Shen Yun’s eyes were sharp and cold. A glance swept over the people present, chilling them to the bone. They were unsure of what to do.
Should they stay or should they go?
Only Wang Dazhu, despite being somewhat intimidated by his employer’s sudden change of demeanor, remained.
He was accustomed to being arrogant, and with so many people watching him, he naturally couldn't back down. If he did, who would respect him in the future?
He feigned casualness, bowed perfunctorily to Shen Yun, and said, “If the master has nothing else, we’ll be heading off. There’s still plenty of work waiting for me to arrange in the fields and on the land. You wouldn’t know, these people are the laziest. If I don’t go, they’ll slack off.”
“They can go. You stay,” Shen Yun said coldly, looking at him.
“Wh-why?” Wang Dazhu asked, bewildered.
“It’s about time. Li Zhong, open the gate and welcome the officers from the prefectural yamen.”
Li Zhong remembered that before the master came in, a boy had been sent out. At the time, he hadn’t thought much of it, but now he realized it was to summon officials. He nodded repeatedly and hurried off.
Wang Dazhu still didn’t quite understand. He was a man who asked when he didn’t know. “Master, why on earth did you bring the government officials over? You don’t know them. Those people are no good. They’ll take everything they can. If they don’t strip our estate down to the bone, they won’t be satisfied.”
“To arrest you,” Shen Yun replied succinctly, as always.
Wang Dazhu burst into laughter. Arrest him? What a joke! Didn’t everyone in this estate, even in the entire eastern suburbs, know how well-connected he was with the government? It would be good to let this new master, who came from the countryside, see his power, so they would know to be more respectful when they spoke to him in the future.
With this thought, he still believed Shen Yun was trying to scare him, even when the people from the prefectural yamen stood before him. He had dared to be so arrogant after all, having made some inquiries. The clerks responsible for property transfers at the yamen had told him that the new owner of the East Estate was merely an ordinary farming family from Mianzhou City. Perhaps someone in their family had some education and had come to the prefectural city to take the provincial examination. But what was there to fear? Plenty of people were educated these days. For that matter, the previous young lady of the estate was rumored to be a renowned talent in Yizhou Prefecture since childhood. Yet, he had bullied her into submission. Half of the estate’s output was withheld, and she still hadn’t managed to sort out the accounts. Wang Dazhu had long lost all respect for wealthy masters, hence his extreme arrogance.
But when he actually saw the yamen constables, dressed in their dark blue uniforms, arrive at the estate and rush towards him, he stumbled, almost falling. They had really come.
“Master, Master, what is the meaning of this? Why are you arresting me? I have always been loyal to the East Estate and have served diligently and conscientiously as the estate manager for so long.”
Shen Yun snorted, not even looking at him. He turned to Su Xiaoqi and said, “Wife, if you want to know if he has been diligent, you can go and see with these constables.”
Su Xiaoqi nodded, immediately understanding, and took out some broken silver to reward them. There were four constables, and she gave each of them one tael of silver. The constables were so pleased they grinned from ear to ear.
However, one of them, named Ren Yinghao, repeatedly refused, daring not to accept. “Madam Shen is a good friend of our young lady, and a guest of the master and madam. Please feel free to command us if you need anything. We dare not take these.” His words directly revealed Su Xiaoqi’s identity, frightening her companions, who had been about to pocket the silver. They immediately took their silver back out. They looked at Su Xiaoqi with surprise, fearing she might turn on them later and complain. After a while, without exception, all four of them took out silver and expressed their commitment to Su Xiaoqi, saying this was their duty and they dared not accept any benefits.
Su Xiaoqi was not a pedantic person. There was no reason to take back the silver she had offered. She said it was for their tea and that as long as they did their job well, she wouldn’t say anything to her good friend Yiyi.
“Madam Shen, don’t worry, don’t worry. We understand how to handle matters.” Ren Yinghao, seeing that Su Xiaoqi was sincere in her reward, readily accepted without further hesitation. In his heart, he already knew how to proceed.
The four of them, with a formidable air, escorted Wang Dazhu to his small residence behind the estate for a search. Su Xiaoqi and Shen Yun followed one after another to watch the spectacle. On the open ground behind the estate stood a courtyard, occupying an area of one mu. It was built with fine blue bricks and black tiles, its grandeur almost rivaling that of the main courtyard of the estate.
Su Xiaoqi said without reservation, “Hmph, it seems Wang Dazhu has indeed skimmed a lot of oil from the estate.”
Ren Yinghao, catching the implication, quickly trotted over and shouted that they would search thoroughly. The search lasted for an hour, and a pile of items that Wang Dazhu, at his station, shouldn’t have possessed was found and placed in the courtyard. During this time, Su Xiaoqi, finding it too hot outside, went to have Li Shen help her make some ice jelly, ate some pastries, and drank tea before returning. She also had Li Shen send tea and pastries to the constables responsible for the search. Su Xiaoqi’s considerate actions delighted the four constables, who thanked her profusely. In the past, when they went to the homes of those in high positions, others looked down on them. When they went to ordinary people’s homes, everyone was terrified of them. They had never enjoyed such treatment as they were receiving here. This was their first time.
By this time, other servants from the estate had gathered to watch the commotion. Su Xiaoqi casually asked if any of them could write. A young maidservant raised her hand, saying that she grew up in the main residence of the Li family when she was young, studied with the young lady, and could write a little.
“Very good, what is your name?” Su Xiaoqi asked.
“Your servant is called Guo’er,” the maidservant replied respectfully.
Su Xiaoqi nodded. “The items inventoried in this courtyard, given Wang Dazhu’s status as an estate servant and his income, he certainly could not afford them. Some of these are excessive and not for his use. This indicates he has embezzled the master’s property. Now, register them and calculate the amount. Uncle Li, you read, and Guo’er, you write.”
The old man and the young girl accepted the order and began writing in the courtyard. After another quarter of an hour, they arrived at a figure. The valuable items seized from Wang Dazhu’s home, when converted to silver at market price, amounted to at least five thousand taels. This included three thousand taels in cash, food, supplements, fabrics, and some valuable decorative items, as well as jewelry for women… and so on.
“What a greedy, insatiable dog. Constable Ren, I hand this man over to you. Sentence him according to the laws of Da Liang.” Su Xiaoqi waved her hand, not wanting to look at Wang Dazhu any longer. Such a parasite, such a scoundrel.
“No, no, Master, Master, you must show some mercy. I am the estate manager left by the old master. You have no right to dismiss me…”
Su Xiaoqi frowned. How should she deal with this Wang Dazhu? The spoiled servant’s heart had grown, and he couldn’t even distinguish who his master was.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi’s impatience, Shen Yun waved his hand directly. “Muzzle him and take him away.”