If I were born again, I would marry a strong but short-lived husband.

Mrs. Lu was feeling very proud. Today, a lot of pacification officers suddenly came to the Duke's Mansion and asked a lot of questions about Princess Guangning. She guessed that something must have happened to Guangning, and now the Second Prince and Concubine Yao wanted to vent her anger.

She deliberately made the relationship between Shen Sui'an and Guangning sound even worse.

In this way, the Second Prince and Concubine Yao will definitely regard Shen Sui'an as a thorn in their eyes.

"Second Madam, aren't you afraid that the eldest young lady will know what you just said?" The trusted maid couldn't help but remind her in a low voice.

"What am I afraid of? Am I afraid that she will come to confront me? After all, I am the elder. If she dares to come, I will beat her out." Mrs. Lu snorted coldly.

The maid said, "I see that the eldest young lady has no intention of competing with you for the power of housekeeper. Why do you want to be her enemy? After all, she is the eldest young master's legal wife, and now the Duke has attached great importance to the eldest young master..."

Mrs. Lu felt uneasy because of this. She wanted to suppress Shen Sui'an completely and leave her no chance to snatch the power of managing the household.

What can the second branch of their family rely on in the Duke's Mansion? Apart from being the legitimate daughter and having the old lady's support, they are completely useless.

In the past, she hoped that her two sons would have a bright future, but she never expected that her youngest son would be a homosexual. Now he is under her strict control, but he had made a scene not long ago.

Now she could only turn a blind eye and let him flirt with the servant in the yard.

When she thought of this, she really wanted to die.

She could only hope that her eldest son, who was still studying, could work harder. If he could pass the imperial examination this year, she would be able to gain a foothold in the Duke's family.

"What do you know? Even though Shen Sui'an seems to want nothing from the Lu family, in fact, such people are terrible. She wants everything. If I don't guard against her, I don't know how she will step on my head in the future." Mrs. Lu said.

When the maid heard this, she had no choice but to keep quiet and stop trying to persuade him.

However, Mrs. Lu’s pride did not last long. While she was still waiting to see Shen Sui’an make a fool of himself, the steward whom she had supported came to her in a hurry.

"Second Madam, we...our people were arrested by Jingzhao Prefecture." The steward looked pale and looked at Second Madam Lu helplessly.

"Who was arrested?" Mrs. Lu frowned.

The manager said, "Zhuang Lao Er...he, he was caught by Jingzhao Prefecture for lending money at high interest."

Mrs. Lu's face suddenly turned pale.

Zhuang Laoer was a loan shark she arranged outside who lent money at high interest rates for her.

Over the years, Zhuang Lao Er had done a good job, managing both the black and white worlds clearly, so how come he was suddenly arrested?

"It seems that someone went to report it, and Zhuang Lao Er's account book was also found." said the manager.

"Second Madam, please go and protect the second son of the village. That account book is our internal account and it will implicate you." The steward shouted.

The internal accounts were clearly recorded, with every item clearly stated, and it also clearly stated how much interest Mrs. Lu had collected over the years.

What's more, lending money at high interest rates is against the law and you can end up in jail if you're not careful.

Mrs. Lu Er finally realized the seriousness of the matter. She stood up suddenly and asked, "How did the internal accounts fall into the hands of the government? Who reported it?"

The steward shook his head, "I can't find out either."

"You go to Jingzhao Prefecture, take the money and use it to smooth over the relationship, and see if you can get Zhuang Lao Er out." Mrs. Lu Er said with a serious face.

"Yes."

Mrs. Lu paced back and forth anxiously.

If the Duke knew that she was lending money at high interest, I'm afraid he would divorce her immediately.

She had used public funds to lend, so not only could the secret of the usury be lost, but she had also embezzled public funds... I'm afraid she would be discovered.

Mrs. Lu was extremely worried. "Think of a solution quickly."

"Madam, this matter will be revealed sooner or later. Shouldn't you tell the Second Master first?" the maid reminded her.

A lot of the money earned by the second wife was taken away by the second master.

Even if we have to find a solution, we should think about it together.

Mrs. Lu nodded vigorously, "Yes, go and find where the Second Master is."

"And my silver, count how much I have left."

Mrs. Lu and her loyal maid were very busy.

He didn't even notice Shen Suian's arrival.

"Second Aunt is so busy, is there anything I can help you with?" Shen Suian asked with a smile.

"What are you doing here?" When Mrs. Lu saw Shen Sui'an, she unconsciously became alert and stared at her with caution.

Shen Sui'an smiled and said, "I just happened to be passing by and saw that Second Aunt seemed very busy, so I came over to show my concern."

Madam Lu frowned and looked at Shen Sui'an. Seeing that she was in high spirits and did not feel the slightest bit uneasy after being questioned by the Second Prince, Madam Lu's heart sank.

"Shen Sui'an, did you harm me?" Mrs. Lu asked sternly.

"Second Aunt, why would I harm you?" Shen Sui'an was surprised.

Mrs. Lu snorted coldly, "If it's not you, then you came here to laugh at me."

Shen Sui'an said, "I just don't understand why Second Aunt is talking nonsense in front of the Second Prince. When did Princess Guangning and I ever argue? In order to plot against me, Second Aunt's ability to lie with her eyes open is really beyond comparison."

Shen Sui'an's voice was clear and pleasant, but the words he said were irritating to Mrs. Lu Er.

Mrs. Lu didn't feel guilty at all. "You and Guangning don't have a good relationship to begin with, and you don't allow me to tell the truth."

"Of course, you can say whatever you want. The Second Prince will investigate eventually anyway. Second Aunt must be able to bear it when the Second Prince and the Pacification Office find out something." Shen Sui'an said.

The reason she tolerated Second Madam Lu for so long was not because she was broad-minded, but because Second Madam Lu could bring the Lu family down faster for her, just like she was lending money outside at high interest.

This is against the law.

She absolutely shouldn't have done that. Madam Lu shouldn't have slandered her in front of the Second Prince.

Mrs. Lu stared at Shen Sui'an, "It's you! Do you think that you can dominate the Lu family just by exposing my loan sharking? Don't even think about it."

"It turns out that Second Aunt is still lending money outside at high interest." Shen Suian exclaimed.

Shen Sui'an's smile faded, and he looked at Mrs. Lu with a cold gaze, "Second Aunt, next time I hope you can think before you speak or do anything."

"I'm not afraid of you, I just don't want to argue with you."

Mrs. Lu's face changed, she looked gloomy and speechless.

Shen Sui'an said goodbye and left, and met Master Lu outside the door. After the greetings, she returned to Danbo Courtyard.

When Mr. Lu heard that Mrs. Lu had been caught lending money at high interest, his face turned pale.

"It's over, my father will beat me to death." Mr. Lu became scared.

Second Mrs. Lu pushed him away angrily and said, "What are you afraid of? Eldest sister-in-law also knows about the usury issue. I even gave her money as a gift. Even if something happens, she will drag the first wife into it." Second Mrs. Lu shouted.