Favoring the concubine and killing the wife? She divorced the concubine and lived with her concubine

After listening to the man's story on the road to the capital, Liu Yu raised his eyes and glared at him, "You robbed them without even seeing clearly? Do they recognize your moves?"

"No, we use miscellaneous items, so we definitely can't recognize them." The guard hurriedly explained.

Liu Yu glanced at the guard's now empty belt, and the guard immediately understood, "I will follow your arrangements when traveling. I will no longer use those weapons. They are all knives from the martial arts world."

Liu Yu finally relaxed his brows, but he was still unhappy. "After recognizing them, you should have taken the money away, then you'd have done it cleanly! Now it will only make them doubt who you really belong to!"

The guard knew that he had acted inappropriately and was afraid that Liu Yu would blame him. "That day, besides my eldest brother being there, we also had Lord Su's hidden arrows to help us. It's understandable that we didn't have time to rob the silver."

"Oh, that's understandable? You're lucky I didn't get you all shot! Lord Su's archery skills were quite famous in the capital back then. Hitting the target from a hundred paces away and killing two birds with one stone were just little tricks." Liu Yu waved his hand. "Well, you guys continue robbing, but seal off that road for me. Go to the two inns and spread the news that the bandits are making a comeback. Even if you don't move around during the Lunar New Year, you'll still need that road after the New Year, so it's better to prepare early."

The guard agreed and turned to leave. Before the door was opened, Liu Yu called him back.

"Dispose of the body cleanly and don't let others see any flaws. Burn the bodies of the two grooms as well..."

"Yes!"

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Xiao Zongwen stroked the heater in his hand and looked at Chi Yu tying the brocade belt on Xiao Xuan's cloak with some impatience in his eyes.

"Your wife is really tolerant and willing to send you to serve her."

Chi Yu turned his back to Xiao Zongwen, his hands moving without stopping, "Madam has always valued the peace and tranquility of the family. Even for guests from outside, she always takes good care of them, fearing that Master Xiao and Master Xiao would feel inconvenienced."

Chi Yu tidied the brocade belt, turned around, bowed, lowered his eyes, and retreated behind Xiao Xuan to prepare a hand warmer for him.

"If the yard wasn't so small, Madam would have invited the distinguished guest to stay in the yard."

"Okay, Dad. You can go out now."

After Xiao Xuan said this, he refused the hand warmer handed to him by Chi Yu and followed Xiao Zongwen out of the room.

Chi Yu followed silently, Xiao Xuan looked back and said, "You don't have to follow."

"Madam said that I must serve you with all my heart and soul, without making any mistakes."

Xiao Xuan was about to say something, but Xiao Zongwen waved his hand and said, "Let him follow if he wants!"

Xiao Xuan and Xiao Zongwen's carriage finally stopped at the gate of Xiao Cheng's house. This house was next to the Xiao family mansion where Xiao Zongwen lived. There was access between the courtyards, but later Xiao Cheng locked the door and built a wall.

The two men entered Xiao Cheng's study, while Chi Yu waited outside.

Xiao Cheng glanced at Xiao Xuan with disdain and said to Xiao Zongwen, "Why did you call him here?"

Xiao Zongwen waved his hand, and Xiao Xuan moved a chair over and placed it next to the charcoal stove in the middle of the study.

"He is my child, father, there is no need to listen to one side of the story. Those women are just trying to shake your mind..." Xiao Zongwen handed the hand warmer to Xiao Xuan and untied his cloak and handed it to him as well. Xiao Xuan took them carefully and stood behind him like a servant.

Xiao Cheng narrowed his eyes, "Your mother went to the north, clearly..."

"Father!" Xiao Zongwen raised his voice and stared at Xiao Cheng who was sitting at the table. "Mother was rescued by a woman. That woman was the bandit's wife. Although the bandit is dead now, the bandit's wife is still in the mountains. You can go and check it out!"

After saying that, he turned to look at Xiao Xuan. "His mother was a woman from a village we met on the way to escape. She took us in. After she became pregnant and gave birth to Xiao Xuan, one day she was left alone in the house and accidentally lit an oil lamp, burning down the thatched house. She lost her life."

Xiao Xuan's eyes were somewhat empty. He had heard these stories many times, but he had never felt his father's nostalgia for his mother. So these things were the cause of his sadness when he was a child, but now they were just stories.

Xiao Zongwen turned to look at Xiao Cheng, "Father, you can send someone to investigate. I came here to recognize my relatives, not because I wanted the Xiao family's assets, but because I missed you." He sat down slowly, "Although life was difficult for mother and me back then, and father was controlled by grandmother and mistress, you would still come to see me study from time to time. I will never forget that."

