Upon hearing this, Nanny Xue immediately ordered someone to ask which courtyard the person on duty was from.
Ma Yucai later realized that he had gotten into trouble, and he suddenly sobered up. No matter how much the slaves of Prince Qing's house and the people in the gambling house pressed him, he remained silent.
In the end, the people in the gambling house had no choice but to give up.
The farce ends here.
Because Ma Yu couldn't pay off his gambling debt, that night, he was dragged to the alley by the people from the gambling house and beaten half to death.
After being in Beijing for so long, he had never suffered such a loss, but he did not dare to involve Yan Lan for fear of causing even greater trouble.
After the man who beat him left, he huddled in the corner, feeling angry and annoyed.
He was angry that the woman Yan Lan could not help him even though she had a big tree like Prince Qing. What made him angry was that his advice for that woman was in vain. Not long ago, he was thinking of burning down the bridge across the river, which really made him resentful.
After struggling on the ground for a long time, Ma Yu supported his body with his palms and struggled to sit up. His face was no longer visible, his nose was bruised and swollen, and his body was covered in scars.
Seeing that the curfew was coming soon, if I couldn't get back to the rental house in time, I was afraid I would have to freeze all night.
He struggled to get up, wrapped his clothes tightly, and staggered towards his rented place.
He has had no livelihood this year, relying entirely on Yanlan's money supply from Prince Qing's Mansion, and the rented house is in good condition. At first, his life was very good, and his daily expenses were very sufficient before he got into bad habits.
At that time, Yan Lan was just an outsider and didn't even care about his own future. He didn't dare to go too far for fear of becoming a burden to her.
Later, after the Cui family and Prince Qing reconciled, Yanlan was raised as a concubine in Prince Qing's palace, and her food and clothing expenses were even higher. Her life was getting better, and he also benefited from it. When the money in his hands became richer, he began to be dishonest.
In a prosperous place like Beijing, there are hidden dangers everywhere, who can bear it
Those girls were all pretty, with slender waists, and their cooing voices were so sweet that they were so soft and tender in their arms that they really made people linger, so he became a frequent visitor to Yihong Courtyard.
When the expenses are high, people will naturally be dissatisfied.
He first coaxed Yanlan to say that she wanted to make a living, and then begged her to find a job for him, hoping to gain a long-term foothold in Beijing. But how could Yan Lan want to keep him by her side? It was like burying a sharp knife under the pillow, and the sharp point would pop out and prick her at any time.
He knew it in his heart, so he intensified his efforts to ask for more money.
Holding her handle, she dared not deny it.
As expected, the woman was indeed very obedient and relied on him in everything.
Money came so easily that it almost made him feel arrogant, as if he was the little wife raised by Prince Qing, and he spent more and more wantonly and got into bad habits.
Gambling is explicitly prohibited in Daliang, but it cannot stop the secret operations of small workshops in the market. Even people in the palace would play leaf cards for fun, and this entertainment was naturally popular among the people.
A small amount of gambling brings pleasure, but a big amount of gambling harms the body.
Ma Yucai had poor self-control and became addicted to it. He always dreamed of getting rich overnight and becoming famous in the capital, so he fell deeper and deeper into the trap.
After going there many times, people in the gambling house became familiar with him and knew that his money was easy to come by. He often set traps to slaughter fat sheep, and as time went by, he accumulated huge debts.
The money Yan Lan gave him could no longer fill the hole he owed. What was even more annoying was that the woman still wanted to get out. Ma Yu had just returned home and was already very poor. He had no money to seek treatment from a doctor.
He lit the oil lamp and looked at the ghost with a bruised nose and swollen face in the mirror, his face was horrifyingly gloomy.
Today's riot at Prince Qing's Mansion, if it wasn't to save her, why would she have received such a fat beating
Now that he was entangled by the evil people in the gambling house, how could he let the woman in the house sit back and relax, so he thought about getting money from her to pay off the debt and ensure his safety.
Who would have thought that Ma Yucai underestimated Yan Lan's fierceness.
Yan Lan had already planned to withdraw. After learning that Ma Yucai had trouble with Prince Qing due to gambling debts and covered it up in time to save the situation, instead of being afraid, she was convinced that he did not dare to mess up.
In order to get rid of that bastard, she found an opportunity to meet with him in private.
At that time, Ma Yucai's injury had not yet healed, and there were still bruises on his face. Seeing her was like seeing a savior, and he said with a smile on his face: "Yan Niang..."
