Starting with Intercepting and Marrying the Eldest Princess - Chapter 12

Chapter 12: “Xie Mao, Pay Up!”…

Pei Shujing ran.

She was pushed by Xiao Yu.

The wheelchair wheels were practically smoking, but Pei Shujing was still unsatisfied and kept urging Xiao Yu to hurry.

If she runs fast enough, the embarrassment won’t catch up to her!

Running equally fast was Xie Yunfeng.

He had initially been roaring with laughter at Xie Jing, but then Xie Yunhao asked him if, under the circumstances, Xie Jing counted as having received the full attention of the Grand Secretaries and scholars.

Xie Yunfeng froze with his mouth still agape.

Yes, did this situation count as Xie Jing winning?

How could it not…

One hundred thousand taels… one hundred thousand taels!

Even if Xie Yunfeng was sold, he couldn’t come up with that much.

The Xie family could afford it, but his fate would definitely not be good. Moreover, he was the one who eagerly lent the money to Xie Jing for the bet. If the Xie family found out, they would be considered merciful if they didn’t kick him out.

So, under Xie Yunhao’s contemptuous gaze, Xie Yunfeng ran, not forgetting to take all the silver notes from the gambling house with him before leaving.

Returning to Xie Ning, she calmly departed amidst the clamor of students shouting things like, “What decorum!”, “A disgrace to scholars!”, and “Unfilial offspring!”

Only after she had slowly faded from view did she bolt away.

Shameful! More shameful than imagined!

As soon as she ducked into an alley, panting heavily, she heard movement at the alley entrance. Xie Ning immediately put on a proud demeanor and looked at the newcomer: “Where did you run off to?”

Xiao Zhu stopped five steps away from Xie Ning and said quietly: “I was afraid you would be beaten, and the blood would splash on me.”

Xie Ning smiled triumphantly: “Do you think Her Highness is satisfied now?”

“Are you sure Her Highness will be satisfied and not just kill you outright?” Xiao Zhu remained skeptical of Xie Ning’s confidence.

Xie Ning pulled the betting certificate from her purse: “That’s why I still have this.”

“Do you think one hundred thousand taels will make Her Highness spare you?”

“No, the point is that it’s one hundred thousand taels from the Xie family.”

Nothing could make Pei Shujing happier than screwing over the Xie family one more time.

If there was… it would be screwing over the Emperor.

“But Xie Yunfeng has already run away.”

On her way back, Xiao Zhu had deliberately looked at the gambling house. It was already closed, and countless gamblers were blocking the entrance and cursing.

“It doesn’t matter. The monk may run away, but the temple cannot. Those gamblers don’t dare to go to the Xie family residence, but I do!”

Xiao Zhu had to admit that Xie Jing truly had a knack for this, constantly dancing back and forth at the gates of the Underworld.

A large area in the eastern part of the capital belonged to the Xie family.

A tall archway stood guard at the entrance, clearly marking it as a city within a city.

At this moment, Xie Ning and Xiao Zhu stood before this city within a city.

“Stop!” Two Xie family guards stood at the main gate, glaring at them.

“I’m looking for Xie Yunfeng,” Xie Ning said.

“He’s not here!”

“Is that so? Then I’ll go inside and have a look.”

The guards were furious: “Is the Xie family gate somewhere you can just walk into?”

Xie Ning sneered: “Do you know who I am? I am the Imperial Son-in-Law, a Xie family descendant. Are you blind, daring to stop me!”

The guards certainly knew, but precisely because they knew, they dared not let Xie Jing enter. If the family head blamed them, they would be in serious trouble.

“Xie Jing, you better think carefully!” A familiar figure walked out from behind Xie Ning, his face wearing a smug, confident sneer: “This is not the Princess’s Residence. It’s not a place where you can run wild.”

The person was none other than Xie Yunhao.

Xie Ning said inexplicably: “What are you talking about? Can’t I go back to my own home?”

Xie Yunhao snorted: “Apologies, the Xie family does not welcome ingrates.”

Xie Ning nodded: “Then call out Xie Yunfeng. He owes me one hundred thousand taels… no, ninety-nine thousand taels of silver.”

“I can tell you right now, Xie Yunfeng has not returned. As for where he went… I apologize, no comment.”

Xie Ning raised an eyebrow: “Is that so…”

She casually pulled out the long sword from Xiao Zhu’s waist: “Then none of you are going anywhere.”

“Until Xie Yunfeng appears, none of the Xie family shall step over the sword in my hand. If you insist, you may try!”

Xie Ning pointed the sword at the Xie family plaque, her expression cold, showing no sign of joking.

Xie Yunhao’s eyes widened, not from fear, but from pure astonishment, even feeling a little ridiculous.

Just two people… No, it wasn’t about the number of people. Where in Daxia has anyone ever seen someone dare to block the Xie clan’s gate?

Is Xie Jing insane?

Xie Yunhao wasn’t going to engage with Xie Jing. He was about to tell the guards to drive the madman out when the main gate slowly opened, and Xie Mao emerged.

Xie Mao narrowed his eyes: “Jing’er, what is the meaning of this?”

Xie Ning threw the betting certificate in his direction, not afraid that Xie Mao would deny it: “Xie Yunfeng owes me ninety-nine thousand taels of silver, but the person is nowhere to be found. I had no choice but to come here to demand payment.”

“If Xie Yunfeng is here, order him to settle the silver with me. If Xie Yunfeng is not here, the Xie family naturally bears the responsibility.”

“If you intend to default on my silver, you must first ask if the sharp sword in my hand agrees!”

“You wouldn’t want me to chop down the Xie family plaque with one swing, would you?!”

