Chapter 481

Chapter 487: Gathering (Part 2)

Six years, seven million taels’ worth of silver—yet Lord Xu’s outer estate was still short of funds. During times of crisis, even the Second Madam had to sell her own dowry assets. The only uncertainty was whether she sold them before or after the business venture.

Eleven Niang pondered this and spoke slowly, “From what you’ve said, after the Emperor ascended the throne, Lord Xu took the initiative to end the business. Did your father say anything about it?”

Lady Wen’s eyes flickered with confusion as she recalled, “At the time, my father still wanted to continue the business with Lord Xu for a couple more years. But Lord Xu was resolute, and then he left to fight in Miaojiang (a frontier region). My father didn’t press the matter further.”

A million taels a year—simply thrown away like that…

Long-held suspicions began to crystallize.

“Was it after that when the Wen family secured the Jiangnan textile trade?” She looked at Lady Wen.

Lady Wen didn’t answer immediately. Her expression darkened, and after a long silence, she whispered, “Yes.”

Eleven Niang guided her through the implications: “Before this, the Wen family was just an ordinary merchant household, yet Lord Xu could profit a million taels every year. But after he ended the partnership with the Wen family, they somehow managed to obtain the Jiangnan textile trade.

“I can’t help but wonder—was it Lord Xu’s misfortune, or the Wen family’s windfall? If the business between Lord Xu and the Wen family had continued, the profits would surely have exceeded a million taels annually, wouldn’t they?”

Lady Wen’s thoughts churned chaotically.

She’d assumed her father dissolved the partnership only because he had already secured the Jiangnan textile trade, and with Lord Xu insisting on ending it, he had seized the opportunity to protect the family’s greater interests. Otherwise, why would he—?

At this thought, Lady Wen’s eyes filled with terror.

Perhaps she had been completely mistaken all along.

She looked up at Eleven Niang.

Eleven Niang’s gaze was steady, radiating unshakable resolve—as unflinching as a mountain. Lady Wen instinctively grasped Eleven Niang’s hand.

“When I was still at home, my father never stopped talking about the Jiangnan textile trade. He dissolved the partnership with Lord Xu in November, and by February the following year, he had secured the trade. Others might not know, but I do—it wasn’t just a million taels a year; even two or three million was easily within reach. My father was shrewd. After dissolving the partnership with Lord Xu, he sent someone to negotiate with him. At the time, Lord Xu only said, ‘I’m no longer suited for business.’ My father gave up immediately, which was uncharacteristically for him. Later, when I learned he had secured the Jiangnan textile trade, I assumed he had done it to monopolize the business. I feared he was gambling everything… After all, for families like ours, even a county magistrate could ruin us. Instead of relying on Lord Xu as a powerful ally, my father chose to dissolve the partnership. I even warned him about it. But at the time, he just smiled and said, ‘Lord Xu won’t lose out.’ By June, he sent over two hundred thousand taels’ worth of silver notes…”

At this, Eleven Niang’s expression finally changed. She tightened her grip on Lady Wen’s hand. “Did Lord Xu accept it?”

Lady Wen looked at her timidly and stammered, “N-no, he didn’t. I… I took it.”

Eleven Niang’s breath caught.

After a long pause, she scolded in a low voice, “What possessed you to be so reckless?”

“I just felt it was unfair to Lord Xu,” Lady Wen defended weakly, though her guilt was evident. “But it wasn’t much—just two hundred thousand taels a year. Compared to before, it was just a mere grain of rice…”

Spilt water cannot be gathered up. Eleven Niang was more concerned about something else.

“Did Lord Xu know you were taking the money?”

“He didn’t know in the first few years when he was away,” Lady Wen whispered. “But later, when he found out, he told me that if I really wanted to do business, I should open my own shop. Taking dividends like this—if the Wen family ever came to him for favors, he might not always be able to accommodate them. So… I opened my own shop.”

Thoughts tumbled through Eleven Niang’s mind.

Earlier, Lord Xu had mentioned that the Emperor was about to deal with the Yang family. Then there was the unexpected summons to the palace, the Second Madam, acting for the elder madam, in a private visit to the Yongchang Marquis, and now Lord Xu demanding that Lady Wen shut down all her businesses… Having been in business for so many years, Lady Wen must have a clear understanding of how the noble families in Yanjing (the capital) made their money behind the scenes, right?

She asked Lady Wen, “What business is the Yongchang Marquis’s Huang family involved in?”

Lady Wen didn’t understand the relevance of the question but answered, “They own a quarry and do business with the Ministry of Works. They clear about five hundred thousand taels annually.”

Eleven Niang was surprised. She had assumed the Huang family dealt in military supplies. “I’d heard the Yang family held most Ministry of Works contracts. How did the Huang family break into that?”

