She's skilled in medicine, martial arts, and even understands animal language—the abandoned dau

Lu Yuan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. He looked at his daughter and Xiao Shi kneeling on the ground, sobbing uncontrollably, and felt a mix of helplessness and anger.

But now that things have come to this, his first priority is to protect the Lu family's reputation and his daughter's safety.

"Stop crying!" Lu Yuan shouted sternly, and Lu Jing and Madam Xiao immediately fell silent, looking at him in fear.

"This matter must be handled properly if we want to resolve it."

Lu Yuan pondered for a moment, then immediately summoned his trusted steward and said to him, "Take two hundred taels of silver and a generous gift to Wang Er's house right now. Be sure to reason with them and persuade them to drop the case. Also, send someone to bring Lai An back and make Yao Ping leave the capital!"

Lai An was the servant he had just sent out to chase after Yao Ping.

The steward accepted the order without delay, quickly prepared a large sum of money, and headed towards Wang Er's house.

Although Wang Er's family lived in the relatively affluent Dongcheng District of Beijing, their house was dilapidated and looked out of place compared to the surrounding white-walled and red-tiled houses.

Wang Er's wife was sitting in the dimly lit room, lost in thought.

The young child next to her was so frightened by the oppressive atmosphere that he dared not make a sound.

The butler, accompanied by several servants, arrived at the door and gently knocked.

After a long while, the door was slowly opened. When Wang Er's wife saw the Lu family steward and others standing at the door, a hint of doubt flashed in her eyes, and she immediately asked warily, "Who are you people?"

The steward glanced at the crowd craning their necks to watch the spectacle and said to Wang Er's wife, "Sister-in-law Wang, may we come inside first? There are some things we can't say here."

Wang Er's wife glanced at the gift boxes in their hands, hesitated for a moment, and then stepped aside to invite them into the house.

After the butler entered the room, he first had the servants put the gift box aside, and then said with a smile, "Sister-in-law Wang, we are deeply saddened by the death of Brother Wang. But the dead cannot be brought back to life, and you and the children still have to live your lives."

"Who exactly are you people, and what brings you to my house today?" Wang Er's wife stared intently at the steward.

"We are here on someone's behalf to discuss a deal with Sister Wang Er," the steward said frankly when she asked again.

"A deal?" Wang Er's wife raised an eyebrow, her wariness lessening slightly, replaced by a strong sense of inquiry. "What kind of deal could a woman like me make with you?"

Seeing this, the steward was secretly delighted, knowing that things had taken a turn for the better. He slowly took out the silver note from his sleeve, gently placed it on the table, and smiled broadly: "Sister-in-law Wang, as long as you agree to go to the yamen to withdraw Wang Er's case, these two hundred taels of silver are yours."

Wang Er's wife looked at the silver notes on the table, her hand trembling slightly, but a calculating glint flashed in her eyes.

No one knew Wang Er better than her what kind of person he was. Recalling all the bad things Wang Er had done to her, the arguments and beatings seemed to be right before her eyes.

At that moment, the gleaming silver was like a ray of light, illuminating her bleak life.

Actually, the reason she reported the case was not to seek justice for her deceased husband, but because she heard that Jinxiu Textile Workshop was doing well and wanted to ask them for some compensation.

Seeing the steward so readily hand over two hundred taels of silver, she immediately concluded that there must be a hidden story behind Wang Er's death, and this was a good opportunity to make a hefty profit.

Suppressing her inner elation, she bit her lip, her voice trembling slightly yet undeniably firm: "Was my husband killed by you? Two hundred taels of silver to buy my husband's life? Absolutely not!"

Upon hearing this, the butler's smile froze instantly, but his years of experience allowed him to quickly regain his composure. He hurriedly waved his hand and explained, "Sister-in-law Wang, please don't misunderstand! Brother Wang's death has absolutely nothing to do with us."

Our employer is kind-hearted; knowing that you and your child would face hardship in the future, that's why they specifically sent me here.

Wang Er's wife snorted coldly, crossed her arms, leaned back slightly, and looked confident: "Your employer is kind-hearted? That's nice of you! If you didn't have something to hide, why would you go to such lengths to deliver money to my door and ask me to drop the case?"

As she spoke, she kept her eyes fixed on the butler, not missing a single change in his expression.

The butler, his forehead beaded with sweat, still tried to appear calm. He pulled a gift list from his pocket and handed it to Wang Er's wife: "Sister-in-law Wang, take another look at these gifts. They are all rare and valuable items."

Our employer genuinely wants to help you. If this case drags on any longer, with repeated investigations by the authorities, you and your child will never have peace of mind.

Wang Er's wife took the gift list, quickly scanned it with her eyes, and slightly raised the corners of her mouth as she quickly estimated the value of the items in her mind.

She understood that this was the perfect opportunity to control the other party, and she absolutely could not give in.

"This is far from enough to satisfy me. Although my husband had a bad temper and liked to go to gambling dens, he was still the pillar of our family. Now that he's gone, what are my children and I supposed to do?"

"These two hundred taels of silver aren't even enough to cover the expenses of raising a child to adulthood." Wang Er's wife said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

The butler looked troubled and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Sister-in-law Wang, this is the most sincerity our master can offer. As you know, in business, harmony brings wealth. Making a scene will not benefit anyone."

Wang Er's wife threw down the gift list with a swift and decisive movement, stood up, and made as if to walk out, her eyes filled with resolve: "Since that's the case, then there's nothing more to discuss. I'm going to the yamen right now to have the officials investigate thoroughly; maybe they can find the real culprit!"

Seeing this, the housekeeper quickly stepped forward to stop her: "Second Sister-in-law Wang, don't be hasty! We can talk this over. Why don't you tell me your thoughts?"

Wang Er's wife sat down again, crossed her legs, and looked sharply at the steward, saying slowly, "Five hundred taels of silver, not a penny less. In addition, you have to help me buy a decent house in the East District, in a good location, with a spacious interior."

Find my child the best private school; you don't need to worry about the tuition or anything, but you must guarantee my child receives the best education and has a bright future. Otherwise, I definitely won't drop this case easily!

After saying that, she leaned back in her chair, her eyes filled with determination.

Upon hearing what Wang Er's wife said, the steward couldn't help but secretly lament his misfortune.

Five hundred taels of silver plus a house is no small sum, so he dared not agree to it easily.

However, if they do not respond, the Lu family will definitely be in trouble once the case is investigated further.

After much deliberation, the steward could only smile and say, "Sister-in-law Wang, five hundred taels of silver is really too much, and the house is even more difficult to afford. Do you think we could lower our demands a bit more?"

Wang Er's wife's expression changed. "Hmph! There's no room for discussion. It's already difficult enough for me, a widow raising a child alone. Is this request unreasonable?"

Helpless, the steward could only say that he would go back and ask the master for instructions.

The steward returned to the Lu family and reported the truth.

Lu Yuan was so angry that he smashed his teacup. "That woman is simply insatiable!"