Chapter 410

**Chapter 415: Storm Clouds Gather (Part 1)**

Madam Tao nearly slipped and would have fallen flat on her back had Tao Cheng not been quick enough to steady her.

"Who dares do such a thing!" Blood rushed to her head. "To set up a *confidence scam* just to swindle you!"

Tao Cheng hunched his shoulders slightly. "It was Ying Da from Daxing."

Madam Tao was momentarily at a loss for words.

The estate of Lady Yuan was located in Daxing, and this Ying Da was a local fixer who often acted as a runner for the prefect, handling small tasks. As a result, everyone in Daxing showed him some respect.

"That’s why I didn’t pay attention," Tao Cheng said dejectedly. "At the time, I saw three hundred acres of wheat fields being sold for two hundred taels and thought it was something Magistrate Ren had acquired and wanted to quietly dispose of. That’s why I bought it. Who knew that when I came to my senses, two hundred taels had mysteriously become two thousand?"

Madam Tao’s expression turned grave.

Since Ying Da could run errands for Princess Changning’s household, he must have seen something of the world. Even when beating a dog, one must consider its master. How could he dare to pull off such an enormous swindle? Wasn’t he afraid they’d fight back desperately and report him to the authorities, dragging him into serious legal consequences?

Still unwilling to accept it, she asked, "Did you see Ying Da yourself?"

"No," Tao Cheng helped Madam Tao sit on the embroidered stool by the table and poured her a cup of tea. "His wife said he hasn’t been home for seven or eight days." He lowered his voice. "Mother, afterward, I also felt something was off. That’s why I rushed to find you. Could it be that we’ve offended someone without realizing it? Or..." He paused meaningfully. "Could someone be trying to sabotage us?"

"Need you ask?" Madam Tao ignored her son’s attentiveness and mused, "Two thousand taels—ordinary people wouldn’t have the means for such a scheme." She then instructed him, "Go see if Lu Yonggui is home. He has extensive connections and plenty of ideas. He might be able to uncover some leads."

If it wasn’t someone from outside, then it must be someone from inside.

At this thought, her teeth clenched so hard they creaked.

Tao Cheng hesitated. "Lu Yonggui can be difficult to deal with..."

"You’re just a steward of an estate, yet someone went to such lengths to involve Ying Da in tricking you. It might be aimed at the heir." Madam Tao sneered. "This isn’t just our family’s affair. He dare not refuse."

Tao Cheng nodded and went to the western quarters where Lu Yonggui lived.

Several women were standing in the courtyard, shelling melon seeds and chatting. One of them, wearing a pair of gleaming pure-gold willow-leaf earrings, spotted Tao Cheng and greeted him brightly. "Isn’t this Uncle Tao? What brings you here today?"

Tao Cheng took a closer look—it was Yang Huizu’s wife.

He smiled. "I’m here to see Steward Lu. Is Brother Huizu home?"

"Yes, yes, yes," Yang Huizu’s wife replied brightly. "He just got back from the storeroom and is home now." She added, "You’ve come at unfortunate timing—Uncle Lu left early this morning. Why don’t you come in and sit with us?" As she spoke, she headed toward their side room and called out loudly, "Husband, Uncle Tao from the estate is here!"

Yang Huizu came shuffling out in slippers. "What a rare guest!" He pulled Tao Cheng inside. "Come in and have some tea."

Hoping to inquire about Lu Yonggui’s whereabouts, Tao Cheng followed with a smile.

Yang Huizu’s wife brought out tea.

The tea was clear emerald-green, the leaves unfurled, its aroma rich—clearly high-quality Biluochun. Tao Cheng couldn’t help but chuckle. "You've come up in the world, haven’t you?"

Yang Huizu’s wife beamed, her eyes narrowing into pleased slits. "Not as well as Uncle Tao’s substantial earnings..."

Yang Huizu, knowing his wife lacked refinement, frowned and shooed her away. "...Go prepare some dishes to go with the wine. Brother Tao and I will have a couple of drinks."

Yang Huizu’s wife giggled and headed to the kitchen.

Tao Cheng came straight to the matter. "...Do you know where he went? When will he be back?"

"I didn’t pay much attention," Yang Huizu said with a smile. "It seems the Fourth Madam entrusted him with some business. He’s been leaving early and returning late these days." He suddenly recalled, "Ah! Just recently, he even went to Daxing. Didn’t he call on you, Brother Tao?"

Tao Cheng's heart pounded hard as he listened. He recalled the words of Ying Da's wife when he had gone to look for Ying Da: "Master Tao, you and my husband were originally close. You know better than anyone what kind of man he is. Now that he’s come into a large sum of money, he’s probably off carousing somewhere. Even if you find him, that money’s long gone. I think you’d be better off trying your luck in the city. After all, you’re still the Young Master’s steward. And your mother was the wet nurse to the Young Master’s birth mother. That’s surely better than chasing wild geese like this."

At the time, he had thought Ying Da’s wife was telling him to find powerful allies. But now it seemed he might have misunderstood.

Tao Cheng could no longer sit still. After muttering a few hasty words, he got up and left.

Yang Huizu went to knock on Lu Yonggui’s door.

Lu Yonggui himself answered.

