as stabbed in the lung, and could no longer feign composure. He raised his hand to strike.Unexpectedly, Mrs. Cui was faster. She slapped first, the sound echoing loudly.Ding Beihou was stunned and for...Previously, the imperial court suddenly relocated south. Many prominent aristocratic families in Kyoto followed suit and moved to the new capital.

In town, you need a shop. Outside the city, of course, you also need a farm to supply firewood, rice, vegetables.

As a result, the local Zhuangzi became fragrant and prosperous.

Therefore, all parties compete fiercely, employing every means possible.

Some people snatch it, some people exchange it, and some people buy it at a high price!

In general, after several years, all the forces finally found a balance.

Of course, as the empress's natal family, the Wu family couldn't wrong themselves either. After much effort, they finally obtained two estates.

The first is Yong'an Zhuang, seventy miles southeast of Xindu. The second one is located several dozen miles further east, called Anle Zhuang.

Everlasting Peace Estate has fertile land, totaling over two hundred mu. It is flat and easy to cultivate, with a small river flowing along one side of the estate.

Even in a slightly less prosperous year, this place wouldn't fear drought or flood. They still managed to harvest seven to eight out of ten crops.

This year has been a bountiful harvest thanks to favorable weather conditions!

The fields originally grew sorghum and millet, but since Tianwu acquired high-yield corn and potatoes, the Wu family, like everyone else, switched to planting these two crops.

Just after the autumn harvest, potatoes are stored in cellars, and corn is dried sufficiently before being stored in granaries.

For safety and fire prevention, the granary was built outside the courtyard. Several guards were assigned to protect it, working in three shifts to ensure constant vigilance.

When the "master" is far away and there's no one to oversee them, how can the guards possibly give their all!

Pretending to patrol during the day.

When night fell and the warehouse doors closed, everyone went about their business. Some slept, some gambled, and others just enjoyed themselves to the fullest.

Then, in the dead of night, someone crawled in through the ventilation window at the back of the warehouse and took away all the grain bags. They also put medicine in the buckets. It was really easy.

No one discovered any clues throughout the entire process!

Not until the guards had collapsed like dead dogs and been carried out of the warehouse, after they had set another fire, did the villagers in the surrounding houses realize what was happening.

Countless young and old, banging on copper basins, carrying buckets of water, rushed to put out the fire. Sadly, the warehouse had already begun to collapse from the flames, making it impossible for anyone to enter.

But after more than an hour, the Anlezhuang in the east, farther away, was also engulfed in flames...

Under the cover of night, a blazing fire burned with an especially intense red hue, startling many people in Xin Du who witnessed it.

Soon, hundreds of soldiers from the city defense camp arrived to investigate.

On the second day, the news that Wu's two large farmlands had been completely burned down by fire reached the ears of all the headmen before they could even finish their breakfast.

"What has the Wu family done to provoke such misfortune They were just recently subjected to a scandal and were only beginning to recover, now their farm has been burned down"

"Could it be that the vengeful spirits of the former owners of the farm haven't found peace, and seeing the Wu family's weakened state, have come to seek revenge"

As the mistress of a certain household served her master his meal, she gossiped softly on the side.

As a result, the old master who was drinking goji berry porridge snorted coldly and muttered in a low voice, “Don't spread this kind of talk. There are no so many gods and ghosts in this world.”

It's just that the Wu family's methods are too crude and they were caught.

The mistress retorted, unconvinced: “I heard it myself just now. They said there wasn’t a single grain of food left in the granary, only the frame burned.”

"Even the guards in charge of the granary were carried out, unharmed! This must be the Five Ghosts Carrying Technique!"

“It must be the previous owner who was wronged and died unwillingly. They say that the Wu family has been sued, and someone is backing them up, so they came to take revenge!”

The head of the household was unwilling to argue with his wife any further, so he could only instruct her: "You can think whatever you want, just don't go around spreading rumors."

"Someone had previously proposed making the prince heir, and soon after, the Wu family met with misfortune. There were too many things involved in this, so don't speak carelessly and bring trouble to the family."

