Chapter 117: Chapter 117: Spend Money to Avoid Disaster
"Yes."
Princess Rongkang has truly fallen into the trap of the main branch this time.
Not only does she have to surrender this much silver coin, but she also lost face before the Prime Minister.
To know, in all the decades she’s been married into this family, such a situation has never occurred.
In her heart, she was indignant, yet she blamed all her resentment on Second Madam, Mrs. Wang.
Thus, after Prime Minister Lin retired for the night, she took people to the West Wing.
Poor Mrs. Wang had just taken medicine and not long after falling asleep, was startled awake by the loud kicking at the door.
She now resembled a stray dog, terribly frightened.
Any small disturbance might scare her half to death.
Seeing Princess Rongkang arrive, she even thought she was there to stand up for her.
Immediately she wailed and cried out.
"Mother-in-law, I beg you to stand up for your daughter-in-law, your daughter-in-law was nearly beaten to death by that vile Mrs. Dong! And Nanny Wang! She died so tragically! Mrs. Dong must pay with her life!"
She made her commotion, completely oblivious to how dark Princess Rongkang’s expression was.
She thought Princess Rongkang was also angry with Mrs. Dong.
Just as she was about to cry out some more, she heard Princess Rongkang sneer three times.
"Pay with her life? The third son from the main branch has already summoned the Imperial Physician to have a look. They say he’s not going to make it, and we’re to prepare for his funeral. You tell me, if he were to really breathe his last, do you think just someone like Nanny Wang beside you is enough to pay for his life?"
Second Madam Mrs. Wang was completely taken aback upon hearing this.
Although she truly had been ruthless at the time, wishing the main branch dead along with her.
But after the incident at Yuxin Hall, she was terrified of everyone in the main branch.
Moreover, she was caught by her father-in-law red-handed.
If there genuinely were an inquiry into everything, she’d be done for.
So she trembled and asked.
"Mother-in-law, I..."
"I said you’re foolish, and you really are foolish. I’ve told you ages ago, wait until we return from the palace to discuss everything; yet you insisted on creating this mess. Now that it’s this big a scandal, tell me, how should we handle it?"
Having said this, she ordered someone to bring up that wooden box.
Tossed it all at Mrs. Wang’s feet and then said viciously.
"Look, the main branch sent over what! If I were to insist you go die right now, and drag the Wang Family along to die too, it would just take a moment!"
Second Madam, in this instance, was truly frightened.
Looking at the clear and evident items recorded in the account books, large beads of sweat kept rolling down her forehead.
The more she looked, the colder her spine got.
"Mo... Mother-in-law, this... what do we do!"
"What do we do? They sent the account books directly to the Prime Minister! Now they threaten to take us all with them to the grave!"
As if struck by lightning, Mrs. Wang choked on her breath and collapsed.
Her attendant Shushui immediately rushed forward to pinch her philtrum.
While urgently shouting.
"Madam, wake up, Madam!"
Mrs. Wang was jolted awake by the pain, yet wished everything that just happened had been nothing but a nightmare.
After leaving Ronghe Hall, she’d returned to the West Wing.
Where all was as it used to be, all for the better.
Unfortunately, the widespread account books left her unable even to shed a tear; at this moment, she wasn’t much better off than the already departed Nanny Wang!
She scrambled over to kneel before Princess Rongkang, scared to death.
"Mother-in-law, save me, mother-in-law, save your daughter-in-law, save your daughter-in-law!"
"Please, for the sake of Second Lord, for the sake of Wanzhou and Guangzhi, save your daughter-in-law. If they have a criminal mother, how could they ever hold their heads up high in the future?"
Her actions were enough to seal the case.
All it takes is for these account books to be sent to Yingtian Prefecture, and the prison wouldn’t be far from her.
She cried and wailed sorrowfully, if there were a medicine for regret, she wouldn’t hesitate to swallow it by the bottle!
"That’s enough, in front of the servants, failing even the slightest bit to uphold a lady’s demeanor, what a disgrace!"
Princess Rongkang loathed this daughter-in-law’s stupidity, yet she spoke the truth.
For the sake of her son, granddaughter, and grandson, she couldn’t have her in trouble.
She continued speaking.
"Prime Minister and I have already joined forces to suppress this matter. The main branch has proposed to divide the family, and the Prime Minister has agreed. But in one day, you must gather three hundred thousand taels to give the main branch for the division, so you must find a way to gather it."
"What? Three hundred thousand taels!"
With all she could scrounge up, she’d have barely over a hundred thousand taels.
The rest was either spent in the palace for her daughter’s expenses or used to grease palms for her husband and son’s official affairs.
Some had been used to honor her own parents, with only a small portion left for her jewelry and Second Branch’s expenses.
Now requiring her to produce three hundred thousand taels, and in a single day, wasn’t this demanding her life?
But Mrs. Wang found herself unable to utter any rebuttal.
This was already the best outcome, wasn’t it?
To lose money to escape calamity, though the thirty thousand sounded much, it was better than ending up in prison.
Seeing her complexion change rapidly between hues, Princess Rongkang chose not to press too hard.
After all, she was aware of the purpose of this money.
Most were spent on her son, granddaughter, and grandson; on this point, this daughter-in-law had at least been dutiful.
So she began speaking.
"I have a temporary ten thousand taels, I’ll loan it to you for now, as for the rest, come up with a way yourself. Even if you return to your family to ask, it must be in hand today, understood?"
Ten thousand taels, this wasn’t a small amount.
Among them were certainly those pillaged from Mrs. Dong, as well as the foundations Princess Rongkang had accumulated over many years.
This money was originally to be saved for the children.
Using it here wouldn’t be considered a waste.
Mrs. Wang expressed her boundless gratitude as she kowtowed.
"Daughter-in-law thanks mother-in-law for her grace of protection, I definitely..."
"Enough with the idle words, quickly gather the money, if late, beware of Prime Minister peeling your skin off!"
Mrs. Wang’s body trembled uncontrollably.
She truly feared this father-in-law from the depths of her heart.
Thus she didn’t doubt for a moment, this skinning would indeed be real!
"Yes, yes, daughter-in-law understands."
With that said, Princess Rongkang left the West Wing.
Leaving behind the chaos strewn everywhere and Mrs. Wang, sitting on the ground unable to rise.
Shushui hurried over to help, but couldn’t lift her up.
Only when Shutong joined in could they finally help Mrs. Wang to sit on the divan.
"Madam, what should we do right now?"
Nanny Wang was dead, Shuyun was severely injured in the melee.
Now under Prime Minister’s orders locked in the woodshed; whether alive or dead was unknown.
These two were fortunate enough to remain in the courtyard; otherwise, they might have ended up like Shuyun.
Thus, they were all at a loss.
"Go, bring all my jewelry here, and any valuable items; take everything no matter how small, package them up."
"Yes."
Then Mrs. Wang took out her own account books to check; it was just as she expected.
There’s only a little over ninety thousand.
Far from the goal of three hundred thousand.
Hence, she must find a way to bridge this gap.