthy family.
Yang Cui racked her brains but couldn't figure out who this little girl could be.
"Send them away."
As soon as Yang Cui gave the order, the guards in her house drove all the Cen family members out.
Now that there were no outsiders left in the house, An Dafu and Wen asked worriedly, "What are we going to do with Xiao Cui now? Are you really going to give the money to the Wan family?"
"I definitely won't give them the money."
"That's 100,000 taels, not just 10 taels! This is practically robbery!" Madam Wen was so angry she wanted to swear.
"But what if he tries to take advantage of you if you don't give it to him?" An Dafu was very afraid. Yang Cui was just a village lady. Without the protection of Cen Xiao and the Su family, she could easily become food for others.
"Uncle, don't worry. I'll send someone to find out the situation first. No matter who the Wan family aligns themselves with, can they be more powerful than His Majesty?"
"What do you mean? His Majesty... can protect you?" Lady Wen's eyes widened, as if she had seen a glimmer of hope.
An Dafu was less optimistic: "But the mountains are high and the emperor is far away..."
“Uncle, the Wan family is very likely just using someone else’s power to bully us. Besides, their goal is money and the money-making formula I have. They won’t do anything to us for the time being.” So she still had time to investigate and make arrangements.
In the original story, Prince Qingyang's rebellion failed. In this life, Cen Xiao and the emperor already knew about Prince Qingyang's rebellion and made preparations in advance, making it even more impossible for it to succeed.
If the Wan family's backer is truly the King of Qingyang, well, no amount of heads would be enough to chop them off.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com