The head of the Red Mansion

Chapter 128 The God of Wealth

East of the capital, on Zhen'an Street, is the Lu residence.

The seven-courtyard house showcased the wealth of Lu Kun, the God of Wealth. After all, this was the capital city where land was incredibly valuable. Many poor officials couldn't even afford a courtyard for their descendants until they retired and returned to their hometowns. He, on the other hand, easily bought a large courtyard in the most expensive eastern part of the city and even opened a money exchange and a gambling den in the capital.

These are two sources of continuous wealth, and the business is booming. The next step is for him to move into the circle of the powerful and wealthy.

After all, money can move mountains.

"Master, master, something terrible has happened..."

The butler's voice came from outside the door. Lu Kun, who had just gotten up to wash, was about to scold him for causing trouble so early in the morning, but unexpectedly the butler tripped and fell in front of the door.

"Master," the butler cried anxiously, scrambling to his feet, "the gambling den is surrounded! The dwarf assassin Xie Zhenghu has been captured at our gambling den."

what?
Lu Kun frowned. "Let them arrest him, just ignore them."

As he spoke, he took a sip of water, puffed out his cheeks, and rinsed his mouth as usual.

I warned him long ago that if he wanted to wait for an opportunity in the capital, he should keep his head down, but this fool actually went to gamble.

“No,” the butler was on the verge of tears, and in fact, he was crying. “Master, he was captured at Taibai Tavern and escaped into the gambling den through a secret passage.”

"Cough~~~~"

Lu Kun wasn't paying attention and swallowed most of the mouthwash, some of which even went into his trachea. "Cough cough~~ cough cough cough~~~~"

He let out a tremendous cough.

"Master~"

The butler rushed in, about to pat his chest, when Lu Kun, who had recovered a bit, kicked him to the ground. "Cough cough, what... what are you all good for?"

The discovery of the tunnel not only means he's lost his backup plan, but the Jia family can also use this as leverage to link him to Xie Zhenghu.

"Who was on duty last night? Cough cough, where is he? Cough cough cough, bring him to see me."

"Master, I can't see him anymore."

Tears streamed down the steward's face. "The mansion is surrounded. People from the Five Cities Garrison and Shuntian Prefecture have come. They want to see the master."

The constables looked around their yard with great excitement in their eyes.

"The Jia family arrested Xie Zhenghu. They had been looking for him and, after discovering him, asked the Five Cities Garrison and Shuntian Prefecture to arrest him together. Who knew they would end up arresting him all the way to the gambling den."

"..."

Lu Kun's face turned pale, and he coughed violently again. "Where is Xie Zhenghu?" he asked, grabbing the butler while panting like a bellows.

He was killed on the spot.

The housekeeper burst into tears.

He certainly knew the importance of Xie Zhenghu's life or death.

But it was too late!

He wasn't on duty yesterday.

But even when he's on duty, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference.

"Captain Wu said that a group of guards from Ningguo Prefecture were determined to avenge their master. They chased him all the way from Taibai Tavern through the tunnel into the gambling den. By the time his brothers rushed in, Xie Zhenghu's head had been chopped off in half."

It’s over.

Lu Kun plopped down on the ground.

"Cough cough~~"

He clutched his chest and coughed violently a few more times. "Quickly, find a way to inform the Prince of Jin."

The gambling den doesn't belong to him alone.

The tunnel connected him with Xie Zhenghu, but just as the Prince of Jin could not escape it.

“The gambling den has always had Jin Wang’s men, and he must have found out by now, but our house is still surrounded!”

If the Prince of Jin is willing to lend a hand, his family will not be besieged.

"master!"

The butler wiped away his tears, "Everyone knows our family has money."

The fact that the Five Cities Garrison and Shuntian Prefecture arrived so quickly means they must be looking to make a quick buck at their place.

But can it be solved with just one stroke?

The butler, fearing there would be countless more to come, said, "You must make a decision as soon as possible!"

Making a decision?
How to make a decision?
Lu Kun looked at his trusted steward, his mind racing.

He went to Beijing for two reasons: first, to find a powerful patron, and second, to help his children marry into the powerful families of illegitimate sons or daughters.

In this way, the Lu family will be able to take root and flourish in the capital in less than twenty years.

But now...

No, he can't fall down.

If he falls, the Lu family will be completely finished, and even their ancestral home in Shanxi will be wiped out.

Lu Kun slowly stood up and kicked the butler on the head. "You bastard, you traitor! How dare you collude with ruthless bandits behind my back?"

housekeeper:"……"

He was stunned by the kick.

But he finally realized that he had been abandoned.

"Men, tie him up!"

Lu Kun shouted loudly.

At the same time, the Prince of Jin, who had just gotten up and was being served by his concubines, finally saw Wu Rubao, who was covered in dust and dirt.

