Chapter 299: Chapter 299: Cheap
The servants all knew the identity of Prince NanAn and dared not act rashly.
Prince NanAn stepped forward and released Princess Shouning.
Seeing Princess Shouning cry, Prince NanAn thought this could only be described as crying stupidity.
He had never seen anyone sell others and end up selling themselves too; this was the first.
Chu Shun and the others stood by the door, not entering the room.
Prince NanAn released Princess Shouning and then untied the palace maid.
"Thank you, Prince, for saving us," the palace maid expressed gratefully.
Prince NanAn nodded slightly and turned to leave.
The palace maid supported Princess Shouning, who had been whipped, out of the house.
As soon as they stepped out, they saw Su Jin smiling brightly at them.
In an instant, Princess Shouning’s face turned purple.
"It’s all your fault!" Princess Shouning said angrily.
Su Jin’s mouth twitched.
Truly ungrateful.
However, she wasn’t angry at all.
Now, when she looked at Princess Shouning, she wasn’t seeing a person anymore, but a big gold ingot glittering with golden light, very appealing.
"You should be grateful to me; I even hesitated to ask the Emperor for a reward for you."
"Our relationship isn’t worth me making such a big sacrifice to save you," Su Jin said, tapping her shoulder with a folded fan, in an exceptionally good mood.
"You!" Princess Shouning said, gritting her teeth in anger.
The palace maid tugged at Princess Shouning’s sleeve, advising her to say a few less words. This was Baihua Building, and having a grand princess sold out ruined her reputation completely.
If she had fallen into anyone else’s hands, it might have been fine, but falling into the hands of the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion, she dared not imagine what punishment awaited her on returning to the palace.
Xingxing asked a servant from Baihua Building, "How much did Baihua Building pay for them?"
The servant ignored Xingxing.
The Heir of Marquis Beining tapped the servant’s shoulder with the folded fan in his hand.
The servant glanced, and the fabric on his shoulder seemed to have been slashed by a knife.
The servant’s face turned pale.
"O...one hundred liang," the servant said, trembling.
"Only a hundred liang, that’s so cheap that even I can afford it," Xingxing said.
Prince NanAn and the others stifled their laughter internally.
Could this mean that the little bandit maid was planning to buy a princess to use as a maid?
Very well.
What ambitious goals she had.
Princess Shouning glared at Xingxing, wishing she could stare Xingxing into dust.
As they were about to leave, the Madam chased after them and said, "This is a girl from my Baihua Building, you can’t just take her!"
"How much would it take for you to release her?" Su Jin asked.
"She’s got a good figure, fair and tender skin, at least ten thousand liang!" the Madam replied.
Ten thousand liang?
Su Jin glanced at Princess Shouning.
Her annual expenses were more than ten thousand liang.
Baihua Building asking for ten thousand liang wasn’t actually excessive.
But—
"We don’t have that much money on us," Su Jin said.
"Then come back to redeem her when you have enough," the Madam said as she tried to grab her.
Prince NanAn stopped the Madam and pointed to Zhao Xu, "We’ll leave him here as collateral and bring the money later."
Zhao Xu, "...."
The Madam’s mouth twitched, "Prince, you must be joking."
"This is Baihua Building; we only want girls, what use do we have for a man?"
Xie Jingchen looked at the Madam and said, "This girl is from Duke Chong’s Mansion; are you sure you won’t let us take her?"
The Madam’s face changed.
How could she be someone from Duke Chong’s Mansion?
"The girls from Duke Chong’s Mansion are well-bred young ladies, how could they do something as outrageous as dressing as a man?"
"Don’t try to fool me!" the Madam said skeptically.
Xie Jingchen chuckled.
Su Jin looked at Xie Jingchen, then at the Madam, realizing whose building Baihua Building was.
Duke Chong’s Mansion forcing Princess Shouning to receive guests in a brothel—this was quite a show.
Chu Shun patted Prince NanAn’s shoulder and said, "You know who he is; are you still afraid he’ll default on payment?"
The Madam smiled wryly, "Of course, who doesn’t recognize Prince NanAn and the Heir of Marquis Jingguo; you can take them now, but the silver note must be sent."
Su Jin smiled and said, "Rest assured, you’ll get your due."
The Madam, still uneasy, pointed to Zhao Xu, "Leave him here."
Zhao Xu, "...."
Chu Shun and the others patted Zhao Xu on the shoulder, "Our apologies, we’ll come back to get you shortly."
Zhao Xu had no temper left.
Although he couldn’t enter the Daqi Imperial Palace, did they really have to leave him at Baihua Building?
With grand promises and high ambitions, they wanted to make his name famous in the capital, but was this how they intended to do it?
As Su Jin left Baihua Building, the Hidden Guard brought the carriage over.
Su Jin and Xingxing got into the carriage, and Princess Shouning joined them, while her palace maid could only walk behind.
The others rode horses and made their way grandly to the Imperial Palace.
Yes.
Prince NanAn and his group were just going to the palace to join in the excitement.
They wanted to see and learn how the Eldest Sister-in-law asked the Emperor for a reward.
Inside the carriage, Su Jin changed out of her male attire, and Xingxing quickly helped her dress as the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion.
Princess Shouning still wore a brocade robe, lacking Su Jin’s heroic demeanor between her brows, and without a binding chest, she could be seen through at a glance.
Seeing Su Jin change, Princess Shouning realized where her shortcomings lay in dressing as a man.
Everything she played with was what others had long played with and left.
"I want to change clothes too!" Princess Shouning demanded.
Su Jin smiled and asked, "Do you want to wear my brocade robe or the maid’s servant clothes?"
Anyway, there were certainly no skirts available.
Princess Shouning gritted her teeth in anger.
When Prince NanAn and his group entered the palace, the guards at the gate still stopped them.
Su Jin lifted the carriage curtain.
The guard at the gate, "...."
Silently returned to his position, eyes straight ahead.
Prince NanAn said enviously, "Our Eldest Sister-in-law’s face is already a pass token to enter the palace."
Inside the Imperial Study.
The Emperor was reviewing memorials.
Eunuch Fu served by his side.
A little eunuch hurried inside and said, "Your Majesty, the Eldest Young Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion is here."
The Emperor frowned.
Why was she entering the palace?
Was she short of money or was there another issue?
"With her are also the Eldest Young Master of Duke Zhen’s Mansion, Prince NanAn, and the Heir of Marquis Jingguo," the little eunuch continued.
"Why are so many of them coming?" the Emperor asked.
The little eunuch shook his head.
He didn’t know either.
"With so many people coming together, it must be something important," Eunuch Fu said.
"Let them in," the Emperor said.
He closed the memorial.
The little eunuch went out to deliver the message.
Soon, Su Jin and the others came in.
Indeed, quite a number of people came.
The spacious Imperial Study suddenly felt crowded.
"Such a grand occasion, what brings you all to see me?" the Emperor asked with a smile.
Su Jin said, "We came to present a gift to Your Majesty, and because the gift is so precious, we brought more people to ensure security."
"A gift?" the Emperor raised his eyebrows.
"What gift?"
"Hard to describe, but worth ten thousand liang," Su Jin replied.
The Emperor raised his eyebrows.
Su Jin turned around, and the group around Prince NanAn made some space.
The Emperor’s face changed.
Princess Shouning knelt on the floor in fright.
"""