Chapter 669: Chapter 668: Just Make Up for It
Zhan Jinlei’s face, originally like a bitter melon, was instantly left speechless.
The Purple Gold Medal representing the status of an Imperial Grandson—others would consider it sacrilegious to even touch it, yet he managed to lose it, and it fell into the water, never to be found. If he dared to speak of this, the entire Zhan Family would be implicated.
Zhan Jinlei looked at Huangfu Jingchen with a pleading expression.
His heart had sunk to the depths. He knew that man too, another Imperial Grandson. Surely, Prince Cheng’s Heir would speak the truth, but this was a crime he couldn’t shoulder!
Huangfu Jingchen smiled slightly and said to Prince Xin’s son, "It’s nothing, really. Mr. Zhan managed to lose my money pouch into the river."
Zhan Jinlei sighed in relief. Prince Jing only mentioned losing the money pouch, not the Purple Gold Medal. It seemed Prince Jing was willing to give him a break?
Could it be that Prince Cheng’s Heir also didn’t want anyone to know that his identification was lost?
Prince Xin’s son said knowingly, "No wonder Mr. Zhan jumped into the river—turns out he was diving for the money pouch. I say, Mr. Zhan, you are from the Duke of England Mansion; how come you’re valuing money over your life?"
Prince Lu’s son also laughed and said, "Indeed! Whatever happened to the money in the pouch can be compensated, can’t it? Why dive into the river? Surely, the Duke of England Mansion can compensate for the contents of our young master Jingchen’s little money pouch."
Huangfu Yuxuan was inwardly delighted for a larger conflict between Huangfu Jingchen and the Duke of England Mansion but outwardly pretended to pacify, "Jingchen, how much silver was in your pouch? Just name the amount, and Mr. Zhan will make it up. Though the day isn’t too cold, the water is uncomfortable, surely Mr. Zhan, being of delicate health, would rather pay for peace."
Zhan Jinlei felt bitter; if only it were something that silver could resolve, it wouldn’t be an issue. But how can one resolve the loss of an Imperial Grandson’s symbol with silver?
He looked anxiously at Huangfu Jingchen but was surprised when Huangfu Jingchen shook his head, saying, "I don’t even know how much silver was in the pouch."
Huangfu Yuxuan laughed, "Jingchen, you must be joking, right? You don’t know how much silver is in your own money pouch?"
Huangfu Jingchen calmly replied, "Because there was no silver inside at all!"
Huangfu Yuxuan burst into laughter, "No silver? Then how much could it be worth?"
Huangfu Jingchen slowly added, "It’s filled with silver notes!"
Huangfu Yuxuan: "..."
Zhan Jinlei, however, saw a glimmer of hope. As long as Prince Cheng’s Heir acknowledged that it was silver inside, he could compensate with silver.
Although it would cost him a significant amount, it was a lighter consequence compared to losing the Imperial Grandson’s Purple Gold Medal. Besides, how many silver notes could be in a money pouch? At most, it’s just pocket change for a wealthy young master. The amount would never exceed a thousand taels; he could afford to double it.
The Imperial Grandson’s Purple Gold Medal, however, would be difficult to settle with even ten thousand taels of silver.
Huangfu Yuxuan laughed, "Jingchen, if you don’t know how much silver is in the pouch, yet make Mr. Zhan risk his life to retrieve it, wouldn’t that be a bit excessive?"
If it were really about a lost money pouch and just a matter of silver, Zhan Jinlei might have appreciated Huangfu Yuxuan’s "righteous words," but now he was left sweating.
Luckily, he had just emerged from the water, so it was hard to tell if it was sweat or water dripping from his body.
Seeing Huangfu Jingchen cast a cold glance, Zhan Jinlei shivered. If the Second Young Master of Prince Liang Mansion kept speaking and Prince Jing got angry and revealed the truth, it would be irreparable.
He hurriedly said, "It wasn’t Prince Jing who asked me to go into the water; it was my own initiative to redeem myself!"
Prince Xin’s son laughed, "Knowing how to redeem yourself shows you’re sensible and considerate. Why not let me plead on your behalf—compensate for the silver in the pouch, and we’ll let this matter go. Jingchen, would you give this face for your brother’s sake?"
Huangfu Jingchen remained silent.
Prince Lu’s son said, "Jingchen, it seems Mr. Zhan is genuinely sincere. Since the items can’t be found and the original pouch can’t be compensated, we can at least not shortchange the silver notes inside. What do you say?"
He nudged Huangfu Jingchen quietly, "Seventeenth Aunt’s gathering—if you drag this on, it would harm Aunt’s reputation, don’t you agree?"
Zhan Jinlei inwardly prayed that Huangfu Jingchen would agree.
If at this moment Huangfu Jingchen claimed it was just the money pouch, with these three Imperial Grandsons as witnesses, he could compensate a sum of silver, and the matter would be settled.
Huangfu Jingchen turned to Jiang Ning and asked, "How much silver was in my money pouch? You packed it; tell me!"
Jiang Ning stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Are you referring to the pouch I gave you this morning?"
Huangfu Jingchen asked, "Have you given me any other pouches?"
Jiang Ning immediately said, "If it’s that pouch, there wasn’t much silver inside—it was sent from Yunzhou out of concern that you might not have enough silver. It contained high-denomination silver notes from Hongtong Bank that can be exchanged anywhere in the world—six notes of five thousand taels each; two notes of two thousand taels; seven notes of one thousand taels; eleven notes of fifty taels each, totaling forty-one thousand five hundred and fifty taels. I had just received it from Jifeng Tower and brought it to His Highness."
Upon hearing "not much silver," Zhan Jinlei visibly relaxed, and Huangfu Yuxuan almost burst into laughter. The master was a fool, and the servant lacked discretion. Clearly, they could’ve asked for three to five thousand taels, but now they might barely get a few hundred.
But Jiang Ning’s following words left everyone speechless.
Forty thousand taels?
If Jiang Ning had said it was from Prince Cheng Mansion in the Capital City, bearing such a large sum in silver notes, Huangfu Yuxuan could have found a way to spread the story and have the Imperial Censors censor the Cheng Prince Mansion for this once.
But his words were crystal clear; this was a gift from Yunzhou, sent by Prince Cheng to His Highness for spending. Though forty thousand taels were a large sum, for a Vassal King who had been in Vassal Land for over twenty years, what did it amount to?
Handled through Jifeng Tower, it could be verified!
Zhan Jinlei plopped to the ground.
Did he go out today without checking the almanac; how did he end up causing such a big disaster?
Even if Prince Cheng’s Heir did not pursue the matter of the Imperial Grandson’s Purple Gold Medal, he could not afford to compensate for the silver notes in the pouch.
Huangfu Yuxuan’s mouth twitched as he looked at Zhan Jinlei with sympathy.
Inwardly, however, he was laughing to the point of stomach pain. How amusing, these Zhan Family descendants must all be debt collectors, right? Look, there’s Zhan Baoqing, who insulted a woman in the street and was killed for it. Now there’s Zhan Jinlei from the second house—attending Seventeenth Princess’s flower appreciation event, and he ends up incurring a mountain of debt.
Of course, the Duke of England Mansion could compensate over forty thousand taels of silver, but once they did, they’d likely face a period of hardship.
And Zhan Jinlei, the troublemaker, was bound to suffer too.
The Zhan Family relied on Prince Zhuang, and there had been disagreements between members of the Zhan Family and Prince Cheng’s Heir, which was a pleasing sight to him.
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