You Promised to Be an Idle Son-in-Law, How Could You Become a Land Immortal? Chapter 255 - 204: Anti-Xiao Alliance

It wasn’t long before news arrived.

To be precise, the news was brought back by Xiaodie from outside the Spring Lotus Garden.

"Master Chen, I heard that Master Dongchen committed suicide. He even wrote a confession."

"It says he was possessed and goaded by the Liu Family’s second young master into making a terrible mistake. It also says he used a veteran of the Dingyuan Army, Ge the Third, to order the criminals in the Three Towns to burn the sumr grain."

Xiaodie patted her chest, which was already filling out, and said with lingering fear, "Ge the Third, of all people."

"Master Chen, not long ago, Ge the Third was driving and Miss Guanli around the Prefecture City. I never thought he’d be that kind of person!"

Chen Yi sat by the pond, staring at his empty hook. "You can know a person’s face, but not their heart," he replied listlessly.

It had been so long since he’d last fished, he’d forgotten he shouldn’t have done it with Xiao Wuge.

It was another day with no catch.

Xiao Wuge, however, felt differently. As he tossed a Golden Carp he’d just caught back into the water, he said, "The bad guys are hidden so deep. They’re just terrible."

Xiaodie nodded at his words. "The Young Master is right."

"It’s such a sha, though. Ge the Third has disappeared. But the Second Miss has already sent people to track him down."

"Also, also! The news about the sumr grain being burned in Iron Wall Town has spread all over the city, but the stories are all over the place."

"So say it was an enemy invasion, people from the Barbarian Race or Poshisu Country. Others say it was mountain bandits from the border between Shu and Jing State."

"The most outrageous one is a rumor that the Second Miss staged the whole thing, wanting to exchange the sumr grain for silver to build the Mutual Market."

Hm?

Chen Yi raised an eyebrow slightly and turned his head to ask, "Is that last rumor widespread?"

Xiaodie nodded gravely. "Quite a few. I heard from one of the boys in the front courtyard that it’s being spread in the taverns and marketplaces."

Chen Yi frowned to himself, a chill creeping into his heart.

It was actually quite normal for rumors to spread whenever sothing big happened, but most of them were just wild tales ant for bragging.

Things like, "My neighbor is in Iron Wall Town. It was pouring rain last night when the enemy nation attacked!" were all just to attract attention, to prove one’s own importance by bragging about knowing things others didn’t.

These kinds of rumors were rarely ant to be malicious slander.

This last rumor, on the other hand, was far too pointed and purposeful. It was even logically self-contained. Clearly, soone had deliberately started it.

’The only ones who could co up with such a sche and act on it so quickly must have known about the arson in advance.’

’The Bright Moon Building, the Liu Family, the Hidden Guard, myself, and... that Financier pulling the strings from behind the scenes?’

Black Tooth of the Bright Moon Building had died at the hands of Xiao Jinghong. Lou Yuxue was busy erasing any trace of the Hidden Guard, and her other people were all worried about the Xiao Family finding them. They wouldn’t dare to surface for a short while.

The sa went for the Hidden Guard. In just half a day, orchestrating Xiao Dongchen’s removal was the absolute limit of what they could accomplish.

Even if they wanted to release rumors to sabotage the Mutual Market, they wouldn’t do it now.

And then there was the Liu Family...

They were likely still completely confused. They probably didn’t even know that the Xiao Family had Liu Wen’s body.

Eliminate the other possibilities, and what’s left, however unlikely, is the only solution.

—The one who acted was the Financier hiding in the shadows!

After a mont of thought, Chen Yi let out a soft breath. ’Thank goodness,’ he thought.

He had pieced most of it together.

’The Financier must have prepared these rumors in advance.’

’Fortunately, the sumr grain losses in the Three Towns weren’t severe. Otherwise, the Xiao Family would be in serious trouble.’

If the Bright Moon Building and the Hidden Guard had succeeded in burning the sumr grain, the impact of that rumor would have been devastating.

At that point, the Xiao Family would have had to investigate the fire in the Three Towns and solve the Dingyuan Army’s grain shortage. They would also have had to face potential investigations and punishnts from the Imperial Court and other governnt offices, all triggered by the rumors.

