Huo Ling's way of talking has always been straightforward and never ambiguous. The remaining guests who had not left yet understood his intention—saving face means sacrificing substance, giving up everything means truly having nothing left.
As for not caring about face, that would make it even more challenging than asking for their lives.
Noticing the Jiayiwei who worked as protectors in Duke Dingguo's estate, a few of them communicated through their eyes and whispered among themselves. Finally, facing the Crown Prince, who acted unreasonably and held significant power, they realized that compromising without a reasonable position was the best choice. As for what to do when they had a reasonable position... well, Huo Ling has never failed to deliver.
"Your Highness, we choose to pay up."
Satisfied with the answer, Huo Ling clapped his hands and said, "That's right. We should all be easygoing so that guests can enjoy themselves."
The people attending the banquet, who needed to give gifts and pay to leave, remained silent. The logic of His Highness was, indeed, quite sensible.
Some of those who still needed to pay were initially unwilling to do so, while others truly had nothing of value on them. The cabinet scholar, Mo Hongzhe, was the latter; he was the last remaining guest who ultimately chose to compromise but still couldn't leave.
He resented the fact that without paying, he couldn't leave. Why did he, a loyalist, succumb to the temptation of money from the Zheng family all of a sudden? Now, not only was his reputation in jeopardy, but there might also be repercussions from the Crown Prince later on.
The most valuable thing on Mo Hongzhe was the antique folding fan worth one thousand taels of silver. However, Huo Ling didn't think a folding fan would be enough, let alone the willingness of Mo Hongzhe to give up something he had spent considerable effort to obtain.
As Huo Ling played with the antique folding fan that Mo Hongzhe reluctantly handed over, under the scrutinizing gaze of Mo Hongzhe who feared the fan might be damaged at any moment, Huo Ling asked seriously, "Sir Mo, do you think your wife and daughter are only worth a folding fan?"
This question plunged Mo Hongzhe into silence.
Although Huo Ling only meant to ask this literally, many people tended to overthink, especially those who had struggled in the cabinet, as well as women who always had ulterior motives.
Mo Hongzhe's silence made the wife of the cabinet scholar and their daughter feel a cold chill in their hearts. Yet, what they feared even more was that under the implied threat from Huo Ling, their husband/father might choose to give up.
"Husband, don't abandon us!"
"Father!"
Avoiding the straight sword guard standing before her and comforting her mother in a low voice, the County Princess Changning looked at Mo Rong with tearful eyes, "Changning, aren't we friends? Crystal-clear tears flowed one after another from her eyes, and Mo Rong anxiously asked, "Can you, can you help us plead for mercy?"
Suddenly hearing her own name, County Princess Changning, who was supporting the princess of Deyang, frowned slightly.
She fell silent for a moment, and then looked at Mo Rong, who was crying pitifully. She gently pursed her lips and said, "Friend? A friend who plots against me?" If it weren't for her good friend Mo Rong, how could she have fallen victim to a plot, and almost lost face in front of her ancestors?
"If so, then this friend is really worthless."
At the sight of Mo Rong's tears, the County Princess Changning, who always cared for her friend, would usually have reassured and stood up for Mo Rong, but now she couldn't, not because her abilities failed her, but because the other party had chosen not to care.
She was aware of this, but Mo Rong still tried to plead with Changning. "I, I... I have my reasons." If the embroidered sword of the Palace Guards wasn't in front of her, Mo Rong would have knelt before Changning, but now she could only stand there and hope to evoke sympathy from her with her tears and words. "Please forgive me, I really didn't mean to."
"Believe me, I didn't." Mo Rong's voice choked, "You are my best friend, how could I do such a thing?"
"Changning, Changning..."
One sentence followed by another, one sound after another, her crying was pitiful, her words touching.
County Princess Changning was almost swayed, but at the thought of her still-frightened mother, and her uncle Huo Ling, who had deliberately made things difficult for the Mo family, she closed her eyes.
When she opened her eyes, County Princess Changning appeared calm and unaffected, showing no sign of wavering. "Whether you consider me a 'friend' is your own decision." In any case, she had no intention of associating with Mo Rong anymore. She then smiled at the worried Princess Deyang, "Mother, don't worry, I'm fine." She was really fine, just lost a friend, that's all.
"Changning," the Princess of Deyang took Changning's hand and gave Mo Rong a stern look, making sure that Mo Rong remembered as well as the Mo family. She then bid farewell to Huo Ling and the others at the Dinguo Mansion, "We have kept you for too long. We should be on our way."
Huo Ling, who was waiting for Mo Hongzhe's answer, was caught off guard, "Oh? Oh." He waved his hand nonchalantly, "Then... take care, Sister-in-law."
The Princess of Deyang used to get angry when Huo Ling "disrespected" her, but now, having seen Huo Ling's behavior in front of the Emperor, she couldn't be bothered to care, and simply ignored Huo Ling's words. She smiled at the Crown Princess Linyue.
The Lady Qin, wife of the Crown Prince, glanced at her daughter Yexi, who had almost no presence, and then quietly and almost imperceptibly approached County Princess Changning, took her hand, and said, "I'll escort you out."
"Okay."