"I said what you told me," Yang Huizu said as they entered the room. "But what if Tao Cheng makes trouble?" He sounded rather worried. "He’s not the type to take this quietly."

"Don’t worry," Lu Yonggui replied, his face blank. "Madam Tao is shrewd. She won’t let him cause a stir. Not only is there no evidence right now, but even if there were, the Marquis would never allow Madam Tao to make waves for the sake of his wife’s reputation. She knows this better than anyone. Even if she finds out the truth, she’ll have no choice but to grin and bear it."

"Best to cut ties clean," Yang Huizu sighed softly. "Better to expose this sooner rather than later, so they don’t get everyone tangled in their mess."

Lu Yonggui thought of Eleven Miss’s smiling face and, for some reason, shivered slightly.

Tao Cheng waited for a while in Madam Tao’s side room before his mother arrived.

Seeing her face dark with anger, he was startled. "What’s wrong?"

Instead of answering, Madam Tao asked, "Well? Was Lu Yonggui home?" Without waiting for his reply, she added coldly, "I’ve already made inquiries. Over the past half-month, Lu Yonggui has been visiting the Fourth Madam every few days." Her eyes turned icy. "He’s likely involved in this matter!"

Tao Cheng hadn’t expected his mother to uncover leads so quickly. He hurriedly recounted his earlier visit to the west compound.

The situation was now clear.

"So, what should we do?" he asked, feeling uneasy since this involved Eleven Miss. "She and the Marquis are husband and wife—once they share a bed, any grudges will vanish. That’s why the Eldest Miss was so wary of the stepmother in the first place!"

Madam Tao sprang to her feet. "Let’s go. We’re seeing Lu Yonggui!"

"But Yang Huizu said he wasn’t home—"

Before Tao Cheng could finish, Madam Tao had already swept out the door.

He had no choice but to hurry after her to the west compound where Lu Yonggui and Yang Huizu lived.

Under the setting sun, Tao Cheng spotted Lu Yonggui at once.

He was standing beneath a Chinese toon tree in the corner, the sunset light making his expression unreadable.

Madam Tao slowed her steps.

"What did you gain from this?" she demanded, glaring at Lu Yonggui with a face contorted with anger. "Don’t forget—without the Young Master, you’re nobody."

"Without the Young Master, I am indeed nobody," Lu Yonggui replied flatly. "That’s why I advise you to go back to the manor with Tao Cheng. It’s for your own good—and the Young Master’s."

Madam Tao spat at him. "You backstabbing cur! Have you forgotten? If not for the Eldest Miss, you wouldn’t be where you are today—"

Lu Yonggui looked at Madam Tao, shaking with fury, then lowered his eyelids and murmured, "We’re not on the same side." Without another word, he turned and walked away.

Left standing there, Madam Tao and her son stood frozen in shock, unable to move for a long moment.

Finally, Tao Cheng, realizing how deep in trouble they were, said anxiously, "Mother, what do we do now? Two thousand silver taels—we don’t have that kind of money on hand. The Fourth Madam is watching closely. She won’t give us time to gather the funds. The worst part isn’t just failing to account for it—it’s losing face completely..."

As Madam Tao listened, she thought of Eleven Miss.

Truly, they had raised a snake that’s turned on them.

If it weren't for her, how could all this trouble have happened?

Madam Tao felt a sharp pain in her sides and couldn’t help but scold her son. “Now you’ve got ideas—why didn’t you think things through back then instead of drinking with that kind of person?”

At this point, not only had she become a sitting duck, but Chun Ge was implicated too… Her heart felt as if being sliced by a knife. Seeing his mother’s eyes glisten, Tao Cheng thought she was worried about him and hurriedly comforted her: “Mother, why don’t we just tell Uncle directly? I’ll face whatever punishment comes, even if it’s death. Maybe Uncle, considering our years of diligence, might just let us off with a dismissal!”

“Let us off?” Madam Tao’s gaze darkened. “That would mean waiting until Uncle returns from Yuhang to Yanjing!”

This is no good, that’s no good—what on earth should they do?

Anyone else could shirk responsibility, but he had no way out.

An idea suddenly came to Tao Cheng as he thought of the furnishings in Eldest Miss’s room, and his eyes involuntarily glanced toward her courtyard.

“Mother,” he tugged at her sleeve, “why don’t you let me borrow some of Eldest Miss’s things first…”

“Don’t even think about it!” Madam Tao cut him off sharply. “Those things all belong to the Young Master, and they’re recorded in the ledger.”

Tao Cheng’s mouth opened slightly, but in the end, he said nothing.

He knew it—no matter what happened, his mother’s first thought was always Chun Ge…

Meanwhile, Madam Tao, seeing people watching from behind the window lattice, grew even more somber. “Let’s go back and talk! No point standing here for everyone to gawk at.”

Tao Cheng murmured an assenting “Mm” and quickly helped his mother back to their quarters.

Inside, Madam Tao lowered her voice and instructed her son, “Go home first and sell whatever can be sold—scrape together whatever we can. The estate belongs to Eldest Miss, so the Fourth Madam can’t directly interfere. We must find a way to patch the gap before she makes her move. That way, she’ll have nothing left to say.”