Chapter 341: Chapter 341: Extortion

Yu Shikui could barely suppress his anger. He looked at Huangfu Jinxuan, wishing he could swallow him whole, yet he had to force a smile, his facial muscles twitching: “Second Young Master, do you have anything else to say?”

Huangfu Jinxuan grinned and said, “Lord Yu, don’t take it just yet. Let me guess how much silver Lord Yu plans to donate to Wangshan Town!”

Yu Shikui felt uneasy inside. Guess? Guess what! Is he digging another pit for him?

He was about to speak when Huangfu Jingchen on the other side interjected: “I guess a thousand taels?”

Yu Shikui breathed a sigh of relief. Fortunately, it was as he had planned. However, he still cast a cold glance at Xia Wenjin, thinking, why must you donate publicly now? Can’t you donate later?

Seeing his gaze, Xia Wenjin smiled sweetly and said, “Young Master Huang, you must be joking, right? You’re underestimating Lord Yu. If you anger him, after all, I donated two thousand one hundred taels. Surely, Lord Yu will donate at least two thousand taels!”

Yu Shikui: “…”

He wanted to say he only planned to donate a thousand taels, but he couldn’t bring himself to say it.

Huangfu Jinxuan shook his head with a look of disappointment and said, “Why are your visions so limited? Do you really think Lord Yu is like you both, commoners with such low vision? Wrong! Lord Yu is a dignified Prefectural Governor, highly ranked and powerful. Aren’t you afraid of losing face by mentioning such a small number? This is a slap to Lord Yu’s face! Or are you placing Lord Yu on the same level as common folk? You’re really being disrespectful! Shouldn’t you apologize to Lord Yu?”

Xia Wenjin’s eyes twinkled as she graciously said, “Lord Imperial Envoy is correct. My perspective was too narrow. Please, forgive me, Lord Yu!”

Huangfu Jingchen exchanged a look with Huangfu Jinxuan and laughed, saying, “Lord Yu is a court official and clearly not on the same level as common folk! Please, forgive us, Lord Yu!”

Yu Shikui: “…”

Who am I? Where am I? What can I do?

After Huangfu Jingchen finished speaking, he turned to Huangfu Jinxuan: “Lord Imperial Envoy understands people and situations well. We guessed wrong, but the Lord Imperial Envoy can surely guess correctly!”

Huangfu Jinxuan said proudly, “Of course.”

With a folding fan in his hand, he strolled a few steps casually. Clad in brocade clothes, with handsome looks and a noble bearing, his demeanor became even more elegant.

Seeing Yu Shikui about to speak, he wouldn’t give Yu Shikui a chance to speak, immediately raising his voice: “People of the town, this Imperial Envoy has already inquired thoroughly. In this outbreak in Wangshan Town, not only did Doctor Xia cure the locals with her superb medical skills, but she also donated thirty-four thousand taels of silver to buy herbs. Today, she donated another two thousand one hundred taels, totaling thirty-six thousand taels. Also, Young Master Huang donated forty-one thousand taels for herbs and inviting doctors to come and cure people, personally running around for the welfare of Wangshan Town’s villagers. They are merely common folk, exhausting all they have, both silver and effort! As the Prefectural Governor and the chief local officer of Wangshan Town, this Imperial Envoy guesses that Lord Yu will donate at least eighty or ninety thousand taels! Don’t you all want to thank Lord Yu?”

Sure enough, those villagers expressed their gratitude: “Thank you, Lord Yu!”

Eighty or ninety thousand taels? This is outright extortion!

Yu Shikui felt faint, almost passing out.

He really was foolish, knowing Huangfu Jinxuan was targeting him, yet he still got involved in this mess?

Huangfu Jinxuan was clearly digging a hole for him to jump into.

He could have shamelessly acted as if nothing happened, but he could disregard Huangfu Jingchen, Xia Wenjin and those doctors, and even the villagers of Wangshan Town. But it’s all ruined because of Huangfu Jinxuan, the Second Young Master of Prince Kang’s Mansion, who also happens to be an imperial envoy.

The imperial envoy will report everything here to the Emperor. If he openly offends Huangfu Jinxuan, given this bastard’s vengeful nature, even a casual bad word in a memorial could be enough to harm him.

If he doesn’t handle this well, his grandfather will surely question his ability.

He remembered the letter he wrote to his grandfather upon departure, which must have already reached him by now. Yet, he hadn’t even made a move. He had to quickly write another letter to explain everything to his grandfather.

The eighty thousand taels was indeed a headache, but compared to the silver he’d embezzled over the years, it wasn’t much.

In front of these villagers, his whole body ached, from his heart to his liver to his teeth, every part of him hurt!

He stared at Huangfu Jinxuan with eyes nearly popping out, truly wishing to pounce and bite to death that cunning rascal grinning at him. Eighty thousand taels? The relief silver provided by the court wasn’t even that much.

He guessed it right. This time, the court allocated fifty thousand taels for the epidemic in Wangshan Town, which accompanied the imperial envoy’s guard and had yet to arrive.

Huangfu Jinxuan only found out after arriving that Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin had donated so much, and Shang Jingwang also brought more than ten thousand taels. Kong Tixin, the County Magistrate, eager to please Shang Jingwang, sent three thousand taels.

In sum, the main funds for the epidemic in that town came from Huangfu Jingchen and Xia Wenjin.

As Prefectural Governor, how could Yu Shikui not bleed a little?

He smiled apologetically yet with no relief: “Lord Yu, do you think it’s too little? Are you going to donate or not, everyone is watching!”

Yu Shikui nearly shattered a tooth. Huangfu Jinxuan was clearly threatening him; if he dared say more, Huangfu Jinxuan would surely extort even more from him.

He forced a smile uglier than crying, squeezing words through his teeth: “I’ll donate eighty thousand taels!”

Huangfu Jinxuan clapped and said: “Truly a good Prefectural Governor with the people’s welfare at heart, donating eighty thousand taels at once. Everyone, thank Lord Yu!”

The villagers obediently echoed their thanks in unison.

Huangfu Jinxuan laughed and said: “Lord Governor, where’s your silver?”

How could Yu Shikui have eighty thousand taels on hand?

When he came out this time, he was here to kill off the villagers, what would he do with so many silver notes on hand?

At this moment, he could only reply sullenly: “This Prefectural Governor will send someone to fetch it!”

Huangfu Jinxuan laughed and said: “Send fast horses, you can retrieve it in four or five days. In five days, should this Imperial Envoy organize a grand donation ceremony for you, Lord Yu?”

The smile on his face was like a blade cutting into Yu Shikui’s heart, and Yu Shikui was so angry he almost coughed up blood.

Huangfu Jinxuan knew when to stop, anyway, he wasn’t afraid that Yu Shikui would default on this silver.

Xia Wenjin watched Yu Shikui’s darkened face from the side, feeling quite gratified. This kind of petty villain leveraged the lives of thousands to become someone Huangfu Yuxuan valued, helping him plot and scheme his way to power, ultimately achieving wealth and prestige.

In this lifetime, that’s impossible for him to imagine!

Not just him, even Huangfu Yuxuan shouldn’t dare to think of it!

Five years remained until Huangfu Yuxuan ascended the throne in her previous life; in three years, she would go to the capital city, and that would be the time for her face-to-face showdown with Huangfu Yuxuan!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep