Chapter 80: The Father Pays the Daughter’s Debt
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
In the imposing atmosphere of the royal court, with a sharp crack, Lu Yuan Ze found himself kneeling abruptly on the cold, hard floor.
“Your Majesty, I am innocent! I have never permitted my daughter to incur any debts, never!” Lu Yuan Ze protested vehemently, his heart bitter as the taste of coptis root.
The king, with a gaze cold and detached, questioned him sharply, “Do you mean to tell us that all these debts were accrued solely by your daughter, Lu Chao Chao?”
Bewildered, Lu Yuan Ze replied, “Yes, Your Majesty, she alone took out the loans.”
Driven by a surge of anger, the king seized a document and hurled it with precision at Lu Yuan Ze. The document, bound with a hard cover, struck Lu Yuan Ze directly on the forehead, causing a gash that immediately began to bleed.
“You scoundrel!” bellowed the king, rising suddenly from his throne.
As the sharp edge of the document sliced his skin, Lu Yuan Ze’s forehead bled profusely. Trembling under the severe admonition of the king, he continued to kowtow, not daring to even touch his wound.
“A child of merely one year old, how could she possibly understand the concept of borrowing money? Could such a young child manage to take out loans without adult involvement? She can barely walk or articulate words clearly, and yet you claim she took on debts? Lu Yuan Ze, have you no heart? What could a child who is not even a year old understand about such matters? How dare you use your infant daughter to accumulate wealth? You are utterly shameless!” the king thundered, picking up another document to throw at him.
Lu Yuan Ze thought bitterly about how conveniently objects were thrown under the guise of maintaining royal decorum. He truly hadn’t orchestrated this scandal. However, as he noticed Eunuch Wang subtly shaking his head, he refrained from further defense. Who would believe, after all, that an eleven-month-old could accrue debts? Lu Yuan Ze felt utterly ruined.
“Marquis Yuan Ze, to exploit a child to gather wealth, even taking her New Year’s money, is disgraceful,” accused one of the officials sternly.
“Your daughter did not merely borrow money; she also distributed a talisman, claiming it would guarantee safety,” another official added.
“Such utter nonsense,” scoffed a third official dismissively.
“Marquis Yuan Ze, we, as your colleagues, shall not probe further into this matter. But surely, you must return these sums to the child, correct?” several officials surrounded Lu Yuan Ze, pressing for resolution.
“And from my family, you owe eight copper coins and a pot of milk,” interjected the Minister of the Royal Sacristy.
Caught in his turmoil, Lu Yuan Ze, believing a one-year-old couldn’t have possibly borrowed significantly, hastily agreed to settle all claims.
“I will make restitution; I assure you all. I will deliver the full amount to your residences tomorrow, without any shortfall,” Lu Yuan Ze pledged, wiping the sweat from his brow as he committed to this promise.
“The Minister of Rites has already made inquiries, and it appears she has indeed borrowed quite a considerable sum. Each family possesses a debt note. These will be provided to you later,” declared the Minister of Rites, his tone detached, his authority recognized even by the king.
The king, addressing Lu Yuan Ze sternly, proclaimed, “Using your daughter to accumulate wealth warrants severe punishment as a deterrent to others. Guards, administer thirty lashes to Marquis Yuan Ze.”
Pressing his lips together tightly, Lu Yuan Ze dared not assert his innocence any further. He resigned himself to his fate as palace servants dragged him away. As the baton struck him repeatedly, the thudding sounds rendered his face pale and his lips bloodied. Internally, he resented Lu Chao Chao for her apparent naivety, unlike Jing Yao, who had shown sensibility.
After the morning court session concluded, the king swiftly called the aggrieved creditors to his royal study, leaving them exchanging puzzled looks.
“Did she provide you with talismans?” the king inquired from his throne, his voice tinged with excitement.
Talismans?
Why hadn’t she given such valuable items to me?
Did I do something wrong?
I even presented her with my personal jade pendant, symbolizing my authority, which granted her the power to enter the palace and summon a hundred thousand royal guards at any moment.
The more he pondered, the more aggrieved the king felt.
The Minister of the Royal Sacristy produced a crumpled yellow talisman adorned with ancient, mysterious patterns.
“They say under the influence of the talisman, no lies can be told,” he remarked casually.
“The little one is quite the trickster, taking all my grandson’s eight copper coins,” the Minister of the Royal Sacristy said with a mix of amusement and irritation. He waved a yellow talisman casually in the air as he spoke. But before he could put it away, Eunuch Wang quickly approached him. Caught off guard and not intending to present such a seemingly trivial item to the king, the Minister hesitantly handed it over with both hands upon Eunuch Wang’s insistent gesture.
Attention in the room then shifted as other ministers came forward.
The Minister of the Board of Rites advanced, presenting another yellow talisman. “She borrowed 280 taels from my grandson and bestowed upon him a ‘Home-guarding Talisman’. She claimed it would protect his home from all demons and spirits,” he explained, passing the mystical item to Eunuch Wang.
Following him, the Grand Secretary shared his own story. “She borrowed 300 taels from my granddaughter, giving her a ‘Weather Talisman’. She said it could summon winds and call rains. My granddaughter values it so much she forbade me from destroying it.” However, unlike the others, he held back from surrendering it to Eunuch Wang.
Both the Minister of Revenue and the Minister of Rites then presented a ‘Life-extending Talisman’ each. “The little one claimed this talisman could extend one’s life by three years. She’s quite the charmer,” they remarked, as they handed their talismans to Eunuch Wang.
With four talismans now in his possession, the king cleared his throat subtly and declared, “These talismans are tangible evidence; I will retain them. My dear ministers, you may leave now,” he stated, his voice calm but his smile barely concealed, indicating his intrigue and satisfaction.
The Minister of Rites, his hair showing signs of his advanced age, eyed the king suspiciously. He sensed the king’s unusually cheerful demeanor, which seemed more than just a reaction to the proceedings.
As the ministers departed the palace, they hadn’t gotten far when the downpour resumed. The rain, which had been incessant for seven days, added to the damp and chill of the snowy ground, much to everyone’s dismay.
“This rain, it’s been relentless for seven days. Lianluo Province has sent several urgent dispatches, concerned the floods might worsen,” the elderly Minister of Rites lamented.
Grand Secretary Liu responded with a casual remark, “Indeed, if only the rain would cease and allow us a few days of sunshine.” No sooner had these words left his mouth than he felt a sudden burning sensation in his hand. “Ah, ah, ah,” he cried out in shock, instinctively tossing the object from his grasp.
He watched in disbelief as the yellow talisman he had just discarded caught fire spontaneously despite the pouring rain. The talisman burned intensely and was quickly consumed by the flames. Astoundingly, as soon as the ashes of the talisman touched the wet ground, the relentless rain that had drenched the land for days abruptly stopped!
Instantly, the downpour ceased. The clouds parted, revealing the sun high above, bathing the landscape in warm sunlight.
Grand Secretary Liu stood frozen in shock, his finger pointing alternately at the sky and then the ground, his expression one of utter amazement. “This… this talisman… It couldn’t just be a coincidence, could it?” he stammered, the situation appearing too miraculous to comprehend, especially given that the Astral Bureau had forecasted the rain to persist for at least another two weeks.
The court officials exchanged meaningful looks, recalling the king’s satisfied expression earlier. The king had collected all their talismans, and his mood had been visibly uplifted.
Abruptly, the Minister of Rites turned back toward the palace, his determination clear. “I have something urgent to attend to; I need to go back,” he announced abruptly.
I need my talisman back.
I need the Life-extending Talisman!!
At that moment, driven by a sudden realization of the talismans’ power, none of the ministers wanted to leave; they all turned to head back toward the palace.
However, as they approached the palace gate, they found it firmly shut. Eunuch Wang stood before the gate with a knowing smirk, announcing, “The king is tired and has already retired to rest. All ministers, please return to your homes.” His tone was significant, hinting, “All ministers, you know what should be said and what should not be said, right?” This implied a clear directive from the king to maintain confidentiality about the day’s extraordinary events.
The ministers lingered outside the gate, a mix of regret and frustration evident on their faces. The claim of the king resting so early seemed far-fetched to them. They now fully understood: these talismans were indeed potent.