Chapter 187
Chapter 187
"Cough, cough, cough..."
A faint, cold breeze was enough to send Count Xuanwu into a violent coughing fit.
His wife, Lady Suo Pepe, her heart aching, draped another coat over his shoulders.
But Count Xuanwu's body was so gaunt that the added weight of a single garment nearly made him collapse.
Many had suspected that Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, was merely feigning illness, but seeing him now, it was clear this was no act.
How could anyone possibly fabricate such a pitiable state?
It was, after all, understandable.
After winning the dispute over Jinshan Island, the Jin Clan had been triumphant, believing their family's crisis was averted in an instant.
But no one could have imagined that Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, would so shamelessly and despicably hand over Jinshan Island to the Pirate King, Qiu Tianwei.
Not only did Count Jin Zhuo fail to secure the island, but he also lost his soldiers and was forced to flee.
Furthermore, the victory in the Jinshan Island dispute brought no benefits; instead, it accelerated the clan's downfall.
The crucial point was that not a single person in the entire country came to their aid.
Count Xuanwu had petitioned the King several times, pleading for troops to be dispatched to eliminate the pirates, but to no avail.
Instead, many others swooped in to tear them apart.
Zhu Wenhua, the Sixth Prince, and the Ji Clan all came to harass them.
The Xue Clan, allies for a hundred years, broke off the marriage engagement at a critical moment, twisting a sharp knife in their backs.
Even a mere merchant like Lin Mo came to take a bite out of them.
How could he possibly endure such a heavy blow?
It was a wonder that Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, had managed to survive at all.
"Jin Zhuo pays his respects to the Royal Uncle. Greetings to His Highness, the Sixth Prince. Greetings to you, my lords!"
Count Xuanwu, leading his entire family, bowed deeply in greeting.
He staggered so badly that even Shen Lang, the architect of this whole situation, felt a pang of sympathy.
Then, he was seized by another violent fit of coughing.
Royal Uncle Ning Ji looked at Count Jin Zhuo with a complicated expression and sighed.
"Count Xuanwu, it has only been a few months. How did you come to be in such a state?"
Count Xuanwu gave a wretched smile.
Royal Uncle Ning Ji continued.
"Did I not tell you that day? The Jin Clan's victory in the Jinshan Island dispute was not a good thing. You should have withdrawn at the right moment, but you held on until the end, and now you find yourself in this predicament."
Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, said to him.
"I would rather die with dignity than live in disgrace!"
Then, Count Xuanwu turned to the people standing to one side.
"Come, all of you! I don't care which blade pierces our Jin Clan today. Strike as you will."
At his words, everyone's expression changed.
*Count Xuanwu, since you've put it so bluntly, don't blame us for being heartless in a moment.*
A large table was set in the main hall of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate.
On the left side of the table sat Count Xuanwu Jin Zhuo, his wife Lady Suo Pepe, Shen Lang, Jin Mulan, and Jin Mucong—the entire family was present.
In a rare departure, Shen Lang was not wearing his usual luxurious silk robes, but a simple robe of black cotton.
His attire seemed to signify that the end had come for the Jin Clan.
On the right side of the long table sat Elder Shu Baidao and the emissary Shu Tingyu of the Hidden Yuan Society, along with a group of their members.
Royal Uncle Ning Ji, Sixth Prince Ning Jing, the Minister of Revenue, the Grand Censor, and the Grand Marshal of Tiannan Province, Zhu Rong—these five prominent figures were present as witnesses and, in a sense, judges.
The Hidden Yuan Society's emissary, Shu Tingyu, began to speak.
"Count Xuanwu, your esteemed father, Count Jin Yu, once borrowed one million gold coins from our Hidden Yuan Society to hire three thousand warriors and assemble a fleet to destroy the Pirate King, Qiu Tianwei. Is that correct?"
After speaking, Shu Tingyu produced the original loan agreement.
The terms of the loan were clearly written on it, bearing the signature and seal of Count Jin Yu.
Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, replied.
"It is!"
"Later, the strategy failed, and the army led by the esteemed Count Jin Yu was annihilated. I will omit the details. According to the contract, the repayment period is twenty years, and with interest, the total amount due is one million seven hundred thousand gold coins. Do you have any objections?"
"I have no objections."
Upon hearing Count Xuanwu's reply, Shu Tingyu took out a stack of ledgers.
"These records document Count Jin Zhuo's repayments over the past twenty years. In total, you have repaid one million gold coins, leaving a balance of seven hundred thousand gold coins. Do you dispute this?"
Count Xuanwu shook his head.
"I do not."
"Today marks the end of the twenty-year contract term, so the Jin Clan must repay the entire seven hundred thousand gold coins. A month ago, when I visited your estate, Master Shen Lang stated that the family had no money and could not pay. Is that correct?"
Shen Lang nodded.
"It is!"
"Count Xuanwu must confirm this statement."
"It is so."
Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, gave a short reply before breaking into another violent coughing fit.
His wife, Lady Suo Pepe, rushed forward to gently pat his back, her eyes brimming with tears.
Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, covered his mouth with a silk handkerchief and coughed for a long time before finally calming down.
But when he lowered his head and looked at the handkerchief, the pristine white silk was stained crimson. He had coughed up blood.
Tears streamed down Lady Suo Pepe's face like pearls from a broken necklace.
Seeing this, everyone sighed inwardly.
*Count Xuanwu won't live much longer. He might even die here today.*
If he, the pillar supporting the Jin Clan, were to die, the clan's collapse would only accelerate.
The Hidden Yuan Society's emissary, Shu Tingyu, continued.
