Not only was his hard work wasted, but today, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he would inevitably have to stand on the side of the aggrieved party, which would offend the Fu family. Naturally, the Prefect of the Capital would secretly resent Fu Meier for ruining things!
"You're lying! I didn't steal this at all! You're framing me! You must have stuffed it into my clothes! I absolutely didn't steal it!" Fu Meier had never been so humiliated. From a young age, she prided herself on her outstanding talent and beauty, never submitting to any noble lady in the capital, and her conduct was far superior to theirs. She never imagined she would be implicated in theft. Her hard-earned title of "Three Talents" would be utterly tarnished. Even after returning home, she would face the cold ridicule and jeers of those lowly women. She absolutely could not admit it.
However, it's not as simple as Fu Meier denying it now. Ouyang Yue snorted coldly, "Why would I force something on you when I'm not sick? Miss Fu, I advise you to obediently confess. The evidence is clear, and your denial will only make things worse for you."
"It was you, you framed me on purpose! It's clearly your fault, and I won't let you get away with this!" Fu Meier's face was pale as she watched the onlookers pointing and whispering about her, and some people discussing her title of "Three Beauties." She was confident that she was no less beautiful than the first or second, but because of her background, she was ranked third, and now she was even implicated in this!
"Hmph!" Ouyang Yue snorted coldly and said to the Prefect of Jingzhao, "Sir, these people were all summoned by Miss Fu. My shop has suffered heavy losses. Why don't you search them first, and then I'll compare them with the others? If they don't have it, then I might have wronged Miss Fu."
The Prefect of the Capital Prefecture looked at the man with the blue face and fangs mask in surprise. He hadn't expected that the man also wanted to settle things peacefully. They were actually in the same boat: "Men, search these people!"
"Yes, sir!"
The constables immediately obeyed and stepped forward to search. Since the chief constable and the prefect of the capital had brought two groups of people, there were quite a few constables. Each of them could search one servant of the deputy prefectural office and there were still some left over.
The servants of the Fu household looked up disdainfully as they were searched. They were servants of the Fu family; even some officials in the capital wouldn't dare offend them too much. Besides, they hadn't stolen anything; what could they possibly find? Dream on!
"Sir, we found two silver ingots on this man."
"Sir, this man has a jade pendant on him."
"Sir, this is an exquisitely carved wooden puppet."
"Sir, I still have..."
"Sir, this place is also..."
The servants of the Fu household, who had initially been full of confidence, showed surprise after the constables searched them one by one. Their faces turned ashen, a strange bewilderment on their expressions. How did these things end up on them? They hadn't stolen anything! They were only focused on smashing things when they entered, and hadn't had time to do so yet. Although their original intention was to take advantage of the situation to loot some valuables, this really wasn't their doing! Some were even starting to get confused. Could it really be that they did it, but simply forgot? How could they forget so quickly? Had they not been drinking today?
The onlookers were furious. "What? They really found something! These are the servants of the Fu family. They're all dishonest. I have to tell my servants to never associate with these kinds of people."
"These are no servants, they are clearly bandits and robbers. Only such wicked people would dare to rob their master's house!"
"This is outrageous! If they can cause trouble in this shop today, they can cause trouble in other shops in the future. We must not let these robbers get away with this!"
"That's right, we can't let them get away with it. I've had silver stolen from my shop before. Could they be the ones who stole it? They often come to my shop!"
"Arrest them! Arrest them quickly and interrogate them severely! How could such a bandit gang appear in the capital? They absolutely cannot be let off lightly!"
The crowd was filled with righteous indignation; anyone who didn't know better would think that Meiyi Pavilion belonged to them and that they had been robbed. This statement caused a huge uproar, with many suspecting that the Fu family was responsible for the thefts from their shops and homes. Otherwise, how could the Fu family have become the richest family in the Great Zhou Dynasty in such a short time?
The Fu family only truly became wealthy in this generation. The current patriarch's father, Yi Jiao, was merely a small merchant; the family fortune only rose after the current head took over. It's said that the current patriarch is an extremely skilled gambler, owning several casinos, and possesses considerable business acumen and a keen eye for market trends. In just ten years since taking over, he has become the richest man in the Great Zhou Dynasty—a truly unprecedented feat. However, while there are many stories about the Fu family's rise to wealth, only the less significant ones have been widely circulated. Their rise to power has always been met with skepticism, and now this seed of doubt is sprouting among the people.