The God of Wealth Gambling House had always been under Wu Ru's care, and now such a big thing had happened...

"...How did that old bastard Lu Kun get involved with Xie Zhenghu?"

This?
Wu Rubao wanted to say that he didn't know.

But he didn't dare to say it.

If he were to actually tell, their prince would probably skin him alive.

"This servant is investigating!"

A fine layer of sweat appeared on Wu Rubao's back, and his hair was wet with sweat early in the morning. "But I always feel that there is something strange about Xie Zhenghu being chased all the way from Taibai Tavern to the gambling house."

Prince Jin: “…”

He kept a cold face and calmly observed how the servant was making things up.

No matter how strange it is, he's probably going to suffer a lot from this.

The emperor was just waiting to find fault with him.

Ironically, Jia Zhen had even complained to his father, the Emperor, about the Ministry of War's failure to apprehend the murderer.

And since the Ministry of War was under his jurisdiction, Xie Zhenghu reappeared at the gambling den connected to him...

Prince Jin could imagine the consequences if his father found out about this.

"Jia Zhen was assassinated so badly that the servants of the Jia family would fight Xie Zhenghu to the death. Yet they endured until dawn and, despite having an overwhelming advantage, allowed Xie Zhenghu to escape into the tunnel. They couldn't kill him the first time, but they actually let him escape a second time."

At this point, Wu Rubao glanced at his master and continued, "Especially since the tunnel leading to the gambling den is so well hidden and not connected to the tavern's tunnel, how did Xie Zhenghu manage to escape into it by sheer coincidence and get killed at the gambling den?"

This?
The Prince of Jin frowned.

Could it be that the Jia family was behind this?

is it possible?
Who were the people who killed Xie Zhenghu?

"They're all from the Jia family."

The prince finally responded.

Wu Rubao breathed a sigh of relief. "Moreover, Jia Zhen arrived just in time. Xie Zhenghu had just died at the gambling den when he arrived."

"Did he touch the cash box?"

"……No!"

Wu Rubao also regretted that Jia Zhen should have touched the money box.

Unfortunately, they didn't move.

Wu Rubao said, "The gambling den was in chaos at the time. Some gamblers tried to take advantage of the situation, but Jia Zhen brought a lot of yamen runners who tied them all up and threw them into jail."

I heard there were hundreds of them, which gave the people of Beijing a real treat.

"What are you talking about if you're not around?"

The Prince of Jin suddenly flew into a rage, shouting, "Guards!"

The guards quickly appeared.

"Wu Rubao, I will take good care of your family."

He said coldly, "Once you're in Shuntian Prefecture, you know what to do."

Wu Rubao: "..."

Large beads of sweat streamed down his forehead, one of them even getting into his eye.

"Your Majesty!"

Wu Rubao immediately knelt down. "Things haven't come to that yet, Your Highness. This matter has nothing to do with us! We just accepted Lu Kun as our disciple and took some tribute from him. Your Highness..." He crawled over on his knees and grabbed the hem of Prince Jin's robe. "Our Prince's Mansion cannot get involved in this matter. If we do, the Emperor will seize on it and never let it go!"

"..."

The Prince of Jin sighed softly.

What this servant said makes some sense. If Wu Rubao were tied up and taken to Shuntian Prefecture, it would be tantamount to admitting guilt to the Emperor.

He will definitely hold onto this relentlessly.

On the other hand, pretend not to care. If you are really asked, just say that the princess accepted Lu Kun's tribute, took some shares in the gambling den and the money shop, and earned some pocket money. She doesn't know what he does else. Maybe she can get away with it unscathed.

"Get up, investigate the Jia family, find out what they did yesterday."

"Yes!"

Wu Rubao scrambled out of the room.

The Jin Dynasty guards waved their hands, signaling them to get lost, before getting up and heading towards the small garden at the back.

The concubine who served him last night was very perceptive; when she saw Wu Rubao approaching with a worried look on her face, she knew to avoid him.

He likes women who are knowledgeable and sensible.

Ignoring the wind and rain outside, the Prince of Jin smiled and walked toward the girl who looked delighted to see him.

……

At Ningguo Mansion, Shen Ning did get up late, but despite her lateness, good news kept coming in one after another.

Xie Zhenghu is dead.

Xie Zhenghu fled from the tavern into the gambling den.

Hao Da'er, accompanied by the guards, apprehended all those who tried to take advantage of the situation and sent them to the Shuntian Prefecture prison.

This bet will not only make those gamblers regret it, but Lu Kun won't be able to escape either.

And what about the Prince of Jin? Can he escape?
Shen Ning smiled as she drank her porridge.

She didn't know if Prince Jin could clear himself of any wrongdoing, but she knew the Emperor would be very pleased with this matter.

He didn't see the money from the Li family in Jiangnan.

The money in the capital... we should be able to see some of it now.

