Chapter 228 The Differences in the World: Sheng Hong and the Inner House

As she spoke, Wang Ruofu seemed to understand something.

"Yes! Since the master has nothing to do now and is not at home, then I have the final say in this inner house!
Lin Qi Pavilion definitely doesn't know about this yet, and maybe someone in their panic might do something sneaky?"

Wang Ruofu looked at Mother Liu beside her with surprise, and without waiting for her to reply, she continued to talk to herself:
"If they do something unruly and I catch them, wouldn't that be a golden opportunity to take care of that bitch?"

Wang Ruofu immediately shook her handkerchief excitedly, with a glimmer of revenge in her eyes!

After thinking about it this way, Wang Ruofu no longer felt that the reason why Mrs. Sheng stopped her from causing trouble for Lin Qinshuang was because she was afraid that she would get into trouble.

On the contrary, it is far-sighted and has some hints!

"My brain wasn't working well for a moment. I just thought of it now!" Wang Ruofu regrouped as if he had been given an injection of chicken blood!

I'll just say it.

My mother has the leverage over me, so we are on the same side after all. She will definitely make plans for me.

After living a good life for such a long time and with the "reminder" from Old Lady Sheng this time, Wang Ruofu actually felt for a moment that it was not a bad thing that the handle fell into Old Lady Sheng's hands!
Seeing Wang Ruofu's face full of longing, as if immersed in the pleasure of revenge, Mother Liu looked embarrassed and said with some difficulty:

"The old lady...she doesn't seem to mean that..."

Mother Liu: I was just listening to it! Why didn’t I taste the flavors?
But you obviously can't wake up a person who is pretending to be asleep, or a genius player who is like "Great, I'm gradually understanding everything!"

"I don't care."

Wang Ruofu had already seen the dawn of victory in the war of resistance, but seeing that Mother Liu was hesitant, she still responded:

"Don't worry, I won't make any mistakes this time.

If she behaves herself, I will only report Chang Feng's mistakes to you, but if she does something unusual and I catch her doing it, I will definitely pay her back!"

Wang Ruofu straightened his sleeves, as if possessed by Zhang Liang, and ordered:

"Didn't my mother ask me to keep a close eye on the door? Then you should relax on the outside but be strict on the inside. Send the servants and maids who came with me as a dowry to keep a close eye on Linqi Pavilion!
If there is any situation, come and report it immediately!"

……

Linqi Pavilion.

At this moment, Lin Qinshuang was extremely anxious. She paced back and forth in the room, feeling very uneasy.

Sheng Hong was kept in the palace by the emperor for a day...

This vivid feeling of déjà vu made her recall her family's situation back then. What would happen next would be that her father would be convicted and the whole family would be exiled...

This was how the Lin family fell into decline, which led to her, a young lady from an official family who lived a life of luxury, falling to the point of seeking protection from Old Madam Sheng, an old friend of her mother, and finally using all her scheming and trickery to become a concubine of the Sheng family.

This childhood experience left a shadow in her heart for the rest of her life.

And now Sheng Hong's situation is exactly the same as that of his own father. They were both suddenly left in the palace, and no news could get out. How could Lin Qinshuang not be terrified?

The childhood trauma was too deep for her to keep a cool head and she fell into panic. In addition, she only knew how to seduce and figure out men's methods. She now only wanted to sell her property in order to protect herself and have a comfortable future.

'We should prepare for a rainy day!'

Lin Qinshuang is no longer the same as before. Not to mention where to find a lady like Wang Ruofu, even if one comes to her doorstep, no one would want her.

At this time, Xue Niang, whom Lin Qinshuang had been waiting for, finally came into the house.

Seeing this, Lin Qinshuang hurried forward and asked:

"How is it, has Mr. Xu signed and sealed it?"

Husband and wife are birds of a feather, but they fly away separately when disaster strikes. Not to mention that Lin Qinshuang is a concubine. The first thing she did this morning was to ask Xue Niang to find someone to sell the property.