Yes, the Fu family definitely didn't start out honestly. They've done countless evil deeds in secret, and you can see most of it from today's incident!
Ouyang Yue also exclaimed in surprise at the right moment: "What? You actually stole so many things? Even if we don't buy them, we can still be on good terms. You've robbed my shop and are going to bankrupt me. How heartless you are!" Then she turned around in a panic, "No, I have to investigate immediately. I absolutely cannot let them get away with this."
The Prefect of Jingzhao had given up on the idea of settling things peacefully. His face was ashen. In his eyes, the Fu family was no different from bandits, even worse than the hooligans in the capital. He was ashamed that the Fu family dared to support them. If it were him, he would have beaten them to death long ago!
Fu Meier's face turned pale, and seeing this situation, she was trembling with anger. Fear even crept into her heart. How could things have gone so badly today? She had actually fallen into this trap, and fallen so miserably. How could she ever face anyone in the capital again? How hateful and despicable! If she hadn't seen the woman who resembled Ouyang Yue, she wouldn't have had this thought.
No! Did Ouyang Yue really not go? Who can guarantee that? Fu Meier's mind was in a whirl, but one thing remained clear: she hated Ouyang Yue. Yet she didn't ask herself, if Ouyang Yue hadn't harbored ill intentions, why would things have escalated to this point? Qiu Yue and Ouyang Yue had repeatedly told her to leave, but she wouldn't, and even ordered the servants to smash the shop. Her behavior was no different from that of a bandit, so what was there to complain about!
At this moment, Ouyang Yue, holding the account book, roared angrily, "This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! Pay me back! Pay me back! My shop was scheduled to open soon, and I had a lot of working capital and decorations in it, and half of them are gone. Oh, and it's not just you, you little maid, you secretly ran out earlier, tell me, did you take my things to sell them?! Speak!" Ouyang Yue came out holding an account book, handed it directly to the Prefect of Jingzhao with both hands, and then pointed at the little maid in yellow next to Fu Meier, angrily.
The little maid had never seen anything like this before. She had only called for someone to come over; she hadn't even gone inside. How could this be? "No, no, I absolutely didn't. I just followed Miss's orders to call someone from the manor. I definitely didn't steal anything. I didn't steal those things."
Ouyang Yue's voice was extremely cold: "Isn't that stealing? You sent these people to rob my shop, isn't that stealing? Well, well, a whole bunch of snakes, insects, and rats. I've finally seen the Fu family's capabilities. I'm impressed! I'm impressed!"
The Prefect of the Capital was flipping through the account book. Ouyang Yue had marked all the missing items with a red cross, and the amount was considerable. At this moment, a man who looked like an accountant rushed out of the Beauty Pavilion and started counting the money on the spot with the Prefect. After counting twice, the accountant's face was very strange, and finally turned to anger: "Damn it, the Fu family is simply audacious and reckless, causing our shop to lose 103,652 taels of silver."
"There's so much! You didn't miscalculate. All my savings are in there!" Ouyang Yue exclaimed anxiously.
For some reason, the accountant's lips twitched slightly. He nodded earnestly, a bead of sweat rolling down his forehead, but no one noticed at the moment: "Boss, there's no mistake. The cash plus some valuable items and decorations total 103,652 taels of silver, no error."
Ouyang Yue trembled, almost unable to stand, her voice filled with rage: "Fu family, you still dare to come? Miss Fu, hand over the things to me now, or I'd rather file a lawsuit with the emperor than let you go wrong and seek justice!"
Fu Mei trembled with anger, her eyebrows furrowing into an odd arc: "You're making false accusations! I didn't, I really didn't, sir!"
The Prefect of Jingzhao said coldly, "Miss Fu, I think you should just spend the money today and try to make money peacefully."
Fu Meier's face was contorted with rage, she seemed speechless with anger. What talk of "harmony brings wealth"? She was losing a fortune! How could harmony bring wealth? Although she lived in the Fu family and enjoyed a more luxurious life than other noble ladies, the legitimate daughters only received ten taels of silver a month, while she only received twenty. Although she usually carried two or three hundred taels with her to show off her status, she had already given it all to the masked man. She never imagined there was still a large sum waiting for her.
