The Flourishing Era of Female Merchants

The maids nodded hastily; who would dare disobey the mistress's wishes?

Madam Liu's gaze sharpened, but her voice remained firm, "If you dare to say anything out of line, you will suffer the same fate as this young master of the Mei family!"

The maid's heart trembled, and the fear on her face deepened. Madam Liu watched their reaction with satisfaction and felt a little relieved. The most urgent task now was to dispose of the body of Young Master Mei!

“Master… what do you think of this…” Madam Liu looked at Liu Xuan, seemingly waiting for him to make a decision.

"Someone, prepare some flammable firewood and some fire!" Liu Xuan's eyes narrowed. He already had a plan in mind. In broad daylight, if he were to move the body out, it would inevitably be discovered. Moreover, with so much blood on the body, it would be easy to leave clues. The only option now was to set the room on fire and burn it down completely. If outsiders asked, they could just say it was an accidental fire.

Madam Liu instantly understood Liu Xuan's meaning, and her face lit up with joy. This was indeed a good plan!

Once it's burned down, there's nothing left. As long as we catch up with Fusheng and deal with him, everything will be resolved!

Upon receiving the order, Liu Xuan immediately dismissed the maids outside, some preparing firewood and others lighting torches. In no time, everything was ready. Liu Xuan and his wife stood outside the door, looking at the room surrounded by dry firewood, their eyes filled with deep sorrow. This fire would surely destroy a large section of the inner courtyard, but it was the only option they had now.

After weighing the pros and cons, this was the only thing they could do!

Liu Zhan and his wife each held a torch. With a determined heart, they tossed the torches into the firewood. The firewood was already dry, and it ignited instantly upon contact with the flames.

"Quick, put out the fire!"

A command rang out from behind them, and Liu Xuan and his wife froze. Before they could react, a group of constables carrying knives rushed towards the fire. Liu Xuan and his wife turned pale as they watched the anxious men approaching.

"Your Excellency, what brings you here?" Even though he tried his best to hide it, Liu Xuan couldn't conceal the guilt in his voice. Why was the governor here? And at this critical moment!

The prefectural magistrate glanced at the fire behind Liu Xuan and his wife. Fortunately, it had just started and was quickly extinguished by the constables. Then he turned to Liu Xuan and his wife, "Master Liu, Madam Liu, we came here to offer our congratulations. Why... why did you personally set fire to the house?"

Congratulations? Liu Xuan's face darkened. How could he believe he had come to offer congratulations? Who would bring a constable with a knife to offer congratulations? This menacing demeanor clearly indicated they were investigating a case!

Thinking of the eldest young master of the Mei family in the room, Liu Xuan felt even more uneasy. He forced a smile and said, "Since the Prefect is here to offer his congratulations, we naturally cannot refuse to drink the celebratory wine. Come on, today I will drink to my heart's content with the Prefect!"

The prefectural governor frowned slightly. "There's no rush for drinking."

As he spoke, his gaze drifted toward the house that Liu Xuan had almost burned down earlier, but he also subtly observed the expressions on Liu Xuan and Madam Liu's faces. He had been drinking at Miss Yan's place when he heard that someone had reported a murder at the Liu residence. The Prince of Bohai immediately instructed him to come and handle official business. He did not expect that upon arriving at the Liu residence, he would indeed sense that something was amiss.

Burning down the house themselves? Have Yoo Hyun and his wife gone mad?

They're not stupid, so that means they're burning down the house to cover something up!

"Master Liu, would you mind if I were to sit in that room for a while?" The prefectural magistrate met Liu Xuan's dark eyes and tentatively asked.

Liu Xuan was taken aback. Even though he tried his best to hide it, he couldn't hide the panic in his heart. "We can sit in the hall. Your Excellency, this way please."

"Yes, yes, yes, this way please. I'll have the servants prepare wine and dishes immediately. Today is Zhan'er's big day, and I'll have him personally offer a toast to the Prefectural Governor." Madam Liu echoed enthusiastically, knowing in her heart that they absolutely could not let the Prefectural Governor into the room. However, the unease in her heart grew stronger. The Prefectural Governor's visit this time was not well-intentioned, and now he was probably even more suspicious!

But what can be done? As soon as the door is opened, everything they're trying to hide will be completely exposed to the world!

The prefect's face darkened. "What? Is there something shady going on in that room? It's really unusual for you to be hiding it like this."

"How could that be? What are you saying, Your Excellency? How could there be anything shameful? It's just an ordinary room." Madam Liu forced a smile, vehemently denying it.

"Hmph, since that's the case, then let me take a look. That shouldn't be a problem, right?" the prefectural governor sneered.

"Your Excellency! Don't forget the support I, Liu Xuan, have given you all these years!" Liu Xuan shouted sternly. He had paid for all the construction projects that the government office needed money for, and even the repairs to the government office were paid for by Liu Xuan.

The prefectural governor's expression also tightened. "Master Liu, don't forget the benefits you've received from this prefecture over the years!"

Previously, he relied on the Liu family's wealth in many ways, which also gave Master Liu a lot of convenience. He used to be somewhat wary of the Liu family, but now, who would take the Liu family seriously?

And this time... if the Liu family really has a murder as the person who reported it said, ha! Then they will probably suffer another huge blow. This time, he will not show any mercy! He will not let Liu Xuan have another chance to step on his head and order him around!

“You…” Liu Xuan’s face turned pale and then red.

The prefect's eyes suddenly sharpened, and he said loudly, "Today, I really do want to go into this room and take a look! Someone, open the door for me!"

Liu Xuan and his wife panicked even more. Madam Liu's attitude hardened. "Your Excellency, this is trespassing!"

"Hmph, trespassing? Let me tell you the truth, today this prefecture received a report that a murder occurred in your Liu family. This prefecture is here to investigate. How can you say it's trespassing?" The prefectural magistrate snorted coldly, glanced disdainfully at Liu Xuan and Madam Liu, then walked past them and strode towards the room.

After receiving the order from the prefectural government, the constables had already opened the door. The smell of blood had been suppressed by the smoke, but as soon as the door opened, the pungent smell of blood rushed out...

Liu Xuan and his wife were already deathly pale, knowing that the matter could no longer be concealed. What should they do now?

"Sir, there really is a corpse. Look..." The head constable pointed to the bed in the room, and upon seeing the tragic appearance of the deceased, he couldn't help but shake his head.

The prefectural magistrate glanced at the corpse, then turned to look at Liu Xuan and his wife outside the room, a strange glint in his eyes. "Didn't you say there was nothing shameful in this room? Then what is this? Hmph, I bet you set the fire just now to cover up the crime!"