"What should we do now?" Qian Han looked at him cautiously. At this critical juncture, she shouldn't say too much. But the thought of everyone asking her for money soon, and her inability to produce it, made her head ache.
"I remember there's a shop on the East Street that's always been losing money. I'll have the steward sell it later." Even though she didn't say it, Old Master Shangguan knew what she was worried about and directly offered a solution.
Everyone couldn't help but feel disheartened. The Shangguan family had reached the point of selling their assets. Once upon a time, they were also known for their generosity in the capital. In just a few months, they seemed to be in decline. They even had a premonition that this wasn't the Shangguan family's lowest point. If it were in the past, they would have madly sought wealth, but now the Shangguan family had been ransacked. Any remaining money would be in Old Master Shangguan's hands, leaving no room for profit.
When Wu Caiwei and Shangguan Ke saw Old Master Shangguan appear before them with a smiling face, they looked up at the sky, wondering if the sun had risen in the west. They thought they must be mistaken.
Seeing them frozen there, Old Master Shangguan stepped forward awkwardly to greet them. "It's only been a few days, and you don't recognize me anymore?"
"Indeed, I don't. In my memory, you were either a non-existent person or someone who constantly picked on me. Seeing you so polite today is truly the first time," Su Dan Fiction Network.
Shangguan Ke retorted unceremoniously. He knew without a doubt that the other party's attitude meant they had ulterior motives. The original owner's greatest wish was to stay away from them and seek revenge.
"You're still so blunt in your speech. Sometimes you need to be more tactful, or you won't even know how you've offended someone," Old Master Shangguan looked at him dotingly and began to teach him how to conduct himself.
"If I remember correctly, didn't you already kick me out of the Shangguan family? If people didn't know, seeing your intimate attitude, they would think there were no rifts between us?" He wanted to appease the situation and shake hands, but Shangguan Ke was unwilling. The harm done could never be compensated.
"Is there any enmity between father and son that lasts overnight?" He didn't expect that even after humbling himself and trying to get closer, the other party was still unappreciative.
"Next time, my knife won't miss and will go straight for your heart, and you won't resent me, right? After all, is there any enmity between father and son that lasts overnight?" Shangguan Ke sneered. The other party was really flattering himself. When other fathers and sons had minor disputes, they wouldn't hold grudges. But between them, there was the life of his mother. Reconciliation was impossible in this lifetime.
Seeing that the other party seemed unwilling to say another word to him, Old Master Shangguan knew that his actions today had not moved him. Feeling a bit dejected, he got straight to the point. "Actually, I came to see you today mainly to ask for your cooperation, to ask you to tell your martial arts brothers to stop harassing the Shangguan family. In this period, which master of the Shangguan family hasn't been beaten? All the family's gold and silver treasures have been plundered. We can only rely on selling shops to make a living. Not only that, but in the dead of night, they often enter the women's chambers. If this gets out, where will their reputation be?"
"What does this have to do with me? We are small merchants and cannot afford to offend martial artists, nor have we asked martial artists to disturb you. I heard that martial artists are generally righteous. You must have done something insidious. Besides, your family is in trouble, and I can only be happy. How could I possibly help?" If these matters were concerned, it was impossible for Shangguan Ke to be unaware.
In fact, martial artists also sized up the situation. If his relationship with the Shangguan family wasn't so strained, and based on his martial arts skills, they would have hesitated before provoking him easily. But the problem was that everyone in the streets now knew that he and the Shangguan family were irreconcilably opposed. When they made their moves, they did so without hesitation, without causing any deaths or doing anything excessive.
If Old Master Shangguan knew what he was thinking, he would have scoffed. The fact that they entered the women's chambers and shaved their hair was already shocking enough.
When Old Master Shangguan heard this, he thought about it and it seemed to make sense. But no matter what, he was still a Shangguan. Was it right to be so gloating?
Seeing his shocked expression, Shangguan Ke felt immensely pleased. Neither he nor the original owner valued family so highly. Otherwise, he wouldn't have done such a thing. The ancient belief that family interests were paramount simply didn't apply to him.
After thinking for a moment, he continued, "Thank you, Old Master Shangguan, for the gossip. I can have a good chat with people now."
Old Master Shangguan watched the backs of the couple as they walked away and murmured to himself, "I knew he hated me very much, but I didn't expect his hatred to be so obvious, so direct."
Although he had prepared himself, Old Master Shangguan was still deeply affected at this moment, his back appearing ten years older.
Meanwhile, the Gao family was in chaos. The superior of Old Master Gao was about to be promoted, leaving a vacancy. He wanted to advance further and learned that his superior greatly admired calligraphy and painting, which he happened to have a few prized pieces.
"Old Master, you have Meng Ye's calligraphy and paintings? Those are treasures that are hard to come by even with a fortune," Official Liu said enviously.
"I am just a vulgar person and don't understand calligraphy and painting. Since Your Excellency likes them so much, I will find them at home and send them to your mansion immediately. Only when paintings find someone who understands them can they reach their final destination," Official Gao fawned.
Official Liu initially wanted to refuse, but he really liked them. He opened his mouth several times, but in the end, he couldn't utter the words of refusal. Everyone was shrewd enough to know what Official Gao implied. However, for him, he didn't have any suitable candidates anyway. If he truly gave the paintings to him, what harm was there in introducing him?
Official Gao returned home filled with joy. Having worked with Official Liu for so many years, he knew clearly that his lack of refusal meant tacit approval. Moreover, the other party was someone who would definitely do things for others after receiving a gift. This immediately boosted his confidence, making him believe that his promotion was just around the corner.
However, when he, along with his steward, opened the warehouse door and frantically searched for those paintings, turning the entire treasure trove upside down, he couldn't find them.
Could his treasures be gone? This was his warehouse. Who dared to cause trouble here?
As time passed, his expression grew darker and darker. He couldn't bear it any longer and shouted, "Stop searching! They were probably taken long ago. I want to see if my rewards were not generous enough, or if the other party's official rank is higher than mine, forcing you to betray me."
With that, he turned and walked into the courtyard first, slumping onto a stool, infuriated.
The others, with good sense, knelt at his feet. Seeing them all with their heads bowed and looking submissive, his lungs felt like they would explode. He couldn't help but raise his voice and demand, "Speak, who took my things?"