Chapter 161: Chapter 161
"Greetings, greetings … greetings, aunt!"
A young man bowed to his mother-in-law, Su Peipei. He was a little special.
This person was actually quite handsome, but his skin was especially dark. It was an abnormal kind of dark, and there was an obvious birthmark on his chin that looked like a star.
Therefore, this face looked a little weird.
He was not tall, about 1.6 meters.
Moreover, he stuttered.
He was the fifth son of the Monarch, Ning Zheng.
In terms of status, he could be considered a big shot.
He had nothing to do with Xuan Wu Mansion, but his mother-in-law, Su Peipei, was a relative.
His mother, Su Fei, was born in the Zhenyuan Marquis' Mansion and was the legitimate daughter of Marquis Su Nan.
This kind of marriage between the Monarch was very normal.
The Queen was the daughter of the first wife of the Zhu Clan. The Zhu Clan was considered a prestigious clan in the entire Great Yan Empire, and their influence was not limited to the State of Yue.
In addition to the Queen, the Monarch also had four concubines.
Three of them came from established aristocratic families. Consort Bian was the younger sister of the Duke of Might, Bian Xiao. Consort Zhong was from the Zhong Clan of Zhenxi Marquis, and Consort Su was from the Su Clan of Zhenyuan Marquis.
Concubine Bian had no sons, so she could not participate in the fight for the throne.
Crown Prince Ning Yi was the legitimate son of the Queen and received the support of most of the civil officials. Among them, the Zhu family was the Crown Prince's biggest backer.
Second Prince Ning Shao's mother had already passed away.
The Third Prince, Ning Qi, was Zhong Shi's nephew and had a powerful military background. He was the only one who could rival the Crown Prince.
The fourth prince, Ning Zhen, was born of a palace maid. Although he was liked by the Monarch and was well-versed in both literature and martial arts, his mother's family was lowly and did not have the power to fight for the throne. Therefore, he joined the Crown Prince and became one of the most capable assistants in the Crown Prince's faction. He was seen as his right-hand man.
The Fifth Prince, Ning Zheng, was born to Su Fei.
But when he was just born, he was seen as a freak because his body was yellow and black, and there was a star birthmark on his chin.
Coincidentally, a meteor had crashed into the western corner of the capital, destroying houses and starting a fire. Hundreds of people were killed or injured.
The imperial physician said that this child looked strange and had never been seen before in the royal family.
The Imperial Preceptor said that this child was inauspicious.
Therefore, the Monarch gave the order to abandon it. His mother, Su Fei, cried bitterly but did not stop him.
At that time, Su Peipei was helping her sister Su Fei deliver a baby.
She could be considered the first person to hug Ning Zheng. Seeing his strange appearance, she couldn't bear to see him like this.
Hearing that the child was going to be abandoned, she hugged Ning Zheng and refused to let go. She knelt down and begged the Monarch to show mercy.
Even a vicious tiger will not eat its cubs.
It was because of these words that the newborn Ning Zheng survived.
Su Peipei was loathed by the Monarch and left the capital not long after. From then on, no matter what happened, the royal family never invited Su Peipei.
Although Su Fei was Su Peipei's sister, the Monarch didn't like Su Peipei, so she cut off contact with her sister.
Ning Zheng survived, and his life was very tough.
But of all the Monarch's sons, he was the least likable one.
The Monarch hated it. Even his mother, Su Fei, hated it.
Later, Su Fei gave birth to another son. She disliked Ning Zheng even more. Even her biological younger brother looked down on him.
Now Ning Zheng was nineteen years old. He was already an adult. Several of his brothers had been conferred titles. The fourth prince, Ning Zhen, was born of a palace maid and was conferred the title of duke. Only he didn't have any title.
After leaving the palace, the Monarch only gave him a house with only a dozen acres of land.
The wives of other princes were all the daughters of famous families. Only Ning Zheng married a merchant's daughter.
As for his stutter, some people said it was caused by a eunuch with ulterior motives when he was a teenager. Some said it was caused by strong stimulation when he was a child.
But he was not liked by the Monarch. With his stutter, he was even more despised.
Throughout the year, the Monarch rarely saw his son.
Not only that, even the Marquis of Zhenyuan Mansion didn't like his nephew.
But no matter what?
After all, he was the son of the Monarch. He had a high status.
At this time, everyone came up to trample on the Xuan Wu Mansion.
Yet, this Fifth Prince had come to the Black Tortoise Manor to offer help in their hour of need.