Yan Lan looked at this man who looked like a blood-sucking leech with cold eyes. The warmth he once had had long gone, and only endless disgust remained. She suddenly took out a dagger from her sleeve and threw it on the table, and said coldly: "Just kill me, I will give you this life today."
The dagger frightened Ma Yucai, and he asked in surprise: "What are you doing?"
Yan Lan sneered and said: "You, Ma Yu, have grown up and know how to go wild in Prince Qing's Mansion. Since you really want to force me to death, it's not too late to do it now."
Seeing that she was annoyed, Ma Yucai quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't misunderstand me. How dare I bully you?" He then explained, "I drank some wine that day and was kicked in the head by a donkey. I was confused and accidentally caused trouble. Prince Qing's Mansion, if he really wanted to harm you, how could it have ended like this?"
Yan Lan turned her head to look at him, "So, I still have to be grateful to you?"
Ma Yucai was embarrassed and silent.
Yan Lan didn't follow him in circles and said straight to the point: "I'm here to tell you today that I can't pay back your gambling debt, and I won't pay it back in the future."
Ma Yucai was stunned.
Yan Lan took out a gold ingot from his sleeve pocket and put it on the table, saying: "Now that you have provoked the gangsters in the gambling house, I am afraid that there will no longer be a place for you in Beijing. Take this gold ingot." It’s important to leave the capital first to avoid the limelight.”
Ma Yucai's expression changed and she said unhappy: "Mother Yan wants to drive me away?"
Yan Lan looked at him expressionlessly and said coldly: "Either you take the gold ingot and leave the capital to avoid the limelight, or you stab me to death with this dagger, or you go to Prince Qing's Mansion and complain to Prince Qing about me. If he has an affair with you, let him beat you and me to death on the spot, it’s your choice.”
These words made Ma Yucai angry, and he said angrily: "What nonsense did you say!"
Yan Lan was not afraid of him at all, picked up the dagger on the table, handed it to him and said: "Cousin, I can't pay off your gambling debt. If you kill me, kill me now." After saying that, he pointed the sharp knife towards himself. In the pit of his stomach, he said, "Here, stab me here and give me a good pleasure."
Ma Yucai stepped back and said at a loss, "You're crazy!"
Yan Lan said calmly: "I'm not crazy. Now that you have caused trouble in Prince Qing's Mansion, you have no intention of leaving me a way to survive. Since you want me to die so much, I will help you today."
Ma Yucai did not expect her to be so strong, and was frightened by her for a moment, and said angrily: "Don't do this!"
Yan Lan snorted coldly and said harshly: "Since you don't leave me a way to escape, then everyone will die. Either stab me to death with a knife and get rid of it, or take this ingot of gold and get out of the capital. If you still expect me to pay back for you." Gambling debts, dreaming of your spring and autumn dreams."
"Mother Yan, don't bully others too much!"
Yan Lan was not afraid of death, and put the dagger into his hand without changing her expression, "You forced me to die, please give me a good time now, don't wait and stab me in the heart!"
Ma Yucai held the dagger. Seeing her tough attitude, he gave up. He lowered his head and said politely: "You have to think about Hong'er. He is still so young and cannot live without his own mother."
Yan Lan seemed to have heard a joke and asked, "Have you ever thought about him?" After a pause, "You haven't. Besides asking me for money, what else would you do? If you owe gambling debts, come to me. To pay off the debt, you spend your days either visiting prostitutes or gambling, treating me as a cash cow, but never thinking about whether my situation is difficult, and you even got drunk and made trouble in Prince Qing's Mansion. Don't you want to force me to death?"
Ma Yucai said anxiously: "I know I was wrong. I won't be so ridiculous next time."
Yan Lan didn't believe his lies at all, and just said: "Now you are entangled by people from the gambling house. If you continue to stay in the capital, I'm afraid you will suffer disaster. Nowadays, Granny Xue in the house is watching closely, and I only have these on hand. , you can secretly leave Beijing to avoid the limelight and avoid this difficulty."
"Yan Niang..."
"If you don't want it, I'll take it back. I won't care about your life or death anymore. If you want to force our mother and son to death, you can go to Prince Qing's Mansion to file a complaint. Anyway, I don't want to live such a useless life anymore. I have no hope. awkward."
After all, Ma Yucai was a coward. He didn't dare to fall out with her and end up losing both his life and wealth. He quickly grabbed the gold ingots on the table and coaxed her: "Don't be angry. I will listen to you. I will leave Beijing to take shelter." head."
Yan Lan softened her tone and said: "If you are obedient and consider our mother and son, I will continue to support you. But if you continue to eat, drink, whore and gamble like this, don't blame me for turning against you."
