Madam, don't do this!

Chapter 358 I promised not to tell anyone (1)

Song Yan didn't know much about Shen Qi, his aunt.

I remember it was the first time Song Jincheng returned to his hometown to visit his relatives. He had seen Shen Qi from afar once, and he only remembered that the woman was thin and not very good-looking. After Song Jincheng left with Shen Qi, he heard Song Hongtao, Yang Miaoqing, and even Song Huai talking in private, saying that Shen Qi was a woman with a poor appearance and figure, and that she was obviously not from a wealthy family and was not good enough for Song Jincheng.

When I saw this aunt again, she hadn't changed much in appearance. She was still thin and bony, not much different from most ordinary women of this era, except that her face had turned sallow. With that face and that figure, no one would believe that she was the wife of the Minister of Works. She was worlds apart from the still charming Yang Miaoqing.

Song Yan was also filled with curiosity, wondering why his aunt had stopped him in the middle of the night. He thought to himself, but still bowed respectfully. He was ruthless, but not to the point of indiscriminately killing innocent people. He had no grudge against Shen Qi. Even if he hated Song Jincheng and Song Huai, it wouldn't involve Shen Qi: "Nephew greets Aunt."

"Didn't Auntie go back to her parents' home? When did she come back? Why didn't she go back to the Minister's residence?"

"My second uncle still talks about you a lot."

Shen Qi smiled gently and waved her hand to signal Song Yan to sit down: "Hehe, is this what your second uncle told you?" Her voice was slightly sarcastic, but she didn't dwell on the matter. She simply took out a stack of silver notes from her sleeve, placed them on the table, and pushed them in front of Song Yan.

The same Shen family money shop.

The same ten thousand taels of silver notes.

Judging by the thickness, there are about ten sheets.

Song Yan was a little confused, so she looked up at Shen Qi with a suspicious expression, clearly not understanding what Shen Qi meant.

What on earth is going on today?
Are they all rushing to give me money?

What kind of person do they take Song Yan for?
Is he the kind of greedy, despicable person who only cares about money?

Shen Qi didn't try to be evasive. She was a very shrewd woman who knew exactly how to deal with different people; this was a basic skill.

Appealing to Song Yan's emotions is useless, mainly because there's no emotional connection to be had.

Explaining the benefits to them is the only way to break through.

"I want to know what you and your second uncle talked about," Shen Qi said slowly.

Song Yan frowned: "Auntie, you're making things difficult for me."

“I promised my second uncle that I would never tell a third party.”

He's a man of great integrity; how could he possibly bow down for a mere 100,000 taels? These gleaming silver notes are nothing short of an insult to him.

What's more, my second uncle gave me 500,000... 500,000!

Shen Qi didn't say much, but simply took out another stack of silver notes and piled them on top, now there were twenty of them.

Song Yan blinked, averting her gaze without saying a word. Shen Qi's expression remained calm as always, showing no anger at Song Yan's greed, and she took out the silver notes for the third time.

Thirty bills. Even though Song Yan was a wealthy man now, he couldn't help but feel a slight tremor in his heart. Was it really that easy for officials to make money?
Three hundred thousand taels of silver so easily?
But judging from Shen Qi's expression, he didn't feel even the slightest bit of heartache.

Damn rich people.

He mentally complained, then felt as if he had cursed himself as well. After all, he now had several million or even tens of millions of yuan in assets, so he could be considered a wealthy person, right?

Shen Qi noticed the change in Song Yan's eyes and took out the silver note for the fourth time.

Song Yan's Adam's apple bobbed slightly.

The fifth time, the silver note was withdrawn.

At this point, Song Yan could no longer sit still. She slammed her hand on the table with a bang and stood up abruptly: "Auntie, please don't make things difficult for me."

“I promised my second uncle I wouldn’t tell anyone, and I will never break my promise.”

This attitude startled Shen Qi slightly, as if she had truly misjudged this young man. After hesitating for a few seconds, she slowly reached out, preparing to retrieve the silver notes. Although 500,000 wasn't a large sum for her, she couldn't let it go to waste. But just as her fingertips touched the notes, a large hand reached out from the side and pressed down on them. Shen Qi tried several times, but ultimately couldn't pull the notes out of Song Yan's palm, so she looked up with some suspicion.

Just then, Song Yan shouted, "Bring me paper and pen." His voice then suddenly dropped, "I promised my second uncle that I would never tell anyone, but I didn't say I couldn't write it down."

"So, it doesn't count as breaking the agreement with my second uncle."

Song Yan said this as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

Song Jincheng probably never imagined that there really were such scoundrels in this world who would take money and do nothing.

Even Shen Qi was shocked by Song Yan's attitude. After a few moments, he couldn't help but burst out laughing: "What a cunning little brat."

"Xiao Lian, go downstairs and get some paper and pen."