Not only did he come in person, but he also gave 17,000 gold coins.
It was already known that Yinyuan would ask the Kim family for debts. Everyone knew that the Xuan Wu Mansion had encountered a huge financial crisis.
And these 17,000 gold coins were all the fifth prince, Ning Zheng.
At a critical moment, a person was willing to take out all his money to save you. What kind of friendship was this?
In fact, apart from being saved by Su Peipei after he was born, the fifth prince had no contact with her since then.
In the capital, he was like an invisible man.
Not to mention others, even the Xuan Wu Mansion forgot that they had a relative.
But they didn't expect that at this "desperate" moment, other people who had been saved by the Xuan Wu Mansion couldn't wait to draw a line and even hit him when he was down.
Only the Fifth Highness had helped him in his hour of need and gave him everything he had.
This really surprised Shen Lang and his mother-in-law. They didn't expect it at all.
"Your Highness, please sit down!" Su Peipei said.
The fifth prince, Ning Zheng, saluted to Shen Lang.
Shen Lang was very rude. After all, the other party was the son of the Monarch, and he even asked the other party to take the initiative to salute him.
Shen Lang hurriedly returned the salute.
Ning Zheng's expression was quite unnatural. He was born with an inferiority complex, especially when he saw a handsome man like Shen Lang.
After sitting down, the fifth prince, Ning Zheng, didn't know what to say.
The atmosphere was a little awkward.
The mother-in-law, Su Peipei, said, "Your Highness, my Husband is not in good health. I'm afraid that he will pass on his illness to you, so he can't come to see you. I'm sorry."
Ning Zheng said, "In a while … son, I … I'll go to visit uncle."
The mother-in-law, Su Peipei, said, "Your Highness, our family is short of money, but we can't accept your money. You'd better take these gold coins back."
Ning Zheng's face turned red, and he stuttered more seriously, "Aunt … you, you saved my life. I have to … repay you."
Ning Zheng's stuttering became more serious because of this tension.
Su Peipei couldn't bear to provoke him to speak.
Shen Lang didn't say anything. He just showed a gentle smile, which could calm the other party down.
After calming down a little, Ning Zheng spoke more fluently and slowly, "I asked father for a decree to let Crown Prince Jin Mucong enter the Imperial College to study."
Ning Zheng said this with good intentions.
Everyone knew that Xuan Wu Mansion was in danger. If he stayed in Xuanwu, his life would be in danger.
On the surface, it was to enter the Imperial College to study, but in fact, it was to enter the fifth prince's mansion to avoid disaster. At least he could save his life.
Ning Zheng said this matter simply, but in fact, he knelt outside the Monarch's palace for a day and a night before he begged.
In the past, Su Peipei saved his life. Now he felt obliged to save Jin Mucong. At least, he didn't want the Kim family to die out.
"Not long after, Father will send a decree."
Shen Lang and Su Peipei were really moved.
Although the desolation and despair of Xuan Wu Mansion was fake, the Kim family had been ambushed from all sides during this time was real. Everyone in the family had really suffered the fickleness of the world and the warmth and coldness of the human world.
They didn't expect that the fifth prince would come forward to help the Kim family at such a critical moment.
How could people not be moved by such a deep friendship?
Next, the fifth prince, Ning Zheng, went to see Jin Zhuo of Xuanwu, who was lying on the sickbed.
He didn't say any flowery words. He just bowed to him, which was the courtesy of a junior.
This man was not good with words, let alone nice words.
After having a meal in Xuan Wu Mansion, he left and returned to the capital.
He kept the 17,000 gold coins with his strong will. He wanted to give them to Xuan Wu Mansion to tide over the crisis.
Before leaving, Ning Zheng said something to Shen Lang.
"If things don't work out, Shen can take cousin Mulan away from the State of Yue. My brother, the Crown Prince, has his eyes on cousin and is determined to get her!"
This sentence made Shen Lang's heart full of killing intent.
Crown Prince, Ning Yi, is determined to get my wife? From now on, we are mortal enemies, and we won't stop until one of us is dead.
At the same time, he really liked the fifth prince to the extreme.
This man was a little eccentric, a little self-abased, very proud, and not good with words.
But he knew how to repay kindness, had a noble character, was upright and courageous, and even had a little chivalrous naivety.
In everyone's eyes, Xuan Wu Mansion was doomed.
If he helped at this time, he would not get anything in return except angering the Monarch and making Ning Zheng's situation worse.
Shen Lang immediately bowed to the fifth prince.
