Chapter 65 Sell the House

"What? How dare you! How dare you torture me privately? I'm going to file a complaint with the emperor!"

Mr. Hu had never suffered such humiliation before, and he immediately started yelling and cursing.

Ning Guanzhou remained calm and said coldly, "Go ahead. The search warrant was issued by the emperor. If Hu Yunshen can't pay back the money he embezzled, your whole family may be exiled to Lingnan. What's more, this is just twenty lashes of the cane?"

"Take them away and beat them. I don't want to hear them quarreling. Shield their mouths."

"You...Mmmmm!" Master Hu and the others wanted to say something, but the guards were quick to stuff a piece of sackcloth into their mouths.

Only Hu Lan struggled very hard.

She looked terrified: "I, I can't be beaten, otherwise I, I..."

"What's wrong with you?" Ning Guanzhou stared at him coldly.

Hu Lan was so anxious that her face turned red, but she didn't dare to say it out loud.

Ning Guanzhou doesn't have that much patience to waste with her.

"Can't tell? Then drag him away and punish him with a stick."

"No, no!" Hu Lan started to cry, but suddenly she became so angry that she dry-heaved twice, rolled her eyes and fainted.

The guards were stunned: "Sir, what should we do?"

Ning Guanzhou said in a cold tone: "Drag him away first, lock him up in a room, and have someone keep a close eye on him."

"yes."

That night, Youyou was lying on the roof, listening to the wailing sounds of the Hu family as they were being beaten.

It wagged its tail proudly and said, "It's what you deserve! Twenty strokes of the cane are too light. You should have expected this consequence for bullying Princess Mianmian so much."

After being beaten, Mrs. Hu cried so hard that she fainted. Mr. Hu kept cursing at her, but he was frightened by Ning Guanzhou and did not dare to grumble in front of him.

Fortunately, after Ning Guanzhou tortured them, he did not detain them anymore, but let them go back to their rooms.

Grandma Gao was beaten badly herself, but for Master Hu, she staggered and followed him back.

Because Rong'er and Liang Ruosheng were young, they did not receive twenty strokes of the board, but they were slapped twice in the face.

At this moment, Rong'er was crying loudly in Liang Yunyan's arms.

He kept shouting that he wanted to kill the people who beat him.

Liang Yunyan was afraid that Ning Guanzhou would get angry, so she quickly covered the child's mouth.

Before leaving, Ning Guanzhou said coldly, "Until you pay back the money you embezzled, I will send someone to follow you closely. Be prepared early, otherwise what awaits you next time will not be as simple as twenty lashes."

Liang Yunyan regretted deeply after hearing this.

She shouldn't have come to live in the Hu Mansion at all, but should have let Hu Yunshen buy a house outside.

This way, she wouldn't be implicated so badly!

Liang Ruosheng stared at Ning Guanzhou suspiciously: "Master Prime Minister, we were all beaten, but why didn't we see the eldest lady? Could it be that she has more privileges than us?"

Ning Guanzhou looked at her coldly and said, "Madam has fainted from the pain. Do you want to try that feeling too?"

Upon hearing this, Liang Ruosheng's face suddenly turned pale, and she shook her head repeatedly: "No, no, no, that's not what I meant, I was just talking too much... Mom, let's go."

She dragged Liang Yunyan and Rong'er away quickly.

Others may not know this Ning Guanzhou, but Liang Ruosheng has heard of his reputation.

He is an out-and-out "King of Hell"! Extremely cold and merciless.

Chen Qingyin didn't even show up, so her fate must be worse than theirs.

After everyone in the Hu family returned to their rooms.

Ning Guanzhou pushed open the door of the side hall again.

At this time, Hu Mianmian had fallen asleep in Chen Qingyin's arms.

Chen Qingyin raised her eyes and looked at Ning Guanzhou: "Sir, have you found out everything?"

Ning Guanzhou lowered his eyes, and considering that Hu Mianmian was still sleeping, he deliberately lowered his voice, and his tone showed a bit of tenderness.

"No matter how this matter is investigated, Hu Yunshen will inevitably be impeached and demoted. You should prepare early."

As he turned to leave, he remembered something and said, "Don't let anyone see me when you go back. I beat them each with 20 sticks to vent my anger for you. But I know that compared with the grievances you have suffered in their family over the years, it is nothing."

"I left a guard for you. His name is Feng Wu. He is one of my own. You can use him if you need anything. If you want to see me, ask him to bring you here."

Chen Qingyin was stunned. Before she could say anything, Ning Guanzhou had already lifted his robe and left.

In the vast starry night, only the sound of wind and the cold moon remain.

The sharp scent of pine from his body seemed to still be floating in the air.

After a while, Chen Qingyin pursed her lips and whispered unnaturally: "Who wants to see you."

*

After this night, the Hu Mansion seemed to be covered by a thick layer of dark clouds.

The news of Hu Yunshen's arrest quickly spread throughout the capital.

Even the Minister of Works, Lord Du, was arrested because of this. It was said that the Emperor was furious and insisted on getting to the bottom of the matter.

For five or six consecutive days, the Hu family tried to use their connections everywhere, but was always turned down.

Everyone knew that the Hu family was in big trouble, and it was too late to avoid it, let alone help?

Mrs. Hu wanted to force Chen Qingyin to go back to the Chen Mansion for help.

Chen Qingyin simply claimed to be sick and stayed indoors.

The life and death of the Hu family has nothing to do with her.

But Mrs. Hu was so angry that she was half dead. The wound on her buttocks had not healed yet, and when she was angry she smashed things, which affected the wound and tore it again.

Ten days passed.

The court finally settled the matter.

The Minister of Works, Mr. Du, is suspected of corruption and bribery, the most serious crime.

Because of Hu Yunshen's military achievements, the emperor gave him a chance.

He was given three days to return all the embezzled silver to the court, and then he was demoted to a seventh-rank city gate guard, only then was his crime forgiven.

However, to make up for the 40,000 taels spent by Hu Yunshen within three days was simply a fantasy.

Mr. Hu, despite his aching body, gathered everyone together to discuss countermeasures.

Chen Qingyin did not come, saying that she was seriously ill, and arranged for Linlang to come as an observer.

Inside the hall, the Hu family members looked worried and remained silent.

Finally, it was Master Hu who spoke directly: "Every courtyard should take out all the silver that they have, and all the valuables that should be taken out."

Old Madam Hu's eyes were almost rolled up to the sky.

"Where are the things left? Last time, that Prime Minister Ning came and took away everything that should be taken away like a swarm of locusts. Where are the valuables left?"

Liang Yunyan couldn't help but say, "There should be something in the Madam's private vault, right?"

The Hu family's eyes lit up, as if they smelled meat.

Linlang said calmly, "Where does our Madam have any more money? I can open my private vault and show you all the things that Madam has used to support this or that over the years. There is not much left."

Master Hu angrily scolded: "You maid, don't you know how to say a few nice words? Qingyin sent you here just to make trouble for us?"

Linlang was not afraid at all, and just said, "Of course the eldest lady arranged for me to come up with ideas. The lady said that the current plan is to pawn all the shops and properties of the Hu family, as well as this house."

"What! Selling the house?"