Yinshan Record

Chapter 419 The Head Mistress Has a Daughter Like a Fox
When Su Che came out of Shi Chibao's place, it was already getting dark. He didn't go to the Censorate to handle matters, but simply went straight back home.

The negative energy emanating from Commander Shi was so overwhelming that Young Master Su felt it necessary to invite Madam Xue over for a few rounds of chess to help him regulate his energy.

As the information gradually came together, Su Che felt that he had grasped a main thread.

A figure like Yue Luan must have a background. It's possible he comes from the Demonic Sect, the Sword Palace, or even some major Xuanmen sects. Su Che assumes he represents a powerful force.

Shi Chibao's small courtyard was lent to Wang Jian, or rather, to Madam Xie, which means that this woman from the Xie family was connected to the forces behind Yue Luan.

Whether this reflects the will of the entire Langya Wang clan and Chenjun Xie clan, or is the action of Lady Xie herself, is not important. What is important is that this force seems to have a deep connection with the Liang Dynasty court and has always remained hidden behind the scenes.

Su Che didn't consider himself a well-informed person, but as a member of the Su clan of Duling and a member of the Imperial Guard in charge of a region, he had never heard of this force that was connected with the imperial court.

That's rather strange.

Su Che remembered that this Madam Xie was always well-informed; it was she who had told him that Shikshananda intended to deal with him.

Furthermore, the events surrounding the incident involving the Prince of Wuling all hinted at a conspiracy, as if everything had been preordained.

If it weren't for the Qingdi Treasure Garden as the ultimate variable, I might already be dead, and the Prince of Wuling would have fallen into their hands.

Su Che is now very interested in this matter. If it weren't to avoid alerting the enemy, Su Che would have led his team to surround the small courtyard directly.

A small leak will sink a great ship.

With that thought in mind, Su Che turned and headed home.

But as soon as he saw the lanterns of the Su residence, he sensed that his own house was somewhat unusual at that moment.

Why does it look so lively from a distance, like it's on fire?
Young Master Su hurried forward, wanting to see what had happened.

In fact, today was just another ordinary day for everyone in the Su family.

Since the Battle of Fangtou, the Su family of Duling has been sparsely populated. If it weren't for a pillar like Su Gui, they would probably have disappeared without a trace in the misty rain and splendor of Jiankang long ago.

The rise and fall of powerful families and clans can sometimes be even faster than that of dynasties.

The defeat at Fangtou resulted in the near annihilation of almost all of Daliang's elites. The Su family of Duling, as a representative of the martial arts sects of Yongzhou, suffered an even heavier price, with almost all of its male members dying in battle.

The remaining few, both big and small, were targeted by their former enemies, either exiled and died in distant lands, or simply killed by assassins who came to settle scores in the most direct way.

Just when the family was on the verge of extinction, an extraordinary person from the Su clan of Duling shone brightly.

Su Gui, now known as "Old Master Su," was at the time merely a convicted official sent to the silkworm rearing chamber for committing a crime. He was not a key figure in the Su clan of Duling, otherwise he wouldn't have suffered the punishment of castration.

This person rose rapidly in the palace, first achieving the fifth rank of martial arts cultivation, and then proving the fourth rank in less than ten years, becoming one of the most outstanding martial artists in the world.

The Su family of Duling benefited from the misfortune. Although their population was small, their power and influence surpassed that of the past after Su Gui rose to prominence.

The happiest people were the servants of the Su family. They received a good amount of money, but had few tasks to perform. After all, they had almost no masters left, except for a few young masters. The only powerful person they had was someone who often lived in the palace.

Su Gui certainly didn't need to serve anyone, but as the chief of the Imperial Guards, he had countless internal and external affairs to handle every day.

Not to mention the reports and requests from the imperial guards in various places, as well as the various changes in the court, if Grand Tutor Yuwen Rui of the Northern Wei Dynasty were in the mood to take a trip to the south, Su Gui would lead a group of people to accompany Yuwen Rui on a vacation.

Therefore, the most comfortable situation for the Su family of Duling now belongs to these servants and family members.

The eldest son practices martial arts behind closed doors every day, the second son goes out all day and socializes extensively, and the third son is nowhere to be seen in the red-light district.