Ma Yucai said repeatedly: "Okay, okay, I will change my ways and never do this again."
Yan Lan said with satisfaction: "That's pretty much it. What's the benefit to you of dragging my mother and son down? If you do your duty, I will naturally consider your future in the future." He added, "I have been here every time since I came to Beijing. Even though you have never been harsh on money, you know in your heart that if you annoy me, you, Ma Yucai, will not be able to live alone."
After saying this, even though Ma Yucai was upset, he did not dare to break up with her.
He didn't have her courage. He didn't dare to kill her, nor did he dare to bring the matter to Prince Qing's Mansion. After weighing the situation, he had no choice but to take the money and leave.
Yan Lan was right. Now he was entangled by the gangsters in the gambling house. If he continued to stay in the capital, he was afraid that life would be difficult. The only choice was to run away secretly to avoid the limelight. Otherwise, she would have to pay off his debts.
The money she owed was quite substantial. If she failed in the palace because of the money, everyone would die together.
Ma Yucai is a person who cherishes his life. Yanlan and her son are his hope, and he still hopes to rely on them to turn over.
After returning home, he thought over and over again and decided that it was better to leave Beijing secretly and avoid the limelight first.
After a period of time, Yanlan got clean. She originally thought that Ma Yucai would be able to find some peace after leaving the capital, but she never thought that he was unlucky. After secretly leaving the capital, he was overtaken by people from the gambling house at Chenxian County Pier.
The amount of money he owed was too much. The gambling shop treated him as a fat sheep and slaughtered him. How could he let him go so easily
After Ma Yucai was intercepted by the gambling house and returned to Beijing, they did not make things difficult for him. As long as he repaid his debt, everything was easy to discuss.
It's a pity that he hasn't paid for it yet.
The people in the gambling house didn't bother him, and asked him to sign a contract to pay off the debt with his hand, and they wanted to cut off his right hand to pay off the debt.
Ma Yucai was frightened. He was always afraid of death. Looking at the shining boning knife, he was frightened to pee on the spot. When he was desperate, he once again placed his hope on Yan Lan in the mansion.
The reason why the gambling houses are so rampant is because they have the protection of Ruyang Prince's Mansion behind them.
At first, they only thought of Ma Yu and their relationship with Prince Qing's Mansion was just that there were servants in the mansion as errands, but they accidentally stirred up a hornet's nest and it was too late to regret.
In order to save his life, Ma Yucai had no choice but to reveal that there was someone in Pixiang Pavilion of Prince Qing's Mansion who could pay off his debt.
The people in the gambling house were sure to go to Prince Qing's Mansion to collect debts from their slaves.
Yan Lan was frightened when she heard that people from the gambling house were harassing her again. She decided not to believe that Ma Yu would commit suicide to find trouble, so she sent Xiao Tao to find out the specific situation.
Fortunately, Ma Yucai was not too stupid and left a way out for her. He only said that there was someone in Pixiang Pavilion as an errand, but did not mention who it was.
Seeing that something was wrong, Xiao Tao quickly put the matter down, saying that Ma Yu was her distant cousin, and then settled the matter for the time being.
However, the gambling house came to make trouble twice, which made Nanny Xue very dissatisfied. She ordered people to find Xiao Tao and asked her: "Xiao Tao, what happened to your cousin?"
Xiao Tao knelt on the ground and cried, "When my cousin first came to Dao, he must have accidentally fallen into the trap of the gambling house and got entangled by their group of rogues. Now that he has made trouble in the house, it is really outrageous. The slave will find a way to send my cousin away."
Aunt Xue looked at her and said, "You should understand that such bad habits cannot be tolerated in the mansion. If he comes to bother you again, I will send someone to the official to deal with him."
Xiaotao was frightened when she heard that she was sent to the official. She kowtowed repeatedly and said, "Mom, please be merciful. There will be no next time."
Nanny Xue didn't think much about it at the time, she just didn't pursue it for Yan Lan's sake.
Yan Lan in Pixiang Pavilion was uneasy. After waiting for a long time, she saw Xiao Tao come back with a heavy heart. The master and servant were locked in the side room. Yan Lan asked in a low voice: "What did Nanny Xue say?"
Xiao Tao also knew something about Ma Yucai, but the specific situation was not clear. She lowered her voice and said, "I heard that people in the gambling house wanted Ma Langjun's right hand. Ma Langjun was forced to have no choice, so he brought up Pixiang Pavilion." .”
Yan Lan secretly cursed the bad guy, frowned and asked, "Are you suspicious of Grandma Xue?"