As Xie Ning’s voice rang out, more and more onlookers gathered. Who in the capital would have thought such a thing would happen at the Xie family gate? However, after hearing that the person was the Imperial Son-in-Law, the crowd no longer found it strange.

The Imperial Son-in-Law’s actions in recent days had been too shocking.

First, he married the Grand Princess, then he went seeking pleasure the day after the wedding, then he forced his own father, Xie family head Xie Mao, to kneel, and just now, they heard he admitted to being the Grand Princess’s dog at the literary gathering…

Now, he was rushing to block the Xie family’s gate. Is it strange?

They just wanted to say, “Imperial Son-in-Law, please take a break! The speed at which we’re eating gossip can’t keep up with your mischief!”

The capital was usually bustling, but no one had ever witnessed such successive events.

If the capital had a trending topics list, it would surely be “#Why is the Imperial Son-in-Law so bold?!”

Precisely because of this, through word of mouth, the Xie family residence was now completely surrounded by a dense crowd.

Li Jing pinched his throat and shouted: “I, Xie Jing, am the Grand Princess’s dog!”

A burst of laughter rippled through the surroundings.

Xie Ning was a bit speechless. Why is this guy everywhere? Why doesn’t he act like a proper Marquis’s young master and instead behaves like a street bum in the capital?

“I think you’re jealous of me! What kind of woman is Her Highness? I, Xie Jing, can at least be her dog. What about you? Are you worthy!”

Everyone present fell silent.

Bringing that up made them all feel a wave of sadness. That’s the Grand Princess!

“You dog scoundrel!”

“Family Head Xie, we support you in taking down this shameless dog scoundrel!”

“Yes!!!”

Before Xie Ning could retort, she was interrupted by Xie Mao’s angry shout: “Enough!”

“Xie Jing! Look at the state you are in now! Where is the dignity of a Xie family descendant!”

Xie Ning sneered: “What dignity does a Xie family descendant have? The dignity of not paying their debts?”

Xie Mao said solemnly: “Jing’er, are you determined to let outsiders laugh at my Xie family?”

Xie Ning smiled: “Apologies, I am not a person of your Xie family. I, Xie Jing, am the Grand Princess’s dog, so I am naturally a person of the Pei family.”

Xie Mao’s pupils contracted. He stared intently at Xie Ning and said word by word, emphasizing each one: “Have you thought this through?”

Xie Mao had previously wondered where Xie Jing got his nerve. Did he believe the Grand Princess had any room to struggle against the combined forces of the Xie family and the Emperor?

Now, upon hearing Xie Jing say, “a person of the Pei family,” he finally understood: Xie Jing had sided with the Emperor!

Therefore, everything Xie Jing had done recently was at the Emperor’s instruction—treading on his Xie family to gain the Grand Princess’s trust, thereby effortlessly defrauding her of the military power.

Xie Mao inwardly sneered: The Emperor has good intentions, but does he truly think his Xie family is weak and easily bullied?!

And Xie Jing truly didn’t know how to appreciate favors! It was the Xie family that gave him a chance, turning him from a dirt farmer into a Xie family descendant, even allowing him to openly marry the Grand Princess. He never expected that upon gaining power, this person would be so ungrateful!

“Xie Jing, I will give you one last chance. Do not forget where your current status came from!”

As soon as Xie Mao finished speaking, Li Jing couldn’t take it anymore. He stepped out and sneered twice: “Old man, I’ve hated the sight of you for a long time! Xie Yunfeng owes Brother Jing money and doesn’t want to pay, and yet you still threaten Brother Jing!”

“It is only right and proper to pay debts. Besides, even close brothers settle their accounts clearly!”

“Coincidentally, I also placed a bet here. I wanted to give your Xie family face, but I didn’t expect your Xie family to be so aggressive. Pay back my money immediately, right now! Not a single coin less!”

As soon as these words were spoken, the excited gamblers who had been itching to move could no longer restrain themselves. They raised their betting certificates and shouted: “That’s right!”

“Pay up!”

“The Xie family must pay!!!”

Xie Mao was so angry that his beard bristled. He glared fiercely at Li Jing, which made Li Jing shrink back slightly: “What are you looking at? Don’t you know my elder brother is returning to the capital soon to report for duty? Try touching me!”

Seeing the Xie residence surrounded by the enraged crowd, Xie Mao instead calmed down and said softly: “Go fetch the silver.”

“Father, you’re confused!” Xie Yunhao said urgently: “What does the misfortune Xie Yunfeng brought upon himself have to do with our Xie family!”

Xie Ning burst out laughing. Setting aside everything else, Xie Yunhao publicly calling Xie Mao “old and confused” was enough for Xie Ning to laugh out loud, let alone the nerve Xie Yunhao had to criticize Xie Yunfeng.

Sure enough, Xie Mao looked at Xie Yunhao with a dark face: “Your father is not so confused yet. However, in your eyes, is your father’s kneeling worth less than one hundred thousand taels of silver?”

Xie Yunhao was startled and shocked. He stopped speaking and quickly went to fetch the silver.

When Xie Yunhao brought the silver notes, he counted out ninety-nine thousand taels and handed them to Xie Ning. Xie Ning counted them publicly: “Sorry for the disturbance.”

“Jing’er, your father has some advice for you,” Xie Mao said behind him: “The road of life is long. You must walk slowly and not make it narrower and narrower.”

“You are a Xie family person, after all. The Pei family, no matter what, cannot protect you for a lifetime.”

Xie Ning returned the sword to its sheath and handed it back to Xiao Zhu.

Only then did she turn back, cupped her hands to Xie Mao, and said: “Thank you for the lesson.”

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