A scumbag husband fakes his death to escape his marriage? I'll burn down his funeral hall and s

Chapter 13 The debt collectors are all at the door.

Just two days later, the news of the owner of Xinglong Bank absconding with the money quickly spread throughout the capital. In the streets and alleys, in teahouses and taverns, everyone was talking about it.

Inside the Marquis's residence, Madam Gu was lying on her bed, recuperating. She had fallen ill from anger and had only just recovered somewhat.

Granny Wang rushed in, shouting, "Madam, something terrible has happened! Something terrible has happened..."

Mother Gu was already agitated. Leaning against the headboard, her brows furrowed, she asked, "What is it now? What kind of trouble is that little hussy causing this time?"

She should have killed that little whore long ago, to save herself all this mess.

“No,” Granny Wang hurriedly said, “Madam, it’s those ladies who lent money at exorbitant interest rates with us at Xinglong Firm. They’re all gathered in front of the Marquis’s mansion right now, shouting at the top of their lungs that they want you to pay back your money.”

Upon hearing this, Gu's mother's face turned deathly pale. "How could this be? We lent money together in the first place just to get a better return. Who could have imagined that the owner would be so heartless? Now they're all coming to me. Aren't they trying to drive me to my doom?"

Mother Gu had known all along that the owner of Xinglong Company had absconded, and she secretly suppressed the matter, intending to use the Chu family's dowry to cover the loss.

Who knew that this little harlot would cause one thing after another to happen in the manor, and she hadn't even had time to ask Chu Ruohan for her dowry yet...

The imperial court strictly forbids officials' families from lending money at exorbitant interest rates. Now, they are so openly demanding repayment in front of the Marquis's mansion. Aren't they afraid of being punished by the court if they find out?

Did it tarnish the official positions of their men?

She clutched the brocade quilt tightly with both hands. If the Marquis of Anyang knew that she had taken all the money in the manor and lent it out at exorbitant interest rates, then...

Gu's mother's heart suddenly clenched, and she felt dizzy and fainted again.

"Madam, Madam..." When Wang Mama saw that Gu Madam had fainted again, she panicked and could no longer care about the group of ladies causing trouble at the door.

The gatekeepers knew these ladies were of noble status and dared not drive them away easily, but they could not let them into the mansion either, so they could only bite the bullet and block them at the gate.

Just then, the Marquis of Anyang returned from court and saw a crowd gathered in front of his mansion gate from afar.

"Marquis of Anyang!"

Lady Zheng, with her sharp eyes, immediately spotted the Marquis of Anyang. Her eyebrows shot up, and she hurried towards him.

When Marquis Anyang saw that it was Lady Zheng, he was about to greet her when someone suddenly grabbed his arm.

"Lord Anyang, you've finally shown up! The good deed that the Lady of the Marquis led us to do has now been abandoned because the money is gone!"

The crowd instantly surrounded him like a tidal wave.

Marquis Anyang looked on in astonishment and confusion as he surveyed the angry women. What on earth was going on?

It took the Marquis of Anyang a great deal of effort to escape; these women practically devoured him...

When Gu's mother slowly woke up, she saw Marquis Anyang sitting at the table with a gloomy face. His face looked as if it had been stained with ink, and it was terrifyingly gloomy.

Her heart clenched, and she said in a trembling voice, "Lord...Lord Marquis."

Marquis Anyang's gaze was like a knife, piercing straight at her, "Those people at the door keep telling you to pay back the money, what exactly is going on?"

Gu's mother had a guilty conscience and still harbored a sliver of a desire to make excuses. Her eyes darted around, and she stammered, not daring to speak.

Seeing her like this, Marquis Anyang angrily slammed his fist on the table, making the teacups on the table jump with a loud "bang".

Startled, Gu's mother trembled and tearfully told the truth.

She not only took all the money in the manor to lend out at exorbitant interest rates, but also led the ladies who were on good terms with the Marquis's family to make money together.

The owner of Xinglong Company promised her that if she could introduce other ladies to lend money at exorbitant interest rates, she would receive a generous dividend at the end of the year.

Blinded by greed and blinded by greed, she was completely oblivious to the risks. Unexpectedly, the owner of the Xinglong ship suddenly absconded, leaving her with nothing…

Upon hearing this, the Marquis of Anyang's forehead veins bulged, and he pointed at Gu's mother, cursing, "Stupid woman, utterly foolish!"

"Having made such a huge mess, how are we going to clean it up?"

Upon hearing Marquis Anyang's angry curses, Madam Gu's cries grew even louder. "My lord, I know I was wrong. I didn't mean for this to happen. I thought I could bring some income to the household, but who knew that unscrupulous merchant would be so heartless."

Marquis Anyang was furious: "The imperial court has repeatedly issued orders prohibiting officials' family members from lending money at exorbitant interest rates, yet you dare to knowingly violate this rule!"

"Do you know that this not only concerns the wealth of the Marquis's mansion, but also my reputation and future in the court? Those ladies who collude with you are backed by various powerful forces. Without money, they will not let it go."

Gu's mother's crying gradually weakened, leaving only sobs. She knew the seriousness of the disaster and looked timidly at Marquis Anyang, not daring to speak again.

Marquis Anyang paced back and forth in the room, pondering a solution. He knew that if this matter was not handled properly, it could offend many powerful figures and bring endless trouble to the Marquis's mansion.

"Alright, first send someone to find out the whereabouts of the owner of Xinglong Company, and recover as much as we can. Also, the silver belonging to those ladies must be returned as soon as possible, without any delay. I will find a way to handle this matter properly."

Having said that, he gave her a cold glance and said, "Stop crying and wailing. From this day forward, you are confined to your inner room. Without my order, you are not allowed to step out. I will settle accounts with you after this matter is settled."

Madam Gu dared not object further and could only shrink by the bedside, watching helplessly as Marquis Anyang stormed off...

Marquis Anyang stepped out of Tingxue Pavilion with a solemn expression. After hesitating for a moment, he hurriedly headed towards Hongmeng Garden.

"What brings you here today, Father?"

"I came to see you."

Marquis Anyang forced a gentle smile. "Junze, has your health improved recently? I've been very worried about you."

Gu Junze nodded slightly. "Thank you for your concern, Father. My leg ailment isn't new; I've gotten used to it."

Marquis Anyang sighed softly, "I will definitely find a good doctor again, so don't be too discouraged."

He then changed the subject, saying, "Besides visiting you, I have another matter to discuss today. Your stepmother... has committed a grave error, and I have stripped her of her power to manage the household."

Marquis Anyang told Gu's mother about how she had misappropriated the manor's funds to lend money at exorbitant interest rates, resulting in the loss of all her money and implicating the lady who was on good terms with the Marquis's family.

Gu Junze remained silent for a long time before saying, "This matter is indeed the fault of the Lady of the Marquis. However, with the change in the power to manage the household, I fear that the people in the mansion will become restless."

Marquis Anyang nodded, "I will consider it. I intend to let Ruohan temporarily take charge of the household affairs. She is meticulous and may be able to stabilize the situation."

Chu Ruohan listened from the side, her mind perfectly clear: the power to control the household was just a nice-sounding phrase.

Both husband and wife were thinking of using her dowry to fill the hole in the Marquis's mansion.

Marquis Anyang, concerned about saving face, decided to dump this mess on her...