Old Master Guan dared to speak such words because he was very confident in his accounting skills. However, not long after, he regretted his hasty decision today. The reason was that Guan Tianyi actually brought hundreds of account books to his bedroom and painstakingly went through them with him.
The speed at which he reviewed the accounts also made Old Master Guan secretly astonished. He watched as Guan Tianyi flipped through the account books with a rustle, clearly stating the accounts, and pinpointing the problems. At this moment, Old Master Guan was not just astonished but also regretful. Such a clever grandson had wasted so many years. For the first time, he somewhat blamed his cousin.
Watching him flip through book after book and meticulously record each entry, Guan Tianyi stood up after an hour, stretched his back, and looked at his grandfather. "It seems we have a nest of rats in our house." Su Dan Novel Network
Old Master Guan, weakened by illness, reacted a beat slower. After a while, he came to his senses. "What are you talking about? No matter what, they are still your elders."
"Does a concubine deserve to be my elder? But speaking of which, they have pocketed two hundred thousand taels of silver in the last ten years. If they don't return it, I'll have to seek the Prefect's judgment," Guan Tianyi said meaningfully.
"As the saying goes, it's best not to air dirty laundry. How can we trouble outsiders with the Guan family's affairs? Besides, we are all family, and we can discuss matters. Old Master Guan strongly disagreed with his statement. He knew that according to the rules, the Guan mansion would eventually be handed over to the eldest son. However, he felt sorry for his cousin and wanted them to gain more wealth while he was alive to fill their own pockets.
"Alright, if you divide the family, and all the family property belongs to us from now on, then I won't pursue the two hundred thousand taels of silver," Guan Tianyi stated his demand directly.
"I'm not dead yet, and you want to divide the family property? Do you even have me in your eyes?" Old Master Guan originally wanted to say something harsh, but he was afraid of angering him and still wanted to negotiate with him to see if he could get the antidote from him.
"Fine, if he doesn't return the two hundred thousand taels of silver within three days, I will go to the yamen and beat the drum," Guan Tianyi said nonchalantly, as he was not the one in a hurry anyway.
Old Master Guan knew that much of the silver his cousin had siphoned from the mansion had been sent back to her maternal family. He had turned a blind eye to this. Now, it was impossible for them to produce such a large sum of money. He secretly resented that this boy was not giving him any face.
The anger he had suppressed for a long time could no longer be contained. He roared, "I am the one who makes the decisions in this household. Stay if you want, leave if you don't, and never come back. If you provoke me again, I will expel you from the clan."
"You're the one telling me to leave. Don't regret it. Don't try to scare me with expulsion. I know you won't bear to. Besides, if you really expel us, we'll just start a new clan register in the south." Guan Tianyi knew he was just bluffing. The Guan mansion was declining with each generation. The sons and grandsons of the old concubine were spoiled beyond measure, none of them were outstanding. If his father were not an official, they would be no different from ordinary commoners.
"You... you... you're really making me angry to death." Old Master Guan pointed at him with a trembling finger, feeling that calling him back had been a complete mistake.
The next day, Guan Tianyi packed his luggage and returned to his mansion. He hadn't seen his wife in a long time and missed her dearly. He didn't want to stay there for another moment. Of course, before leaving, he had also withdrawn a considerable sum of money from the accountant's office. Although he wasn't short of wealth, he just wanted to make them feel the pinch.
After Guan Tianyi left, Old Master Guan felt regretful. He had merely spoken casually, never expecting the boy to be so headstrong and leave directly. He wanted to send someone to chase after him but knew it was impossible to catch up, so he gave up.
On the very day Guan Tianyi returned, he went to propose marriage. He couldn't wait another moment.
The Prefect symbolically sent a letter to the capital. Regardless of their agreement, the Guan family was determined to marry this daughter-in-law.
Wu Caiwei married the Prefect's son in grand fashion amidst the envious gazes of all the women. For many years afterward, when she was mentioned, people still spoke of her good fortune.
Less than two years later, Guan Tianyi, due to his outstanding appearance, was personally bestowed the title of *Tanhua* by the Emperor.
He made an unprecedented request to be assigned to a local post. Everyone thought he had gone mad, but only he knew that he didn't care about the rank of his official position. He took the imperial examination merely to ensure his wife and children would be respected when they traveled and to protect his property.
When Old Master Guan heard this, he wrung his hands in despair. Had he known this branch would be so successful, he should have cultivated them properly, making them an aid to his other children instead of an enemy.
When the old concubine heard the news, she spat out a mouthful of blood. After a lifetime of struggle, she had completely lost at this moment.
Tormented by illness, her foundation had been damaged. Now, with her emotions in turmoil and no will to live, she passed away not long after.
Old Master Guan lived a few more years. Fearing that the Guan mansion would decline after his death, he repeatedly sent letters to his son and grandsons. However, they all found excuses to refuse and stubbornly refused to return to the capital. He never saw anyone from the main branch again until his death.
After his death, the eldest branch of the Guan family returned to the capital in haste for the funeral. Forty-nine days later, the family property was divided. They originally intended to cause trouble, but unfortunately, Guan Tianyi had too much evidence of their misappropriation of public funds, so they were shamefully swept out of the door.
Thereafter, the couple worked in harmony, doing many good deeds, and governing their jurisdiction in a prosperous and thriving manner.
After leaving this world, the golden light in the bottle grew a little longer. Wu Caiwei had a premonition that perhaps when the bottle was full, she would be able to see her father.
The next time she regained consciousness, she found herself in a reception room. A man and a woman sat at the head of the table, appearing to be the owners of the residence. To their right sat a woman, looking at her with a mixture of jealousy and complexity.
Seeing her dazed expression, the woman on the right couldn't hold back first. "Shiyun, what do you think about what we just told you?"
"I don't feel well today and don't want to discuss this topic. Let's talk about it next time." Wu Caiwei hadn't figured out the situation yet and dared not agree rashly.
"Are you trying to go back on your word? Don't forget, the good life you have today is all thanks to me. If you push me too far, do you believe I'll go to your Zhou family and expose your true identity?" Hong Lingxiang, seeing her prevaricate, thought she didn't want to agree and threatened her indignantly.
"This matter is too sudden. You need to give me some time to adjust." Wu Caiwei tried to stall as much as possible, not wanting to fall out with the other party yet.
"Whether you agree today or not, you have to agree..."
"That's enough." Madam Hong, seeing that things were about to get out of control, quickly interrupted her daughter.
"She has just become a widow, and her emotions are a bit volatile. Please forgive her. Of course, you should also seriously consider what we told you, as your true identity is known to us all." Madam Hong, although somewhat annoyed by her lack of appreciation, did not want to fall out with her completely.