Ning Zheng was a little nervous. He saluted back, then got on the car and left.
… …
As time went by.
The storm of Xuan Wu Mansion's debt became more and more fierce.
Not only did all the officials and nobles know about it, even the common people knew about it.
The Kim family owed 700,000 gold coins, and they were going to repudiate the debt.
All the families and all the officials almost spoke out.
It was only right and proper to pay the debt.
Xuan Wu Mansion repudiated the debt and lost the noble demeanor of a hundred years.
Then, public opinion spread all over the world.
Shen Lang, the son-in-law of Xuan Wu Mansion, lived an extremely extravagant life. He wore brocade clothes and was comparable to a noble.
During the battle of Jinshan Island, he changed four sets of clothes in just three days.
The cost of each set of clothes was no less than 200 gold coins.
Then, there was a rumor that Shen Lang, the son-in-law, had to use 100 fish for one meal because he only ate fish lips.
It was also said that he liked to eat donkey meat, but he had to kill 10 donkeys for one meal.
Because he only ate the crispy part of the donkey.
Then, the common people were not happy.
"Damn it, you're just a son-in-law. How can you live so extravagantly?
There are so many people in the world who don't have enough to eat. How can you be so extravagant?
You deserve to be beaten and killed! "
Then, there was a rumor that Shen Lang, relying on the power of Xuan Wu Mansion, was blackmailing people everywhere.
First, he forced Tian Heng, the Leader of the Civilian Army, to die and took away all his property.
Then, he blackmailed Lin Mo, the owner of the Splendid Court, for 5,000 gold coins and refused to pay the debt.
He even extorted tens of thousands of gold coins from Xu Guangyun's family and forced Xu Guangyun's family to die.
And all the money was squandered by Shen Lang.
Now, owing such a huge debt to the Yinyuan Association, Xuan Wu Mansion not only had no intention of paying the money, but also sent troops to drive Shu Tingyu out.
In this public opinion.
Xuan Wu Mansion was simply shameless. It was exactly the same as those debtors in the later generations who didn't pay the debt but indulged in debauchery.
And Shen Lang was even more disgusting.
For a time, everyone in the State of Yue was shouting to kill him.
Countless imperial censors submitted memorials, begging the Monarch to punish him.
The Monarch issued a decree to urge Count Jin Zhuo to repay the debt and not tarnish the reputation of the aristocracy of the State of Yue.
There were also imperial censors who reported that Count Jin Yu had borrowed millions of gold coins from the Yinyuan Association and used Wangya Island as collateral.
Now that the 20-year period was up, the Yinyuan Association had the right to take back Wangya Island.
The Yinyuan Association sent an envoy to the State of Yue and sent an official document to the Shangshu Bureau. The Yinyuan Association only took back the salt and mine management rights of Wangya Island and was willing to give the entire island land rights to the State of Yue for free.
Finally, the Monarch issued a decree!
If Xuan Wu Mansion still couldn't pay off the debt of 700,000 gold coins by the deadline, they would hand over the Wangya Island as collateral to the Yinyuan Association.
Finally!
The last boot fell to the ground.
A fatal stab.
The Monarch personally came forward and made a ruling on the debt of the Kim family and the Yinyuan Association.
At this time, there were only 13 days left before the deadline to repay the debt.
Even an immortal couldn't come up with 700,000 gold coins.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Kim family would lose Wangya Island.
Once they lost Wangya Island, the economic pillar, the Kim family would collapse in an instant.
Thirteen days, 700,000 gold coins.
It was a daydream to raise this amount of money.
Xuan Wu had fallen ill.
His wife, Su Peipei, personally went to borrow money from various families and chambers of commerce. She said all kinds of good words and begged in every way.
However, all of them yielded nothing.
For more than ten days, she begged nine families, all of which were old aristocrats.
It was said a hundred times that the lips were separated, the teeth were interdependent.
But she only borrowed a total of 1,000 gold coins.
Yes, the nine families added up to 1,000 gold coins.
It was really chilling.
This act of borrowing money made the aristocrats of the world see the Kim family as a joke.
It further confirmed the desperate situation of the Xuan Wu Mansion.
Although the deadline had not yet arrived, in everyone's eyes.
The Kim family was dead.
However, it would take another ten days for them to officially announce the demise of the Xuan Wu Mansion!
…
Earning 700,000 gold coins in half a month!
To others, it was simply a fantasy, the ravings of a lunatic.
After all, the taxes of the entire Tiannan Province added up were not so much.
