Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 221 The Xie Family Crisis, Cured Instantly

Just then, the door was pushed open, and Xie Weining walked in carrying a cup of hot tea.

"Husband, are you still busy?"

Since that night, their relationship has progressed rapidly, and Xie Weining's way of addressing him has become incredibly natural.

Chen Ye reached out and took the teacup, smiling as he said, "It's nothing, just looking at some files."

"Don't overwork yourself; your health is the most important thing," Xie Weining advised.

"Do not worry."

After a few casual words, the topic naturally turned to the situation in the central government.

Chen Ye shared his assessment of the situation, and Xie Weining listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

But as they talked, Chen Ye realized something was wrong.

Xie Weining looked somewhat dazed, with a deep-seated worry lingering in her eyes.

Although she concealed it well, Chen Ye still caught it.

He didn't say a word, subconsciously activating his talent for hearing sweet nothings.

Chen Ye's Prodigal Son class has now reached LV4, mainly thanks to the breakthrough in his relationship that night. He even feels that he will soon reach LV5 and usher in the first upgrade and job change in this world.

The LV4 talent of "Ear to the Heart" not only allows one to hear the other person's thoughts, but also to clearly perceive the other person's subtle emotional fluctuations.

Father's health is getting worse and worse...

[Back at the Chamber of Commerce, several of my uncles have been making a lot of small moves lately, trying to seize control of that trade route outside the Great Wall.]

With the Chen family's reputation in the past, they didn't dare to go too far.

Now that her husband has been suspended from his job and the Chen family is in turmoil, they've all jumped out to speak out.

[And the Wang and Li families have also started squeezing us out of the fabric business; they're really kicking us when we're down.]

The fragmented thoughts reached Chen Ye's ears.

He then realized that his suspension affected not only the Chen family, but also made the Xie family's situation difficult.

The Xie family is extremely wealthy in Yunzhou, but they are small in number. Xie Weining's father, Xie Yi, only has one daughter, Xie Weining. Therefore, over the years, many uncles and elders from collateral branches of the Xie family have been eyeing the Xie family's assets.

Previously, they were afraid of Xie Yi's methods and dared not act recklessly. After Xie Weining married into the Chen family, an old and prestigious noble family, they became much more obedient.

But now that the Chen family is in trouble and Xie Yi is old and ill, these people's thoughts have become active again.

Upon hearing this, Chen Ye felt a surge of pity.

This woman bears all the pressure herself, yet pretends to be nonchalant in front of him, just to avoid adding to her own stress. It's so foolish it's heartbreaking.

Thinking of this, Chen Ye grasped her hand. "Wei Ning, has something happened to the Xie family?"

Xie Weining stiffened, and her smile became somewhat forced. "No...no, everything is fine at the Chamber of Commerce."

I can't let him know; he's already overwhelmed with his own problems, and I can't add to his troubles.

Hearing this heartfelt sentiment, Chen Ye felt both annoyed and amused.

He didn't ask any more questions, but simply stood up and pulled her into his arms.

"Wei Ning, we are husband and wife." Chen Ye's voice was soft, but it carried an undeniable force.

"So your problems are my problems. From now on, you're not allowed to shoulder everything alone anymore, understand?"

Xie Weining's eyes immediately reddened.

She buried her head in Chen Ye's chest, and the grievances she had suppressed for many days finally broke down at this moment.

Chen Ye could feel his clothes quickly becoming soaked with tears.

He didn't say anything, he just held her quietly and patted her back gently.

It took Xie Weining a long time to calm down.

She looked up, her eyes red and a little embarrassed. "I...I lost my composure."

"What's the big deal?" Chen Ye reached out and wiped away the tears from the corners of her eyes. "You can do whatever you want in front of me."

After saying that, he pulled Xie Weining to sit down and handed her the cup of hot tea.

"Now can you tell me what exactly happened?"

Xie Weining hesitated for a moment while holding the teacup, but then recounted the troubles the Xie family had encountered in detail.

The sentiments Chen Ye heard were similar, nothing more than internal and external troubles.

“That trade route outside the pass is the Xie family’s most important business, and it absolutely cannot have any problems.” Xie Weining frowned. “Those uncles have always wanted to interfere. It was fine when my father was alive, but now that he is ill, they are even more unscrupulous.”

"And then there are the Wang and Li families. They've been fighting with us for years, and this time they took advantage of the situation to launch an attack and snatched several of our big orders."

