Chapter 23: The Traitor Within the Qin Family

"Mother, have you found the traitor responsible for the fires at the workshop and the warehouse?" Qin Song asked suddenly, while Madam Wu was at her wit's end.

Upon hearing this, Madam Wu was filled with indignation. "That bastard Lin You not only failed to find any clues, he even sent people to make a complete mess of the crime scene! Now, even if we want to investigate ourselves, we can't find a single lead."

"The arsonist died in the fire, didn't they?" Qin Song asked, recalling something as he looked at his mother's furious expression.

"That is correct. After the fire was extinguished, we found a charred corpse at the point of origin. But the person had been killed first before being burned by the fire."

"Which means there is still a traitor inside our house?"

"Yes." Madam Wu nodded, her eyes filled with murderous intent. "The Qin family has always treated them so well!"

Hearing this, Qin Song fell into deep thought, contemplating how to root out the mole hiding within their home.

"Song'er, there is something I must tell you." Seeing his contemplative expression, Madam Wu hesitated for a moment before continuing. "The merchant ships sent by my maiden family have arrived at the port."

"Mother, I am not leaving," Qin Song said instinctively, instantly understanding her implication.

Seeing his mother's anxious look, Qin Song added, "Mother, the Cao family holds immense power in the imperial court. No matter where we run, it will be a dead end. Furthermore, our uncle is still in the capital, waiting for us to save him! We can only rescue him and our family if we find evidence against the Cao family."

After hearing Qin Song’s words, a flicker of despair crossed Madam Wu’s face.

"Don't worry, Mother. As long as I am here, the Qin family will not fall! Our top priority is to ferret out the traitor in our house, and then we can follow the trail to uncover the rest."

"Song'er, you are right. I will support you with everything I have," Madam Wu said through gritted teeth after a long silence.

Seeing her resolve, Qin Song smiled and asked, "Mother, how much of our Xiangyun brocade, intended as tribute for the Imperial Court, was salvaged?"

Xiangyun brocade was the name of the silk the Qin family supplied to the Emperor. Due to its brilliant colors and complex manufacturing process, it had been a favorite of the royal family for years. Although river bandits had attacked the merchant ship and killed Qin Yuanhuai, the timely arrival of the navy had driven them off before they could fully succeed in their plot to seize the brocade.

"Not much, only a few dozen bolts."

"Where are they now?"

"In the warehouse at the port."

"Mother, since you mentioned that my maternal family's ships have arrived, the people at our workshop wouldn't know if my maternal family is capable of producing Xiangyun brocade, would they?"

"Naturally, they wouldn't."

"Song'er, you mean..." Madam Wu’s eyes widened as she stared at her son, suddenly realizing his plan.

"If a batch of Xiangyun brocade were to suddenly appear, what do you think the traitor would do?"

"They would naturally rush to send out the news!" Madam Wu, having grasped the plan, could no longer contain her emotions.

"Mother, I will send men to secretly transport those few dozen bolts of brocade onto the ships at the port. I want to see exactly who this turncoat is."

That night, Qin Song summoned Hu Shangdong and ordered him to take a few trusted men to secretly transport dozens of bolts of Xiangyun brocade—along with other fabrics—to his mother's family's merchant ship under the cover of darkness, while taking measures to temporarily suppress the news.

Early the next morning, Qin Song led the Qin family's caravan to the port, where they unloaded large, tightly wrapped bundles of fabric from the ship and loaded them onto carts to return to the Qin estate.

At the Qin workshop, the charred ruins had yet to be cleared. In recent days, the workers had been in a state of panic; rumors that the head of the Qin family had been murdered and that the family was on the verge of bankruptcy—or even total ruin—had spread throughout the city. The Qin workshop offered the best conditions in all of Yuezhou, and if the business collapsed, these workers would lose their livelihoods.

However, today seemed to mark a turning point. Qin Song gathered all the managers and workers. As they saw him, their expressions were varied. With the death of the patriarch, Qin Song had naturally become the new head of the family. Yet, everyone present knew his reputation as a playboy, and they wondered how long the family could last under such a "useless" young master.

"Everyone, I have some good news to share," Qin Song announced. "A few days ago, our workshop and warehouse suffered a fire, and most of our materials and fabrics were destroyed, including the vital Xiangyun brocade. For the past few days, the whole city has been saying that the Qin family is finished. I am here today to tell you that is absolutely impossible."

Standing before them, Qin Song said loudly, "My family has been in business for decades; a minor setback like this cannot bring us down! In a few days, we will begin construction on new facilities. Everyone will return to work as usual. More importantly, I will pay your full wages for the days we were closed, and those who participated in fighting the fire will receive an extra month's pay!"

The workers erupted into cheers.

"Furthermore, regarding the Xiangyun brocade for the capital, have no fear. My mother's family has mastered the manufacturing technology for over half a year, and they just happened to produce a batch and send it here."

With that, Qin Song opened a bundle to reveal the vibrant, shimmering brocade, which caught the sunlight with a unique luster. The crowd’s shock quickly turned into even louder cheers.

Throughout the process, Qin Song kept a close watch on everyone's eyes, especially those of the managers. While some appeared genuinely excited, their instinctive reactions betrayed them.

*So, there is more than one turncoat,* Qin Song thought, his eyes turning cold.

After boosting the workers' morale, everyone departed in high spirits. Qin Song stored the "Xiangyun brocade" in a small, separate warehouse, assigning a dozen guards to ensure no one came near it. Although the task seemed complete, it was only the beginning. Qin Song had his loyal guards monitor everyone in the workshop, especially the managers. He had long suspected the traitor was among them.

"Young Master, someone has made a move!" Hu Shangdong reported by the afternoon.

"Who?" Madam Wu asked impatiently before Qin Song could speak.

"Li Zhao! After he left the house, he went to a restaurant. Soon after, Tang Ze, the head of the Tang family, arrived. We found out they went into the same room. A while later, Li Zhao came out looking overjoyed—it seems he received a reward. Finally, Tang Ze left as well."

"It was him!" Madam Wu was incensed as Li Zhao’s face flashed in her mind. "That traitor!"

"Song'er!" She turned to her son, unable to wait any longer.

"Don't be impatient. That’s only one of them," Qin Song said, far calmer than his mother.

"Uncle Hu," Qin Song said, turning to his loyal servant.

"Yes, Young Master?"

"Continue to keep an eye on Li Zhao and the Tang family. As for the other managers, please keep watching them as well."

"Understood."

"Mother, do not fret. We have more than one traitor in this house."

"What!" Upon hearing that there were multiple moles in their home, Madam Wu was completely devastated.