Chapter 13: Taking Over the Shop

The massive gates of the Duke of Wei's treasury swung open with a thunderous roar.

Officials from the Ministry of Revenue worked in coordinated groups: some inventoried gold, silver, and jewels; others checked curios, paintings, and calligraphy; and others tallied estates and shops.

Every item was cross-checked and packed into crates once verified.

In pairs, officers from the Five Cities Military Command worked together to lift the crates and load them onto wagons.

As one wagon, filled to capacity, departed, another followed closely behind, forming a vast, unending procession.

*****

On Zhengyang Avenue, a clerk at a grain shop let out a lazy yawn.

"Manager, if our shop isn't selling grain, how are we supposed to do business?"

"What do you know? There is too much demand and too little supply in Luoyang right now. It's winter, and transporting grain is difficult. The price will only go up as time goes on."

The manager flicked his abacus. "In a few days, when grain prices skyrocket, we'll sell our stockpiled grain at several times its value, and people will be fighting to buy it."

With increased profits, he could not only claim credit before the Duchess but also line his own pockets—killing two birds with one stone.

The clerk said flatteringly, "The Manager is truly visionary. Once you make a name for yourself before the Duchess, you'll surely become a Great Steward!"

The manager smiled contentedly.

Seeing the manager's good mood, the clerk was about to offer more praise when a middle-aged man dressed as a scholar entered the shop, accompanied by officers from the Five Cities Military Command.

"Where is the manager?"

Hearing this, the grain shop manager immediately emerged from behind the counter. He gave the newcomers a quick appraisal and smiled. "It is I. May I ask what business brings such esteemed officials here?"

The scholar-like middle-aged man replied, "I am a legal advisor from the Luoyang Prefectural Government. By order of the Prefect, I have come to reclaim this shop and all the goods within it."

The manager's smile vanished. "Advisor, you must be joking. This grain shop is the property of the Duke of Wei's estate. The Prefect has no authority to dispose of it."

"Property of the Duke of Wei's estate?" the advisor countered.

"Indeed. This was the dowry shop of the Duchess of Wei, and it belongs to the An family! If you gentlemen intend to seize property by force, you should at least show some respect for the Duke's household!" the manager sneered.

"Hahahaha!" The advisor laughed until tears came to his eyes. "It has been a long time since I have heard something so ridiculous! You say this shop belongs to the An family? The An family?"

"You are a mere servant; it is fine if you lack insight, but I shall kindly inform you: this grain shop is indeed the dowry shop of the Duchess of Wei, but it does not belong to the An family—it belongs to the Song family!"

"The Song family!" The manager was startled. As the manager of the An family's dowry assets, he naturally knew that the late Duchess's maiden name was Song.

The advisor continued, "Precisely! It is the dowry of the Duke of Wei's first wife, Lady Song. After Lady Song passed away, her inheritance was inherited by the Duke's eldest daughter. The eldest daughter, being benevolent, has donated Lady Song's entire dowry to aid the disaster victims, and this grain shop is included in that donation."

"Officers, please proceed to the warehouse and begin counting the grain."

Upon hearing this, the officers from the Five Cities Military Command immediately headed to the warehouse. After a quick count, they began moving the grain out.

Watching the sacks of grain being carried away, the manager nearly fainted from anxiety. "Officers! Officers! Please, wait a moment! Let me report this to the Duchess first!"

The advisor stroked his beard. "What a joke. In all my fifty years, this is the first time I have heard that one must explain the whereabouts of a first wife's assets to a second wife."

"You have occupied the nest for so long that you've begun to believe it is your own," he sneered. "No wonder you claim the shop belongs to the An family. How utterly audacious!"

The manager's vision went dark.

The mountain of grain attracted a crowd of commoners, who began pointing and whispering at the shop.

"Eh? Didn't that clerk say they had no grain? How is there so much?"

"Exactly! I went to buy grain this morning, and the clerk insisted they were out. Who are they kidding? How can a grain shop this large have no grain?"

"I bought some two days ago—thirty-five wen per catty! It was too expensive, but my rice jar was empty, so I had no choice but to bite the bullet."

"Good heavens, thirty-five wen a catty! They are trying to starve us poor folk to death."

"This shop is despicable. They have so much grain and still claim they have none. They are literally squeezing us dry."

"If they have business to do, why wouldn't they do it?" one citizen asked suspiciously.

"Why? To hoard goods and drive up prices!" an elderly man said resentfully. "Wait a few days until everyone's grain runs out, and they'll charge whatever price they want!"

"This is predatory! They are feeding on the blood of the people!"

"Seize it! Seize it all! The officers should raid this black shop and take everything!"

The manager's legs gave way, and he slumped to the ground.

As the villagers' discussions reached his ears, the advisor quickly stepped forward to clarify. "Citizens, please, listen to me."

The Luoyang Prefectural Government handled cases almost daily, and the Prefect never barred the public from watching the proceedings. As the Prefect's primary assistant, the advisor was a frequent presence in the courtroom, and thus, the people recognized him.

A bold man asked directly, "Advisor Qian, are you here on the Prefect's orders to raid this black shop?"

The advisor cupped his hands and spoke loudly, "Citizens, the snow disaster in Luoyang has left many victims in its wake. Though you may not have been directly hit, you are all suffering the consequences. The Luoyang Prefectural Government, by order of His Majesty, is soliciting donations to provide disaster relief."

"The Fifth Young Mistress of the Prince of Xuan's Manor and the Eldest Daughter of the Duke of Wei's estate are truly benevolent. They were the first to respond to the imperial call, donating all of their own assets and the dowry of the late first Duchess to the imperial court for disaster relief. I have come personally, by order of the Prefect, to reclaim these donated assets."

"But I heard this shop is the dowry shop of Lady An of the Duke of Wei's estate. Does the Eldest Daughter even have the right to donate it?" a young woman in the crowd questioned loudly.

The advisor explained, "This young lady may be mistaken. While this shop is indeed a dowry shop of a Duchess, it does not belong to the current second wife, but to the first wife, Lady Song."

"This shop is recorded in black and white on Lady Song's dowry inventory, bearing the official seal of the Luoyang Prefectural Government. It cannot be faked."

Hearing the advisor's explanation, the people believed him, but another person raised a doubt. "If it is the first wife's dowry, why is it being managed by the steward of the second wife's dowry? I also heard that this was the dowry intended for the second daughter of the Duke's house! Can the first wife's dowry be left to a daughter born of the second wife?"

The crowd erupted in an uproar. Some even testified that they had seen the second daughter of the Duke of Wei's estate inspecting the shop just two days ago.

The manager sat paralyzed on the ground, unable to find a way to argue.

The advisor said leisurely, "Perhaps the second wife simply misremembered."

"An advisor cannot lie to us commoners! What woman could fail to distinguish her own dowry?"

"Exactly! This isn't a mistake; she clearly wants to claim it as her own!"

"How heartless!"

"I heard that as soon as this second wife entered the house, she sent the children from the first wife away to a manor, claiming they needed to 'recover their health'! How can one recover health in a place with no food or clothing? I say she's doing it to torment them!"

"Isn't that true? They stayed at that manor for ten years! When they were finally brought back, they were sent to the Prince of Xuan's manor to 'bring luck' through marriage! Thank goodness the Eldest Daughter has a strong destiny and actually brought them back to life; otherwise, wouldn't they have been destined to live as widows?"

(End of Chapter)