Chapter 33: Chapter 32 Threat_1
Ke Mansion was especially lively these past few days.
In a few days, it would be Lady Qin’s birthday. Unlike Madam Lu, who came from humble origins, Lady Qin’s father held the post of a Calligraphy Officer at the current Imperial Secretariat.
While Lady Qin’s father’s position may not have been prominent, it was still a head above the common folk. For a merchant family like the Ke Family, it was regarded as striking gold to be joined with such a household.
Therefore, everyone from top to bottom in the Ke Family went out of their way to accommodate and please Lady Qin, the newly entered senior mistress. Preparations for her birthday banquet began half a month in advance.
Nanny Wan busied herself all day organizing the sweet treats for the birthday banquet, and Wan Fu was also tied up with distributing utensils and making sure Master Ke’s guest list for the feast was comprehensive. It was deep into the night by the time they finished their tasks and returned to their quarters.
Wan Fu called for Wan Quan to pour him a cup of water. After calling out twice with no response, Nanny Wan walked out of the sleeping quarters, "Quan isn’t in the room."
Wan Fu’s brows furrowed as he cursed, "What is he up to now, gallivanting about so late at night!"
"Perhaps he’s delayed by something." Nanny Wan defended her son. "He’s not a child; you should stop restricting him so much."
"This wretch is spoiled rotten by you!" Wan Fu said angrily, uttering the phrase "A doting mother tends to spoil her children," before undressing and climbing into bed to sleep.
After sleeping through the night and waking up at dawn, Nanny Wan got up to accompany her younger daughter to the restroom and sleepily glanced into the neighboring room. Wan Quan’s bed was empty, not a shadow in sight.
He had not returned all night.
Nanny Wan felt a twinge of unease. Once Wan Fu also woke up, she couldn’t help but mention the matter to him. Wan Fu said irritably, "He must be sleeping in some girl’s bed in a brothel. He’s becoming more and more promiscuous. Wait until he gets back; I’ll beat the licentiousness out of him!"
Another half hour passed, as maids and servants in the mansion began to stir and start their daily chores, but Wan Quan still hadn’t returned. An acquaintance from the gatehouse came over with a letter, handing it to Wan Fu, "Someone shoved this into my hand first thing this morning at the gate and asked me to give it to Uncle Fu."
Wan Fu took the letter, feeling an inexplicable sense of unease. He hurried back to his room and opened it. Out of curiosity, Nanny Wan, while combing her little daughter’s hair in front of the mirror, asked, "Whose letter is it?"
She asked once but received no reply for a long time, so she couldn’t help but look up, only to see Wan Fu’s face turn pale, his lips quivering as if he had been slashed by a knife.
Nanny Wan was startled, "What’s wrong?"
Without a word, Wan Fu rushed into the inner room and began rummaging through trunks and cabinets. These were hidden at the bottom of the wardrobe, used to store heavy winter clothing and rarely disturbed. Now that the trunk was opened, the clothes inside were a jumbled mess, and at the very bottom, it was empty.
Nanny Wan, who had followed him into the room, asked upon seeing this, "What are you doing? What happened?"
Wan Fu groped the bottom of the trunk with his hands, his face growing even paler. With his lips trembling, he fumed, "The scourge... that scourge!"
Nanny Wan was completely baffled, "At least explain it clearly!"
Wan Fu said angrily, "Your well-taught son, last night he stole two thousand taels of rent I collected for Master Ke and went to gamble in Kuaihuo Tower. Not only did he lose it all, he is also now three thousand taels in debt. They say they won’t release him until we pay up. They sent this letter demanding money!"
Upon hearing the news, Nanny Wan felt as though she had been struck by lightning. On the one hand, she berated her unfilial son for such outrageous behavior, while on the other, she cursed Kuaihuo Tower for being so ruthless and lamented her own unfortunate fate. Finally, in a flurry of panic, Nanny Wan looked towards Wan Fu, "Head of the house, you must think of a solution quick. Quan can’t stay there forever!"
Already white-faced with rage, Wan Fu grew even more furious upon hearing Nanny Wan’s wailing and cries. Yet, he also worried about his son. He had only one son and one daughter, and despite the son being no good, the boy still carried his blood.
However, the amount owed was just too great. Though he was a close attendant to Master Ke, the month allowance Ke Mansion provided was merely one tael of silver per month. In the past, there were opportunities to make extra money, but ever since Madam Qin entered the house, it became harder for those of them who were servants to enjoy any perks.
Forget about three thousand taels, even if he sold all his belongings, he couldn’t gather a thousand taels.
Furthermore, Wan Quan had misappropriated Master Ke’s two thousand taels...
The weeping of his old wife and young daughter within the room intensified Wan Fu’s headache. Clenching his teeth, he said, "They asked me to go to Kuaihuo Tower to bring him back. I’ll go beg them first and see if they’ll agree to an extension."
