The Return of the Seventh Young Lady-Chapter 104 - 103

Chapter 103

Mu Cui Ming stared at the thick stack of promissory notes in the wooden chest, his eyes sparkling. Judging by the thickness of the notes, there must be no fewer than several hundred, each worth a thousand taels of gold!

The wooden chest before Mu Cui Ming was no different from a treasure chest. The immense wealth inside made his eyes gleam uncontrollably.

“Wh...what do you mean by this, Your Highness?”

Mu Cui Ming asked in a trembling voice, his gaze still fixated on the promissory notes inside the chest.

“This is Ben Wang’s token of sincerity. Ben Wang heard that Master Mu has been facing difficulties lately, so Ben Wang had someone investigate and found that the Mu family is currently in urgent need of financial support. Therefore, Ben Wang sincerely wishes to assist you, hoping that Master Mu will finally open his heart to Ben Wang.”

Shin Wang spoke at a measured pace, his handsome face showing a natural, sincere smile. Noting the gleam in Mu Cui Ming’s eyes as he continued to stare at the notes, Shin Wang became even more confident that his plan would succeed. 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

“Bu...but it’s such a large amount of money.”

Mu Cui Ming lowered his gaze to hide the greed in his eyes. He continued with a humble tone, “I can’t possibly accept this, Your Highness. Your sincerity alone is more than enough for me. This problem was caused by me, so I should solve it myself.”

“Master Mu, you’re being too modest. We are not strangers. Consider this a recompense for my previous promise to help you rise to the position of Left Side Chancellor. That situation was a mishap even Ben Wang did not anticipate. So, this time, please accept Ben Wang’s token of goodwill,” Shin Wang said with a friendly smile, closing the lid of the chest and pushing it towards Mu Cui Ming.

Internally, Shin Wang mocked Mu Cui Ming’s pretense. Despite his apparent greed, Mu Cui Ming continued to feign reluctance. It was now clear to Shin Wang why Mu Cui Ming had fallen so easily into his trap...

“Your Highness, please don’t say that. What happened before was not your fault but an unforeseen event. Please don’t worry about it,” Mu Cui Ming quickly countered, adding, “As for this matter, it’s not that I don’t appreciate your kindness, but I’m concerned that accepting it might...bring trouble upon you, Your Highness.”

“You don’t need to worry, Master Mu. Ben Wang won’t be troubled. Just accept Ben Wang’s sincerity.” Shin Wang lifted his teacup to take a sip, his relaxed demeanor making the atmosphere feel more congenial.

Mu Cui Ming pursed his lips slightly, seemingly deep in thought, before finally showing a resigned expression.

“Th...then, I suppose I have no choice but to accept Your Highness’s sincerity.”

“You have made the right choice, Master Mu. I hope this will strengthen our relationship.” Shin Wang raised his teacup in a gesture of camaraderie. Seeing this, Mu Cui Ming quickly raised his own teacup in the same manner.

“From now on, Your Highness is the benefactor of the Mu family. Whatever you request, the Mu family will comply without hesitation!”

“Cheers.”

With that, the two men drank their tea as if toasting with wine, both showing undisguised pleasure, especially Mu Cui Ming. His face, previously gloomy, now appeared bright and relieved. The pressure that had been weighing on him seemed to have vanished completely, replaced by the image of the thick stack of promissory notes in the chest that kept swirling in his mind...

Mu Manor

After finishing his discussion with Shin Wang about the additional terms, Mu Cui Ming returned to his manor with the wooden chest always close by. He then called for Servant Tao to join him in the study to issue several commands.

“Master,”

Servant Tao entered the room and bowed respectfully to the head of the household. Seeing Mu Cui Ming gesture for him to rise, Servant Tao straightened up, standing with his hands clasped politely, ready to receive orders.

“Servant Tao, it has been a long time since the Mu family had a feast, hasn’t it?” Mu Cui Ming asked casually, still clutching the wooden chest on his lap as if it were a priceless treasure.

“Yes, Master. Since the incident, the Elder Furen ordered everyone in the manor to economize. Expenses in all areas have been restricted to reduce costs as much as possible,” Servant Tao replied calmly, glancing briefly at his master’s joyful expression.

“In that case, we shall have a feast tonight! We have endured hardships for too long; it’s time for the Mu family to enjoy some comfort!”

