Chapter 9 Bargaining
Prince Jing, Li Jin, has kept quiet about the fact that he promised to pay for the meal after solving the case.
He's fine, but Jin Shu is different.
The debt collectors had already blocked the door of the old house. She only packed a few essential items and, along with Jin Rong, temporarily stayed at Liu Cheng'an's mansion.
He is currently penniless and penniless. Even his food and drink these past few days have been entirely dependent on Madam Liu's kindness.
She watched the two people in front of her, talking back and forth about the case without mentioning money. She was anxious, tugging at her clothes and frowning.
"The case has been solved, and it's about time for me to set off." Li Jin glanced at Jin Shu out of the corner of his eye, smiled, and gently blew away the foam from his teacup.
"This humble official is very grateful to Your Highness for your help, which enabled the case to be solved so quickly!"
Seeing that Liu Cheng'an had no intention of mentioning money, Jin Shu became anxious: "Your Highness, are you leaving so soon?"
Li Jin raised an eyebrow, glancing at her anxious expression: "Otherwise what?"
"Why don't you... spend a few more days sightseeing?" Jin Shu looked at him with mixed feelings, pondering for a long time whether she should speak first.
Li Jin saw through her little scheme, but pretended to be naive and said, "No, we only spent half a day sightseeing and found a female corpse. If we stay for two more days, I'm afraid Lord Liu won't be able to handle it."
"Oh, Your Highness, what are you saying? If you're looking for sightseeing, Dingzhou has plenty to offer!"
Before him, one of the two was feigning ignorance, and the other was pretending to be clueless; neither of them intended to mention the money. Jin Shu decided to take the plunge, stepped forward slightly, and said with dissatisfaction, "Your Highness is untrustworthy."
Liu Cheng'an was stunned, his heart leaped into his throat, and he turned to look at Li Jin, whose smile had faded somewhat.
"Oh? What makes you say that, Mr. Jin?" He raised his eyes and stared at Jin Shu's face.
"Your Highness clearly stated that if the case is solved, Your Highness will pay for the meal. Is that true?"
"have."
“Then Your Highness is a man of no integrity…” Jin Shu’s mouth was about to utter the words “a villain,” but looking into his eyes, she swallowed them back.
“I have a younger brother to support, and he needs to go to school next month. The teacher is also urging me to pay the money.”
"As a result, the debt collectors have already taken over my ancestral home. Forget about my brother's school fees, I can't even afford to eat without Mr. Liu's money."
"If Your Highness is a man of your word, then you should keep your promise and pay for the meal so that I can redeem the house and pay for my brother's tuition."
The room was unusually quiet.
Liu Cheng'an's heart pounded. He pursed his lips and glanced at Li Jin beside him, afraid that Jin Shu might slap the tiger's tail.
As a result, Li Jin, unhurried and unhurried, held the teacup and leisurely sipped it one sip after another.
"I did say that once the person is caught, I'll pay for the meal." He chuckled, put down his teacup, and looked at Jin Shu in front of him, his expression changing from surprise to delight.
Then, he poured a bucket of cold water on her, completely drenching her: "But I never said I wanted it to be settled in one lump sum, did I?"
Jin Shu's face stiffened: "This... If Your Highness doesn't settle the payment in one go, what will happen to my house? What will happen to Rong'er's schooling?"
In the study, incense smoke rises straight from the incense burner, while peach blossoms bloom in the courtyard.
Li Jin nodded repeatedly, looking completely understanding, which was incredibly irritating. He waved his fan open with a "whoosh" and said in a serious tone, "Mr. Jin, please don't be in a hurry. Why don't you listen to my suggestion first?"
He smiled and presented Jin Shu with a "grand dish" that he had prepared over the past few days.
"I believe that Jin Rong is exceptionally intelligent, and his talents might be wasted in a small place like Dingzhou. Therefore, you might consider sending him to a private school run by a renowned scholar in the capital."
Knowing that she valued this younger brother highly, Li Jin first offered a bait, and then, before she could react, said, "With your talent and learning, it's truly a waste for you to stay in Dingzhou Prefecture. Why not come with me to the capital and study under the Grand Coroner..."
Upon hearing that they were going to the Six Doors in the capital, Liu Cheng'an reacted even more strongly than Jin Shu, immediately waving his hand: "Absolutely not..."
Going to the Six Doors (a government agency) requires verification of identity, and this young woman's secret will definitely be exposed! At that time, Jin Shu and his head will both be in danger!
Before Liu Cheng'an could finish speaking, Li Jin closed his fan with one eyebrow raised and the other lowered, and tapped his waving hand with a snap: "He's going to find a master to learn skills."
He deliberately raised his eyebrows and said with a hint of contempt, "With that bean sprout-like build, you'd only be a burden if you came in. Who would want you?"
"Huh?" Liu Cheng'an looked surprised, turned his head slightly, and glanced at Jin Shu. "This..."
Li Jin looked at Jin Shu, who was equally surprised, and said with a smile, "If you accept this proposal, sir, the cost of the meal will be added to your monthly salary and paid to you monthly. If you do not accept..."
She stood there, waiting for a long time, but didn't hear the next half of the sentence.
Well, if you don't accept it, it probably means you have to figure it out yourself.
Jin Shu gritted her teeth, her eyes practically rolling to the heavens. She truly hadn't expected that this纨绔 (wán kù, a spoiled, dissolute young master) prince would actually pay in installments.
Seeing that she wouldn't budge, Li Jin waved his fan, his eyes darting around, and added, "Within the Six Doors, there is an extremely special branch. Those who enter are all personally selected by me and are not subject to the Six Doors' vetting process..."
He watched the subtle changes in Jin Shu's expression: "If Mr. Jin agrees, you will be directly under my command from now on. Without my verbal order or written consent, you can refuse to do anything anyone asks you to do, and you can refuse to do anything you don't want to do."
The conditions were indeed very tempting. Jin Shu frowned, glancing at Liu Cheng'an, whose face was filled with worry.
Jin Shu was grateful for his care over the years, but as time went on, the risks that such care brought to the Liu family increased day by day.
If I could have the privilege Li Jinfang mentioned, and receive his protection, and be even more careful...
Even if his identity is exposed one day in the future, he can avoid implicating the entire Liu family of more than ten people.
As if he could read her mind, Liu Chengan let out a long sigh.
He knew that this was the end of what he could do for his deceased old friend.
But Liu Cheng'an didn't expect that Jin Shu would remain silent for a long time before finally saying, "If Your Highness wants to pay in installments, that's fine, but... if this money is put into a money shop, I will charge six percent interest per month."
Liu Chengan was shocked.
Li Jin was also surprised.
Even Zhou Zheng, who had been standing silently behind Li Jin, widened his eyes.
Looking across the entire Wei Dynasty, this is the only one who can still do business with his prince under such circumstances!
“Well… Your Highness didn’t make it clear that it would be paid in installments, which was a deception. In addition, the prices in the capital are already high, and I don’t know anyone here. I don’t even have a place to stay. I have to buy everything from scratch, including food, clothing, and lodging. It won’t work without a 0.7% interest rate.”
The atmosphere in the study was unusually strange. Li Jin, who had been a prince for so many years, had never encountered such a bargaining fellow before.
After a long pause, he pursed his lips and nodded with great admiration: "Eight cents, I'll give you eight cents a month, how about that?"
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