Third Madam Chen was also drinking tea, casually and comfortably bringing up this matter to Madam Fang as if it were a joke. “Saying they need an extremely noble fate to suppress it—what a ridiculous joke. Who possesses an extremely noble fate? Those are all the imperial nobility, the celestial princes and princesses. Having these heaven’s favored children suppress the fate for a twelve-year-old girl? Who does she think she is?! Those nobles each treasure their lives dearly. Could it be they’re not afraid of being implicated by her? I don’t know what the Marquis of Changning’s household was thinking, actually coming up with such a harmful scheme.”
Madam Fang watched the tea leaves floating and sinking in the water, merely smiling faintly without responding. After a while, hearing some commotion, she gave Third Madam Chen a meaningful look.
Third Madam Chen immediately set down her tea, somewhat eagerly accepting the box handed over by the servant woman. She flipped through the receipts one by one. After a long while, she finally breathed a sigh of relief, locked the box, and held it in her arms. Her face blooming with smiles, she said to Madam Fang, “I’ve made sister-in-law laugh at me. I truly have no experience in this. Everyone says lending money at interest brings quick returns, but it’s also easy for it all to come to nothing. My heart really didn’t have that kind of courage. Thanks to sister-in-law pointing me to a clear path.”
She had lent out two thousand taels of silver. In just one month, the interest alone brought in two hundred taels. It truly came faster than anything else. Relying on her husband’s meager salary, wouldn’t the whole family have to drink the northwest wind?
How hateful that Old Madam Chen was so biased, holding the public family assets in a death grip, unwilling to loosen her hold even a bit.
Madam Fang affectionately stepped forward and took her hand with a smile. “What are you saying? I only saw you worrying yourself white-haired over money every day and thought to help you out. To speak frankly, I also know you were left with no choice—otherwise how would you have targeted the Marquis of Changning’s household?”
At the mention of this matter, Third Madam Chen became somewhat uncomfortable again and coughed dryly a couple of times. Targeting the Marquis of Changning’s household hadn’t actually been her own idea. It was Vice Minister Wang’s wife who had told her about this clever scheme. She had thought of the example of the previous dynasty’s Princess Changning and felt that since Old Madam Xiang was after all Xiang Mingzi’s own grandmother, she had become confused, thinking that afterwards she could always dig out a little payment for her troubles. Who knew the Marquis of Changning’s household would be so unyielding?
Speaking of it made her angry all over again. She couldn’t help spitting hatefully at the ground. “Don’t mention that anymore. Because of this matter, I was nearly divorced.”
Old Madam Chen had truly entertained this notion. At the time, she had called Third Master Chen with a stern face and told him to write divorce papers. If Third Master Chen hadn’t known what was good for him, she would have been in dire straits.
Madam Fang accompanied her in sighing deeply for a while, then looked at the money box in her hands. “But even if you can earn two hundred taels in interest per month, it’s still not a long-term plan. Not to mention preparing dowries for your two young ladies when they marry, you still have three sons. Although the public household and Old Madam will always contribute something…”
Before she could finish speaking, Third Madam Chen already laughed coldly through gritted teeth. “Contribute?! In all these years, what has she ever contributed to us? Everywhere she guards against us in the third branch like we’re thieves. Outsiders see us as prestigious—the son of an Elder—but only we ourselves know the bitterness within. You’re not unaware of our family’s old madam. She won’t give us even a bit of what leaks through her fingers.”
Thinking of her daughters’ dowries, she truly felt a headache coming on. “You’re right. If it weren’t for these burdens, I wouldn’t be doing these mystical and ghostly things like some spirit medium for the sake of money. But what choice do I have? The few thousand taels given by the public household disappears just buying some good furniture. I have to plan for them somehow.”
Madam Fang also worried for her, shaking her head and sighing. “But at least now you have this monthly income. You can catch your breath for a while.”
Third Madam Chen gripped her hand and nodded repeatedly. “Who says it isn’t so?” She glanced at the water clock nearby and hurriedly stood up. “I must go back. Recently the old woman has been supervising me like I’m a criminal. If I hadn’t used the excuse of fulfilling a vow at the Huangjue Temple this time, I wouldn’t have been able to get out. Next time I’ll discuss it with you in detail. You absolutely must not tell anyone else about this matter.”
Madam Fang quickly responded, “Look at what you’re saying. If I told anyone, what kind of person would I be? Hurry and go.”
Only after seeing her guest off did Madam Fang breathe a sigh of relief. She softly instructed the attending servant to go next door and invite someone. “Go invite the sixth young lady over. Tell her the person has already left.”
She had just picked up her tea when Song Chuyi had already entered. She quickly set down her tea cup and stood up to greet her. “Sixth young lady, everything was done according to your instructions. She’s now tasted the sweetness and said she wants to gather another thousand taels of silver to make it three thousand taels total to lend at interest.”
Speaking of it, this strategy was learned from Han Zhi—laying out bait step by step, absolutely not being hasty, leading the person into the pit bit by bit.
Song Chuyi nodded. “Let her do as she wishes. No matter how much she lends, give her the monthly interest. After three months, tell her that all this money has been lost and can’t be recovered.”
Madam Fang felt somewhat uneasy, not knowing what Song Chuyi actually planned to do. She probed tentatively, “And then?”
She always felt that this young lady who was even younger than her own daughter had unfathomably deep thoughts and did everything strangely. She couldn’t help but feel anxious and unsettled.
“And then?” Song Chuyi smiled at her and reached out to pick up the white porcelain tea cup nearby. “And then naturally she’ll suddenly fall into difficulty. This money is probably her dowry. If even this money is gone, her days will become extremely difficult.”
A person who lacks money but needs it everywhere is capable of doing anything.
Madam Fang couldn’t help but shiver. She smiled apologetically and said a few more words, then asked Song Chuyi, “Then what exactly does the sixth young lady want me to do?” This feeling of being completely in the dark was truly too unsettling. She was somewhat afraid.
“Madam only needs to keep Third Madam Chen on the hook for me.” Song Chuyi smiled at her reassuringly. “As for what Uncle Fang needs to do, my grandfather and eldest brother will tell him.”
Madam Fang still didn’t get a clear answer, yet didn’t dare ask further. She could only nod resentfully.
Seeing that it was getting late, Song Chuyi rose to take her leave from Madam Fang. She turned and left through the back door, first making a trip to the residence of Ma Changjiang and the others. She instructed them to keep a close watch on Master Yuanhui at the Huangjue Temple recently and cautioned them not to be greedy for merit or advance rashly. Only after changing to the Marquis’s household carriage did she return to the Marquis of Changning’s residence.
She had just descended from the carriage when Qing Tao, who had been waiting at the second gate, came forward to meet her. “Old Madam is waiting for you. An imperial decree came from the palace, saying they’re summoning you to enter the palace.”