The reborn girl always wants to escape, but the abstinent marquis hugs her and coaxes her!

Chapter 285 Tit for tat

The next morning, just as breakfast was served, the doorman came to reply: "Madam, Miss, the wife of the official is here again..."

As soon as the voice fell, Madam Xiao's expression tightened.

Xiao Ling'er calmly filled her mother's mouth with a spoonful of porridge and said, "Got it."

Then he advised Madam Xiao, "They chose to make trouble when Daddy was in the morning court just to upset Mom. We can't give in to their wishes. Mom, eat more and leave them alone for a while."

Seeing her always carefree daughter trying to find ways to comfort herself, Mrs. Xiao felt both sad and heartwarming: her daughter seemed to have grown up overnight.

To avoid worrying her daughter, she reluctantly drank two mouthfuls of porridge and ate a piece of yam cake before putting down her chopsticks. Xiao Ling'er knew that this was a rare opportunity, so she stopped trying to persuade him and just started to act like a spoiled child, insisting that Madam Xiao feed her breakfast herself.

Thus, half an hour passed in the commotion.

Soon the person at the door came back and said, "Madam, Miss, the people from Jingzhao Yinfu are here."

Madam Xiao frowned when she heard this: "Why are they here?"

Xiao Ling'er arched her brows. "I was the one who asked them to go! Sister Xu said that since we haven't done anything wrong, we should report it to the authorities and let them deal with this unreasonable person."

After she finished speaking, she stood up and took Madam Xiao's hand: "Come on, my daughter will go out with me to watch the fun."

Mrs. Xiao: "..."

This lively scene, I’m afraid it’s them.

Sure enough, just as he reached the door, before he even opened it, he heard the voice of the official's wife: "We were defrauded of tens of thousands of taels of silver by the people in the Xiao Mansion. Instead of arresting the swindler, you surrounded us... Is this how people from the Jingzhao Yin Mansion act?"

"Madam said that they cheated you of your money, so have you reported it to the police?" The person from Jingzhao Yinfu asked calmly.

"Report to the authorities? Who doesn't know that you officials protect each other? Aren't your Jingzhao Yin Mansion and their Ministry of Rites Mansion under the same roof?"

"Has Madam reported this to the authorities?" the man from Jingzhao Yinfu asked again.

There was no sound outside the door.

Seeing this, Xiao Ling'er signaled to the doorman to open the door, and she took the first step forward. The girl with a round face was wearing a lilac dress today, with a small yellow flower in her hair. She looked pretty and cute, which formed a sharp contrast with the wife of the official who had a frown on her face and was full of calculations.

Xiao Ling'er scampered up behind the Jingzhao Yin's messenger, poked her head out, and asked, "This lady comes to our house every day to cause trouble, constantly claiming that we've swindled your family out of their money. Now that the Jingzhao Yin's men are here, why don't you report it to the authorities?" "Who said I wouldn't?" The official's wife's eyes glared. "Where's your mother? Tell her to come out and confront me! How can the dignified Minister of Rites let a little girl intervene?"

Xiao Ling'er smiled and said, "It's precisely because my father works in the Ministry of Rites that even a little girl like me knows that according to the etiquette and laws, we are innocent in this matter, so there is naturally no need for my mother to step in."

After she finished speaking, she bowed slightly to the five Jingzhao Yinfu officials around her and said, "This matter still needs you gentlemen to clarify it for us."

Seeing the girl's politeness, the officers naturally didn't want to embarrass her. One of them looked at the official's wife and said, "Since you just said you want to report it to the authorities, our office will naturally accept it. Since you say that they defrauded you of your money, do you have any written evidence?"

"Of course!" The lady raised her hand, and the little girl behind her took out a receipt and handed it to her.

The officer read it carefully and nodded. "This receipt is indeed clearly written. You lent 30,000 taels of silver to Xiao Pingjie, with an agreed interest rate of 40%. Xiao Pingjie needs to return the principal and interest in one year."

The lady said, "If we didn't know, why would we come here to ask for it?"

Xiao Ling'er poked her head out: "But this is my family's residence. Do you have any evidence to prove you're causing trouble here?"

The officer nodded and looked at the lady and asked, "Madam, do you have any written evidence proving that this matter is related to Xiao Pingyang and his wife?"

"Do you need a written document? Xiao Pingjie and Xiao Pingyang are cousins. If it weren't for the Xiao family lady introducing me, how would I know Xiao Pingjie? How can this matter have nothing to do with them?"

Xiao Ling'er snorted coldly and said, "Let's put it one way or another. Madam, please don't confuse the public here!"

She continued, "Madam, please explain clearly in front of all the gentlemen! First, when my mother introduced you to each other, did she ever tell you to lend money to him at high interest? Second, did you inform my mother in advance about your loan to him at high interest? Third, the document Madam presented clearly states your private connection with Xiao Pingjie. Do you have proof that my family introduced and guaranteed your loan?"

The wife was stunned for a moment, then she put her hands on her hips and was about to throw a tantrum when Xiao Ling'er interrupted her. "Besides, after my mother found out about this, she repeatedly came to your house to persuade you to return your capital. You promised, but then turned around and added to the capital. From my humble perspective, I'm afraid Xiao Pingjie promised you more than 40% interest, right?"

Although the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty did not restrict private lending, they required that the interest rate should not exceed 40%. Otherwise, the government would not intervene if a dispute arose. If the interest rate was higher than 50%, both parties would be held accountable.

Yesterday, Xu Rongrong heard that Xiao Pingjie had made hundreds of thousands of silver in just a few months, so she told Xiao Linger that the interest rate on their transaction was definitely more than 40%. Only higher profits would make these ladies who had experienced a wave of risks take risks again.

So she asked Xiao Ling'er to reveal this to the officials, in order to test the reaction of the wife of the official.

As expected, the wife's face flushed red. "Don't slander me! It's only 40% interest! It's clearly written on the receipt!"

Xiao Ling'er nodded. "Then I'll do as my wife says. Please take a close look at this document and see if it has anything to do with my family."

Most of the officials in Jingzhao Yinfu were from Beijing, and they were well aware of the practice of usury. So one of them looked at the official's wife and said, "Since you have written evidence, go to the government office and sue Xiao Pingjie. Our officials will naturally handle the case impartially on your behalf. Your dispute with Xiao Pingjie has nothing to do with the Xiao Mansion, so please don't cause trouble here again! If you do it again, you will be charged with causing trouble."

"Great!" The lady's eyes were red with anger. "So the Xiao family is so shameless! Very well then, I will go to the Ministry of Rites tomorrow and let Mr. Xiao's colleagues take a good look at what their ministers are up to on a daily basis!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the gate of the Xiao Mansion shook slightly. It was Madam Xiao who was standing behind the door, and she seemed to be unable to hold on any longer.

Xiao Ling'er had sharp eyes and took in everything. She responded calmly, "Since you're making trouble out of nothing, Madam, we won't be polite."