Xiao Xuan had never come with Xiao Zongwen to see Xiao Cheng, and he didn't know that Xiao Zongwen still cared about the father-son relationship. Before, Xiao Zongwen only said that he wanted to go home to recognize his ancestors and asked Xiao Xuan to inherit the Xiao family business, and asked him to study and do accounting every day.

Xiao Cheng felt even more guilty when he heard Xiao Zongwen say this, and he also remembered how well-behaved Xiao Zongwen was when he was a child. If it weren't for the old lady's strict control at that time, Xiao Zongwen could have easily gained a foothold in the Xiao family and made a career!

"Yes, I shouldn't have listened to those women. Since ancient times, only villains and women are difficult to raise. I don't know how many tricks that woman used to deceive me in order to gain a foothold in the backyard." Xiao Cheng said, walking towards Xiao Zongwen and Xiao Xuan, "Okay, I believe you."

He patted Xiao Xuan's shoulder. The more he looked at him, the more he felt that Xiao Xuan looked like Xiao Zongwen. If he was really the son of an illicit union with a rough bandit, how could he be so handsome?

"Good grandson, grandpa will never treat you unfairly in the future!"

After that, Xiao Cheng got to the point. "Xiao Lan actually dared to go to the capital to collect the debt. I don't think she knows how deep the waters are in the capital. Did she think that Xiao Yu could help her by writing a letter to her? I'm afraid she won't even know how the debt is divided!"

Xiao Zongwen held the hand warmer, his legs close to the charcoal stove, and finally suppressed the discomfort in his heart. He said calmly, "Xiao Zongshan's business was recorded in the account book before. I believe Xiao Lan should have seen it. Regardless of whether she can get the account back or not, now that she is away, we can do something to take power back into the hands of our father."

When Xiao Cheng heard this, he was very pleased, but he did not show it on his face, "Alas, now that I am old and useless, I will definitely try my best for you."

"Father, please don't say that. Zong Wen will definitely help you with whatever you want."

"Grandfather, my father always told me that you are the most business-savvy person in the family. It's just because my great-grandfather gave birth to my eldest uncle that you didn't have the opportunity to show your talents. You were suppressed everywhere by them, and they deliberately let outsiders think that you don't know how to do business." Xiao Xuan spoke, his words full of admiration.

"Hmph!" Xiao Cheng was furious whenever he recalled the past. He clearly had a son, but no one acknowledged him. Ultimately, his only son was driven out of Nancheng, forced to leave his home and suffer so much. Fortunately, his love for him was not in vain, and he was able to call him back to serve him.

"I get angry whenever I mention this. Back then, so many assets were handed over to that Xiao Zongshan. He was so tight-fisted that he spent every penny he could get. We, the second branch, have had a hard time these years!"

Xiao Xuan knew that Xiao Cheng's life was not easy because he was too ambitious. All the money he invested was not returned, and he did not do business seriously. It actually had nothing to do with Xiao Zongshan.

Xiao Zongwen didn't want to listen to Xiao Cheng's nonsense, so he continued, "Then now is the perfect time. Father, do you know that there was a drug dealer who rescued Xiao Lan's son from the kidnappers?"

"Of course, why?" Xiao Cheng felt puzzled as to why this was mentioned.

"Xiao Zongshan had promised to buy him another batch of medicinal herbs, but now he has passed away, and Xiao Lan has gone to the capital, so the matter has been delayed."

Xiao Cheng was puzzled and signaled Xiao Zongwen with his eyes to continue, "Why don't we take advantage of this time to collect the herbs and use the returning cargo ship to send another batch to the capital. I heard that the capital needs these herbs, but Xiao Zongshan didn't have time to send a second ship."

After Xiao Zongwen finished speaking, Xiao Xuan felt something was amiss. Before Xiao Lan left, she met with him and expressed her hope for more help. She also gave him Liu Yue's handwritten letter from Beidu, assuring him that she had kept her promise and that she had indeed secretly assigned someone to protect Liu Yue.

At the time, Xiao Lan had only said that, aside from selling what was needed at the shop, all purchases and production had ceased. He also said that he had agreed to receive Lin Rui's medicinal herbs, and that he could only send a letter asking him to return after the New Year. If, as Xiao Zongwen claimed, there was another batch of goods to be delivered to the capital, Xiao Lan couldn't have been completely unaware of it.

"Why should we help them fulfill their business agreement? What benefit can it bring to me?" Xiao Cheng didn't think this was a good thing, and he didn't think it could help him at all.

Xiao Zongwen was already feeling a bit impatient. He thought Xiao Cheng deserved to be constantly oppressed by Xiao Zongshan. "Father once said that the Xiao family's largest business is actually in the capital. If we personally deliver this shipment, that letter might not even be as valuable as this shipload of herbs... Whoever gets the bill will have the final say. Even if Fourth Grandfather supports Xiao Lan, he won't hand the Xiao family over to a woman who can't handle it. I believe the elders will prioritize the greater good..."