amaotonovel Chapter 287: Questioning and Defending
Chapter 287: Questioning and Defending
At this point, Leng Xian looked at Zheng Tong awkwardly, "People outside say behind my back that I, Leng Xian, live a life of wealth and honor thanks to my wife's dowry.
This Marquis does not deny it! This Marquis admits it!
After Fu Baozhen got married, we had a deep affection for each other, and the lady was never stingy in spending money on my hard work in the Marquis's mansion!
There has never been any restriction on my use of it.
I just want to repay Madam's kindness in other ways!"
Zheng Tong, Master Zheng, listened to Leng Xian's words and looked at Leng Xian's face... uh...
Maybe I ate too much for breakfast?
Or did you eat something bad?
I just feel... I feel nauseous from time to time.
He looked at Leng Xian's sad face and couldn't help but nodded and said, "I understand! I understand very much!
It is precisely because the Marquis had a deep relationship with the late Madam, and he was grateful to the late Madam for giving him a large dowry to support the Marquis Qinxing’s Mansion!
Therefore, the Marquis brought his illegitimate cousin, who was hiding outside and had been in love with his wife, back to the mansion to keep her company with the late wife, so that the Marquis could share the late wife's dowry with him.
It also includes the pair of children born to the Marquis and his cousin from another marriage!
Oh, I almost forgot that there is still a kind and generous mother in this house who cares about her family all the time.
The late Madam also had to help your mother and your illegitimate cousin support their families, right?"
Zheng Tong spoke very seriously and sincerely.
However, Leng Xian's face was burning hot as if it was on fire.
Leng Xian didn't dare to look at the sneer on Zheng Tong's lips anymore. He couldn't play the role of a passionate husband missing his deceased wife any more!
He collected his thoughts and said solemnly, "No matter how others misunderstand me, my love for my late wife is evident to all heaven and earth!
But now is not the time to talk about this.
I hope that Lord Zheng can take more care and spare no effort to recover all the belongings and dowry of my deceased wife as soon as possible to comfort me!"
Zheng Tong listened and chuckled, "The Marquis hopes to recover the late Madam's dowry as soon as possible to comfort the Marquis's memory of the late Madam...
We are all moved by the Marquis’s deep affection!
But...
I think that if the things lost in the Marquis' Mansion cannot be found...it will be more beneficial to the Marquis and his second wife!
If I could get them all back...
Oh, the total amount I mentioned refers to the total amount lost in this theft, not the entire amount on the list of the late madam’s dowry.
If the lost items are recovered this time, can you guarantee... that all of the late Madam's dowry is recovered?"
Leng Xian was stunned at first, his eyes rolled, and he said hurriedly: "Sir Zheng, the thief who can steal from the Marquis' Mansion this time is probably not an ordinary thief.
Since they were able to break into the mansion and steal, how could they keep the stolen property intact and wait for the Lord to come and get it back in full?
The stolen property is bound to cause considerable loss.
Lord Zheng, are you planning to charge me with the portion of the dowry that was lost to the thieves?"
"Of course not." Zheng Tong shook his head calmly, "It's just...
This government is handling the case on orders from the emperor.
One is to catch thieves and recover lost property;
The second is to verify the dowry and private property left by the future Princess Yu’s biological mother.
If among the recovered items there are account books of the mansion... this mansion must find more masters who are good at arithmetic to calculate the expenditure and income of the Marquis Qinxing's mansion over the years.
As far as I know, many years ago, the Marquis' Mansion no longer had any property or shops under its name, right?"
Leng Xian hesitated for a moment and nodded helplessly.
He couldn't help but admit it.
Be it a shop or a farm, they are all backed up by deeds from the government, so if they are gone, they are gone.
"So, how much salary has the Marquis received from the court over the years? This is clear and obvious in the court, right?
The expenses of the Marquis's Mansion and the income from the Marquis's salary...
The difference between the two... should be easy to calculate.
The extra expenditure should have been from the dowry of the late wife.
Is this correct?" Zheng Tong said.
Leng Xian was speechless.
"I have heard from my subordinates that until yesterday, the two shops under the name of the late wife were handed over to the family of the Marquis's second wife, who used the profits for their own use.
After the late wife passed away, they spent more than ten thousand silver coins in the past few years!
I wonder what explanation the Marquis has for this?" Zheng Tong looked at Leng Xian and asked him one question after another.
"Oh? There is such a thing?
This... this must be something my mother and my second wife did... they... they, the aunt and niece, did behind my back.
Normally, I never ask about the expenditure of money and other mundane affairs in the mansion. These are all... all matters of the harem, and have always been managed by my mother and my second wife."
"is it?
That means that the entire dowry of the late wife is also in the hands of the Marquis's second wife and your mother, and they can use it as they please, is that right?" Zheng Tong asked.
"This...this...this Marquis...this Marquis really doesn't know!
After the lady passed away, all her dowry was sealed in the warehouse.
This time…this time it should…should…all of them were stolen!
There is not even a piece of paper left in the warehouse. This matter… this matter has already been…” Leng Xian tried his best to defend himself.