The bedroom fell silent. He Jingyan remained silent, waiting for Song Xizhi's reply.
Looking at He Yunze's grief-stricken face, Song Xizhi raised her eyebrows and chuckled softly, "We're all family, and family doesn't need to be so formal. How could I blame you for being Ayan's younger brother?"
Her eyes sparkled when she smiled, as if the phrases "a charming smile and beautiful eyes" were meant to describe her.
At this moment, Song Xizhi nestled beside He Jingyan. The usually dignified and proud woman now appeared somewhat petite and dependent.
A strange emotion welled up in He Yunze's heart, and he couldn't explain why he felt this way.
He glanced at it only once before lowering his eyes.
He Yunze would rather Song Xizhi not forgive him, so that he could do everything he could to make amends to her, than for Song Xizhi to let bygones be bygones because of He Jingyan.
It was as if his existence was utterly insignificant in her eyes.
Just as He Yunze was thinking this, Song Xizhi spoke up again: "However, my uncle is a man of deep feelings and loyalty. If he really does nothing, he will probably feel uneasy and toss and turn at night."
Upon hearing this, He Yunze suddenly raised his head. He hadn't expected that Song Xizhi in this life could be so in tune with his thoughts.
"Then I'll accept a token compensation. You recently opened a shop in such a prime location; you're probably making a fortune. Just give me eight hundred taels as a token. Let me buy some cosmetics."
"You have no idea how heartbroken I was when your brother was gone and you kept saying you wanted to divorce me for Ayan. I couldn't sleep at night, and I aged a lot!"
As soon as Song Xizhi finished speaking, He Yunze was struck dumb, as if the blood in his body had frozen.
Now he has pawned all his valuables, owes the Song family and the Huang family a large sum of money, and also owes the government compensation and a large amount of usurious money.
In Song Xizhi's eyes, eight hundred taels of silver was nothing but a drop in the ocean, a minor punishment to deter others. But to him, it was practically a death sentence.
"But sister-in-law..."
He Yunce glanced at Marquis Anding and Madam He with some hesitation, wanting to refuse, but he hesitated, unsure how to explain his situation.
Seeing He Yunze's somewhat troubled expression, He Jingyan clenched the small hand in his palm, then looked up at Song Xizhi:
"Madam, there's no need to be so stingy with Yun Ce. It makes the Marquis's mansion seem petty. Yun Ce is now a sixth-rank remonstrating official and has even opened a shop. Surely he can afford this amount of money."
"Even if Yun Ce can afford to lose face, my father and I cannot."
As he spoke, he turned directly to He Yunce and decisively ordered, "You shall prepare a red envelope containing 1,500 taels of silver to apologize to your sister-in-law. This will also serve as an apology from the Marquis's mansion to the Madam."
After He Jingyan finished speaking in a grand and righteous manner, Song Xizhi almost burst out laughing.
She gazed at He Jingyan's thin lips as they opened and closed, and heard the words he spoke that she loved to hear.
They're so cute, the more you look at them, the more you want to take a bite.
He Jingyan's embellishments suited her perfectly.
He Yunze's apology was worthless. It didn't matter whether he forgave her or not. Instead, they were plotting how to use the knife in their hands to stab He Yunze in the heart.
For her, 1,500 taels of silver is nothing, but for He Yunce, it's a different story.
He Yunze had already sold everything he owned and gone bankrupt to buy Xianglou, but she deliberately bribed the craftsmen to delay the renovation of Ruoanlou, forcing He Yunze to spend a large sum of money to hire someone to renovate it.
Where did such a large sum of money come from?
The only option left was to borrow money at exorbitant interest rates.
It should be understood that if an official of this dynasty associates with hooligans and thugs, borrows money at exorbitant interest rates, and is unable to repay it, and this is exposed, not only will his reputation be ruined and his family disgraced, but it will also be a breach of official decorum and damage the image of the court.
At best, they would lose their chance for promotion and incur the emperor's displeasure; at worst, they would be demoted or dismissed from office.
If the money cannot be repaid, one will face punishment and criminal charges, and one's life will be over.
Marquis Anding, unaware of He Yunce's situation outside, nodded upon hearing this: "Since you've opened a shop, you must be wealthy. Your sister-in-law deserves credit for your brother's recovery, even if she didn't do anything special."
“Give her a red envelope containing 1,500 taels of silver and use it to buy her cosmetics; that’s what you owe her.”
Huang was recuperating at home every day and had rarely gone out to socialize recently. When she heard that He Yunce's newly opened shop was making money, she was happy and her thoughts wandered. She did not stop them.
He Yunze opened his mouth, wanting to refuse, but his elder brother and father had already spoken, and he couldn't refuse at all.
His body swayed, and he could no longer hear what they were saying.
He Yunze had no recollection of how he got back to Guanyunxuan.
He stumbled and staggered along the way, feeling that his future was as dark as the night before him, with no light in sight.
He had kept the matter of opening the incense shop a secret from his mother and had obtained the money, but if he were to ask his father for it, the whole truth would be revealed, and his mother's health was so poor that she would definitely not be able to withstand it.
Meanwhile, the elder brother has awakened and once again become the pride of heaven, to be surrounded by admirers.
He was completely abandoned, and even if his father knew about his plight, he might harden his heart and not help him.
Even if he helps, if his father dislikes him, he will be completely ineligible for the position of the Marquis of Anding's heir, and at that point, he will be abandoned by everyone.
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