Why was Gu Chang looking at him like that?

Did he know that someone from the Peng family had been in contact with the Third Prince, helping him handle affairs, and so suspected that these two hundred thousand taels of silver were the handiwork of their Peng family?

The Peng family would not shoulder this blame!

Elder Master Peng coughed heavily and said with a stern face: “What Elder Master Wu and Scholar Tao said is correct. Two hundred thousand taels of silver is no small sum. For any family present here to produce such an amount would be somewhat difficult, and how it was transported into the capital is also a mystery. If Lord Sun has discovered anything, please speak plainly, Lord Gu. Everyone is now in the same boat—if the boat capsizes, it’s bad for everyone. As Fourth Master Song said, time is pressing, and this is not the moment for polite pleasantries. Everyone should just say what they have to say!”

Gu Chang had always suspected the Peng family.

Because only the Peng family had such financial resources and capabilities, but at this moment, seeing Elder Master Peng’s expression, he felt his assumptions had been somewhat presumptuous. Though two hundred thousand taels of silver was a large sum, everyone present truly could produce it.

The main question was how it was transported into the capital.

If it wasn’t the Wu family and it wasn’t the Peng family, then whose family was it?

Sun Gao had investigated clearly—this silver had entered the capital via the Grand Canal from Suzhou.

The Song family wasn’t this generous, and the Pei family didn’t have such means.

Then who could it be?

Gu Chang had a terrible headache.

He simply said: “Regarding the Third Prince’s matter, I only want a result. As for what everyone thinks, I’m young and can’t compare with all of you who’ve weathered countless storms. I don’t have any good ideas at the moment either. Wei Sanfu and I are thinking along the same lines. We’re prepared to stay here until after the Dragon Boat Festival. If there’s still no news after the Dragon Boat Festival, then we can only report whatever we find.”

By then, not a single aristocratic family from Jiangnan would be spared.

Especially the Song family.

They had both ships and money.

Fourth Master Song’s cold sweat kept flowing.

He abruptly stood up, cupped his hands in salute to everyone present, and said hoarsely: “Brothers, please save our Song family’s lives—this is a matter of executing nine generations of kinsmen!”

The relationships among Jiangnan’s aristocratic families were deeply intertwined. Executing nine generations might not happen, but if the Song family fell, every household would likely be implicated.

Elder Master Peng and Tao Qing said nothing.

Though they also belonged to the south, they were from Fujian and Guangdong, and could remain uninvolved.

However, Gu Chang remembered the Peng family’s domineering behavior—how could he easily let the Peng family off?

He said indifferently: “This silver either traveled by river or by sea. Everyone should think carefully about how to help me account for this! As for me, I can only help everyone this far. Anything more, and I lack the ability.”

Elder Master Peng lightly glanced at Gu Chang, then half-closed his eyes again.

With the Song family standing at the forefront, he wasn’t afraid of this matter.

Tao Qing had always disapproved of the Peng family keeping themselves aloof. Seeing this, after brief consideration, he asked Gu Chang: “If it’s truly confirmed that this matter is related to Jiangnan’s aristocratic families, the Maritime Trade Bureau…”

Gu Chang couldn’t help but give Tao Qing a mental thumbs-up, thinking privately that no wonder the Tao family had risen so quickly under Tao Qing’s leadership—Tao Qing was indeed exceptionally capable, dragging the Peng family into the water with a single sentence.

He said: “Jiangnan’s aristocratic families can casually send the Third Prince two hundred thousand taels of silver, which shows how wealthy Jiangnan’s families are. His Majesty just recently renovated the Western Garden, and the imperial treasury is in crisis. He’s pressuring the Ministry of Revenue to find solutions! Lord Sun was complaining earlier that the Embroidered Uniform Guard and the Eastern and Western Depots are becoming increasingly derelict in their duties. Such a major incident as the assassination of the Second Prince still hasn’t been investigated clearly—do they not take the Second Prince seriously? Or are they afraid of offending the two princes and muddling through? After all, two years have passed since the incident, and when investigating such a major matter, they still cover it up secretively, so many court officials don’t even know what happened.”

The implication was that perhaps His Majesty planned to use this matter to extort silver from Jiangnan’s aristocratic families.

This wasn’t impossible.

Otherwise, why would Wang Qibao be sent out of the capital again?

Wang Qibao was someone who could freely enter and exit His Majesty’s bedchamber without announcement.

Everyone present exchanged glances. Only Pei Yan kept his eyes lowered, his expression unreadable.

Tao Qing had always felt that Pei Yan’s intelligence bordered on the supernatural. Seeing him like this, his heart instead calmed down.

If His Majesty wanted to extort silver from Jiangnan’s aristocratic families, the Fujian and Guangdong families couldn’t hope to escape either. He just needed to follow behind the Pei family—if the Pei family donated money, he would donate; if the Pei family didn’t donate, their family wouldn’t either. The prerequisite was that they follow closely behind the Pei family without falling behind.

He felt some regret.

The Tao family should have arranged a marriage alliance with the Pei family earlier.

If they couldn’t marry a daughter into their family, bringing a daughter-in-law home wouldn’t be bad either.

Moreover, the Pei family had few daughters and therefore particularly valued their girls.

In their family now, only Fourth Miss and Fifth Miss were unbetrothed.

Fifth Miss was the daughter of Pei Yan’s elder brother—their Tao family would need to find someone capable of scholarly pursuits.

Second Brother’s eldest son, or their family’s third son?

Tao Qing pondered this in his mind.

Everyone had their own thoughts, and the hall gradually became so quiet one could hear a pin drop.

The sounds of laughter and conversation from outside drifted in faintly, making the hall seem even more tranquil, yet also reminded them of matters outside.