"Not yet, girl."

Xue Niang had been busy all day and still had to discuss business with merchants. It was really hard for her. She immediately suppressed her fatigue and reported:

"Mr. Xu said he had to see my wife in person before he would sign and pay the bill."

"what?"

Lin Qinshuang showed shock and anger:
"I gave you so many land deeds and shop contracts, but you can't find anyone to buy them. You still want me to go there in person?"

Xue Niang looked bitter:

“My dear, it’s because there are too many land deeds!

There are only so many merchants in Bianjing who can afford such assets, and they all know each other. I was a stranger and suddenly came to their door. They were all smart people. They asked a few questions and I couldn't answer them, so they knew I was not the owner. Therefore, they were afraid of causing trouble and refused to talk. Only Mr. Xu was willing to talk, but he wanted to see the real deal in person to confirm that the source was legitimate and not stolen goods before he was willing to trade. "

Those big chambers of commerce and big merchants in the city of Bianjing were just nice names given by the lower class people. They looked impressive, but in reality, they either had some connections with high-ranking officials or were their hired lackeys, without exception.

Only Lin Qinshuang knew nothing and thought that sending Xue Niang would appear covert. But in fact, after tonight, someone might suspect the Sheng family.

This kind of sudden business in a calm trading market is like the sudden appearance of blood in a group of sharks. The merchants will definitely report it to the main family behind them immediately. However, this piece of information is not very important and will not be reported so quickly after being specially summarized and processed.

The reason why Mr. Xu dared to accept the deal was that he was sure of his family's strong background, and he had to investigate the mastermind behind it tonight. At the same time, he wanted Lin Qinshuang, the real owner, to hold the seal to make the transaction legitimate.

Xue Niang was frightened when she first saw Lin Qinshuang's intention to run away with the family property. Now that she had suffered a setback, she was even more unwilling to do so. She advised:

"Little girl, why don't you just forget about it? The master is a lucky person, and it may not be a problem if he is detained in the palace temporarily. Besides, isn't the eldest girl there? She will never watch the master and the Sheng family suffer."

"What do you know? My father also did not come home for one night, and was imprisoned and exiled the next day."

When Lin Qinshuang thought of her childhood experiences, she became extremely frightened.

Once you have judged the outcome at the very beginning, your subsequent thoughts and reflections will subconsciously lean towards that outcome. Lin Qinshuang is even worse at this moment, and she can't help but think of the worst.

"Besides, even if Hualan is interested, she is a young woman who has just become the wife of Marquis Pingyang. Even if she can persuade Yang Wenyuan, how can she persuade the Yang family? Even if the Yang family is interested, how can they shake the emperor's decision?"

"I don't want this to happen again!"

Lin Qinshuang made up her mind and ordered:
"Go find Mr. Xu now and ask him to prepare the money and the document. We will go and sign it tomorrow morning!"

It was the third day since Sheng Hong was imprisoned, and the morning light was just breaking.

"Creak~!"

The side door of Linqi Pavilion opened slightly.

Immediately afterwards, Lin Qinshuang and Xue Niang, who were in disguise, came out together, carrying a small basket in their hands, which contained land deeds and seals.

At this moment, Wang Ruofu heard a servant come to report that two women with their heads down and headscarves wrapped around them had just walked out of Linqi Pavilion, sneaking out.

Hearing this, Wang Ruofu sneered and murmured:
"I can't catch your fox tail now!"

"Mother Liu, follow him. We must catch him red-handed!"

"Yes, madam!"

At the same time as the lurking operation in the Sheng family's backyard began.

Inside the palace.

Sheng Hong grabbed the spot on the Liulan porcelain vase in the corridor and was lying on the table, suffering from back pain.

Half asleep and half awake, in a daze, suddenly, the door was opened and the emperor in casual clothes walked in.