She could accept ten thousand taels, but this hundred thousand taels was the annual income of one of the more profitable shops in the Fu family. Even Fu Meier, let alone an ordinary young lady, was terrified upon hearing it. Not only was her reputation damaged, but she also had to pay such a large sum of money. She lost the shop she had her eye on and brought trouble upon herself. Even if her father doted on her, he would surely punish her when she returned. Moreover, there were a bunch of scheming women in the manor eyeing her covetously. Fu Meier had never regretted going out so much. Why did she even think of going out today? If she hadn't gone out, this wouldn't have happened!
She bit her lip, took a deep breath, and frowned, saying, "My lord, I meant well today and wanted to go in and take a look. If they hadn't been so resistant at first, my daughter wouldn't have done this. My maid saw me being taken advantage of and, out of a protective instinct, called these servants. She had no chance to steal anything. As for these servants, I had no idea they were so dishonest. My lord, you can punish them however you wish; the Fu family will certainly cooperate fully."
Qiu Yue suddenly began to sob softly, "Young Master, we are outnumbered and outmatched by the Fu family. I think we should just give up. Let them have the shop, as long as they get their money back. The owner spent half his fortune on this shop, and now that half his fortune has been stolen. What will you do now?" Qiu Yue was already beautiful and charming, and her tears immediately evoked pity. Moreover, the more they acted as if they were being wronged and pleading, the more people felt that the Fu family was arrogant and domineering, and the more united they became in their hatred, believing that the Fu family should not be let off easily.
"Your Excellency, the evidence is now irrefutable. Aren't you going to pursue the money for the aggrieved party?" At this moment, a scholar in a white robe stepped out from the crowd. The scholar looked ordinary and his physique was also average. However, the Prefect of the Capital's forehead twitched when he saw him. He couldn't help but glance around, and after not seeing the person who was afraid, he breathed a sigh of relief.
This man is named Li Shuangfei. He was the top scholar in the imperial examination two years ago and is currently a senior censor of the eighth rank. He is not afraid of the Prefect of Jingzhao, but he is afraid of his master, Liu Hanwen, who is currently a senior censor of the fifth rank.
Speaking of Liu Hanwen, this old man has always been a nightmare for court officials and even the royal family. This old man was born with a stubborn streak, daring to criticize anyone. It's said that he was the one who impeached the Third Prince, which angered the Emperor, who sent the Third Prince far away to avoid seeing him. But the old man didn't learn his lesson and went on to impeach the Seventh and Ninth Princes as well. The Seventh Prince was the Emperor's most favored son, and in the end, he only received a reprimand and confinement. This clearly shows how tactless Liu Hanwen was.
However, precisely because of this, people in the court treated him like a ghost, fearing he would find fault with them. They worried that even the heavens themselves couldn't sway him, and once he caught them, he would relentlessly pursue them like glue. Even if they weren't dismissed from their posts, they would still be skinned alive and fined.
Li Shuangfei, despite being the top scholar in the imperial examinations, remained a lowly eighth-rank censor for two years. He inherited his master's unyielding nature and never complained. He even impeached the seventh prince for discord with his brothers, though the emperor ultimately upheld his opinion and reprimanded him. Li Shuangfei's continued failure to rise in rank clearly reflected the emperor's dissatisfaction with the master and apprentice. The emperor, fearing damage to his reputation by targeting his son, couldn't directly confront these troublesome officials, but he couldn't afford to be overly controlling.
Who knew that Li Shuangfei would never restrain himself and always take his master as an example. He was such a low-ranking official that he would be demoted even further, and the emperor was too lazy to pay attention to them. However, the other ministers were afraid.
The Prefect of Jingzhao broke out in a cold sweat. If he didn't deal with it today, Li Shuangfei would definitely go back and tell Liu Hanwen, and by tomorrow, a memorial impeaching him would surely be on the Emperor's desk. No matter how much he feared offending the Prefect, the Prefect himself was more important than the Prefect.
"Guards! Take all these trespassers back to their place. I will interrogate them thoroughly," the Prefect of Jingzhao ordered decisively.
