"Dad, who are you talking about? That village girl, Liu Feixue? How is that possible? Are you sure you're not mistaken?" Li Qingrou thought she was hearing things.
"It's true. She's targeting the Li family in every way. It's a small matter that business is failing, but I fear she's seeking revenge," Old Master Li said weakly. "Steward, please escort the young lady out." He didn't want to say more to his daughter and just wanted to find a quiet place.
"How could this be? How is this possible..." If her father hadn't told her himself, Li Qingrou would never have believed that the village girl she never took seriously could actually hinder the Li family's business.
Originally, she wanted to go back immediately and question Liu Yixuan about the Liu family's background. But she was afraid that if Liu Yixuan found out, he would regret it. Her father's advice to not take Liu Yixuan too seriously and to prioritize herself in all matters went in one ear and out the other. A woman in love couldn't listen.
Old Master Li shut himself in his study for a day. The next day, he decided to close all his rouge and powder shops and switch to other trades. However, whenever he opened a shop, a similar shop would open across the street or nearby, offering better prices and superior products, even affecting his established stores. At first, he didn't pay much attention, thinking it was a coincidence. It wasn't until one day he saw Wu Caiwei coming out of a shop that he suddenly realized.
Seeing month after month of losses, and after three months of struggle, Old Master Li could no longer persevere and closed all his shops.
With no income at home, the feeling of depleting savings was terrible. Old Master Li had planned to reopen once Liu Feixue forgot about the matter. However, he never expected that after only a few days of peace, yamen runners would arrive.
Due to his unusual relationship with the county magistrate, these yamen runners usually treated him with respect, as if they were brothers. But today, they were exceptionally tight-lipped. Old Master Li tried to get information several times, but they played dumb and feigned ignorance. He knew he was in for trouble and felt increasingly uneasy.
When he reached the court, his brother-in-law, who usually sat in the magistrate's seat, was absent. Instead, a middle-aged man he didn't recognize presided. Old Master Li glanced around and didn't even see the advisor. His heart sank. The situation seemed worse than he had imagined.
As the case was heard, Old Master Li learned that someone had accused him of forcibly seizing a rouge formula and of forced purchases of shops. If they hadn't come to accuse him today and stood before him, Old Master Li wouldn't have recognized them. Given the passage of time and his never expecting to be sued, he thought that with his brother-in-law's backing in Yangshan County, he could do as he pleased. No, no one had sued him for so many years; why was he being targeted precisely during this turbulent time?
It seemed this matter was inseparable from Liu Feixue.
Listening to the victims' accounts and as evidence was presented one by one, Old Master Li knew he was finished.
"Defendant, Li Guangxian, do you admit to the victim's accusations and the presented evidence?" the prefect asked him sternly.
Truthfully, Old Master Li hesitated. If he denied it, with eyewitnesses and physical evidence, he would likely still be beaten. If he admitted it, his family fortune would surely be lost.
"Defendant, Li Guangxian, do you admit it or not?" the prefect's majestic voice echoed again. Old Master Li closed his eyes and blurted out, "I do not admit it. All accusations are baseless."
"Eyewitnesses and evidence are all present, yet you refuse to confess. Guards, bring him here and give him twenty planks first!" As the order was given, four yamen runners stepped forward. Two held him down on a bench, and two began the punishment. As the first plank fell, the pain struck. Old Master Li gritted his teeth and didn't utter a sound. Sweat dripped down his face. He realized for the first time how painful the planks were, like knives piercing his collarbone, making him wish he could faint.
After twenty planks, Old Master Li lay on the ground, motionless. "Defendant Li Guangxian, do you admit it or not?"
"I do not admit it," Old Master Li replied in a faint voice.
"The defendant refuses to confess. We will re-examine the case tomorrow." With the prefect's declaration, the yamen runners threw him into prison.
Wu Caiwei was surprised by this outcome. After all, with eyewitnesses and physical evidence, he would still be convicted even if he denied it. Wu Caiwei thought that with Old Master Li's shrewdness, he would have confessed obediently. Instead, he had endured the beating.
Madam Li had been worried since her husband was taken away. Although his distrust and constant wariness over the years had long since eroded their marital bond, their son was not yet independent and needed his father's guidance and upbringing.
As soon as her husband was escorted out, she ordered the steward to gather information. She also prepared for the worst while at home, having maids use the pretense of sending things to her maternal family to deliver some personal belongings to her parents, just in case.
When she heard from the steward that not only were there eyewitnesses and physical evidence, but her husband had also been beaten, it was an understatement to say she was surprised. Madam Li also panicked. The situation was ultimately developing in a negative direction.
In the afternoon, Madam Li brought a large sum of money and bribed the jailers at a high price. As soon as she saw Old Master Li, she cried out anxiously, "Husband, husband, how are you?"
"I won't die for now," Old Master Li said, crawling out. His body felt like it weighed a thousand pounds. A distance that could be covered in a few steps took him the time it took for one stick of incense to burn.
Madam Li quickly used this opportunity to apply medicine to him and also took out the specially prepared food, feeding him bite by bite. In a voice only they could hear, she asked, "What exactly happened? What should we do next?"
Old Master Li quickly recounted the events to her. "Now, you must quickly go find my elder brother-in-law. He is in the Commander's Office and will not abandon me. Have him come and rescue me quickly."
"Alright, I understand. Husband, please eat quickly," Madam Li said with a worried expression.
After a while, a jailer urged them, "Time is up. Hurry up and go. This is a major criminal, and I am taking a huge risk."
Madam Li walked out of the prison, finding the sunlight a bit harsh. She couldn't help but shield her eyes. Her heart was complex; she felt that even though that person was dead, he was still protecting the Li family. It was pathetic that a living person couldn't contend with a dead one.
The sudden attack on the Li mansion was orchestrated by Wu Caiwei. Based on her understanding of Li Qingrou and Old Master Li, the Li family's rise to fortune was surely not simple.
Although they had been secretive, anyone who was determined would find something.
After investigating from various sources, she learned that Old Master Li had started from scratch. Within a short period, he acquired a formula and then slowly began his business. Simultaneously, the once-prominent Sun family's rouge and powder shop closed down, and even the descendants of the Sun family moved far away. This discovery was highly unusual, and she began to follow the clues, which led to today's accusation.
The other accuser was someone Wu Caiwei saw by chance while passing by one of the Li family's shops. A young man in simple clothing stood before the shop, unwilling to leave for a long time. His expression, looking at the removed plaque, was very complex, filled with nostalgia and resentment.
Wu Caiwei quickly had Dongzhi follow and gather information. As expected, her intuition was correct; this was another case of forced sale. The shop was originally worth four thousand five hundred taels, but Old Master Li had forcibly bought it for five hundred taels.
However, although Old Master Li engaged in forced sales, he left a sliver of room and did not completely annihilate them.