Hearing the sound of the door opening, Sheng Hong immediately got up with his eyes wide open, as if he had heard the sound of nature. When he looked up, he found that it was the long-awaited official in front of him. He hurriedly rolled off the table and knelt on the ground.

During these three days and two nights of waiting, Sheng Hong had been left here without being able to see anyone. He felt as if there was a sword hanging over his head, ready to fall at any moment.

Now that he had met the Emperor, he no longer thought about fame, wealth, or his close ministers. He just wanted to go home!

"His Majesty!"

Sheng Hong also straightened his cuffs and collar:
"I am not dressed properly, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"

The emperor came in and saw Sheng Hong crawling around. He paused for a moment before speaking:

"Qing, did you sleep well?"

"Your Majesty, I am restless and tossing and turning, and it is difficult to fall asleep!"

"Well, now you know what it feels like to be restless."

As he spoke, the emperor walked around Sheng Hong and sat on the chair. At the same time, following the emperor's steps, although Sheng Hong bowed his head, his knees followed closely, always facing the direction of the emperor.

"I am terrified! Your Majesty, please explain clearly!"

The emperor straightened his sleeves and placed the cuffs on the outside of the chair armrests, then he said slowly:

"I heard that not long ago, Changfeng, the third son of the Sheng family, Qiu Keli, the son of Qiu Jing, and others sang and drank all night long. During the time, they mentioned that Prince Yan was strong and had a noble family background, and would sooner or later become the crown prince. Since there was such talk, I believe you discussed it at home and gradually influenced your son."

"Your Majesty, I, I really don't know!" Sheng Hong bowed his head again.

At the same time, he felt so aggrieved and cursed that he wished he could go home immediately and hang Chang Feng up and beat him.

He thought he was detained in the palace because he was inadvertently involved in a party dispute or something went wrong in his assignment, but he didn't expect that it was because his own son went out and got drunk and made irresponsible remarks about the succession of the crown prince!
Even he, as a father, doesn't dare to criticize this matter, so how dare he, who didn't pass the imperial examination, say anything wrong!

"The country is like a lost pillar when it has no heir. I am extremely worried and can't sleep all night. Since your young master dares to talk about the matter of the royal heir in the restaurant, he must have been influenced by it and is very sure of it.

My dear, it seems that you have already made up your mind."

As he spoke, the emperor leaned forward, looked at Sheng Hong with interest and asked:

"Then why don't you tell me and give me an explanation so that I can sleep peacefully?"

Sheng Hong was so frightened that he shook his head like a sieve:
"No, no...I dare not! This is all because of my son's ignorance. He is still young and does not understand the affairs of state. This is all nonsense he talked about after drinking."

"I've been to the Imperial Examination Hall once, how can you say I don't understand state affairs?"

The emperor looked amused, but his tone remained calm, but in this situation, it made him look even colder.

"There's no one else here, Lord Sheng, you can try to speak freely!"

Try it or die!

Sheng Hong was not blinded by greed and really dared to establish a crown prince.

But since the emperor has spoken, you must speak. At this moment, Sheng Hong suddenly thought of what Changbai had said to him before, about Minglan's discussion in the academy, and he was startled and said quickly:
"Your Majesty, I often teach my children at home that the emperor is wise and benevolent, and no matter what decision he makes, it will be of great benefit to the country and the people. I also often teach my nephews and nieces that a real man should be loyal to the emperor and the country, and not engage in meaningless disputes. Being a loyal minister is the right thing to do!"

After speaking, Sheng Hong bowed again.

The emperor had heard this countless times. When he asked questions, they all said that they wanted to be loyal subjects to the emperor, but privately they had already made plans in their minds. It's just that some of them are early birds, while others are just waiting for the right time.

After expressing his deep fear, Sheng Hong said nothing more. The emperor also lost interest and simply nodded:

"You are a wise man, but you don't know how to educate your children! Parents who love their children will plan for them in the long run. It seems that you are negligent in managing your family, so your son didn't listen to a word of what you said!"