Fu Meier was stunned: "What? Arrest me? I'm innocent! I'm innocent!" She struggled to break free, but the constables wouldn't listen to her and roughly grabbed her and left.
"Wait, wait, hold on a minute." Another voice came from the crowd, and soon a middle-aged man dressed in gray clothes, sweating profusely, squeezed in. When Fu Meier saw the man, she immediately said, "Uncle He, please save me." This man was none other than Fu He, the steward of the mansion.
Na Fuhe glanced at Fu Meier, his eyes flickering, and immediately bowed to the disguised Ouyang Yue: "Boss, this is all a misunderstanding. Why don't we sit down and talk?"
Ouyang Yue shook her head: "There's nothing to talk about. Return the 103,652 taels of silver you owe me, and we'll be even. I won't pursue this matter further. But if your Fu family goes too far, this isn't over!"
"What! One hundred and three thousand six hundred and fifty-two taels of silver? How could this be so much? What happened?" Fu He had just heard that the servants in his mansion had been summoned away, and then he heard that there was a commotion on Chenghua Street, so he came over to see what was going on. He never expected that they would suddenly owe so much silver.
Ouyang Yue's voice was cold and indifferent: "You'll have to ask your young lady about this..." Ouyang Yue briefly recounted what had happened, and her words immediately drew agreement.
"That's right, the Golden Jade Abacus fell from Miss Fu's body. We've seen the others as well. The Fu family is a prestigious family, this is really outrageous."
"that is……"
Fu He stared blankly at Fu Meier, only to see that her face was pale and she looked like she was about to cry. Her frightened expression made Fu He immediately assume that Fu Meier had tacitly agreed. His heart tightened: "Please wait and rest for a while, my lord. I will go back and raise the money immediately!" Fu Meier was, after all, the eldest daughter of the family, and this matter concerned the reputation of the Fu family, so he naturally dared not delay.
When the Prefect of Jingzhao saw that the Fu family wanted to settle the matter with money, he nodded and had Ouyang Yue invite them in. They were served fruit and tea, and Ouyang Yue even gave the chief constable the money that Fu Meier had given her to settle the matter earlier, thus easing the previous misunderstanding. The chief constable naturally forgot all the unpleasantness and soon began to chat with Ouyang Yue. They were so familiar with each other that they seemed like good brothers who had not seen each other for many years, which made the onlookers sigh in admiration.
About half an hour later, Fu He came over with several servants, carrying a wooden box: "This is 103,652 taels of silver. Please count it, sir."
Ouyang Yue didn't pick it up immediately, but looked at it and said, "These are all silver notes from the Fu family's money shop."
“Exactly, is there a problem?” Fu He looked coldly at Ouyang Yue, clearly indicating that the Fu family would not let this go so easily after suffering such a loss.
Ouyang Yue sneered: "Since this is your Fu family's money shop, you can pay up now. What if you deny it later when I send someone to collect it? Besides, after what happened before, I'm terrified. Compared to a royal merchant like the Fu family, I'm nothing. What if I'm framed and tricked? That money will be gone..."
Fu He's eyes grew even colder. Although he was only the steward of the Fu family, he had served the head of the Fu family for a long time and naturally possessed the ability to judge people and the wisdom to do so. Just as he was about to bluff his way out, Ouyang Yue turned around and rushed towards the Prefect of the Capital: "Sir, I wonder if I could report a case to you first? You see, my biggest enemy in the capital right now is the Fu family. If something happens to me, I will most likely die at the hands of the Fu family. I hope that you will uphold justice for me then."
The Prefect of Jingzhao was taken aback. In his many years as an official, he had never heard of such an amusing incident, nor had he ever reported a crime before it even happened. He looked up and saw Li Shuangfei standing not far from the Beauty Pavilion, watching him. It seemed he hadn't let the matter rest. He twitched his lips. "After all this talk, I still don't know your name, young master. But you can rest assured about this matter. I will certainly not allow such a wicked thing to happen. Besides, the Fu family is a prominent family in the capital; they wouldn't be the kind of people who can't distinguish right from wrong. The things you're thinking of will definitely not happen."
