The Zhu father and son were like fat sheep waiting to be slaughtered. Chi Zimo naturally had to entertain them well.
After entering, Zhu Hong was too lazy to waste any more time and directly said, "I'll use the deeds of a hundred shops as collateral. Can Master Chi lend me some money to tide me over?"
"How much?"
"Thirty million taels."
Based on market value, the locations of these hundred shops were excellent. If sold, they could fetch fifty million taels. However, today he was here to beg for help, so he naturally had to humble himself.
Anyone else might have agreed immediately, but this person was Chi Zimo, who would squeeze every last drop. He said to Zhu Hong, "One hundred and fifty shops for thirty million taels. If Master Zhu finds this acceptable, you can take the silver notes immediately. The interest will be calculated according to your Zhu family's bank rates. How about it?"
An additional fifty shops were added for no reason. The Zhu family's foundation was almost completely stripped away by him. Apart from their ancestral home and some minor businesses outside, the Zhu family was truly cleaned out.
Zhu Xiaoxian gritted his teeth and said, "We are related by marriage. Master Chi, aren't you afraid of being criticized by outsiders for doing business like this?"
Chi Zimo smiled, "If I were to consider this marriage relationship, do you think you would be able to enter my Chi family's doors today?"
Zhu Xiaoxian was speechless. What he said was indeed true. They were pushed into a corner. Forget about help, it would be good if they weren't stepped on further.
"One hundred and fifty shops it is! Send someone to fetch the deeds with me."
"Alright! The term is three months. If the Zhu family cannot repay the money, then I'm sorry, the shops will belong to my Chi family!"
Three months. The time was quite generous. He thought he would only give a one-month deadline.
So Zhu Hong agreed. The two parties signed a written agreement and invited witnesses. That day, the Zhu family handed over the deeds of one hundred and fifty shops in Jinling City as collateral to the Chi family. Similarly, the Chi family's thirty million taels of silver notes were delivered to the Zhu family. With this money, the Zhu family's immediate crisis was resolved.
Seeing that the Chi family had lent a hand to the Zhu family, others did not dare to add insult to injury. The Zhu family finally breathed a sigh of relief.
At this moment, the Cao family was somewhat displeased.
"Just as the Zhu family was about to collapse, the Chi family intervened and saved them! Liang Quanbin is also a useless fool. He couldn't even take down the Zhu family with such a good handle!"
The Cao family head cursed fiercely at home. Cao Sanlang, sitting beside him, also looked unhappy. They had planned to strike while the iron was hot, and they had even figured out how to deal with the Zhu family's businesses, waiting for them to be ruined. They never expected that man's plans were not as good as heaven's, and they had lost this round.
Thirty million taels. To be honest, the Chi family had made a profitable deal. They had both saved the Zhu family and gained considerable interest. However, what he never expected was that Chi Zimo didn't want the interest or the good reputation. While they were still unhappy about the Chi family saving the Zhu family, "good news" arrived.
The prefect's prison was burned down, and no one inside was saved. Zhu Tu, Quan Fu, and those related to the Zhu family were all burned to ashes.
When Zhu Hong learned of this, he couldn't bear it and fainted. When he woke up, another piece of bad news arrived. Zhu Xiaoxian, unwilling to accept the news of the prison burning, led people to confront Liang Quanbin. Unexpectedly, after a conflict, he was shot through by arrows. When he was carried back, he was barely breathing. He didn't even manage to say three sentences before he was completely gone.
The new bride, Chi Lingying, who had rushed from the backyard, saw her husband lying on the ground covered in blood and rushed forward like a madwoman, wailing incessantly. Unexpectedly, this scene enraged Zhu Hong. He walked forward and kicked Chi Lingying away! He said to her fiercely, "It's all your fault! From the day you married into our family, the misfortunes of my Zhu family have been endless! Now even Xiaoxian is gone. You jinx, did you deliberately come to harm my Zhu family!" While cursing, he also started punching and kicking her, "Since my son is gone, you go and serve him below! You'll have to remarry anyway if you live, so there's no use keeping you in this world!" With that, he delivered a heavy blow, grabbing Chi Lingying by the neck and trying to kill her. If the servants who came with Chi family's dowry hadn't intervened and pulled Zhu Hong and Chi Lingying apart, she might have really gone to see the King of Hell.
"Let go! You bastards, you're all like this slut, coming to harm my Zhu family! Just wait! I'll make you all pay for my son's life!" His bloodshot eyes glared fiercely at everyone. Chi Lingying was so frightened that she could only cry in her wet nurse's arms!
Not long after, her stomach began to ache. "Blood! It's blood!" The blood stained Chi Lingying's skirt. Anyone who witnessed the event could see that she had miscarried. Her face was ashen, and she lay in her wet nurse's arms, large beads of sweat dripping from her forehead. "Quick, find a doctor! Find a doctor!" The maids rushed forward to help. The faster servants hurried to find a doctor, while the wet nurse and a few maids used a stretcher to carry her back to the backyard.
Looking at the pool of blood on the ground, Zhu Hong laughed, tears in his eyes, and let out a long howl to the heavens. "Heaven wants my Zhu family to perish!" Instantly, he spat blood, and his face turned ashen.
When the news of Chi Lingying's miscarriage arrived, the servants dared not approach. They were afraid they would be implicated next. "The child is gone, is it?" Zhu Hong sensed the butler's hesitant footsteps and then spoke calmly.
"My lord, please accept my condolences." Apart from this, he had no other words to say. Everyone knew how this child was lost. Zhu Xiaoxian was dead. Originally, there was Chi Lingying's child in her womb. Whether it was a boy or a girl, it would have been an heir for the Zhu family. Yet, he couldn't control his emotions for a moment and destroyed their only hope.
Looking at his son lying motionless on the ground, Zhu Hong clenched and then relaxed his fists. After half an incense stick's worth of time, he said to the butler, "Tell the Chi family to come and pick her up. After all, she was the one my son longed for. Since their conjugal bliss cannot be fulfilled in this life, there's no need to keep her here to live as a widow." His tone was devoid of any life, as if he were giving his dying words. At this moment, he had lost all desire for power, wealth, or any external possessions. He quietly stayed by Zhu Xiaoxian's body, cleaning him with a clean handkerchief. Little by little, with great patience.
The butler was moved but dared not disturb him further. The pain of losing a son in old age could not be understood without experiencing it. Moreover, a few hours ago, his second brother and son-in-law had also been burned to death. After quietly holding the funeral for them, the once glorious Zhu family became a topic of gossip, a tale of decline and desolation.
At the same time, Liang Quanbin's reputation as an official gained another point!