Servant Tao frowned immediately upon hearing Mu Cui Ming’s declaration. Due to the debt owed to Fengkong Repository, Elder Mu Furen had ordered a reduction in all expenditures. So why was the master now planning to defy her orders with such lavish spending?

“I apologize, Master, but there is not enough money left in the Mu family’s treasury...to afford such extravagance,” Servant Tao reported honestly. Though it might not seem proper to contradict his master, it was better than allowing him to make a grave mistake.

Mu Cui Ming immediately responded with a mysterious smile upon hearing this. "Who said our Mu family’s treasury is empty?"

Thud!

"This is a sum of one hundred thousand taels of gold. Servant Tao, do you think this amount is enough for a good feast or two?" Mu Cui Ming lifted the wooden chest and placed it on the table, opening the lid to reveal a thick stack of promissory notes inside.

"This..."

Servant Tao stared at the thick stack of promissory notes in confusion. How had the master acquired such a large amount of money in such a short time?

"Even if we use this money to pay off the debt to Fengkong Repository, the Mu family’s treasury will still be empty, sir."

"Don’t worry, Servant Tao. I have already settled the debt with Fengkong Repository. Our Mu family no longer owes any debt to them. This money is what’s left after repaying the debt," Mu Cui Ming said with a joyful smile, his eyes gleaming with undisguised delight.

Before returning home, after his conversation with Shin Wang, Mu Cui Ming had gone straight to Fengkong Repository to settle all the outstanding debts. Although the money from Shin Wang had been used to repay Fengkong Repository, there was still over one hundred thousand taels of gold left. This surplus was intended for the Mu family to re-establish itself, which greatly impressed Mu Cui Ming. He felt even more determined to fulfill his promise to Shin Wang!

"Now, is there enough money in the Mu family’s treasury to prepare a good meal for the feast?" Mu Cui Ming asked cheerfully.

"Yes, sir,"

Servant Tao replied, glancing at the stack of promissory notes in the chest and pondering something silently.

Such a large amount of money could not have been acquired easily. If something were to go wrong again, the Mu family might not be able to withstand it. As the servant who has served the Mu family for more than two generations, his loyalty was unquestionable by any member of the Mu family. Out of this loyalty to the Mu family, Servant Tao couldn’t help but ask a question out of genuine goodwill, to prevent any future mishaps.

"...Where did this money come from, Master?"

Upon hearing this, Mu Cui Ming’s cheerful expression immediately turned stern. He looked up at the elderly butler with cold eyes, the atmosphere in the room becoming noticeably more tense.

"Servant Tao, if I wanted you to know, you would know. But if there’s something I don’t want you to know, you shouldn’t ask about it..."

"Please forgive me, sir. This old servant was wrong," Servant Tao quickly bowed his head in apology, realizing that the origin of this money must be extraordinary.

Seeing that Servant Tao no longer intended to inquire about the money, Mu Cui Ming’s expression returned to its previous cheerfulness, and the tense atmosphere from moments before dissipated as if it had never existed. "In that case, please take this money to the family treasury, Servant Tao. And don’t forget to ensure the kitchen is prepared for tonight’s dinner."

"Yes, sir,"

Servant Tao readily accepted the task and took the wooden chest containing the one hundred thousand taels of gold to the family treasury as ordered by his master. As he walked along the corridor, a cold glint briefly flashed in his eyes. Despite his old age, Servant Tao was far from senile. Judging from his master’s demeanor, there was undoubtedly something fishy going on.

To prevent another disaster from befalling the Mu family, he had to inform the Elder Furen about it...

Meanwhile, Mu Cui Ming, still seated in his study, watched Servant Tao’s departing back until he was out of sight, his eyes gleaming with a peculiar light. The origin of this money from Shin Wang was something that couldn’t be disclosed to others. In the eyes of others, this might be seen as accepting a bribe in exchange for favors. If this reached the ears of the officials in the Ministry of Justice, those old officials would surely investigate and charge him with accepting bribes and forming factions. Thus, Mu Cui Ming decided to keep the origin of this money a secret.

This was for the safety of the Mu family and himself...

...

..

.

Zhuiping Residence

After Mu Cui Ming settled the debts with Fengkong Repository, the people Mu Yingying had ordered to keep an eye on him returned to report the movements. The three siblings of the Mu family, after hearing the report, discussed the developments in Mu Gongzhen’s main quarters.

