27: Chapter 27: Making Big Money, Princess Zhining Pays a Visit 27: Chapter 27: Making Big Money, Princess Zhining Pays a Visit Lanling said, “How is it that such a grand Earl’s mansion has so little money left?”
Suo Ningbing said bitterly, “I had given away the last of my assets to bribe Duke Zhi Ting.”
Lanling said, “Now that we’re returning to our fief, is there still time to get the money from your sworn brother Suo Hanyi?
Otherwise, we could borrow money from my future father-in-law.
He owes the Suo Family a huge favor.”
Suo Ningbing said, “It’s too late for that.
Elder Brother Suo doesn’t have that much money as he has to maintain tens of thousands in his military forces.
Your father-in-law, Gui Xingfu City Lord, certainly has the money, but it’s more than three thousand miles from here to Linhai City.
At the fastest, it would take five days to get there, and the debt repayment deadline is in only two days.”
Once the two-day period is up, those two creditors will take Duke Zhi Ting to the royal court of justice in the King’s City.
The Suo Family will have completely offended Duke Zhi Ting to death.
Of course, you might ask how a casino owner and a money changer dare to be bold enough to accuse a Duke in court.
The reason is simple, for they are backed by the future Crown Prince, Zhi Li His Highness.
Immediately after, Lanling thought of a terrifying fact.
That is, the Suo Lun Casino’s rescue of a former girlfriend and the exorbitant purchase of the Dragon Emperor’s handwriting were all part of Commandery Princess Zhining’s schemes, traps she had dug for him.
Although these traps might not have been necessary, she had still dug them.
Besides, Suo Lun was not dead, and she had also prepared for the possibility that the Suo Family might seek help or bribe Duke Zhi Ting.
If that was really the case, then this woman was cunning to the point of being almost demonic.
A woman so beautiful, so intelligent, so ruthless was far more terrifying than a venomous snake.
This second move by Zhining was truly pulling the rug from under the feet, leading the Suo Family straight into a deathtrap.
In any case, it was a checkmate.
There was no way the Suo Family could gather thirty-nine hundred Gold Coins in two days.
Moreover, at this juncture, there was not a single house in the King’s City that dared to lend even a Gold Coin to the Suo Family.
Whoever dared to lend the money would offend Prince Zili.
Besides Duke Zhi Ting, who would dare to go against Prince Zili in the King’s City?
That’s essentially the Crown Prince, the future King we’re talking about.
Who would dare to offend him?
Their entire family would be eradicated.
Lanling went to the living room and saw the two creditors, one thin and one fat.
He sneered, “Gentlemen, why didn’t you come to collect the debt a few days earlier?”
The money changer’s owner hurried to his feet and said, “How many guts do I have to come to the Earl’s mansion to collect the debt in advance?
Even today, I am merely here to give a gentle reminder to spare Young Earl the trouble of forgetting.”
Lanling said, “So, if I don’t pay up within two days, you’ll take Duke Zhi Ting to the King’s City Court of Justice, won’t you?”
“Hehe…” the money changer’s owner laughed, neither confirming nor denying.
Lanling said, “Alright, I’ve got it.
You can go back now.”
The two creditors stood up, bowed again, and said, “Then please take the trouble, Young Earl, to pay this money within two days, to spare us the difficulty when the time comes.”
After that, the two men respectfully retreated and left the Earl’s mansion.
Their attitude was extremely courteous, but their hearts were filled with fierce contempt.
We’re here to trap the Suo Family; we’re here to push you into a corner.
After the two creditors departed, the Earl’s mansion fell into a silence as still as death.
I shouldn’t have dragged you into this.
With your talent, you should have had a great future, but now you’re stuck in this quagmire, this dead-end with the Suo Family,” Suo Ningbing said softly.
“Listen to your sister, go to the Magician at the Jiuling, change your face back, and become yourself again.”
After Suo Ningbing finished speaking, Ye Jingyu remained silent, head hanging low.
Back then, when she brought Lanling to the King’s City to impersonate Suo Lun, she thought it would be simple, just inherit the title directly.
How could she have imagined it would be so perilous, so complicated?
Prince Zili, in order to achieve his strategic goals, had to have Tianshui City.
As for the Suo Family, they were only innocent cannon fodder.
What about Suo Lun pursuing Commandery Princess Zhining and offending the royal family?
It’s complete nonsense.
Suo Lun’s mad pursuit of Zhining was probably also entirely due to her secret provocation and enticement.
This was truly a checkmate and would indeed result in death.
At the very least, Lanling could very likely die.
Hearing the words of Suo Ningbing, Lanling did not get excited nor outraged, but simply said, “Sister, I’ve been an orphan since I was little and didn’t even know who my parents were.
You were called Lancome, so I called myself Lanling, taking my surname from you.”
