Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Chapter 161 What They Deserve

"Do you still remember Si Yuankai, that Commander of a Thousand?"

Seeing Yu Wanran pause for a moment and nod, Xue Heyu lowered his voice and his smile became slightly teasing.

"Last time you left in such a hurry, Commander Si came looking for you the very next day. He really thinks you're my niece, and he's been subtly trying to find out your background while he's with me!"

Yu Wanran's face darkened: "What is he trying to do!"

Xue Heyu was taken aback by her sudden display of fierce aura, thinking to himself that his niece's reaction was truly unusual. He quickly explained, "It's not that he wants to do anything... well, he does want to do something..."

"However, my dear niece, is this a good thing? You're not engaged yet, are you?"

In order to find his benefactor and repay her kindness, he investigated Yu Wanran's background and learned about her entanglement with the Duke's mansion.

As an elder and a man, there were some things he couldn't say. But he knew that Yu Wanran had left the Duke's mansion and was no longer living under the same roof as the Yu family.

So, who would care about the marriage of a lonely, single woman who is also a female merchant?

Miss Yu should be seventeen now, and eighteen next year. As she gets older year by year, it will be even harder for her to find a suitable husband.

Therefore, he felt a good opportunity was presented to him. He was willing to swallow his pride and speak to his benefactor.

Yu Wanran vaguely guessed what he was going to say, and her heart remained calm.

"I am not engaged. But since I have chosen a female merchant, I am prepared to live out my days alone."

Hearing her nonchalant tone, Xue Heyu was taken aback. But since things had already come to this point, he had no choice but to bite the bullet and continue.

"My dear niece, you're so young, how come you already seem so disillusioned with the world? Don't be like your uncle, who's back in the manor now and doesn't even have anyone who cares about him!"

"Uncle, you now have Genbao and his sister?"

Yu Wanran chuckled: "Given the chance, I'll also adopt a pair of adorable children like you, to comfort my loneliness and emptiness!"

Xue Heyu was both amused and exasperated. He knew that trying to teach her a lesson was inappropriate, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. So he turned the conversation back to Si Yuankai.

“Miss Yu, I think Commander Si has feelings for you. He is not yet married and his household is relatively clean. If he comes to propose marriage, you might consider it.”

"Don't underestimate him just because he's only a commander now. He got that position through his own abilities. His father, Si Xiangming, is the Minister of Revenue, a first-rank official. He's probably here in Decheng to gain experience."

In short, a potential marriage partner with a bright future.

Yu Wanran smiled, neither agreeing nor refusing Xue Heyu's good intentions.

Don't say Si Yuankai didn't try to get help. Even if she were willing to marry, she wouldn't choose someone like Si Yuankai, who has a strong personality.

She was used to being in charge and giving orders. She couldn't bear to return to the inner quarters and compete with a group of beautiful women for one man's favor.

The people around her must be able to tolerate her temper and not restrict her freedom. And they cannot have other women besides her.

There's probably no man in this world with such a broad mind, so she's destined to be single forever.

Song Lianghan and Zhong Yeliu, estimating that they had finished their conversation, came in to report to Shunzi that the carriage was ready.

Xue Heyu also had to return to the yamen to deal with the mountain of official business. Unable to persuade Yu Wanran, he could only sigh. He walked out of the inn and then asked Xue Jingui to deliver a letter to Si Yuankai.

At least he did his best to fulfill the request Si Yuankai made.

Yu Wanran and her two companions, along with Song Lianghan who was leading the way, drove out of the city.

On the way, they talked about the aftermath of the bandit suppression. Song Lianghan said, "The government has almost settled the victims. But, Sister Yu, do you ever wonder who was secretly colluding with the bandits?"

"who is it?"

Yu Wanran guessed it was someone from the government office, but she wasn't sure who was so audacious as to be so reckless.

"That's Lu Ban, the guy who overestimated himself and challenged you to a duel!"

Song Lianghan's face was filled with contempt and hatred.

"That night, when the city was under lockdown, he tried to run out of the city to deliver a message to the bandits, but was caught red-handed by the soldiers guarding the city. He pulled out the radish with mud along with it, and he also implicated the former magistrate Hao. Now, my godfather has sent the witnesses and evidence to the capital."

"That corrupt official doesn't need to wait for his report; his entire family is immediately placed under house arrest nearby. However, my godfather just received news that Magistrate Hao committed suicide in prison out of fear of punishment, and his family has been sold off. This matter can only end here."

Not to mention Song Lianghan's regret, Yu Wanran also guessed that the prince was behind Magistrate Hao.

Whether Magistrate Hao committed suicide out of fear of punishment is hard to say! But they had no evidence and could only let the court easily turn the page.

The case involving the brutal killing of hundreds of villagers and the implicatement of tens of thousands of people in Tongcheng was left unresolved.

Yu Wanran frowned.

In the face of these powerful and wealthy individuals, the lives of ordinary people are as insignificant as ants.

Therefore, she never dared to confront the Duke's mansion directly. In this life, she used various means, even nearly losing her life, to gain the Duke's wife's pity and finally let her go.

But that's still not a guarantee.

She needs to work hard to earn more money, secretly build up her power, and protect her family. Beyond the small territory of Tongcheng, there are many more behemoths ruling the world!

As the carriage approached the vicinity of the Stone River, a bustling scene unfolded along the riverbank.

The laborers chanted work songs, clanging and banging stones as they built houses and erected wooden frames within grids drawn with lime. Some others rolled up their trousers, bared their shirts, and waded into the shallow water to sift out mud and sand.

How many people have flocked to the Shihe River to set up inkstone workshops? Sure enough, what she could think of, others could think of too.

We're all smart people!

Seeing Yu Wanran's surprised expression, Song Lianghan explained.

"My adoptive father opened up the riverbank and encouraged local merchants to invest in building workshops. This way, the suffering people could easily find work, and Decheng could easily develop."

He knew that Yu Wanran was worried about his inkstone workshop.

"Sister Yu, your godfather has granted you a section of the Shihe River where the best silt can be dredged, covering over a hundred acres! The location was personally chosen by Grandpa Lin; it's a prime location!"

"Hundreds of acres?"

Yu Wanran was shocked: "Won't the others have any objections?"

Shihe is not a large river. The three villages that were originally located along the river were attracted by the fact that the mud could be used to make inkstones, and they gradually settled down and formed villages.

The total area is only a thousand acres, of which about two or three hundred acres are in the section of the river where good clay for making inkstones can be easily extracted. She's taking the lion's share! Will the other powerful and influential people tolerate this?

“This is what Sister Yu deserves! If it weren’t for Sister Yu risking her life to suppress the bandits, the people of Tongcheng would still be suffering terribly, and merchants would not dare to come to Tongcheng.”

Song Lianghan scoffed.

"What right do they have to criticize? My godfather and Commander Si reported to the court and requested commendation for Sister Yu. This is a legitimate reward, and everyone is convinced of its fairness!"

Yu Wanran's initial idea was to get approval for twenty or thirty acres of land. She had no background or resources, so she just wanted to build an ordinary workshop and secure a place in the Decheng Chengni inkstone market.

Unexpectedly, Xue Heyu provided such assistance. With such a large plot of land, it would be a waste not to build a large workshop that would lead the business community of Tongcheng on this prime location of hundreds of acres.

Chengni inkstone later became one of the four famous inkstones!

A prince, in his quest to seize and possess it, brutally slaughtered hundreds of villagers. Now, however, it has fallen into her hands…