Zhao Manor.
Zhao Jianzhi had already received news of Ye Li's departure from Luochuan Prefecture.
However, Zhao Jianzhi's mood did not improve with Ye Li's departure.
After returning from Su Manor, Zhao Jianzhi locked himself in his study.
To some extent, Princess Qinghe merely gave him and Song Lianxin twenty slaps each, which was not a bad thing.
This level of punishment was truly nothing compared to losing his official position or the Tribute Merchant status.
But even so, he still couldn't swallow that anger.
If Princess Qinghe had heavily punished them to avenge the Su Family as soon as she arrived in Luochuan Prefecture, he would have endured it.
But both times, they had lost their minds and brought the trouble upon themselves.
He could now perfectly imagine many colleagues in Luochuan Prefecture secretly laughing at them for being fools.
Once their two encounters at the Su Family's doorstep spread, they would become the laughingstock of Luochuan Prefecture.
The more Zhao Jianzhi thought about it, the angrier he became, and he couldn't help but breathe heavily, huffing and puffing.
“Knock, knock…”
Just then, there was a knock at the door.
“What is it?”
Zhao Jianzhi, still in a fit of pique, roared irritably.
The butler knew Zhao Jianzhi was in a bad mood and cautiously replied, “Master, Master Song is here…”
Song Jinshan?
What is he doing here again?
Is he here to talk about money again?
Zhao Jianzhi's brows were almost twisted together, and he yelled impatiently, “Tell him to wait for a moment!”
“Yes!”
The butler responded and quickly hastened away.
“Whew…”
Zhao Jianzhi let out a long, turbid breath, slowly stood up, and paced back and forth in the room with his hands behind his back.
The matter of money is not difficult to resolve.
Neither he nor that person would want the Song Family to lose its Tribute Merchant status.
If the Song Family needed financial support, that person would certainly gather some money.
However, although Zhao Ying and Song Lianxin were engaged, they were ultimately not yet married.
Should he tell Song Jinshan about that matter in advance?
If he told Song Jinshan in advance, how could he ensure that Song Jinshan wouldn't betray them out of fear?
After pondering for a while, Zhao Jianzhi had an idea.
After taking a few deep breaths to compose himself, Zhao Jianzhi opened the door and said, “Someone, please invite Master Song to the study!”
Soon, Song Jinshan arrived at the study.
Looking at Zhao Jianzhi's swollen face, Song Jinshan couldn't help but curse inwardly.
He deserved it!
His own daughter even felt something was amiss!
Yet he was still being clever.
In the end, he even implicated his daughter.
“In-law, are you… alright?”
Song Jinshan put on a concerned look and asked insincerely.
“I’m fine!”
Zhao Jianzhi invited Song Jinshan to sit down and poured him a cup of tea, “We are family, so just speak your mind!”
“Good, good!”
Song Jinshan nodded repeatedly, “Regarding the money shortage, what do you think…”
As expected, Song Jinshan brought up the matter of money as soon as he arrived.
Listening to Song Jinshan complain, Zhao Jianzhi frowned and asked, “You have quite a few friends in Luochuan Prefecture, haven't you thought of borrowing some from them?”
“Don't even mention it! Just thinking about it makes me angry!”
Song Jinshan said bitterly, “Those ungrateful wretches, when it came to borrowing money, every single one of them pleaded poverty to me! From what they said, it seemed they even wished to borrow some money from me…”
The more Song Jinshan spoke, the angrier he became, and he picked up his teacup and gulped down a mouthful of tea.
Zhao Jianzhi lowered his gaze and thought for a moment, then said solemnly, “I can help you with the money, but you need to write a letter yourself!”
“Write a letter?”
Song Jinshan was puzzled.
What kind of letter?
He could understand writing an IOU, but what did writing a letter mean?
Zhao Jianzhi took a deep breath, lowered his voice, and began to whisper to Song Jinshan.
“What?”
Zhao Jianzhi hadn't finished speaking when Song Jinshan panicked, “In-law, aren't you… aren't you setting us up?”
