Fifteen thousand taels of silver, with an interest of only fifteen taels a year, itâs practically being given away for free.
Liu Wenqing was dumbfounded. Looking at Liu Wenqing, he could never have imagined he could really borrow so much money.
Itâs like getting something for nothing and even gaining a table full of exquisite dishes, itâs a huge gain.
For the first time, Liu Wenqing felt this cousin was so capable, practically not a mortal.
Liu Wenqing certainly was capable. Tong San recognized his talent and entrusted him with various tasks. He was just suppressed by the Tong Family, unable to display his skills.
Qiu Hao was a somewhat simple person. After agreeing with Liu Wenqing, he immediately went back to bring him the silver.
However, Qiu Haoâs father found out about the loan but didnât stop him, only said: "You make your own decisions. This Liu Wenqing is alright, worth associating with more."
They had heard of Liu Wenqing and were aware of some of the things he did. Although many people despised him for being a servant to Tong San, if it wasnât for him being a watchdog for Tong San, the Liu Familyâs Carriage Inn wouldâve long been gone.
Qiu Haoâs father thought this was a man who could adapt and sacrifice himself to secure his familyâs survival, and was willing for his simple son to associate more with such a person.
Qiu Hao was very pleased to hear his fatherâs words and happily returned to the Fugui Building, handing the silver note to Liu Wenqing: "Keep the silver note safe, hereâs the IOU, put your fingerprint on it."
Though Qiu Hao was simple, he wasnât foolish; lending such an amount of silver definitely required leaving an IOU.
After reviewing the IOU, Liu Wenqing quickly signed and stamped his fingerprint, then, having accepted the silver note, stood up and solemnly bowed to Qiu Hao: "Young Master Qiu, thank you. Your silver can be considered as saving the entire Liu Familyâs life. If the Liu Family can prosper again, it will never forget your kindness."
Qiu Hao blushed and quickly replied: "You donât have to be like this, itâs only because you have exchanged for it with the truth about the Tong Family."
Liu Wenqing laughed: "The Tong Familyâs matter is just an excuse, borrowing the money depended on Young Master Qiuâs kindness and righteousness."
Qiu Hao, having been praised by Liu Wenqing, felt very embarrassed and swiftly ran off.
Liu Wenqing was overjoyed after borrowing the silver from Liu Wenqing and returned home happily to discuss with Grand Old Master Liu how to use the silver.
Meanwhile, that evening, reports from Yan Mountain indicated that not only was there an iron mine, but there were also several hundred miners, all bought by the Tong Family at a low price, living in cellars during the day and extracting iron ore at night.
Besides the hundreds of miners, Magistrate Shi also found a large pit, filled with the remains of miners who died from exhaustion and illness. Some bones had already turned black and decayed, proving that the Tong Familyâs Yan Mountain iron mine had been exploited for over twenty years.
Magistrate Shi was so frightened his legs turned weak, not daring to conceal anything, he immediately reported to the Capital.
Following this, he conferred with General Zhang, leaving behind a troop to guard Yan Mountain, and then both of them, along with the troops, returned to the Prefecture City to seal off the Tong Family Escort Agency and arrest all escort masters, as well as a group associated with the Tong Family Escort Agency.
The Tong Family opened the escort agency to transport weapons to Da Rong for sale, which was a huge crime, those in the escort agency shouldnât think they can escape.
The Tong Familyâs matter was extensive, and Magistrate Shi was busy day and night with their affairs, having no time to attend to the new graduates, postponing the banquet that should have already been held.
However, Magistrate Shi knew that some of the scholars werenât well off, and staying in the Prefecture City incurred a lot of expenses, so he sent someone to give each a sum of thirty taels of silver.
Gu Jinâan also received the silver and was very happy, but what made him happiest was that the Tong Family was defeated, and Tong San was dead.
Tong San was like a venomous snake; he had been targeted by this snake. Had the Tong Family not been defeated, had Tong San not died, he wouldnât know when he might have been harmed by Tong San.
Tong San was too terrifying, even worse than Zou Yuzhen; once he set his sights on someone it was a lifetime matter, he had to be eliminated.
But Gu Jinâan underestimated Tong San. Tong San had arranged everything before the ranking announcement, and even if he died, the accusations against Gu Jinâan wouldnât cease.
In the past few days, talks in the Prefecture City about Gu Jinâanâs family being unfilial were raised again, and unexpectedly, Tong San had bribed an old scholar.
The old scholar, not only an octogenarian, was a teacher who had taught for decades with countless students. He seemed unremarkable, but when he brought a large group of his students with a blood letter to seek an audience with Academic Administrator Kong, he couldnât be ignored.
The old scholarâs last name was Cao, and he directly knelt at the government gate, saying he wanted to see Academic Administrator Kong, attracting a crowd of onlookers.
When Academic Administrator Kong heard that Cao Juren was kneeling to see him, he didnât dare neglect him and immediately met with Cao Juren: "Old sir, you are a scholar and an elder, if you have any grievances just say them, thereâs no need to kneel."
Yet, Cao Juren refused to rise, insisting on kneeling: "Lord Xue Zheng, I have been waiting for you for a long time. You donât know, in Jianghuai thereâs a grandson who plotted against his grandparents!"
Needless to say, this unvirtuous grandson plotting against his grandparents was Gu Jinâan.
Cao Juren recounted the tale of how Gu Jinâanâs family was unfilial to the Old Gu Family and didnât support Elder Gu: "The wrongdoer was Mrs. Gu Pan, but Gu Jinâanâs family didnât support Elder Gu at all, clearly being unfilial, intending to harm Elder Guâs life. Now Elder Gu is missing; I strongly suspect that Gu Jinâanâs family secretly harmed him."
With empty words, they pinned a charge of killing his grandfather on Gu Jinâan.
Academic Administrator Kong frowned: "Old scholar, you better have evidence for what you say, otherwise you shouldnât speak carelessly."
Academic Administrator Kong wasnât pleased, Gu Jinâan was his chosen top student of the Jianghuai college examination. If there truly was a criminal case, even he as Academic Administrator would be implicated.
But with Cao Juren coming to accuse, Academic Administrator Kong couldnât pretend not to know, and he was quite troubled.
Cao Juren said: "Sir, just bring Gu Jinâan to be interrogated, and it will be clear whether his family secretly harmed Elder Gu or not?"
"What did you say?" Academic Administrator Kong was shocked. Without evidence, merely a suspicion, Cao Juren wanted to have Gu Jinâan arrested, wasnât this too tyrannical?
Continuing to haul Gu Jinâan to the government office would destroy Gu Jinâanâs entire future!
Academic Administrator Kong didnât want to agree, and Scholar Shang was even more unwilling.
Upon hearing the news, he also came to the government gate to see what was happening. Hearing Cao Jurenâs words, he was enraged, directly rushing out, taking up the drumsticks to beat the drum and shout for justice: "Scholar in the twenty-sixth year of Jinwu from Tianfu County in Heâan Prefecture, accuses Cao Juren of Linhe Prefecture of falsely accusing individuals with official positions!"
He shouted several times, leaving everyone stunned.
Cao Juren, being old, took a while to realize he was being accused by Scholar Shang, and shook in anger, pointing at him: "You, you outsider, what right have you to accuse me?"
Scholar Shang coldly retorted: "Then what right do you have to falsely accuse Gu Jinâan? You can falsely accuse without others accusing you, whereâs the reasoning in that?"