But for Shen Lang, it was a piece of cake.
He had been preparing for this day for a few months.
And what he wanted to earn was not just 700,000 gold coins at all.
It was 800,000, 900,000, or even more!
The key strategy of the third step was to turn Wangya Island into a golden island.
When the deadline came in half a month, the Kim family would directly pay off the debt of 700,000 gold coins to the Yinyuan Association.
At that time, the world would be shocked in an instant.
All the aristocrats and civilians in the world would be completely shocked.
Now the world's public opinion was attacking Shen Lang and the Kim family, and it was getting more and more intense.
Of course, this was the hype of the Yinyuan Association and the new politics.
But Shen Lang was very grateful for this public opinion. It made the Kim family famous all over the world, and made the debt storm known to everyone.
The more intense the hype was, the more shocking the effect would be when Shen Lang suddenly threw out 700,000 gold coins.
Shen Lang's golden island strategy would be an unprecedented success.
And at that time!
The strategy of seizing the Raging Tide City and becoming the king across the sea would be half a success.
This feeling of being in a big chess game was really cool!
This feeling of controlling the world was really cool!
However, at this time, Shen Lang was still a little anxious.
Because there was still no news from Xu Qianqian in the Raging Tide City.
Time was very tight.
Chou Yao'er's importance was becoming more and more important, becoming an indispensable part of seizing the Raging Tide City.
The golden Wangya Island strategy was about to explode.
If Xu Qianqian still couldn't take down Chou Yao'er, Shen Lang would really have to personally take action.
If he couldn't take down Chou Yao'er, the whole strategy would fail.
Xu Qianqian, weren't you quite awesome before?
Don't drop the ball at this crucial moment!
At this time, Jin Hui came in with a strange expression: "Young master, Hong Xian requests to see you."
Shen Lang was stunned: "Your wife?"
Jin Hui's face was red. Until now, he felt like he was in a dream.
That beautiful and proud young lady really became his wife?
Even though he had slept with her more than ten times, he still couldn't believe this was the truth.
Half a month ago, that proud girl took the initiative to sleep with Jin Hui.
Even though the Xuan Wu Mansion was in a desperate situation, they still held a simple and grand ceremony for Jin Hui, marrying that proud girl into the family.
Xuanwu and his wife became the parents of the man, while Shen Lang's parents somehow became the parents of the woman.
Now this proud girl actually took the initiative to see Shen Lang?
All along, she had never liked Shen Lang, that pretty boy. When Shen Lang scolded Jin Hui, she still bore a grudge.
Shen Lang: "Let her in!"
A moment later, that proud girl came in.
After getting married, her congenital heart disease was still there, but her face was much rosier, and her lips were not as purple as before.
After entering, she directly sat on the chair opposite, not as respectful as Jin Hui.
For a moment, Jin Hui didn't know what to do.
He couldn't afford to offend the young master.
His wife, he … … also couldn't afford to offend her.
Son-in-law needed to be flattered, but his wife needed to be licked.
This was truly putting him in a difficult position.
"Jin Hui, go out first, I have something to say to young master Shen." The proud girl said.
Jin Hui looked at Shen Lang.
Shen Lang waved his hand, and Jin Hui quickly left as if he had been granted amnesty.
"I originally didn't plan to go home for the rest of my life, but now that Xuan Wu Mansion is in a desperate situation, I … … I'm willing to go home and ask my parents for help, but I can't guarantee how useful it will be."
This girl's name was Zheng Hongxian.
Her father was the fifth major figure in the State of Yue's military, the Great General of Pacifying the West, and the Count of Xishan, Zheng Tuo.
The State of Yue's western army was completely in the hands of the Zhong family.
And this Great General Zheng Tuo was the second-in-command of the western army, and was sent by the Monarch to keep the Zhong family in check.
He was a new type of aristocrat. He didn't have a fief, but he had military power, and could be considered a direct descendant of the Monarch.
As mentioned earlier, Viscount Zhu Lanting's son, Zhu Wentai, had fallen victim to martial arts and planned to join the army.
With the Zhu family's status, it was originally impossible for them to get close to Great General Zheng Tuo.
But who asked Zheng Hongxian to be born with a heart disease? The doctor said that it was difficult for her to give birth, so most aristocrats weren't willing to marry this girl.
Viscount Zhu Lanting took the opportunity to curry favor with her, paving the way for his son, Zhu Wentai.