This was a matter of losing one's head!
He suddenly realized that the marriage between the Zhao Family and the Song Family was a huge trap!
“How is this setting you up?”
Zhao Jianzhi looked at Song Jinshan calmly, “We are already one family; we prosper together, and we suffer together! If this succeeds, we will all enjoy endless glory and wealth!”
Song Jinshan's face was pale, and his heart was pounding in his throat.
He wanted to drink a mouthful of tea to calm his nerves, but his trembling hand couldn't even hold the teacup.
Zhao Jianzhi glanced at him indifferently, picked up the teacup, and placed it in his hand.
Song Jinshan took a difficult sip of tea and tried hard to think of a countermeasure.
What to do?
Agree or not agree?
Agreeing meant gambling with the lives of his entire family, young and old.
If he didn't agree, he probably wouldn't leave the Zhao Family today, would he?
Zhao Jianzhi, this scoundrel, had hidden himself so well; he certainly wouldn't leave any loose ends!
There was no choice!
He had to write this letter!
After trying to calm himself, Song Jinshan tremblingly put down the teacup and said with a trembling voice, “Then… I'll listen to my in-law!”
“That's right!”
Zhao Jianzhi smiled with satisfaction and then reassured Song Jinshan, “Don't worry, without a certain degree of certainty, who would gamble with the lives of their entire family, young and old?”
Song Jinshan cursed all eighteen generations of the Zhao Family's ancestors in his heart and forced out a smile that was uglier than crying.
Zhao Jianzhi said no more, directly took out paper and pen and handed them to Song Jinshan.
Song Jinshan had no choice but to start writing the letter as Zhao Jianzhi requested.
During the process of writing the letter, Song Jinshan's hand trembled from time to time.
It took him more than fifteen minutes to write a simple letter.
After Song Jinshan affixed his personal seal and fingerprint, Zhao Jianzhi put away the letter with satisfaction and then admonished, “Young people can't keep secrets, so don't tell Lianxin and the others about this for now! Zhao Ying doesn't know about this either.”
“Mm.”
Song Jinshan nodded lightly, then let out a long, turbid breath.
He was very nervous when writing that letter.
But now, he felt relieved instead.
He knew that once this letter was written, they had no way out.
Now, there was only one path: to go all the way to the end!
However, since they were already gambling everything, why did they have to be subservient to the Zhao Family?
If there was an opportunity, wouldn't it be better for them to become that person's confidant directly?
He did not want to be stepped on by the Zhao Family his entire life!
In the evening, Song Jinshan didn't even eat at the Zhao Family's house and rushed home.
Song Jinshan did not take Zhao Jianzhi's warning to heart; as soon as he returned home, he pulled Song Lianxin into the study and told her about the matter.
He had expected Song Lianxin to be as panicked as he was when he first heard about it, but Song Lianxin was not only not flustered but even a little excited.
Song Lianxin was indeed very excited!
She was just fretting about how to get revenge on Princess Ye Li!
Now, didn't she have an opportunity?
“Things have come to this; we only have one path: to go all the way to the end!”
Song Lianxin took a deep breath and then said with a sinister expression, “Since that's the case, Shen Jing should be cursed to death very soon, right?”
The pain of her severed finger, the humiliation of being slapped, she hadn't forgotten for a moment!
She would not let go of Ye Li, and even less so, Shen Jing!
“You still believe in that?”
Song Jinshan said impatiently, “If Shen Jing were to be cursed to death, he would have been cursed to death long ago! How could he still be alive now?”
“Father, you don't understand what I mean!”
Song Lianxin shook her head lightly and said meaningfully, “Su Yourong has already cursed three men to death; it wouldn't be surprising if she cursed a fourth man to death, would it?”
Hmm?
Song Jinshan was startled.
Soon, Song Jinshan reacted.
“Right, right!”
Song Jinshan nodded repeatedly, his eyes flashing with a cold light, “That little beast Shen Jing will definitely be cursed to death!”