The maid named Xiaolian came downstairs and soon returned with paper and pen. She stood at the door again and thoughtfully closed the door behind her.

shhhhhhhhh...

Before long, the paper was filled with writing.

Song Yan wasn't worried at all that Shen Qi was arranged by Song Jincheng. His relationship with Song Jincheng was extremely delicate: I knew you wanted to kill me, and you knew I wanted to kill you; we maintained the most basic semblance of decency, with only a thin layer of skin left to peel away.

Moreover, there's still 500,000 yuan. Even if Shen Qi takes this piece of paper back and hands it over to Song Jincheng, Song Yan won't lose out.

Shen Qi took it, glanced at it briefly, and then praised it as "good writing".

She also has a considerable collection of calligraphy by famous calligraphers, and Song Yan's casual writing is no less impressive than any of them. If it weren't for the somewhat unusual content, it would be quite valuable for collection.

Then, he began to read it carefully.

The paper contained detailed records of the sordid affair between Song Jincheng and Yang Miaoqing, including that seven out of Yang Miaoqing's eight sons were Song Jincheng's offspring, as well as records from Suhua Temple and the head monk, all written down clearly.

For Shen Qi, this was betrayal.

Throughout the entire process, Shen Qi remained remarkably calm.

She showed no anger whatsoever, her expression indifferent, neither happy nor sad, until she finished reading it, then silently put down the white paper in her hand: "Is what's on this true?"

Song Yan smiled and said, "He gave me 500,000 yuan as hush money." She shrugged and added, "You guessed it all along?"

Shen Qi nodded: "When I visited my family before, I felt that Song Jincheng's gaze towards Yang Miaoqing was a bit strange. Once, when he was asleep, he even called out Yang Miaoqing's name, so I couldn't help but think more about it. Over the years, I have also sent people to Ningping County to investigate, but I couldn't find anything. I had gradually let it go, but Song Jincheng's care for Song Zhe is a bit beyond reason. Back then, even for Mingzhou and Mingyu, Song Jincheng didn't lower himself to ask the dean of Bailu Academy for help, so I became suspicious again."

"I know that Yang Miaoqing's son treats you badly and bullies you a lot. Your mother also died at Yang Miaoqing's hands, and you were almost killed by them many times. So, you want revenge?"

“Yes.” Song Yan did not deny it: “However, even if I wanted to let go of the hatred, it would be impossible. They also had murderous intentions towards me.” Although the deaths of Yang Miaoqing, Song Yun, and Song Zhen could not be traced back to Song Yan, in the minds of Song Huai, Song Yi, and the others, the murderer could not possibly be anyone other than Song Yan.

They were probably seeking revenge for their mother.

"Would Song Jincheng agree?"

“He can’t do anything to me for now. Even if Song Huai and Song Yi die at my hands, he can only watch helplessly. But once he’s made his preparations, he’ll probably make his move against me,” Song Yan said after thinking for a moment. Shen Qi hesitated for a moment: “Don’t involve Ming Zhou and Ming Yu.”

“He is, after all, the Minister of Works, a high-ranking and powerful official. If we were to touch him, it wouldn’t just be me; even Emperor Ninghe might be implicated. At that point, we would naturally eliminate him completely.” Song Yan shrugged. “As for how far things will ultimately be affected, that’s beyond my control.”

Shen Qi pursed her lips: "I understand, I will arrange this matter."

……

It was already midnight when Song Yan left Wangjiang Tower.

A slight chill filled the air.

It's showing signs of warming up during the day, but it's still quite cold at night.

"Traitorous officials have ruined the country..."

Counting the silver notes in his hand, Song Yan gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath. A mere Minister, and the couple could easily produce a million silver notes. Just how rich were they?
How much did he embezzle during his years in office?

Song Yan was furious; he had always been mortal with corruption.

The hustle and bustle of the New Year celebrations, which lasted until the Lantern Festival, finally gradually dissipated. The night market was gone, and there were no more snacks or tea on the streets. Mist rose, and the lanterns hanging under the eaves of the shops and houses on both sides shone on Song Yan, casting seven or eight shadows on the wide street.

A gust of fragrant wind came.

A figure appeared beside Song Yan, with a familiar, fresh and elegant scent, carrying a hint of sweetness—it was Zi Yu.

"Where is Tianyi?"

Ziyu pursed her lips. Sure enough, he was having an affair with his sister-in-law. His first question was about her safety... He could at least have covered it up a little. Was he afraid that others wouldn't know?
"She was following Song Jincheng."

"That's it."

The two walked side by side on the street where the night wind was biting.

The footsteps seemed to blend together, and the distance between the two people grew closer and closer.

"The Hehuan Sect's intelligence capabilities are outstanding; all the officials, big and small, in Dongling City should be aware of this, right?"

"It's natural."

"How much do you know about Song Jincheng's wife, Shen Qi?"

