Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 763 - 716 Unhappy Matters (1)

Previously, the Wei Family reported a case, and the government office only found out that a servant from the Yu Wen Family used marriage as bait to defraud Second Master Wei of silver, but it did not involve the father and son of the Yu Wen Family, so their punishment was relatively light.

But this time, it was discovered that the Yu Wen Family had deceived someone into their family temple and imprisoned them, even intending to harm Wei Qiniang’s life.

The matter was far more serious than last time.

A mass of witnesses and evidence left the Yu Wen Family dumbfounded, not knowing how to argue back.

But Second Master Wei had become much more confident.

He clamored that the Wei Family must pay the price.

Currently, the court is divided into two factions: the Empress’s faction and the Imperial Concubine’s faction, each with ministers forming teams, fiercely opposing each other.

The Yu Wen Family supported the Imperial Concubine, and the Imperial Concubine, favored by the Emperor, would often trample on the Empress.

Now that the Yu Wen Family, supporting the Imperial Concubine, was in trouble, it delighted the Empress’s faction.

They seized this opportunity and suggested that Second Master Wei file a complaint with the Emperor.

The Little Emperor Li Can had taken ill, but not to the degree that he couldn’t handle official matters.

He wanted to favor the Yu Wen Family, but the evidence was so solid that he couldn’t shelter them.

With the clamor and support of Empress Cui’s family faction, the Emperor Li Can finally sentenced Marquis Zhongyi Yu Wenbo to three months in jail and ordered him to compensate the Wei Family with five thousand taels of silver.

If Yu Wenbo were to go to jail, the Yu Wen Family’s reputation would be entirely lost.

A noble Marquis locked up with common thugs and arsonists, how could the Yu Wen Family still walk in the Capital?

Yu Wen Zan knelt before Li Can’s sleeping quarters, pleading for his father, willing to add another five thousand taels in compensation to the Wei Family in exchange for Yu Wenbo’s freedom.

Li Can sent someone to deliver the message to the Wei Family to discuss it.

Wei Qiniang disagreed, "If Marquis Zhongyi isn’t punished, wasn’t my grievances all for nothing?"

But when Second Master Wei heard that there could be additional silver compensation, he was somewhat tempted.

He persuaded Wei Qiniang, "That is the Marquis Zhongyi, if he ends up in jail, loses face, won’t he retaliate against you in the future?"

"He should be punished, he tricked me in the temple and imprisoned me for days, what about my grievances?" Wei Qiniang was dissatisfied with her father’s weakness, "Father fears everything, not considering your daughter’s feelings at all."

"You..." Second Master Wei shook his sleeves and left, "You’re too young, you’ll understand when you grow older."

In the end, Second Master Wei accepted the Yu Wen Family’s additional compensation of five thousand taels of silver.

Including the previous compensation of five thousand taels, the Wei Family gained a total of ten thousand taels.

Second Master Wei, who was so poor he nearly had to sell the shop, suddenly received these ten thousand taels, immediately straightened his back.

When entering and leaving the mansion, Second Master Wei’s eyebrows and beard were filled with smiles.

Second Madam Wei was also delighted, as she would no longer be ridiculed by her own family. Next year, for her brother’s sixtieth birthday, she could help host a grand banquet.

The eighth young lady, already engaged, was also very happy. With her parents having silver, her dowry could be increased.

Even Mrs. Wei was pleased, who said the Wei Family would be bullied everywhere without the Lu Ling Royal Mansion?

See, didn’t they beat the Marquis Zhongyi? And wasn’t the Marquis Zhongyi Mansion close to the Emperor, yet lost to the Wei Family?

Mr. Wei and Mrs. Wei were also happy, considering how to borrow some silver from Second Master Wei for their use.

The entire Wei Family was happy, except for Wei Qiniang who nearly lost her life.

After winning the case, Wei Qiniang burned those clothes, saying it would rid them of bad luck.

Not only her own, but she also burned those of the little maid Xixi.

Xixi merrily tossed the old clothes into the brazier, "Out with the old, in with the new, let the past bad luck drift away with the smoke, our lady has survived a great disaster, future blessings are sure to come."

Wei Qiniang watched the old clothes turn to ashes, not smiling but furrowing her brow instead.

Xixi turned back, seeing her sour face, blinked and asked, "Why is the lady upset? We should be happy."

"Is there anything to be happy about?" Wei Qiniang sighed, gazing out the window in a daze.

"The Yu Wen Family won’t dare plot against you again, they’ve been punished, isn’t that worth being happy?" Outside the window, Li Yuzhu waved at Wei Qiniang, entering the room with a smile.

