Though His Majesty had issued an edict upon ascending the throne allowing merchants’ sons to enter officialdom through examinations, the deeply ingrained low status of merchants persisted. Li Shi’s brother had wanted to go into business but was constrained by the Li family’s reputation.

Li Shi smiled as she said, “Brother often regrets being unable to pursue his ambitions, and can only help manage the family’s ancestral properties.”

Soon after, Li Shi’s brother Li Jing arrived. This wasn’t her eldest brother, but her second brother.

Tall and slender with refined features, he brought two or three servants, each carrying several boxes. Tao Le led him in, and upon hearing of this, Uncle Tao Yuan also came to personally examine the items for Shen Xihe.

Li Jing appeared smooth and composed before Shen Xihe, but when Tao Yuan mentioned personally examining the items, his smile notably became somewhat forced.

Having spent years in the trade and traveled extensively, Tao Yuan naturally had keen eyes. At first, he noticed nothing unusual, but after seeing multiple antique pieces, he frowned, though he didn’t think too deeply about it. Instead, he advised Li Jing: “Nephew, when collecting items in the future, don’t fixate on old pieces. There aren’t that many unfilial descendants desperate enough to sell their ancestral belongings.”

This was a subtle warning – Tao Yuan thought Li Jing had been deceived into acquiring potentially questionable items.

Of the thirty-four items Li Jing brought, Shen Xihe roughly estimated only four or five might be questionable, and that was just speculation without verification. Tao Yuan’s experience had simply prompted his kind warning.

“Third Cousin, please ask Uncle to come,” Shen Xihe said to Tao Le.

She couldn’t ignore this matter. The court was thoroughly investigating this case, and eventually, no one involved would escape. Li Jing was now related to the Tao family by marriage. If they didn’t intervene now and let Li Jing sink deeper, the Tao family would also suffer greatly.

The only solution was for Tao Cheng to discover the anomaly and turn Li Jing, allowing him to atone for his crimes through meritorious service, thus enabling both the Tao and Li families to emerge unscathed.

Though Shen Xihe maintained a calm expression, the perceptive Li Shi sensed something was wrong. Seeing her unease, Shen Xihe told her: “Sister-in-law, this doesn’t concern you. You’ve just met your in-laws today, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to invite your father. People would gossip if they saw.”

If the groom’s family summoned the bride’s parents on her first day, what would people think of Li Shi and the Tao family?

Shen Xihe didn’t care about an empty reputation, but only for herself – this era wouldn’t allow everyone such freedom.

“Princess…” Li Shi was grateful for Shen Xihe’s consideration but worried about her brother, especially seeing his tense expression. Her heart sank further: “Has my brother offended in some way?”

“Your brother has indeed offended, but not me, nor any living person,” Shen Xihe cast a cool glance at Li Jing.

Not living people…

That meant the dead. At the mention of the dead, everyone understood about burial goods. Looking at the items on the table, Li Shi’s face went white, and she nearly collapsed, but Tao Le caught her in time, gripping her hand to support her.

A knock came at the door. Shen Xihe had Zhenzhu open it. Hong Yu led Tao Cheng in, then closed the door, standing guard outside with Zhenzhu.

“Uncle, half a month ago in the capital…” Shen Xihe briefly explained the situation. “Currently, Young Master Bu is investigating in Henan Prefecture on imperial orders. His Majesty takes this matter extremely seriously. Most of Brother Li’s items are of questionable origin. When His Majesty’s investigation reaches here, the Li family’s generations of good reputation will be destroyed in an instant.”

Grave robbing – what could be more against heaven’s principles?

“Brother!” Li Shi cried shrilly, staring at her brother in disbelief. “How could you be so foolish!”

If Father learned of this, he would strike him from the family register, their entire branch would be disgraced, unable to face the clan again. She would have no face before her husband and in-laws, and her younger siblings’ marriage prospects would be affected.

When Li Jing heard Shen Xihe’s revelation, his thoughts raced, wanting to claim he wasn’t involved, merely deceived into accepting some old items. Even Tao Cheng’s piercing gaze hadn’t shaken him, but his sister’s tearful eyes made him bow his head in shame.

Li Shi, who had held onto a glimmer of hope, fainted in her husband’s arms upon seeing this.

“Third Son, take your wife downstairs,” Tao Cheng commanded.

Only Shen Xihe, the Tao brothers Yuan and Cheng, and Li Jing remained in the room.

“Second Son, tell us the truth about this matter. Pull back from the precipice – it’s not too late to turn back,” Tao Cheng urged.

Officially, Tao Cheng was the prefect, and such matters in Linchuan were his responsibility.

Privately, the Li and Tao families were now related by marriage, and he had to handle this carefully.

“Uncle, I acted alone in this matter, no one else in the family knows,” Li Jing fell to his knees with a thud. “Please don’t tell my parents. I’ll return home tomorrow and take my own life in shame.”

He wanted to die right there, but that would create enmity between the Li and Tao families and ruin his sister’s marriage.

“If you truly committed such acts against heaven’s will, it would indeed be unforgivable. But a man in this world should stand tall and unafraid even when he has strayed from the path. To fear one’s mistakes without correcting them, to err without seeing the error – that is worse,” Tao Cheng said gravely. “Taking your life now would be escaping your mistakes. Having recognized your error, the priority is how to make amends, not to compound the mistake.”

Li Jing understood Tao Cheng’s meaning. A light briefly appeared in his eyes before dimming: “Uncle, these people are ruthless. Would I have fallen so low if they hadn’t forced me?”

Coming from a scholarly family and being raised on the classics, how could Li Jing not know how heinous grave robbing was?

But he had trusted the wrong friend and stepped in with no way back: “I witnessed them slaughter the relatives of those who tried to betray them…”

Li Jing broke down sobbing as he spoke.

“You think your death would make them leave the Li family alone?” Shen Xihe laughed softly. “They would suspect you might have told your family their secrets. Those who do such things can’t show any mercy. To be safe, after your death, they would find ways to harm your parents, brothers, and sisters…”

Li Jing trembled.

Tao Cheng added, “The Princess speaks truly. Now, making amends through meritorious service is the only way to save the Li family’s reputation and rescue your parents from disaster.”

Li Jing remained stunned for a moment before wiping his tears with his sleeve. He looked at Tao Cheng with determined resolve: “Please instruct me, Uncle!”

Tao Cheng helped Li Jing up and questioned him right there in Shen Xihe’s presence, not avoiding her, as she knew more about this matter than they did.

It turned out Li Jing had been trapped by them, though he insisted he only helped sell the goods, never taking a share of the money or participating in the grave robbing.