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Early in the morning, Xie Mingtang, Madam Xie, and Xie Zhan, after having breakfast, moved to the council chamber to have tea and wait respectfully for the arrival of the Lu family.
In the adjacent side hall, there were two other people sitting, namely Prince Gong and Grand Secretary of the Imperial Censorate, Zhou Chengzhong, who was Lu Desheng’s immediate superior. These two individuals were specially invited by the Xie family to serve as witnesses after both families had finished their discussions.
Fortunately, this time the Lu family did not stand up the Xie family like they did yesterday. At the hour of the Dragon (7-9 am), Lu Desheng and his wife arrived at the Xie family.
The steward of the Xie family welcomed the two into the council chamber.
Xie Zhan noticed that only Lu Desheng and his wife had come from the Lu family, and Lu Songli did not come. He couldn’t describe the feeling in his heart, as if someone had already left while he remained in place.
After Lu Desheng and Madam Jiang sat in the guest seats and the servants of the Xie family served tea, Lu Desheng looked around and noticed that only their two families were present. He asked, “Is it just the two families here? Do we not need to invite a mediator?”
Xie Mingtang smiled and replied, “Lu, my friend, you think just like me. We have already invited the mediators, and they are currently next door having tea.”
Lu Desheng rolled his eyes. At this moment, they were still addressing each other as brothers, shameless!
“Who did you invite?” he asked casually.
“Prince Gong and Imperial Censor Zhou Chengzhong.”
Well, these two were old acquaintances. Lu Desheng nodded. In fact, he didn’t care who the Xie family had invited as a mediator. After today’s discussion, they would have no further ties, and there would be no need to interact in the future.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xie Mingtang glanced at his wife, indicating that she could begin.
Madam Xie’s expression was somewhat stiff. It was only in the past two days that she learned that her father-in-law and husband had kept such a big secret from her! Lu Songli was unable to bear children because of the injuries she sustained while saving her son back then? No wonder her father-in-law insisted on arranging the marriage with the Lu family against her will, sacrificing her son’s future. Now everything made sense.
When she first learned about this, she was very angry. After all, she was the mistress of the Xie family and the mother of her son. They had actually hidden such an important matter from her! Xie Mingtang’s explanation was that they were afraid that she would show her emotions when facing the Lu family. Despite being dissatisfied, Madam Xie knew herself well. If she had known earlier that Lu Songli was unable to bear children, she would have inevitably been critical when she saw her.
Thinking about the superiority she had shown in front of Lu Songli, her future daughter-in-law, over the years, her face stiffened.
Madam Xie pondered how to broach the topic, but Lu Desheng and Madam Jiang were not interested in beating around the bush and directly got to the point.
“Let’s cut to the chase. Our intentions are clear, I believe. All you need to do now is return the betrothal gifts and the marriage contract. From then on, our families will have no further ties.”
Xie Mingtang pondered for a moment and said, “Regarding the marriage between Second Miss Lu and A Zhan, our Xie family has always held high hopes. We have been eagerly awaiting the day Miss Lu would join our family. However, fate has other plans. Their paths are not meant to be. Now that the Empress Dowager has bestowed upon them separate marriages, the imperial decree cannot be disobeyed. We are left with no choice but to return the marriage contract and betrothal gifts and each go our separate ways.”
The Xie family’s stance was very humble.
Madam Jiang scoffed. The Xie family portrayed themselves as innocent as white lotuses. Had it not been for their ambiguous attitude and deliberate indulgence, how could the Zhao family have gone through such a chaotic ordeal? If Madam Jiang were to travel to the future, she would know that this kind of behavior from the Xie family is typical of a scumbag – neither pursuing nor rejecting, nor taking responsibility. They flit through life, leaving no trace behind. It’s infuriating, but you can’t catch them in any wrongdoing.
The Xie family changed their tone, “However, we are eternally grateful for Miss Lu’s act of saving A Zhan’s life all those years ago. We implore the Lu Family to grant us an opportunity to make amends.”
