Chapter 33: The Little Tyrant, Xue Zhao

Lu Lan nodded. "Come back with me first. I will have someone take over your grandfather's duties here as soon as possible, and he will be able to return to the estate to work."

Li Laifu was overwhelmed by the unexpected favor. He never imagined that, despite his old age, he would still be able to work at the estate again; even if it meant tending to horses or clearing manure, it would still be a life of luxury!

Li Changwei's eyes shone bright enough to light up the night sky; his master would certainly not lie to him. "Thank you, Master!"

Lu Lan was, of course, not bluffing. The development of the black stone mine at Mount Dadong was imminent, and professional miners would be there to take over soon.

After the inspection concluded, Lu Lan took Li Changwei along, while Xianyu’s horse carried two sacks of black stones. They did not return to the Duke of Yu's mansion until nightfall.

The gatekeeper came out to take the horse. Lu Lan instructed Xianyu to find some new clothes for Li Changwei and arrange a room for him.

"Changwei, from now on, follow Brother Xianyu and learn how to work, alright?"

Li Changwei smiled sweetly; Brother Xianyu seemed like a good person at first glance, so he nodded repeatedly. "Alright!"

"Come on, let me take you to get washed up. Look at you, black as charcoal." Xianyu led Li Changwei toward the servants' quarters.

"Okay, tee-hee!"

Lu Lan remembered what he had told Steward Zhong to handle before he left. "Has Steward Zhong returned yet?"

The gatekeeper shook his head. "Young Master, the head steward has not yet returned."

"I see. Tell him to come see me as soon as he gets back."

"Understood!"

...

Steward Zhong had arrived at the Duke of Qing's mansion at noon to pay a visit to Xue Zhao, but by nightfall, he still hadn't seen him return. The head steward of that mansion had suggested he come back tomorrow or leave the items with him to be passed on.

Steward Zhong thought to himself that since the Young Master had just taken over the financial affairs of the household, this first task he had been assigned must be handled impeccably. He remained sitting in the gatehouse, waiting.

Xue Zhao, known as the "Little Tyrant," was a scoundrel much like Lu Lan; he spent his days cockfighting and dog-chasing, neglecting his proper duties, and skipping classes at the academy every other day.

He only returned from the Xiaoxiang Pavilion when it was already dark. He reeked of alcohol so strongly that the smell could be detected from five paces away, with two young servants supporting him on either side.

"Hey, someone, steady the road for this young master! Why does the ground feel so tilted?"

"Oh, my lord, the road isn't tilted; you’ve just had a bit too much to drink."

In his drunken state, Xue Zhao didn't even notice Steward Zhong; he brushed past him as if he were a stranger.

Steward Zhong pulled a jade pendant from his sleeve and handed it to the head steward. The head steward felt its icy chill and knew it was of the finest quality, so he quickly ran to catch up with Xue Zhao.

"Young Master, Steward Lu Zhong from the Duke of Yu's mansion is here. He is acting on orders from Young Master Lu to discuss a business matter with you. He has been waiting for quite a while; would you care to see him?"

The head steward's intervention proved effective. Xue Zhao let out a drunken hiccup. "Lu Lan?" That bastard had just burned down the brokerage firm in which he held shares. Damn him!

Xue Zhao lazily pushed away his two servants and looked back at Steward Zhong, who stood by the door, bowing and offering a smile.

"Bring him in!"

"Thank you, Young Master."

Xue Zhao sat in the main hall, sipping ginseng tea to sober up, looking at Steward Zhong in a daze. "My brother Lu Lan has developed quite a talent lately; he’s even doing business now?"

One could hear the disdain in Xue Zhao's voice. They had grown up together, and he knew better than anyone what kind of person Lu Lan was. He was a master at squandering wealth, but as for making money—well, as long as he didn't lose too much, it was considered a win.

Steward Zhong smiled and slid a sandalwood box across the table. He opened it gently to reveal sixty thousand taels in banknotes before Xue Zhao's eyes.

Wealth moves the heart. Sixty thousand taels was not a small sum; even for royalty or nobility, it was enough to make one's eyes burn with greed. Xue Zhao’s intoxication faded by more than half.

But there was no such thing as a free lunch in this world. Realizing something, he frowned. "Steward Lu, what is the meaning of this?"

As the head steward of the Duke of Yu's mansion, Steward Zhong knew how to handle things. He quickly replied, "Young Master, yesterday my master was auditing the household accounts and discovered a 'big rat'—Qi Cong of the Qingfengyuan Brokerage, the younger brother of one of our concubines. Over the years, he has embezzled a great deal of the estate's money. My master has already given him a sound beating and burned the Qingfengyuan Brokerage to the ground. In a few days, we intend to hand both Qi Cong and his son over to the Shuntian Prefecture for a thorough investigation."

Steward Zhong laid out the stakes clearly, informing Xue Zhao that Qi Cong had been beaten and his firm burned, and that the authorities would soon be involved.

*That mansion of yours was obtained through illicit means.*

A cold glint flashed in Xue Zhao's eyes, and he calmly scraped the lid of his teacup. "What does the messy business of your household have to do with me?"

"Young Master, it is said that you held a thirty-percent stake in that brokerage."

As soon as these words were spoken, Xue Zhao exploded.

"Bullshit! That is slander, that is defamation!" He beat his chest, refusing to admit it. "He is slandering me! He is slandering me!"

Steward Zhong smiled. "Young Master, please, do not get excited."

"Am I excited?" Xue Zhao's face flushed red. If he admitted to holding shares, it would be equivalent to admitting that he had spent years colluding with Qi Cong to hollow out the Lu family fortune. And Lu Lan was not a man to be trifled with.

Steward Zhong moved to the main point. "Young Master, half a year ago, you purchased a small residence. That property belongs to the Lu family."

"You mean the mansion of the Pillar of State? I spent a full eighty thousand taels of silver on that property. I have the deeds, the contracts, the middleman's guarantee, and the official registration with the local government office. What could possibly be wrong with it?"

He glanced sideways at Steward Zhong. "That's right, it was handled by Qi Cong, but what does it matter to me how he obtained it? Even if he stole it or robbed someone for it, that doesn't stop me from purchasing it fair and square."

Qi Cong had sold it to him for eighty thousand taels, and he had turned around and sold it to a certain high-ranking figure for one hundred thousand, though it remained registered under his own name. That high-ranking figure could not come forward publicly.

Regardless, it was a perfectly legal and legitimate transaction in every way. He acted as if he held an immunity medallion, fearing no one.