in2ebook Chapter 173 These are your closest blood relatives, your son and your grandson!
Chapter 173 These are your closest blood relatives, your son and your grandson!
Madam Min was indeed unwilling to let Pei Yutang and Aunt Yuan go; she was in pain that money and status could not soothe.
But upon deeper reflection, it is true that the Earl of Changyang said he would beat Aunt Yuan to death after she gave birth, but when that time actually came, things were uncertain.
Who knows what might happen in those four or five months? And by then, Aunt Yuan will be the only mother of the two grandchildren in the Pei family. Even if she pities these two children, it will be difficult for her to do anything to them.
If the Marquis of Changyang's family were to soften their stance for the sake of their two living children, they might very well drag things out and let Aunt Yuan off the hook, leaving the Min family angry but helpless.
People say that murderers must pay with their lives, and blood debts must be repaid with blood. But what's rather ridiculous is that, apart from the child's parents and close relatives, an unborn child cannot be considered a murderer under the law and common customs.
In this way, seeking profit is the way to maximize benefits and cause the Changyang Marquis's Mansion the most pain, allowing them to take a huge bite out of them.
After the discussion, the group returned to the hall, where Madam Min made her demands: "The Min family can let Prince Pei and Concubine Yuan go, but Siyue has suffered so much and has been harmed by her husband and concubine. She has only suffered a great injustice."
"The Pei family will give Siyue 200,000 taels of silver, and the Min family will forgive and forget the mistakes made by Pei Shizi and Aunt Yuan."
"Of course, of the 200,000 taels of silver, 150,000 taels of silver notes should be given to the Min family. The remaining 50,000 taels of silver should be exchanged by the Pei family for some family property, such as farms, shops, and houses."
"Yes, the Marquis of Changyang's two estates outside the city are quite nice, with beautiful scenery and thousands of acres of fertile land. Their fertile land in Changzhou is also quite good, as are several shops in Qindu..."
"Xu San Niang!" Lady Changyang's face immediately darkened. "Have you lost your mind? You still want two hundred thousand taels? Do you know how much two hundred thousand taels is? Even if the entire Min family were combined, they might not have two hundred thousand taels!"
Do you know how many estates, shops, and houses are worth 100,000 taels of silver?
At present, fertile land in Dongqin is not expensive, but it is not cheap either. In ordinary small villages, fertile land costs five taels of silver per mu, while in towns and cities, it costs seven or eight taels to ten taels of silver.
Qindu was the capital of a country, and the fertile land near it was indeed much more expensive, with the better land costing about eighteen taels of silver per mu.
A thousand acres of fertile land would only cost 18,000 taels of silver.
Shops also vary in quality; the good ones cost two to three thousand taels of silver, while the less desirable ones cost eight hundred to one thousand taels.
The same applies to houses and courtyards.
Ten thousand taels of silver for a farm, shops, and a mansion—that's practically taking away the wealth and resources that the Marquis of Changyang has built up over half a lifetime!
This is even more infuriating than simply asking for money.
When Madam Min saw that the wife of the Marquis of Changyang was so angry that she started cursing, and even the Marquis of Changyang's face had turned black, and Aunt Yuan was clutching her belly with a contorted expression, Madam Min felt a sense of satisfaction.
Money may not heal wounds, but it can be very satisfying to take a big bite out of someone and make them suffer.
Madam Min said, "Whether our Min family has two hundred thousand taels or not is none of the concern of Lady Changyang. If the Min family doesn't have it, the Pei family will. Besides, is two hundred thousand taels a lot? Not at all! This is your closest blood relatives, your sons and your grandsons!"
"Does Lady Changyang think that Prince Pei's life, Consort Yuan's life, and the life of her unborn child are not worth two hundred thousand taels?"
Lady Changyang was speechless with anger, trembling with rage: "You...you shameless! Are you blinded by money? All you do is ask for money, don't you even know how greedy you are!"
“The Min family certainly doesn’t mind having more money. It’s only natural that you can’t get anywhere in this world without money. Since Siyue has been wronged, what’s wrong with our Min family seeking a stable life for her in the future?”
The Earl of Changyang's expression also turned somewhat grim: "Madam Min is making an outrageous demand, asking for far too much. Moreover, the Earl of Changyang's estates and shops are the foundation of the Earl of Changyang's business, so it's impossible to give that much."
When the Changyang Earl's mansion was in the hands of the Changyang Earl's father, it had already been mostly ruined, leaving only an empty shell. The fact that it can still stand and enjoy its current prosperity is all thanks to the efforts of the Changyang Earl.
The Min family immediately demanded the accumulated wealth and foundation of the Changyang Earl's mansion, which the Changyang Earl could not possibly agree to.
“The Marquis of Changyang’s mansion has indeed wronged the Min family’s daughter. If the Min family wants money, the Marquis of Changyang’s mansion is willing to give 50,000 taels of silver and the manor outside the city. That’s all we can offer.”
"That won't do, the Min family won't agree..."
The Pei and Min families argued back and forth about how much compensation to pay, neither side willing to back down.
Qin Yizhen's head was throbbing with pain. Seeing that she couldn't reach a conclusion anytime soon, she decided to leave first: "You two families can decide the specifics yourselves. I'm a little tired, so I'll take my leave now."
If we can reach an agreement, then we can. The Pei family will pay, and the Min family will settle things peacefully. If we can't reach an agreement, the Min family can have Aunt Yuan beaten to death immediately, and they can also beat Pei Yutang half to death. That's all acceptable.
It all depends on which of the two companies chooses.
"Is this subject escorting the princess?" Lady Changyang asked.
"No need. Just find a maid to guide me. Lady Changyang should take care of her own family matters first."
"Gentlemen, I will take my leave now. Please inform me of the final outcome of the discussion. If the Marquis of Changyang goes too far, I will not stand idly by."
"Princess, take care."
Qin Yizhen bid farewell to everyone and had just stepped out the door when she saw Pei Yutang with a piece of cloth stuffed in his mouth, being held aside by guards, listening to the argument inside the room.
Indeed, Pei Yutang hadn't even received his twenty strokes of the cane yet. After bringing him out, they brought him here, listened to the arguments inside, and heard Aunt Yuan's confession clearly, thus seeing through her true colors completely.
When Pei Yutang saw someone come out, his eyes reddened, and he struggled to step forward, making muffled sounds through his mouth stuffed with cloth.
Qin Yizhen glanced at it indifferently, too lazy to care. However, when she left, she left behind a few guards and told them not to forget Pei Yutang's twenty strokes of the cane after the matter was over.
After leaving the Changyang Marquis's mansion and getting into the carriage, Qin Yi felt a little more relaxed, though her head was starting to throb.
Granny Jin asked Lüqiao to bring her a cup of warm water to drink, and she also personally instructed the coachman: "The princess is not feeling well, so please try to drive smoothly and slowly."
After giving her instructions, she took out a mattress from under the cabinet on the carriage seat to put on a pad.
Originally, there was a mattress here, but as the weather got hotter, Qin Yizhen felt that it would be cooler to sit on a mat, so she didn't put it down.
Fearing that she would be unhappy, Granny Jin explained, "Princess, please bear with it for now, so you don't bump into anything later."