Xiao Tao shook her head, "Not yet, but she has warned her that if there is a next time, she will send Mr. Ma Lang to the official."
Yan Lan was frightened.
Xiao Tao said worriedly: "Madam, you have to make a decision as soon as possible. You'd better find a way to put aside some money to suppress the matter first. If people from the gambling house come to bother you again, I'm afraid..."
Yan Lan's eyelids twitched wildly and she said, "I know." He added, "First take my private room and return it to the gambling house in person, so that they can be more lenient and don't make the matter a big deal. If Prince Qing is alerted, Things will be difficult to handle.”
Xiao Tao nodded.
So Yanlan gritted her teeth and took some of the private money she had saved in her daily life and gave it to Xiaotao to do this.
As expected, the people in the gambling house stopped causing trouble after getting the money, and Ma Yucai's hand was saved.
Originally, Yan Lan thought that the matter could be suppressed temporarily, but when the accountant sent the accounts to Nanny Xue for review at the end of the month, she had doubts about the expenses of Pixiang Pavilion.
Since Mrs. Cui left the mansion, Grandma Xue has taken care of all the affairs in the mansion.
Yanlan was just a concubine, and she was from a rural background. Naturally, Prince Qing would not leave the family business to her, so Grandma Xue was always in charge.
Firstly, she has been with Prince Qing for many years and is trustworthy; secondly, she is an old nanny who came out of the palace and has been through many things, so she is quite familiar with him.
In the past, Mrs. Cui had taken care of everything in the house in order. Even though she left, the step-by-step approach would not have much impact. Aunt Xue could also handle it, but it was a bit harder.
Grandma Xue has always felt that Yanlan's daily expenses are too high. She spent a lot of money when she was still an outhouse, but now that she is a concubine, her money is flowing like water.
Almost as good as the mistress of the house.
In addition, people from the gambling house came to make trouble a few days ago. Although it had nothing to do with Yan Lan, Xiao Tao was her personal maid anyway, so she was somewhat involved, so she felt even more dissatisfied.
No, in the evening when Zhao Chengyan came back from duty, Nanny Xue told him about the expenses accounts of Pixiang Pavilion.
Zhao Chengyan didn’t take it seriously either.
Seeing this, Nanny Xue presented the account book to him and said, "Please take a closer look, Mr. Lang. This is all the expenses for Yanlan's trip to Beijing. It is nearly one hundred taels of silver. This is not a small amount. She How can you spend so much money when you stay in the back house all day without leaving the house?"
Hearing this, Zhao Chengyan was also shocked, "So many?"
Aunt Xue nodded and said unhappily: "Mr. Lang is usually generous and treats her well. I know this, but she is just a concubine. She has squandered so much in just one year. If it were a concubine from other aristocratic families, she would only spend two yuan a month." Three taels for pocket money.”
Zhao Chengyan was not very interested in the accounts and said, "Since I have left the household affairs to you, grandma, if you have any questions, just ask her yourself. I don't want to deal with these trivial matters."
Nanny Xue said yes.
Now that King Qing has delegated power, she no longer has any worries.
After all, Jiang is old and hot. When Yan Lan acted like a monster to force King Qing and He Li, she always looked down upon Nanny Xue. If it weren't for the heir, how could she have a chance to turn around
Now that the child has been saved, if she doesn't know how to restrain herself, she will be asking for trouble.
Nanny Xue was also a smart person. Although she was suspicious of Yanlan's expenses, she did not check her public accounts and only started with the jewelry that King Qing usually rewarded her.
Every time King Qing gave her something, it came out of King Qing's private account and was recorded.
Aunt Xue pulled out more than ten items from the private account records, including jade bracelets, jade hairpins, hairpins, gold hairpins, etc.
She specially selected large items and ordered people to go to Pixiang Pavilion to inquire.
Yan Lan didn't expect to come here, so she was in a hurry to deal with it, because some of the items she gave to Ma Yu privately were exchanged for money, and there were still a few items left in her hand.
The eight items that were thrown away were not even explained to anyone, so Yan Lan either said that they were lost, or that she had exchanged them for money and sent them to her parents' family.
After getting the answer, Nanny Xue didn't ask too many questions. Since it was exchanged for money and scattered outside, let's check it from outside.
She has always been sober-minded. It was a pity for her when Prince Qing broke up with the Cui family for the sake of their heirs. Now that Yan Lan has entered the palace, she will naturally not allow her to do whatever she wants.