Where is the Western God of Wealth?

"Mother, is there some happy occasion today?"

Because Jia Zhen was not there, Lady You came to eat with her. "The magpies have been following me all the way here."

"Isn't that good?"

Shen Ning glanced at the chattering magpies outside and said, "Qingzhu, go scatter some millet."

"Eh~"

Qingzhu left with a smile.

Madam You: "..."

She never expected her mother-in-law to do something like that.

Magpie...

It seems they really do need to eat.

Should she carry some millet with her from now on?
"Try it, the chicken soup wontons are pretty good today."

"Hmm~"

Madam You quickly ladled out a small bowl, "Mother, my younger sisters will be coming to study tomorrow, you..."

"Prepare the boat, and find two more women who can swim."

Shen Ning smiled and said, "I'll leave everything to Mr. Zhan."

"……Yes!"

Madam You thought her mother-in-law had already shown Mr. Zhan Xue enough courtesy, but she didn't expect there to be even more.

"When you have free time, you can go and take a stroll there."

Shen Ning said, "Learn some poetry or something."

If the women in the inner quarters don't have any hobbies, they'll only be focused on men and concubines.

Ultimately, it became distorted and unrecognizable.

"I'm probably not good at poetry and the like."

Ms. You smiled shyly, "But I want to learn the zither."

"Then learn!"

Shen Ning fully supported it, saying, "Once you've learned it, play a few pieces for me."

"Hmm~"

Yu nodded vigorously.

She didn't have access to these things when she was at home. Now that she's married and in charge, her mother-in-law is letting her learn. "When Mr. Zhan comes, I'll also send her a tuition fee."

What are you giving as a gift?

Shen Ning smiled, "Of course I'll deliver it for you."

"..."

Madam You's eyes curved into a smile. "Alright then, thank you very much, Mother-in-law."

She's actually quite pretty when she smiles.

Shen Ning had already eaten. "Didn't you say you were going to play for me?"

She hesitated, about to say something more, when Jia Zhen strode in, saying, "I knew you'd be here with your mother."

He was beaming with excitement. "Mother, you have no idea how well we fought today."

The revenge has been taken, and those who were meant to be treacherous have been dealt with.

"All one hundred and five gamblers were arrested and taken to Shuntian Prefecture."

He hasn't made a fortune yet, but he believes that after this battle, the people of Shuntian Prefecture and the Five Cities Garrison will be especially eager to work for him in the future.

After all, everyone needs to eat.

They can accept some of the gamblers' money, and regardless of whether the gambling den can stay open in the future, they should still offer an extra sum as a tribute.

"In a little while, after Lu Kun has dealt with the people from Shuntian Prefecture and the Five Cities Garrison, he will probably come to our house."

"Is he alright?" Shen Ning asked curiously.

"...It is said that his butler knew Xie Zhenghu, so he was temporarily allowed to stay at the gambling house. Who knew that Xie Zhenghu had his eye on the gambling house and wanted to make a fortune from it."

Jia Zhen admires the transformation from a suspect with connections to a victim.

"What did the Shuntian Prefecture say?"

"Lord Tang has gone to court."

Jia Zhen said, "It was Prefect Zheng who made him pay a deposit. He is not allowed to leave the capital for the next three months and must be available at any time by the Shuntian Prefecture. That's why he is temporarily free."

So you're going to kill them slowly?
Seeing her son's big smile, Shen Ning understood.

"He's coming to our house, what are you going to do?"

"He says it's unrelated, so it's unrelated?"

Jia Zhen took the spinach noodles that You Shi brought him and took a big bite, saying, "Why doesn't he just fly to the heavens?"

"What if he sincerely apologizes and gives you several thousand taels of silver?"

"Mother, who are you looking down on?" Jia Zhen laughed. "He's the God of Wealth. Do you know how much he gave us when we entered the Shuntian Prefecture?"

"How many?"

"This number!"

Jia Zhen stretched out his hand and flipped it over again. "Besides this, everyone who participated in the operation received a red envelope containing five taels of silver." This included their own household guards. "They said it was to thank everyone for helping him rid the place of the scourge."

Shen Ning: "..."

She was quite impressed.

But people like that...

"When he comes back to apologize, you can accept whatever amount he gives you, you can even ask for more, but this silver..."

"Donate it?"

Jia Zhen already knew his mother's usual routine. He slurped up the noodles in a few mouthfuls, then took the leftover green rice porridge that she and You Shi hadn't finished. "Where do you think it would be better for your son to donate it?"

Let's build a road back in my hometown!

The sacrificial fields have been purchased, and the estate is under construction.

But that's not enough.

Giving back to our hometown will prevent our descendants from being ostracized when they return.

"Let's also build another school, just like this one, with a scholarship system."

If the school produces scholars and officials, that would be a real achievement for the Jia family.