When the mistress heard this, she finally admitted to it. Reluctantly, she replied, "At most, I'm just talking to you. Who else can I talk to..."

Instead of commenting on the struggle between different factions, let's just watch the misfortunes befall the Wu family and wait for the situation to become clearer.

As for ordinary people, they don't have so many scruples.

In the alley, how many idle loafers hang about in front of a widow's door! If they were caught, they'd be reprimanded for days. What more could be said about such an event that gathers together elements like the supernatural, suspense, grievances, and revenge

Restaurants, teahouses, even small stalls on the street corners were nearly packed to capacity.

The shopkeeper and his assistants were bustling about, their feet barely touching the ground, and their smiles stretched wide from ear to ear.

"Did you see the big fire last night I was just out of town, my lodging place was only a few dozen miles from Wu's manor. "

"That fire, it was simply terrible! Screams everywhere, I don't even know how many people died." A small merchant took a sip of tea and spoke with spittle flying, eager to be asked for details.

Unfortunately, someone immediately retorted, "Come on, don't blow smoke. People said that both farms were burned down, but not a single person inside was hurt."

"Indeed, I've heard about it too." The elder beside him nodded as well. "I suspect it was a band of righteous bandits who did this, otherwise, there wouldn't be such benevolence."

"I thought so too!" a young boy exclaimed, his face etched with regret. "I just wonder where those heroic bandits went. I really wish I could be their disciple!"

The crowd burst into laughter. Someone who recognized the young boy shouted, "Young Master Zhou, you better hurry to school, or your mother will find out and chase you down the streets again."

It turned out this young boy was from a wealthy family, living nearby. He came to join the commotion on his way to school.

The little boy, helpless and frustrated, pulled his schoolbag and walked outside, muttering: "When I've learned some skills, my mother won't be able to hit me anymore!"

Everyone laughed even harder. The shopkeeper said, “Young Master Zhou is truly blissfully unaware of his good fortune. To study is a rare and precious thing.”

"That's right, but it's normal. Who wouldn't want to learn skills and become a skilled swordsman when they were young!" The regular customer beside him chimed in, then asked, "I just wonder what the Wu family did to bring upon themselves this misfortune"

"Then who knows! But he must have done something wrong! How many people in this world are truly upright and honest"

There was a rebellious and outspoken individual who, with remarkable courage, articulated the unspoken thoughts of everyone present.

Everyone, taking cue from his words, also subtly chimed in with a few remarks.

Of course, intelligent people would not dare openly accuse the Empress's family of wrongdoing. However, deep down, people harbored no fondness for the Wu family.

He only attained his current status because of his daughter. He has contributed nothing to Tianwu on a daily basis. First, the imperial censor exposed a heap of charges against him, and then bandits burned down his estate.

Such a kind and good family, they wouldn't have so many troubles...

In the back of Suijin Beach's princess mansion, Jiayin was sleeping soundly, holding a blanket.

After running around all night, I almost got home at dawn. I'm so tired...

As the sun rose high in the sky, Old Li noticed that her granddaughter hadn't returned home yet. She began to worry and went looking for her.

Waterling and Watercloud dare to stop others, but they wouldn't dare to stop the old lady!

Thus, Jiayin wore a thin cotton nightgown and slept soundly with her bare calves exposed. Lao Tai Li saw her completely.

Lao Li is both angry and amused.

This girl seems well-behaved and studious on the surface, but in reality, she's just putting on a show. She does whatever she wants behind closed doors.

You know, the young ladies in other households sleep lying flat on their backs with their hands resting on their stomachs. When they wake up, their blankets are almost always perfectly smooth.

Where is there someone like our own granddaughter, who rides the quilt as a horse...

Jia Yin slept soundly until her stomach growled, then woke up. She saw Grandma sitting beside her, doing needlework, and was still a bit dazed. off ties with his children and grandchildren!The Duke could no longer contain himself, and shouted to the steward in a loud voice, “Bring me my whip!”The housemaid fidgeted at his feet, too afraid to...