Speaking of her expertise, Lady Wen's face lit up with enthusiasm: "The Yang family is just shuffling money between hands—using their reputation to get goods on credit from others while taking on projects from the Board of Works, essentially operating without any capital. They even delay payments to suppliers, holding onto the ministry's funds for their own use. Because of this, they also run a loan business, the largest and most reputable in Yanjing—not only offering low interest rates but also able to provide any amount requested. The old Marquis of Huang has handed over family affairs to the heir in recent years, but the Huang title is now merely ceremonial. The heir struggled in the early years and even borrowed money from the Marquis to stay afloat. But somehow, he suddenly connected with the Yang family and began supplying them with stone materials, which has improved their circumstances in recent years."

Eleventh Miss pondered for a moment before getting straight to the point with Lady Wen: "On New Year's Day, after Lord Xu returned from the palace, the Dowager immediately sent Second Madam to deliver food to the Huang family, and then Lord Xu summoned you for a talk. You're a smart woman, Lady Wen—help me think: could there be a connection here? I’ve heard that in recent years, the Wen family has been competing with the Yang family for business with the Imperial Household. I just don’t know how far they’ve gotten... And the two hundred thousand taels the Wen family gives every year—surely Lord Xu has done quite a few favors for them over the years? I wonder if, in the past two years, the Wen family still comes to him for help as before..."

Lady Wen's temples grew damp with sweat as she listened.

Her voice was barely a whisper: "I see now... ever since my father passed, Third Brother has repeatedly delayed sending me my share of the money, sometimes even making me ask Lord Xu for a favor or two before handing it over... Lately, he’s visited even less. Third Sister-in-law has become more brazen too, even saying things like, 'If it doesn’t work, just pay them off...'" At this, she suddenly stood up. "No, I must send Qiu Hong to investigate—find out exactly which part of the Imperial Household’s business the Wen family has taken..."

Meanwhile, Eleventh Miss was piecing together the chain of events.

Lord Xu had known beforehand that the Emperor intended to crack down on the Yang family. Only after meeting the Emperor on New Year’s Day did he order Lady Wen to wind up her business, even setting a deadline. Could it be because the Emperor had said something? Or warned Lord Xu? Otherwise, why the urgency? Moreover, Lord Xu strongly disapproved of those close to him getting involved with the Imperial Household. If the Wen family had any dealings with the Yangs, given Lord Xu’s character, he couldn’t possibly be unaware. And if he knew, he would surely have warned them. Yet, after realizing the severity, Lady Wen wasn’t questioning whether the Wen family was involved—she was sending Qiu Hong to find out which part they’d taken. That meant the Wen family was indeed doing business with the Imperial Household, and doing so against Lord Xu’s objections.

She grabbed Lady Wen’s arm. "After your father passed, was it your Third Brother who took over? Was he close to Lord Xu?"

Lady Wen froze, then after a moment, her face paled. "It’s not that Third Brother didn’t want to be close to Lord Xu... but Lord Xu rarely receives the Wen family. Third Brother humbled himself several times to visit, only to be left waiting at the gatehouse..."

Eleventh Miss gave a bitter smile. "If the Wen family’s business hadn’t grown so large, your Third Brother being left at the gatehouse by Yongping Marquis might not have felt so humiliating, don’t you think?"

Lady Wen’s face turned even whiter.

Eleventh Miss looked at her softly. "At this point, even Lord Xu can’t control it—let alone you. You should listen to him and close your shop as soon as possible. As for the Wen family, just fulfill your duty as a daughter and pass on the message. Don’t force things. As for how to settle the employees, perhaps you should discuss it properly with Lord Xu..."

Before she could finish, tears like falling pearls were already rolling down Lady Wen’s cheeks. "My mother... is still being cared for by my brothers... And my wet nurse—I asked her to stay in Yanjing, but she refused, insisting on returning to serve my mother... Even my milk brother went back to Yangzhou..." Her grief overwhelmed her, and she buried her face in her hands, sobbing.

Eleventh Miss sighed helplessly, giving her the time of a cup of tea to cry. Then she patted Lady Wen’s shoulder. "There’s no time to waste. You must act quickly."

Lady Wen looked up, her once-flawless makeup now ruined by tears.

She sniffled, her expression lost. "Then... what should I do?" She was clearly beside herself.

Eleventh Miss, unsure of how far things had escalated or what Lord Xu’s plans were, couldn’t offer firm advice. "How about we send for Lord Xu? Some things are better said face-to-face. That way, you’ll know where you stand and can decide how to proceed..."

Lady Wen nodded vigorously, clutching Eleventh Miss’s hand as if her life depended on it. "My lady, I place myself entirely in your hands." She burst into tears again. "I will never forget your kindness in this lifetime..."

Eleventh Miss felt somewhat embarrassed. Being remembered for a lifetime wasn’t necessarily a pleasant thought...

She turned and called for Binju, instructing her to send Fangxi to fetch Lord Xu.

Lord Xu arrived faster than she expected. He seemed surprised to see Lady Wen at first but quickly regained his composure.

It seemed he had guessed her purpose in coming.

Eleventh Miss poured tea for him and was about to excuse herself when Lord Xu stopped her. "Stay. There are things you should hear too."