"It turned out just as expected. Shin Wang did give father the money, and it was no small amount," Mu Yingying propped her chin on her hand, her big, round eyes fixed on the report in front of her until she finished reading it.

"The promissory notes father used to pay off Fengkong Repository debts were ordinary promissory notes, not ones directly from Shin Wang Palace. It seems the enemy has prepared to cover this loophole," Mu Qingxuan said, reading the document at a leisurely pace.

This didn’t surprise Mu Yingying and Mu Gongzhen, as they had anticipated that the enemy would act cautiously. Given that the other party was Shin Wang, he certainly wouldn’t act recklessly and leave himself open to attacks.

"From what my men had discovered, the several hundred thousand taels of gold were likely collected from various sources by Shin Wang to avoid drawing attention. If we want to bring down Shin Wang, this is an opportunity to strike back,"

Mu Gongzhen paused before continuing. "By moving small amounts of money from various sources, Shin Wang avoided detection. However, if his financial records were to be audited, the transfer of such large sums couldn’t be hidden. This would raise suspicions about what he was doing with the transfer of such large sums of money. Besides this, I’m confident there are other questionable actions Shin Wang has taken in the past. Even though he is royalty, suspicious actions would still draw scrutiny and require explanations that he couldn’t evade."

“How can we get Shin Wang’s financial records investigated? He has the protection of his noble title below and the Empress Dowager above. Who would dare to request an investigation into Shin Wang’s financial records?” Mu Qingxuan asked, puzzled.

The enemy was Shin Wang, and financial records were personal matters that no one, not even high-ranking officials, could meddle in. Throughout history, since the dynasties changed hands many times, there had never been a record of a Wang or royal family member being subjected to a financial investigation unless it was for treason!

So, for Shin Wang, who showed no signs of rebellion and had a longstanding good reputation among the people, there’s no way his financial records could be easily audited...

“It’s true that it might be difficult to get Shin Wang’s financial records investigated,” Mu Yingying, who had been silent for a while, finally spoke with a mysterious smile at the corner of her mouth.

“...But it’s not impossible.”

Hearing this, both Mu Gongzhen and Mu Qingxuan turned to the small figure with puzzled expressions. Seeing their reactions, Mu Yingying explained her idea slowly to ensure they understood.

“Because of his title of a Wang, officials don’t have the authority to investigate Shin Wang’s financial records. But what if we apply pressure from the public and the royal court? Even though he’s royalty, he can’t ignore his reputation.”

“Normally, if it were just about Shin Wang, officials wouldn’t have the right to petition for an investigation. But if this affects the royal family’s reputation, it’s an insult to the Emperor’s dignity. This would allow the Ministry of Officials and the Ministry of Justice to intervene and petition His Majesty to investigate Shin Wang’s financial records.”

“At the same time, if rumors about the lack of transparency in the royal court spread among the people and there is no clear explanation, the people will begin to distrust them. The royal court represents the face of the country. If the royal court is disrespected by the people and loses their trust, it will have widespread repercussions. The old officials would never let this happen. To clear the people’s doubts, the only solution is to prove the truth!”

As Mu Yingying finished speaking, a heavy silence fell over the room. No one spoke until the sound of a teacup being placed on the table broke the quiet.

“Rumors are dangerous. If not careful, words alone can kill a person...”

Mu Gongzhen spoke with a cold smile, his eyes gleaming with an icy light that made onlookers shiver. “Our Ying’er is quite clever. Shin Wang might be a formidable enemy, but as long as he is human, he cannot help but be swayed by the words of others.”

“Exactly. When it comes to reputation and image, those old officials in the royal court are all very thin-skinned. They would never endure such rumors,” Mu Yingying said with a laugh filled with scorn.

No matter how capable the court officials were, they were exceedingly sensitive about their reputations. They cared deeply about their status and image, and a prime example of this was none other than their own father. As a result, this sensitivity was always a weakness that could be easily exploited...

“But if it’s just a rumor, will people believe it? Without any substance, would the officials believe it?”

Mu Qingxuan asked, puzzled. She understood the plan but had some doubts. Although those old officials were always keen on maintaining their reputations and images, they were not fools who would believe baseless rumors.

Hearing this, Mu Yingying immediately revealed a cunning smile, her big, round eyes gleaming with malice.

“...In that case, we simply need to create substance to give rise to the rumor.”

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