Chen Ye nodded after listening. "I understand. I'll go back to the Xie family with you tomorrow."

Xie Weining was taken aback. "You...you're coming with me?"

"What, you're not welcome?"

"No..." Xie Weining quickly shook her head, a warm feeling and emotion welling up in her heart.

She wanted to say that the Chen family was in dire straits and that even if he stepped in, he probably wouldn't be able to keep things under control.

But when she saw Chen Ye's clear and confident eyes, she swallowed all her words.

"Okay." She nodded emphatically.

The next morning, Chen Ye and Xie Weining took a carriage to the Xie family.

Xie Weining was still a little nervous in the carriage.

“Husband, my uncles are all troublemakers. If they say anything unpleasant later, you…”

"What about me?" Chen Ye looked at her and smiled.

"Don't bother with them," Xie Weining whispered.

"Don't worry." Chen Ye held her hand. "I'm going there today to support you, not to argue."

Hearing the words "backing her up" warmed Xie Weining's heart and eased her tension considerably.

She leaned on Chen Ye's shoulder, feeling the warmth from his palm, and felt a sense of peace she had never known before.

The Xie family mansion is located in the south of Yunzhou City. Although it does not occupy a very large area, its pavilions, towers, bridges and streams give it a more delicate and exquisite feel, reminiscent of the gardens of Jiangnan, compared to the grand and orderly Chen mansion.

The carriage stopped at the gate, and the servants at the gate, seeing that it was their young mistress returning, hurriedly stepped forward to bow.

"Miss."

"Where is my father?" Xie Weining asked.

"The master is in the study."

"Ah."

Xie Weining nodded and led Chen Ye straight inside. They soon arrived at the study courtyard. As soon as they entered the front hall, they heard a noisy argument coming from inside.

"Brother, it's not that we're forcing you, we just can't wait any longer!"

"That's right! Look at what's being said outside. The Chen family is on the verge of collapse. If our Xie family continues to associate with them, we'll be dragged down sooner or later!"

"Wei Ning is still too young. What does a woman like her know about business? That business line outside the Great Wall needs to be steered by us men!"

Then a sharp, sarcastic voice sneered, "I think we should just let Wei Ning divorce that good-for-nothing! Why should our Xie family's daughter suffer with him?"

"Third brother, shut up!" a weak but authoritative voice shouted.

At this moment, Chen Ye and Xie Weining had reached the doorway and could see the scene inside the hall.

Seated in the main seat was a pale-faced middle-aged man, Xie Weining's father, Xie Yi.

Despite being ill, he still tried his best to straighten his back and glared at the people below.

Below stood three or four men in fine clothes, their faces flushed and spittle flying.

These were Xie Weining's uncles and aunts.

When Xie Weining heard that they actually wanted her to divorce Chen Ye, she trembled with anger and turned pale. Despite her advice to Chen Ye to stay calm last night, she was the first to lose her temper when things actually happened.

Especially now that she and Chen Ye have already consummated their marriage, forcing her to divorce him would be putting her in a position of being unrighteous, immoral, unchaste, and impure. Therefore, she rushed in.

"What nonsense are you spouting!"

The arguing in the hall stopped abruptly, and everyone's eyes turned to the doorway.

When they saw Xie Weining and Chen Ye behind her, their expressions became quite interesting.

"Oh, isn't this our Xie family's eldest son-in-law, Lord Chen?" A middle-aged man with a goatee spoke in a sarcastic tone; he was Xie Weining's third uncle, Xie Ming.

"Third Uncle, stop being sarcastic!" Xie Weining shouted angrily.

"Wei Ning, how dare you speak to your third uncle like that?" another fat man, Xie Wei Ning's second uncle Xie Guang, said with a forced smile.

"Your third uncle is just too worried to think straight."

"Father!" Xie Weining ignored them and quickly walked to Xie Yi's side, supporting his arm, her eyes reddening.

"Wei Ning, you're back." Xie Yi patted his daughter's hand, then looked at Chen Ye, forcing a somewhat forced smile.

"My dear son-in-law, please excuse my poor appearance."

Chen Ye bowed to Xie Yi and said, "Father-in-law, you flatter me."

He then straightened up and calmly swept his gaze over the uncles and elders who were all smirking.

"You are all elders, yet you gossip and speak ill of your juniors behind their backs. Isn't that rather improper?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it silenced the entire hall.

