"The money General Mu lost in the bet!" Shen Lixue took out the IOU written by Mu Tao and held it out to the old woman: "Madam, look carefully, it's written clearly in black and white!"
The old woman carefully read the contents and sneered, "You tricked Tao'er into gambling, and the loss was fraudulent. Guards, go report this to the authorities and arrest the culprits!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow and said calmly, "When we started the gambling, all the guests behind us saw it clearly. General Mu Er gambled voluntarily and placed his bets voluntarily. We did not force him. If the old lady does not mind that General Mu Er's bad reputation for not admitting defeat after losing the bet spreads throughout the capital, then go ahead and report it to the authorities!"
"You're threatening me!" The old woman's sharp gaze and icy eyes stared coldly at Shen Lixue.
Shen Lixue did not back down. She smiled slightly and met the old woman's gaze: "I wouldn't dare. I'm just stating the facts. The officials have come and verified the handwriting. They'll be able to help us get the money. Thank you, Madam!"
"You!" The old woman gritted her teeth in anger, glaring hatefully at Shen Lixue: "Four million eight hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver is no small sum. How could a commoner like you have so much wealth!"
Shen Lixue smiled politely, but there was no smile in her cold eyes: "There's no need for you to trouble yourself, Madam. Just tell me whether you want some money or not."
"So much silver can't be raised in a short time!" The old woman's gaze darkened, and she coldly uttered these words.
“Noble families all like to keep their gold and silver in their storerooms. The Duke of Mu’s mansion should be no exception!” Shen Lixue blinked, her dark eyes clear and innocent, yet carrying a chilling and sharp edge.
When her lie was exposed, the old woman showed no embarrassment and said proudly, "The silver in the Mu State Duke's mansion's treasury is all left to future generations by our ancestors, not for you lowly commoners!" The word "lowly commoners" was emphasized, as if it were being spat out from between her teeth, spoken with gritted teeth.
“One of your descendants is a gambler who lost all his money and squandered the family fortune. If you have someone to blame, you should blame him, not us!” Shen Lixue’s cold gaze pierced through the wide-open door and looked into the endless bluestone path. “Judging from the old lady’s words, she won’t give any money. Fine, let’s invite the officials to come and ask them to settle the case!”
"Four million eight hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver, I really can't come up with it right away. Don't push me too far!" The old woman glared at Shen Lixue, her eyes blazing with anger. If the officials were called in, Mu Tao's affair would become the talk of the town in an instant. Then, all the people of Xiliang would know that someone in the Mu family was gambling and had lost a lot of money. The Mu family's century-old reputation would be ruined.
The total amount of money in the treasury did indeed exceed 4.88 million taels, but that included all the gold, silver, treasures, rare antiques, and many valuable items bestowed by the emperor. Many of these items could not be sold, so the remaining amount was less than 4.88 million taels.
"I see!" Shen Lixue frowned, feigning difficulty. After thinking for a moment, she sighed, "I've always been soft-hearted and can't bear to see people suffer. That 4.88 million taels of silver is all your assets. If I take it away, you'll have a big problem with food and clothing. If you accidentally starve to death or get injured, my sin will be immense."
"I think your Duke Mu's mansion is quite nice, and it's very well-built. With a few minor modifications, it will suit my taste perfectly. How about you use it to offset the 4.88 million taels of silver? You can take everything out of the rooms, and leave this courtyard to me. What do you think, Madam?"
---Aside---
(*^__^*) Hehe... The plot is about to take a turn! Thank you all for your votes, mwah...
Chapter 180: The Duke of Mu's Mansion Loses All Face
"Shut up! What do you take my Duke Mu's mansion for? A dilapidated temple or a run-down house that you can just take as you please?" The old lady's aged eyes were filled with intense anger. Her unfilial descendants had gambled away the ancestral home where the Mu family had lived for generations. How could the Mu family have any face to stand in the capital or the court?
"Then please repay the four million eight hundred and eighty thousand taels of silver. Once I have the silver, I will leave immediately and will never bother the old lady again!" Shen Lixue stretched out her fair hand in front of the old lady, with an attitude of not giving up until she got what she wanted.
The old lady gritted her teeth in hatred: "Do you have to be so aggressive?" Every word seemed to be spat out from between her teeth, carrying a bone-chilling coldness and anger.
"Madam, please look carefully." Shen Lixue flicked her wrist, and another piece of paper floated in front of the old lady: "It's written clearly in black and white, and it's even stamped with General Mu Er's seal. I'm just taking back what's rightfully mine. How am I being aggressive?"
"When will the government officials arrive?" The old woman stared coldly at Chen Lixue, then suddenly turned to look at the guard beside her, her aged voice carrying a sharp edge.
The servant bowed slightly and said, "Reporting to the old lady, we have already gone to report to the authorities, and they will arrive soon!"
Shen Lixue raised an eyebrow, put away the written agreement, and said leisurely, "There is no law against gambling in Xiliang. It is only natural to pay back the money lost in gambling. If you don't believe my written agreement and want to report it to the authorities, then go ahead. I am in the right. Even if the matter goes to the Emperor, I am not afraid!" The old woman wanted the officials to handle the matter, so she waited for them to come.