A country girl who had only been in Beijing for a year actually spent nearly a hundred taels of silver. Even the mistress, Cui, had never spent so much. If she was defeated at this rate, how could Prince Qing's palace afford it
Aunt Xue did not complain to Prince Qing, but only investigated Yanlan's behavior in private this year. Since she said she had converted the gifts given to her by King Qing into money and spent them out, she would naturally have connections with the outside world.
In accordance with this behavior, she sent people to carefully check the places she visited and the people she came into contact with.
It doesn't matter if you don't check, as this investigation will reveal a lot of tricks.
If you don't want others to know, don't do it unless you do it yourself.
After many twists and turns, Nanny Xue accidentally found out that Ma Yucai was actually related to Yan Lan.
This was something she didn't expect.
In order to find out the relationship between the two, Nanny Xue ordered people to investigate Ma Yucai's origins.
Prince Qing's Mansion has a foothold in Beijing, and it goes without saying that there is a network of connections. As long as you are willing to put in the effort, you can always get some clues.
The people below found out all about Ma Yucai's background and said that he was also from Weizhou. He came to the capital in the spring of last year and had nothing to do and no livelihood, but he lived a happy life, eating, drinking, whoring and gambling.
Nanny Xue felt strange. Where would an idle foreigner get the money to eat, drink and squander his money
If Xiao Tao was related to him, she was just a maid, and her monthly income was just that much. No matter how frugal she was, she couldn't support a grown man's squandering.
Grandma Xue felt more and more that something was wrong.
Xiao Tao is related to Ma Yucai, and Yan Lan is also related to Ma Yucai. In addition, the expenses of Pixiang Pavilion are huge, and Ma Yucai is idle but has a prosperous life, which is unbelievable.
That guy was a gambler and owed a lot of money to the gambling house. Where did he get the money to gamble
Grandma Xue keenly sensed something unusual.
After inquiring about the last time Ma Yucai secretly left Beijing and was caught by people in a gambling house, Nanny Xue was afraid that he would sneak away again, so she ordered someone to keep a close eye on him, planning to report her concerns to Prince Qing.
Aunt Xue acted in a wise and prudent manner. After Tong Qing told King Tong Qing about the confusion he had discovered recently, Zhao Chengyan still didn't believe it and said in surprise: "I asked her, some of the gifts given to her before were sent to her natal family in Weizhou. It’s okay, it’s nothing.”
Nanny Xue said seriously: "Have you ever heard of a man named Ma Yucai when Mr. Lang was in Weizhou before?"
The name seemed a bit familiar, but Zhao Chengyan couldn't remember it for a moment, so he frowned and said, "What's wrong with this person?"
Nanny Xue immediately explained to him in detail the money Ma Yucai owed to the gambling house, and also explained clearly the situation that she had discovered recently, which made Zhao Chengyan look solemn.
He paced back and forth with his hands behind his back. He didn't know how long it took before he said awkwardly: "Mommy, do you suspect that Ma Yucai has contact with Yan Lan in private?"
Aunt Xue said sternly: "There is something wrong with the expenses of Pixiang Pavilion. Ma Yucai and Yan Lan are both from Weizhou and came to Beijing at the same time. Ma Yucai did not have any livelihood, but he lived a good life by eating, drinking, prostitution and gambling." Happy, sir, think carefully, where did he get the money for him to squander?"
Zhao Chengyan said nothing.
Aunt Xue continued: "Xiao Tao said that Ma Yu was her distant cousin. She was just a slave, and her monthly salary was only more than a copper coin. How could she provide for Ma Yucai's expenses? So the old slave thought Xiao Tao was lying. It’s trying to hide something.”
Zhao Chengyan was upset when he heard that, and said: "Since Ma Yucai said that there is someone in Pixiang Pavilion who can pay off his debts, let's find him and identify him face to face. Who can pay off his debts for him."
Nanny Xue: "I will bring Ma Yucai to confront you tomorrow."
Zhao Chengyan said "hmm" and said nothing else.
Maybe he had something on his mind, so he couldn't sit still and went to Pixiang Pavilion.
At that time, Yan Lan didn't know that he was in danger, and Zhao Chengyan didn't show any dissatisfaction and only went to see his son.
Zhao Hong was held in the nurse's arms and teased, babbling and talking to her. Zhao Chengyan took it and held it in his arms. Zhao Hong smiled at him. The boy had been raised to be white and fat, and his smile was very endearing.
Zhao Chengyan observed his eyebrows carefully and said, "Hong'er's eyes look like his grandma's, and his nose is also similar."
The wet nurse said from the side: "As the old saying goes, a son is like his mother, and a daughter is like her father."
Zhao Chengyan asked unexpectedly, "Do you think this kid looks like me?"
The wet nurse was stunned.