Is there a better day than this? So although the Su family of Duling was a high-ranking family, there was basically nothing messy or troublesome in the household. Everyone just needed to do their duty.

Sulu was a member of the new generation who grew up in this environment. His parents were both from the old Su family. His father was the head of a village in the Su family, and his mother was once the wet nurse of the eldest son. He was literate and good at math from a young age and was capable in handling affairs, which is why he was included in the junior team of the managers.

Later, he was appreciated by Su Fu, one of the chief stewards, who took him under his wing and gave him daily guidance, which allowed him to grow rapidly.

News came from Cizhou that the Third Young Master wanted to buy land there, so he came to Cizhou with the head steward, Su Fu. From setting up the business to purchasing land, and now opening a soup kitchen in Cizhou, Su Lu has never said a word and has been doing his job honestly.

If you entrust something to him, he will handle it promptly and thoroughly, without delay.

He himself is very self-respecting, efficient and responsible in his work. Who wouldn't like such a person?
A few days ago, he heard from the old steward Su Fu that the third young master had specifically praised him and was planning to promote him to the rank of chief steward in a few days.

In the old steward's words, "Let's not dwell on the past of the Third Young Master. Of the three young masters, our Che Shao is the most capable. The master will definitely find a way to promote and give him an important position. However, the Third Young Master's wealth has already been acquired in Cizhou. Someone has to keep an eye on things. The Third Young Master will probably use you, so you'll become the head steward. Just do your job honestly in Cizhou. The future business in the central bank and all the land in Cizhou are the Third Young Master's private property. If you do a good job, he'll remember you, and you'll inevitably be in charge of Jiankang in the future. This is a bright future built on gold and silver. The master can easily promote you in the future. You yourself may not be able to rely on him, but your descendants will have something to look forward to. Maybe you can even become a secret agent or a military commander. Think it over carefully."

Therefore, Sulu was extra careful, but today he was somewhat at a loss.

No sooner had the Third Young Master left than a beautiful young girl, who was about to pay a visit to the nominal Commander Shangguan Shi, arrived at the door. She had dark hair, bright eyes, and looked to be about fourteen or fifteen years old.

"Hey, what do you mean by the words written on the lantern outside your house?"

"Little girl, this is not a place to play around. You should go home right away."

Sulu didn't want to argue with the little girl. Although he wasn't a scholar, he had the composure to maintain his composure. He casually took out a few coins from his sleeve and put them in the little girl's hand.

"Take these and buy some sesame candy. These are genuine copper coins, not some kind of paper money. Don't be fooled by the candy seller."

The little girl didn't take the money; she just smiled, revealing her gleaming white teeth, which inexplicably reminded Sulu of some ferocious beast...

"I don't know many characters, but is it the same Su character that means 'abandoning one's wife and children, heartless, ungrateful, cold-blooded, callous, and treacherous'?"

His words came out like a machine gun, almost making Sulu lose his temper and hit him.

If you ask around in Cizhou City, everyone will say that our Third Young Master Su is a living saint who is hard to find anywhere else, a true gentleman who helps the poor and needy.

However, Su Lu still remembered the past of the Third Young Master Su. After listening to the meaning in the little girl's words, he still put on a smiling face.

No way! Didn't they say the Third Young Master had already changed his ways?

However, this involved abandoning his wife and children.

Sulu glanced at the girl's waist and age, but he still wasn't quite sure.

He sang a blessing and said that he asked the young lady to wait a moment while he went in to ask the old steward to deal with the situation.

"Hmph, the mistress of the house is here, and this is how you deal with her?"

The girl's sharp tongue exceeded Sulu's expectations: "Leave me here to wait. In a few hours, your young master's hard-earned reputation will be tainted by scandal. At that time, of course you should invite him into the house, close the door tightly to prevent any leaks. Whether you kill him and throw him into the well or coerce and bribe him is entirely up to you."

These words made Sulu's heart almost jump out of his chest.

"Oh dear, you can't say that. Our Su family has always been a family of good people..."

"I don't know if it was like this before. But now that I'm here, your family can't be all good anymore."

As the girl spoke, she strode in as if no one else was there.

(End of this chapter)