"Twenty years ago, when Count Jin Yu made this agreement, he mortgaged Wang'ai Island to our Hidden Yuan Society. As the twenty-year term has expired today, if your estate cannot repay the debt, we have the right to take possession of Wang'ai Island. It pains us to do so, but merchants must conclude their business in a merchant's way, and it is only natural to repay one's debts."
Shu Tingyu looked at Royal Uncle Ning Ji and asked.
"The King has also commented on this matter. Is that correct?"
Royal Uncle Ning Ji nodded and replied.
"His Majesty has said that repaying debts is a matter of course, and we must not tarnish the honor of the nobility of our State of Yue."
Shu Tingyu pushed the mortgage agreement to the center of the table for Count Xuanwu to see.
"This is the contract signed twenty years ago. Everything is clearly stated! If you have no further objections, please sign it, Count Xuanwu. Then, our Hidden Yuan Society will immediately dispatch men to take over Wang'ai Island. Within three days, you must disband all private soldiers, artisans, salt workers, and miners on the island. Of course, none of the mines, smelting workshops, or salt fields on Wang'ai Island are to be damaged!
"To assist the Hidden Yuan Society in taking full control of Wang'ai Island, His Excellency the Governor-General will also dispatch troops to land on the island with us and maintain order. This will prevent any unnecessary armed conflict during the handover!"
It was truly laughable.
When Count Jinhai, Tang Lun, gave up Jinshan Island, why didn't they send troops to maintain order then? Why did they do nothing when the Pirate King, Qiu Tianwei, seized it?
Even after that happened, when Count Xuanwu personally petitioned the King, begging him to dispatch troops and reclaim the island, he was ignored.
And now they were sending troops to maintain order, all to help the Hidden Yuan Society seize Wang'ai Island?
"Count Xuanwu, please sign. We are short on time. To a merchant, there is no greater treasure than time. We must complete the full handover within three days."
The moment Count Xuanwu signed, it would be the same as respectfully handing over Wang'ai Island—the economic lifeline of the Jin Clan—into the hands of their enemies.
Count Xuanwu's body trembled violently as he was wracked by another coughing fit. Then, as if the world went black before his eyes, he closed them and fainted.
At this, Shu Tingyu of the Hidden Yuan Society spoke in a cold voice.
"Even if Count Xuanwu lacks the strength to sign, the contract is here, and with Royal Uncle Ning Ji and the Minister present, we can enforce it by force."
It was much like in modern society on Earth, where if a debtor in a contractual relationship fails to pay a creditor, the court has the right to investigate and seize the debtor's assets and property.
Lady Suo Pepe hugged Count Xuanwu and shook him firmly.
"My lord, my lord...!"
Then, with a tear-streaked face full of resentment, she looked at everyone and cried out in indignation.
"How can you say such things when a man is dying right before you?"
Shu Tingyu said calmly.
"My lady, we do not wish for this either. But rules must be followed."
"Shu Tingyu, do you think we don't know? Back then, when my grandfather-in-law borrowed one million gold coins to assemble three thousand warriors and a fleet to attack Qiu Tianwei, how is it that Qiu Tianwei knew our every military deployment? Wasn't it the Hidden Yuan Society that secretly leaked information to him, leading to the annihilation of our entire army?"
The Hidden Yuan Society's elder, Shu Baidao, spoke calmly.
"Lady Suo, do not speak so recklessly without proof. You may be held responsible for your words."
At the elder's words, Lady Suo Pepe shouted fiercely.
"Then kill me! Yes, just kill me...!"
Just then, Shen Lang, who had been silent all this time, finally spoke.
"Mother-in-law, please take Father-in-law away to rest. Leave everything here to me."
At Shen Lang's words, Lady Suo Pepe helped Count Xuanwu, Jin Zhuo, to his feet. She then pushed a large box that had been in front of them toward Shen Lang before leaving the hall and returning to their chambers.
Inside the large box before Shen Lang were the seals of the Count of Xuanwu's Estate and the Jin Clan.
Seeing this, the Hidden Yuan Society's emissary, Shu Tingyu, asked.
"Young Master Jin Mucong, Lady Jin Mulan. Are you certain you wish to delegate all authority of the Count's Estate to Shen Lang?"
Jin Mulan nodded.
"We are."
Jin Mucong, who had been dazed, only nodded after hearing Shu Tingyu's question.
"That's right. My brother-in-law will decide everything."
Hearing this, everyone sneered, looking down on the Jin Clan.
*This is why your Jin Clan has fallen to the brink of ruin. To rely on a lowly live-in son-in-law.*
Shen Lang leaned back casually.
"Hidden Yuan Society, since I have been granted full authority, I will now negotiate with you directly."
"There is nothing to negotiate. Just sign."
"What exactly am I supposed to be signing?"
Shu Tingyu said in a cold voice.
"Playing dumb will get you nowhere. It doesn't matter if you sign or not. We will take Wang'ai Island today. If you sign on behalf of Count Xuanwu, you will at least save some face. If you do not, we will be forced to execute the contract, Governor-General Zhu Rong's army will land, and everyone from the Jin Clan on Wang'ai Island will be expelled."
"In that case, I'd better sign. You must help me save face, after all."
Shen Lang took the contract and lifted a brush, preparing to sign the paper.
In that instant, every eye in the room was fixed on the tip of Shen Lang's brush.
The moment he signed his name on that paper, it would be as if the death knell had sounded for the Jin Clan.
But the brush in Shen Lang's hand hovered, never touching the paper.
*Damn it, just sign already.*
Suddenly, Shen Lang spoke to them.
"By the way, I assume the Hidden Yuan Society isn't the only one here to collect a debt today. And I doubt all of you are only after Wang'ai Island. If there are any other contracts for me to sign, why not bring them all out at once?"