CHAPTER 736: CHAPTER 296 EMERGENCY_2

"Grand Master, what do we do? Our Ning Mansion still owes the Ministry of Revenue over six hundred thousand taels of silver!"

Jia Zhen panicked and quickly ran to the Side Courtyard to seek advice from He Tiantian.

"Just pay it back!" He Tiantian said as if it was obvious.

Jia Zhen: ...Damn it, of course I know the principle that debts must be repaid.

But the problem is that Ningguo’s Mansion simply cannot come up with that much silver right now.

These past few years, in order to build the Qingxiu Courtyard and to support the people living in the courtyard, silver coin flowed out like water.

Jia Zhen himself was so frugal that he could not even afford Heavenly Wine and Earth—his eldest son’s wedding was also skimpily held.

They had already economized as much as possible within the mansion, yet, they still could not save up any silver.

There was no choice; his own father insisted on practicing alchemy, often needing thousand-year-old ginseng and ten-thousand-year-old Polygonum multiflorum, batch by batch, what was refined were hardly elixirs—

—It was obviously just burning money!

And that Jia Cong, the kid was another prodigal altogether.

Persuading the Grand Master, he set up something called a "laboratory," buying people and materials, costing hundreds of taels of silver each month.

Had Jia Cong’s "laboratory" managed to invent something profitable it would have been fine, but all that happened was that his kite experiments attracted thunder that struck trees, or he accidentally set mountains on fire with his experiments on gasoline.

Day by day, there wasn’t a moment they weren’t wasting money.

Now, every time Jia Zhen heard a servant report, "Master, there’s trouble," his heart would tremble in fear.

However, Jia Cong had caught the eye of the living ancestor, becoming the Grand Master’s most favored youngest son, while Jia Zhen, the "eldest son" with the title, was rather neglected.

With the mighty presence of "Jia Jing" the Grand Master, Jia Zhen, despite his grievances and complaints, dared not express them.

He could only watch helplessly as Jia Jing and Jia Cong, the father-son duo, squandered Ningguo Mansion’s silver every day.

Now, they couldn’t even pay back six hundred thousand taels of debt, pushing Jia Zhen to the brink of eruption.

But, facing his own father, the deeply ingrained fear had etched itself into his bones, making Jia Zhen calm down again.

Rubbing his face, Jia Zhen said in a low and humble tone, "Grand Master, our family doesn’t have that much silver."

"Then sell those unused bulky items in the storeroom, oh right, Black Water Manor or Black Mountain Manor, it’s barren every year, keeping it is only troublesome, might as well sell it too, it still can fetch some silver!"

He Tiantian sounded like a prodigal who’d ’sell his ancestors’ fields’, casually mentioning selling homes and land.

Real son Jia Zhen almost had his nose bent out of shape with anger.

Selling items from the storeroom? And selling the manor too?

That’s akin to selling off ancestral property, the very image of ruining the family!

Jia Zhen, who’d wasted half his life in extravagant luxury, now felt his own father was the biggest spendthrift.

"Alright, alright, hurry up and sell the stuff, gather the money, and pay back the Ministry of Revenue."

"If you don’t act fast, other families will start selling their things. When so many wealthy families start selling their items, they will ruin the market."

"Then, the same items won’t sell for a high price!"

He Tiantian meant well.

Now, the Ministry of Revenue had just started to collect debts, and many families were still observing.

If Jia Zhen sold his possessions now, perhaps he could fetch a decent price.

Once everyone realized the Saint was serious and the debts had to be paid, they would rush to sell their properties.

By then, quality items would be sold at a discount.

Jia Zhen: ...I obviously understand the logic, but I was also hoping to watch and wait.

In the past, Jia Zhen always regarded Jia Jing’s attitude in matters, stemming from a son’s fear and respect for his father.

But now... Jia Cong, although he hadn’t made any money-making inventions, had established connections with the court.

The Saint’s confidant, the Jinlin Guard Commander, also had close dealings with Jia Cong.

And Jia Jing, although his elixirs caused various strange reactions, could still cure people and save lives.

With his elixirs, Jia Jing had also caught the current Saint’s eye, and even some influential nobles and powerful ministers had grown close to Jia Jing.

Thus, although Jia Jing lived in the suburbs, he was very aware of the court’s movements and the thoughts of some important figures.

Hearing He Tiantian relentlessly pressuring him to repay the debts, Jia Zhen knew that this debt collection was indeed a storm, and no one could escape!

Jia Zhen felt utterly dejected inside but dared not disobey his father.

He hurriedly went back to sell his possessions, managing by hook or by crook to gather six hundred thousand taels of silver, and paid off the Ministry of Revenue’s debt.