Chapter 339: Chapter 339: Bad Luck

Huangfu Jingchen snatched the fan from his hand, knocked his hand open, and glanced at him: “You are the imperial envoy, pay attention to your image!”

Huangfu Jinxuan felt very aggrieved; his image had been this way all his life, and everyone in the world knew it. Does he have to sit upright and solemn just because he’s become the imperial envoy?

Then would he still be himself?

He loosened his grip, leaning in conspiratorially, and said: “I never expected Doctor Xia to look like a celestial fairy. Brother… Brother Zheng, if you don’t explain your relationship with her, I’ll make a move!”

“Don’t you dare!” Huangfu Jingchen’s face turned cold.

Huangfu Jinxuan chuckled softly, knowing he couldn’t get a straight answer from him. As soon as he mentioned this, Huangfu Jingchen became anxious. He waved his hand and said, “Just kidding, Brother Zheng, you could have just told me earlier, instead of forcing me to probe to hear the truth!”

Ah, indeed a beauty, but her temper is rather poor. She even rolled her eyes at him, hmph! Huangfu Jinxuan defiantly rolled his eyes at Xia Wenjin as well, thinking smugly to himself, given that she will be discarded by my princely heir in the future, I won’t bother arguing with her!

Their voices were very low, while on the other side, Yu Shikui found the intimacy between Huangfu Jinxuan and Huangfu Jingchen quite irritating. No one paid attention to him; he was entirely forgotten. However, with a beauty present, he didn’t mind taking the initiative. He stood up, cleared his throat with authority, and walked up to Xia Wenjin, saying, “Congratulations, Doctor Xia!”

He deliberately did not call her Miss Xia, and his tone carried the weight of his official position and superiority.

Xia Wenjin turned her head, glanced at him, then at Huangfu Jinxuan, and said slowly: “Lord Yu congratulates personally, I should say thank you. But earlier, I didn’t accept the congratulations from Lord Imperial Envoy. So if Lord Yu congratulates now, are you hoping I’ll accept, to make it seem that Lord Yu is greater than the imperial envoy?”

Yu Shikui: “…”

Ungrateful creature, if not for her celestial beauty, would he, a prefectural governor, have stooped to congratulate a mere commoner?

Not knowing gratitude is bad enough, but she actually insulted him?

How should he respond to this?

He could say no, but he had actually done so.

If he admitted it, would he be rash enough to intentionally anger Huangfu Jinxuan?

Although he held Huangfu Jinxuan in contempt, he couldn’t ignore the fact that Jinxuan had a powerful father; he was the Second Young Master of Prince Kang Mansion, while he, though capable, was merely a governor.

Also, he seemed not to have offended this wretched girl, so why was she targeting him?

Seething with anger, he still managed to smile and say: “Doctor Xia jests, this governor came to congratulate to uphold courtesy, whether Doctor Xia accepts is entirely up to her!”

Xia Wenjin had no fondness for this man, knowing that once she left this place, she would be free like a fish in the sea, without fearing Yu Shikui’s retaliation. Besides, if he genuinely wanted revenge, he’d have to possess the ability. She giggled and said, “Lord Yu is indeed amusing, speaking so righteously about empty congratulations! The higher the official rank, the thicker the skin?”

These words were utterly unreserved.

However, the villagers found them quite satisfying.

Doctor Xia was still their Doctor Xia, unlike when Lord Yu intended to burn down the entire Wangshan Town, showing his vile nature, and even tossed Lord Shang onto a pile of firewood. It was truly a life-or-death moment; thankfully, Doctor Xia and Young Master Huang managed to save the day.

They dared not confront Yu Shikui, but seeing someone challenge him was deeply gratifying for them. Some couldn’t help but applaud with delight.

Nevertheless, some worried for Xia Wenjin; after all, Yu Shikui was a governor, and if he bore a grudge, Doctor Xia might suffer!

Yu Shikui was burning with rage. He had bestowed an enormous favor upon her, but the wretched girl said he didn’t bring a gift? Didn’t others also arrive empty-handed?

Huangfu Jinxuan solemnly remarked, “Lord Yu, that indeed is inappropriate. If you came to offer congratulations, how could you arrive empty-handed? Look, even this imperial envoy prepared a gift! Tsk tsk tsk, Lord Yu, at your age, how could you not grasp such social etiquette?”

As he spoke, he drew a silver note from his sleeve: a denomination of one hundred taels!

In a society where two taels of silver could feed and clothe a family of four for half a year, one hundred taels was truly substantial.

Was he blind? This was just revealed earlier. Yu Shikui, in public, wouldn’t want to lose face. It’s just a silver note, as if he couldn’t handle it? He said, “Second Young Master jests, this governor had naturally prepared a gift as well, a silver note like the imperial envoy!”

The imperial envoy offered a hundred taels; his fifty taels should suffice. After all, the imperial envoy was ranked higher than a governor, right?

Although reluctant, he needed to maintain his dignity in front of so many villagers. Silver notes were plentiful to him.

Just as he instructed his attendant to fetch the note, Huangfu Jinxuan spoke up, nonchalantly: “Lord Yu, this imperial envoy holds no official post, engaged in my first mission, and has limited resources. Unlike Lord Yu, who has served many years as a Fourth Rank County Magistrate. I bet Lord Yu plans to offer ten times what the imperial envoy did, correct?”

Ten times? A thousand taels? How about he goes and robs someone?

Yu Shikui was about to speak when Huangfu Jinxuan lightly tapped his shoulder with the folding fan, laughing loudly: “Lord Yu’s expression suggests the imperial envoy guessed wrong. Was Lord Yu planning to prepare two thousand taels? Apologies, apologies. This imperial envoy is accustomed to poverty; it has limited my imagination. Please don’t blame me, Lord Yu, don’t blame me!”

Yu Shikui: “…”

Before he could speak, Huangfu Jinxuan faced the villagers of Wangshan Town: “Dear villagers, perhaps you’re unaware that Lord Yu’s status is not simple, as he is not only in a high position himself but also the grandson of Marquis Anning in the Capital City. His gift to Doctor Xia surely wouldn’t be light. Otherwise, it’s not just his dignity lost but that of Marquis Anning. Lord Yu surely wouldn’t do such a thing!”

You cunning Huangfu Jinxuan, daring to openly set me up.

Yu Shikui nearly spat blood onto the ground.

Huangfu Jinxuan loudly revealed his status as Marquis Anning’s grandson to so many villagers; and being a governor, he truly couldn’t afford to lose face.

Although he previously intended to kill these villagers, since he couldn’t, he must now concern himself with his reputation. Two thousand taels might be an immense fortune in others’ eyes, but to him, it’s not much. With all of Northern County’s tax income under his control, doesn’t he fill his own coffers with millions each year?

Feeling grudgingly pained, he signaled to his attendant.

The attendant hurriedly counted out two thousand taels in silver notes.

Yu Shikui took them and handed them to Xia Wenjin, forcing a smile: “Doctor Xia blessed with a master teacher is truly worth celebrating!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep