At this very moment, in the private room on the second floor...
The window was opened slightly, then closed.
"Your Highness, they've gone out!"
"Getting carried away! Do they really think Juxianlou belongs to them?"
"Dream on! I'd rather die than give it to them! Prefect Liu, you have to help me this time! I've worked my whole life to build Juxianlou. If they take it away, I might as well die. I'm capable of anything before I die!"
"..."
Of the four, the one who was most upset was undoubtedly Manager Hu. Tonight, he not only lost face, but also lost Juxianlou.
For him, losing face was secondary—he was already so old, what did it matter if he lost face? If he lost Juxianlou, not only would he not have money for retirement, but all the relationships he had cultivated would probably fall apart.
Life is just that real.
Over the years, he remembered exactly how much silver and benefits Prefect Liu had taken from him. So his last sentence was a double entendre, a threat that if Prefect Liu didn't help him, he wouldn't hesitate to fight to the death!
However, it wasn't just Prefect Liu who felt threatened by his words.
Prefect Liu had taken bribes from here, and so had the Prince of Yu and Master Qu. The four of them had colluded to cheat and harm merchants in Ruzhou. Since Manager Hu had remembered Prefect Liu, he must have remembered the others as well!
While cursing Manager Hu in his heart, Prefect Liu laughed and said, "What are you saying, Manager Hu? We've been friends for so many years, how could I let you lose Juxianlou?"
Master Qu chimed in, "Prefect Liu is right, but today's bet was made in front of so many talented scholars in Ruzhou City and Master Mu and his apprentice. We can't just go back on our word. We need to think it over carefully!"
Prince Yu nodded: "Manager Hu, please calm down. Even if you can swallow this insult, I cannot!"
Then he sneered, "He's thinking too simply. Whose Ruzhou City is this? It's ours! He did win the bet, but with what? With those two thousand taels of silver!"
"..."
After a moment of surprise, the group understood what the Crown Prince of Yu meant.
Jing Zhe was able to make a bet because he had won more than 10,000 taels of silver by solving riddles, which gave him enough stakes to wager.
The reason he was able to guess the riddles was because he paid more than two thousand taels of silver for lighting the lanterns—but… what’s the use of saying all this now?
At this moment, the Crown Prince of Yu laughed and said, "Tell me, if he stole these two thousand taels of silver, does all this still count?"
"Stolen? Stolen from whom?"
Manager Hu was stunned.
"Hehe, sometimes, it doesn't matter whose it is or how it is stolen. As long as we say it was stolen, then it was stolen!"
"Your Highness's insight is brilliant!"
Prefect Liu had been an official for many years and had done his fair share of immoral things. The Crown Prince of Yu had only mentioned the beginning, but he immediately understood.
“If anyone can prove that he stole the silver, then his lighting fee will be invalid. If the lighting fee is invalid, then the 12,500 taels of silver he won will also be invalid. Without this 10,000 taels of silver as a stake, his bet with Manager Hu is even less valid!”
Yu Wang's heir clapped his hands idly: "As expected of Prefect Liu! And as long as it is proven that he stole the silver, Prefect Liu can immediately put him in jail! At that time, all his followers will be arrested as well. He came out alone with so many followers. Isn't it just for robbery?"
They were new to Ruzhou and unfamiliar with the place. Once the news of their robbery spread, even Pavilion Master Mu wouldn't be able to plead for them. After all, robbery was a serious crime in Anguo, punishable by death!
Upon hearing this, everyone clapped and cheered.
Manager Hu's face, which had been deathly pale, finally recovered somewhat, but he was still somewhat worried and said, "But young master, whose money should we let him rob? Nearly three thousand taels of silver is no small amount. If we just pick someone randomly, I'm afraid we won't be able to convince the public!"
The Crown Prince of Yu laughed heartily: "I have already thought of a suitable candidate. As long as I promise that after the matter is accomplished, I will let him have some fun with that young lady, he will be very happy!"
"..."
Upon hearing the last sentence, the others smiled knowingly, because they already knew who the Crown Prince of Yu was referring to!
...
As Jing Zhe emerged from Juxianlou, bathed in the bright moonlight, he witnessed Mu Qingren and Wang Yingqiu disappear at the end of the street on horseback.
Although the two were riding horses, they were moving very slowly. When they turned a corner, Mu Qingren clearly looked back.
"Husband, perhaps I should go back first!"
Zhang Xiaoyu thought for a moment and then said, "I can stay outside for a while. They shouldn't suspect that my husband went to Wuxian Pavilion!"
Given Zhang Xiaoyu's intelligence, since Jing Zhe hadn't revealed his identity, he naturally didn't want people to know about his relationship with Mu Qingren.
So just now at Juxianlou, she even acted out a scene with Jing Zhe.
Jing Zhe shook his head and said, "No need, we're all family. Xiaoyu hasn't been to Wuxian Pavilion either, let's go take a look together! I'm worried about leaving you here alone!"
"Um!"
Zhang Xiaoyu felt a warmth in her heart upon hearing this, and then cautiously asked, "But... Pavilion Master Mu won't be unhappy, will he?"
"Didn't you just talk to her? You should know something about what kind of person she is, right?"
Zhang Xiaoyu nodded and said, "I originally thought that as the head of one of the four major sects, Pavilion Master Mu would be difficult to talk to, but I didn't expect that she would feel similar to my second sister!"
Jing Zhe teased her, "Almost like your second sister? Is Xiao Yu also planning to call her 'elder sister'?"
Zhang Xiaoyu was taken aback, stammered, and couldn't say anything for a long time.
According to the order of arrival, I should be the older sister.
However, based on age, Mu Qingren was undoubtedly the oldest among all the women, and Mu Qingren had been intimate with Jing Zhe for much longer than her, so it was only right for her to call her "elder sister"...
So Zhang Xiaoyu was very conflicted.
Jing Zhe chuckled and patted her head, saying, "Xiaoyu, don't worry too much! Just follow your heart when it comes to these things. As long as you feel comfortable with it, it doesn't matter what you're called. Nobody really cares about these titles anyway!"
"..."
Because Zhu Xinning was always vying for the position of "first wife," Zhang Xiaoyu gradually followed suit. Of course, she wasn't vying for the position of first wife, but rather for being ranked ahead of others.
Now, after being reminded by Jing Zhe, Zhang Xiaoyu suddenly understood.
Besides the first wife, what's the difference between the other positions? What's the point of struggling to fight for them? It's better to just call them by their age or intuition, and save yourself the trouble!
So she smiled and said, "My husband is right, we'll do whatever you say!"
"Okay, let's go find them!"
"..."
————
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