"Third Lady came? Please, come in and sit." Seeing Li Yuzhu arrive, only then did Wei Qiniang show a faint smile, pulling Li Yuzhu in to sit.

Seeing the clothes burning in the room, Li Yuzhu asked with a smile, "What are you burning?"

The little maid Xixi replied, "The lady said to burn the clothes worn those few days to burn away the bad luck. But even after burning the clothes, the lady is still unhappy. Third Lady, please try to persuade her."

"No need to persuade me, the Yu Wen Family is living happily, can I be happy?" Wei Qiniang sneered.

Li Yuzhu understood Wei Qiniang’s thoughts. The people who framed her are still living well, not sitting in prison; of course, Wei Qiniang is not happy.

According to the laws of the modern world, someone like Yu Wenbo who privately detains others should definitely be in prison.

But now, in the incomplete legal system of ancient times, under imperial power, the rights of commoners are not valued at all.

"The Yu Wen Family paid an extra five thousand taels, so naturally they don’t need to sit in prison." Li Yuzhu explained to her, "Marquis Zhongyi only detained you because of personal grievances, so the Emperor will not punish him severely."

Since it didn’t involve any death or treason, those powerful ministers always use their influence and money to escape punishment.

Li Yuzhu was powerless too.

"But Third Lady, both five thousand taels ended up with the master, and Wei Qiniang didn’t get a single coin." Xixi voiced her discontent for her lady.

Li Yuzhu suddenly understood, no wonder Wei Qiniang was unhappy.

Almost losing her life, yet all the compensation money went to her father?

This is no different from selling a daughter.

"That’s too much, come, Seventh Cousin, let’s go and demand it back." Li Yuzhu pulled Wei Qiniang to find Second Master Wei.

Second Master Wei was a miserly person.

Hearing Li Yuzhu say he should hand over half the silver to Wei Qiniang, Second Master Wei refused adamantly.

First, he said the family owed money, and where it got spent, then he said the house was leaking and needed money for repairs.

Li Yuzhu pointed with a smile at Second Master Wei’s new boots, "Second Uncle, these boots are newly made, right? Look, they’re even inlaid with big gold beads, the shoes don’t look cheap, they must cost over twenty taels a pair, right?"

Wei Qiniang widened her eyes, "Father, why did you make such expensive shoes?"

Looking at her old shoes with frayed edges and her big toes almost protruding, her eyes reddened.

Second Master Wei quickly pulled back his feet, covering his boots with his robe, stammering, "They’re not that expensive, not at all."

Wei Qiniang scoffed, "Father’s lying, the style of these shoes is clearly from Jiqing Shoe Shop, the cheapest shoes there are twenty taels a pair, if they’re not from that shop, which shop then? Father, tell me the address, I’ll go and ask."

Second Master Wei impatiently waved his sleeve, "You’ve been missing for days, your father was worried sick, what’s wrong with making a pair of new shoes to feel better?"

Li Yuzhu assessed Wei Qiniang’s attire, "But Second Uncle, Seventh Cousin doesn’t have any new clothes or shoes. This outfit she’s wearing, it’s at least two years old, right? Second Uncle shouldn’t only care for himself and not for Qiniang."

Wei Qiniang looked at her clothes, feeling more aggrieved.

The sleeves were frayed, yet this was her best outfit.

She pouted, "This was made from material aunt gave me three years ago, not just two years, three and a half."

"You don’t go out, so why need new ones? Really." Second Master Wei stood up, waved at Li Yuzhu, "I have to go out, Third Lady, you talk to your Seventh Cousin, I have things to attend to."

Second Master Wei left with his hands behind his back, raised his steps, and walked out.

Just as he descended the steps from the study, he saw two people coming towards him with joyous expressions.

Second Master Wei got so frightened that he turned and ran back.

Li Yuzhu also saw those two people.

She whispered to Wei Qiniang, "Seventh Cousin, who are they?"

"They’re Seventh Uncle and Fifth Uncle." Wei Qiniang sneered.

Second Master Wei slowed down, and the two spotted him.

They hurried towards him, "Second Brother, you’re unreasonable, lending the silver to the Chen Family and not your own brothers? Why is your elbow turning outward?"

Second Master Wei barely reached the steps when the two grabbed him from left and right.

"Who said that? I didn’t lend it to the Chen Family, where did you hear such rumors?" Second Master Wei shook his head.

Seventh Master Wei, with a cold face, "Chen San just told me, I even saw his silver note, a thousand taels! Ten notes of a hundred taels, stamped with Fengsheng Bank’s seal. Isn’t all your ten thousand taels stored in Fengsheng Bank?"

Second Master Wei was dumbfounded, unable to speak.