This wretched servant hastily took credit in lieu of someone else in front of Consort Zheng when he hadn’t even handled the matter properly.
Otherwise, the situation would have still been salvageable.
Second Manager Qi hastily said with a bitter expression, “Her Highness already knows about the beautifying pill. We must obtain it for her at all costs.”
When Zheng Cao thought about how he would have to pay an astronomical price to successfully bid for it at Morning Sunlight Pavilion’s auction, he felt his heart ache.
Several deep wrinkles creased on his forehead, and Zheng Cao declared coldly, “If I force them to hand over the beautifying pill, what can such an inconsequential Morning Sunlight Pavilion do?”
Second Manager Qi shuddered fiercely, and the cold sweat beading his forehead poured down at once. “Master, you must not do that! This servant has heard that Morning Sunlight Pavilion is backed by an extremely influential power. Do you still remember what happened two years ago, when the Hong Estate’s young master caused trouble at Morning Sunlight Pavilion? He was later booted out after breaking a leg from getting beaten. Alas, he got beaten for nothing since the Hong Estate simply wasn’t able to seek justice. Allegedly, that young master is still paralyzed on one side of the body even now.”
“They’re able to touch even the well-established, hundred-year-old Hong Estate without repercussion, not to speak of patrician families like ours, which have only just settled in the capital,” Second Manager Qi hastily exhorted.
Zheng Cao’s brows wrung together tightly. He had heard of this incident before. It was said that the old madam of the Hong Estate was the blood sister of the current Queen Dowager, so the entire Hong Estate was theoretically in-laws with Her Majesty the Queen Dowager. Yet Morning Sunlight Pavilion still dared to beat up the Hong Estate’s young master to the point where he couldn’t walk out on his own but had to get carried out instead. Moreover, the Hong Estate was unable to find a bit of fault with Morning Sunlight Pavilion. Such an influential power indeed couldn’t be provoked carelessly.
“Sigh.” Zheng Estate sighed in defeat. “Qi Ming, we must obtain this beautifying pill at all costs before doing anything else. After being demoted, Sister will definitely be in a bad mood at this time. If we go against her wishes precisely at this juncture, it’s possible that she’ll also resent our Zheng Estate.”
Zheng Cao understood his younger sister extremely well. If he went against her wishes, she would certainly remember this.
She had the means to enact her schemes, so it wouldn’t be a surprise if her rank got promoted again. After all, the king had lavished favors on his sister all these years. How could past affections be cut off so quickly?
“Let the estate calculate how much magnetite we have on hand at the moment. Purportedly, Morning Sunlight Pavilion also collects rare colored crystals and gems. If we don’t have enough magnetite, see if Morning Sunlight Pavilion accepts amber crystals to make up the difference.”
“Reportedly, the royal court intends to manufacture a mystic currency, forged from magnetite, for use in business transactions. Perhaps it’ll be more convenient to square accounts in the future.” Zheng Cao sighed again. “If there really isn’t any other choice, go check each young miss and young master’s room and gather any mystic weapons and the like that Morning Sunlight Pavilion can immediately exchange for magnetite.”
Hopefully, he wouldn’t have to resort to this point! After all, a tiny beautifying pill was unlikely to auction for some astronomical price. He only hoped that all would go smoothly on the day of the auction and that he wouldn’t have that many competitors fighting with him for this beautifying pill.
The more he ruminated, the more vexed he felt, so he simply flung his sleeves and threw this matter to Second Manager Qi to handle, while he himself went out to find his concubine to drive away his cares.
On the other hand, Qi Ming ran to ask the senior manager for money with a crestfallen face, and sure enough, the senior manager berated him to no end.
These two years, the Zheng Estate had been in extremely terrible circumstances. In particular, ever since the zombie outbreak, the estate was basically unable to make ends meet. Merely relying on the master’s official salary issued by the royal court was truly unable to support an estate’s operations.
Moreover, there were so many people in the Zheng Estate, such as the many concubines and their children, as well as miscellaneous servants. Other than Sixth Young Master, the rest were the type to be all take and no give.
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