Raising a wife? The mistress of the Hou family divorced and remarried her younger uncle

Chapter 60: Grace and Power 2
Mrs. Zhuang looked unhappy and could not help but threaten, "Madam, don't forget that you are a wife of the Lu family. If the eldest lady knew that you were siding with these lowly tenants and damaging the interests of the farm and her interests, you would be in big trouble."

Lu Zhu went over and slapped her hard, "I've made my hands dirty by hitting you, you'd better be polite when talking to my girl!"

Mrs. Zhuang had thick skin and flesh, and after being slapped, her fat face became swollen and extremely red. She covered her face and tried to fight with Lu Zhu, but was frightened by the dagger in her hand and could not move.

"Madam, as long as you are willing to punish this evil woman, we, the tenant farmers, will obey your orders in the future."

Su Qingwan stood up and walked down the attic. The tenants knelt on the ground and begged her to make the decision. Su Qingwan said calmly, "For land leasing, the tenants mostly own 50%. For our Xie family's farm, the tenants rent 30%, and it has not changed for many years. Who changed the lease privately? Mrs. Zhuang, is it you?"

"Of course not!" Mrs. Zhuang shouted at the top of her voice, "Madam, the lease is not my business."

"That means mother changed the lease, but I have seen the account books of the farm. The harvest was only 30%. Who took the extra 20%, you or mother?" Su Qingwan's light words scared the farm lady so much that her face turned pale.

"How do you know!" Mrs. Zhuang looked at Su Qingwan in fear, as if she had not expected that Su Qingwan could see through everything.

The rent was proposed by Lin, and Mrs. Zhuang added another 10% on top of Lin's. She wanted to exploit the tenants while ensuring Lin's interests, so she had to keep increasing the rent.

"He changed the rent without permission and never informed the farm owner. He cheated the landlords. If I file a complaint with the Kyoto government, what do you think will be the verdict?" Su Qingwan said calmly, "Luzhu, send someone to report to the government. Tell them that someone has secretly deceived the tenants of my farm and defrauded the rent for three consecutive years. Ask them to send someone to investigate thoroughly."

"Yes!" Luzhu winked, and Qingqing stepped out and said, "Girl, I'll go!"

Qingqing was agile and ran out quickly. Mrs. Zhuang didn't even have time to beg for mercy. The tenants all had hope, hoping that Su Qingwan would punish Mrs. Zhuang and redress their grievances.

"Madam, you can't report it to the authorities!" Mrs. Zhuang knelt on the ground and crawled over. "Madam is your mother-in-law, how dare you report it to the authorities? The eldest son married a concubine, your status is already worrying, and now you are going to offend your mother-in-law, how can you survive in the Lu family?"

"That's not something you should worry about." Su Qingwan raised her eyebrows. "Are you saying that this was Mother's idea?"

"Yes...it's the eldest lady's idea!" Mrs. Zhuang thought that as a daughter-in-law, the eldest young lady would not sue her mother. Besides, she usually listened to the eldest lady's words and was very respectful.

"You're talking nonsense. My mother is kind and virtuous, and everyone in Beijing knows it. How could she oppress tenant farmers? You must have deliberately made an excuse to get away with it. I'm too lazy to bother with you about this matter. Let the Kyoto Prefecture investigate." Su Qingwan said calmly, "Let me remind you that if you privately oppress tenant farmers and embezzle land rent, it's not as simple as paying money. For such a large amount of money, you will be imprisoned in the Kyoto Prefecture until you die!"

"Madam, please don't report it to the police. I was wrong, I was wrong. Please don't report it to the police!" Mrs. Zhuang kowtowed and begged for mercy, no longer having the arrogance she had just now.

Su Qingwan spoke softly, "Mrs. Zhuang, since it was done by mother, what are you afraid of? The Kyoto government won't be able to trace it back to you!"

Mrs. Zhuang felt guilty. She wiped the cold sweat from her forehead and said fiercely, "The eldest young master's wife is still a member of the Lu family. If you kill her like this, you will not have a good ending!"

"Your son oppressed tenant farmers and molested women, causing a tenant farmer's daughter to hang herself. The victim's brother came to your house and had his legs broken by your son, making him unable to work. You also sent people to rob his rented land." Su Qingwan sneered, "Report this to the authorities as well. You should just focus on your own affairs."

The son is the lifeblood of the old lady. Mrs. Zhuang collapsed to the ground, losing all her strength. "Madam, what do you want in exchange for sparing us?"

"You said that it was mother's idea to change the lease?" Su Qingwan persuaded, "I do believe it somewhat. You were mother's maid who came with her as a dowry and have served her for more than twenty years. The master and servant have a deep relationship and you are loyal to her. Without her consent, I don't think you would dare to do anything wrong." "Yes, yes, it was the eldest lady's idea." Mrs. Zhuang just wanted to get rid of the crime quickly and nodded repeatedly, thinking that as long as the eldest lady was brought up, Su Qingwan would also be dealt with with care.

Su Qingwan said coldly, "Words are not enough. Who knows if you are deliberately trying to implicate your mother? What evidence do you have?"

"Evidence..." Mrs. Zhuang hesitated.

Su Qingwan said, "Looking at your guilty look, I know you are deliberately framing your mother. Qingqing, go report to the police."

"Okay, girl!" Qingqing's voice came from outside.

Mrs. Zhuang panicked, "No, no... Madam, I have evidence, I have evidence!"

In recent years, the Lin family has been exploiting the tenant farmers. The tenant farmers pay taxes and rent with grain, and they have fixed grain merchants to exchange for money. Mrs. Zhuang always trades with the owner of Mulan Grain Store. After exchanging the silver bills, she keeps some for herself and hands over the rest to the Lin family. There are records of each transaction and the silver bills, which can be clearly understood by comparing them with the account books of the grain store.

"Where are the account books?"

Mrs. Zhuang gritted her teeth and handed over the account books. Su Qingwan asked Lu Zhu to go to her room to get them. Mrs. Zhuang kowtowed and said, "I have explained everything that should be explained. Madam, please let us go."

Su Qingwan did not answer, but looked at the group of tenant farmers. The tenant farmers' eyes seemed to want to envy Mrs. Zhuang, and some were whispering to each other. Some even knelt down and begged Su Qingwan to severely punish Mrs. Zhuang.

Mrs. Zhuang was fearless. "I came to manage the farm and increased the rent with the approval of the eldest lady. Now that I have made it clear, even the eldest young lady can't do anything to me!"

The tenant farmers looked even more resentful, and Su Qingwan couldn't help laughing. After a while, Luzhu brought the account book back. Su Qingwan checked it carefully and found that Mrs. Zhuang's accounting was very clear and it didn't seem to be difficult.

Mrs. Zhuang stood up and patted the dirt off her clothes. "Madam, now that I have given you all the instructions, can I leave now?"

"Who said you can leave?" As soon as Su Qingwan finished speaking, the two maids beside Luzhu came forward and grabbed her.

Mrs. Zhuang was yelling, and Su Qingwan said, "Tie him up and lock him up in the woodshed, and wait for the governor of Kyoto to send someone."

"Yes!"

"Madam, you can't do this to me. It was the Madam's order. You go back on your word. You are so rotten-hearted and deliberately deceived me, an old woman. You shall not die a hapless death!" Mrs. Zhuang pointed to the sky and the earth and cursed.

Lu Zhu slapped her hard and stuffed a piece of cloth into her mouth. "Shut up, you're making so much noise. Lock her up and don't let her go."

"Yes!"

(End of this chapter)