Nanny Wan nodded repeatedly in agreement.
After taking a few steps, Wan Fu turned back and cautioned, "Stop crying! That good-for-nothing used the Master’s rent money, and it hasn’t been found out yet. Don’t make a fuss about this. Find a way to cover it up, or if it gets out, I won’t be able to protect him either!"
...
Wan Fu made up an excuse, saying he needed to leave the mansion to buy some paper linings for the shop on behalf of Ke Chengxing, and managed to get a short leave from him.
Having received Ke Chengxing’s approval, Wan Fu hurriedly left the house.
With his mind preoccupied and full of worry and anger, he rushed straight to the Kuaihuo Tower. Just as he arrived at the entrance of the Kuaihuo Tower, a young waiter stopped him, saying that his master was waiting for him in the neighboring tea house.
Wan Fu then went to the tea house that the waiter had pointed out to him.
The tea house was called Zuli Tavern, located at the end of Qinghe Street. Despite being in a bustling area, it created a peaceful enclave, uniquely set within a bamboo grove. The tea room itself was nestled among the bamboos, serene and elegant, its tables and chairs all made of purple bamboo. Looking through the carved flower window lattices, one could see the quiet breeze and the green pines and bamboos in the courtyard.
Wan Fu walked in and saw the spacious room, with a table next to the window on the far left. On the table were a pot of Lotus Core Tea, two green porcelain covered bowls, and a red lacquered, gold-painted plum blossom tea tray containing Jade Bean Cakes, arranged with just the right combination of colors.
It seemed as though someone was purposely waiting for him there.
There were no other people in the room, and Wan Quan was not there.
Wan Fu sat down at the table, and as soon as he settled in, he heard a woman’s voice: "Mr. Wan has arrived."
Already nervous, he jumped at the sound and instinctively looked for the source of the voice. He then noticed under the blue-green gauze bamboo curtain to the right, the vague outline of a person’s shadow could be seen.
Someone was sitting behind that gauze curtain.
In his moment of panic, he gradually calmed down and said, "I dare not be called Mr. Wan, may I ask who the lady is...?"
"Your son owes me three thousand taels of silver, which he has yet to repay. I had no choice but to ask Mr. Wan to come and discuss," the person behind the curtain said slowly.
Wan Fu’s heart tightened.
He found the voice behind the curtain quite strange, definitely feminine, but possibly due to the acoustics of the room, or perhaps for some other reason, the voice was muffled and hoarse, as if grinding sand, making it difficult to determine the age of the speaker.
He looked around, then tentatively asked, "May I inquire about Wan Quan’s current whereabouts...?"
"Mr. Wan can rest assured, he is well," replied the serene voice from the other side. "Your son is now in a safe location, waiting for Mr. Wan to bring the money for his ransom."
Wan Fu’s heart eased slightly. After hesitating for a moment, he managed a smile and said, "The lady is kind to overlook the folly of this unfilial son of mine. However, my household is poor, and I cannot immediately produce three thousand taels of silver. Would it be possible to allow me some time to gather the funds and first take my unfilial son back home? Once I have the silver, I will bring it to the lady."
The room fell silent upon hearing this.
As Wan Fu’s heart throbbed with anxiety, he heard the person behind the bamboo curtain speak. She said, "Mr. Wan has a good plan, but surely you’re not considering taking him back first and then using the Ke Family’s influence to fabricate an excuse to renege on the three thousand taels of debt, are you?"
Wan Fu’s heart sank; indeed, he had considered such a plan. The Ke Family might not be an official family, but their recent ties with the Grand Preceptor’s Mansion were enough to intimidate others.
Under those circumstances, the debt might not be enforceable after all.
Before he could speak, the person behind the curtain chuckled, the laughter tinged with a hint of sarcasm: "Even if you manage to dispute the three thousand taels debt, if your son’s misappropriation of two thousand taels of private wealth becomes known to Master Ke, I fear he can hardly escape a death sentence."
Wan Fu’s face turned pale.
Since Lady Qin had entered the family, Ke Chengxing had only that much in private savings. If Ke Chengxing found out, how could Wan Quan possibly avoid punishment?
But... how did this woman know that Wan Quan had tampered with the master’s private assets?
As something swiftly crossed his mind, failing to seize the thought, Wan Fu heard the other party speaking again.
She said, "Mr. Wan, let’s cut the pleasantries. I would like to ask you a few questions. If you answer well, I will tear up the debt in front of you and cancel the debt between your son and me."
At her words, Wan Fu’s eyes lit up. Without dwelling on the earlier oddities, he eagerly responded, "Please ask, Miss."
The figure behind the curtain lifted her hand to take a sip from the tea bowl, her sleeves brushing across the tabletop with a rustling sound, plucking at one’s nerves.
In the silence, the woman spoke.
She asked, "Was Lady Ke, the first wife of the Ke Family, murdered by your master?"