"My lord, I was so anxious that I forgot. You can just call me Ghost Face." She then tilted her head. If Fu He saw her expression behind the mask, he would be furious. "With your assurance, I am relieved. However, I am still a little unsure. I would like to trouble Steward Fu to exchange all the Fu family's silver notes for those from Baohao Money Shop and Liu's Money Shop. That way, I can take them with peace of mind."
"You!" Even Fu He, a man of many experiences, was greatly angered by Ouyang Yue. He had indeed harbored designs on Ouyang Yue, but with the Prefect of Jingzhao's guarantee, he certainly wouldn't act on it. Yet this man had made him run errands, and even made him exchange the Prefect's silver notes with the two competing families. Wasn't this a slap in the face to the Fu family?
The Prefect of Jingzhao, however, thought this was a good plan and would save trouble: "Chief Steward Fu, just do as the Ghost-Faced Young Master says. You should know that if you wait a little longer, your young lady will have a greater chance of leaving with me."
Fu Meier sat to one side, her face deathly pale. She had no will to argue anymore; what was the point of saying anything more at this point? Fu He gritted his teeth, turned, and walked out again. A full hour later, he returned carrying silver notes from Baohao Money Shop and Liu's Money Shop. As for the extra fifty-two taels of silver, they were given in loose change. Ouyang Yue had the accountant and Qiu Yue carefully count them twice, distinguishing between genuine and counterfeit notes, before nodding in approval.
Fu He, along with Fu Meier and the others, who were pale-faced, left with dark expressions.
Ouyang Yue, beaming, escorted the Prefect of the Capital away. However, as they left, she secretly slipped a silver note into the Prefect's sleeve. The Prefect initially tried to refuse, but fearing attention on the street, he accepted it. Once in the sedan chair, he opened it and found a silver note worth ten thousand taels of silver. The Prefect stroked his beard; this masked young master was quite capable, and very generous. Taking money to solve problems—he could certainly get the constables to patrol his area more often.
"What a pity, there are only 93,652 taels of silver left. That Prefect of the Capital is really greedy." As soon as the man left, Ouyang Yue sighed.
"Hmph! Anyway, you swindled that money from me, so what's there to feel bad about?" Leng Can finally appeared, glaring at Ouyang Yue, but his lips twitched uncontrollably.
This woman! He thought her doing business with her master was already ripping people off enough. After all, she even offered some hidden weapon diagrams as compensation. This time, she truly pulled off a scheme to get something for nothing. Did she think he didn't know? That abacus was slipped into Fu Meier's clothes when she wasn't looking. Not to mention her other subordinates—she'd played them all, spreading the whole story among so many people, and in the end, this woman still complained that the money wasn't enough!
This woman is such a miser! She has absolutely no airs of a refined lady!
Ouyang Yue pouted: "Of course I should feel sorry for them. I've been playing with them for so long, don't you think I'm tired? I've said so much, I should at least rinse my mouth with some top-grade Longjing tea when I get back. That stuff is very expensive, and these points aren't even enough."
Leng Can remained silent, not pressing the topic, and said coldly, "But you actually dared to offend the Fu family. They suffered a loss this time, and from now on, Meiyi Pavilion will be a thorn in their side!"
Ouyang Yue paused for a moment, then asked, "Leng Can, when you bought this place, did you know that the Fu family also wanted this shop?"
Leng Can nodded: "I do know that."
Ouyang Yue pondered for a moment. It was just a shop, and Fu Meier didn't need to show up. However, Fu Meier's determined look made Ouyang Yue very concerned: "Leng Can, your organization should also be keeping an eye on the Fu family in secret, right? Why don't you start with the Fu family's newly acquired shops?"
Leng Can hesitated for a moment, then nodded: "I will inform my master later."
Ouyang Yue's tone shifted abruptly. Glancing at Fu Meier who had just attacked her, she squatted down to one side, followed by the large black dog that had entered the room and was sitting in the corner. Seeing its fierce expression and unsightly drooling, she couldn't help but ask, "Where did you get this dog?" Earlier, when Fu Meier came in, Ouyang Yue had asked Leng Can to find a dog, and she hadn't expected it to be this one. She had been startled when the dog first came out; this ferocious dog had almost hurt Fu Meier.