Sheng Hong could tell from the official's tone that the official had no intention of punishing him, but this left a bad impression!
To put it in a positive way, the official's words mean that he was so obsessed with state affairs that he neglected the education of his children.

But to put it in a broader sense, it can also be called "unrest in the family" and lack of moral character.
This will affect your future career advancement!

When he thought that this was caused by Chang Feng's rudeness, Sheng Hong felt so sad that he could not even cry and was so angry that his teeth were itching.

But if a son is not well educated, it is the father's fault.

Sheng Hong could not simply put the blame on Chang Feng in front of the emperor. Instead, he could not even argue and could only accept it willingly.

At the same time, we must continue to ensure that:
"My son has made careless friends and behaved immorally after drinking. I will flog him vigorously so that he will not dare to speak nonsense again in the future!"

The emperor nodded calmly, turned around, went out the door and turned right, and continued to listen to the next "honest minister's words".

The room was suddenly empty, leaving Sheng Hong alone sitting on the ground.

'I barely made it through this level.'

While Sheng Hong was secretly feeling thankful, the eunuch who led him into the house suddenly appeared out of nowhere.

"Master Sheng, didn't you say earlier that you wanted to change clothes? Please follow me."

Sheng Hong: “…”

What a great change of clothes! I said this two days ago!
However, Sheng Hong did not dare to complain at all. Besides, he had been worried for the past two days, and his inner clothes were already soaked with sweat. Now he probably looked very disheveled, which did not look good.

"Then I'll trouble the eunuch!" Sheng Hong said respectfully.

Just when Sheng Hong was about to go home after washing his clothes, Lin Qinshuang and Xue Niang secretly made a deal with Xu Yuanwai, and were immediately caught red-handed by Liu Mama who was prepared.

Not only Lin Qinshuang and Xue Niang were captured.

Even Mr. Xu was "invited" back to the Sheng family for a face-to-face confrontation.

Pingyang Houfu.

Hua Lan was sorting out the accounts in the inner study of Zize Residence. There was a thick stack of account books on the desk, all of which needed to be counted.

Not only are there assets of the Marquis' Mansion, but also a lot of fields and shops that came with Hualan's dowry.

Although she doesn't have to do it herself every day, for the sake of peace of mind, Hualan still does an inventory herself every one or two months, just to pass the time.

Yang Wenyuan was also sitting at the desk opposite.

The books on his desk have been cleared out and replaced with military strategies and maps, which he is reading with great interest.

At this time, Mrs. Li, Hualan's dowry, who was now the housekeeper of the backyard of Pingyang Marquis's mansion, came in. She bowed to each other first, making sure that Yang Wenyuan and Hualan were paying attention, and then said:
"My Lord, Miss, some news just came from the front yard, saying that someone wanted to sell a lot of land and shops under the name of the Sheng family yesterday."

This should have been done by Changqing, but he went to Youyang to honor his father-in-law and mother-in-law, so Mother Li could only be the temporary conveyor.

When a stranger suddenly appeared in the city of Bian Jing, a little probing revealed that there was a hidden owner behind him. Naturally, the merchants belonging to the Pingyang Marquis' Mansion also inquired about the news as usual.

Whether you will need it in the future is another matter, but you have to prepare it in advance, just in case.

In fact, this kind of thing is not uncommon for them.

I originally thought it was just another case of some family doing some dirty things and just treated it as a joke.

Who would have thought that when they began to investigate the family behind this matter, they unexpectedly discovered that part of the land and shops that Xue Niang put up for sale seemed to belong to the Sheng family. And the person behind this was most likely the Sheng family from which the wife of Marquis Pingyang came. They immediately became uneasy.

What happened? He ate the melon and it ended up on his wife?
Realizing the urgency of the matter, the stewards below did not dare to delay at all, and immediately delivered the news to the Marquis' Mansion as quickly as possible, and conveyed it to Yang Wenyuan and Hua Lan in person.

(End of this chapter)