Chapter 36: First Volume, Chapter 36: Up the Stakes

First Volume, Chapter 36: Up the Stakes

Shen Qingci's fleeting goodwill vanished instantly; had she not feared being watched by too many, she would have already kicked this deceitful master and servant straight home to spare them the humiliation!

At that moment, the clatter of the abacus abruptly stopped.

Qin Feng slowly stood up, looked at Li Ninghui's shifting expression, and without further words, extended his hand: "Miss Li, the goods have been delivered. Isn't it time to pay? Or are you truly planning to cheat?"

Li Ninghui clenched her fists, seething with resentment, but words spoken cannot be taken back—and with the Princess of Qiyang present, how could she easily renege?

Seventy thousand taels of silver was no small sum.

The Li family could afford it, but they could not pay it! The Princess of Qiyang was Imperial Clan; even extravagance was acceptable—this was a royal privilege. The Minister of Revenue, though a Court Heavy Minister, was still merely a 'subject,' and now, at a time when Shedynasty desperately needed funds, to spend freely would invite the Ministry of War faction to exploit this incident. The Li family's position would then become untenable.

After much deliberation, Li Ninghui could only turn to the Princess of Qiyang for help—only to find the Princess had completely ignored her.

The Princess of Qiyang and Li Ninghui had only associated due to their connection to the Second Prince, with no real friendship. Add to that the rumors of Li Rui cheating on songstresses, and Li Ninghui's flip-flopping, unwillingness to accept defeat.

With the Princess of Qiyang's blunt nature, she must have grown disgusted.

To protect the Li family behind her, Li Ninghui turned hostile and denied the debt: "Seventy thousand White Silver for half a poem? What nonsense! Shedynasty is in dire need of funds, yet you're in Jingdu using deceit and fraud to amass wealth—what does this do to Shedynasty? What does it do to the common people and His Majesty?"

Qin Feng had long anticipated this woman would never pay willingly.

After all, reneging and climbing onto the moral high ground to escalate the issue—this was the Li family's time-honored tradition.

Qin Feng didn't bother arguing with Li Ninghui; he simply tilted his head and shouted loudly: "Look! Miss Li of the Li family is reneging on her word! She promised seven thousand taels for half a poem, and now she denies it outright! If her younger brother and sister are this degenerate, what kind of family values does the Shangshu Mansion truly have?"

The female students gathered outside had long been captivated by Qin Feng's literary flair; hearing this, they immediately erupted in scorn and ridicule.

"How can the daughter of the Minister of Revenue behave like a street thug?"

"In the circles of the capital, isn't every young lord or young lady bound by their word?"

"Exactly! Even if your father holds high power, doesn't that mean the top is crooked and the bottom follows?"

Facing the pointing fingers and whispers of the female students, Li Ninghui's cheeks burned, yet she had no rebuttal.

Shen Qingci's "Drunk in the Flower Shade: Thin Mist, Dense Clouds, Endless Grief" had stunned everyone; the young lords present, who had been fence-sitters, now returned to Shen Qingci's side and naturally began to harshly judge Li Ninghui.

Alas, a crowd of sour scholar-young lords could only spout the same tired platitudes of "propriety, righteousness, integrity, and shame"—utterly harmless.

Qin Feng tucked away his small abacus, stepped up to Li Ninghui, sized her up, and let out a "tsk": "Miss Li, though your character is flawed, you are still a lady of noble birth, a daughter of a distinguished family—your figure and appearance are certainly flawless. Since you can't pay, how about this? My household is short a maid for washing and cleaning—ten taels per day as payment. Work off your debt, how about it?"

At these words, Li Ninghui flew into a rage, glaring at Qin Feng with murderous intent: "How dare you! I am the daughter of the Minister of Revenue! How dare you insult me!"

Insult? That word is perfectly chosen!

He who respects others is always respected; he who insults others is always insulted!

Just moments ago, when Li Ninghui humiliated Shen Qingci, she didn't even blink—now that it's her turn, she puts on a victim's face? What a hypocrite!

Qin Feng didn't care how many people were present or how many were Hubei Party loyalists; he held firm to his banner of "Madman"—words spoken by a Madman carry no legal liability.

"Even a songstress on a Hua Fang knows to drink a cup of wine after losing a bet—how can Miss Li of the Li family not understand the principle of accepting defeat? If all Li family members are this untrustworthy and deceitful, then aren't your elders equally to blame? If the sovereign cannot govern himself, how can he govern others? A weak general breeds a weak army. Our Shedynasty suffers northern Di incursions, yet is held back and unable to assert our national prestige—could it be that treacherous ministers hold power?"

Up the stakes? Who can't do that? Trying to moralize against me? You clearly don't know my nickname: "Moral Little Model"!

At these words, the crowd erupted.

All those gathered were Jingdu's elite—they knew full well the gravity of Qin Feng's words! A mere bet among youths had been elevated to Court Intrigue—no, even to the level of national concern!

If anyone else had said this, it would have been like lighting a lantern in the latrine—looking for shit!

But Qin Feng is the son of the Minister of War, and he holds the Immunity Gold Medal of "Madman." To argue with him further would only bring you trouble and serve no purpose.

Li Ninghui trembled with rage, her face turning pale—she never imagined this man could be so eloquent!

The Minister of Revenue's annual salary was barely over a hundred thousand taels; even with allowances, land, and servants, the total came to exactly Fourty Thousand Liang. With a large household, expenses for food, clothing, transport, and maintenance left almost nothing.

If this money were paid today, the question of where it came from would plague the Minister of Revenue for a long time.

If it weren't paid, the accusation of "the top is crooked, the bottom follows" would be confirmed.

Both paths were blocked by Qin Feng—no matter what she chose, today she would lose skin.

Li Ninghui's eyes reddened with desperation; finally, she yielded, choosing the lesser of two evils: "Fine! Seventy thousand taels? I'll pay!"

Qin Feng pulled out his small abacus as if by magic, tapped it twice, and held it before Li Ninghui with a warm, sunny smile: "No rounding. It's exactly seventy thousand taels. Not a single copper coin less!"

"Qin Xiaofu."

"Yes, Young Master, your servant is here."

Qin Xiaofu scurried over, awestruck at how Qin Feng had completely subdued Li Ninghui.

"Go to the accounting office and bring the scale. Place it in Qingya Pavilion. Tomorrow, when Miss Li brings the silver, we'll weigh it right here—eyes wide open. Don't let anyone try to cheat again. The Qin Family upholds integrity, but we're not fools!"