Leng Can looked at the big black dog and frowned: "What, are you not satisfied? The time you gave me was too short. If it were longer, I would definitely find the fiercest one. If it doesn't bite off Fu Meier's leg, it's already too good for her."
Ouyang Yue gave him a speechless look: "When did I say I wanted to find someone fiercer? If you really bite Fu Meier badly, that would be a big problem."
Leng Can blinked in confusion: "Aren't you planning to attack Fu Meier?"
Ouyang Yue paused for a moment: "Actually, just find a small one, one that can keep Fu Meier occupied."
Leng Can let out an "Oh," his eyes twitching slightly. This woman hadn't said anything earlier; he'd gone to great lengths to steal this dog. It had been disobedient and almost bitten him; he'd had to fight it off quite a bit to subdue it. Thinking about it now, he felt embarrassed. Of course, he couldn't tell Ouyang Yue about how he'd almost gotten himself into trouble. He pulled the dog away to take it back, but the big black dog wouldn't have it. It sat firmly on its backside, looking abandoned, its eyes brimming with tears as it gazed at Leng Can.
Qiu Yue exclaimed "Eh!" and couldn't help but say to Ouyang Yue, "Miss, this big black dog seems to be a female."
Ouyang Yue opened her eyes, chuckled, and then burst into laughter, slapping the table as she looked at Leng Can: "Leng Can, it seems this big black dog has taken a liking to you. You should just give in to it."
Leng Canhei glared at them fiercely with a dark face, his ears turning red. He dragged the big black dog towards the inner hall, intending to send it away through the back door. Even after a while, Ouyang Yue could still hear the big black dog's reluctant whimpers, laughing uproariously.
Ouyang Yue had been out for two hours, but there was no time to waste, so she secretly returned to the General's Mansion with Chuncao and Dongxue, who were hiding in the inner hall.
As soon as she returned and entered the house, Xique greeted her from outside, "Miss, I have something to ask of you."
Ouyang Yue paused for a moment: "Come in." She remembered that this Xique was a second-class maid in Mingyue Pavilion.
Today, Xique was dressed in a pale yellow dress. Although the fabric was somewhat rough, it couldn't hide her slender figure and pretty face. Ouyang Yue's eyes flashed with a strange light, and she asked, "What is it?"
Xique bowed and then lowered her head, saying, "Miss, news just came from the Old Madam. There's been a lot of turnover among the servants in the manor lately, and Aunt Hua has just been diagnosed with pregnancy and needs someone to take care of her. So the Old Madam has already found a matchmaker, and she'll be bringing people in early tomorrow morning. The Old Madam said that each courtyard can have more servants. Miss, do you think Mingyue Pavilion needs any more maids?" Although Xique's expression was respectful, her eyes couldn't hide her anticipation. If the Third Miss wanted any more maids, she would likely have two to four head maids, and since Qiuyue had just left, she might be promoted to one.
Ouyang Yue nodded: "Okay, talk to Chuncao about this. Let's decide how many Mingyue Pavilion needs tomorrow."
"Yes, Miss, this servant will take her leave." Xique retreated and left, while Ouyang Yue stared at the closed door, lost in thought.
After dinner, Ouyang Yue took Dongxue out for a walk. As they walked, they ended up at Ningxiang Courtyard, where Aunt Liu lived. Ouyang Yue was taken aback: "We've ended up here. Since we're here, let's go in and see Aunt Liu."
Dongxue nodded in agreement, helped Ouyang Yue forward, and when she saw the maid guarding the gate outside, she asked her to announce her arrival.
Aunt Liu's Ningxiang Courtyard lacked the grandeur of Shanyu Pavilion, the elegance of Aunt Ming's residence, and the extravagance of Aunt Hong's or Aunt Hua's rooms. It was simply ordinary, with a few flowers and plants planted in the outer courtyard, providing a touch of life. Just as Ouyang Yue stepped into the room, a child's cry suddenly rang out. Ouyang Yue raised an eyebrow and quickly entered.
Inside the room, Aunt Liu was holding Ouyang Tong, anxiously trying to soothe him. When she saw Ouyang Yue enter, she tried to greet her respectfully, but Ouyang Yue immediately smiled gently and said, "Aunt Liu, please don't be so polite. What's wrong with my little brother? He looks so sad."