Chapter 38 Emptying Out the Chu Family

The ever-troublesome Liu Jinbao muttered under his breath, “It’s just some silver, is it really worth all this fuss? Liu Yuanxi is a great benefactor to the Chu family, giving birth to two sons for them—those boys are the only male heirs of the entire Chu clan.”

Shen Zhao truly felt like applauding Liu Jinbao.

The Second Madam strutted about the household with such arrogance precisely because she had given the Chu family two sons. That was her confidence, her leverage. No matter how outrageous her behavior, the Old Madam would always tolerate her.

But things were different now.

Madam Liu had crossed the Old Madam’s bottom line. And the Liu family—fully aware of what mattered to the Old Madam—still tried to leverage Chu Shanjun and Chu Shanan to threaten her. Now, for the sake of the Liu family, Madam Liu had completely disregarded the interests of her own sons, Chu Shanjun and Chu Shanan.

Would the Old Madam let her off lightly? Of course not.

Imitating the Old Madam’s usual tone when punishing her, and the way the Second Madam always added fuel to the fire, Shen Zhao spoke up, “Mother, now you finally understand why I insisted on asking Second Sister-in-law for the account books.” She sighed. “If the silver Second Sister-in-law embezzled was for Second Brother or for our two nephews, I would have turned a blind eye, just as you did, Mother. After all, we’re all of the Chu bloodline.

“All the silver I have worked so hard to earn—what does it matter who it’s spent on, as long as it’s for the family? But what she absolutely shouldn’t have done was squander Shanjun and Shanan’s future livelihood to prop up the Liu household.”

She knew exactly how to strike the Old Madam where it hurt.

The Old Madam didn’t care about Chu Mu’s interests. But she cared deeply about the second branch’s trio—especially since the second master was utterly useless and couldn’t make a penny himself.

The Old Madam’s face grew even darker.

Shen Zhao’s words were a slap in the Old Madam’s face. She had been the one to indulge Madam Liu’s corruption. She had trusted Madam Liu, never once questioning where the money and properties went. Yet she never imagined that, for all her apparent shrewdness, Madam Liu was actually as foolish as a pig. What kind of mother would disregard her own sons’ future, using their inheritance to support her maiden family—especially one as hopeless as the Liu clan?

Liu Jinbao, upon hearing this, lost his composure. He’d come to the Chu estate seeking a loan, and now, thanks to Liu Yuanxi, everything was ruined. The money given to Liu Yuanxi wasn’t a gift from the general’s household! The properties weren’t bestowed by the Old Madam for the sake of the Chu family’s future! That wretched woman—how could she? How dare she tarnish the Liu family’s reputation?

Not only had she disgraced herself, but she had also made him lose face before the good sister-in-law. Desperate to distance himself from Liu Yuanxi, Liu Jinbao shouted reproachfully at her, “Liu Yuanxi, the properties you gave our parents—were they all embezzled? The silver you handed over too? Weren’t those gifts from the General’s estate? How could you do something so heartless and shameless? You’ve brought utter disgrace to the family!”

Madam Liu nearly fainted with rage. This was a blow straight to the heart! Liu Jinbao—oh, what a brother! She wished she could sew his mouth shut. Was this a brother, or a mortal enemy?

Still, Liu Jinbao continued, “All these things were done by Liu Yuanxi herself! My parents and I knew nothing. It’s all her fault.”

Then, ingratiating himself, he stepped forward to Shen Zhao, “Third Brother, I truly didn’t know about Liu Yuanxi’s dirty deeds. I’m in trouble now. Could you lend me some silver? I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

Shen Zhao glanced at Liu Jinbao, raised her teacup, gently blew on it, and took a small sip. “Brother Liu, what are you saying? Not just a loan—even as a gift, as your elder brother, I would be glad to give you the money.”

Liu Jinbao brightened at this. The General was indeed generous.

But then Shen Zhao continued, “However, Second Sister-in-law has truly disappointed us this time. She could have asked openly, but to embezzle in secret is unacceptable. Brother Liu, I trust you didn’t know about her actions, so I’ll just ask you one thing: do you know how much silver she sent to the Liu household?”

Liu Jinbao was foolish, but not entirely stupid. He chuckled awkwardly, “How would I know?”

Disappointment flickered across Shen Zhao’s face. “So you still don’t see me as your elder brother. Even if you don’t say, I can find out myself. I was just testing you. You really have let me down.”

Liu Jinbao panicked, genuinely anxious. How could he be so stupid? Even if he refused to say, the General could find out anyway. Given the chance, he still failed! Slapping his head, he hurried to make amends, “Oh, Brother, I just didn’t remember at first. Now I do. I can’t recall the exact sum, but it was around several hundred thousand taels of silver, plus a thousand acres of good farmland, a dozen shops, more than ten estates, some jade ornaments, imperial books and famous paintings—nothing more than that. That’s all, Brother. Not much.”

To Liu Jinbao, it truly didn’t seem much. This was the General’s household, after all, and General Chu was a commander in his own right. Such a sum was but a drop in the ocean.

He had no idea that for the Chu family—who had only recently risen from decline—what Madam Liu gave to the Liu family was everything they had.

Shen Zhao watched the crowd’s faces with satisfaction. She had deliberately led Liu Jinbao to reveal the extent of Madam Liu’s embezzlement. With each item Liu Jinbao listed, the Old Madam’s face darkened further, and his final “not much” was the spark that ignited everyone’s fury.

Several hundred thousand taels of silver! A dozen shops! More than ten estates! And this was supposed to be “not much”?

The Old Madam shook with rage. Madam Liu had emptied out the Chu family’s wealth to enrich her own kin!

It wasn’t just the Old Madam; everyone else’s faces had gone dark as well. Chu Mu looked at Shen Zhao with a complicated expression. More than once, Ah Zhao had warned him about Second Sister-in-law’s divided loyalties, about discrepancies in the household accounts, about the mysterious disappearance of family properties. But at the time, he hadn’t paid her any heed, dismissing her as suspicious by nature and unfamiliar with the household. And his mind had always been on military affairs, never truly understanding the estate’s true situation, never bothering to calculate its expenditures or assets.

Chu Miao, too, wore an ugly expression. Her mother had told her that when she married, Grandmother and the General’s household would provide her with a generous dowry. Now, with all the silver in the General’s estate plundered by that wretch Madam Liu for the Liu family, her dowry would be greatly diminished.

Liu Yuanxi was utterly shameless.

Even Lin Jiaojiao’s hatred for Madam Liu ran deep. How dare she! All that silver had been earned by Brother Mu at the risk of his life. How could she give it away to the unrelated Liu family? When Shen Zhao had to supplement her dowry, Lin Jiaojiao had assumed it was because the Old Madam controlled the money and was deliberately making things difficult. Now she understood: all of Brother Mu’s silver had been embezzled by Madam Liu. If Brother Mu and Shen Zhao were ever to divorce, and the estate was left penniless, how would she ever manage the household expenses?

Just then, the old maid whom the Old Madam had sent away returned in haste, carrying a small gold-trimmed box in her hands. The moment Madam Liu saw the box, all her spirit drained away; she collapsed in defeat.

The Old Madam ordered the maid, “Open the Second Madam’s box!”

“Mother!” wailed the Second Madam in desperate supplication.