As soon as he finished speaking, a series of orderly footsteps approached from afar, indicating that a large group of people were heading this way. The onlookers exchanged glances and their expressions changed slightly.
Shen Lixue remained calm, her dark eyes cold and icy. The government officials had indeed arrived, and they had come very quickly.
The old lady looked at Shen Lixue, a hint of mockery rising at the corner of her mouth. She was the old lady of the Duke of Mu's mansion, and she knew almost all the noble families in the capital. The couple in front of her who were collecting debts were completely unfamiliar to her. They were definitely not nobles. They were probably commoners, or at most, wealthy merchants. Their status was still worlds apart from that of her noble Duke of Mu's mansion.
Officials are adept at changing their tune depending on the wind. When the officials arrive here, they will quickly weigh the pros and cons. Offending wealthy merchants is no big deal, but they would never dare to offend the Duke of Mu's mansion. They can just make up some excuse to throw the couple into jail and see if they dare to come to the Duke of Mu's mansion to ask for money again.
She had given them a chance to live, but they gave it up themselves. Since they were so reckless and aggressive, she no longer needed to be polite to them.
The sound of orderly footsteps was close at hand. The old woman turned around and saw that they were not government officials, but a group of royal guards. They were wearing armor, carrying long swords, with solemn faces and imposing presence. They walked in an orderly manner, their sharp eyes constantly watching their every move.
In the middle of the guards walked a dignified and mysterious iron-gray sedan chair. The curtains of the sedan chair were lowered, concealing everything inside. Judging from the identities of the guards and their cautious expressions, the person sitting inside was definitely not an ordinary person.
The main road in front of the Mu State Mansion was wide, but it was almost blocked by dozens of restaurant guests and many onlookers. The guards marched in unison and shouted, "When the Prince of Yan goes out, all irrelevant people, get out of the way immediately!"
The Prince of Yan! The most noble prince of Xiliang!
The people were startled and quickly moved to the sides of the road to make way for the procession. They would occasionally glance up at the iron-gray sedan chair. The Prince of Yan was always mysterious and rarely appeared in public. They wondered what he looked like.
Shen Lixue looked at the sedan chair, her snowy eyes narrowed slightly. The sedan chair was iron gray, solemn and mysterious, without any superfluous decorations, which was very much in line with the Prince of Yan's personality. Was the person sitting inside really the Prince of Yan?
"When I told you to leave, I meant you should go back to your own homes, not just stand on the sides of the road!" The guard's cold gaze swept over the people, and his icy shouts echoed through the quiet road.
The people were terrified and knelt down one after another: "Prince Yan, spare our lives! Spare our lives!"
Their homes were all in faraway places, and they couldn't go back in a short time. The closest one was the Duke of Mu's mansion, but it was the residence of a noble family, and they would never allow commoners like them to enter.
Dongfang Heng and Shen Lixue stood outside the gate of the Duke of Mu's mansion, very close to the old woman and Mu Tao. None of them knelt down.
"Swish, swish, swish!" The guards drew their longswords, their gazes sweeping over the kneeling commoners, their voices as cold as ice in the dead of winter: "I'll count to three. If you don't back down, don't blame me for being ruthless! One!"
"Your Highness, spare us!" The people cried out in despair. The Prince of Yan did not want to see any idlers, and they also wanted to disappear as soon as possible. However, the street was very long, and they were in the very center. Even if they counted to dozens of times, let alone three, they might not be able to reach the end.
"Two!" The guards ignored the people's pleas, their gazes serious as they coldly counted.
"Spare us! Spare us!" The people trembled with fear, kowtowing and begging for mercy.
"Three!" The last word, cold and ruthless, came from the guard's mouth. With a flick of his wrist, his longsword was drawn, gleaming with a chilling light in the sunlight, enough to pierce the soul.
"Stop!" Just as the guards' swords were about to fall on the common people, Shen Lixue's eyes narrowed, and her slender body instantly appeared in front of the sedan chair. She said sincerely, "This humble woman has a grievance. I brought people to the gate of the Duke of Mu's mansion just now. I did not mean to block the Prince of Yan's way. I beg the Prince of Yan to calm his anger!"
The people looked at Shen Lixue, shook their heads and sighed. It was said that the Prince of Yan had an unpredictable temper and was capricious. They were just standing by the roadside, and the Prince of Yan was already displeased. That girl actually dared to step forward and cry out for justice. She was sure to die. What a pity, she was so young.
The old woman was slightly taken aback by Shen Lixue's audacious actions. Then, she sneered silently. This ignorant and lowly commoner dared to provoke the Prince of Yan. In his anger, he simply ordered her to be executed, saving himself the trouble.
The sedan chair departed silently, and the people were so frightened that they dared not even breathe. The entire street was eerily quiet, and the sound of the wind blowing through the branches was exceptionally clear.
"Injustice? What injustice is it?" Just as everyone was about to suffocate from the oppressive atmosphere, a majestic voice came from inside the sedan chair. Shen Lixue heard it clearly; it was the Prince of Yan.