As they spoke, Xie Mingtang pushed a box across the table. The box was slightly ajar, revealing a stack of silver notes inside. Each note was worth a thousand taels, and the stack was quite thick, looking to be about two or three thousand taels in total. This is equivalent to half of a wealthy family’s dowry for their daughter upon marriage. The Xie family was indeed generous!
“This is thirty thousand taels in silver notes. It’s a token of our sincerity. Please accept it on behalf of your family.”
The Xie family never left room for criticism in this matter. This money was essentially Xie Zhan’s life-saving money, how could the Xie family give less? Giving less would be a mockery of Xie Zhan’s worthlessness.
“I hope that although our two families are not destined to become in-laws, we can part ways amicably.”
Lu Desheng pushed the wooden box back.
His action caused Madam Xie’s face to slightly change, thinking that they didn’t think much of the money and wanted to be greedy.
Xie Mingtang was surprised. Did the Lu Family refuse? Such a large sum of money.
Xie Zhan also looked up.
“We don’t want the silver notes! If the Xie family truly has sincerity, then convert it into grain for us.” Lu Desheng directly stated his request.
Three thousand taels of silver worth of grain?! Xie Mingtang and Xie Zhan, father and son, looked at each other, then Xie Mingtang asked Lu Desheng, “What do you need so much grain for?”
Lu Desheng’s eyes flashed with cunning. The Xie family didn’t say they didn’t have it, they only asked what they needed so much grain for.
Xie Zhan, however, blinked, quickly adding, “We don’t have that much grain.” Currently, the price of grain fluctuated between four to six coins per stone. Three thousand taels of silver worth of grain would be around six to seven thousand stones, right?
Lu Desheng didn’t believe it. His daughter had been reading books in his study recently, intentionally collecting information about the Xie family. She must have a basis for this request.
Lu Desheng pretended to get up, “Whatever, if you are willing to give this grain, then give it, if not, then forget it.” Talking about compensation is fine, they only accept this kind of compensation, nothing else. For example, this silver note, they won’t accept it.
As soon as Xie Zhan spoke, Xie Mingtang also reacted.
The Xie family father and son looked at each other. The Lu Family’s request, either they were certain that the Xie family had that much grain, or they were certain that the Xie family had the means to procure grain. No matter which one it was, it made Xie Zhan’s heart pound. When did the Lu Family become so knowledgeable about the Xie family?
They couldn’t give it! The father and son exchanged this thought through their eyes.
“I wonder what Brother Lu needs so much grain for?”
“To build sheds and distribute porridge, to help the disaster victims, the refugees, to accumulate virtue for my daughter, hoping that one day she will encounter a skilled doctor to cure her illness, so that after she gets married, she can have a son and a daughter.” Lu Desheng said bluntly.
These words were a bit heart-wrenching, and this reason was well-chosen, making it impossible to refute. Under the premise that Emperor Kang Cheng deeply believed in Buddhism and Taoist cause and effect, the Xie family couldn’t possibly say that accumulating virtue was useless.
The Xie family’s meaning was, “Can’t you just take the silver and buy it yourselves?”
Xie Zhan thought more. The Empress Dowager had just bestowed marriage upon them, the Qin and Lu families. It was hard not to associate the Lu Family’s request with raising grain for the Qin family. Thinking about it, it made one sour. Just after the marriage was bestowed, they were already so eager to think for their in-laws?
Madam Jiang stood up, “Forget it, forget it, since your Xie family has no sincerity, what’s the point of talking anymore? Husband, let’s go back.”
Xie Zhan quickly said, “Madam Lu, our Xie family is very sincere in compensating Miss Lu, but your request is too difficult. Our Xie family truly cannot do it. Why don’t you choose something simpler?”
Lu Desheng was extremely displeased. His daughter had indeed guessed right. Tens of thousands of stones of grain, the Xie family would never agree. And he had never imagined that the Xie family actually stored so much grain!
Madam Jiang readily changed her request, “Alright, we’ll change to something simpler. We want your Xie family’s one hundred acres of land in Changshi Village, Shangyang County.”