Chapter 3, Debt
Xie Mohan's expression changed upon hearing this, and her brows furrowed tightly
Xie Fanghua's body stiffened, and she immediately gritted her teeth; Qin Zheng is truly bold to ask for that!
"Why are you still hesitating, Brother Zigui? It's just a servant, isn't it? The Duke of Loyalty and Valor's residence and the General of the Martial Guard in the Northern Desert are as close as family. Do you think that if we accidentally killed the dog of the second son of the Prince of England, compensating with a mere servant would not be accepted by the General of the Martial Guard?" Young Master Cheng spoke to persuade.
Xie Mohan saw that his younger sister had left and invited Qin Zheng, Yan Ting, and others into the Haitang Pavilion
Then you should write a letter to the military general stationed at the northern border, stating that I want this person
Xie Mohan furrowed her brows, pondering for a moment, then said to Qin Zheng, "Although this is an unexpected incident, this young man must bear some responsibility. The Duke of Loyal and Brave's residence cannot simply pretend that nothing has happened. Brother Qin Zheng, since we have a good relationship, how do you propose to compensate? Although I cannot return the dog bestowed upon you by Empress Dowager De Ci, whatever you desire, as long as I am able to fulfill it, I will certainly not refuse."
But we have all come here, Brother Zigui, can you really bear to turn us away and not let us catch a glimpse of the begonia? Yan Ting has been longing to see the begonia, and seeing that Qin Zheng is not very interested, he is deeply afraid that this trip will be in vain
Xie Fanghua realized that her brother had recognized her, and she was in a difficult position at that moment. She took a deep breath and said softly, "Do not say that Young Master Zheng Er wants me to serve you, even if it costs my life, I should still compensate. However, I am not a servant of the General's Mansion of the Wu Guard, but rather affiliated with the Northern Desert Army Camp. I hold a formal position in the military. This time, I am not only here to deliver New Year goods to the Marquis of Loyalty and Valor, but I also carry a mission to meet with the Emperor."
Xie Mohan's body also stiffened for a moment, but soon returned to normal. "Logically speaking, Brother Qin Zheng's request is not unreasonable; Zigu should agree. However, this young man is not from the loyal and brave marquis's residence, so it is likely that he needs his uncle stationed at the northern border to agree first"
The begonia at Haitang Pavilion is hardly worth mentioning, naturally not comparable to Brother Qin Zheng's dog. If Brother Qin Zheng wants something, just say it directly. As Xie Mohan spoke, she turned her head slightly, took out a handkerchief, and coughed softly twice while covering her mouth
Qin Zheng entered the backyard, and only then did the two maids who were cleaning the courtyard come to their senses, hurriedly chasing after him to stop him
Xie Fanghua felt the veins on her forehead throb. If she were truly a servant, it would be nothing for Qin Zheng to take her. However, she is Xie Fanghua, the young lady of the Zhongyong Marquis Mansion, the sister of Xie Mohan, and the mistress of Haitang Courtyard. How could she casually be given to Qin Zheng as compensation for a dog?
Xie Mohan nodded slightly, her expression somewhat unpleasant, and turned to look at Qin Zheng
At this moment, Xie Mohan had already walked out from the Begonia Pavilion in the backyard
Xie Mohan secretly breathed a sigh of relief and said to Qin Zheng, "Brother Qin Zheng, I do not have the authority to grant you personnel from the military organization"
Qin Zheng suddenly smiled, casually pointing at Xie Fanghua, and said nonchalantly, "Although Brother Zigui said it this way, I certainly cannot truly extort anything from you. Since this little servant accidentally ran over my dog, let him compensate me for it!"
Xie Mohan smiled bitterly and could only agree, "Alright, today the Duke of Loyal and Brave's residence owes Brother Qin Zheng a significant debt. Whenever Brother Qin Zheng considers the value of compensation, he may speak up, and as long as it can be done, I will certainly accompany him."
Xie Mohan looked at the young servant again and calmly said, "Who are you? What is your surname and given name? Where do you come from? What are you doing? Why did you run over and kill Young Master Zheng's dog? Explain the entire situation in detail, without the slightest bit of deception."
Yan Ting shrugged and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, fine, he would not speak any further today, lest he provoke this gentleman and have the blame fall upon him.
