My low-key cultivation of immortality was discovered by the emperor in my diary.

Chapter 32 Gold Causes Trouble, Coveting the "Inheritance"

"What?! Five hundred taels of gold?!"

Upon hearing the news at the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, Madam Song nearly jumped up from her chair.

Five hundred taels of gold is equivalent to five thousand taels of silver!

Even for the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion, this was a considerable expense.

When Madam Song heard that Chu Lengyu had bought a manor outside the city, she didn't think much of it, assuming it would only cost her a few hundred taels at most. She never imagined Chu Lengyu would be so wealthy, spending five hundred taels of gold to buy a garden.

The maidservant leaned closer and said, "Madam, this is absolutely true. The Xie family received a lot of gold bars from the eldest young lady and secretly went to a gold shop to have them appraised. This news came from the gold shop."

"This...this is impossible," Madam Song muttered to herself. "Where did she get so much gold?"

The maid guessed, "Madam, could this be the dowry that the master is preparing for the eldest young lady?"

Upon hearing this, a smug look flashed in Madam Song's eyes. She smiled contemptuously and said, "Master did prepare a substantial dowry for her, but I already pocketed it."

When Chu Hanchen passed away, Chu Lengyu was just a twelve-year-old girl, still young and innocent.

Taking advantage of the situation, Song gained her trust and not only obtained the warehouse key but also accepted Chu Lengyu's dowry.

Although in name, Song was holding Chu Lengyu's dowry in trust, once those bank notes, shop deeds, jewelry, and jade items entered Song's hands, they were like clay oxen sinking into the sea, never to be returned.

Song also planned to incorporate this dowry into Chu Wen'er's share, so that her daughter could have a grand wedding in the future.

However, the dilapidated state of Xuanzhen Temple, with its few large and small staff, didn't seem like it could produce five hundred taels of gold so easily.

After pondering for a long time, Song still couldn't figure out who would secretly help Chu Lengyu.

A hint of anxiety flashed across Song's face. Unable to bear the doubts in her heart any longer, she decided to investigate the matter herself.

She stood up, quickly tidied her makeup, and rushed out.

at the same time.

Chu Wenchen also received the same information from his trusted subordinates.

They were astonished by the figure of five hundred taels of gold.

His trusted guard stood respectfully to one side, explaining the origins and value of the manor to him.

"My lord, I have investigated and found out that the Xie family spent a lot of money to acquire that piece of land outside the city. Moreover, this manor has been under construction for several years, with careful preparation and an investment of at least several thousand taels of silver. They only moved in last year."

The Xie family has suffered a series of misfortunes in recent months, forcing them to reluctantly part with their possession. Five hundred taels of gold, while sounding astonishing, is actually a bargain.

Chu Wenchen nodded, indicating that he understood.

Actually, that garden is absolutely worth the price.

Land in the capital is incredibly valuable; even an inch of land is worth as much as gold.

A decent mansion can cost thousands of taels of silver, and many cost tens of thousands.

The only thing that puzzled him was where Chu Lengyu got this huge sum of money from.

Just then, Mrs. Song arrived.

The couple discussed the issue together.

Madam Song said, "Before coming here, I checked our manor's storerooms and accounts and found no problems."

This rules out the possibility that Chu Lengyu stole property from the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion to buy a house.

In fact, given the strict surveillance Song family placed on her, Chu Lengyu probably didn't even know where the storeroom was.

After a moment's thought, Chu Wenchen said, "Then it can only be the inheritance left to her by my elder brother."

He thought he had thoroughly investigated these matters before and after taking over the Zhenguo Duke's Mansion, but he never expected there to be such a huge oversight.

Madam Song was furious and said through gritted teeth, "What do you mean by elder brother's inheritance? That is clearly the property of our Duke Zhenguo's mansion! After elder brother passed away, he left everything to us."

I never expected that Chu Lengyu, that girl who usually pretends to be honest and unassuming, would actually dare to secretly hoard so much money. It's outrageous!

We kindly provided her with food and clothing, and yet she did this! No wonder she dared to run away secretly; it turns out she had money and felt more emboldened!

Her voice was sharp and piercing.

Then, Madam Song said in a painstaking tone, "Master, who knows how much gold and silver she still has? We can't let her continue to squander it outside. Just buying a garden cost her five hundred taels of gold. If she continues to spend so extravagantly, even the largest family fortune won't be enough to support her wasteful spending!"

The thought of Chu Lengyu casually spending five hundred taels of gold made Song's eyes redden.

Chu Wenchen usually spends money on bribing officials and entertaining guests, so he naturally feels that the more gold and silver he has, the better.

So he nodded and said, “She is so young, how could she know how to manage a household, let alone be frugal? The property left by my elder brother should be properly kept by us.”

Song was overjoyed, knowing that he was thinking the same thing as her.

A slight smile played on her lips, a calculating glint in her eyes. She immediately said, “What you say is absolutely right, sir. I will send someone to fetch her and bring her back to make this matter clear. If she cannot produce the five hundred taels of gold, she will not be allowed to step out of the gates of the Duke of Zhenguo’s mansion today.”

"Wait a minute." Chu Wenchen called out to her, "Don't you know her temper? She's just like your elder brother. If you send someone to summon her to the manor, she definitely won't listen."

Mrs. Song exclaimed "Ah!" and said, "Then...do we have to go find her?"

Although she felt it was somewhat inconvenient, the thought of the five hundred taels of gold convinced her, and she hurriedly said, "That's not impossible. Master, let's go quickly."

Just thinking about the large sum of gold and silver she would soon receive made Song's face light up with a smile; her greed made her not want to wait a moment longer.

Chu Wenchen instructed his subordinates, "Prepare the carriage. Also, select a few guards to come with us out of the city."

Upon hearing this, his subordinates dared not delay in the slightest and immediately went to make preparations.

Chu Wenchen then turned to Madam Song and said, "We haven't seen her take out any money in the past few years, so the things my elder brother left for her must not be in the mansion, but hidden outside. Maybe they're hidden in Xuanzhen Temple, or somewhere else. Even if she refuses to hand them over, don't worry. We'll send a few people to keep an eye on things day and night, and we'll definitely find them."

Upon hearing this, Madam Song's smile widened even more, and she flattered, "Master is indeed quick-witted and has a prophetic mind!"

Not long after, the two left the Duke of Zhenguo's mansion with a group of guards.

It was still morning, and the winter sun cast a pale light, illuminating the world with the glistening snow.

However, neither Chu Wenchen nor Song Shi had any interest in appreciating the beautiful scenery along the way.

They were all scheming about the "legacy" Chu Hanchen left to Chu Lengyu, thinking about how much benefit they could gain.

Little did they know that this "legacy" did not exist at all; it was merely something they had imagined.

They were destined to leave empty-handed.