Xie Ming felt a little embarrassed after hearing what he said.

“We’re stating the facts! Besides, this is a matter for the Xie family. What right do you, an outsider, have to interfere?”

"That's right! It's none of your business, an outsider, to interfere in the Xie family's affairs!"

Xie Weining was so angry that her lips were trembling. Just as she was about to retort, Chen Ye pressed down on her shoulder, signaling her to calm down.

Chen Ye didn't get angry; in fact, he even had a faint smile on his face as he walked towards Xie Weining's uncles.

He was tall and imposing, and having practiced martial arts for many years, he possessed a naturally sharp and imposing aura. As he approached, his pampered uncles unconsciously took a half-step back.

Chen Ye's gaze fell on Xie Ming, who was shouting the loudest.

"Third Uncle, right?"

"What do you want to do?" Xie Ming asked, his voice stern but his tone weak.

"Third Uncle seems very interested in that trade route outside the Great Wall?" Chen Ye asked.

"So what? That's the Xie family's business. What's wrong with me showing some interest?"

“Of course there’s nothing wrong with it.” Chen Ye nodded. “But I heard that my third uncle was secretly dealing in a batch of smuggled salt outside the Great Wall last year, but he was robbed by bandits from Black Wind Pass. He lost everything and is now heavily in debt. Is that true?”

Xie Ming's face turned pale instantly.

He kept this extremely secret; apart from a few close family members, no one knew about it!

So how did Chen Ye find out?
"You...you're talking nonsense!" Xie Ming retorted stubbornly.

"Whether I'm talking nonsense or not, Uncle knows best." Chen Ye smiled. "Selling smuggled salt is a serious crime in Da Chen, punishable by death."

"Although I have been suspended from my post, I still retain my status as the Zhaowu Captain of the Xuanjing Division."

"Third Uncle, what do you think will happen if I report this to the Xuanjing Division?"

Xie Ming's legs went weak, and he almost lost his balance.

What kind of place is the Xuanjing Division? If you were caught there, you'd be lucky to escape with your life!

"You...you..." He pointed at Chen Ye and stammered for a long time without getting a clear answer.

Chen Ye ignored him and looked at the fat second uncle Xie Guang, "Second Uncle, I heard that you kept a mistress in the west of the city and had a son with her, is that right?"

Xie Guang's face also changed, and he trembled like a leaf, "You..."

Before he could speak, Chen Ye interrupted him, "Second Aunt is a formidable character. If she finds out that you not only have a mistress outside, but you even have a son, I wonder if she'll wipe out all your savings?"

Xie Guang broke out in a cold sweat instantly.

His wife is a notorious shrew; if she knew about this, she'd skin him alive!

Then Chen Ye looked at the remaining people.

"Fourth Uncle, when do you plan to pay back the 80,000 taels of silver you owe at the gambling den?"

"besides……."

With each sentence he spoke, one person's face turned ashen.

Because what Chen Ye said were their most secret incriminating facts, and today Chen Ye exposed them all in one fell swoop.

Xie Weining and Xie Yi were also stunned.

They couldn't understand how Chen Ye knew these things.

it's actually really easy.

Last night, Chen Ye had his brothers from the Drunken Cloud Society thoroughly investigate the Xie family's most active uncles and aunts.

These spoiled brats may not be good at much else, but they are experts at finding out these shady secrets.

"Now, what else do you have to say?" Chen Ye looked around, and all the uncles and elders in his sight lowered their heads, not daring to meet his gaze.

"Who else wants to get involved in business outside the Great Wall?"

No one dared to speak; the hall was deathly silent.

"Very good." Chen Ye nodded in satisfaction, then walked to the main seat and bowed to Xie Yi again.

“Father-in-law, all the family matters have been settled now, and they should not bother you and Wei Ning again.”

Xie Yi looked at his composed and calm son-in-law, opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a word for a long time.

The family strife that had plagued him for so long was resolved by Chen Ye in just a few words?

This is too... incredible.

Xie Weining was also in shock.

She watched Chen Ye's retreating figure, her beautiful eyes sparkling with wonder.

Is this her current husband?

Calm, decisive, powerful, and full of charm she had never seen before.

He...he's so amazing...

[Third Uncle and the others, who are usually so arrogant, were like mice before a cat in front of him.]

How exactly did he know those secrets?

