TGCFNM -Chapter 353 Money Comes Quickly in the Capital

Seeing Mei Gao like this, Chu Ling worried that the only person in the capital she could currently rely on might actually be angered to death, so she quickly spoke to comfort him.

“Lord Mei, you stood up for the common people. Even if Prince Rui finds out, so what? And besides, Si Yuanqi’s own younger brother slaughtered innocent people—if that gets out, it would be utterly disgraceful. How could he still keep his post as Deputy Commander? He’d definitely be dismissed at once, leaving you as the only Deputy Commander.”

Wan Sanjin seized the moment and nodded vigorously. “In the capital, everyone talks about basic decency. Who casually beats servants to death? That’s downright beastly behavior—something the people would spit on.”

Su He also turned back calmly. “You did a good deed. The people will be grateful to you.”

Chu Ling nodded firmly. “Lord Mei, straighten up. You did nothing wrong!”

Mei Gao stiffly raised both arms. “Like this… straighten up?”

Chu Ling nodded in approval. “That’s right!”

Mei Gao: “……”

Sooner or later, he really would be angered to death.

At that moment, Steward Liu chose his timing well and walked in, cupping his hands with a smile. “The chicken soup noodles are ready, and we’ve prepared some pickled vegetables. Please have dinner first.”

As he spoke, servants entered carrying the bowls.

“Miss Xiao Hua and her brother are eating in the kitchen, so they won’t be coming over,” Steward Liu said, looking at Chu Ling.

Chu Ling glanced at Mei Gao.

Su He raised a hand. “Lord Mei looked so fierce just now, like he might faint from anger. No one dared move. Since Xiao Hua managed to escape, she probably doesn’t want to come back.”

Chu Ling nodded. “Oh, I see.”

Mei Gao: “……”

He let out a long breath, as if trying to expel all the frustration from his chest. “In the capital, it’s true you can’t casually deal with servants. But some aristocratic families do it anyway, and no one says anything—after all, they signed death contracts.”

Chu Ling fell silent, feeling uncomfortable.

“But this time, when the Si family handled it, it just so happened that Coroner Su witnessed it. And Coroner Su is a coroner—after the autopsy, he stated the cause of death, the time of death, and how the injuries were inflicted with complete clarity. Even if the prefect intended to cover it up, and Si Yuanqi tried to suppress it, there was no way to do so.” Mei Gao glanced at Su He. This man was truly formidable.

Wan Sanjin proudly patted Su He on the shoulder. “You think Su He’s just anyone? No petty trick can escape his eyes. He can even scare ghosts to death!”

Bai Su rubbed her hands together; her hands were itching again.

Su He calmly pulled out a knife. Wan Sanjin quickly withdrew his hand and grabbed a bowl of noodles instead, pushing one to Su He before taking one for himself.

Mei Gao lowered his brows. “This matter can be big or small. The Si family didn’t take it seriously at first. They thought they could get the prefect to release him. But for some reason, they actually went personally to the Prince Rui to pay a visit.”

“Prince Rui doesn’t even like aristocratic families. What could they accomplish by visiting him? Get scolded a few times?” Chu Ling took a bowl of noodles and gestured for Mei Gao to eat.

Mei Gao sighed and pulled a bowl in front of him. Just as he was about to eat, he suddenly remarked, “I’ve actually become like this now. When something happens, I come here to hide first—and I even dare not to go see Prince Rui.”

Chu Ling took a bite of noodles and immediately lit up with delight. “Lord Mei, have some noodles. They’re really delicious. Besides, what do you have to worry about? Qinglong left Prince Rui’s token with me, and isn’t he acting like nothing happened—just going about his business as usual?”

Mei Gao paused mid-bite. “Prince Rui said you snatched it from Qinglong. And you even told him that if he could snatch it back, then fine—but if he couldn’t, then so be it. Yet Qinglong didn’t take it back.”

