Chapter 28: Punishing the Greedy and Wicked Servants

Lin Wanqing smiled faintly. "Loyal and devoted?"

Though the laugh was light, devoid of any weight, it sent a jolt of terror through Zhang Neng.

"My Lady, please see the truth. I was born into the General's household; the lives of my entire family belong to this estate, and I have always been unwavering in my loyalty to it."

Lin Wanqing chuckled. "Is that so? Truly that loyal?"

Zhang Neng prostrated himself on the ground. "I would gladly cut open my heart to show you my sincerity, My Lady."

Though nervous, he believed that masters of their station always loved hearing their subordinates profess loyalty. As long as he spoke with enough eloquence, he was certain he could soothe her. After all, he had used this trick for years, and it had never failed him.

To his shock, Lin Wanqing sneered, "Then do as you say. Cut it open. Someone, do it."

Immediately, a pair of burly servants rushed forward, pinning the stunned and trembling Zhang Neng to the ground, while another drew a dagger, ready to plunge it into his chest.

"Spare me, My Lady!"

An elderly couple burst from the crowd. One scrambled to block the servants from the "heart-cutting," while the other threw themselves at Lin Wanqing’s feet, kowtowing frantically.

"Spare him, My Lady! I have failed to teach my son well, but I beg you to show mercy and spare his lowly life."

Zhang Neng’s father wailed, his forehead thumping loudly against the floor. Zhang Neng himself was so terrified he lost control of his bowels, pleading desperately, "My Lady, I was wrong! Please, spare me!"

Lin Wanqing smiled coolly. "Wrong? Where exactly were you wrong?"

Zhang Neng froze, at a loss for how to answer.

Lin Wanqing’s expression darkened. "It seems you have no intention of truly admitting your faults! Proceed. Cut out his heart!"

The two servants made a show of stepping forward again. Zhang Neng howled in terror, "No, no! Spare me, My Lady, I’ll tell you! I’ll tell you everything!"

Lin Wanqing waved her hand, and the servants released him.

Zhang Neng sat slumped on the ground, pale and trembling, for a long moment before he managed to speak. "My Lady, I am guilty. I should not have falsified the accounts and used my position for personal gain."

As these words left his lips, the expressions of the servants in the courtyard shifted—some surprised, some anxious, others visibly paling.

Lin Wanqing paid them no mind. With the ledger in her hand, none of these vermin would escape.

She leaned back in her chair, appearing indifferent. "Then, explain in detail: how much did you falsify, and how much did you embezzle?"

Zhang Neng stammered, "I... I..."

Lin Wanqing scoffed. "Greedy to the point that you can't even remember? Banxia, read it aloud!"

Banxia immediately took the ledger and began reading the preposterous entries. With every item read, Zhang Neng’s complexion turned a shade grayer. The faces of the surrounding servants shifted constantly—some wore expressions of schadenfreude, others were stunned beyond words.

Once Banxia finished the wedding accounts, Lin Wanqing signaled her to stop. "Go and invite Auntie Jiang in."

The crowd murmured, curious as to who this Auntie Jiang might be.

A moment later, a round-faced woman was led into the courtyard. She approached Lin Wanqing and prepared to kneel. "This humble woman greets the General's Lady."

Lin Wanqing quickly motioned for Banxia to steady her. "Auntie Jiang, there is no need for such formalities. I have invited you here today because I have a favor to ask. Someone, bring a chair for her."

Auntie Jiang, unaccustomed to such treatment, waved her hands frantically. "You are too kind, My Lady. I am fine standing."

Lin Wanqing smiled. "Auntie, you are being too polite. Today’s business will likely take up half your day; it is better to sit and speak."

Auntie Jiang finally relented. Once she was seated, Lin Wanqing asked, "The reason I invited you is to inquire about the prices of goods in Yuzhou. Your family runs a grocery store, so you must know the local market like the back of your hand."

Auntie Jiang laughed. "My Lady, it is no boast to say that I know the prices in Yuzhou perfectly, and I could even recite the prices in the capital without a single error."

Lin Wanqing knew she had this capability; after all, in her previous life, Auntie Jiang had been a fascinating friend. Her business was small, but she was a master of intelligence, with a network that rivaled a small spy agency. In her past life, this skill had helped her immensely.

Lin Wanqing smiled. "Auntie, your talents are impressive. Then, please, tell me the prices of grain, oil, and vegetables in Yuzhou over these past few days."

Auntie Jiang spoke without hesitation: "Short-grain rice is three coins a catty; eggs are three coins for two; live chicken is ten coins a catty, or nine if bought in bulk; fatty pork is twelve coins a catty, lean meat is ten..."

Once Auntie Jiang finished, Lin Wanqing looked down at Zhang Neng. "According to your accounts, on the day of my wedding to the General, we spent two hundred taels of silver on chicken alone. Based on Auntie Jiang’s prices, if bought in bulk, how much chicken could one get for two hundred taels?"

Auntie Jiang gasped. "Two hundred taels just for chicken?! That would be enough to buy every chicken in all of Yuzhou! That isn't a wedding banquet—that’s enough to reward the entire army!"

Lin Wanqing’s expression shifted abruptly. "Zhang Neng! To be so audacious—do you know the penalty for this?"

Auntie Jiang added from the side, "My Lady, if I may, such a greedy and wicked servant should be handed over to the authorities!"

Zhang Neng kowtowed frantically, his head hitting the ground. "Spare me, My Lady! I was momentarily confused, I beg for your mercy."

Lin Wanqing shook her head with a smile. "Momentarily confused? It seems your 'moment' has lasted quite a long time. From stealing a few coins a day to several taels—and now, to be so arrogant during the General’s wedding? What is this? Have you truly mistaken the General’s treasury for your own?"

Zhang Neng shook his head desperately. "I would not dare, I would not dare!"

Lin Wanqing sneered, "You have already done it, so spare me the 'would not dare'! Someone, tie him up and send him to the magistrate! Furthermore, seal his family’s property. I intend to recover every tael he has embezzled over these years!"

The servants responded in a loud chorus. The two burly men bound the now-limp Zhang Neng.

His parents pleaded for mercy, his mother throwing herself at Lin Wanqing’s legs. "My Lady, I beg you to show mercy and spare his lowly life. My family will pay back every cent. Please, for the sake of our generations of service to the General’s estate, forgive him this once."

The laws of the Great Liang were extremely strict; in a case like this, once Zhang Neng reached the magistrate, he would never leave alive.

Lin Wanqing remained unmoved, kicking Zhang Neng’s mother away. "How dare you speak such words! Zhang Neng’s audacity likely stems from your own upbringing. That I am only holding him responsible is already an act of clemency! If you persist, I will have your entire family dragged to the magistrate!"

Terrified, they fell silent, watching in agony as Zhang Neng was dragged away.

Just as he reached the edge of the courtyard, a voice rang out:

"Stop! Madam Lin, are you trying to turn this household upside down?"