Pei Yan summoned A’Ming and questioned him: “You’ve had people keep watch, right? Don’t let anyone offend the female guests. The Zhaomin Temple scripture lecture gathering is hosted by our Pei family.”

He had already said this once early this morning.

A’Ming hurriedly replied: “Third Master, rest assured. Even if outsiders have invitation cards, they cannot enter the eastern meditation rooms. We’ve assigned people who know the young masters from the Song and Peng families to guard the entrance—we won’t let them wander about.”

Most of Zhaomin Temple’s meditation rooms had been reserved by the Pei family, especially the eastern rooms where the female guests were resting.

Pei Yan nodded, but his heart still felt somewhat uneasy.

Yesterday he and Yu Tang had parted on bad terms. He naturally knew she was heartless—even the biggest matters would be forgotten after a night’s sleep at most, just like before. Even when caught using the Pei family’s reputation to intimidate others, she could act as if nothing had happened when they next met.

Today she should also be happily touring Zhaomin Temple with his several nieces, shouldn’t she?

As this thought flashed through his mind, he asked A’Ming again: “Have the Wei and Wu families come up the mountain?”

Though the scripture lecture gathering was tomorrow, logically the Wei and Wu families should send people in advance to clean and arrange the rooms allocated to them, and have people guard there.

A’Ming truly didn’t know about this matter.

He was slightly startled, then immediately said: “I’ll go find out right away.”

Then he ran off in a flash.

When he returned after making inquiries, the great hall had somehow erupted in argument again, while Pei Yan was whispering something to Tao Qing.

He thought for a moment, then still tiptoed to Pei Yan’s side, hearing Pei Yan saying to Tao Qing: “Don’t listen to Gu Chaoyang’s alarmist talk. Everything has a solution. Since His Majesty lacks money, we might as well use money to resolve this matter. I can still speak with Wang Qibao. Since Yin Mingyuan had his wife send me a message asking for sweet and sour fish and Dongpo pork, we must make a trip to Suzhou. If matters in Huai’an are very urgent, you go to Huai’an first, and I’ll go to Suzhou alone.”

While speaking, perhaps sensing A’Ming’s approach, he raised his head and immediately changed the subject, asking A’Ming: “Have both families arrived?”

Tao Qing thought he had some urgent matter and waited beside him.

A’Ming nervously swallowed, then said in a low voice: “They’ve arrived! They’re currently cleaning the rooms. When I went to ask, they thanked you and even gave out two red envelopes as rewards.”

Pei Yan waved his hand in a manner suggesting this was a small matter, and continued: “Did they go pay respects to Madam Yu?”

A’Ming replied: “They did. They said Madam Yu and Miss Yu were both copying Buddhist scriptures. Madam Yu spoke a few words with them, then served tea to see them off. They’re planning to go pay their respects to Madam Yu again after finishing the cleaning.”

“They didn’t go out to enjoy themselves?” Pei Yan frowned, his face taut, as if it were June weather that could rain at any moment.

Tomorrow was the scripture lecture gathering. Peddlers who had caught wind of it had already set up stalls outside Zhaomin Temple, and there were even acrobat performers.

A’Ming was completely confused.

They didn’t go out to enjoy themselves?

Was he referring to Madam Yu?

Madam Yu clearly seemed refined and gentle—how could she run out to play like a young girl?

But in front of Tao Qing, if he asked such a question, people would laugh that their Third Master’s personal attendant couldn’t even handle small matters properly.

He could only steel himself and reply in bewildered confusion: “Miss Yu is feeling unwell, so Madam Yu certainly wouldn’t go out!”

“Miss Yu is unwell?” Pei Yan stared at A’Ming, his gaze shooting cold light.

A’Ming couldn’t help but shudder.

He rarely saw Pei Yan like this.

Losing his temper in front of outsiders, unable even to conceal it.

A’Ming hurriedly said: “I just heard it from the sisters in the Old Madam’s courtyard. I’ll go ask right away whether a physician was called and what prescription was given?”

Only then did Pei Yan realize his emotions had been too agitated.

If Miss Yu were truly seriously ill, a steward would have already reported it to him and returned to the city to fetch a physician, rather than only calling the physician the Pei family had brought along.

He exhaled a long breath, feeling the tightness in his chest wasn’t as severe as before, and said: “Then go check on Miss Yu and report back to me.”

Pei Yan’s tone was very calm, but inwardly he wondered: Could it be that I angered her into illness yesterday?

He thought of the retreating figure he had seen when he left yesterday.

That little girl had always had a quick temper. After being rebuked by him like that, she must certainly feel upset. Being angered into illness was also possible.

But she was too petty.

It was just teasing talk—she actually took it seriously!

Pei Yan was displeased, yet inexplicably felt somewhat guilty.

Going to check on her wouldn’t hurt, lest she really be angered into something serious.

After all, she was just a young girl. Though described as lively and cheerful, open-minded and forthright, compared to real young men, she was still quite delicate.

Thinking this way, Pei Yan snorted coldly several times and instructed A’Ming: “Go and return quickly!”

A’Ming felt he had stumbled onto the right track by accident. How would he dare ask more questions or think more? He flew out of the hall like a shot.

Pei Yan watched with growing dissatisfaction.

A’Ming had barely grown up following him since childhood—how could his conduct still be so petty?

He shook his head inwardly, but when he raised his eyes, he saw Tao Qing’s mocking gaze.

Pei Yan was stunned.

Tao Qing had already spoken: “Miss Yu? Who is that? A relative of your family? Here we all are at a life-and-death juncture, and you’re still concerned about someone else’s illness? Tell me, should I send someone to pay respects to Madam Yu on your behalf, considering our friendship?”