Chapter 22: Scheming Against Each Other

Xia Wencai, who lived in the outer courtyard, only heard about the commotion in the western courtyard from the servants the next morning.

Startled, he exclaimed, "What is Auntie trying to do? She can’t be serious! If something happens to her, my family’s money tree will be gone!"

Without even eating breakfast, Xia Wencai rushed to Concubine Xia’s courtyard.

"Auntie, are you really going to do something foolish?"

Concubine Xia dismissed the servants, ensuring the room was empty. Once alone, she straightened her posture, revealing none of the frail demeanor she had shown before.

"Hah! If I don’t do this, how can I soften your uncle’s heart?" she replied leisurely, giving her nephew a sidelong glance.

Xia Wencai breathed a sigh of relief. "I knew it! Auntie, I’ve been here for a full day now. When are you going to give me the money?"

Concubine Xia’s expression darkened. "I just gave your father several hundred thousand taels the other day. Where would I have more money to give right now?"

Xia Wencai’s eyes roamed the room, appraising its furnishings. "Auntie, the decorations in this room alone must be worth quite a bit."

"Don’t even think about touching these things! They’re too conspicuous. Taking them out would immediately draw attention. Are you trying to get us caught?" Concubine Xia snapped.

Xia Wencai thought about it and realized she was right. Even getting past the gatekeepers would be a challenge.

"So what should we do, Auntie? If you don’t provide the money, what if they report my father to the authorities and get him arrested?"

Concubine Xia sneered. "Your father has bought so many properties and farmlands—did he think I wouldn’t notice?"

Xia Wencai’s face darkened. Those properties were his inheritance!

"My father said that if you don’t give him the money, he’ll go straight to Uncle and tell him everything. If something goes wrong, Auntie, don’t blame him!"

Concubine Xia’s face turned pale with fury. She slammed her hand on the table.

"He wouldn’t dare!"

Xia Wencai shrugged. "Father said that if he’s going to prison anyway, he has nothing to fear. Auntie, don’t forget that the money he spent at Drunken Immortals House was mostly for you. Now that the matter’s been exposed, how can you abandon him?"

Concubine Xia’s face was ashen. If it weren’t for the leverage her brother held over her, she wouldn’t want anything to do with him.

This blood-sucking family! If she hadn’t arranged for her brother to work at Drunken Immortals House, he wouldn’t have had the money to buy properties and land!

And if he hadn’t been so careless, little Su Li wouldn’t have discovered the loophole, and she wouldn’t have fallen out of favor with her husband!

Yet now, they dared to repeatedly use that matter to threaten her!

Concubine Xia’s heart burned with hatred. She needed to come up with a way to solve this problem once and for all.

Seeing her darkened expression, Xia Wencai cautiously asked, "Auntie? Auntie, you’re family—you’re one of us. I’m your nephew. You don’t have any sons, so who else would inherit your wealth? Li’er? She’s a Su, and one day she’ll marry out of the family. Wouldn’t that be handing everything over to someone else?"

Concubine Xia glared at her nephew’s greedy face, barely suppressing the urge to shout at him.

But she forced herself to remain calm, thinking of her plans.

Smiling, she said, "Wencai, you’re right. We are family—if one of us prospers, we all do. I’m sure you understand that. I’ll give you the money shortly. But when you get back, make sure to tell your father not to think too poorly of me. He’s my brother. Of course, I’ll help him."

Xia Wencai beamed with delight. "I knew it! Auntie’s heart is always with our family. Don’t worry, I’ll make sure to honor you in the future! Now, Auntie, quickly give me the money. Father’s waiting anxiously."

Concubine Xia smiled faintly. "No rush. This money is my last savings, even Li’er’s dowry is gone. If your father still needs money after this, I really won’t have any left to give. What should I do then?"

Xia Wencai scratched his head. "Uh…"

"By the way, did you think about what I told you yesterday?" Concubine Xia asked.

Xia Wencai’s expression soured. "Auntie, I’d rather you didn’t bring that up. Just thinking about that Su Li makes me angry! She’s disfigured, not beautiful, and not gentle either. I really don’t like her!"

Internally, Concubine Xia scoffed at his disdainful attitude.

While Su Li’s face was indeed scarred, she was still far more than enough for a scoundrel like her nephew. After all, she had a noble status.

Though she looked down on her nephew, she suppressed her annoyance and said patiently, "Wencai, if you want endless wealth, you must marry Su Li. Think about it: Lady Su only has one daughter, Su Li. All her shops and assets will go to her. Moreover, Su Li is the legitimate daughter of the Minister of War and the granddaughter of the Duke of Wei. If you marry her, do you really need me to spell out how much you’ll gain?"

"But…" Xia Wencai hesitated. He had always dreamed of marrying a beautiful, gentle noblewoman.

"There’s no 'but'! If you don’t like Su Li, then just marry her and leave her alone. When the time comes, whether you divorce her or whatever else, it’ll all be up to you."

Xia Wencai’s eyes lit up. "That’s right!"

He could marry her, take the money, and then discard her!

"But Auntie," Xia Wencai continued, "those maids around Su Li follow her everywhere. I haven’t been able to get close to her at all."

Concubine Xia smiled. "That’s easy. The upcoming trip to Hu Guo Temple is your chance. As long as you follow my instructions, you’ll succeed effortlessly."

Xia Wencai nodded immediately. "I’ll do as you say, Auntie."

Two hours later, Xia Wencai left the Su estate with a pouch full of banknotes, brimming with confidence.

The moment he stepped out, Su Li received word of his departure.

Calling Si Qin to her side, Su Li instructed, "Go inform Uncle Lin to proceed with the plan."

Si Qin nodded and hurried off.

Walking through the bustling streets, Xia Wencai frequently patted his chest, reassured by the money he had just received.

"Hey, Brother Xia! Let’s go have some fun!"

Xia Wencai turned to see someone throwing an arm around his shoulder. Instantly, his momentary nervousness melted away.

Smiling, he said, "Lao Liu, I can’t today. I have other business."

The man called Lao Liu scoffed. "What business? Playing a few rounds won’t hurt. Didn’t you lose last time? Maybe today you’ll win big. Come on, let’s go."

Hearing the sound of dice being rolled and the lively shouts from the gambling den, Xia Wencai’s fingers twitched with temptation.

But thinking about the money in his pocket, he shook his head. "No, I’ll join you tomorrow. I really have something important today."

"Just a few rounds!" Lao Liu coaxed. "Look! Even Lao San is winning big today, and his luck is usually awful. Don’t you want to try?"

Glancing at Lao San, who was flushed with excitement, Xia Wencai couldn’t resist any longer.

"Alright, just a few rounds!"

"That’s the spirit!"

Xia Wencai placed his bets, and luck was immediately on his side.

As the pile of silver before him grew, he completely forgot his earlier promise to only play a couple of rounds.

Lao Liu leaned in, fanning the fire. "Brother Xia, with your luck, why not raise the stakes? Win big and make your father proud!"

Flushed with excitement, Xia Wencai waved grandly. "All in!"

His father was always criticizing him for being useless. This time, he’d win enough to buy a mansion and prove himself!

"Ha ha ha! I won again! I won!"

Lao Liu laughed along with him. "Amazing! Today’s your lucky day, don’t waste it!"

"Ha ha ha! Let’s go again!"

[--------------------------------------------]

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