met free Chapter 104 Heartbroken
Chapter 104 Heartbroken
Xie Yin sat down and saw Su Yanshu's discontented look. He smiled contemptuously and said, "Su Langjian has been unable to find anyone these days, so I had no choice but to come to him myself."
He took a sip of tea, a lazy expression on his face. "Not long ago, our company had the honor of having a pleasant conversation with Supervisor Su Lang, but how come it wasn't long before we were just passing by."
Su Yanshu smiled dryly, his eyelids feeling heavy. "Thank you, Chief, for your kind words. My father is often bedridden. Now in his sixties, I want to resign and return home to be with him." He quickly changed the subject. "What can I do for you, Chief?"
Xie Yin lowered his eyes, brushed off his clothes and said, "That's good. I thought Su Langjian was going to cross the river and destroy the bridge."
Su Yanshu's face froze, and he lowered his eyes without responding.
"But I heard that Master Su was fine not long ago. How come he's sick again these days? What happened?"
Su Yanshu's smile faded. This fellow truly lacked empathy. He must have known about Wan'er's departure from the Su residence for a long time and had come to make fun of her. Wan'er, Wan'er, you're still too shortsighted to actually entrust the Su family to this man.
Su Yanshu said gravely, "When people get old, they really can't stand any stimulation. I also hope that they can spend their old age in peace. But, Chief Xie, you didn't come here to chat today, did you?"
Xie Yin seemed to have just remembered something and continued, "The Princess of Jiahe suggested that Your Majesty build housing for the refugees. She even offered to donate money and materials. Seeing this, the officials in the capital followed suit and took credit for it. Your Majesty, mindful of the Princess's intelligence and philanthropy, has asked me to take her to the outskirts of the city to see the school being built. If the Princess has any suggestions, she can share them."
Su Yanshu's eyes flashed. He didn't expect that Su Wan's action actually gave him a push.
"Are you going today?"
"Yes, we have to set off now." Xie Yin looked at Su Yanshu with a smile.
Su Yanshu immediately called a servant to find Su Wan.
"What? The county lady isn't here?"
Su Yanshu looked up at Xie Yin and smiled faintly, "Sir Xie, you have more than one purpose for coming here today, right?"
"Oh, I also want to visit Master Su."
Su Yanshu frowned, "Master Xie, if you have something to say, just tell me. Why bother him?"
Xie Yin raised his eyebrows, "Then is Su Langjian willing to listen?"
Su Yanshu lowered his head, unwilling to answer. Xie Yin spoke with satisfaction, "The Liu family is now rampant, causing great trouble to His Majesty. This department would like to help His Majesty resolve this problem, and we hope that Su Langjian can help."
Su Yanshu was surprised. As the Minister of Revenue, Liu Wei was clearly a tool for His Majesty to amass wealth. His Majesty hadn't touched him because, firstly, Liu Wei was still somewhat useful, and secondly, if he truly confiscated his property, he was afraid he would find something unfavorable to His Majesty. Therefore, His Majesty couldn't touch the Liu family for the time being.
Su Yanshu's lips curled slightly, "Is Chief Xie using His Majesty as a cover?"
"When did I ever say this was His Majesty's order?" Xie Yin said calmly, "I'm not one to seek repayment for a favor, and I certainly wouldn't do that to the County Lady's family. Su Langjian is so smart, I wonder if he can figure out the reason?"
At the mention of Su Wan, Su Yanshu felt angry. His expression immediately changed and he said, "Thank you, Chief Sir. Since you are talking about Wan'er, as the elder of the Su family, I have to express my attitude. Wan'er is young and a woman. Even though she has read a lot, she is still a person in the harem. She cannot see the turbulent situation in the court, let alone the sinister people.
If she has offended Chief Xie, I will make amends on her behalf. I hope Chief Xie will not take it to heart."
"What should we do if we are serious about this?" The cold voice made Su Yanshu's eyelids twitch.