“Oh, he owes me money.” Chu Ling sipped some soup. “Twenty-six thousand taels.”

Mei Gao: “…” He no longer wanted to eat noodles. He wanted to run.

After dinner, Han Jin, Han Yin, Wang Wei, and Wang Yan immediately offered to clean up. They carried away the noodle bowls and small plates of pickled vegetables without even looking back.

Chu Ling leaned casually against her chair and stared at the ceiling. “Lord Mei, Si Yuangang killed servants casually just because lunch didn’t suit his taste. He must be extremely violent, right?”

Mei Gao shook his head. “I’m not sure. I’ve never personally investigated him.”

“But that’s strange,” Wan Sanjin said, resting his chin on his hand. “Prominent families care a lot about their reputation. Especially at a time like this, they should be treading on thin ice. Yet this man is so cruel, and the Si family just lets it happen? Why?”

“Advisor Wan,” Mei Gao called helplessly, “great families ultimately protect their own. It’s not that they ‘let it happen.’ Those dead maids and servants all signed life-and-death contracts. No one would bother over them.”

Wan Sanjin pointed at Chu Ling, then at Su He, then at himself. “So people like us, who interfere, are rare?”

“Rare? Practically unheard of,” Mei Gao sighed. “That’s why Si Yuanqi came so casually to demand the man’s release. He doesn’t consider it a big deal at all.”

Wan Sanjin silently turned to Chu Ling. “My lord, we might really have become famous in the capital.”

Chu Ling straightened up. “Oh? Can fame make money?”

“If we get a few more young masters from noble families and fleece them a bit, we should earn quite a lot,” Wan Sanjin mused, already scheming the most convenient way to do it.

Mei Gao chuckled at first, then suddenly felt it might not be such a bad idea. And besides… “I’ve stayed at the Wan residence for so long. The prince should’ve known already, yet he hasn’t summoned me. Could it be he’s tacitly approving?”

Chu Ling tapped the table. “I’ll give you a plan. One thousand taels, and I guarantee you’ll withdraw unscathed. Interested?”

Mei Gao was about to refuse, but the words stuck in his throat. After wrestling with himself for quite some time, he cautiously ventured, “Then… I’ll take it?”

Chu Ling curled her lips into a smile. “First, take what the noble families consider a small matter and blow it up. For example: say that Si Yuangang killing servants at will may seem like discipline, but in truth it’s because he thinks, as a member of a noble house, who would dare defy him? They’re just lowly servants—so what if they’re beaten to death? In the eyes of these great families, the laws of Great Zhou are worth less than nothing.”

Mei Gao’s eyes widened. “Lord Chu, please continue.”

“Second, you must cry. Cry as you say that after serving Prince Rui for so long, you simply cannot bear to see the common people suffer. They already suffer enough—sold into noble households, are they not even considered human? Why should they lose their lives over something trivial? This is the capital, under the Emperor’s very gaze—can human lives really be disregarded like this? Are these noble families trying to rebel?”

“Third, you must be both angry and in tears as you say: if I lose my post as Deputy Commander over this, so be it. But Si Yuanqi, who treats the laws of Great Zhou as nothing and relies on his position as Deputy Commander to disregard regulations—rescuing a murderer like Si Yuangang with just a few words—this subordinate refuses to accept it! Even if this matter reaches the imperial court, I still refuse!”

Mei Gao shot to his feet, his eyes blazing with excitement. “Lord Chu, this thousand taels is well spent.” He immediately began counting banknotes. When they weren’t enough, he fetched paper and brush to write an IOU.

Chu Ling accepted both the notes and the IOU, cupping her hands politely. “Lord Mei, you’ve worked hard. Off you go.”

Mei Gao stood tall with righteous vigor, bowed slightly, and strode out in high spirits.

Wan Sanjin and Su He rose silently and applauded. “My lord, magnificent!”

Chu Ling counted the banknotes with satisfaction. “As expected, money comes quickly in the capital.”