Great General Zheng Tuo didn't think much of Viscount Zhu Lanting, but the Zhu family was, after all, a century-old aristocrat. Moreover, Zhu Wentai had fallen victim to martial arts and was considered outstanding. Most importantly, he didn't look down on his daughter's congenital disease, so he agreed to the marriage.
And because Zheng Hongxian had a congenital heart disease, her personality was especially sensitive and extreme. She always felt that her parents disliked her, and now they wanted her to marry a complete stranger.
With such a strong personality, she actually left home and traveled thousands of miles to Yangwu County. She wanted to personally inspect her fiancé, Zhu Wentai.
But … …
She didn't expect that as soon as she entered the Zhu family's territory, she would immediately be knocked unconscious by the Zhu family's warriors, suffering an unprecedented misfortune.
She had originally planned to die, but in the end, she was saved by Jin Hui.
But in her most desperate moment, she met a man like Jin Hui, who was infatuated with her and respected her as a goddess.
If it were any other aristocrat's daughter, they wouldn't even look at Jin Hui.
But Zheng Hongxian had been sick since she was young. She was sensitive and especially understood the fickleness of the world, so she knew what she wanted.
She especially liked a man like Jin Hui, who was introverted, sensitive, and infatuated with love.
Moreover, when she was in hell, it was Jin Hui who saved her.
And so, the two of them became happy.
Originally, she had planned to never contact her family again, but now that she saw Xuan Wu Mansion in a desperate situation, she felt obligated to help.
Even though she felt that she couldn't help at all.
But whether she could help or not was one thing, and whether she would do it or not was another.
So, she took the initiative to ask Shen Lang to return to Xishan Count House and ask her father for help.
Shen Lang sighed in his heart.
It was yet another timely help.
Although she had the heart, she was powerless.
But having the heart was stronger than anything else!
Shen Lang immediately stood up and cupped his hands. "Miss Zheng, you are an amazing girl, although a little rash and extreme, you are still amazing. It is Jin Hui's blessing to be able to marry you. But you don't have to worry about Xuan Wu Mansion. You can stay in the mansion and live with Jin Hui. "
Zheng Hongxian stared at Shen Lang for a long time and said, "You really don't need my help?"
"No," Shen Lang said.
Zheng Hongxian went out.
Jin Hui hurriedly followed behind and sent his wife back to the courtyard.
"Hongxian, are you thirsty?" Then Jin Hui poured a cup of tea for her and tested the temperature.
It was warm, Hong Xian's favorite temperature.
"Jin Hui, you are hiding something from me," the proud Zheng Hongxian said.
Jin Hui's face trembled. He stood at attention and bowed to admit his mistake.
"I'm sorry, Hong Xian. There are some things I really can't tell anyone."
Zheng Hongxian looked at her husband for a long time and said, "Forget it. Loyalty is the best quality."
Jin Hui was overjoyed. "Thank you, Hong Xian, for your magnanimity."
Zheng Hongxian said, "I'm curious now. How will Shen Lang turn the tide? No matter how I look at it, our family is in trouble."
Jin Hui remained silent and did not say a word.
Zheng Hongxian waved her hand. "Go. Your master needs you."
"Yes!" Jin Hui said. He could not help but massage his wife's neck and shoulders a few times. Then, he put the most obedient black cat next to his wife so that she would not be bored.
Then, he ran out to wait for Shen Lang's orders.
Zheng Hongxian watched her husband's back as he ran out. She could not help but feel gentle and happy.
In her opinion, a woman's family background was not important.
A capable man who knew how to be warm and cold was the best match.
It was like wearing shoes.
Some people thought that it looked good, while others thought that it was comfortable.
Of course, our Master Lang's shoes were beautiful, comfortable, and gorgeous. That was why so many women rushed to wear them.
Don't make me, Shen Meinan, into a pair of used shoes!
…
A desperate situation really showed a man's heart!
Shen Lang could not help but sigh.
In this hopeless situation, Shen Lang saw two sets of sincere hearts.
What about you, Xu Qianqian?
Will you let me down?
At this moment, Jin Hui and Jin Zhong rushed in at the same time.
"Son-in-law, a secret letter from Miss Xu Qianqian."
"Son-in-law, the people from the Heavenly Association are here!"
Shen Lang was overjoyed.
Good things come in pairs?
These two important messages arrived at the same time!
The Heavenly Association!
A super organization that could compete with the Yinyuan Association.
Whether they could earn eight or nine hundred thousand gold coins in an instant or even more depended on Shen Lang's performance!
…
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