"There are many issues between our company and Madam Su, and Madam Su has even included the Su family in her schemes. How do you think we should sort this out? Or do you want to draw a clear line between you and our company?" Xie Yin looked at the person opposite him with a gloomy look.
Su Yanshu quickly stood up and said, "Thank you, Chief. My Su family never gets involved in these disputes. Wan'er lost her composure after marrying into the Zheng family, and her family didn't know what she was going through, so we took this unconventional approach. Thank you, Chief..."
"So, Su Langjian knows that Madam Su has suffered a lot, and also understands that you have never truly cared about her?"
Su Yanshu was speechless for a moment, staring at Xie Yin in amazement. Xie Yin's face was stern. "You have no idea what she's been through, but I know it all. Half a year ago, she learned that the Zheng family was planning a surprise attack on Taohua Valley, and she disguised herself as a night watchman after curfew to report the incident. On her way back, she was nearly killed by me as a spy."
Su Yanshu's eyes widened as Xie Yin continued, "After returning to the Zheng family, the Zheng family made things difficult for her, constantly wary of her, and schemed against her in every way. That shameless man even forced himself on her. She only had herself to rely on."
During her time at the Zheng family, she walked on thin ice, each step arduous. She had to carefully navigate the Zheng family's hostility every day, with no one to confide in her fear and pain, sometimes even to a cat. She endured all this hardship alone, silently enduring the unbearable experiences.
But she felt relieved when she thought of her family. However, she understood the difficult situation the Su family faced, so she had no choice but to cooperate with me, a murderous demon. Do you think she wasn't afraid? Of course she was. But her father had fled to the desolate mountains and wilderness, like a savage.
Her father and brother were only concerned with their own happiness, and the Su family, who knew the dangers of the capital, did not understand her. So, she cooperated with me with caution and timidity.
What Xie Yin didn't say was that Su Wan had initially been trying to flatter him. Did he blame himself? The answer was definitely yes. He knew he had no right to lecture Su Yanshu on Su Wan's behalf, but when he heard Su Yanshu suppressing Su Wan and brushing off her painstaking planning with a single sentence, he couldn't tolerate it any longer.
"If it weren't for her, do you think the Su family would be as safe and sound as it is today? Do you, Su Yanshu, still have the chance to stand here and argue with this company today?"
Xie Yin stared straight at Su Yanshu opposite him, his narrow and long phoenix eyes frosted with frost.
Su Yanshu on the opposite side just stood there in a daze. In his heart, he still disagreed with Su Wan's approach, but he could not refute Xie Yin's rebuke.
If the Zheng family had not been stripped of their titles, the Su family might have become a stepping stone for the Zheng and Yu families.
Su Yanshu lowered his eyes with mixed feelings. Thinking of what Xie Yin had mentioned about Su Wan's experience, he could not hide his guilt.
"Home, the county lady is back." The servant reported.
Su Yanshu raised his hand and Su Wan walked in. Xie Yin smiled as she walked in. But when she noticed the strange atmosphere, she felt a little nervous. Didn't they reach an agreement after all?
Just now, Zheng Yanchen was surrounded on the street, and Su Wan's men had spread the news to Liu Yurong. Liu Yurong, pregnant, apologized in the carriage and took Zheng Yanchen back home, and the matter was finally over. Just as Su Wan was about to go home with Fang Jinyue, she encountered a servant from the Su family and explained Xie Yin's intentions.
Su Wan bowed her head and saluted the two of them. When she looked up, she saw that Su Yanshu's eyes were no longer as cold as before when he looked at her.
"The county lady has arrived at just the right time. I think you already know why I'm here. Please follow me to the imperial farm."
Su Wan looked at Su Yanshu and saw him nod. "Go, and come back soon."
Su Wan got on the carriage in confusion.
When they reached the outskirts of the city, Su Wan opened the curtains, looked at Xie Yin, and asked, "What did Chief Xie say to my uncle?"