Jin Wang Dotes on His Concubine

Being in the capital, no matter how low-key and reclusive one was, there were certain things that couldn’t be avoided. For example, if there was a joyous occasion in a family or household and someone sent you an invitation, would you go or not?

Going might cause trouble, but not going would clearly offend someone. Because of this, Huiniang would even visit the palace specifically to discuss this kind of matter with Yaoniang. This went to show that when one’s status changes, while one may enjoy the wealth and status that came with it, there are also inevitably many troubles to deal with.

The two sisters carefully went through the invitations. Yaoniang even consulted Emperor Jin’an to determine the extent of interaction allowed for the Yao and Su Families. Of course, the boundaries are fixed, but people are changing, so adjustments must be made.

For this reason, Emperor Jin’an sent someone to both families, advising them on the side and helping them understand the current situation in the capital.

However, as mentioned before, people were unpredictable. Although one could advise others where to go, it was difficult to control what came from their mouths. Li-shi was originally the type of person to take advantage of others’ kindness and stir up trouble for no reason. During this period of going to various families and households, it was unknown how often she made a fool of herself. With her son now in a high position and her daughter-in-law’s sister being the empress, Li-shi became quite arrogant.

Huiniang couldn’t keep an eye on her at all times. Who knows when Li-shi might come up with some shocking action? Huiniang even considered preventing Li-shi from going out, but if other families sent invitations for the women of the household to visit, they would invite women of the Yao Family with the most seniority. How could they decline the invitation every time and pretend to be ill?

Furthermore, Li-shi wasn’t willing. She would cause a ruckus at home, scolding Yao Cheng and Huiniang for not being filial and even daring to discipline her.

Seeing Li-shi becoming more and more unruly outside, Huiniang and Yao Cheng discussed confining her at home. However, news about the old madam of the Yao Family’s domineering behaviour outside had already spread. Besides, Li-shi couldn’t control her mouth. Despite her fierce demeanour, she was no match for those official’s wives who had spent many years in the rear courtyard. With just a little flattery and indulgence, she would become conceited.

Among all this, there was one thing that even Yao Cheng and Huiniang didn’t know: Li-shi was instigated to have dealings with loan sharks outside.

In fact, by this time, Yao Cheng and Huiniang had already confined Li-shi to their home. They were willing to endure the gossip and not let Li-shi go out. They thought the situation would gradually subside, but they never expected it to turn into such a big issue.

The incident originated from a family that needed money urgently and borrowed money from loan sharks. They thought it would be within their means to repay it, but the other party disregarded proper procedures. In a matter of months, the debt had grown to an unbearable extent.

The debt collectors were also too ruthless, resulting in one person from that household being killed in the process. Such audacity had never been seen within the imperial city walls before. So, the family reported the incident to the Shuntian Prefecture.

Subsequently, the investigation led to the third madam of a certain noble household, who, due to her timidity, implicated Li-shi. The third madam claimed that the loan shark money scheme was a joint business venture between her and the Yao Family’s old madam to earn extra money for cosmetics. She hadn’t expected the situation to escalate like this due to the incompetence of the people involved.

In truth, the business of lending money wasn’t uncommon in the capital. Many families were involved to varying degrees, with some being more discreet than others. Larger schemes were typically orchestrated by men, while smaller ones were carried out by women, often related to cosmetics or other small luxuries. These women rarely appeared themselves; they usually sent their servants to handle the operations. Incidents involving loss of life were extremely rare, and no one anticipated such an unfortunate turn of events.

It wasn’t until officials from Shuntian Prefecture arrived that Huiniang and Yao Cheng became aware of the situation.

The two of them went to ask Li-shi, and indeed, there was such a matter. However, the other party had said that she didn’t need to worry about anything and only needed to wait to receive the silver, so Li-shi didn’t inquire further. After doing this for more than half a year, Li-shi hadn’t lost a single penny of her investments, and she had received nearly five hundred taels of silver in total.

No wonder Huiniang felt that Li-shi had been unusually generous in the past half year. She often noticed Li-shi wearing new pieces of jewelry. She thought it was a result of Yaoniang’s secret kindness and chose to turn a blind eye, considering it as if she didn’t know. She never imagined that such a big issue would arise.

Yao Cheng was furious at home, but the matter still needed to be resolved. Originally, according to Yao Cheng’s idea, he would handle the situation discreetly, doing whatever was necessary to suppress the matter. In the past year, Yao Cheng has also undergone a significant transformation. He was skilled at networking, adept at social interactions, and had made many friends from different walks of life. Even a matter like this could be managed with some effort.

However, when it came to Huiniang, she didn’t agree.

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