"Shen Qi?" Zi Yu looked thoughtful. Most of the information gathered by the Hehuan Sect was to be compiled by her. She had a good memory, but not enough to remember everything she saw. After thinking for a while, Zi Yu slowly opened her mouth and said, "Shen Qi is Song Jincheng's benefactor."

"Noble?"

“Yes.” Ziyu nodded: “The imperial examinations in the court now are actually slightly better than they were thirty years ago.”

"Emperor Ninghe, after so many years on the throne, has finally managed to regain some power and keep it in his hands. Each imperial examination has also been able to select some talented people who can be used by him."

"However, the situation was much worse thirty years ago. The recommendation system had been monopolized by aristocratic families and Bailu Academy, but they were still not satisfied and wanted to firmly grasp the imperial examination as a channel for advancement. At that time, the imperial examination was just a formality. Who was the top scholar, who was the second-ranked scholar, who was the third-ranked scholar... The amount of gold coins awarded to the thirty people in the palace examination was all arranged in advance."

"Although Song Jincheng is very learned, it is already extremely rare for him to pass the imperial examination. His ranking in the palace examination has nothing to do with him. According to the investigation by the Hehuan Sect, someone behind Song Jincheng pulled some strings to get a spot from Bailu Academy, which is why Song Jincheng was able to pass the imperial examination with flying colors."

"You mean, this benefactor is Shen Qi?" Song Yan asked, somewhat surprised.

However, this is understandable. Why would Song Jincheng, a man from a noble family who has passed the imperial examination and has a promising future, marry Shen Qi, who is of average appearance?

"Uncertain, but very likely," Ziyu said. "In Ningguo's officialdom, getting promoted depends on two things: connections and money. At least, after Song Jincheng passed the imperial examination, his several promotions were all thanks to Shen Qi pulling strings behind the scenes, spending countless sums of money."

"Is the Shen family very rich?"

Ziyu glanced at Song Yan: "Who do you think owns Shen's Money Shop?"

Song Yan's hand trembled, and the silver note he was holding almost vanished in the wind.

Good heavens, Shen's Money Shop... the largest money shop in the four kingdoms of the Central Plains, is actually run by Shen Qiniang's family?
No wonder Shen Qi didn't even flinch when he took out so much money; it turns out his family owns a bank.

"The largest family in Ningguo is the Yang family; the richest family in Ningguo is the Cui family; but the total wealth of the Cui family is at most about the same as that of a branch of the Shen family."

"Shen Qi's father, Shen Wan, is the real richest man in the Central Plains. It is no exaggeration to say that he is richer than a country. The Shen family is a very special family. Everyone knows that the Shen family is very rich, but no one knows exactly where the Shen family headquarters is. Or rather, the Shen family headquarters is wherever the business goes."

"The way the Shen family takes wives is also very special. They don't care about appearance, figure, family background, needlework, or talent. To become a daughter-in-law of the Shen family, one must be a woman with unique insights into business. Therefore, Shen Wan's wife is an ordinary woman, even somewhat ugly."

"Even the seven sisters of Shen Qi are not considered very good-looking."

"Shen Wan wanted a son, but unfortunately his wife's first child was a daughter, and the second, third, and fourth children were all daughters. With the first few daughters, he could still give them nice names, but by the fifth, sixth, and seventh, Shen Wan had probably become numb and was too lazy to think of any nice and meaningful names. So he simply called them Shen Wu, Shen Liu, and Shen Qi."

A black line appeared on Song Yan's forehead. This way of choosing a name was really quite casual.

Shen Qi is a decent name.

She even had a slightly feminine air about her; Shen Wu and Shen Liu were simply extremely unlucky.

"The Shen family's method of educating their children is even more cruel. After their children come of age, they will be given a sum of money and sent out to make their own way in the world. If they disappear or die out there, that is their own fault. When the head of the family gets old, he will call the surviving children to his side. The son who earns the most money will be qualified to inherit the Shen family's huge business."

"Regardless of whether the son is legitimate or illegitimate, any son is eligible. Of course, daughters are not eligible to inherit the family business, but they can receive a large sum of money from the family."

Song Yan nodded. With a wealthy wife like Shen Qi backing him up and managing relationships at all levels, it's no wonder that Song Jincheng has risen through the ranks so quickly.

I just don't know what Shen Qi saw in Song Jincheng.
That face?

To be fair, Song Jincheng is indeed quite good-looking.

Chatting idly along the way, we unknowingly passed through the inner city.

Just as they turned into the alley leading to the Fang Mansion, the tree trunk in front of them suddenly swayed, and a figure fell straight off the tree trunk.

With a bang, it slammed heavily in front of Song Yan and Zi Yu.

The strong smell of blood filled my nostrils.

It was a woman, her snow-white dress stained crimson.

She was petite but had a voluptuous figure.

Song Yan's expression changed slightly, and a bad premonition quickly grew in his heart.

(End of this chapter)