Taking a deep breath, Lanling said, “Now that you’re called Suo Ningbing, I will have to change my surname to Suo.”
After that, Lanling knelt down and said word by word, “From now on, my name is Suo Lun.
There’s no more Lanling in this world, only Suo Lun.
If anyone here calls me ‘Lanling,’ I will stab myself with a knife.”
His words were plain, yet unbearably resolute.
Suo Ningbing and Ye Jingyu were both deeply moved.
“Little brother, you…” Suo Ningbing.
“Lanling, you…” Ye Jingyu.
Neither of them could finish their sentences.Before Ye Jingyu could finish speaking, Lanling swiftly pulled out a small knife and viciously stabbed it into his own leg.
Blood gushed forth instantly, Lanling’s face contorted for a moment, but he showed no change of color.
Suo Ningbing cried out in distress, tears streaming down her face as she rushed over, wrapping one arm around Lanling and with the other hand, she swiftly tore open his trousers, carefully and decisively pulling out the knife.
At the same time, Ye Jingyu dashed into the room, taking out ointment and needle and thread.
Suo Ningbing tenderly and meticulously treated the wound on Lanling’s leg, then stitched it up with great attention to detail.
After everything was done, Suo Ningbing’s hands were covered in blood.
She stared blankly at Lanling and said softly, “You’re really foolish.”
“You often said that to me before,” Lanling laughed, obviously referring to the sister he had on Earth, Lankou, but in his heart, the two were one and the same.
Caressing Lanling’s face, Suo Ningbing spoke softly, “Alright, from now on, your sister will never say such things again.
In this lifetime, we will still depend on each other for survival.
If someone wants to kill us, let’s die together then.”
“Alright,” Lanling responded softly.
“Sister, we will not yield.
Though our enemies are unprecedentedly powerful, I will never compromise, nor will I surrender,” Suo Lun said, word by word, “No matter the reason, bandits shall not take Tianshui City alive from me.
It belongs to our Suo Family.”
Suo Ningbing replied softly, “Okay, your sister will listen to you.”
Ye Jingyu said, “But, we can’t get past the present difficulty.
As soon as those two creditors take Duke Zhi Ting to court, our death sentence will be sealed.”
Gathering three thousand nine hundred Gold Coins within two days was an impossible task.
Lanling closed his eyes, his mind racing through countless methods.
Although he was a liberal arts student, he still had a basic understanding of scientific knowledge, and utilizing Earth’s golden finger to earn three thousand nine hundred Gold Coins wasn’t out of reach.
However, that would all take time.
To earn that much money within two days was pure fantasy.
It was like a pauper on Earth trying to earn a hundred million within two days; even robbing a bank wouldn’t make it possible.
One could imagine that every wealthy clan and rich person within the royal city had already been warned by Zhi Li’s forces.
It was impossible for Suo Lun to get even a single Gold Coin from them.
What method could he use to raise three thousand nine hundred Gold Coins within two days?
Or to put it another way, nearly two hundred thousand silver coins, or seventy to eighty million copper coins?
After thinking for nearly an hour, he was still without a solution.
Suddenly, a light sparked in Suo Lun’s eyes, “Who was the courtesan that the previous Suo Lun got along best with?”
“Yi Manman from Yuhua Pavilion,” Ye Jingyu replied.
“Was she his lover?” inquired Lanling.
Ye Jingyu responded, “Initially a lover, later a close confidante.
Their relationship was very, very good.
Do you want to borrow money from her?
Impossible, even though she is quite popular, her entire fortune wouldn’t exceed three hundred Gold Coins.”
Lanling got up and said, “Sister, I’m stepping out for a bit.
I will gather three thousand nine hundred Gold Coins before tomorrow.”
Earning three thousand nine hundred Gold Coins in one day?
How could that be possible?
Was Lanling talking in a delirious dream induced by fever?
Ye Jingyu was a straightforward person and immediately looked skeptical.
Although she couldn’t imagine how Lanling would achieve it, Suo Ningbing did not express any doubt and simply nodded softly, “Okay, your sister will wait for you at home.”
Suo Lun, accompanied by Ye Jingyu, went to Yuhua Pavilion, one of the largest brothels in the royal city!
Not long after he left, an unexpected visitor arrived at Count Tianshui’s residence—a person shrouded in a black cloak entered through the back door, followed by an attendant, who was an extremely skilled expert.
Soon after, Suo Ningbing met with this unexpected visitor.
She lifted the black cloak, revealing a face so beautiful it took one’s breath away.
It was none other than Commandery Princess Zhining, the prime culprit intent on bringing the Suo Family to ruin.
Standing next to Suo Ningbing, their stunning faces were equally matched, casting everything else in the room into dull insignificance.
Suo Ningbing was taken aback, for she truly could never have expected Commandery Princess Zhining to pay a visit, and in such a secretive manner.
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