This is my sister's courtyard, and those who serve here cannot afford to make even the slightest mistake; thus, the rules must naturally be strict. Xie Mohan glanced over the crowd, and his gaze landed on the young servant at the back who was hanging his head.
"Do you really think my dog is only worth a glance at the begonia pavilion?" Qin Zheng looked at him coldly
Qin Zheng raised his eyebrows
Yan Ting coughed lightly, scratched his head, and said inexplicably, "Brother Qin Zheng, although you have died a dog's death, it was not I who caused it. Why do you seem to find fault with me everywhere today? I truly haven't offended you in any way, have I?"
You have spoken too much today!" Qin Zheng turned his head.
Not bad! Young Master Song concurred
The two maidservants quickly complied and stood up beside.
Xie Fanghua was liberated and left following the attendant.
This statement is good; since Brother Zigui has spoken, Brother Qin Zheng should request to enter the Haitang Pavilion to view the Haitang flowers! We should take this opportunity to enjoy it as well
Xie Fanghua hung her head and remained silent
Xie Mohan hesitated immediately
It seems that Brother Zigui is unwilling! Qin Zheng looked at Xie Mohan
His dog was granted by the late Empress Dowager Cixi, and no one dared to provoke it; even his elder brother would keep his distance. Unexpectedly, today it was killed by this inconspicuous little servant. You must think carefully about what compensation to offer Brother Qin Zheng to appease him. " Yan Ting succinctly clarified the cause and effect in just two sentences.
"Isn't Brother Zigui unfamiliar with this young man?" Yan Ting chuckled dryly, stepped forward to pat Xie Mohan on the shoulder, and said to him, "This young man came from the border troops in the northern desert to deliver New Year goods to your residence in the capital. However, he just entered the city and has already caused a great disaster! The carriage ran over Brother Qin Zheng's beloved dog."
Xie Mohan rubbed his forehead, feeling an unusual headache for a moment
Xie Mohan coughed a few more times while covering his mouth with a handkerchief. The young lord Yan Ting of the Yongkang Marquisate, the son Li Muqing of the Right Chancellor's residence, the son Cheng Ming of the Minister of Revenue's residence, and the son Song Fang of the Minister of Rites' residence are all top figures of the new generation. With their testimonies, this matter is as good as settled.
"Shishu, you take Wang Yin to meet grandfather. Since he comes from the army in the northern desert and carries a mission to meet the Emperor, we must first let grandfather review him and understand some details." Xie Mohan instructed his personal servant who was following behind.
"So you mean that the meat bun and the dog blindly crawled under your car?" Qin Zheng raised an eyebrow upon hearing this
Then let it be a debt, remember that you owe me a sum. It is not a small debt, nor is it something that can be easily repaid.
Qin Zheng's expression was inscrutable, and he did not speak
"Yes!" The two maidservants immediately turned around and returned to the front courtyard
Xie Mohan sighed and said helplessly, "Since you have already come here, how can I refuse to let you in?" As soon as he finished speaking, he noticed Yan Ting's delight and instructed the two maidservants, "You go back to the room and tell my sister not to come out. Just say that my brother's friends have come to admire the begonia blossoms."
The exquisite white mink fur boots left a faint trail of footprints on the freshly swept floor
Upon seeing Xie Mohan, the two maidservants fell to their knees with a thud, their faces pale with fear as they pleaded for forgiveness, "Young Master, please forgive us. We were unable to stop the person."
Xie Fanghua nodded slightly, keeping her head lowered without raising it, and recounted in detail, "The little one is called Wang Yin, and he comes from the northern border. The journey has been quite smooth, but after entering the capital, as I passed by the Yan residence, a meat bun and a dog ran under my carriage one after the other. I had no time to dodge, and the horse stumbled, causing the carriage to overturn and killing the dog."
"Yes, Your Highness!" The attendant nodded and glanced at Xie Fanghua, leading the way ahead.
"Later, we will each go to the steward to receive ten boards." Xie Mohan shook off the snow from his body and said淡淡地道.
The rules in the residence of Brother Zigui are quite strict, " Yan Ting followed and, after glancing at Xie Mohan, said with a smile
We testify. The four individuals, Yan Ting, Young Master Li, Young Master Cheng, and Young Master Song, all nodded in unison
Qin Zheng curled his lips and said to Yan Ting and the other three, "You will be my witnesses"
Several people were taken aback upon hearing this