Chapter 145 Identity

"Oh, that thing looks unusual, like something from the palace. It would be a shame if it were broken..."

"That's not right. Isn't this the beautiful lady selling tea eggs? How come she has such a rare item? She must be from a prominent family."

Many of the onlookers were traveling merchants who had seen many good things and could naturally talk about them.

Zhang Haiyu naturally heard all these gossips. Combined with Cheng Weiyao's crying and even the fact that she didn't save Wen Liyu, he felt a little uneasy.

"It's just a jade ring. I'll ask my dad to compensate you. What are you yelling about? It's so noisy..."

"Compensation? What kind of compensation are you talking about? This is a gift from the Emperor, bestowed personally by the Empress Dowager. Wash your neck and get ready to accompany me on the journey!"

Cheng Weiyao heard a hint of forced calmness in Zhang Haiyu's voice, so she stopped crying and simply pulled Wen Liyu to sit cross-legged in front of the ring fragments.

The sky is big and the earth is big, but the emperor is the biggest. The emperor is the most respected in the world. Within his jurisdiction, no matter what kind of people, they must curry favor with the emperor.

The royal rewards are not only valuable in themselves, but more of a symbol, symbolizing the royal family's preference and favor for the individual.

Possessing something bestowed by the emperor is a great thing that brings honor to any family.

However, good fortune and misfortune go hand in hand, and the things bestowed by the Emperor must be treated with respect! Not only is it forbidden to buy or sell the things bestowed by the Emperor, but even damaging them will result in accountability. Otherwise, it would be considered contempt for the Emperor's power and a betrayal of His Majesty's grace!

"Don't scare me. If there really is an imperial gift, will it appear in Qingshi Town?"

Zhang Haiyu was a little upset.

Zhang Daming has been entrenched in Qingshi Town for many years. Located in a trading area, he has received many good things as tributes from various forces, which are all stored in the warehouse of his mansion.

Although Zhang Haiyu had not deliberately looked into it, he had seen it many times and naturally had a better eye. He knew that the ring was not an ordinary item, but he was a little reluctant to believe it in his heart.

"We were exiled. Who knows when the emperor's anger will subside and we'll be ordered back to the capital. I'm indeed just a concubine's daughter of a duke, but my sister-in-law's surname is Wen."

Cheng Weiyao laughed coldly, the sound was neither loud nor soft, just loud enough for Zhang Haiyu who was standing close to hear. Not to mention that the Qingping Palace lineage was only exiled to cooperate with Wen Chengyun's overall situation.

If the news of the destruction of the imperial gift were to reach the capital, it would be enough to bring disaster to Zhang Daming's family. Since they are officials, they all know that people's words are scary.

People come and go in Qingshi Town. If he can control one mouth, can he control the millions of mouths behind them? It is not impossible for the news to spread to the capital. It depends on whether Zhang Haiyu dares to take the gamble.

"The emperor is far away, so everything can be discussed. If the matter of breaking the imperial gift becomes a big deal, it will be embarrassing for both you and me..."

Zhang Haiyu was indeed frightened. Cheng Weiyao and Wen Liyu's temperament did not seem to be something that could be raised in an ordinary family, especially the surname Wen, which made him feel intimidated.

The Duke's Mansion can only call itself small. It seems that it has met a tough opponent today. Not only did it fail to pick flowers, but it was pricked by thorns on its hands.

Zhang Haiyu waved his hand, signaling the servants of the Zhang Mansion to disperse the onlookers. The impact of this incident must be suppressed as soon as possible. If word got to my father, he would know that he had caused such a disaster and would cut off his ears...

"Stop, you're the only one who's not good-looking. I had no part in this, and I'm still a princess, half a royal."

Cheng Weiyao looked at Zhang Haiyu's actions and knew that the plan was half successful. She smiled slightly and started the next step.

"As for my sister-in-law, Princess Mingcheng is of the royal bloodline of the Imperial Jade Butterfly. Even if His Majesty is displeased, he won't punish his own family. Besides, no parent would tolerate someone of questionable character getting their hands on their daughter, right?"

The emperor has many children, and most of those who are given titles are favored. To offend the princess is equivalent to not caring about the face of the royal family, which is extremely disrespectful!

"Didn't I also fail?"

Zhang Haiyu's face suddenly turned three shades paler, and the lustful look in his eyes when he looked at Wen Liyu was no longer there, only fear and trepidation.

He had heard from his father that a group of prominent exiles had arrived in Qingshi Town, and that he should be more careful when traveling outside. He hadn't expected that they would fall in love with each other by chance.

The most important ones are the royal family members. Unless they are trying to usurp the throne and must be executed on the spot, the other exiled people may return to the capital to report.

"Well, let's take it one by one. The fact that the imperial gift was broken is a fait accompli, and I don't ask you to find an identical one. You should either pay me or pay me back. As for my sister-in-law being frightened, the cost of comforting her..."

Cheng Weiyao calmly began to settle the accounts. The imperial gift was a treasure to others, but in the eyes of a modern person like Cheng Weiyao, it was useless.

If they can't sell it, they can still keep it for sale. For example, the Duke's Mansion emptied the entire warehouse and didn't dare to openly look for it. Why? Losing the imperial gift under the feet of the emperor would be a disaster if the news got out.

Cheng Weiyao concluded that it would be better to use some real money, as the Prince Qingping's Mansion was short of money and had a family of six to support.

"This is a serious matter, and I don't have that much cash on me. This is all I have. Take it. What happened today is known to heaven, earth, you, and me..."

Zhang Haiyu pursed his lips, took out a purse from his pocket and stuffed it into Cheng Weiyao's hand without saying a word, as if he was afraid that she would go back on her word.

After all, things that can be solved with money are not a problem. The real problem is that they cannot be solved with money.

Wen Liyu had a stern face from beginning to end, and she stood aside as a background board with the aura of a royal princess, but the corners of her mouth were slightly raised.

She didn't know where Cheng Weiyao got the so-called imperial gift, but this kind of jade ring did look like one produced in the palace. When the empress dowager was happy, she would give out small gifts from time to time.

"It's just such a small amount of money. It's hard for me to keep it a secret for you. How about we go and talk to your father, County Magistrate Zhang Daming?"

Cheng Weiyao opened the purse, took out the banknotes and threw the bag back. She could take the banknotes but not the bag. What if someone turned the tables and said she was the one who stole it?

As for finding Zhang Daming, it was just Cheng Weiyao's impulsive excuse to scare Zhang Haiyu. It seems that this son is really afraid of his father...

"No, no, no, I really don't have any left. How about this, I'll give it to you tomorrow, okay?"

Zhang Daming quickly waved his hand, and with a pained look on his face, he promised that his father couldn't know about this. That meant he couldn't use the family's official account, so he would have to use his own coffers to make a big investment...