Back at the Marquis's residence, Chi Jingyu belatedly realized that 30,000 taels was by no means a small sum.
He has his own salary and has accumulated quite a bit over the years, but it's still far from enough to compare with this amount.
Chi Jingyu approached the steward and requested to withdraw tens of thousands of taels of silver from the treasury. Upon hearing this amount, the steward was quite surprised: "What does the young master need so much money for?"
Chi Jingyu's face turned somewhat unpleasant, his expression turning slightly cold: "Since when have I needed to report to you about what I do?"
"I wouldn't dare!" The steward quickly lowered his head, his face showing difficulty. "But to withdraw such a large sum of money, I need to ask Madam's opinion in advance. I can't make the decision on my own."
Chi Jingyu's eyes flickered with emotion. If she were to mention this to her mother, her mother would definitely hold a grudge.
He was already feeling somewhat regretful, but the thought of Shen Tangning's mocking and contemptuous gaze made him feel quite uncomfortable.
He agreed so readily back then, but now he's going back on his word. Isn't that contradicting himself? What will Shen Tangning think of him?
Holding his breath, Chi Jingyu pursed his thin lips: "I'll go and talk to my mother myself."
...
"So much silver?" Lady Hou was surprised and frowned. "What do you suddenly need so much money for?"
After being questioned repeatedly, Chi Jingyu was getting impatient. He didn't know the value of money until he was in charge of the household, and he didn't have a clear concept of money. He just felt that his mother had been too frugal lately.
Before the family divided their property, his second aunt never hesitated to ask for any amount of money.
He did not tell the truth to Lady Hou, but instead told a lie: "In court, it is necessary to make arrangements for social interactions, not to mention that His Majesty's birthday is approaching."
At this point, Lady Hou's eyes flashed with realization: "We should prepare properly, but we are not like before, and we cannot come up with so much cash in a short time."
She frowned deeply and spat indignantly, "If it weren't for that bitch Shen Tangning, who instigated the second branch of the family to haggle over every penny during the division of the family property, how could we have ended up in this state?"
Chi Jingyu didn't respond, wondering to himself if his mother hadn't played a role in the division of the family property between the two branches.
But years of upbringing prevented him from blaming his mother.
"I'll figure out how to give you whatever my mother can give me, and the rest I'll figure out."
The Lady Hou relented, but it was still a bit short of 30,000 taels.
Chi Jingyu rarely worries about money. There's still some time before the end of the year, and the recent embezzlement scandal has caused quite a stir, so his salary hasn't been paid yet.
When he came to visit Shen Xiwei, he couldn't help but reveal a bit of his thoughts, which she noticed. Shen Xiwei, with her pregnant belly, sat down and gently asked, "Is something on your mind, Your Highness?"
Chi Jingyu unconsciously furrowed his brow and casually said, "It's nothing, I'm just a little short on cash lately."
So it was about money?
Shen Xi smiled. She had become quite plump recently, and her cheeks had filled out a bit. She had lost her delicate and graceful demeanor, but she was still charming and adorable: "Then why doesn't Your Highness ask me?"
Chi Jingyu was taken aback, and hesitated slightly: "You..."
Shen Xiwei then called Yuzhu over: "Go, fetch the box from the bottom of my trunk."
A moment later, Yuzhu came over with the box. Shen Xiwei took off the hairpin from her head and gently poked it into the keyhole to open the box. She then took out a stack of silver notes and handed them over.
Chi Jingyu's eyes showed emotion: "Xiwei, what's wrong?"
She smiled, grabbed his hand, and stuffed the silver notes into his hand: "This is the dowry that my aunt saved for me. I don't need it right now, but since you need it, Your Highness, please take it for now."
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