Most importantly, if the Xiao Family got bogged down in these troubles, it would inevitably impact the construction of the Mutual Market.

At that point, the Xiao Family—short on people, grain, and money—would be facing threats from all sides. The pressure from an Imperial Court investigation, spurred by the rumors, would be imnse. Other than leading the Dingyuan Army in rebellion or becoming bandits, their only option would be to wait for death.

Even if the Old Patriarch and Xiao Jinghong responded perfectly, exhausting their connections to secure aid, they would still have paid a heavy price.

Vicious. Truly vicious!

This sche to kill three birds with one stone was truly venomous!

Having pieced most of it together, Chen Yi couldn’t help but twist his lips into a smirk. "I suppose I’ve underestimated the people of this world."

He had originally believed his own plans accounted for everyone, but he had never expected that low-key Financier to be so ruthless.

They bided their ti, but when they finally struck, it was to drive the Xiao Family to their doom.

Far more vicious and clever than the likes of Xiao Dongchen and Liu Wen.

With this in mind, Chen Yi gave an order, his expression unreadable:

"Xiaodie, go out and look around again. See if there’s any other news."

"Oh, and focus on the reactions of the various governnt offices—the Governor’s Office, the Inspectorate Office, the Prefectural Magistrate’s Office, and so on."

"Also, ask about the price of grain and dicinal herbs."

"You got it."

Without a second thought, Xiaodie left the Spring Lotus Garden.

Xiao Wuge slowly caught on and asked, "Brother-in-law, is there a problem with those rumors? It’s all just street gossip."

Chen Yi shook his head slightly. "It’s nothing if only a few people believe it. But if enough people believe it, a rumor becos reality."

"Then... then will it affect our family?"

"A little, but not much."

"That’s good..."

About two hours later, Xiaodie returned.

But the gossipy expression from before was gone, replaced by a strange look.

"Master Chen, it’s so strange."

Chen Yi put away his fishing rod and looked at her seriously. "What’s strange?"

"It’s as if those rumors vanished into thin air. Now, everyone in the city is praising the Second Miss for her incredible valor, for eliminating an Elder from so ’Building,’ and for her cultivation reaching the Upper Three Grades."

"They’re also saying she patrolled all Three Towns in a single night, thwarting the villains’ plot and saving the Dingyuan Army’s grain supply."

Chen Yi was stunned for a mont, then broke into a wry laugh. "What else?"

’They sure react quickly.’

’The Financier must have learned the truth of last night’s events and imdiately rearranged their plans.’

"And about the governnt offices... The Prefectural Yan and the Governor’s Office haven’t done much. I heard they just sent people to ask the Master for confirmation."

"But at the Inspectorate Office, soone had apparently already written up a morial to the throne. If Lord Tang hadn’t discovered it in ti, it would have been sent to the Capital Prefecture."

’Just as I thought,’ Chen Yi said to himself. ’One link after another. That Financier really did account for all the follow-up actions.’

’No doubt the prices of grain and dicinal herbs fluctuated today, too. Or perhaps so grain stores are reporting shortages.’

Just then, Xiaodie continued, "What’s even stranger is that the second steward, who’s in charge of procurent for the estate, said that this morning, several of the larger grain stores in the city raised their prices. They’re claiming this sumr’s harvest was poor and grain is scarce..."

Chen Yi cut in, "They all raised their prices?"

Xiaodie nodded. "Yes, all of them did."

’Well, it seems the Financier isn’t a single person, but a group.’

’No wonder they move so fast, their reach is so wide, and they get information so quickly...’

’But what is this supposed to be?’

’An Anti-Xiao Alliance?’

"Oh, right, Master Chen! Before I ca back, I saw the Second Miss leaving with so Armored Warriors. I heard they found so ’Building’."

’Bright Moon Building?’

’No, it’s the Spring Rain Building.’

Chen Yi realized what was happening. Their opponent was trying to use Xiao Jinghong’s hand to eliminate the Spring Rain Building, that den of vice, to keep the Xiao Family from investigating them.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Lou Yuxue really was in a miserable spot.

’She’s probably going crazy with anger right now, huh?’