Once the Princess of Deyang and the County Princess left, Huo Ling, who no longer felt the need to carry himself with a high-handed manner, unconsciously relaxed his posture for a moment, but then straightened up under the quiet gaze of Ye Xiao.
Seeing Huo Ling's straightened posture, Ye Xiao frowned, finding Mo Rong's crying annoying. Just as she was about to speak, Ye Xiao, who was also bothered by Mo Rong's crying, struck Mo Rong unconscious with one swift blow.
Mo Rong, whose plea failed in front of the Crown Princess, then tried to entice the Crown Prince, but she fainted before His Highness, while trying to win him over.
"Arong!"
Ye Xiao's swift action left the Cabinet Scholar's lady speechless and unable to respond. She could only watch as her daughter collapsed to the ground.
The sound of Mo Rong hitting the ground and the screams of the Cabinet Scholar's lady brought Mo Hongzhe back to his senses. He raised his gaze and saw his wife holding their daughter in her arms. Mo Hongzhe blinked unconsciously, unable to comprehend how things had suddenly turned in a different direction.
Mo Hongzhe, who was prone to distraction and overlooking his surroundings, was bewildered. "What is this?"
Huo Ling had no intention of answering Mo Hongzhe's confusion. Instead, he simply reached out to him. "Sir Mo, have you thought it over? If you really have no money, then just write an IOU." The unconscious daughter and weeping wife were problems that Mo Hongzhe, as a father and husband, had to consider.
Having made up his mind, Mo Hongzhe responded promptly, "Your Highness, I will issue you an IOU." As he took the brush and ink from the maid, Mo Hongzhe continued, "I can issue you an IOU for thirty thousand taels of silver." Pausing for a moment, Mo Hongzhe looked directly into Huo Ling's eyes and added, "I hope Your Highness can show mercy."
Deceived in his calculations, he admitted it. He just hoped that Huo Ling, given that the Mo family had actually done nothing wrong, would be lenient with them.
Watching Mo Hongzhe write an IOU worth three thousand taels, Huo Ling accepted it and said, smelling the ink, "Alright, I understand."
Mo Hongzhe felt relieved, "Thank you, Your Highness."
Huo Ling, in a good mood, noticed that Mo Hongzhe hadn't brought enough people with him, so he kindly asked the Crown Princess Linyue to lend them a maid, enabling them to carry Mo Rong away without worry about the unconscious Mo Rong.
"Not to further inconvenience you, we should take our leave."
Waving to Mo Hongzhe and others, Huo Ling neatly folded the IOU he received and handed it all to the Crown Princess Linyue. "A'Yue, you hold onto these. If I have them, they might get lost."
"Alright." Linyue smiled as she accepted the IOU. "Your Highness, don't worry, I will keep them safe."
"If they get lost, it doesn't matter."
Shrugging nonchalantly, Huo Ling was about to explain that "after all, they are just things obtained for free," when his sleeve was suddenly tugged. Instinctively, he followed the direction of the force, only to meet the smiling gaze of the Lady of Dinguo.
"Grandmother?"
Lady of Dinguo was wearing a chestnut colored lapelled armor with an emerald green shirt inside, and a silver-red horse-faced skirt. Her hair was adorned with large lotus flowers, adding a bold touch of color to her attire, completely unlike that of a person in her sixties.
As Huo Ling was reminded of the Lady of Great Virtue, he reluctantly thanked his stars for not inheriting her aesthetic sense. The Lady of Dinguo reached out, pinched her fingers, and playfully said to Huo Ling, "Your Highness, shouldn't you show a bit of respect?"
Huo Ling: "......"
Oh, he almost forgot about this matter.
Pretending not to have forgotten anything, Huo Ling cleared his throat, looking calm and without a hint of guilt, "Grandmother, rest assured, I wouldn’t forget the 'sharing half' matter even if I forgot myself." Huo Ling said as he reached out to support the Marchioness of Dingguo as they walked inside, "Come, let's go and see our spoils!"
"Alright."
The Marchioness of Dingguo responded with a smiling face, following Huo Ling without any hesitation, as if she didn't notice the sudden coldness in the face of Marquis of Dingguo at the side.
Since knowing what Huo Ling and the others had done, Marquis of Dingguo's expression hadn't been good. At this moment, seeing his old wife so eager for wealth, despite his excitement, he shouldn't be walking ahead of His Royal Highness, the Crown Prince!
Marquis of Dingguo's "We must not neglect the rites" was not loud, and it’s unclear how many people heard it, anyway Huo Ling and the Marchioness of Dingguo, walking quickly, didn't hear these words.
Yexiao glanced at Marquis of Dingguo, then calmly walked in the direction Huo Ling was leaving.
With a smile on his lips, Marquis of Ye, after casting a glance at Marquis of Dingguo, didn’t say anything, just shook his head, and likewise walked in the direction Huo Ling was leaving.
Qinshi patted her daughter Ye Xi's hand as she returned and nodded to the pained Marquis of Dingguo, then left with Ye Xi—they didn’t go in the direction Huo Ling was leaving. As a noblewoman, she had more important matters to attend to, and she didn't have time to watch the Crown Prince and the Marchioness of Dingguo show off to each other.
Having prepared a long speech on "We should not neglect the rites", Marquis of Dingguo suddenly found himself with no audience, and even forgot to put his hand down from his chest.
Is he being rejected?