Liu Yuanwai, starting from scratch, had worked for decades to accumulate a mountain and countless fertile fields, making him a top figure in their village.
To have his son lose one-third of his fortune in one go made him consider killing his own child.
However, he did not yet have a grandson.
The Liu family's lineage had to continue. The fields could absolutely not be sold; only the mountain could be sold with a heavy heart.
Seeing her hesitate, Wang Shoucheng said, "Princess, he is in urgent need of money. We can still haggle over the price, perhaps by offering a bit more than other buyers."
Lu Nianfu shook her head, "No need. Two thousand taels is already a low price. For a partner we've collaborated with before, there's no need to be too harsh."
"Then what is the Princess hesitating about?"
"I just feel that the peach grove is a bit too small. Are the hillsides next to it for sale?"
"I've already inquired. Adjacent to the peach grove is a small villa with a small plum garden inside, but that is the private property of Minister Cheng from the Ministry of Personnel."
Officials, unless they fall from power, rarely sell their assets. Moreover, Minister Cheng's animosity with the Third Young Master Cheng has been long-standing. If others wanted to buy it, they might be able to find an intermediary to broker a deal. But for their own master, it was better to forget it.
Upon hearing that the mountain belonged to Cheng Jinghao, Lu Nianfu decisively abandoned the idea. "Let's buy the peach grove first."
Lu Nianfu did not quibble over the price with Liu Yuanwai. After both parties completed the handover at the yamen with the mountain deed, Wang Shoucheng delivered the money to Liu Yuanwai. A couple of days later, Qingya shared some gossip about the Liu family with Lu Nianfu.
Liu Yuanwai started from scratch, having done all sorts of dirty and arduous work in his youth. Having seen many who lost their fortunes to gambling, he knew that once one got hooked on gambling, it was impossible to quit easily.
Therefore, even though his son had kowtowed to him and sworn never to gamble again, he did not soften his heart. He directly placed his son under house arrest. Young Master Liu was sixteen this year. Liu Yuanwai had originally intended for him to pursue official studies and feared that women would distract him, so he had never let him marry.
Now that he had fallen into gambling, Liu Yuanwai didn't even let him attend school. He directly bought him two concubines, vowing to release him only when he left an heir for the Liu family.
As for what would happen if he gambled again after leaving an heir, Liu Yuanwai stated that if his son was ruined, he would raise his grandson. It was better than his hard-earned money being squandered by his son at the gambling tables.
Lu Nianfu pondered for a moment, "Liu Yuanwai is indeed a ruthless man. No wonder he has made so much money."
Qingya said, "I'm afraid he may not live long enough to raise a grandson. His age is a factor. Doing this is probably just to scare his son. However, my husband said that Young Master Liu losing twenty thousand taels in one go most likely means he encountered a honey trap."
"Which academy does Young Master Liu study at?"
"This servant does not know."
Lu Nianfu hesitated, "Do you think children in the Imperial College might also gather to gamble?"
Qingya suddenly realized, "Is the Princess worried about Young Master Lu? Don't worry, the Imperial College is the foremost official academy. They place great importance on the character of their students. Moreover, everyone in the Imperial College is either wealthy or noble. Even a honey trap would not dare to target students of the Imperial College."
Lu Nianfu still felt uneasy, "The day after tomorrow is a holiday. Bring him to the manor."
She needed to have a good talk with Lu Fei.
He was destined to carry the Lu family's legacy in the future. If he were easily led astray, whom would she cry to?
Qingya naturally agreed.
On the day Lu Fei arrived at the manor, a dispatch reporting a great victory from the northern frontier arrived in the capital via an urgent rider.
Emperor Changwu first saw the secret memorial from the secret guards, which detailed Situ Yan's skillful plan to lure the enemy and his achievements. The Emperor was so delighted that he exclaimed, "He truly is my son!"
As if the Crown Prince and Prince Ning were illegitimate children.
Soon, a soldier shouting "Great Victory in the Northern Frontier" also jogged into the palace. Emperor Changwu was already racking his brains for how to reward Situ Yan, only to open the official memorial and find no mention of Xiao Qi.
This was illogical.
After comparing the secret and official memorials for a while, Emperor Changwu finally understood. It seemed Situ Yan was afraid of being too prominent.
Emperor Changwu pondered for a long time. Xiao Qi's military achievements were indeed already eye-catching. At this time, taking credit for the northern frontier victory would not be beneficial. While there was no room for further commendation, it could easily arouse the suspicion of the Crown Prince and the Fifth Prince. Why bother?
"When a tree stands out in the forest, the wind will destroy it."
Since Xiao Qi intended to conceal some of his brilliance, he naturally would not force him into the limelight.
He would keep this reward in mind for now.