Transmigration: Space-Aided Rise to Power and Prosperity-Chapter 372 - 208 Heavy Profit Exploitation

Indeed, the Yang Clan Leader agreed. Yang’s opposition was ineffective, and eventually, under the threat of silver, he could only compromise.

Gu Chengyu’s request was to take advantage of the crowd outside the ancestral hall and have the Yang Clan Leader explain the matter. Having received silver, one must pay some price, right?

Once the affairs were settled, Gu Chengyu brought Ming Mo to the entrance of the ancestral hall.

But as soon as the door of the ancestral hall opened, Gu Chengyu saw a stout figure rush inside.

"Gu Chengyi, Wang Yue, you adulterous couple..."

No need to look; Gu Chengyu knew it was the He storming inside. 𝚏𝕣𝐞𝗲𝐰𝕖𝐛𝐧𝕠𝕧𝚎𝚕.𝐜𝚘𝗺

Uncle Gu saw it too and was frightened. He, facing Wang Yue, slapped her face back and forth, which was already swollen, further exacerbating the injuries, making it unbearable to look at.

"What’s gotten into her? Someone quickly pull her away!"

At this moment, Gu Chengyi’s hands and feet were still bound. As He struck Wang Yue, she didn’t forget to scratch Gu Chengyi a few times, causing him to howl in pain, urging someone to quickly pull He away.

Although Wang Yue’s hands and feet were unbound, she hadn’t eaten all morning, coupled with the earlier fuss, how could she stand against He?

Since the family split, in the past few years, He’s physique had grown sturdier by the year. Beating Wang Yue was a piece of cake.

"Oh dear! It’s outrageous, barging into the ancestral hall! Quickly pull her out."

Uncle Gu was deeply troubled by the chaos in the ancestral hall, shouting at several clan members inside.

The clan members outside hurriedly went in to pull them apart, while the villagers outside the ancestral hall, eager for drama, stayed by the wall, unwilling to leave.

Gu Chengyu shook his head, glanced back, thinking how chaotic it was inside.

Gu Chengyu took Ming Mo and the others out of the ancestral hall, heading towards the Gu Family’s courtyard to draft the clan rules.

"Mother! I’m back!" Gu Chengyu entered the courtyard and called towards the main house.

"Xiao Bao! Why hasn’t Father returned?" Gu Wan squeezed a handkerchief and came out from the main house.

"They haven’t settled things yet. I had nothing to do, so I came back first."

Gu Chengyu had a meal with Mrs. Lv and the others in the main house, then returned to his own room.

It took him the entire afternoon to draft the clan rules, and upon careful inspection, he figured no further additions or removals were needed, ready to send the handwritten copy to Uncle Gu.

Suddenly, there was another commotion outside.

"Master! The people from the Yang Family are here." Ming Yan entered the room, reporting to Gu Chengyu.

"What’s going on? Haven’t they received the silver yet?"

Gu Chengyu calculated the hour, thinking this matter should have been resolved long ago. Why had it become stalemated again?

"The little one just went to inquire; they said your second brother can’t produce the two thousand taels of silver."

Ming Yan, being clever and fond of inquiry, of course, had already gathered the information.

"How’s that possible? The second house has saved quite a bit of silver over the years, hasn’t it? Why can’t he bring out two thousand taels?"

Gu Chengyu was somewhat perplexed; his second brother wouldn’t be willing to hand over the silver to He, surely he was keeping it himself.

He managed his household carefully; how could he possibly have no silver?

"Gu Chengyi, you scoundrel, let me go, ouch! Ouch! It hurts so much."

"Still yelling, quickly gag her again."

The noise in the courtyard was immense, seeming like many people had entered. Gu Chengyu frowned, walked to the window, and looked out into the courtyard.

"Your second sister-in-law stole the silver from their room and took it back to her family to lend with high interest."

Ming Yan sensed that this matter was severe and had to inform the master.

"What? My second sister-in-law is quite bold."

Gu Chengyu was extremely angry, letting out a cold snort. Since the establishment of the Dayan Dynasty, lending with high interest has been a grave crime.

Officials lending silver money was called usurpation and exploitation, strictly forbidden by the court, and once investigated and confirmed, they were to be dismissed and prosecuted.

For those with substantial gains, exile was also a possibility.

In the townships, it was, of course, explicitly prohibited. Some people, for the sake of high profits, would risk it regardless.

The Gu Family now held a reputation; if reported to the government, even if it wasn’t him personally lending, it was inevitable that he wouldn’t be implicated.

Gu Chengyi had already separated from the Gu Family, becoming a branch of the Gu Family, but ultimately had not stepped outside the family’s jurisdiction. Negligence in supervision surely couldn’t escape.

Ming Mo hurried into the room, "Master! The Clan Leader requests you to come to the front courtyard."

"Do the villagers know?" Gu Chengyu knew it was surely about this matter, but he needed to plan thoroughly.

Ming Mo noticed Gu Chengyu’s solemn expression and quickly shook his head, saying, "The villagers outside probably don’t know yet, only the Yang Family surely knows."

This was told to him by the Gu Clan Leader. Gu Chengyi let the Yang Family people follow him back to get silver but saw He’s originally arrogant face turn pale, with an uneasy expression.

Gu Chengyi, being He’s bedfellow, couldn’t possibly not understand her disposition, quickly thinking there was an issue with the silver.

Upon inquiry, He became more flustered. After repeated questioning, it was discovered that the household silver had been stolen by He and lent out with high interest.

"Upon hearing this, the Clan Leader quickly gagged He and brought her back to our courtyard. Now the courtyard gate is closed, only a few people from the Yang Family know."

Uncle Gu handled this matter swiftly; the rise and fall of a clan were at stake, and he couldn’t afford not to give it due weight.

Gu Chengyu quickly left the room, and Uncle Gu came to greet him.

"The villagers don’t know, right?" Gu Chengyi’s sharp gaze swept over the few Yang Family members in the courtyard, then looked at the bound He.

Gu Chengyi had been unbound, even Wang Yue had been brought into the courtyard.

"No, after questioning her in the ancestral hall, she was bound. People outside don’t know, only these few Yang Family members..."

Uncle Gu was somewhat troubled by all this, it really was one wave after another.

"Explain this matter from beginning to end." Gu Chengyu thought of how He always liked returning to her family; yet her mother had little genuine affection for her, why did He insist on going repeatedly?

A woman, where did she come into contact with high-interest loans? How could Gu Chengyi place the silver note with He?

Gu Chengyu thought of He’s elder brother, that lazy and greedy man who loved to associate with shady friends, thinking perhaps it was him who set things up.

The Yang Clan Leader and the others perked up their ears, eager to hear the whole story.

"Specifically, I haven’t asked yet; there were many people in the ancestral hall, so the Clan Leader brought her back for questioning. I only heard what the second master said, the second madam probably secretly took the household silver and lent it with high interest."

Ming Mo had just come from Uncle Gu, hence he had heard some of it.

"So, my second brother wasn’t aware beforehand?" Gu Chengyu was somewhat suspicious; with his second brother’s shrewd nature, how could he allow He to steal the silver?

"According to the second master, he seemed to have intervened in this matter earlier, but later withdrew. I only heard these few sentences, his words conveyed this.

Gu Chengyu pondered for a while, feeling that regardless of how the silver and the matter of He’s acquisition of it were handled, those Yang Family members had to be resolved first.

"You and Ming Yan go search the second house, see how much silver you can find. If not enough, have Gu Chengyi write an IOU, and send those Yang Family members away first. No matter what method, make sure they keep their mouths shut. If necessary, show them a bit of force."