Chapter 107: What Wrong Has She Committed?
Jiang Ruanxi immediately understood that Kang Qihui had already taken action, but she hadn’t expected Kang Qihui’s actions to be so swift.
However, given the things Madam Kang Zhou had done, if she didn’t act quickly, she might have no chance at all.
“First Madam returned to her maternal home in a fit of anger, and First Master hurried off to chase after her.”
Jiang Ruanxi frowned slightly. Such a major incident had occurred in the family, yet Madam He had hidden away. Was she intending to wash her hands of everything and make her the villain?
“Go tell First Master and First Madam that if they don’t want Mother to live, they shouldn’t come back.”
Wasn’t she trying to hide? She would deliberately go against her wishes.
After the servant left, Jiang Ruanxi slowly walked inside.
Before even entering the courtyard, she heard Madam Zhou’s voice, laced with tears and anger.
“Lin Shu, don’t think that just because you’ve become an official now, you can do whatever you want in the Lin Family. You ungrateful thing, back when the Lin Clan was down and out, it was all thanks to the Dingning Marquis Manor providing aid, and you used to fawn over me like a dog wagging its tail. Now that you’ve risen high and mighty, you’ve turned your back on it all. If you dare to arrest someone in my Lin Manor today, just try it?”
Lin Shu had long known Madam Zhou’s shrewish demeanor. Even hearing her threats, he wasn’t angry, and calmly recounted the facts of the matter.
“Aunt, I know you’re angry at heart right now, but I’m here to arrest someone today not out of personal grudge, but because someone has truly committed a crime. It’s just carrying out official duties.”
“Committed a crime? What crime?” Madam Zhou raised her voice, as if afraid others wouldn’t hear, her face twisted in ferocity as she pointed at him. “Although our Lin Family has had our noble title stripped, we are still upstanding citizens. Don’t slander us here.”
Jiang Ruanxi had watched the drama from outside long enough before finally stepping inside.
“Mother, what happened?”
Jiang Ruanxi came to Madam Zhou’s side, gave Lin Shu a sidelong glance, and asked Madam Zhou beside her.
Seeing Jiang Ruanxi enter, Lin Shu breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
After all, dealing with Jiang Ruanxi was far better than dealing with this unreasonable shrew Madam Zhou.
After all, not long ago, when he was in trouble, she had extended a helping hand.
Lin Shu’s face showed respect as he said, “Sister-in-law, you’ve arrived just in time. I’m here on orders to arrest the criminal, but Aunt is blocking me.”
“I don’t know who in the Lin Family has committed a crime or what crime it is?” Jiang Ruanxi pretended not to know.
“Madam Kang Zhou has been loan sharking in the Capital, violating the laws of our dynasty,” Lin Shu said righteously.
So it was the loan sharking matter. She had thought Madam Kang Zhou and Madam Zhou had drugged Lin Runkun so quickly, leading to the matter being exposed.
Jiang Ruanxi looked around but didn’t see Madam Kang Zhou anywhere.
It seemed that seeing the matter had fallen apart, she had hidden herself.
“Nonsense, my sister is perfectly fine at my home, never stepping beyond the inner gates. How could she have committed a crime? Clearly, you’re just looking for an excuse to go against our Lin Family.”
“Mother, the innocent are clear and the guilty are turbid. Lin Shu is one of our Lin family members. Without evidence, he wouldn’t make such a big fuss coming to arrest someone. So why not have Lin Shu produce the evidence to prove whether Aunt has committed a crime.”
Madam Zhou felt Jiang Ruanxi was right, and her face immediately filled with righteous indignation as she questioned him.
“Show us the evidence. If you’re slandering my sister, I won’t let you off.”
Lin Shu raised his voice and called outside, “Come in, bring the person up.”
In no time, two guards escorted someone up.
The man’s face was pale, his hair disheveled and dirty, his eyes full of panic.
Seeing Lin Shu, he lunged forward and grabbed his leg. “Sir, this lowly one is wronged…”
Lin Shu dodged to the side, avoiding his lunge, his face full of solemnity.
“Li Ergou, stop crying wronged here. If you don’t behave, you’ll suffer some physical punishment soon.”
Hearing this, Li Ergou shrank back, head lowered, not knowing what he was thinking, and said nothing.
“You think grabbing some person proves anything?” Madam Zhou didn’t sense anything amiss, thinking Lin Shu had just grabbed someone to scare her.
“He is the one who specializes in loan sharking funds in Nine Street Alley. The court is now cracking down severely on this behavior, so I’ve been put in charge of this matter.”
Madam Zhou sneered, “He loan sharks, so arrest him if you want. What does it have to do with my sister?”
“Aunt, are you truly unaware or pretending not to know?” Lin Shu’s eyes grew serious. “Li Ergou is just an ordinary citizen. Where did he get the silver to loan shark?”
Madam Zhou thought of something, no longer as righteous as before, and a bit of sweat beaded on her forehead instead.
“Whose silver he used to loan shark has nothing to do with us,” Madam Zhou stubbornly insisted.
“Some of the money in his hands was provided by Madam Kang Zhou.”
Madam Zhou froze, her back growing cold, but she still refused to believe it.
“You’re talking nonsense. How could my sister do such a thing? You’re clearly framing her and slandering her.”
In recent years, His Majesty has strictly prohibited loan sharking among the common folk. Violators face severe punishment: decapitation on the spot for the worst cases, or exile.
Last year, the legitimate son of a high-ranking noble engaged in loan sharking. When investigated, His Majesty showed no mercy and had him executed directly. This shocked many and deterred those with crooked thoughts.
“Aunt, this is the account book showing the source of Li Ergou’s silver. It’s written clearly who provided the silver money.”
Somehow, Lin Shu had a register in his hand, which he threw in front of Madam Zhou. “Now with witness and material evidence, does Aunt still want to quibble?”
Madam Zhou picked it up and glanced at it, seeing Madam Kang Zhou’s name prominently listed. She was so frightened that her body went limp on the ground, her eyes full of fear.
She had never dreamed that Madam Kang Zhou would do such a foolish thing.
But now with ironclad evidence, there was no room for quibbling.
“Mother, this usury matter is a big deal. Better hurry and call Aunt out. If His Majesty blames it and we’re implicated, our Lin Family will truly be finished.”
Jiang Ruanxi could see the hesitation in Madam Zhou’s heart and persuaded her with reason and emotion. “Even if Mother doesn’t think for herself, you must think for Elder Brother, right?”
Lin Feng had passed the child scholar exam and was now studious and motivated, preparing to take the Xiucai exam.
Though even she felt it impossible, with the He Family’s support, perhaps he really could have good future prospects.
The Lin Family might have hope.
Even if Madam Kang Zhou was related to her by blood and they had a good relationship, she was just her sister. Lin Feng was her own son and key to whether her latter half of life would have any dignity.