As Chen Ye listened to Xie Weining's heartfelt words filled with admiration and curiosity, the corners of his mouth curled up almost imperceptibly.

"What are you all standing there for?" Chen Ye turned around and looked at his uncles who were still frozen in place, his voice suddenly turning cold.

"Get out of here right now."

These people felt as if they had been granted a pardon, and they scrambled out of the hall without even daring to look back.

The entire hall was finally quiet.

"Please sit down, son-in-law." Xie Yi snapped out of his daze and quickly invited Chen Ye to sit down.

At this moment, the way he looked at Chen Ye had completely changed. It was no longer the scrutiny of an elder towards a junior, but rather a sign of respect, and even a hint of awe.

“Father-in-law, you’re not in good health, so please don’t worry about these things,” Chen Ye said. “With Wei Ning in the Xie family, nothing will go wrong.”

"Yes, yes, yes." Xie Yi nodded, then looked at Xie Weining with some concern.

“Wei Ning, although your uncles and aunts are scoundrels, they are still relatives. You’ve probably offended them badly by making such a scene today.”

"If I've offended you, I've offended you." Chen Ye spoke first before Xie Weining could.

“We can’t be soft on these ungrateful wretches. If we back down today, they’ll dare to ride roughshod over us tomorrow.”

"What my son-in-law says is true," Xie Yi sighed. "But harmony in the family brings prosperity in all things."

“Father-in-law, sometimes things aren’t as simple as you think they are.” Chen Ye shook his head.

"Some people you treat as family, but they treat you as an enemy."

"The only way to deal with this kind of person is to beat him so badly that he will never dare to have any improper thoughts again."

Although Chen Ye's words sounded somewhat ruthless, they were all reasonable.

Xie Yi fell silent.

Having been in business for many years, he had seen all kinds of people and naturally understood this principle.

He was only mindful of his blood ties and family, which prevented him from taking drastic measures, ultimately leading to the current situation.

"I was confused," Xie Yi said with a bitter smile after a long silence.

“My father-in-law isn’t confused, he’s just kind-hearted,” Chen Ye said.

Just then, a servant rushed in.

"Master, Miss, the Wang and Li families have sent visiting cards, saying they want to discuss a fabric business with us."

"The Wang family and the Li family?" Xie Yi and Xie Weining were both taken aback.

These two rivals were relentlessly suppressing the Xie family just a few days ago, so why have they suddenly changed their tune today?

"Where are they?" Xie Weining asked.

"Just wait outside."

"Let them in," Chen Ye said.

Xie Yi and Xie Weining both looked at him.

"Why did you let them in?" Xie Weining asked, puzzled.

"Come in to talk business," Chen Ye smiled. "Why wouldn't you take advantage of a piece of meat that's been delivered to your door?"

Although she didn't understand what Chen Ye was up to, Xie Weining nodded out of trust in him.

"Let them in."

Soon, two men who looked like butlers were brought in.

As soon as the two entered, they first bowed respectfully to Xie Yi and Xie Weining, and then their eyes fell on Chen Ye.

"This must be Lord Chen, right?" one of the tall stewards said, his tone very polite.

"It's me." Chen Ye picked up his teacup and blew on the steam, without even lifting his eyelids.

The two men exchanged a glance, and then the tall butler took out two gold-embossed invitations from his pocket and presented them with both hands.

"This is a small token of our appreciation from Master Wang and Master Li. We hope that Lord Chen and Miss Xie will accept it with pleasure."

Qing'er, Xie Weining's maid, stepped forward and accepted the visiting card.

When Xie Weining opened the invitation, she found two invitations to a banquet for her and Chen Ye that evening.

"What does this mean?" Xie Weining frowned.

“Our two fathers said that there was some misunderstanding with the Xie family before, but we are all family and should not hurt our harmony.”

"Therefore, I have prepared a small banquet and would like to invite Lord Chen and Miss Xie to join us so that we can sit down and have a good talk. We can still be good neighbors and good partners in the future."

These words were spoken flawlessly, and the tone was very humble.

Xie Weining was completely dumbfounded.

Just a few days ago, those two old foxes were so eager to tear the Xie family apart, but today they seem like completely different people.
She subconsciously looked at Chen Ye.

Chen Ye continued to sip his tea leisurely, as if he hadn't heard what they were saying.

Why did they suddenly become afraid?

Could it be... related to my husband as well?

What else did he do that I don't know about?

(End of this chapter)