Pei Yue swore an oath to heaven and earth, and Yin Jinzhuo also pleaded with the Duke to believe that his wife would not speak recklessly.
Duke Xun had no choice but to send someone to report to the authorities.
The shopkeeper wasn't afraid at all. When Pei Yue and Yin Jinzhu first came in to ask questions, Mo Yan had already come to see him and told him not to be afraid.
Yin Xiushan summoned Lord Meng, who issued the search warrant. The owner of Sun's Pawnshop also arrived, and Duke Xun began to have a headache upon seeing it.
This man was a retainer of the Prince of Jin. When the Duke of Xun was causing trouble, the owner of Sun's shop went to ask the Prince of Jin for permission.
Left with no other choice, Duke Xun went to the pawnshop's storeroom with Lord Meng, Master Sun, and the steward of the Prince of Jin's residence.
I searched all night, but naturally, I couldn't find it!
Duke Xun apologized to his employer and the steward of Prince Jin's residence. The other party looked displeased but forgave him. Duke Xun felt he owed them a huge favor.
Pei Yue and Yin Jinzhuo were burning with anxiety and extreme panic. How could the bottle have disappeared?
The two hurriedly sent someone to find Liu Jie, who innocently said, "It's at Sun's place. Song Chaofeng promised me that he would keep it for us to redeem within ten days."
Pei Yue said angrily, "Then go and redeem them immediately. I'll give you whatever silver you want. If you can't redeem them, and you try any tricks, the young master will take your life!"
Liu Jie could never redeem it! When the Sun family's clerks saw Liu Jie asking about the celadon vase, they confiscated the ticket, beat him up, and insisted on dragging him to see the Duke of Xun.
Liu Jie was so frightened that he turned tail and ran away.
Meeting the Duke of Xun? That would expose everything; he would definitely be exposed.
Having exhausted all other options, Duke Xun went to Yin Jin'an again.
This time, he suppressed his temper and shouted at Yin Jin'an, "Open the door! I want to talk to you."
Yin Jin'an opened the door, and the Duke of Xun kicked her. Yin Jin'an took the kick and said, "Have you thought it through? Will you give me half of your family fortune?"
"You promise me you'll bring the bottle back!"
"You must first promise to give me half of your fortune."
"You unfilial son!"
"Yes, yes, I'm unfilial! From childhood to adulthood, you've never said a good word about me. I'm a bastard, a good-for-nothing, an unfilial son, a spendthrift... Please kick me out of the mansion as soon as possible."
“I’ll have your mother give you half of the money in the account right now, and you can get out today.”
"That won't do. Besides the silver, I also want the courtyard, the shop, the land, and—half of the household guards!"
Duke Xun was a military general, and on the battlefield, the Yin family army struck fear into the hearts of enemy states. The eight retainers who followed Duke Xun in those days were later rewarded by the imperial court and became proper generals.
Later, he retired from military service and returned to his hometown. Most of his descendants abandoned military affairs for civil service, but there were also many new generation generals among his descendants, each with a formidable fighting force.
The family retainers are the true foundation, the greatest source of confidence for the Duke of Xun's mansion.
What is silver? He has plenty. And the retainers are what Yin Er wants most.
This was also the ultimate goal he and Xie Zhaozhao had set together.
Under normal circumstances, regardless of whether Yin Jin'an separates from the family in the future, all this confidence will be in Yin Jinzhuo's hands. Unless Pei Yue seizes this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, Yin Jin'an will never encounter these things in his entire life.
“If you don’t give me my family’s servants, I won’t retrieve the gift bottle. Anyway, losing an imperial gift is punishable by death. If you kill me, your entire clan will be buried with me.”
"You unfilial son, you bastard!"
Listening to the Duke of Xun's deafening curses, Yin Jin'an picked at her ear and said nonchalantly, "Why are you making such a fuss? As soon as we split up, I'll give you the bottle right away. You can't eat or drink from that bottle, so why would I keep it? No, you can smash it. Clang, what a nice sound."
"You, you, you...you bastard!"
Even the Duke of Xun was at a loss for words.
Yin Jinzhuo and Pei Yue searched for a whole day and night, but Liu Jie still couldn't bring the bottle back. They were almost frantic with worry.
Pei Yue knew better than anyone where the bottle had gone.
But Liu Jie is gone!
He probably fled to avoid punishment.
The imperial gifts from the Duke of Xun's mansion were pawned, and they were completely pawned, but somehow the news leaked out.
Mo Yan and Manman encountered Pei Yuan and Tao Yin, who were keeping watch on the street. Mo Yan's lips twitched. "Miss Pei, take it easy. The Duke's mansion is so anxious they're practically on the roof."
On this day at court, Censor Yu of the Censorate began to impeach people again.
In the morning, while still in his official sedan chair, he received another letter praising him (a letter of denunciation).
When Hua Zisheng shouted, "Present your report!" Lord Yu loudly proclaimed, "I, your subject, wish to impeach the Duke of Xun for openly pawning the celadon vase bestowed upon him by the late Emperor. Such disrespect for a sacred object deserves severe punishment!"
Both Duke Xun and Yin Jinzhuo were so frightened that they knelt down and begged for mercy. Yin Jinzhuo said, "Your Majesty, my second brother was ignorant and pawned it. Your subject..."
"Your Majesty!" Duke Xun hurriedly interrupted Yin Jinzhuo, "I beg Your Majesty to give me some time. This is all a misunderstanding. The imperial gift bottle has not been lost, but it is a little dusty, and we are having the craftsmen clean it."
Emperor Hui looked at the father and son and said calmly, "Lord Yu, do you have any evidence?"
Lord Yu said, "The day before yesterday, the Duke of Xun, his son and his wife went from pawnshop to pawnshop to inquire about the celadon vase. At Sun's pawnshop, they searched the storeroom all night with the shopkeeper and Lord Meng from the prefectural government. There are complete witnesses and evidence for this matter."
Yin Jinzhuo wanted to say that he was talking nonsense, but Lord Yu said, "Whether I have lied or not, you can find out by going to your residence. Bring out the celadon vase, and I will apologize to you."
Yin Jinzhuo was speechless.
Duke Xun said, "Your Majesty, give this old minister three days. I will return to my residence and retrieve it immediately. If there is any mishap to the divine object, I will take full responsibility."
His Majesty said calmly, "Don't go to court. Go home and search immediately. Once you find it, bring it to court to prove your innocence. If you don't, you will not be let off lightly."
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